Read it, excepted from here, and see exactly who it is that wants to be the next Michele Bachmann phenomenon in Minnesota's Sixth District, where I live, in Ramsey:
City Council Workshop Minutes
Monday, January 8, 2007
Albertville City Hall 7:00 PM
PRESENT: Mayor Ron Klecker, Council members [...] City Administrator Larry Kruse, Assistant City Engineer Adam Nafstad, Elwyn Tinklenberg, Jodi Ruehle, S.E.H. Engineer’s Jaimison Sloboden, Scott McBride and Mark Durling
[...] Mayor Klecker called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
I. Meeting Purpose and Overview
City Administrator Kruse presented opening comments stating that the purpose of the workshop was: to seek Council direction for an I-94 layout, which staff will take to the I-94 Implementation Task Force; to ask the Council to endorse this layout; and to seek Federal Funding. The Tinklenberg Group will update the Council on their efforts obtaining Federal Funding, and discuss their strategy for the 2007 funding cycle. SEH will review several layouts and seek concurrence on a preferred layout. SEH will discuss associated cost to complete a preliminary design or staff approved layout. Finally, the staff hopes to understand the Council’s expectation on Albertville’s financial involvement and share this with the I-94 Implementation Task Force.
Elwyn Tinklenberg stated an opportunity is coming in February for the City and I-94 Task Force to submit a project for Federal Funding. Tinklenberg emphasized that transportation funding remains very competitive and that due to a lack of funds, MnDOT is pretty much in a maintenance mode. The people that are the most successful are the ones that collaborate with multiple jurisdictions and work together. Tinklenberg proposed a fee of approximately $3,000 per month to promote the City’s project and keep it before decision makers.
[...] V. Council Discussion
Discussion was held on the various standard and hybrid layouts, which the Council rallied around supporting the $12 million dollar project.
[...] Consensus was reached regarding the following:
[...] 2) The Tinklenberg Group will proceed to seek Federal Funding for the I-94 Project at an estimated cost of $3,000 per month.
3) S.E.H. and the Tinklenberg Group will collaborate and put together a Public Involvement Plan whereby a newsletter or brochure will be sent to Albertville residents and specific business owners that would be assessed and affected by the proposed I-94 Project. In addition to the newsletter or brochure, the Albertville website can be used to convey project information. Several public information meetings will be held to inform the public. S.E.H and the Tinklenberg Group will put together a budget to accomplish this business.
4) Staff was directed to share the Council’s interest with the I-94 Task Force to pursue the $12 million dollar option with the goal to receive 50% Federal Funding and then to raise the remainder of the funds locally from State, County, Albertville and other partners.
[emphasis added] and here for what the public meeting revealed to citizens after the deal was cut in a work session about paying the Tinklenberg Groupies three grand a month for services, including keeping Albertville's chances "before decision makers" and, curiously, with the focus more on PR tub-thumping without the three grand a month being again mentioned:
City Council Meeting Minutes
February 5, 2007
Albertville City Hall 7:00 PM
[...] TINKLENBERG GROUP AND SEH, INC. – PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROPOSAL
Jodi Ruehle with the Tinklenberg Group reported that the I-94 Task Force met and what the Tinklenberg Group is proposing is to conduct open houses or workshops bringing together neighboring communities. The workshop would include SEH in some aspects to demonstrate the layouts and phases of implement.
Council inquired about the use of the $800,000 Federal Funds towards the construction or other costs associated with the process.
City Administrator Kruse stated that it would require a process of selecting the engineer to proceed to utilize the Federal Funds. Of the initial $800,000, the City has dedicated $600,000 towards the purchase of land; therefore leaving a balance of $200,000.
Kruse reported that staff recommends going forward with the project. A thorough and effective public involvement process should begin in February 2007 with the development of a plan over the course of several months ending in the fall of 2007. But in order to proceed, staff needs to get approval of the Plans and finalize the project to present to the State.
MOTION BY Council member Fay, seconded by Council member Wagner to approve the Tinklenberg Group and SEH, Inc. Public Involvement Proposal at a cost not to exceed $68,000, and on file in the office of the City Clerk. Motion carried unanimously.
[emphasis added]What is the man selling? Can you say, "opportunity?" Can you say, "opportunist?"
Rev. Tinklenberg ought to go preach in Mac Hammond's Living Well Christian Center, with the kind of living well approach to life, as he seems to have. But Bachmann's got a lock on the door over there, or seems to, just as she will have in the district if the DFL caucuses go with the union boss endorsements and think Tink. Can you imagine the NRCC hate mailings about the man's baggage, and how Brodkorb will be blogging? It will be a slaughter - and perhaps one of the nastiest elections in State history. Do you suppose there's any truth to the stories that he is Jim Oberstar's protege? With influence that way, on the House Transportation Committee? Again, what is the man selling, to get all those consulting contracts? Do you think the GOP will not be asking such questions on the ramp-up to November 2008?
Come let us work together, my fee is three grand ...
Give me a #$%&%&$ break.
Give me clean energy advocate Bob Olson. I agree with Blue Man about the Tinklenberg candidacy. A winning candidate will not be in it for what it can return to him. A winning candidate will be a candidate without baggage. The legacy of the Wellstone Bus, all that.
And if you do not think the Tinklenberg guy stands for the standard story stuff on growth is good and build a Town Center for your town too, look here. I suppose fertilizer is good for crabgrass, so heap it on.