Some say he’s a problem, some say a scapegoat

Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 9, 2003

Accusations that Albert Lea City Manager Paul Sparks is a large cause of a lack of economic development in Albert Lea fueled the possibility of a petition being distributed to pressure Albert Lea City councilors to remove him.

&uot;This should have been done ten years ago,&uot; said Don Sorenson, an Albert Lea business owner. &uot;It’s just time for him to leave.&uot;

He and a group of Albert Lea residents and business owners calling themselves the Think Tank have grown dissatisfied with Sparks over the years, and said they’re not alone.

Email newsletter signup

Among their complaints: He has too much control over the city &045; he also controls the Port Authority, a city organization intended to encourage economic growth.

They say he is secretive, not just about economic deals but about the workings of city hall.

And they say he’s simply been there too long, and that the city needs new ideas. They point to the city’s lack of growth as proof that Sparks isn’t doing his job.

Several of the members point to the city’s perceived inability to attract business and the failures in the past such as Ford, Premium Pork, Winnebago, and other companies that chose other cities over Albert Lea. They also point to the stagnant population growth as a sign that things need to change.

&uot;If you can’t blame him, I can’t think of anyone else to blame,&uot; Tony Trow said of the economic situation.

Former Mayor Bob Haukoos, a member of the Think Tank who didn’t want the group to circulate a petition against Sparks, said when he campaigned for mayor, half the city blamed Sparks for the city’s economic problems. But he said Sparks is just a scapegoat.

But he acknowleged that Sparks can be secretive. At times, Sparks didn’t answer his questions, and just referred him to files, Haukoos said. He also said that Sparks wanted him to tell him before he spoke with department heads.

He said Sparks has done a good job, but has been in his job too long, and the city could use a change.

Councilor Randy Erdman agreed that Sparks is a scapegoat, saying Albert Lea isn’t the only city of its size with a struggling economy and slow growth. He said that Sparks has done what councils have asked of him in the past, but those councils have been weak, and Sparks has taken the blame.

Mayor Jean Eaton also dismissed the claims against Sparks. She said that many businesses have used Albert Lea as a bargaining chip to receive better bids from other cities in states with lower taxes. She said that most cities along I-90 haven’t grown in Minnesota. And she said that the group is attributing too much power to Sparks.

&uot;Any one person cannot turn away business,&uot; she said.

She pointed to the importance of keeping certain business prospects out of view of the public at the request of the business. &uot;It’s not secrecy, it’s confidentiality,&uot; she said.

She agreed, however, that Sparks’ control of both the port authority and the city is a problem because it’s not easy to balance the need to be fiscally responsible as the head of the city while encouraging economic growth as port authority head. She agreed that the conflict could lead to the perception that he is controlling.

She said she thought some of the sentiment against Sparks is personal.

&uot;It looks like a select group that has an ax to grind against Mr. Sparks,&uot; she said.

Sparks said he thinks people like developer Tom Leland, who has been involved with the group, are upset that Sparks doesn’t agree with giving incentives to retail businesses, something Leland would benefit from. Leland and Sparks recently clashed over the Wal-Mart Supercenter development, for instance.

&uot;We’ve tried to accommodate growth,&uot; Sparks said. &uot;We’re not willing to give the city’s money away. That belongs to the taxpayers.&uot;

&uot;I don’t think that it’s proper to give taxpayers’ money away when it might put some of those taxpayers out of business,&uot; he said of city assistance for retail development. He said he did agree with incentives to industries, however.

Business owner Milan Hart said he’s looking out for both himself and the county by working with

the Think Tank on a petition. &uot;I want to make more money. I can’t make much money in a dying town,&uot; he said.

Members of the group insist that they are looking out for the best interests of the city in seeking Sparks’ removal.

(Contact Tim Sturrock at tim.sturrock@albertleatribune.com or 379-3438.)