Mike Linquist Running for Waite Park Mayor

WAITE PARK (WJON News) -- Two current city council members are running to be the next mayor of Waite Park.

Mike Linquist has lived in the community for 51 years spending much of that time on the Park Board, Planning Commission, and 24 years on the City Council.

He says two top issues are continuing to work on a new safety facility and PFAS remediation.

The new safety facility I"'m on that committee right now and I'd like to continue until that is finished. One of the major problems that people are concerned about is our water, we are working on that. We've hired an engineering firm that is looking into how to change our present facility.

Linquist says the city is looking at two options to address PFAS with one costing about $20 million to $24 million and the second option about half that amount.

Linquist says the future of the city's volunteer fire department will have to be addressed. He says they have an outside agency working on a study.

We are waiting for the study so we can get the final look as to what they think the whole area should look at, it might be a combined fire department for three or four cities, we don't know.

Linquist says growing Waite Park is also a top issue. He says the city recently started a new EDA to help with growth and development. He says building the infrastructure is the number one problem hindering growth and they have to be strategic when it comes to new housing developments which he says has been stagnant in the city.