06-14-2007 Charter Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Lino Lakes Charter Review Task Force Notes from May 15th Public Forum In attendance: Citizen's Task Force: Laura Carlson -Secretary, Jamie Stem, Peter T. Brown, Jon Latcham, Kathi Gallup -Chair, Judi Brunner Presenters: Jim Studenski, City Engineer, Pavement Management Plan Steve Bubul, Attorney, Charter Section 8 vs Statutory 429 Nick Dragisich, Financial Advisor, Financing Recommendations to support the Pavement Management Plan Caroline Dahl, Charter Commission, Secretary Comments (limited to 4 minutes each) were heard from the floor in the order people signed up on the speaker list. Rose Storberg Would like to relay more information that we (Charter Commission and Task Force) discussed at previous meetings. She would like people to be aware of the situation in Mahtomedi right now The city does not have charter provisions to protect them as we do in Lino Lakes. The citizens oppose a street/water/sewer project but the city council supported it so it was passed and done. Referenced Letter to the Editor in the Quad Community Press . To read, click here: http://presspubs.com/articles/2007/05/15/letters/quad community press/walseth.txt) Rose wanted to point out that only 400 people did the survey, 2% of the current population while over 1000 voted for the charter and only 129 voted against it. Even later attempts to change the charter have failed. The original need for the charter is still present today based on her conversations with the founders of the charter. As far as why people didn't vote for the referendum (West Shadow Lake Drive) some of comments she heard was that city leaders lived on the street, it was an expensive neighborhood, why should we pay for it, etc. there was plenty of room for controversy regarding getting that street fixed. Vern Reinert Vern was one of the original drafters of the charter but wants to point out that the city was very different that it is today. He has been here 32 years and seen many changes to Lino Lakes and the communities surrounding. Back then Lino Lakes was "way out" of the cities. There was no or little tax base. There was no planning (very little) in place. In the state we were about #1 in tax rate. Lino Lakes didn't have staff or the experts that we have today. There was basically no zoning. Things were really done "shooting from the hip". This concerned the residents. When his family moved in from Wausau they were accustomed to a charter city. In that city there were 13 council members and the mayor. He saw how a charter could work for a community and was glad to help develop one for Lino Lakes. In Wausau the council, administration and commission worked very close and very well together. They worked together to get water and sewer through for growth and a plan. -9-