12/13/2004 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Word on the street How important is a `fwhite Christmas" to you? Brad Boogren Very important. It puts people in the holiday spir- it and helps business. Janet Wilke I love it white at Christmas, but then if it goes away the next day that would be fine. And then it can get warm. Melissa Lundmark Very important to me. I grew up in the desert wishing that I had a white Christmas, and 1 never did. Anna Thomas Christmas is more about family and tradi- tions, not the weather. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Mayor Thank you for responding to my letter originally pub- lished in the Quad Community Press. I am glad we agree on one thing: The need for sane, well - managed growth. I do have a few issues with your response, however. Even though I found the tone to be conde- scending and the logic flawed, I will address only two of your arguments, then pose two very important questions to you. You ask just how far back in time I would recommend we go in the effort to halt growth. In your cleverly stat- ed but logically flawed argu- ment, you even suggest we go back to when `old farmers" inhabited this land. (I think a few American Indians might like to weigh in on this issue.) But here is my answer: I would like to go back in time to just before the moment when the need existed to put a stoplight at the corner of Birch and Hodgson. In your next argument, you proudly proclaim that this very same stoplight is free to the citizens of Lino Lakes. In fact, the develop- ments, which caused the need for the stoplight in the first place, are paying for this red - yellow -green symbol of progress. Mr. Mayor, how can we be happy about get- ting something we did not want, even if it was for free? This example of circuitous reasoning tells me you do not get it. We don't want to be Woodbury. Now, on to two very important questions that are of major importance to your citizens. It is time to set aside the tongue- and -cheek stuff and get serious. Lino Lakes has a compre- hensive plan that regulates to what extent we wish to grow. As a safeguard against thwarting the direction set down in the comprehensive plan, it takes a four- fifths vote of the City Council (four council members plus the mayor) to change to the plan. What if an ordinance cre- ates a new classification of development call "conserva- tion development" that is not regulated by the comprehen- sive plan? What is this ordi- nance contained the lan- guage, " ... would exempt conservation development from growth restrictions," thereby allowing "conserva- tion developments" to be exempt from the annual allo- cation limits of 36 acres or the units restriction of 147 per year? How will citizens react when they discover such an ordinance just passed? (Ordinance 24 -04 passed on a 3 to 2 vote. Ever notice how two council members and the mayor seem to vote as one ?) What are the residents of Lino Lakes to make of this new ordinance, which contains language that allows it to circumvent the comprehensive growth plan? Question: If you support sane and controlled growth, then why is there a need to set aside (disregard ?) the original comprehensive plan by creating a new develop- ment classification? If mod- erate growth if the objective, then why ease any growth restrictions? Of course, where you sit determines how you answer these two questions. Without a doubt, a developer might have a different viewpoint than that of a resident of Lino Lakes. What say you, Mr. Mayor? Jim Drennen Lino Lakes Continue to let your voice be heard As the Centennial School Board is considering options to cut $1.5 million from the district's 2005 -06 general fund budget, three broad sce- narios being discussed are: • Making additional cuts totaling $1.5 million • Making cuts and using some of the fund balance in a way that totals $1.5 million • Making cuts and closing a school in a way that totals $1.5 million Following a work session with district administration on Dec. 3, a budget reduction plan will be presented to the community for comment and review. The plan will also be posted on the district Web site and will include an opportunity for input. Three community input sessions have been scheduled: • 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9 in the media center at Rice Lake Elementary, 575 Birch St., Lino Lakes • 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13 in the staff lounge at Golden Lake Elementary, 1 School Rd., Circle Pines • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14 in the media center at Centerville Elementary, 1721 Westview, Centerville To all of you community members who have a vested interest in the changes that will be made to accommo- date the $1.5 million short- fall, to those of you with chil- dren who currently go to Centennial schools and /or will be going to Centennial schools in the future, to those of you who supported the levy and to those of you who did not support the levy because you are somehow displeased with the Centennial district ... As a community member it is your responsibility to be informed of the proposed changes and provide input via the Web site or during one of these sessions. Please be a part of the solution and let your voice continue to be heard. Becky Benson Lino Lakes Re: Lawn signs We had a lawn sign stolen from our lawn the night of Oct. 19. We replaced it the next day and it was stolen the night of Oct. 20. We replaced it again and started to take the sign down every night and put it back up every morning so that it would not be stolen at night. It was stolen one last time the night of Nov 1, just before the election, and we did replace it on Election Day. It was a pro -levy sign. We didn't blame anyone for taking it. It is just part of the games that were going on prior to the election. We found it a little humorous. Connie Wikman Circle Pines Taking pride? Since the election, there have been a number of let- ters regarding the defeat of Centennial school district's proposed levy. I was a sup- porter of that levy and I'm sorry it failed; sorry for the teachers and sorry for our community. Most of all, I'm sorry for our kids. That's life in a democracy, though, and I have to accept the results. Still, too many of the let- ters are disturbing in a more fundamental way. Some claim that the referendum results somehow prevented levy supporters from "pick- ing the pockets" of taxpay- ers. Education is a public good in this country. Like most things, it costs money. People can disagree over the amount that should be spent on it, just as they can have different opinions about the appropriate funding for police officers or snowplows or public universities. If we're going to have these things, however, we need to pay for them. That means collecting taxes. Those taxes are the result of a government in which we can all participate. We might not always like them, but they're a fundamental part of our democracy. Worse, many of these let- ters seem to take great joy in the rejection of the levy. I can understand someone who feels pinched by taxes. Even though I disagree, I can understand someone who believes the money can be better spent elsewhere. What I cannot understand is why anyo.ie would be pleased by the idea that our schools are struggling. While the teachers and administrators in our school district are dedicated, hard- working professionals, they can only do so much. This vote means that Centennial students will have fewer opportunities to be scholars and athletes and musicians. The teachers and the coach- es and the volunteers will do their best, although it won't always be enough. There will be some students who don't go on to college and some who just don't graduate from high school. We have made a collective decision that our children will have less in the future than they had in the past. I don't think so, but maybe it was neces- sary. It shouldn't make us proud. Dan Greensweig Circle Pines Tuesday, Decembe WEEk!LY 5PECI r COUPON ■ _ _ • TRAVEL SPECIAL $7995 Reg. $109.95. Most cars 8 light trucks. 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