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294 <br />COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 27, 1992 <br />moratorium puts on the community in terms of development. <br />Council Member Bergeson explained that banks and commercial <br />developers are well aware of the present moratorium. He said <br />that as Lino Lakes prepares to promote the City we will need the <br />support of these people and he said he feared that the moratorium <br />could have a negative impact on the ability to promote the City. <br />Council Member Kuether said that a couple weeks she represented <br />this City at an economic development seminar at the Convention <br />Center in Minneapolis. She had talked to almost every planner or <br />economic development person at this meeting including the Port <br />Authority of St. Paul. Council Member Kuether explained that she <br />had a lengthy conversation with the planner at Woodbury. She <br />felt the Woodbury area seemed to be the most closely tied to the <br />Lino Lakes situation. Council Member Kuether noted that a few <br />years ago Woodbury had a population of about 10,000. At that <br />time that city was very actively seeking economic development <br />just like Lino Lakes is currently doing. They hired consultants <br />and found that they only way they were going to get economic <br />development was to increase the population. She was told that a <br />population of about 20,000 was needed to get the economic <br />development interest in that community. Council Member Kuether <br />said that Woodbury "shifted gears" and quit working on the <br />economic development and concentrated on the residential <br />development to get this in place to lure the economic developers. <br />She also talked to as many people as possible at the seminar <br />regarding the moratorium and all said it was ridiculous that a <br />city that builds 200 homes a year would impose a moratorium. It <br />is sending a negative image and that this City is not open for <br />business. Council Member Kuether said her fear is that now we <br />have an economic development group in place and saying go out and <br />look for business, however we are sending them out in handcuffs. <br />If they are sent out to do a job and we already know that the <br />retail and fast food establishments need people, we are not being <br />fair to them or to the existing businesses by putting a <br />moratorium on new people coming into the City. <br />Council Member Elliott said that as far as she is concern the <br />entire list as far as what is accomplished during the moratorium <br />is related to the moratorium. She noted a problem for the staff <br />prior to the moratorium was that they were running at break neck <br />speed trying get their every day work done plus the development <br />issues without all the guidelines being in place. Council Member <br />Elliott felt that the moratorium has given the staff time to <br />catch up. She noted that residential development and work on <br />plats have not been stopped. Council Member Elliott said that <br />she did not think that in the next three (3) months no <br />opportunities for business would be destroyed. She noted that <br />the first true economic development group now organized is the <br />first this City has ever had. She said she felt this was a major <br />PAGE 8 <br />1 <br />1 <br />1 <br />