10/19/1998 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING OCTOBER 19, 1998 Mr. Trehus said that Paul and JP felt this point made sense and other cities have stopped development until their environmental inventory was completed. Brian noted that at the Task Force meeting, JP and Paul said the opposite. Chris said he felt the biggest issue is representing the people. Kim noted that there are many people who feel that you are not representing them. Chris said that the Plan he and Caroline are supporting is not their Plan but what the people want. Kim asked why voting on the Plan is so beneficial. Chris said that the Council Members are representatives. Voting on the Plan takes the personality out of it. Kim asked if Chris felt that the Task Force represented the majority of the people? There was no response. Caroline said that at the meeting with JP and Paul, only four (4) issues were unacceptable to them. Kim said that what Caroline is presenting is very different from the Plan and it appears that there can be no compromise. There is the need to negotiate apples to apples. Kim said she would not spend more time on this matter because it appears there can be no resolution. She noted that in order for the rest of the Council to accept Chris and Caroline's plan, the entire Plan would have to be rewritten. Chris presented some calculations and noted that there is no need for additional MUSA for seven (7) years. He felt that the reality of the situation is that if the MUSA is there, it will be used. He asked that the Plan stipulate there will be no need for additional MUSA for seven (7) years and then see if the City is reaching its goals related to reduction of the tax rate and increase in tax base. Al explained that the current MUSA is not enough. The MUSA in certain parts of the City will not be used especially in the northern part of the City. Chris again said that his No. 1 goal would be to not add anymore MUSA for seven (7) years. He referred to regulatory mechanisms relating to the EHI. Kim explained that there are measures in the Plan that balance all the issues. Nothing is based on the EHI. Chris said the tax rate was an important concern as well as the tax base. Kim asked Chris what two (2) items from his list would make or break this deadlock. Chris said 1) wait for the environmental inventory before adding any more MUSA. He said he has presented a list of 13 issues. Kim asked if all of them were non-negotiable? Chris said no MUSA for seven (7) years from implementation of the Plan and the Environmental Board recommendation for or against going ahead before the environmental inventory is completed. Chris said another concern is hydric soils. How is staff or Council going to assure him that residents will not have bilge pumps in their basements? Al explained the mechanisms to control this problem. Chris wanted an identification of specific issues of hydric soils and mechanisms to address them. PAGE 9