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<br />EXCERPT OF COUNCIL MINUTES JUNE 25, 2001
<br />I'm, ahh, also concerned about that aspect in that in reading through the, somewhat sketchy at times,
<br />somewhat complete some times, the work session minutes, that there was a question raised several
<br />months ago, almost, I think over a year ago, back in April of 2000, of whether the actions that, that
<br />were being thought of by the board were legal. I never found out any, any answer to that question that
<br />this group posed. Do you have the answer? Ahh, that's a problem. So, that's one issue. It's the, how
<br />are you going to regulate the growth rate?
<br />Taxes, page 29, it's the only one I put a page number down. It talks about, and again, this is a quote:
<br />"Achieving the objective by 2020 of the City tax rate to 20 percent or lower through fiscal and land
<br />use planning." I have two thought on that. Twenty years is a long time for the citizens to wait, in my
<br />opinion. A long, long time. And, how is that going to happen? How is the Council going to take that
<br />commitment and put it into writing so that a task can be structured for staff to "hold their feet to the
<br />fire," so to speak, to get it done? I'd like to see that too.
<br />The shopping center, and I will not be repetitive because I've spoke ohly in favor of it. I
<br />believe, and I'll just summarize quickly, the advantages that this w offe the citizens. One,
<br />maybe not right at the beginning of a improved tax rate, so we ce of the things we can't
<br />now afford without raising taxes. Keep in mind that you've utting, cutting down the
<br />rates 20 percent and yet expenditures have to flow upwar's the money going to come
<br />from? I am totally in support of that shopping center. hat e land was zoned for. It will do
<br />great things for this development, here, in this compl >��emember, a dollar in the bank is better
<br />;
<br />than zero dollars in the bank. So, we may have tR or»ou'`TIF funding to pay itself back. Let's
<br />figure out a way to do it. And, I'm asking that t Corn; Plan be structured to make sure that that
<br />event can take place in a very timely mann Uely, the last thing I heard or read in the, in
<br />the work session minutes, was that, u s,. the s eveloper that turned down a, a request for a
<br />meeting back on the third of March, e • ch, I beg your pardon if I don't have the date
<br />right. But, I think this is an event ple ould keep us posted somehow. It's a big event. That
<br />will, that'll go a long way to so, s �� 1 e of our tax dollar needs.
<br />The next issue is afforda . e
<br />you've heard me speak of
<br />won't meet those needs. T
<br />or begin to comprehend ho
<br />hous did not know another gentleman was going to talk about, but
<br />. The high density allocation land is inadequate. Town Center
<br />'s gh buck. I've said that before. And, I personally don't understand,
<br />ou folks think that this will meet the goals of the Met Council, which is
<br />endorsing this type of housing for our City. And, the "carrot" they're holding out is money, money, to
<br />develop this complex. And, that's a pretty big "carrot."
<br />Land use. I'm only going to mention two specifics and then I'm going to talk in general because I
<br />have, since talking to you the last time, I've reflected and done some additional thinking on the total
<br />subject, the 28 or so requests that have come to, to you folks. I don't believe spot zoning is permitted
<br />in anyplace in the City. Anyplace, nor permitted by ordinance. The commercial change on J by the J -
<br />Mart is a spot zoning change. I don't believe it should be allowed, and or recognized with this Comp
<br />Plan.
<br />1111 The other one was one that was certainly sensitive to Caroline. And, that was accelerating property
<br />Phase II to Phase I. I have continued concern, as you folks should, and perhaps the lawyer. How can
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