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D. IF WE WANT LAKE: ELMO TO REMAIN A VIABLE CITY, ACCEPTANCE OF CONTINUED LARGE SCALE USE OF R.E. ZONING AND STONEGATE TYPE DEVELOPMENTS 19 IMPOSSIBLE. THESE DEVELOPMENTS WILL BREAK: THE REST OF THE CITY, THE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY LIVE HERE, UNLESS WE FIND REVENUES ELSEWHERE. I GUARANTEE", THE STATE IS NOT PUMPING UP REVENUE SHARING FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE - IT WILL CONTINUE TO FALL! FISCAL DISPARITY AID IS UNDER PRESSURE! OUR CITY AUDITOR HAS 'WARNED US SEVERAL_ YEARS RUNNING THAT IF WE DON'T EXPAND OUR TAX BASE WE WILL HAVE TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE TAXES. OF COURSE, WE ARE PRECLUDED BY STATUTE FROM DOING THIS IN 1992 AND 'BY 1993 THE RATES ON HOMES WILL HAVE BEEN REDUCED FROM THE EXISTING RATES (1% OF THE 1ST $68,000, 2% OF THE NEXT $42,000, AND 3% OF ASSESSED VALUE OVER 110,00") TO 1% OF THE 1ST #72,000 AND A FLAT 2% ON AMOUNTS OVER THAT. THE AMOUNT THE CIT`( WILL. HAVE TO LEVY ON WILL BE GREATLY RESTRICTED. THE PAST NEGLIGENCE OF RESERVES IS NOW BEGINNING TO HAUNT US. WE HAD TO CONSIDER GOING TO RESERVES TO PAY FOR A SIMPLE PICKUP TRUCK FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ESTABLISHING RESERVES FOR ROAD AND SURFACE WATER WORK THAT NEEDS DOING. WE ARE AT RISK WITH A NUMBER OF ITEMS, GREAT AMONG THEM BEING THE LACY; OF REDUNDANCY IN OUR MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM (IF OUR WELL FAILS OVER 240 FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES WILL SUFFER ENORMOUSLY). WE ARE NOT MEETING CERTAIN STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS AS RELATES TO FINANCIAL. REPORTING TO THE COUNCIL AND OTHER BECAUSE OF EXISTING STAFF SHORTAGES, OUR STAFF IS THE LOWEST PAID IN THE METRO AREA AND ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE STATE. OUR RATIO OF STAFF TO CIT'IZENS IS ABYSMAL. OUR CITY OFFICES ARE INADEQUATE! WE ARE UNDER INCREASING ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES: OUR TRI-LAKIS IS THE END OF A LONG SURFACE WATER, SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES DISTANT AREAS OF RELATIVELY HIGH URBAN GROWTH - IF REGIONAL AUTHORITIES WILL NOT OR CAN NOT ASSIST IN MEDIATING THE PRESSURES, THE CITY WILL HAVE TO!. WE ARE NOT AN ISLAND. WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE LESS ECONOMIC_ PRESSURE, WE WILL HAVE, THE WAY I SEE IT, FAR GREATER PRESSURES. WE DON'T NEED SEWER AND WATER TO PUMP UP THE TAX PRESSURE, THE FUTURE HAS, I BELIEVE, ENOUGH OTHER THINGS IN STORE FOR US! 3�_ ARE_EXISTING USES COMPROMISED___AGAIN_I MUST_SAY YES! THIS DEVELOPEMENT IS TO BE PLACED DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO AN OPERATING GRAVEL MINE, NOW, ALL THE COVENANTS AND ALL THE PROMISES FROM THE DEVELOPER OR THE FUTURE RESIDENTS WILL NOT STILL THEIR .DISAFFECTION WITH A MINING OPERATION, MIMING IS NOISY, DUSTY, AND UNKEMPT IN THE HEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE WILL BE IMMEDIATE PRESSURE TO REMOVE SUCH AN OPERATION FROM THEIR MIDST UNLESS EFFECTIVELY BUFFERED. IN ADDITION, STONEGATE ABUTS WHAT I HOPE_ AND THE CITY FATHERS, WHO OVERSAW THE: CONSOLIDATION OF EAST OAKDALE AND LAKE ELMO IN 1969 HOPED, WILL, BE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THAT WILL PRODUCE THE REVENUES THAT MIGHT ALLOW US TO REASONABLY ATTAIN THAT COMMUNITY OF OPEN VISTAS AND RURAL AMBIANCE: CF WHICH I SPOKE EARLIER. THE COMMERCIAL USES ALREADY EN PLACE IN THAT ;AREA ARE SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THE CASE, AS WITH THE MINING OPERATION, THERE ISN'T A SNOWBALL'S CHANCE IN HELL THAT AN UNBUFFERED, VIBRANT BUSINESS DISTRICT CAN CONTINUE TO DEVELOF'E WITH ADJACENT RESIDENTS WHOSE DESIRE FOR ISOLATION IS MANIFESTED IN THE PURCHASE OF A 0.3 ACRE LOT..