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From the Mayoes Desk Dear Friends and Neighbors of Hugo, This year marked the sixth annual Good Neighbor Days Parade in Hugo, which was well-attended, both in participants and spectators. I would like to thank everyone who works so hard to provide this wonderful summer celebration in which we have a chance to spend time with our Hugo neighbors and friends. I always enjoy the food, fun, and informal conversations with Hugo residents at the Hugo City Park during Good Neighbor Days. I have discussed many issues with Hugo residents, but one of the most common concerns what's hap- pening in regard to the development moratorium, which went into effect last August. There seems to be some misunderstanding about what this action is intended to do. It is not a complete ban on building new homes in Hugo. In fact, there are many individual lots in Hugo which do not fall under the moratorium, and new homes are continuing to be built. However, as you drive through Hugo, it is easy to see that we must be concerned with the issues of water and land management. The moratorium is designed to be a temporary halt to major development in the Municipal Utilities Service Area (MUSA) in order to give the City Council time to solve problems concerning our lack of domestic water storage and to clarify our development standards. We are moving forward in planning for development. We have determined a site for a new well, and staff members are working on its design. Bids will soon be awarded. We are looking for a new water tower site to be located in the west-central part of Hugo. We also know that Washington County is planning to make County Road 8 (Frenchman Road) a four-lane highway.between US Highway 61 and 35E. We will need to work jointly to address traffic issues. It may be necessary to buy property and realign County Road 8. There will be public hearings to get your input. In addi- tion, we are currently preparing for future development by working with the existing businesses in the Peloquin Industrial Park to determine the best methods for installing utilities along the east side of US Highway 61, north ofdowntown. At the same time, Hugo is working on establishing development standards under the leadership of Mike Ericson, our new City Administrator, and John Rask, our new Community Development Director. As we go through this "Charette" planning process, I would like to invite and encourage landown- ers, business people, and anyone who is interested in the development of Hugo to attend these meet- ings. You should also know that the DNR and Metropolitan Council have each awarded grants to the city to offset the costs of the research and planning. In order to do a good job of planning and preparing for our community, which will soon become part of the third ring of Twin Cities suburbs, we need to allow ourselves adequate time, and it is possible that the moratorium may need to be extended up to 18 months. The time we invest now will determine the future of our community. Whatever we allow to develop in Hugo will be with us for a long time, and I'm sure we all want a city that we can be proud of. The key to success of this community will lie in our ability to communicate with each other, our neighboring communities, and government agencies. I encourage you to attend public meetings, send your local leaders a note or e-mail, and become involved in what happens in Hugo. While Hugo may not be able to remain exactly what we have known in the past, we do have the ability to shape it into the community we would like it to become. Have a happy and safe summer, Wally Stoltzman, Mayor