Home Page

Opinion

Unhappy with city council action

To the editor:
The action of the North Branch City Council was pretty lame, lame duck. Citizens of our community have said in surveys and in the last election, they want planned, orderly and slower growth in our city. Four out of five members of the city council, none elected in November, voted to expand the municipal urban service area (MUSA) to include 160 acres just north of Wild Ridge on the west side of I-35 and change the zoning from rural to urban residential. The rational was the cityís land use committee and staff thought it was a good idea. I thought city council was elected to represent the citizens; the cityís planning commission had recommended against it and so did a majority of those that testified at the public hearing on that request when it was presented to the Planning Commission. I also would like to know what staff thought it was a good idea.
There were at least four good reasons to vote against the proposal: (1) the I-35 bridge is already congested and this will only make the situation worse, (2) lack of school capacity - voters rejected the operating levy request, (3) surveys indicate that voters want slower growth, not accelerated growth - this area was not scheduled to be included in the MUSA until 2007, (4) the city is in the middle of revising its comprehensive plan that may have included changes in the MUSA (likely some expansion), and (5) the Planning Commission had rejected it.
The County Board had the good sense to slow down its decision-making following the election. The city did not, even though the margin of difference on expanding the MUSA came from two members that would not be on the new council. My guess is the others that voted for that expansion could be history the next election if they donít start listening to the citizens.
Robert G. Walz
North Branch

Top of Page

©ECM Post Review

6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com