HANDOUT #1 10-18-2004
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Joan Schmidt, City Clerk
DATE: October 18, 2004
SUBJECT: Letter from Loretta Moos
Attached please find a letter that Jeff Gongoll delivered in person this afternoon after Ms.
Moos left it at his office.
I attached an article from the newspaper that I think she may be referencing. I was unable
to find "her" article that she mentions in the first paragraph of her letter.
October 18, 2004
To the Elk River City Council and Planning Commission:
I thought you should know that your illustrious Mayor at her meetings
on Saturday morning at the Legion, when confronted with my article
in the paper regarding the downtown development for which I
received numerous calls in agreement and support. The MayOr
replied, "Oh she's just out of touch." I have had more experience
than any of you.
Another quote of the Mayors is "I only have one vote." So, you know
where the blame lies.
I would also like to address the Line Avenue cul-de-sac propo$al.
That road is the main route for the school bus and the fire department
to the St. John's School at Twin Lakes where they have more than
10'0 in attendance. Only one of limited ability would suggest sllch a
matter. I would never suggest taxpayers of tiff to pay for either of the
above for a number of years. Your liability would be great.
I request you keep a copy of this article in your files at the City
Council office along with the other three previous ones, which I doubt
you have read.
Loretta Moos
oy :;usan M.A. Larson
Staff wnter
At her funeral last Friday,
Kristin Lorenz was remem-
bered as a caring, compas-
sionate individual who left a
lasting impression on all she
encountered.
Kristin, 16, daughter of
David and Diane Lorenz,
died in a car accident Oct. 2.
She was a junior at Elk River
High School.
The sanctuary of Central
Lutherajl Church in Elk
RIver was filJed to over
capacity for her funeral with
~tudents sitting on the' floor
In the front of and around
the altar. More had to be
seated in the narthex.
Mourners donned pins with
Kristin's picture, badges
with the number 18 (her vol-
leyball jersey number), or r
orange ribbons. Orange,!
Kristin's favorite color, was
the dominant eoicT for'
Remembered to page 14
Among the ways student
through posters they wr01
above read "We Will Never i
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Birds of prey get rapt attention
Jim Hall, of the Three Rivers Park District, shows off a
red-tail hawk to a group of kids participating in
Community Education's Edventure Club Monday at
.~
Lincoln Elementary SchooL I Hall had three raptors on
hand, all of which have injurij!s that were too serious for
the birds to survive in the wild.
Downtown plats move fprward
,
by Jake Muonio
Staff writer
The downtown redevelop-
ment project is taking anoth-
er step forward.
Public hearings are sched-
uled for Oct. 18 on the pre-
liminary plats for both the
Bluff and Jackson block proj-
ects.
The public hearings, which
wi1l be part of the City
Council meeting, will take
place at Elk River City Hall.
The preliminary plats were
approved by the Planning
Commission at its Sept. 28
meeting.
Other details have also
been worked out over the
past month.
The Elk River City Council
and Municipal Utilities
Commission agreed to con-
sider waiving the sewer and
water connection fees for the
project - a $400,000 waiver.
Those funds. which are typ-
ically collected for each resi-
dential and commercial unit
hooked up to city services,
would likely be recovered
through inflation in the TIF
district, said Cathy
Mehelich, Elk River director
of economic development.
The City Council also
agreed with a MetroPlains
request that the park dedica-
tion fees paid on the project
be earmarked to be spent on
park improvements in the
i
downtown area.
! "That gives us the where-
Iwithal to make the improve-
iments (to the river front
IparkJ that were talked about
'for the last. 10 years,"
Mehelich said.
In addition to the prelimi-
nary plats, a tax increment
financing district public
hearing is scheduled before
the City Council on Nov. 1.
Downtown to page 14
14/ Star News / Wednesday, October 13, 2004 . Visit us on the web at www.erstarnews.com
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Downtown: Tax-increment financing hearing SChe~Uled for Nov. 1
Following that the city and The city has been talking going to happen?' I can't give would be on the site of what
MetroPlains are expected to about a redevelopment proj- an answer to that. Wllat I is currently the Jackson
sign a final development ect in downtown Elk River can say is that the city and block parking lot.
agreement. for more than 20 years, and MetroPlains' commitment The building constructed
"We anticipate the HRA has been working exclusive- has renlained the same." there would include ground-
and council will see a draft ly with MetroPlains The current project would floor commercial space with
agreement sometime in Development for the past begin with the bluff block, rental housing units
November," Mehelich said. two. and area that encompasses upstairs.
"Our goal is to have it "Redevelopment projects what is currently Nadeau's Customer parking spaces
entered into and approved are long and complex," Clothing Care, US. Bank that would be lost in the
by the city by the end of the Mehelich said. "The million and the next adjacent build- Jackson lot would be
year." dollar question is, 'Is this ing that recently was the replaced with additional
site of The Jungle hair salon. units behind Kemper Drug.
That project would include That lot would be expanded
commercial property on the and include space created by
ground level and for-sale the removal of the old
housing units up above. municipal utilities building.
The project's second phase
Rail: Two divided on funding
priation for N orthstar. The
funding is part of Gov. Tim
Pawlenty's initiative to cap-
ture federal dollars to keep
the project moving forward.
The Metropolitan Council
and Anoka and Hennepin
county boards have also
approved funds for the
Northstar commuter rail
project.
Nelson said he voted
against the $1.8 million fund-
ing in part because there is
no commitment from the
Minnesota Legislature to
fund the building of the
Northstar commuter rail
project. Also, there is not yet
a commitment from
Burlington Northern Santa
Fe to use its rail system, he
said.
Nelson also has concerns
about Sherburne, Anoka and
Hennepin counties being
asked to help pay for the
project.
"I don't believe that we
should be funding our share
with Sherburne County prop-
erty tax dollars," he said.
"That's why I voted against
it. I think it should be a fed-
eral and state project."
Under the plan, capital
costs for the' project would be
funded 50 percent federal 33
~, percent state and 17 perdent
." ""local.
,'~'i~:d':Wl1.ile' not philosophically
~~~~'.opposed to the idea of com-
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would be.
"I wish we could have the
train," he said. "But ... I'm
afraid it will be like the
Hiawatha (light rail)." That's
working, Nelson said, but it
came in significantly over
budget.
Northstar commuter rail
would use existing rail lines
to transport passengers
between Big Lake and
Minneapolis. Riebel said it's
only a matter of time before
the service would be extend-
ed through Becker and
Becker Township to St.
Cloud. .
Riebel said he would have
voted for the Northstar
funds, because the county
already has invested money
and energy for the project.
Commuter rail is a safe and
fast method to move people,
and it would take cars off
Highway 10, which is one of
the fastest-growing corridors
in the country, Riebel said.
The system would result in
fewer accidents and less pol-
lution, he said.
Riebel said commuter rail is
also one way older people
who may have difficulty driv-
ing could travel safelv.
With no plan in sight to
widen Highway 10, Riebel
said caillm.uter rail offers an
economical and quick way to
ease traffic congestion.
"It makes sense," he said.
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