Minutes - Council - 05/08/1979 - Special

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Special Council Meeting May 8, 1979 - Page 2 Mr. Scherer said he has been appointed to the Metro Council and has previously served as a Legislator. His job is to work with his District of 24 communities and act as an advocate for the City Councils of the 24 Cities at the Metro Council and is charged with seeing to the well being of his District. He is not a lobbyist for the Legislature to change laws, nor is he any longer a Legislator. Metro Council has no basis to lobby the Legislature for anything. He doesn't believe the Metro Council should broaden its powers or have anymore author~.ty'~.' He won't go up that hill to lobby for changing the Bill for Ramsey. He will be an advocate for matters that come within the authority of the Metro Council. The Metro Council has no business in housing, health care, no business in a great many things that they are in. He recognizes that the City has concerns. The Metro staff provides the data base on the population, Ramsey had 1,000 people added last year. The City can order a new census and pay for it if they think the population amount is wrong. Councilman Cox said he appreciates and expects Mr. Scherer's presence. It is important for the City's Economic Development Committee, members who are present tonight, to understand the basic working of the community for future discussion. He said he differs in some degree with Mr. Scherer. The Metro Council before his time had no problem walking that hill and making recommendations that we now have to live with. We have been trying to get comprehensive plan approval and just when we think we are at the point the Metro Council comes back with a new critique, it just goes back and forth. Further, the City cannot pay for a census. Mr. Scherer feels population figures for Ramsey are fairl~ accurate. Administrator Schnelle addressed that population factor in the State Local Aid formula worked adversely against outer tier suburban communities like Ramsey. Inasmuch as the formula took the City's 1970 census and current Metro estimated census and averaged the two census' which then denies the City of 3,117 citizens when using the averaging factor. Mr. Scherer said he feels the formula is screwy, he is absolutely certain the City is getting jobbed by the formula. You have Legislators you voted for, contact them in this regard. He said he won't advocate against this for the City. Policymakers have decided communities like Ramsey are going to get jobbed by the formula, older communities are going to be favored. It goes back to a philosophical basis to why the law is set up that way. The bias in Legislature against the outer cities expanding and particularly leapfrogging of development. They would rather see peoplq as population expands, back up more and fill into places where there is water, sewer, transportation systems. They think it is terribly expensive for Metro area to expand on lots larger than one acre. Ramsey has this in an area where there isn't water and sewer. They are trying to get money back into more developed areas where there are Metro and Urban services. There is a bias against subdividing and servicing the outer areas and it is going to cost people to go out there. Councilman Cox said the Metro Council should have the bias, they created the problem. Their land planning caused leapfrogging more than there was prior their landplanning. They took away all the good planning. This City is faced with a lawsuit now regarding land of 5 acres or more, metes & bounds.