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view on the situation. He explained that he has spent a good majority of his adult life fighting <br />for things and it is often difficult to see the issue from the other point of view but history and <br />facts usually overcome emotion. Ramsey is in Anoka County which is in the seven county metro <br />area and there are laws that have been passed to make it so that all of the counties "are in it <br />together" and their responsibility is not only to their own background. Mr. Miller reviewed <br />Chapter 462 and Chapter 473 that dealt with local government and metropolitan government. He <br />emphasized on the issue that cities are required to have an adopted Comprehensive Plan and if a <br />city's comprehensive plan is in conflict with the zoning ordinance the ordinance shall be brought <br />into conformance with the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Miller presented the Council with a map <br />depicting the different types of development in Ramsey dating back to 1971. He stated that the <br />urban developments that have occurred in the City next to rural plats have done so with no <br />complaints and were done in compliance with the City's Comprehensive Plan. The City is <br />keying the density transition ordinance and the proposed Comprehensive Plan on a unlawful <br />premise which is the validity of the Charter Amendment. He stated that the ordinance is not <br />lawful and if the Council does not agree with that, they should get formal legal opinion going <br />back to when the Charter Amendments were placed on the ballots. Currently he has two lawsuits <br />against the City and he will have a decision soon regarding the legality of the Charter <br />Amendment pertaining to density and that the guide plan is premised on the spirit of the Charter. <br /> <br />Councilmember Hendriksen stated that there may have been a time that he thought the person on <br />a quarter-acre lot was the enemy, but when the Kurak property was attempted to be developed <br />into townhomes, he quickly learned that quarter-acre lot owners have the same concerns. He <br />iudicated that the statement that the other developments occurred without controversy is false. <br />Significant battles were fought over urban developments. Apple Ridge was the reason the <br />Charter Amendment was adopted. There may or may not be a loophole to overturn the Charter <br />Amendment, but if the ordinance is adopted then the loophole goes away and Mr. Miller can quit <br />threatening the City. <br /> <br />Mr. Miller inquired if the City would want to know if the Charter is legal prior to adopting the <br />ordinance. <br /> <br />Councilmember Anderson questioned if Mr. Miller knew why the already developed area was <br />included in the MUSA. <br /> <br />Mr. Miller replied that he was not sure as to why that area was included in MUSA. <br /> <br />Kerry Manuel, 15668 Juniper Ridge NW, Ramsey, stated that for every lawyer there is a <br />different opinion. He stated that he objects the most to the idea that people fi'om large lots hate <br />people from small lots because that is not the case. Mr. Miller does not live here and does not <br />know the people here. He is the reason why the City needs to pass this type of ordinance because <br />there are developers that want to come into the area and build a development to its maximum <br />density and then they can go away. They don't care about anything in the community other than <br />making money. The ordinance is an extension of the Charter Amendment as voted tot' by <br />citizens of Ramsey. He stated that whel~ the Council votes on the ordinance he wants them to <br /> <br />City Council/December 12, 2000 <br /> Page 19 of 25 <br /> <br /> <br />