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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO TRUTH-IN-TAXATION/CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday,December 10,2018 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> employment and housing but the Metropolitan Council expects each community to provide some <br /> opportunities for growth. <br /> Walsh stated the Metropolitan Council requires the City to have a plan that it will accommodate X <br /> number of new homes. That does not mean the City has to approve those applications and the <br /> Metropolitan Council cannot tell the City to approve it. Walsh noted the City had an area that was guided <br /> for 8-10 units an acre,but the City Council only approved it at three. Because it was guided for a higher <br /> number,the City had to approach the Metropolitan Council and get their approval to amend that. <br /> Dankey asked what commonality there is between the City's density and what the City receives from <br /> Hennepin County because of that density. <br /> Barnhart stated the density number,which in certain areas of the city is guided at three units per acre, and <br /> the services the City receives is why that number is important. Orono does not have their own sewer <br /> treatment plant. When the MUSA was brought into the city in the 1960s, Orono started serving the <br /> lakeshore lots. There are some costs to extending that pipe and providing that service,which at the time <br /> was a pretty dense area. Orono also has some areas along the lakeshore that consist of larger lots. The <br /> City still wants to provide sanitary sewer to those areas with the goal of preserving lake quality. <br /> The Metropolitan Council looks at all those areas where sanitary sewer is provided,they look at the <br /> average growth in the area,and at the anticipated growth. Currently the Metropolitan Council expects the <br /> City to maintain an average overall of three units per acre in order to be included in the MUSA. <br /> Walsh commented the Metropolitan Council says that the City has to be at an average of three units per <br /> acre. If the City goes below that average, it is not cost effective and the Metropolitan Council will not <br /> approve it. The area where the Orono Preserve was developed was originally zoned at six to eight units <br /> per acre and the City dropped that to three units. That then brought the City to around 3.02 units per acre, <br /> which gave the City less opportunity to be flexible on other sites. In addition,the City has an area over <br /> on Wildhurst where one side had access to MUSA but the other side did not. The new homes would be <br /> close to the shoreline so the Council felt it was important to give them the ability to have sewer and water <br /> from an environmental standpoint. <br /> Walsh stated the CiTy wants to have some room to accommodate lower density that requires sewer by <br /> allowing some higher density in certain areas. <br /> Barnhart stated that average is required because there is a service that is being provided and there is a cost <br /> to that service. <br /> Seals asked whether the City could say no if they provided their own sewer services. <br /> Barnhart stated it would be a challenge given the low ta.�rate the City has. <br /> Rief noted Oronds sewer rate is higher because there is a lower density on the MUSA. <br /> Walsh stated the City also made a decision to keep the area more rural. <br /> Page 13 of 19 <br />