NEW MELLE BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEETING

AND PUBLIC HEARING

WEDNESDAY MARCH 21, 2007. 

MINUTES

CALL TO ORDER – MAYOR JAN MUSKOPF CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.

ROLL CALL – ALDERMEN PRESENT: TOM JOHNSON, DARLA GREEN, DIANE ARTEAGA AND ERNIE ARTEAGA.  PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: DOUG BICE, JIM BLONDIN, LORI BROWNE AND WALLY KARASE.  ALSO PRESENT CITY ATTORNEY STEPHANIE KARR, CITY CLERK JUDY ANDERSON AND 96 AREA RESIDENTS WHO SIGNED IN FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - RECITED

PUBLIC HEARING – TO HEAR COMMENTS RELATED TO PROPOSED ANNEXATIONS OF HIGHWAY D, HIGHWAY F AND HIGHWAY Z

INTRODUCTION - MAYOR MUSKOPF OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING WITH A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AREA INCLUDING NEW MELLE, DEFIANCE, MATSON AND HARVESTER.  SHE REVIEWED THE FOLLOWING GROWTH IN THE AREA SUCH AS:  WENTZVILLE WITH A PROJECTED POPULATION OF 48,000 IN 2015 AND 83,000 WHEN THEIR EXPANSION IS COMPLETED.  FORISTELL – DUCKETT CREEK IS INSTALLING A MEMBRANE SEWERAGE PLANT, MCBRIDE HOMES DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION OF A FAST LANE AND MCDONALDS.  SHE STATED THAT BOTH THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN AND PLANNING & ZONING BOARDS HAD AGREED THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS AREA MAINTAIN ITS RURAL CHARACTER.  IN KEEPING WITH THIS PHILOSOPHY, THE CURRENT MINIMUM ZONING FOR RESIDENTIAL IS ONE ACRE WHEREAS OTHER CITIES IN THE AREA ARE ALLOWING AS MANY AS EIGHT HOUSES PER ACRE.   OTHER FACTS CONCERNING THE GROWTH IN THE AREA INCLUDED:  O’FALLON IS 2.3 MILES AND LAKE ST LOUIS 3.9 MILES FROM BENNE ROAD, WHILE THE WENTZVILLE GROWTH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILES SOUTH OF HIGHWAY Z.

                PUBLIC HEARING ISSUES AND PROTOCOL –CITY ATTORNEY STEPHANIE KARR STATED THAT THIS PUBLIC HEARING WAS BEING HELD AT THE REQUEST OF MODOT AS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS WHEN SEEKING TO ANNEX HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAYS. DURING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THE CITY WILL BE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH MODOT ABOUT THE RIGHT-0F-WAY ANNEXATIONS AND MODOT WOULD DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF FEET IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY IF THE ANNEXATION WERE GRANTED. MODOT ALSO REQUESTS PUBLIC INPUT WHEN CONSIDERING THE ANNEXATION REQUEST, THEREFORE COMMENTS AND LETTERS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PACKET THE CITY SENDS TO MODOT.  THERE ARE NO PRIVATE PROPERTIES INVOLVED IN THIS VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF THE HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAYS.

                HISTORICAL ISSUES – MAYOR MUSKOPF STATED THAT NEW MELLE WAS FOUNDED IN 1851, WAS INCORPORATED IN 1978-79 AS A VILLAGE WHICH HAD FOUR TRUSTEES AND A CHAIRMAN WHO CONDUCTED BUSINESS.  IN 1999, THE RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE VOTED TO BECOME A 4^TH CLASS CITY WHICH REQUIRED ESTABLISHING WARDS AND ELECTING A MAYOR.  THE CITY HAS TWO WARDS WITH TWO ALDERMEN FROM EACH WARD.  THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY INCLUDE:  CITY ATTORNEY,  GEORGE BUTLER ENGINEERING FIRM, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, BOOKKEEPER, POLICE DEPARTMENT WHOSE OFFICERS ARE ALL POST CERTIFIED, CITY & COURT CLERK, CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND MUNICIPAL JUDGE.  CITY TAXES INCLUDE, ONE CENT GENERAL REVENUE, ONE-HALF CENT FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND ONE-HALF CENT FOR TRANSPORTATION,  REAL ESTATE TAX OF .25 PER $100.00 VALUATION WHICH IS ADJUSTED EACH YEAR  BY THE STATE, WITH THIS YEAR’S TAX  RATE SET AT 0.234.  THIS TAX RATE IS MUCH LOWER THAT THE RATES OF THE CITIES NEAR NEW MELLE.  IN KEEPING WITH THE RURAL CHARACTER, THE CITY ZONING HAS BEEN 1 ACRE DENSITY SINCE 1998; A TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE WAS PASSED IN 2002.  AFTER SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH AREA RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, THE CITY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS WRITTEN IN 2002, AND UPDATED IN 2004, AND THE ZONING ORDINANCES UPDATED IN 2005.  THE CITY ESTABLISHED A PARK & RECREATION FUND IN 2007.  THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OF THE HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAYS IS THE CITY’S STEP TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THIS AREA.  THE CITY HAS 26 VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION PETITIONS ON FILE FROM AREA RESIDENTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO HELP MAINTAIN THE RURAL CHARACTER OF THIS PART OF ST CHARLES COUNTY.

SLIDE PRESENTATION -

PLANNING & ZONING CHAIRMAN DOUG BICE STATED THAT GROWTH IN ST CHARLES COUNTY WAS THE GREATEST IN THE STATE. THE PROJECTED GROWTH WAS 9,000 PER YEAR AND THAT GROWTH WOULD EVENTUALLY MOVE INTO OUR AREA.

NEW MELLE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES - HE BEGAN SHOWING SLIDES AND READ ARTICLES FROM THREE NEWSPAPERS CONCERNING THAT GROWTH.  HE STATED THAT LAKE SHERWOOD ON HIGHWAY T WAS CONSIDERING INCORPORATING AND THAT THE CITY WOULD HONOR THEIR BOUNDARIES.  CITY OFFICIALS HAD MET WITH WENTZVILLE OFFICIALS AND LEARNED THAT WENTZVILLE PLANS TO EXPAND TO APPROXIMATELY ½ MILE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY N.  THERE WILL POSSIBLY BE A BOUNDARY AGREEMENT WITH WENTZVILLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

HE STATED THE CITY ZONINGS COULD C0-EXIST WITH ST CHARLES COUNTY DISTRICT PLANNING. THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO RECONFIGURE WHAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED, SUCH AS ESTABLISH A RECREATION CENTER WITH THE NEW MELLE COMMUNITY CLUB, HELP THE DOWNTOWN AREA WITH NEEDS SUCH AS WATERSHED AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, WOULD LIKE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY WHEN REVISING CODES IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.  HE STATED THAT THE CITY AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT CODES WERE MORE FLEXIBLE THAN ST CHARLES COUNTY’S CODES.  FOR EXAMPLE THE RIGHT TO FARM CAN BE PROTECTED THROUGH TAX CREDITS AND SHOULD BE PROTECTED AND PROMOTED FOR THEIR GOOD WORK WITH LAND AND THE COMMUNITY.  HE SAID LOW-IMPACT DEVELOPMENT WAS THE CITY’S GOAL AS WELL AS CONSERVATION AT EVERY SCALE.

SAINT CHARLES COUNTY – DISTRICT 2 GOALS – HE REVIEWED THE COUNTY GOALS WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN OVERLAY DISTRICT WITH FOUR HOUSES PER ACRE WITH GREEN SPACE.  HE CITED A SUBDIVISION LOCATED ON HIGHWAY Z NEAR WENTZVILLE WHICH HAS HOUSES IN ROWS WITH GREEN SPACE NEXT TO THE HIGHWAY. WENTZVILLE ALLOWS 2-4 AND UP TO 10 UNITS IN THEIR PLAN, WHEREAS THE NEW MELLE PLAN PROMOTES AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT AS OPPOSED TO OVERLAY.

SUMMARY – HE ASKED THAT PROPERTY OWNERS OF LARGE PARCELS COMPARE OUR PLAN TO THE COUNTY, INCLUDING NUMBER OF LIVESTOCK PER ACRE, RESTRICTIONS THE COUNTY IMPOSES AS COMPARED TO THE NUMEROUS WAYS THE CITY ALLOWS IN AN AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT.  HE SAID THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY FROM AREA RESIDENTS AND WELCOME THEIR INPUT INTO PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.

PUBLIC COMMENT –

                JOE BRAZIL – ST. CHARLES COUNTY 2^ND DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE AND RESIDENT OF HIGHWAY F STATED THAT THE COUNTY WAS OPPOSED TO THE ANNEXATION AND COULD LEGALLY INTERVENE.  HE IS IN FAVOR OF ANNEXATION NORTH OF HIGHWAY D.

                ROBERT KELLY –OPPOSED TO ANNEXATION OF HIGHWAY F – SENT FLYERS TO AREA RESIDENTS TO HELP SUPPORT HIS POSITION

                MAGGIE PETERSON – IN FAVOR OF ANNEXATION -RESIDENT OF HOPEWELL ROAD, FEELS LAKE ST LOUIS AND O’FALLON BOUNDARIES ARE GETTING TOO CLOSE AND WANTS TO PROTECT THE AREA.

                CHAD ULERY – OPPOSED - WEST HIGHWAY D – SAID IF ANYONE WANTS TO LIVE IN NEW MELLE THEY CAN MOVE THERE.

                JIM REED – OPPOSED – HIGHWAY F - CHAIRMAN OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES IN AUGUSTA- DOESN’T WANT NEW MELLE TO ENCROACH ON AUGUSTA.

                DON INGLEY – OPPOSED – WEST HIGHWAY D – PRESIDENT OF LAKE SHERWOOD HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION – THEY ARE PLANNING TO INCORPORATE IN FUTURE.

                DR. AZIZ DOUMIT – EAST HIGHWAY D – WANTS CITIES AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS TO WORK TOGETHER – WOULD LIKE TO HEAR OTHER PROPOSALS AND OPTIONS WITH WHICH EVERYONE COULD WORK.

                BERNICE BROCK – OPPOSED – EAST HIGHWAY D -SAID NEW MELLE NEEDS TO GROW INTERNALLY, NOT EXTERNALLY, WOULD LIKE SEWER SYSTEM, DOESN’T WANT TO PAY MORE TAXES AND THEY ALREADY HAVE REPRESENTATION WITHOUT NEW MELLE. SHE ASKED IF LOW IMPACT MEANT THE NEXT STEP IS THE CITY WILL ANNEX THEIR PROPERTIES.

                CURTIS BARKER – OPPOSED – WEST HIGHWAY D – ASKED HOW CITY WAS GOING TO FUND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, STATED THAT MODOT IS THE MOST MIS-MANAGED

 ORGANIZATION IN THIS STATE.

                DOUG BROCK – OPPOSED – EAST HIGHWAY D – WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE QUALIFICATIONS ARE OF THE BOARD- DOESN’T WANT TO BE ANNEXED.

                FRED SEEBACHER – IN FAVOR OF ANNEXATION – HIGHWAY F – SAID WENTZVILLE AND O’FALLON ARE MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION, ST CHARLES COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE POWERLESS TO HELP THIS DENSITY IF SOMEONE WANTS TO DEVELOP IT, SAID IF THIS ANNEXATION IS APPROVED, IT WOULD ALLOW THOSE WHO WANT TO ANNEX INTO NEW MELLE TO DO SO, AND THOSE THAT DON’T WANT TO ANNEX AREN’T FORCED TO COME INTO THE CITY.

                CW STEWART – OPPOSED – HIGHWAY F – OWNS & OPERATES DANIEL BOONE HOME – IS OPPOSED BECAUSE OF NEIGHBORS.

                CAL STACHER – HIGHWAY F - CAN’T SUPPORT ANNEXATION BECAUSE HE DOESN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, SAID UNLESS A PLAN IN PLACE TO PREVENT HIGH DENSITY, SOMEONE WILL MAKE THAT DECISION FOR AREA RESIDENTS AND THEY CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

                JERRY CROSSNO – EAST HIGHWAY D –SAID IF CITY WOULD NEVER APPLY EMINENT DOMAIN AND INCLUDE THAT IN THEIR CODES, THIS MIGHT HELP GET THIS GOING.

                SHERRY REGOT – OPPOSED – HIGHWAY F, SAID DEFINITELY OPPOSED TO ANNEXATION WANTED TO KNOW IF SENDING AN E-MAIL TO MODOT WAS SUFFICIENT.

                CHRIS COGSWELL – HOLT ROAD – SAID MOVED HERE SIX YEARS AGO TO ENJOY COUNTRY, AND ASK AUDIENCE “WHY ARE YOU NOT TAKING DESTINY IN YOU HANDS”.

                TOM BELL – OPPOSED – HIGHWAY F – MANAGER FRED WEBER, THEY ARE DEFINITELY OPPOSED TO ANNEXATION.

MAYOR MUSKOPF THANKED EVERYONE FOR THEIR ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN

THE PUBLIC HEARING. 

ADJOURNMENT - ALDERMAN E. ARTEAGA MADE A MOTION, SECOND BY D. ARTEAGA TO ADJOURN.  ON A CALL BY THE MAYOR FOR THE AYES AND NAYS, THE MOTION WAS APPROVED 4-0.  THE MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARING WAS ADJOUNED AT 8:25 P.M.               

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED                                        ACCEPTED

JUDITH A ANDERSON, CLERK                                      JAN MUSKOPF, MAYOR