roads and give big assessments.  It's the development causing the costs, and we make them pay for it themselves.  It's been a good and steady way for us to go.  Developers recognize the city's phil-osophy."
Township Chair Ken Essig said, "Laketown wants contiguous annexation and not leapfrogging.  Will roads have to meet your requirements?"
"Yes," stated Mayor Mary.
"And developers pay fees to pay for water towers and wells?"
"Yes," stated Mayor Mary.
Dave Gestach, resident of Laketown, said he bought his 120-acre farmstead just south of Marsh Lake Road about eight years ago.  "I want to keep it in ag pre-serve," he said.  "I have no intention to develop, but yet I want protection for the future for my family."  He asked about only 1 unit per 5-acre zoning proposed in the study for his property.
Replied Planner Kaltasas, "We're try-ing to conserve natural resources there.  Some tradeoffs might be available.  We want to preserve and we need buffers around what we want to preserve.  I've tried to make the map lines as fluffy as possible.  It's only conceptual."
Mr. Gestach complimented the current council.  "You did a good job," he said, "but I'm thinking about future coun-cils."
Mayor Mary emphasized that the planner will be sure that the drawings are only designated as conceptual and not definitive.
Stated Mr. Essig, "The biggest con-cern for our residents is that developers get control.  I urge you to continue with your stance."
Township resident Chad Johnson asked, "When do we get annexed?  When does an area around us get annexed?"
Planner Kaltsas replied, "Initially, we're going to allow property owners to petition for annexation.  It depends upon when it makes sense.  It will be driven by property owners, not by the city.  At some point, the city and the property owners will agree."
He said that all information to date, and comments from the hearing, will be incorporated and reviewed with Compre-hensive Land Use amendments in mind.  "It's probably a four to six-week process now," he said.
Stated Councilmember Jerry Bohn, "We can finish this study and then have no annexation happen at all.  The trigger is when someone requests annexation."
"That's a good point," said Mayor Mary.  "And it'll be based on adequate facilities."   She said those "facilities" include staffing, utilities, parks, trails, infrastructure.  The City of Victoria has been in the mode of preparing for annexa-tion for some time, including imposing the 18-month development moratorium which just lifted.  The moratorium allowed adequate preparation and study for the south sub area; the city is not being caught off guard regarding future facilities needed for development.
The mayor advised that City Planner Mark Kaltsas is available to speak with any township residents at any time regard-ing any annexation questions.  "Thank you, Mark and Jack and Steve," she said to staff.  "Thank you for all the work you've done.  You've done an excellent job.  I commend you for that."
Also attending this hearing were rep-resentatives of Lundgren Brothers, including Mike Burton who informed the audience, "It's about three years now that we've been assembling properties.  We've got 440 acres assembled south of Deer Run along County Road #11.  We've always thought that the bigger the area to work with, the better job we can do.  The acreage is all contiguous.  Much is buildable.  Some is not."
The developer continued, "We're looking at five to six different product lines.  In two years we could do 250 to 260 homes.  That could basically use up most of that first tier.  We're hoping we can continue and move further south ..."

DRAFTING A LIVE MUSIC ORDINANCE
MORE ENCOMPASSING THAN THE NOISE ORDINANCE
Floyd's Bar in Victoria looked to the future in requesting an exception to the 10:00 p.m. Noise Ordinance until 12 mid-night on Friday and Saturday nights on summer weekends, 2003, for outdoor patio music.

Councilmember Gordon Simanton applauded owners Rick and Lois Plocher for making the request early, before the establishment makes firm contractual commitments with expensive bands.  As he point-ed out, the council was "between a rock and a hard place" when complaints came in this spring and summer about the out-door patio music.
Said Councilmember Dave Lindgren, "I'd be reluctant to do that again.  I've received more phone calls.  There's not a town around that allows that."  Dave said he might consider giving the exception for one weekend in order to see the effective-ness of Floyd's new noise panels.
Councilmember Jerry Bohn recom-mended tabling the request and asking staff to draft an ordinance that covers live music for anyone in town, whether resi-dential or business, and no matter the time of day.  Currently the city operates only under the simple noise ordinance.
Dawn Peterson, a resident at Kirke-Lachen, spoke at the podium.  "I have three teenagers," she said.  "I know about loud music."  But she said that the loud music from Floyd's on the weekends this summer was a difficulty for her kids who couldn't get to sleep because of the noise on Friday nights, yet had to be up early Saturday mornings for sports activities.  "It's something that happened every weekend and into the fall," she said.
Council continued the request from Floyd's and staff will draft a Live Music Ordinance for consideration.

ALMOST ON BOARD
A NEW PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR
The City of Victoria sent out over 30 applications for the position of Victoria Parks and Recreation Director, a position formerly held by Mary Saarion.  At least 25 applications were completed and re-turned to city offices, according to City Administrator Steve Sarvi.  Six of the candidates have since been interviewed, and one of them is expected to be hired soon.
The position of Parks & Rec Director is not the same as Manager of the Victoria Field House, which has been filled by Bob Carruth and is a position shared with the Pagel Ice Arena in Minnetonka.

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