[Winona Online Democracy] I advocate "Seventh Generation" thinking--acting today, but making paramount the interests of those seven generations in the future. That's the kind of government I would create if I were "Queen." That's what I think Dwayne is advocating.
Kathy Seifert ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dwayne Voegeli" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2004 11:56 AM Subject: [Winona] Wilson Township Involves More Than City & Mr. Phillips > [Winona Online Democracy] > > The population of the City of Winona and Winona County is basically flat. > We've had very little or no increases in population over the last 25 years. > Some would say that is a bad thing. Is it? > > The issue of developing hundreds of acres in Wilson Township is then a > "want" and not a "need." That is one reason why the questions that two of > the Wilson Township Supervisors have asked of the City are very important. > > > If people were hanging out of the windows in Winona due to overcrowding, > then it would be a need and of course we would have to make room. But this > is not the case. > > ----- > > The developer has a (very) short term monetary interest in the property and > has rights that need to be respected. > > But all levels of local government have long term economic, environmental, > and social responsibilities in the community and those rights need to be > respected. > > ----- > > Development used to viewed as a simple matter between two parties, a city > and land developer. > > Today, planners and elected leaders have available to them new tools and > new ways of thinking about development issues. > > Today we now have knowledge of how biology, economics, pollution, traffic, > and other issues all interconnect and overlap. The ten cent phrase for > that relationship is "systems thinking." We also have tools to measure, > map, and predict what will happen to the system that were not available > 10-20-50 years ago. > > Will we have the wisdom and humility to use these new tools and new ways of > thinking? > > ----- > > The issue is NOT just between a developer, whose only purpose is to make > money in the short term and then move on, and the City, whose main purpose > is to grow just for growth's sake because growth has always assumed to be a > good thing. Especially focusing on growth that means large expensive homes > in newly acquired burbs. A process that usually means the City leaders > neglect the "old" city neighborhoods with their time, attention, and money. > (Again, is progress and growth the same thing? Could the city be improved > by renovating and investing in it's older neighborhoods and public > services? I believe that's referred to as "redevelopment.") > > I believe that in addition to the property owner and the City; that Wilson > Township, the neighbors, and the County also have important concerns and a > right to be involved in the decision making process. > > The Wilson Township issue isn't just a business agreement between the City > and Mr. Phillips. (By the way I respect Mr. Phillips. He has been very > helpful and professional. This is not about him, it's not personal, it's > about the project itself.) > > Here are some other people and problems the proposed development in Wilson > Township affect: > > ----- > > Short Version > > > 1. Impacts on Farmers and Neighbors > > 2. Traffic Problems > > 3. Water Pollution > > 4. Future unintended consequences and problems > > ----- > > Long Version > > > 1. Impacts on Farmers and Neighbors: > > Modern economics has shown that one of the strongest forces pushing farmers > off of their land is the arrival of subdivisions. Subdivisions literally > eat up farm land. According to the U.S. Census, we've lost 16 MILLION > acres of farm land and about 85,000 farmers over the last 5 years. > Subdivisions also have a bow wave affect by raising the property values of > surrounding farm land that causes their property taxes to rise. Many > believe that family owned farms are a bedrock of communities and democracy > itself. The neighbors who are not farmers also have legitimate concerns > and rights. > > > 2. Traffic Problems: > > At least twice every day I drive by lines painted on a road where a young > man was killed in a traffic accident. I want to be very respectful of that > tragedy and the family so I will not mention their name or the road. One > reason of many the fatal accident happened was that city and county road > design and construction can not keep up with new development growth. If > Wilson Township has between 150-200 more homes in it (not to mention Mr. > Marafie's 300-500 acres sitting right behind the Phillips property waiting > to be developed), you can bet the traffic on County Highway 17 will > increase. We've all driven through the traffic craziness around the Twin > Cities. That will happen here. > > > 3. Water Pollution: > > Modern science and planning have shown the tremendous impacts that the > impervious (solid) surfaces of roads, driveways, roof tops, parking lots, > and other buildings have on water pollution. If we fool around with the > hydrological cycle, we risk destroying a very important natural system. > Additionally, about 40-50% of septic systems in Minnesota are failing. > Southeast Minnesota is already called the "E-Coli Capital of Minnesota." > Who gets to pay to fix that? Taxpayers. That's why local and state > government needs to be involved. Even city water and sewer lines have > their own problems because they sometimes can not handle large loads of > waste water. Their treated water is discharged right into the once > beautiful Mississippi River. Sometimes that water is not able to be > treated at all. That is why the mouth of the Mississippi in the Gulf of > Mexico is a huge dead zone. I was in Milwaukee last month and the > headlines in the newspapers were talking about hundreds of BILLIONS of > gallons of raw sewage being discharged directly into the Great Lakes > because of rain storms. > > > 4. Future Unintended Consequences and Problems: > > Almost all of today's worst problems are human made, not "natural." > > Most of tomorrow's problems are avoidable if people take responsibility for > the future consequences of their actions, think differently, and are > willing to make tough decisions today. Of course the easier and more > traditional method of dealing with tough issues is to ignore future > consequences and instead do it the way it's always been done and in a way > that benefits a few people the most in the present. > > What do we want Winona County to look like in 10, 20, 30 years? > > What is economically/environmentally important? In addition, what is > beautiful and what do we want our children to have and see? In addition, > can we keep on doing things the way we've been doing them for the last 50 > years? > > Those are future realities our decisions today will determine. We have > that power. We have that responsibility. > > It makes decision making more complex, some would say "messy," but isn't it > important enough to do? > > Individual fisherman don't intend to destroy the Northeast fish banks but > their actions taken together as a group are destroying that whole biosystem > so that it may not be able to recover (this situation is one example of > "The Tragedy of the Commons" concept). > > No one developer intends to drive farmers off their land, pollute the > water, cause traffic problems, and eat up all the beautiful natural land > but their actions taken together as a group, taken over time, will have > those affects nonetheless. > > ----- > > We have a systemic problem. We have outdated local government structures > dealing with modern problems that require us to think differently, plan > smarter, and work together. > > The City of Winona has a land use plan whose main purpose is growth for > growth's sake. Concerns for farmers, water pollution, and traffic are also > mentioned but all those appeared trumped by the desire to grow. > > The County has a Comprehensive Land Use Plan that has many goals in it but > the first one is to protect farmers, farmland, and the natural areas. The > goal is to preserve and protect for future generations. > > Despite a stable population, the City appears to want to grow no matter > what, the County's plan seeks to preserve. A conflict exists. To add to > the mix, Wilson Township has it's own land use plan. At the very least, > the three need to talk and wisely plan for current and future problems. Jan > Turek's suggestions were great ones. > > I also think we may need to reform and improve how local governments work > on development planning. Some areas around the country, including Olmsted > County--Rochester, have created joint city-county planning departments. > The City's planning process has strengths and weaknesses. The County's > planning process has strengths and weaknesses. Wilson Township's planning > process has strengths and weaknesses. If the three could at least talk, if > not combine their strengths resources, then better decisions could be made. > > ----- > > At best I'm only an amateur or student in the fields of planning, biology, > engineering, and areas like that. I readily admit that. > > I respect the work of people like Keith Nelson, Phil Carlson, Eric > Sorensen, Chuck Dillerud, and other professional like them. They know much > more than I do but no one knows everything. > > My questions and concerns are not meant to question their experience or > knowledge. > > I just worry that some are defining the problem too narrowly or may not be > open to others input. > > I definitely do not claim to have all the answers. Heck, I have a lot of > questions. > > But I also think this is a problem that is so big and affects so many > people, both now and in the future, that no 2-3 people in City Hall can > best solve it by themselves. > > I think many people need to put their heads together, seek out lots of > public input, discuss and debate ideas in public, and then try to make the > best decision possible. > > Yes, it may take time but isn't it more important to do it right rather > than rush it or take the more traditional easy route of ignoring the wider > and future consequences of todays land use problems? > > What do others think? > > Dwayne Voegeli > > July 18, 2004 > > ------------ > > Dwayne Voegeli > > Winona County Commissioner, District #2 > > (507) 453-9012 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > 359 Pleasant Hill Dr. > Winona, MN 55987 > > ------------ > > > _______________________________________________ > This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy > All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. > No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. > To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit > http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona > Any problems or suggestions can be directed to > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at > http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org > _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. 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