06.03 Comprehensive Plan Update - Laserfiche WebLink

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work should be an opportunity for internet service providers to install fiber or other updated communication lines. Heavy emphasis should be placed on making Pequot Lakes a tech ready city for business, education, health, and personal utilization. Partnering with local providers to provide high speed internet access at an affordable price should be a primary objective. POLICIES The following policies are proposed to guide all future infrastructure—related decisions in Pequot Lakes: Municipal utility systems must be fiscally managed like a private utility, minus the profit margin. Public utilities need to operate in the same manner as private utilities.They need to maintain the current system and level of service while financially planning ahead for repairs or replacement of system components. The City has increased water and sewer rates incrementally for the past several years. Periodic rate adjustments that reflect the real cost of running and maintaining these systems are necessary. Expanding the business park or other area within reach of city services, partner with private investment should be considered wherever possible to reduce strain on the limited tax capacity of our city. The long-term ezpense of infrastructure ezpansion and the corresponding assumptions for induced growth and enhanced taz base need to be evaluated prior to every project that adds new infrastructure for tazpayers to maintain. Infrastructure projects in Pequot Lakes have historically been done on a"cash flow"basis,where the City evaluates the impact to the levy from paying its portion of a given project.When projects are funded with outside dollars(grants,low interest loans or direct private- sector investment in a project), the City has generally not calculated the long-term obligations of infrastructure maintenance,instead focusing on the potential near-term gains from increased property tax base.As our current infrastructure completes its initial life cycle,projected maintenance costs—which are typically a City obligation—are growing to unaffordable levels. Before additional obligation is added, it is critical that the City understand the entire cost it is committing to. Public sector investments need to be aligned with private sector investments in areas with substantial infrastructure investments. The City of Pequot Lakes has made its most significant infrastructure commitments in the traditional neighborhoods, downtown and the business park. The city should continue to encourage private sector investments in these areas to maximize the local return on investment. The city should also continue to fiscally analyze new developments and only accept proposed public improvements if they make financial sense for the city. When infrastructure systems are being maintained, the City must consider whether or not the infrastructure should be enhanced or scaled back based on the anticipated level of development that it serves.There are areas in the City,particularly in the downtown,where modest amounts of additional I enhancement as part of a rehabilitation project would create a platform for additional private sedor � investment (e.g. Taking savings from narrower travel lanes and using it for wider sidewalks).Conversely, I, there are areas where the level of service provided is not supported by—or often even desired bo y—the �, properties that are served (e.g. Wider, faster roads through the rural countryside). When the City undertakes a major maintenance project, the land use potential for the area served needs to be the determinant factor in the form and scale of the improvement. (The proposed Road Specification Matrix may align with land use.) Enswe a Wgh level of maintenance of individual sewage treatment systems. Individual sewage j 5