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                                 Speech Supporting the Land Use--Five Acre Rule

    I want to support what Mr. McKay has acknowledged about this land use strategy document.  First of all, it is unfortunate that a group of individuals would conduct a petty, whispering campaign designed to frighten our citizens, advertising in the local paper that citizens "may not be able to sell off a tract smaller than five acres."  May?  Why don't we be vague and misleading so as to infer untruths.  Mister Mayor, the sun may nova today, United Nations tanks may be preparing to use certain, cleverly designated road signs to take over the nation according to some of our fellow Kerr County militia citizens, and little green men may land on Earth from far, far away lands.   What an unfair inference in that advertisement!  In fact, it does not say that the average lot size of five acres is included in Objective 4 which deals exclusively with future, proposed, new subdivisions rather than developments that are currently existing outside the city limits (Objective 5). 

     In addition it should be noted that the Daily Times advertisement encourages citizens that "it's about time that you have a voice in city government."  You have a real, substantive voice in city government if you reside in the city limits, pay taxes, and elect your councilpersons.  If a citizen lives in the ETJ, while it is true that he is disenfranchised as a non-city resident, the city council can by law make judgements in the ETJ under the assumption that, sooner or later, contiguous land will be brought into the city limits.  The council has a responsibility to its city constituents both to pass rules and regulations in the ETJ which will prepare for a smoother transition into the city when annexation does occur and to pass ETJ  related rules and regulations that will protect the environmental quality of life for city residents.  The five acre requirement in the ETJ will encourage the use of Municipal Utility Districts, thereby resulting in sewer systems which can easily be tied into when annexation does occur and resulting in better protection of the water table by eliminating possible septic tank pollution.

     As long as we are laying it on the line, the Times article exhorts citizens to get involved and attend council meetings, but unless the paper made a typographical error perhaps someone should point out the very obvious to whomever that paid and filed that ad that city council meetings for years have begun at 6:30 pm, not 6:00 pm.  Perhaps the advertisement subscriber needs to heed his own words and particularly get to know more about his city government.

     I favor retention of the five acre requirement in the ETJ under the land use strategy