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person to serve as ERMU's general manager, and he is credited by the current general manager, <br /> Troy Adams, with laying important groundwork to secure ERMU's long-term growth, <br /> particularly negotiating the transfer of service territory. Trained both as an electrical engineer <br /> and a business administrator, Birrenkott was uniquely equipped to oversee a municipal utility in <br /> an industry that was becoming increasingly complex.92 <br /> By 1994, as ERMU and Elk River continued to expand,new storm sewer lines were needed. The <br /> cost was funded, in part, through rate increases. Residential customers paid an additional two <br /> dollars each month and commercial, industrial, and multi-family properties paid an additional <br /> fifteen dollars per acre. Owners of undeveloped land saw an increase of fifty cents per acre per <br /> month. In addition, the City of Elk River issued$1 million in bonds for the project in August, <br /> with another$1 million following later in the year.93 <br /> With the rapid growth of Elk River, <br /> _ r, ERMU strove to stay ahead of real estate <br /> developers, especially in areas where new <br /> infrastructure would be needed. City <br /> engineer Terry Maurer recommended the <br /> construction of a one-million gallon water <br /> tower at Gary Street that would be <br /> sufficient to serve that neighborhood for <br /> another twenty years. Also anticipating <br /> growth in the northwest part of the city, <br /> Maurer recommended a 500,000 gallon <br /> tank be built there by the end of the <br /> decade." <br /> In 1995, a new housing development was <br /> planned for the Meadowvale area that <br /> required a new well and water tower. In <br /> 1996, ERMU reached an agreement to <br /> 4 . I purchase the land north of Meadowvale <br /> School for the well, filter plant, and water <br /> tower.95 <br /> Tension over the amount that ERMU <br /> Gary Street Water Tower contributed to the city in lieu of taxes <br /> (Elk River Municipal Utilities) emerged again in 1994. In response,the <br /> Utilities Commission voted to increase <br /> 92 Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Minutes,July 30, 1993;HRC,"A History of the Elk River Municipal <br /> Utilities,"24;Troy Adams in conversation with Rachel Peterson,June 2,2014. <br /> 93 Joni Astrup,"Elk River Utility Bills Expected to Rise,"Elk River Star News,July 20, 1994;ERMU,"Utilities <br /> Commission Meeting,"August 9, 1994. <br /> 9a Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Minutes,August 9, 1994. <br /> 95 Ibid.,January 10, 1995,and July 9, 1997;Adams interview. <br /> 96 <br />