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<br />D. Opportunities with Adjacent Communities <br /> <br />Alliances with other Municipalities <br /> <br />Analysis <br /> <br />The subcommittee on "securing the northern boundary" was charged to <br />investigate options to secure the northern part of the University City from the <br />encroachment of blight from the north. In the plenary session, this was <br />recognized as a merger opportunity and, as such would develop a process that <br />would not be limited to northern border cities. Note that the merger process is <br />multifold and does not necessarily require political merger to be deemed <br />successful.l <br /> <br />The Balkanization of St. Louis County is well known. It has been observed <br />that this multiplicity of municipalities is inherently inefficient. The <br />duplication of services and underutilization of duplicated resources to provide <br />these services are costly to taxpayers. <br /> <br />The differences in codes and standards enforcement vis a vis U City and the <br />surrounding northern communities ensures that there will be a clash in the not <br />too distant future as creeping dilapidation from the north meets creeping <br />gentrification from the south. It will take foresight and long range planning to <br />manage this phenomenon. <br /> <br />There is an opportunity for U City to become a nucleating site around which a <br />"supercity" can coalesce. This process would serve the following GOALS: <br />· Secure the boundaries/edges ofU City to assure maintenance of property <br />values and to deter negative elements from encroaching. <br />· Reduce the cost of services. <br />· Unbind the land-lock status ofU City. <br />· Diversify the Economic Base (more and different tax bases). <br />· Develop a broader population base (more sales tax pool revenues). <br />· Provide greater long term benefits to the populations of these Cities. <br /> <br />U City is bound (surrounded) by the following 10 municipalities: <br /> <br />1. Wellston <br />2. Paged ale <br />3. Hanley Hills <br /> <br />4. Vinita Park <br />5. Vinita Terrace <br />6. Overland <br /> <br />7. Olivette <br />8. Ladue <br />9. Clayton <br /> <br />10. St. Louis <br /> <br />Except for the City of St. Louis, University City has a significantly larger <br />population than the remaining burgs. Demographics being what they are, <br />there is a consensus opinion that Olivette, Ladue and Clayton are likely to <br /> <br />) It should be recognized that one member of the subcommittee was opposed to the concept of political <br />merger with municipalities to the north of University City. <br /> <br />17 <br />