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express purpose of selling it to industrial £n'ms to build on. This Charter provision slows <br />down the transactions. If we bought property and said we are selling it to "Developer A" <br />or a developer who comes along we write an agreement and sell the property. It's cleaner, <br />cheaper and easier to accomplish. The concern at the last Council was what's to protect the <br />City from a Council who buys up all the land or sells all the land in town. The City is the <br />largest landowners. What if we decided to sell parkland, lVlr. Schroeder stated that <br />Attorney Goodrich has stated that the sale of parkland is adequately addressed in the <br />Statutes. An ordinance has been drafted that deletes Section 12.5 and Mr. Goodrich is <br />comfortable with this recommendation. <br /> <br />Commissioner Goode asked what if a citizen in the area where the sale is to take place <br />disagrees with what the land will be used for. He inquired what procedure is available to <br />bring the issue back for more discussion. <br /> <br />Mr. Schroeder stated that the intent is to deal with commercially and industrially zoned <br />property - the intent would not be to go next door to a resident and buy four acres and put <br />some industry there. It would be ludicrous to do that. What's to protect citizens from that <br />occurring - he stated he didn't know but that he would get that information. <br /> <br />Chairperson Steffen stated he had spoken with Mr. Larry Johnson, a Charter <br />Commissioner for Coon Rapids, and they have their Redevelopment Authority do the <br />buying and selling of land. Their Authority is made up of the Councilmembers, however, <br />they are acting as the Redevelopment Authority and not the City Council. He inquired if <br />the City of Ramsey has something like that or could do something like that. <br /> <br />Mr. Schroeder stated that the City of Ramsey cannot do that at present because procedurally <br />we have not transferred assets to the redevelopment agency; however, we have an <br />Economic Development Authority that would have the ability to do that. We funnel <br />transactions through the Development Authority Account but have Council make the <br />decision as the City Council as opposed to the EDA. Mr. Schroeder stated that at the last <br />City he worked at, the HRA bought and sold ail the land. <br /> <br />Commissioner Goode inquired where the control would be in that agency (EDA) to prevent <br />them from doing the same thing. <br /> <br />Mr. Schroeder stated there is none really except in this case, we have the entire Council on <br />the EDA. It is possible to have some citizens on the EDA also. The City of Robbinsdale's <br />HRA had two Councilmembers and three citizens on it's board. He added that the HRA <br />was far wealthier in cash assets than the City. <br /> <br />Commissioner Goode inquired about the funding. <br /> <br />Mr. Schroeder replied that the funding is through TIF and land sales. <br /> <br />Commissioner Goode felt that the way the process is written right now, it brings the issue <br />back for the public to allow them to petition against. <br /> <br />Commissioner Swokowski asked if there is a way to petition to stop an ordinance. <br /> <br />Mr. Schroeder replied no, but it gives the public two opportunities to hear about it. The <br />ordinance is actually published in the paper after its passage. <br /> <br />Chairperson Steffen stated he feels we should do something to ensure the City can move <br />quickly on redevelopment projects. He stated that the 20 acres here at City Hall is valuable <br /> <br />Charter Commission/January 19, 1995 <br /> Page 6 of 8 <br /> <br /> <br />