Agenda - Council Work Session - 06/07/2011

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CC Work Session Meeting Date: 06/07/2011 By: Brian Olson, Engineering/Public Works Title: Update on Ramsey Rail Station Background: 2.5. Over the course of the last few months, the Ramsey City Administrator and Public Works Director have participated on the Ramsey Rail Station Project Management Team (PMT). The purpose of this case is to provide the Council an update on those meetings and receive direction on a few points that will ultimately be placed in the Master Cooperation, Funding and Delegation Agreement which is given to the City Council at work session on Apri126, 2011 and is attached for your convenience. The four topics to discuss tonight that Staff is asking for direction include: . Request for additional capital from the Metropolitan Council . Waiving of the building and plan review fee . Ridership marketing campaign to manage transition of riders to rail . Continued contract for bus service Request for additional capital from the Metropolitan Council During the work session on April 26, 2011, the Metropolitan Council indicated that they expect to see approximately $295,000 annually from Ramsey residents when the City of Ramsey opts into the transit taxing district. With uncertainty with the Governor's bonding bill and the lack of a $4 million investment from the State, the PMT has discussed the possibility of requesting additional money from the Metropolitan Council in the form of a revenue bond that would run over the course of 10 years. The Finance Director indicated that with an expected annual payment of $295,000 over 10 years would reasonably generate $1.81 million in capital that could requested instead of the $1.32 originally discussed. Depending on the status of State Bonding monies, the Anoka County Regional Rail Authority also has the option of asking the Counties Transit Improvement Board for additional assistance. As you recall, the original $1 million that we were confirmed was conditional upon the remainder of the funding being committed to this project Waiving of'the building and plan review fee There has been a request by the PMT to ask for City Council authorization to waive the building permit fee to try to keep costs of the project down. Attached to the case is a revised cost estimate that identifies the fees for Staff time from the other agencies to complete this project. As it relates to the City building permits fees, Staff has researched other public buildings that have been constructed within the last 5 - 7 years and there has been various methods of paying for the building permits. In all but one example, the Contractor was be required to pull a building permit and pay for it within their overall bid. This was the case in the parking ramp construction, the Central Park facility that the Lions built, the pumphouses within and adjacent to the COR, and the recently installed water tower. The only exception was the construction of the Ramsey Municipal Facility. In that case the fee was waived by the existing City Council. In checking with the building division, Staff has estimated that this waiving of the fee would amount to a decrease of the project costs by $44,382.64. Ridership marketing campaign to manage transition of riders to rail