Minutes - Council Work Session - 01/24/2012

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Councilmember Wise stated he does not think fees ever get lowered. Councilmember Strommen pointed out the City previously had a franchise fee that was taken off. Councilmember Wise asked whether an ordinance can be written that will change with time and demand for the program. He noted there is no way to tell now exactly what is needed and there may be other funding options. Councilmember Wise stated if the Council passes this, citizens will know up front. Councilmember Elvig felt there had to be concerted effort to change legislation to fund road projects in some way. He suggested the City keep its eyes open for TIF opportunities that could be developed towards road maintenance. City Administrator Ulrich advised that the old TIF rules were more flexible but that type of funding would not be allowed under new TIF rules. Mayor Ramsey commented on the number of residents with low incomes, such as seniors on a fixed income that may not have a house payment but pay taxes and a franchise fee would add $330+ per year to their expenses. Councilmember McGlone noted that may be preferred to an assessment of $6,000. The consensus of the City Council was to direct staff to put this issue on a City Council agenda for further discussion and to put the public on notice. 3) Review Mn/DOT and Metropolitan Council's Position on TH 10 Corridor City Administrator Ulrich updated the Council on the position of Mn/DOT and the Metropolitan Council that the Armstrong interchange is a priority improvement for both mobility and safety and that the City and Anoka County have "right sized" the project, making it more competitive for funding opportunities by reducing the estimated cost from $50 million to under $30 million. He indicated this is a positive reversal of the agencies' previous position, allowing Ramsey to move forward with the project and grant applications, and not having to sell back RALF- acquired parcels until the Highway 10 corridor long -term strategy is developed. The Council congratulated staff on its successful efforts with Mn/DOT and the Metropolitan Council to reverse their position and move the Armstrong Boulevard project forward with grant funding opportunities. 4) Update on Pay Equity Report Deputy City Administrator Nelson informed the Council of the Pay Equity Compliance Report analysis, which will be submitted by the end of January, and advised the City is in compliance. FUTURE TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION City Council Work Session / January 24, 2012 Page 8 of 9