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(1) State Bonding for Interchange at U.S. Highway 10 /Armstrong Boulevard <br />ISSUE: The at -grade intersection located at U.S. Highway 10 /Armstrong Boulevard is a highly relied upon <br />transportation junction for the City of Ramsey, the northwest Twin Cities metro region and the State <br />transportation system as a whole. Considering the significant usage of this intersection, and its close <br />proximity to a highly utilized railroad line, safety has become a major public concern. In the event an <br />emergency takes place on U.S. Highway 10, while a train is passing through the City of Ramsey, public safety <br />officials are physically unable to reach U.S. Highway 10 and respond via Armstrong Boulevard. <br />The proposed solution for this serious public safety issue is to construct an interchange located at U.S. <br />Highway 10 /Armstrong Boulevard. Local, State and Federal funding secured for this proposed project fall <br />about $17 million short of the $35 million estimated total cost. <br />RAMSEY CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION: State bonding to fund $17 million for the proposed <br />interchange at U.S. Highway 10 and Armstrong Boulevard in Ramsey. <br />>Topic Generally Supported by: Anoka County <br />(2) Road Improvement Utility <br />ISSUE: Constructing and maintaining an effective roadway system is an essential function of local <br />governments. The City of Ramsey owns, operates and maintains more than 174 miles of roadway. The cost <br />to properly maintain existing municipal roadways in the City of Ramsey is estimated at $2.5 million annually <br />over the next 10 years. <br />Proper maintenance of local roadway systems extends the life of roadways and ensures the most effective <br />application of tax payer dollars. For every one dollar spent on preventative road maintenance, local <br />governments save seven dollars on future repairs. In many cases, similar to the City of Ramsey, other <br />Minnesota municipalities are not dedicating adequate funding for proper maintenance on local roadway <br />systems. <br />Existing road maintenance funding mechanisms, such as Municipal State Aid (MSA), local property taxes <br />and special assessments have become increasingly restrictive and less effective forcing local government to <br />seek new road maintenance funding mechanisms. Alternative funding methods for road maintenance <br />programs are nearly nonexistent. <br />Historically, the State Legislature has given Cities the authority to operate utilities for essential City <br />functions such as water supply, sanitary sewer and storm water services. The establishment of said utilities <br />has set a precedent for a workable process of charging fees on a utility bill for City services provided <br />through local infrastructure. Today, the authority for Cities to charge a similar utility fee for a road <br />maintenance program does not exist. <br />RAMSEY CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION: The City of Ramsey supports enabling legislation authorizing <br />Cities to establish roadway utility fees. <br />>Topic Generally Supported by: League of Minnesota Cities <br />2014 City of Ramsey Legislative Platform Page 1 of 6 <br />