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TO: FROM: DATE: RE: MEMORANDUM File Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator August 9, 1991 McKinley Street Extension Background: The City of Ramsey most recently initiated discussions about an extension of McKinley Street N.W. from Sunfish Lake Boulevard N.W. east toward the Anoka County line at the end of 1988. In December, 1990, the Council directed the City Attorney to draft agreements with the owners of the property from which right-of-way must be acquired. This will affect acquisition of that right- of-way towards completion of the roadway within the City of Ramsey. On July 23, 1991, Council reviewed the proposed agreements between the landowners and the City of Ramsey and directed the City Administrator to enter into these agreements if the City of Anoka agreed to complete the extension of McKinley Street through their industrial areas to connect with Thurston Avenue. On July 31, 1991, Councilperson Hardin and the City Administrator met with Anoka's City Manager, Mark Nagle, their Public Works Director, their Community Development Director and Councilpersons Weaver and Mann regarding McKinley Street and other issues. At that meeting, the representatives from Anoka expressed a desire to work with the City of Ramsey on this and future issues but also expressed a hesitance towards committing to constructing McKinley Street at this time. On August 2, 1991, the City Administrator and City Engineer met with the Community Development Director and Public Works Director for the City of Anoka. After the above mentioned meetings, it appears that the City of Anoka does not have a high level of interest for the extension of McKinley Street. What it appears they are more interested in is a joint marketing program of some sort for the entire industrial area including the Anoka and Ramsey parcels. They also expressed a recommendation to look at both areas from one planning perspective to review where both communities think infrastructure improvements ought to occur within the entire area rather than in each individual separate piece. It also appears that there may be some interest in the formation of a joint authority to plan, design, market and also possibly administer, development of the entire industrial area north of the Burlington Northern Railroad, west of State Highway #47 and east of Armstrong Boulevard N.W. in the City of Ramsey. Therefore it appears that the McKinley Street extension has a low likelihood of receiving the requisite City of Anoka approval in the immediate future in that any joint planning effort would encumber a significant period of time. It also appears that given the estimated cost of this public improvement at $460,000 (of which $400,000 is construction cost), the City of Ramsey should review whether there are other improvements to the Industrial Area which would have a similar positive impact as McKinley but which might encumber fewer public dollars. /jmt