Agenda - Charter Commission - 06/25/2014

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too wild but stated that if the roads need repair and there is not money available, something needs to be figured out. He stated that he would want to ensure that the funds are strictly tied to road repairs. City Attorney Langel confirmed that this is an informal back and forth between the Commission and the City Council, which if approved by the Commission and a unanimous vote of the City Council could result in a ballot vote not being necessary. City Administrator Ulrich stated that the language had been tied to the general levy because that is a set number registered with the County. He explained that the budget, specifically a line item, could be amended at any time. Commissioner S. Anderson stated that she would prefer to have something positive to vote for rather than negatives. Commissioner Niska questioned if the Commission should recommend a higher vote required to implement the franchise fee ordinance and renewal. He did not believe the issue should be forced to vote by the Commission and noted that residents would have the option to present a petition if desired. He stated that his inclination as a Charter Commission would be to contribute to the discussion but not push the issue further. Commissioner Deemer stated that the positive aspect of this action would be that there would not be any assessments for any road improvement projects within the next five years. Commissioner Zaetsch stated that if the Commission works with the Council to draft language, which would be presented positively to voters on that ballot that would be beneficial over a citizen - generated approach, which may be ill advised but could be included on the ballot. City Attorney Langel stated that the City cannot spend public funds to promote or advocate a ballot issue and can only put out general information on the issue to educate voters. He stated that City Councilmembers and Charter Commissioners can personally promote or advocate but public funds cannot be spent. Chairperson Field stated that he was concerned that if the franchise fee is not tied to the road improvement fund designated in the general fund budget that the line item could be eliminated in the future. Commissioner Deemer stated that perhaps a maximum amount for the franchise fee could be specified. Commissioner Zaetsch stated that rental housing has greatly expanded in Ramsey and believed that there may be TIF limitations for revenue streams that can come from this revenue stream. He believed that the franchise fee would be a method of ensuring that renters are also paying for road improvements. He believed that there was a consensus but did not believe that anything formal was ready to move forward. He stated that he would support that staff and Chairperson Field be designated as a communications conduit for the ideas of the Commission. Charter Commission/ April 23, 2014 Page 5 of 8