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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I commented that charter government was discussed when Ramsey became a City and the decision was made to go with statutory, that he is an expert in the field of local government and he has not been approached by the Charter Commission for his expertise in this area. Mr. Sieber ~eplied that Mr. Cox was invited to attend meetings ~f the Charter Commission. Commissioner Cox replied that there are lots of commissions he is trying to attend in order to get things does in this community. People moved here because of it's good government and now they want to change it. Chairman Greenberg stated that the EDC would like input to the financing section of the charter. Mr. Heitman requested that EDC review the section Boards and Commissions and provide i~nput to the (~arter Commission by September 8, 1983. He also noted that the Charter Commission would like to operate in a spirit of cooperation, that they are looking for everybody's input, that they will not always agree but they will listen. ~ Case #3: Utilization Of Minnesota Emergency Employment Act: Mr. Schnelle stated that the Minnesota Emergency Employment Act was set up at the last legislative' session and it will allow the city, reporting to the county, to employ somebody through this situation. Mr. Schnelle stated that his feeling is that Ramsey could use this Act to employ a person to assist City Staff in the areas of tax increment financing, economic development and setting up a policy that would eliminate the legwork for the prospective businessman in Ramsey. Mr. Schnelle recommended that this person be hired on a part time basis for a period of one year (20 hours/week). Chairman Greenberg stated that government is trying to entice people to build in Minnesota and then they tax them for doing it. Commissioner Cox stated that the State has sugar in one hand and strictnine in the other and with the sugar you get strictnine. Commissioner Fults stated that a lot of development could have happened with the trunk line. The way the assessment policy was approved was the cause for the shut down of those development plans and it made Ramsey a laughing stock. Now Council is going to rewrite the policy and collateral required will be at the discretion of the Council and where does this leave the small landowner in Ramsey who has been holding onto the land as an investment. The policy has turned off development in Ramsey. Commissioner Cox stated that in order for this community to be viable and economically sound we have to have things in a proper prospective so when economic conditions are favorable, we get in on. some of it. Ramsey keeps getting neophytes who have to go through so much training before they get their act together. Businesses are getting so disgusted that they aren't even interested in striving for recognition of the City name. Commissioner Fults stated that h~ would like to see an itemization of why Dickenson Lines chose to locate in Princeton instead of Ramsey, what would EDC/August 10, 1983 Page 7 of 10