Agenda - Council - 01/14/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Consultant Activities Update City of Ramsey January 6, 2020 There has been considerable activity since the last update. The County has drafted language related to the US TH 10 2020 bonding request. It continues to be reviewed and has not yet been release in its final form. Meetings are being schedule for this month to accomplish that and get it ready for submission. I believe a link to the draft language has been posted on the City's server. As you will see, the draft language requests the entire estimated cost for the Ramsey/Sunfish project. While few assume the Legislature will approve a request of that size, it was felt that requesting the entire amount would provide a needed perspective on the scale of the project and an appropriate starting point for discussions during the session. Meetings have continued with key legislators and legislative leaders both personally and in coordination with others. This has included leadership in both the DFL and IR and two additional events have been scheduled for this month with the Chairs of the Senate Bonding and Transportation Committees. In addition, I have met with the Governor's Chief of Staff and continued in discussions with the office of the Commissioner of Transportation. This past month has also provided an opportunity to work with Congressman Emmer's office on both the rail/car accident at Sunfish, and on the possibility of incorporating programs from the US DOT Build America Bureau as part of the funding strategy for the Ramsey/Sunfish project. This opportunity involved helping to arrange a conference call between the City, Congressman Emmer's district and DC staff and the Director of the Build America Bureau. The City, in consultation with Congressman Emmer's office, will now determine how applicable or useful these programs might be and determine what next steps would be appropriate. While it's great that there is so much activity around and support for the Ramsey/Sunfish project, it has already created a considerable coordination challenge that will only get worse when the session actually begins. This is especially true given the fact that, while the County is introducing the project language, they have made it clear that it is not their first priority. This, along with the large number of changes that are almost certain to be proposed and considered regarding the language and the amount of the request, and the likelihood that a number of other TH 10 related requests will be introduced, will make it a difficult session to navigate effectively. Doing so in a way that maintains a primary focus on the City's interests will require significantly more time and effort than has been necessary in the past. To that end, I have asked the City to consider an increase in my retainer of $1,200 per month that would apply only during the 4 months of the 2020 session. I appreciate the City's willingness to consider this adjustment and would be happy to answer any questions you might have.