Agenda - Planning Commission - 05/05/2005

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several community events in the City. The biggest o£these is Happy Days, as well as the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, the Environmental Fair and Tree Sale, the Pet Clinic, Spring and FalI Recycling Days, National Day Out, Kids Safety Camp, two car seat clinics, a bike helrnet clinic, and a child safety project where gun locks were issued. He reviewed the set up of the City government and departments within the city. He commented on the tragic killings and explosion in the past year and commended the way the departments handled them. He indicated last year the Building Department issued 166 single-family home permits and 399 townhouse permits, with a city valuation increase of 110,119,200. He stated this definitely helps to hold the taxes down while providing services for the rest of Ramsey. The City had 344,000 square feet of business commercial expansion last year. He stated this coming year the City looks forward to the continuing build out of Town Center and the start of the new Municipal Center. He thanked the City Council and all the help received from residents in the City. CITIZEN INPUT Erik Zaetsch, 6521 154Ih Lane NW, commended Dean Kapler for the work done in putting out the fire over the weekend. He stated even in Mr. Kapler's absence the fire was maintained and the response was quite good. It is his understanding that the home that started this fire had been cited previously for unlawful burning. He stated he would also like to discuss future housing at the Gun Club. The Department of Health has included lead and lead compounds on the list of agents reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens. There should be due concern for this problem, given the seriousness of it. The Department of Health has a lead blood level monitor program. He thinks there should be some sort of appropriate consideration for the people that will be moving into this housing situation, and something should be provided for their health and safety. He noted the Mayor commented about the tax situation in his State of the City Address. Case No. 13 on the Consent Agenda relates to 18 mi'llion dollars in bonding, which will be quite a burden on taxpayers in the future. It is unclear from the agenda what that money has been allocated for. Dell Fredericks, 7550 158th Avenue NW, comrnended the Fire Department for their work last. Saturday. He stated he would also like to thank the surrounding suburbs that helped out. The fire was a very dangerous situation and could have been catastrophic for the City. He stated he would also like to raise a concern that while the agenda for many work sessions are published on the City website, the minutes are woefully out of date. The last minutes are back to March 8ih. All of the other minutes relating to the Council and commissions are quite accurate and updated on the website within a week or two. He explained one of his concerns relates to the light rail. He keeps hearing that Anoka County will bear the brunt of that cost, and he would like to know where the City of Ramsey stands on that. Mayor Gamec stated in regards to Northstar, the bonding bill was approved. Sherbourne, Anoka, and Hennepin Counties will all be involved in the funding. At this time there is no cost from individual city budgets, and it is handled through the counties. He noted Richard Fursman is in attendance tonight. He explained Mr. Fursman was the former City Administrator in the city of Andover and was an asset in the work that was done on highway issues and bridge crossings. Mr. Fursman is now the City Administrator in the City of Maplewood. P84 City Council/April 12, 2005 Page 4 of 35