Agenda - Council Work Session - 05/03/2005

Home

MEMO James E. Norman Administrator, City of Ramsey From: Jodi Ruehle Date: April 28, 2005 Re: Trunk Highway 10 - Right-of-Way Acquisition Policy Statements and Creative Funding Options In May 2004, the City of Ramsey adopted an official map and H-1 Business District Ordinance along a portion of Trunk Highway 10 in an effort to begin preserving right-of-way needed for future transportation improvements in the corridor. In cooperation with the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, advance right-of-way purchase activities have been extremely successful and have generated a great deal of interest among additional property owners considering selling their property. Properties acquired to date have been purchased through the Revolving Acquisition Loan Fund (RALF) program administered by the Met Council. While the program serves as a significant resource to communities in the metro area, funds are made available on a "first-come, first-served" basis and can be limited based on the amount and number of prior loans being paid back to the program at any given time. Given the level of interest from willing sellers, and the increasing number of applications submitted by other communities in the metro, prioritization for the application and use of the RALF funds is important. In addition, relocation expenses which typically are not included as part of the RALF program but rather covered by Mn/DOT, have become an issue due to current budget constraints. The following bullets are simply suggestions for staff and council to consider in an attempt to set policy and/or guidelines for determining which types of parcels are good candidates for utilizing the RALF program: Vacant parcels - require minimal additional expense such as relocation costs, structure removal, etc. Parcels located in areas where future improvements benefit the community such as transportation improvements, public uses, etc. (the City is currently assessing future interchange needs and developing conceptual designs for future improvements that will assist in identifying needed parcels.)