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bill to verify identity. With businesses, she only received two last year and didn’t know how much <br />their franchise fee was because she can’t get that information, they have to send it to her. She is <br />using the City of Elk River as a model for applying for the rebate and the issue would be if someone <br />sells the property. <br /> <br />Councilmember Heinemann asked what would happen if the entire assessment was paid. <br /> <br />Finance Director Lund replied it is treated the same. They are looked at even if prepaid and are <br />still under the same term of that special assessment. She explained that anyone who lived, for <br />example, on Garnett Street which was the first project in 2015, and was assessed, if they are still <br />the current homeowner, they are eligible for the rebate up until 2025. <br /> <br />Finance Director Lund requested direction whether the Council still wants to keep the rebate in <br />place that it would follow either the lesser of the assessment or the 25% of the annual assessment <br />amount if their franchise fee was less than their special assessment previous. <br /> <br />Councilmember Specht thanked Finance Director Lund for her work on this. He stated he supports <br />this, thinks it is fair to continue the rebate, and noted it is already incorporated in the cost. <br /> <br />Councilmember Woestehoff commented that he agreed and the only hesitation he had was that <br />there may be confusion between whether they are getting the entire assessment rebated or just <br />25%. He noted that may be a hard thing to explain and procedurally, they will need a resolution <br />to back it up. <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich commented the City had a basic explanation. <br /> <br />Finance Director Lund summarized that it is a rebate program and the resolution will say that at <br />the time it will be based off the scenario if the special assessment was less than the franchise fee <br />of $168 when it went into effect, they will be rebated the special assessment. Since the franchise <br />fee has been discontinued, if the special assessment exceeds that original $168 assessment, they <br />will receive 25% of the annual assessment amount. <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich commended Finance Director Lund for her work on this because it <br />creates a good balance of living up to the obligation the Council had pledged to the 375 property <br />owners that were assessed and expecting some rebate for the franchise fee. He noted when the <br />City embarked on the franchise fee, there was some relief to people who had projects done in the <br />last five years. <br /> <br />Councilmember Woestehoff referenced a page from the case and asked what the property owner <br />got on the franchise fee rebate and if they are getting a drastic change between the franchise fee <br />rebate and what is being proposed. <br /> <br />Finance Director Lund replied she would need to see what the franchise fee amount was because <br />there were some that didn’t turn anything in so it was used as an estimate. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session / November 9, 2021 <br />Page 5 of 12 <br /> <br />