Minutes - Council - 03/08/2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilmember Musgrove asked for an explanation in regard to funding and how that works with regard to the source of funding as far as that funding potentially being relieved from taxpayer funding for road and upkeep. City Engineer Westby replied that is an MSA street so when repairs are needed on that street, MSA dollars can be used. He explained that up to 20% of streets can be added to the Municipal State Aid system. Those streets generate needs based on population and infrastructure. He stated every year about $1.5 million comes in as State Aid Funds which can be allocated across the entire system. The $1.5 million can be used to reconstruct or maintain the streets as needed, this is done through the Capital Improvement Fund. When those roads are done they use the MSA funds and not taxpayer funds. Councilmember Musgrove asked Mr. Anderson for information on the group of students that would be served by the school. JB Vang Partners Representative Fincher replied that PACT is currently a K-12 public charter school. They intend to keep that facility but change it to house their K-5 program so the proposal would house 6-12 grades. He stated there is a long wait list and demand for PACT Charter school so this expansion would allow PACT to increase enrollment and reduce the waitlist for the elementary campus. Councilmember Musgrove commented she wanted to highlight that they were separate buildings with a different student population. Councilmember Heineman commented on concerns raised by residents during the Planning Commission meeting regarding a school shouldn’t be in a residential area. He referenced the zoning map and the the zoning for the surrounding area. He asked Senior Planner Anderson to explain the zoning for Brookside Elementary and Ramsey Elementary and if the zoning differed. Senior Planner Anderson replied the surrounding area with Brookside Elementary, to the north and south of Brookside as well as to the west, is zoned R-1 Residential, MUSA-80. On the east side of Brookside it is zoned R-1 Residential Rural, which are larger lots with private well and septic. Councilmember Heineman asked if this proposed site would maintain the balance of R-1 Rural and R-1 MUSA as Brookside currently has. Senior Planner Anderson replied yes generally speaking although the Brookside site is larger than the current proposal. Councilmember Woestehoff stated Brookside is on roughly 36 acres and Ramsey Elementary is on 57 acres and both have an enrollment of around 700 students. Senior Planner Anderson replied the acreages sound right for each of those schools but he couldn’t speak to the enrollment numbers. City Council /March 8, 2022 Page 7 of 38