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<br />Councilmember Jeffrey stated he would like the best recommendation from the department heads <br />on how to cut 1.3% from the budget. <br /> <br />Interim City Administrator Nelson replied what is being presented is staffs recommendation. <br />They heard clear direction that Council wanted a policy discussion about street maintenance. <br />She believes the recommendation from. staff level would be to put the street maintenance back on <br />the assessment rolls and hire a patrol officer. This would meet the needed cuts. Staff heard that <br />Council wanted a policy discussion about the sealcoating portion of the street maintenance, and <br />it is here for a policy discussion. Staff believes if they do not keep up with the number of patrol <br />officers and those kinds of things, they fall behind, and there is trouble meeting the quota on the <br />streets on every shift. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec commented that the street maintenance has not been a problem for 20 years. <br /> <br />Councilmember Look stated it is not that the people are not already paying for the maintenance. <br />The numbers he showed were conclusive that other communities are not doing this. <br /> <br />Councilmember Elvig stated he would advocate that no officer is hired and that the assessment <br />policy remain as it is. <br /> <br />Councilmember Look questioned if Councilmember Elvig would consider the street assessment <br />a form of taxation. <br /> <br />Councilmember Elvig replied no, it is an improvement that will be done on his road that he will <br />pay for just like everyone else. <br /> <br />Councilmember Look stated in comparison to this assessment, there are many places that do not <br />have streetlights that are paying the streetlight assessment. <br /> <br />Public Works Director Olson explained there is a different set of streetlight assessment rates. <br />Residential subdivision lights pay a certain rate and priority lights are a different rate which pays <br />for the lights on high speed roadways marking intersections like Highway 47. <br /> <br />Councilmember Look stated the issue is that people are collectively paying on the streetlight <br />issue, but not collectively paying on the street maintenance issue. His concern is that they do <br />have to consider neighboring communities and how things are done. If Ramsey's tax rates are <br />higher in this case than neighboring communities and they are assessing on top of that, it is <br />double dipping. <br /> <br />Councilmember Elvig stated the numbers Councilmember Look showed are biased. He would <br />like Ms. Lund to pull those numbers together to show the comparison. when an overall view is <br />taken Ramsey is at a much lower rate than neighboring communities. He does not agree that <br />they are at a much higher tax base. He does not think it is prudent to change the assessment <br />policy when they are talking about decreased revenue and trying to cut back. There is also the <br />residual impact to consider of whether they will have to start paying other people back for <br />previous assessments. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session I July 31, 2007 <br />Page 12 of 18 <br />