July/August 1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

JULY/AUGUST 1996, VOLUME 11, NO.5 CHARTER UPDATE CITY OF RAMSEY 1995 COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT CITY NEWSLETTER On May 21, 1996 there was an election held to determine if changes should be made to the Ramsey City Charter. The Charter is the document that dictates the rules under which the City Council must operate in the administration of City affairs. Three questions appeared on the ballot. One of the three passed. The result was a change in rights of property owners when or if municipal water and sewer comes to yourneighborhood. Past practice has been that if35% of a neighborhood requested municipal services the City conducted a feasibility study. This study estimated the cost of the public improvement. Upon completion of the study the neighborhood had the opportunity to decide if the project should be constructed. If 51 % or more of the neighborhood opposed the project, it could not be constructed. If less than that number was opposed, the City Council generally ordered the project. Upon completion, the cost of the project was assessed to the benefitted properties, which were also required to connect to the system within two to three years. Under the new Charter amendment just passed, the City cannot assess any costs to property owners opposed to the project until they connect to the municipal system. The City also cannot require connection to the system without consent of the property owner. This provision apparently allows property owners within the urban service district (the southeast portion of Ramsey generally east of Ramsey Boulevard and south of 153rd -the exact location varies somewhat from that) to avoid all costs for infrastructure improvements when they are part of a water or sewer project. The City Council has not yet discussed how public improvements will be funded in the future when a neighborhood makes a request but not every property owner is in favor of the project. For instance, in a neighborhood of ten homes, if nine request the improvement and one is opposed, it appears that either the other nine homeowners will have to pay for the revenue shortfall, the City will have to covertheexpense in some other way , orthe City will have to delay the project until all ten homeowners are in favor of the project. It is expected that Council will be discussing these and any other funding options in the near future. RED CROSS BLOODMOBILE TO VISIT RAMSEY The Red Cross Bloodmobile will be in Ramsey on Monday, August 12, 1996 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 14501 Nowthen Blvd. NW, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. The need for blood is constant. Everyday someone needs blood to survive a serious accident or disease. The only source for blood is volunteer blood donors. Please do your part to save lives this summer by donating blood on August 12. People with all blood types are needed, but there is ,m especially big demand for type 0 blood. For an appoinunentor information, please contact the church office at 427-1100. i The City of Ramsey is required to annually undergo } a certified audit of all of its funds and account groups. :.. Theaudit for 1995 was performed by the certified public ::: accounting firm of Malloy, Montague, Kamowski, ::: Radosevich & Co., P.A. The preparation of the :: Comprehensive Annual Financial Report [CAFR] is j done internally, by the Finance Department. :: The net worth of the City at the end of 1995 was :: approximately $15.1 million. A large portion of this net ::.. worth, over $14 million, is restricted for specific uses, } such as those restricted by laws, designations, orCouncil .. adopted policies. The remaining $1.1 million is .:.. available for general operations of the City, including : the operation of City owned utilities. : Included at the beginning of the 1995 CAFR is a i detailed report of the City's activities during 1995, and a i brief description of all funds and account groups. This i report is available for review at City Hall and at the i Anoka County Library-Rum River Branch, located at ....5910 - 167th Avenue N.W. in Ramsey. Questions / regarding this report can be forwarded to the Finance \ Officer at 427-1410. FILING DATE FOR MA YOR,- COUNCIL NEARS i Ramsey residents who are registered voters are . eligible to file to run in the 1996 election for the mayor's j seat and two councilmember seats. Applications can be .: obtained and filed at the Ramsey Municipal Center, : 15153 Nowthen Blvd NWbetweenAugust27,1996and } 5:00p.m.on September 10. Thereisa$5fi1ingfee. The : mayor's term of office is two years; councilmembers ? serve for four years. PLEASE NOTE: Ramsey City offices will be closed on July 4th in observance of Independance Day.