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Lino Lakes City Ongoing Budget Ideas Dave Roeser 12/1/09 Staff Responses 25 Feb. 10 Per our discussions last night, below is a start on ideas to research and implement ideas that work all year, every year to properly fund services we want to provide while eliminating services that we don't need to provide or could provide in a more cost effective manner. My intent here isn't to advance any pet project, but to open the discussion and thought process with city staff about what is possible or not and hopefully spawn additional ideas and solutions. Revenues; Fees can have the same effect as new taxes, so we have to be mindful of the effect to the family budget with items we enact. No one needs a tax increase in this economy. 1. Sell or rent underutilized city property. Review a list of property, prioritize, decide on most likely space to be successful to rent or sell. The City owns approximately 220 parcels. City ownership can be generalized into approximately five use categories: 1) Park %Open Space land. 2) Utility. 3) Street/Trail. 4) Public Buildings, and 5) .Economic Development. The majority of properties fall within the first 4 categories and are generally being used for their intended purposes. Additionally, many of these properties are deed restricted meaning that they can only be used for their intended purpose or otherwise revert hack to the State or underlying fee owner. 3 parcels, totaling approximately 3 acres are available for sale (77th and Lake .Dr). However, given the current market it is not an optimum period to sell. The city'. future recreational complex site (68 acres), located al Birch Street and Centerville Road is currently renting out the site, for agricultural purposes. The city charter does require that any sale proceeds be used to retire any outstanding debt on the property. If excess funds are available the council can decide where to allocate. These would be one time Ands however. It has also been past practice to reserve sale proceeds f<)r additional economic development activities. 2. Could Ramsey Cty library rent space in city hall for a satellite branch until the new library is built? .Anoka County purchased 9 acres of land in the southwest quadrant of 351"t' and Lake .Drive for a future regional libraiy. However, an existing county library servicing the area is located, ,lust south on Lake Drive, in Circle Pines. The county does not need or have funding for a satellite branch. Additionally, there is no available leasable space in city hall. 3. Water towers; aggressively go after renting space to cell phone companies. Look into "stimulus funds" to install solar panels on towers and "sell" back electricity. Jfe currently pursue leasing space on our water towers and monopoles. 6j''itll the recent approved lease agreement with Clear Wireless. we have eight lease flgreelrlc'nt.• in place. The e minlrilllrn footprint required to ustl/1 installing and