01/27/2003 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 27, 2003 APPROVED 1 the same time. She cited 694 as an example, where Little Canada, Shoreview and Maplewood were 2 consulted and designed trails on bridges and other improvements. 3 4 Senator Reiter thanked the Council for doing their part. She asked that the Council let her know if 5 there is anything happening that they feel is harmful for the city. Mayor Bergeson asked if Senator 6 Reiter would come back in a few months and update the Council. She indicated she had a Town Hall 7 scheduled in Lino Lakes on February 6th at 7:00 p.m. 8 9 Councilmember Reinert asked about the possible wage freeze being presented to the cities. He asked 10 how that would help the State budget, since it is paid by the general fund. He does not see how that 11 would help the State. Senator Reiter indicated that the voters have made it clear they do not want any 12 tax increases. She stated if individual cities grant increases they would probably have to raise 13 property taxes to regain that money. She indicated this is an across the board approach, adding that 14 she just heard this information today as well and does not understand it completely. 15 16 Senator Reiter indicated that the vast majority of the thirteen new senators that were just elected came 17 from local government, whether mayors, council members or board members. She stated that it is 18 difficult for them to implement this type of situation at a local level because they all know what the 19 local government goes through. She commented that while she does not know how this will play out, 20 she knows that the approach is that if it is going to be done to one, it should be done to all. She stated 21 that the LGA needs to be looked at to determine why one city gets so much and others so little. 22 23 Councilmember Reinert stated he agrees, and doesn't understand why one city gets 2 percent and •24 another gets 20 percent. Senator Reiter stated some get 70 or 80 percent. 25 26 Councilmember Carlson noted Senator Reiter had mentioned other state funds, and asked what those 27 were. Senator Reiter indicated Municipal State aid, which is not often discussed. She stated County 28 and State aid were talked about all the time. She noted that all of the major traffic and work - 29 generated traffic was in the Metropolitan area. She indicated this is another formula that needs to be 30 looked at. 31 32 No one else was present for open mike. 33 34 FINANCE DEPARTMENT REPORT, AL ROLEK 35 36 Consider Resolution 03-10 Authorizing the Issuance of 2003 Certificates of Indebtedness, Al 37 Rolek — Finance Director Rolek noted that the 2003 budget called for the issuance of Certificates of 38 Indebtedness in the amount of $130,000 to be used for the purchase of capital equipment as part of the 39 equipment replacement program. He stated the City is transitioning from a Debt Program to a 40 Revolving Funds Program. He added that the $130,000 proposed is only a portion of the equipment that 41 needs to be replaced. He stated that the equipment would be sold to the Area and Unit Fund, which has 42 sufficient funds to purchase, and would be repaid through a Special Levy over the next three years. 43 44 Finance Director Rolek indicated that the equipment to be funded with the 2003 Certificate of 45 Indebtedness included: 46 • 3 squad cars 47 • 1 dump truck 48 • 1 plow truck 4