11-30-99 CCM - Laserfiche WebLink

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LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999 Mayor Hunt called the Council meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. in the Council chambers. PRESENT: Siedow, Dunn, Hunt, Armstrong (arrived 5:45 p.m.), DeLapp, Administrator Kueffner, and City Planner Dillerud Mayor Hunt opened up the Public Hearing at 5:35 p.m. Finance Director Marilyn Banister reported the proposed tax increase for the year 2000 is $50,865, a 4.08% increase over 1999. The budget increase for the year 2000 is $34,943, a 1.81% increase over 1999. The result is an actual decrease in Lake Elmo's local tax rate from 20.36% in 1999 to 18.69% for year 2000, an 8.9% decrease in local taxes if your evaluation didn't change. Shares in total tax dollar Lake Elmo 17% Washington County 26 School District #834 46 Miscellaneous 11 The Council asked that Peg Larsen, MN House Representative, be invited to a Council meeting to discuss dealing with unfunded state mandates. If the County wants a Truth and Taxation hearing, then there should be a line item for VBWD charges and not clumped into Miscellaneous. Gloria Knoblauch stated, since she is on the Parks Commission, has an invested interest in knowing what the plan is for future parks. Apparently, the City can get hold of land with no problem for a future park. Do we need more parks? Are we going to have a recreation center, engage in summer and winter sports? Polled the Council on its thinking for future parks. Council member Siedow responded he lives next to a park and finds that it is never used. The City should use the parks they have before we build more. If you have a recreational center, you have adult leagues using the fields with the possibility of drinking and more traffic. Council member Dunn stated we have a nice grouping of parks throughout the entire City. We need to maintain our parks, and maintenance is expensive. We should not expand our parks. She is, totally, against a big recreational center and, absolutely, no need for organized recreation ...we have VAA and OAA, etc. and programs such as the Skyhawks. She has a problem with unfunded state mandates; such as the reconstruction of bleachers Mayor Hunt thought the City was all right with neighborhood parks. He agreed with Sue on recreational programs. The Skyhawks program was a success. He would wait to hear what happens from the Parks and Village Commission discussions on the recreational complex before he makes a decision. Council member Armstrong thought the City was heavy on parks for a very long time. The City has the Regional Park, which we can all use. It takes money for maintenance. The crew has plenty to do right now She does not see any reasons for more parks. Council member DeLapp was surprised to hear Chuck Siedow say the parks are used so little. No one is ever using Pebble Park that he sees. He keeps hearing that our parks are being used, so he thought they meant the parks downtown. We are going to double in population in 40 years unless we make radical changes in the City. He prefers, instead of having haphazard ballfrelds that are within 4-5 miles of each other, have less of them scattered and 2 or 3 together where the maintenance dept. can keep track of them He hoped Stonegate is being used because we spent $100,000. If Skyhawks want to come in with a program for the residents of Lake Elmo would be fine, but not for Stillwater or Mahtomedi. Administrator Kueffiier reported the City ballfields, soccer fields are booked and have all been used.