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Mounds View City Council March 23, 2015 <br />Regular Meeting Page 8 <br /> <br />City Administrator Ericson noted he and Interim Public Works Director Peterson met with <br />representatives from CenturyLink last week to discuss fiber line installation and the potential for <br />faster internet services in the City of Mounds View. He explained that City Code requires that <br />this material be installed underground, however CenturyLink was going against the City’s <br />requirements and the work had to be shut down. He read City Code pertaining to this matter <br />noting that an exemption could be granted by the City Council. He noted that a $500,000 <br />investment had been made by CenturyLink for the fiber line to be installed above ground on <br />poles and could not easily be reused elsewhere. He questioned if the Council wanted to have a <br />discussion with CenturyLink regarding this matter. <br /> <br />Council Member Mueller expressed concern with the fact that CenturyLink did not follow the <br />City’s code or permitting process. She was in favor of addressing CenturyLink at a future <br />meeting in order to address their ethics and way of doing business. <br /> <br />Council Member Hull and Council Member Meehlhause were in favor of speaking further to <br />CenturyLink. <br /> <br />Mayor Flaherty suggested that CenturyLink be contacted and ask that they attend the May <br />worksession meeting. <br /> <br />Finance Director Beer stated the annual audit was complete. He anticipated there would be a <br />presentation on the audit at the second meeting in April. <br /> <br />Interim Public Works Director Peterson discussed preliminary estimates for the Silver View Trail <br />improvements. He noted that some areas may need six to eight inches of class five in order to <br />address the organic soil conditions. He commented that this would bring the project costs to <br />$371,020. The City budgeted $150,000 for the project and also had $200,000 for the design of <br />the Public Works building. He questioned how the Council wanted to proceed with this trail <br />improvement project. <br /> <br />Council Member Gunn believed the trail improvements were necessary and should be completed <br />in 2015. She proposed using Medtronic funds in order to assist in covering the expense of this <br />trail. She commented that by using these funds, the City would not have to raise taxes for the <br />project expense in the future. <br /> <br />Council Member Mueller agreed the trail needed to be done in 2015 and done correctly. She <br />questioned if there were any TIF dollars available to assist with the expense. Finance Director <br />Beer noted the City had no TIF funds available for this project. <br /> <br />Council Member Hull supported the project. <br /> <br />Council Member Meehlhause wanted to see the trail completed in 2015 as well. He believed that <br />there were funds available within the budget to cover the expense of the project, even if it meant <br />delaying the design of the new Public Works building. He was willing to look at using the <br />Medtronic funds. He reported that the City did not transfer $250,000 from the levy reduction