Agenda Packets - 2015/05/11 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council March 23, 2015 Regular Meeting Page 8 City Administrator Ericson noted he and Interim Public Works Director Peterson met with 1 representatives from CenturyLink last week to discuss fiber line installation and the potential for 2 faster internet services in the City of Mounds View. He explained that City Code requires that 3 this material be installed underground, however CenturyLink was going against the City’s 4 requirements and the work had to be shut down. He read City Code pertaining to this matter 5 noting that an exemption could be granted by the City Council. He noted that a $500,000 6 investment had been made by CenturyLink for the fiber line to be installed above ground on 7 poles and could not easily be reused elsewhere. He questioned if the Council wanted to have a 8 discussion with CenturyLink regarding this matter. 9 10 Council Member Mueller expressed concern with the fact that CenturyLink did not follow the 11 City’s code or permitting process. She was in favor of addressing CenturyLink at a future 12 meeting in order to address their ethics and way of doing business. 13 14 Council Member Hull and Council Member Meehlhause were in favor of speaking further to 15 CenturyLink. 16 17 Mayor Flaherty suggested that CenturyLink be contacted and ask that they attend the May 18 worksession meeting. 19 20 Finance Director Beer stated the annual audit was complete. He anticipated there would be a 21 presentation on the audit at the second meeting in April. 22 23 Interim Public Works Director Peterson discussed preliminary estimates for the Silver View Trail 24 improvements. He noted that some areas may need six to eight inches of class five in order to 25 address the organic soil conditions. He commented that this would bring the project costs to 26 $371,020. The City budgeted $150,000 for the project and also had $200,000 for the design of 27 the Public Works building. He questioned how the Council wanted to proceed with this trail 28 improvement project. 29 30 Council Member Gunn believed the trail improvements were necessary and should be completed 31 in 2015. She proposed using Medtronic funds in order to assist in covering the expense of this 32 trail. She commented that by using these funds, the City would not have to raise taxes for the 33 project expense in the future. 34 35 Council Member Mueller agreed the trail needed to be done in 2015 and done correctly. She 36 questioned if there were any TIF dollars available to assist with the expense. Finance Director 37 Beer noted the City had no TIF funds available for this project. 38 39 Council Member Hull supported the project. 40 41 Council Member Meehlhause wanted to see the trail completed in 2015 as well. He believed that 42 there were funds available within the budget to cover the expense of the project, even if it meant 43 delaying the design of the new Public Works building. He was willing to look at using the 44 Medtronic funds. He reported that the City did not transfer $250,000 from the levy reduction 45