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Mounds View City Council Page Four . <br /> Regular Meeting November 12 , 1991 • <br /> Mayor Linke stated there are many other cities presently collecting this <br /> fee. Some of those cities are: Coon Rapids - 3% gas and electric, <br /> Minneapolis - 6 .5% gas and electric, St. Paul - 8%, West St. Paul - 5%, <br /> South St. Paul - 3%, White Bear Lake - 1.50% and St. Cloud - 3% . <br /> Mayor Linke stated that the franchise fee is being looked at by more and <br /> more communities as a revenue source. <br /> Mayor Linke explained the City's budget process and how the mandates put on <br /> City's by the statc tear apart the CiLy's budget. The City then has to <br /> decide how to get along with less money and still keep the same requested <br /> services, programs and staff. At some point, with all the mandates and the <br /> loss of the City's local government aid, the budget can't be met and some <br /> things have to be cut. The City lost $83,000 in local government aid this <br /> year. That is 2 .5% of the City's local government aid stated Mayor Linke. <br /> Next year the City is looking at a 3 to 5% reduction in local government aid <br /> which is approximately a potential loss of $160, 000 worth of revenue. What <br /> will happen in 1993? Mayor Linke stated that this is the second year in a <br /> row the City was to hire a police officer, but because of budget cuts it was <br /> impossible to do so. <br /> Mayor Linke stated that the City has to rely more heavily on user fees . <br /> 411 <br /> Residents will notice that, for example, Park and Recreation has depended <br /> more on user fees this year with a fee attached to activities and materials <br /> that used to be free to the residents . Mayor Linke stated that there had <br /> been four people in park maintenance and now the City is down to one. Mayor <br /> Linke stated the City had to cut the senior coordinator entirely out of the <br /> budget for next year. Linke further stated the funding for Northwest Youth <br /> and Family Service Bureau was no longer available. This Bureau provides <br /> counselors for troubled teens . The City used this service for the fire <br /> victims last fall. Because of the funding the City was able to provide, <br /> subsidizing about $15, 000, the citizens could pay for this service on a <br /> sliding fee scale. Now, these persons will pay a higher percentage because <br /> the City had to cut the fundin• . The •eo•le . ,• - e-rvice arethe <br /> mo•era e o ow income families who won't be able to afford this service any <br /> longer. <br /> Mayor Linke stated that should the street light utility be implemented in <br /> 1992 it would free up street light utility money and perhaps some cuts may <br /> be able to be added back into the budget. <br /> Mr. Bob Yentsch, 5312 Raymond Avenue, is the manager of a 10 building <br /> complex of 20 units . Mr:-,Yentsch states he pays the tenants water and sewer <br /> bills and he_was_ asked by-the -owner of the buil-ding to represent him-and <br /> express his feelings with regards to the alternative revenue programs. The <br /> utility bill is sent to the landlord and the landlord would not be able to <br /> raise rents because of being in the middle of leases . The owner feels it <br /> would be more fair to do the utility franchise fee. • <br />