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Mounds View City Council April 24, 2006 Regular Meeting Page 10 View looking for places to put billboards. He stated he is in the business district with light and 1 heavy industrial properties, and no residential properties. He stated Mounds View is one of the 2 last cities with outside storage, and this is the type of area that billboards are supposed to be in to 3 support the business community. 4 5 Mr. Hall stated that when Mounds View was first conceived, it was too bad that the City was 6 split in half over a four lane county highway. He stated that what is there and what needs to be 7 there needs to be looked at. He stated he has gone through a great expense already, and that it is 8 rather disingenuous of the City to sit back and see what the residents want. He wondered why 9 the question does not say if an option is not selected for a billboard site, then it will cost 10 $850,000 in taxes for the City of Mounds View. He stated the ramifications need to be explained 11 as well, not just where would residents would or would not like billboards. 12 13 Mr. Hall stated the City has done a wonderful job in putting off this issue month after month. He 14 stated Medtronic is moving in. He asked where the good faith estimate is in letting Clear 15 Channel pick and choose spots for the billboards. He stated by not allowing billboards on 16 County Road 10, it is closing down 99 percent of the City of Mounds View to Clear Channel. He 17 stated Medtronic is not going to pay for it, and that the City of Mounds View will fork out 18 $850,000 per site. 19 20 Mr. Hall stated before a straw poll is done, the City needs to look at what was said to Medtronic, 21 what was said to Clear Channel, and what was said to him. He stated he started to look at 22 billboards and now the City is saying that it is not going to be good for his business. He stated 23 the City is taking revenue from two billboards between Sysco and Medtronic. He stated the City 24 is putting itself above private business. He stated he has a right to have billboards on his 25 property. He stressed he was asked by the City and worked out a good faith agreement with 26 Clear Channel. He stated this matter should be voted on tonight, and not be postponed any 27 longer. He stated it is costing grief and money for people. 28 29 Councilmember Thomas stated she hates billboards, and she can see billboards from where she 30 lives behind the Community Center. She stated this is not something she wants to see, and noted 31 she has been on record to protect the residents from what they can see from their homes. She 32 stated commercial areas are appropriate areas for billboards. She stated the need to protect 33 residential areas should be reflected in the Ordinance. She stated she knows how she is going to 34 vote. She stated the question is not appropriate to ask residents. She indicated that after looking 35 at the language for six weeks, she does not see what she would like to yet. 36 37 Tom McCarver, Clear Channel, stated that Clear Channel has made good faith estimates with the 38 City. He stated the economics are not the same as on I-35 and County Road 10. He stated that 39 he spoke with Mr. Hall to rework a deal that is financially viable, realizing what the City issues 40 are. 41 42 Mr. McCarver stated that in regard to Councilmember Thomas’s issue with billboards in general, 43 he indicated that the poles will be wrapped as much as possible, which is not a contractual 44 obligation, but it can be done at considerable cost to Clear Channel. He stated he spoke with Mr. 45