Agenda Packets - 2005/04/25 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mounds View City Council March 28, 2005 Regular Meeting Page 2 Brian Amundson, 3048 Woodale Drive, asked the Council to direct staff to put up a complete 1 five-year comprehensive plan for the street projects and any decisions that have been made either 2 in work sessions or by previous Councils in regard to policies about the construction of roads. 3 He stated there could be a significant savings by reconstructing rather than adding concrete curb 4 and gutter. He asked whether the full financial study of the street project would be made 5 available to the public. He stated by his calculations, he would be paying about $500 more in 6 taxes just for street improvements, so he didn’t think it was correct that it would only cost him 7 $3,000 for the current project. He stated he was disappointed that the Council approved a 8 feasibility study last session that had no options in it. 9 10 Mayor Marty stated that the Council started working on this in the late 1990’s, the citizens didn’t 11 want their streets fixed because the costs were so exorbitant. He stated that several years ago he 12 brought up the fact that the bonding rates were low, so everyone in the city would pay a smaller 13 portion when the streets are made. 14 15 Mr. Amundson stated that he is not opposed to the roads being repaired, but he questioned the 16 manner of financing them, the impact on the watershed, and the use of concrete curb and gutter. 17 18 Council Member Thomas stated that the feasibility study doesn’t lock them into anything, and 19 the project has not been approved at this point, so discussions will be ongoing. 20 21 Council Member Stigney stated that Mr. Amundson might be correct, and this looks good now, 22 but it’s projected. 23 24 Finance Director Hanson stated that the bonds they’ve sold and will continue to sell will be 10 25 year bonds, and the first bond was sold last year. He stated they are levying the tax for the first 26 time this year. In nine years, they will levy the tax for the last year’s bond, so the next ten years 27 the debt service levy will continue to grow, and then it will level off. He stated the existing TIF 28 Districts will reach the end of their life span in about the eighth or ninth year of that timeframe, 29 and then that value comes back onto the general tax rolls, which would help spread out the tax 30 burden a little bit farther. He stated that it’s hard to calculate exactly what the benefit will be, but 31 the tax levy is going to grow significantly if they follow the course as is, so he didn’t want to 32 underestimate that. 33 34 Council Member Stigney stated he hasn’t seen projections or dollar figures after nine or ten years 35 for what the tax burden is going to be, so he would still like to see that. 36 37 Finance Director Hanson stated that he had seen that because it was part of the last year. 38 39 Council Member Stigney stated that as long as they are preparing it for Mr. Amundson’s request, 40 he would like that brought forth to let the residents see it and also to put it in Mounds View 41 Matters. 42 43 David Jahnke, 8420 Eastwood Road, asked whether it was better to do concrete curb and gutters. 44 He stated they had put a lot of money into the golf course, and they maybe could have used that 45