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<br />EXHIBIT A <br /> <br />OPINION OF MOUNDS VIEW CITY ATTORNEY <br /> <br /> <br />Kennedy <br /> 470 US Bank Plaza <br />200 South Sixth Street <br />Minneapolis MN 55402 <br />& <br />Graven <br /> (612) 337-9300 telephone <br />(612) 337-9310 fax <br />http://www.kennedy-graven.com <br />sriggs@kennedy-graven.com <br />C H A R T E R E D <br /> <br /> <br />M E M O R A N D U M <br /> <br /> <br />DATE: August 11, 2005 <br /> <br />TO: Mounds View City Council <br /> Kurt Ulrich, City Administrator <br /> <br />FROM: Mary D. Tietjen <br /> Scott J. Riggs <br /> <br />RE: Transfer of Property from City to EDA <br /> Referendum Issues <br /> <br /> <br />This memorandum addresses the legal issues related to a potential referendum <br />challenging the transfer of property from the City of Mounds View (“City”) to the Mounds <br />View Economic Development Authority (“EDA”) for the Medtronic Development Project <br />(“Project”). A key question is whether the City Council would have legal grounds to deny a <br />referendum petition on the sale of the property and adopt a Resolution authorizing and <br />finalizing the transaction. In my opinion, the City Council has a sufficient legal grounds to <br />do both. <br /> <br />Factual Background <br /> <br />On July 11, 2005, the Mounds View City Council adopted Ordinance No. 760 authorizing <br />the conveyance of certain property from the City to the EDA. The EDA intends to <br />subsequently convey the property to Medtronic, Inc., for development and construction of <br />an 820,000 square foot office complex pursuant to a purchase agreement and a contract <br />for development between the City, the EDA and Medtronic. Residents have threatened to <br />challenge the City’s conveyance of property for the Project pursuant to the power of <br />referendum under Section 5.01 of the City Charter.1 <br /> <br />1 Section 5.01 reads: “The people of Mounds View reserve to themselves the powers in accordance <br />with the provisions of this Charter to initiate and adopt ordinances and resolutions, to require