Agenda Packets - 2005/10/24 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council July 25, 2005 Regular Meeting Page 4 He further clarified that the billboard money goes into a fund and take it out of the fund to 1 support the golf course. He stated that 80-percent of the users must be overjoyed that Mounds 2 View is supporting a golf course when the City has bad roads in need of repair. He stated that 3 the City needs the money. He suggested closing down the golf course and use the money from 4 the billboards to take care of the things that need to be repaired in the City. He expressed 5 concerns stating that he does not know this City anymore and doesn’t understand why the 6 Citizens are supporting a golf course that is losing money for the City. He indicated that over the 7 last three years twelve golf courses have had to close because they were losing money. He 8 recalled that the Mayor has said in the past that the Council would do what is best for the 9 Citizens and he does not understand why the City would take money from the billboards to 10 support a golf course that only 20-percent of its citizens use. 11 12 Mayor Marty explained that when some of the land that was deeded to the City by MnDOT and 13 SYSCO, the deeds, on their portions deeded to the City, stated that the land had to be used for 14 public purpose or a public facility. He stated that the Council reviewed potential areas for a 15 soccer, baseball or football field noting that it would be a source of maintenance and Council 16 decided to sink some money into it to create a golf course. He stated that the Council understood 17 that it would cost more to install a golf course but believed that once it was installed it would 18 become a positive source of revenue for the City. He stated that he agreed that this was a 19 relatively sound idea versus a baseball or soccer field noting that the City could get some revenue 20 from the use of the fields but the golf course would take some initial capital outlay, which is 21 where they fell behind. He explained that some of the property had been previously used as a 22 landfill. 23 24 Mr. Jahnke acknowledged all of that noting that if they just put up the billboards and closed the 25 golf course the City would be further ahead. He stated that they have to consider the financials 26 and if they close the golf course and use the revenue from the billboards the City would be 27 farther ahead than if they keep the golf course open. He stated that the City is losing money by 28 keeping the golf course open. 29 30 Mayor Marty clarified that he did not have anything to do with putting the golf course there. He 31 explained that the City has bonds and debts associated to the golf course that have to be paid and 32 the City had to find a way to pay off this debt without impacting the citizens, which is how they 33 got into the billboard deal. 34 35 Mr. Jahnke stated that even if the City didn’t have Medtronic it would be better to close the golf 36 course and use the money from the billboards for the City. 37 38 Mayor Marty recalled that one of the last things Mr. Hansen had said was that if the golf course 39 didn’t have the debt there could be a slight revenue from the golf course. 40 41 Mr. Jahnke asked the Council to think about this. He stated that he feels it is totally wrong for a 42 City to support a golf course and the billboards. 43 44