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Mounds View EDA April 11, 2005 Regular Meeting Page 4 an important part of the discussion is that this hearing is to get information to the Council, and for the Council to take some time to look that over, and not to make a hard and fast decision this evening. He stated that he is opposed to TIF, and in his eight years as mayor, he didn’t do a single TIF. He stated that at one time TIF served a good purpose and was necessary for economic development. He stated that Mounds View’s TIF percentage of commercial industrial is one of the highest in the Twin City area, and that means they are pre-empting tax revenue from not only the city, but other districts as well, and in particular the school district. He stated the Council should get input from the School Board on how TIF affects their operations. He stated that the franchise fee issue is quite a debate at the legislature at this time, and he had read that the applicant is willing to pay the franchise fee. He stated that the label of fees is on its last days. He stated the taxpayers and many of our representatives in the legislature at this time are working very hard to make sure that taxation is not only fair, but it’s up front where everybody can see it, so he wouldn’t count on the franchise fee. He asked the Council to slow down a little bit, and step back and take a harder look. He submitted some written comments to the Commission. Economic Development Coordinator stated that the water and sewer would be connected to the city utilities from the south under Highway 10, and there would be a franchise fee generated from that. He stated that currently the whole property is tax exempt right now, and there would be a base that would generate revenues, and that base would be approximately $8 million. Kevin Griffin, 8161 Red Oak Court, stated he has been a resident since 1988, and he stated he is in support of the golf course. He stated he owns an underground construction company, and he brings clients to the course and frequents the restaurants in Mounds View. He cautioned the Council to exercise caution on committing any type of tax incentives for this project or any type of project, especially to insure that there are guarantees or security in place that that type of funding will be recovered in the future. He encouraged the Commission to pursue other alternatives to reduce the debt of the golf course. Greg Holee, 8192 Groveland Road, stated he is an admirer of Medtronic, but he and his wife are golfers, and he thinks it’s a wonderful amenity. He stated it’s a nationally recognized facility, and awards have been won for the youth development. He stated it would be a huge sense of loss for the community to lose that facility. Cindy Carlson, 2215 Kenwood Court, Maplewood, stated she is in favor of the proposed acquisition by Medtronic. She stated she has participated in golfing at the Bridges, but she feels it’s a tremendous opportunity to sell this property to Medtronic. She stated that not only is Medtronic involved in a lot of different philanthropic activities that benefit the state and many of the residents, but they also participate very actively in the community through the Twin Cities North Area Chamber of Commerce in various committees on the Board of Directors and in various fundraisers. Dan Hall, 12860 Lever St, Blaine, stated that he has been operating the Mermaid in Mounds