Minutes - 2004/09/27 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council September 27, 2004 Regular Meeting Page 2 • David Jahnke, 8420 Eastwood Road, thanked the four Council members for basically changing their minds regarding the golf course. He stated that the average income per household in Mounds View is not very high, and that the levy limits are off again, so they are going to get nailed again. He stated he had a note from five people that said it was nice to golf at the Bridges, and not one of them lived in Mounds View, so they were paying for other people to enjoy playing golf. He stated there is another golf course right around the corner. He stated he couldn't figure out why the Mayor had told Barb Haake that they only lost $200,000 on the golf course when the Finance Director had stated that it was a million. Mayor Linke stated the $200,000 had come from the lawsuit, because it had cost $300,000, and they had won $100,000. Mr. Jahnke stated that this year would be worse because of the weather, so they would be taking another beating on the golf course. City Clerk/City Administrator Ulrich stated that they would be discussing the golf course alternatives in a broader fashion at the Work Session to be held on October 4cn Mike Marone, 5545 Brighton Lane, stated he sees a real mismanagement of the taxpayer's money after watching the City Council meetings on cable the last several months. He stated that it's the taxpayer's money, and the Council needs to really look at what they are spending the money on. i Mayor Linke stated he was speaking in generalities. Mr. Marone stated that the manager at the Bridges golf course had been given a raise, and that he himself had not had a raise in three years because the company he works for hasn't made any money. Mayor Linke stated that the City had to live up to its contracts. Council Member Quick stated, regarding the raise, that the City is governed by a different set of rules and laws than private industry, and they need to meet those obligations. Council Member Quick stated that the golf course is a piece of property that they don't know whether they can sell. He stated that they also have a contract for some signs, and that the interested party doesn't want anything to do with the signs. He stated when the golf course was built, there was 90 percent acceptance in the City. He stated that nobody had polled what the citizens want at this time. He stated if they did a professional poll that came back with less than 50 percent, he would be the first one to vote to sell it. He stated the golf course carries all the debt from the lawsuit. He stated that he felt that the City Council had erred, and that the City should have picked that up. Mr. Marone asked why there was a lawsuit.