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