Minutes - 2005/08/22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council August 22, 2005 Regular Meeting Page 15 • residents of the City, not like past Councils. Mr. Werner stated that he does not care how long the TIF District lasts and thinks the Council should go for the deal and pay off the debts. Jan Brink, 7800 Gloria Circle, stated there is a misconception. She stated those in opposition to the Medtronic deal have conceded that they have Lost the golf course and know it is gone and done but they want a referendum because they oppose the specific terms of the contract. She stated they feel the residents are not getting a fair deal and she is asking the Council to have the integrity to allow residents to have that vote. Mayor Marty called a recess at 9:49 p.m. The meeting was reconvened at 10:01 p.m. Duane McCarty, 8060 Long Lake Road, stated the golf course has been in the "red" for years acid the Councils. have taken care of that in the form of the billboard contract. He suggested that the golf course will be in the black by 2012 in terms of outstanding bonds, by 2017 on interfund loans, and in the "black" eight years before the TIF District expires. Then, at that point, it will be valued at $48 million. He stated it is not a "big looser," but just needs a little time. Mr. Werner stated that is an expensive golf course because it will be sitting there, it hasn't made any money, and will keep borrowing money. David Jahnke, 8428 Eastwood Road, stated the billboard money is Mounds View money and the golf course should stand on its own. He stated that is why eleven golf courses were closed this • past year. Mr. Jahnke pointed out that only 20% of the citizens golf and 80% are from outside of Mounds View and say, "good old Mounds View, they don't know what is going on." Mary Kay Walsh, 8345 Pleasant View Drive, stated whether the golf course makes money is not important because it adds oxygen and is an amenity to the City. She noted that Medtronic will use $11 million of Mounds View TIF money and use it to buy property in Blaine for a parking lot. She stated more issues should be addressed and it should go to a referendum. She stated she hopes more information will come out because if the City does not get enough money for the property, it will not be a good deal. Mayor Marty stated the total amount is $14.8 million and of that some goes to roads, infrastructure, water, sewer, and other qualified costs. The total amount to Blaine is just over $2 million, not $11 million. Connie Hammes, 5511 Quincy, stated when she took the petition around people were concerned about the extra traffic on the roads and asked if they will be improved. She pointed out that Medtronic will also add traffic to 35W which is already a bottleneck so traffic will be cutting through City streets. In addition, it will bring forward more police calls. She reviewed that Councilmember Stigney had said at a meeting a year and a half ago that hiring two officers was not in purview of the Council because it cost $147,000. Ms. Hammes noted this is a lot more than that and encouraged the Council to let Medtronic stand on their own. •