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Mounds View City Council May 22, 2006 <br />Regular Meeting Page Z <br />• City Administrator Ulrich stated the Council recognizes street repairs as their top priority and the <br />City is progressing aggressively to address that issue. <br />Public Works Director Lee explained staff does not want to spend too much time and money to <br />patch streets because street rehabilitation is the best remedy. <br />Mayor Marty stated the Council has been trying to move this forward for years and it is now the <br />time to "take the bull by the horns" and the City will have to deal with Item 7F tonight. <br />6. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS <br />A. Senator Betzold and Representative Bernardy would like to speak to the <br />Council in regard to this year's legislative session. <br />Mayor Many welcomed Senator Betzold and Representative Bernardy to the meeting. <br />Senator Betzold stated that Councilmember Thomas was also at the Capitol and has spent long <br />hours there. He provided a recap on the legislative session that started March 1St and explained it <br />was a short session since it was not a budget year. He stated this past week they had some long <br />days and finally f Wished last night. He stated that last year the emphasis was to pass the budget <br />and education so a lot of things carried over to this short session. Senator Betzold reported on <br />• the projects approved included in the Bonding Bill and other programs they were able to fund <br />through the $400 million Tobacco Health Impact Fund. He then reported on other actions <br />undertaken during this short session including passage of an open air Twins stadium paid by <br />sales tax, and a Gopher stadium with a land exchange and naming rights. Regarding the Viking <br />stadium, the action designates Blaine as the stadium site and that there can be a sales tax but not <br />until the Legislature approves that tax. Senator Betzold advised of bills that did not get passed in <br />this session and noted the next regular session starts in January and it is an election year. <br />Representative Bernardy explained that it turned out to be a good session and was more <br />cooperative and bipartisan than previously. She reported the fiscal bill passed to fix language for <br />County Road J and she worked with Councilmember Thomas on that issue so the $24 million <br />will now go to the right place and that project can be started. She explained it is not an easy task <br />to get money for roads at the State level and the Department of Transportation is now down to <br />bear bones, hardly able. to make payments, and contractors are being asked to carry the project for <br />three years which costs a lot in interest money. <br />Representative Bernardy stated she worked hard to do scopeing and design work on 35W but that <br />bill was not passed because there was not a transportation bill. She noted this is one of the <br />highest deficient areas in the State and that project is not on Mn/DOT's 20 or 30-year plan. <br />Representative Bernardy stated she is disappointed about property tax relief and had wanted <br />permanent property tax relief, not just a gimmick check that comes out right before the election. <br />The proposal she voted against in the House was for aone-time refund and now there will be an <br />