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DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP <br /> Mr. Michael Morrison <br /> September 21, 1999 <br /> Page 3 <br /> This amendment is both good and bad news to the City of St. Anthony. The good <br /> news is that it removes any uncertainty concerning the legality of the prior expenditures of tax <br /> increment from the Kenzie TIF District on activities outside the geographic area of the Kenzie <br /> TIF District, and clearly authorizes the continued application of such tax increment to pay debt <br /> service on the bonds issued for the Community C enter and for Apache Plaza. The bad news is <br /> that the City may not issue any additional bonds payable from tax increment from the Kenzie TIF <br /> District to finance activities located outside the Kenzie TIF District, and that on or after <br /> December 31, 1999, no expenditures of tax increment from the Kenzie TIF District may be made <br /> on activities located outside the geographic area of the Kenzie TIF District. The amendment <br /> does not restrict the expenditure of tax increment from the Kenzie TIF District on additional <br /> activities located within the geographic area of the Kenzie TIF District. <br /> Certain steps can be taken by the City to mitigate the effect of this amendment on <br /> the City's. The City has pledged to the payment of the bonds for the Community Center tax <br /> • increments from both the Kenzie TIF District and the Chandler Tax Increment Financing District. <br /> The Chandler Tax Increment Financing District was established in 1985 and is not subject to the <br /> restrictions imposed by the Legislature on expenditure of tax increment outside the geographic <br /> area of the district. The City could use only the tax increment for the Kenzie TIF District to pay <br /> debt service on the bonds for the Community Center and this will result in additional tax <br /> increment being available from the Chandler Tax Increment Financing District for other <br /> authorized activities in the City. Also, until December 31, 1999 the City can continue to make <br /> expenditures of the tax increment from the Kenzie TIF District on activities outside the <br /> geographic area of the Kenzie TIF District. The law requires that the expenditure must be made <br /> before December 31, 1999, and merely committing to make the expenditure prior to such date is <br /> not sufficient. <br /> A second amendment to the Tax Increment Financing Act enacted by the <br /> Legislature at its 1999 Session may also impact the City. Presently tax increment may be used to <br /> finance a public park or a facility used for social, recreational or conference purposes. This <br /> authorization allowed the City to use tax increment to finance the Community Center. The <br /> Legislature amended the Tax Increment Financing Act to prohibit use of tax increment to pay for <br /> a public park or a facility for social, recreational or conference purposes. This amendment is <br /> effective for all tax increment financing districts, but does not apply to (1) expenditures made <br /> before January 1, 2000, (2) expenditures made under a binding contract entered into before <br /> January 1, 2000, or(3) expenditures made under a binding contract entered into pursuant to a <br /> • letter of intent with the developer or contractor if the letter of intent was entered into before <br /> January 1, 2000. Should the City wish to use tax increment revenue to finance a public park or a <br />