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June 9, 2026 St. Anthony Council Work Session - 5 <br /> <br /> <br />clarified that the difference between Small CI Demand and Small CI Non-Demand is that Demand <br />businesses must have constant power and, therefore, pay a higher rate. She informed the Council <br />that Large CIs are the major businesses in the City and that there are 28 such accounts. Municipal <br />Advisor Kvilvang noted that they will never be able to provide information on which data points <br />belong to whom or what business. She reviewed the first-phase option, which is to apply the Metro <br />Average charge either as a flat fee based on the unit's category or as a percentage of the unit's <br />category. She noted that the percentage is less common, and many communities have switched to <br />a flat fee for predictability. Using this model, the staff predicted that the annual amount would be <br />approximately 627,000 dollars at a rate of approximately 4 dollars per utility for single-family or any <br />residential property. For Small CI Demand and Non-Demand, the cost is 6 to 28 dollars per unit, <br />depending on demand status, for a total of approximately 144 to 672 dollars. For Large CI, it is <br />proposed at 135 or 270 dollars per month, totaling around 3,200 dollars per year. She noted that <br />the bulk of the revenue comes from residential units. She reviewed the second option, which <br />attempts to alleviate some of the burden on the residential areas. She stated that the resident <br />payment would remain at four dollars, but all other payments would double the metro average. She <br />highlighted that this would allow the City to generate around 844,000 dollars a year in revenue, and <br />the burden would be around equal for both residents and businesses. Municipal Advisor Kvilvang <br />finished by describing the third option, which pushes 60 percent of the burden onto commercial <br />and only 40 percent onto residential. She stated that this would involve setting all commercial fees <br />at the high end of the metro area, aside from the Large CI, which would only increase by 10 dollars, <br />as anything more would result in a very substantial bill. Municipal Advisor Kvilvang informed the <br />Council that the third plan would generate around one million dollars. Municipal Advisor Kvilvang <br />directed the Council that the plan they select depends on beliefs about where the tax burden <br />should lie, but reminded them that commercial businesses have a financial incentive to utilize their <br />utilities. She noted that even in commercial-heavy areas, the burden of Franchise Fees typically <br />lies on the commercial businesses rather than residents. <br /> <br />Municipal Advisor Kvilvang then provided background on the City's financial needs. She noted that <br />the financial requirements for upgrades to the fire and police departments are significant. She <br />informed the Council that paying the debt for this would be around one point five million dollars. <br />Municipal Advisor Kvilvang noted that Franchise Fees could be a way to remove the burden of <br />paying this debt from the tax levy. <br /> <br />Mayor Webster thanked Municipal Advisor Kvilvang for the detailed overview of the three different <br />options and their revenue potentials. Mayor Webster noted that she serves on the Nine North <br />board, that there may be Franchise Fees for broadband in the coming months, and asked Council <br />to consider how that could benefit the City. She asked the Council for their thoughts on the three <br />plans. <br /> <br />Councilmember Randle stated that the first plan, which places a burden on residential units, is of <br />no interest to him. He noted it is illogical to place the majority of the burden on residents if the goal <br />is to lower the levy. He expressed that imposing fees on residents is not something he is interested <br />in. <br /> <br />Mayor Webster noted that if the Council chooses to implement Franchise Fees, they must be <br />applied to every account. The Council only controls the fees. <br /> <br />Councilmember Jenson highlighted that the City needs a revenue stream to address the public <br />safety improvements. He stated that the third plan is the best way to address these costs in the <br />7