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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL – JUNE 29, 2015 3 Councilmember Holden discussed how the City’s goals and visions differed from the goals of the County. She explained that the City was proposing to have a mix of residential lot sizes. She provided comment on the discussions that the Council held with local and regional developers. She encouraged the County to remember that Arden Hills wanted this portion of the City to reflect well on the remainder of the City. She believed that the City has already made numerous compromises to meet the needs of the County. Commissioner McDonough understood that the County and the City have both worked hard to reach a shared vision for this site. He explained that the development of TCAAP has been a complex process and understood that difficult conversations would be involved. He wanted to see the 427 acres on TCAAP developed with a high quality of life. Mayor Grant suggested a joint meeting between the City Council and the County Board be held. Councilmember McClung appreciated Commissioner McDonough’s presentation this evening. He stated that there were differences between the City and the County and the groups may need to sit down together in order to align their visions. He understood the importance of flexibility on the TCAAP site and wanted to see the end product become a win-win for both the County and the City. He supported a higher density than the majority of the Council. Mayor Grant supported the County’s effort to keep the site energy efficient. He encouraged all involved to keep in mind the uniqueness of the TCAAP site, along with the overall end goals. Councilmember Woodburn supported Councilmember Holden’s comments and believed that the City has compromised a great deal already. He did not believe that the City wanted to be pushed much further. Commissioner McDonough appreciated and valued the work that has been completed by both the County and the City to date. He encouraged both parties to keep their eye on the prize going forward and to remain flexible. Mayor Grant thanked Commissioner McDonough for his presentation. He was proud of the progress that has been made to date and looked forward to working together with the County going forward. B. 2014 Audit Presentation Aaron Nielson, MMKR, reviewed the 2014 Audit results with the Council. He reported that the City received an unmodified, or clean, opinion on its financial statements, which was the highest opinion offered to municipalities. He discussed the estimated market values and tax capacity rates for the City. He then provided comment on the City’s fund balances, revenues and expenditures for 2014. He commended the City on its financial efforts and asked for questions or comments from the Council. Councilmember Holmes discussed the City’s net tax capacity and was pleased that the Arden Hills’ tax rates were quite low when compared to neighboring communities in the metro area. She commented that the Ramsey County tax rate was quite high when compared to other counties