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ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—JULY 10, 2023 5 Councilmember Monson understood this was a lot of money, but noted the Fire District option has come up because it may be a better way to address large capital expenses versus the current structure. Mayor Grant stated he did not understand how under the current JPA, why it could not be structured to have two representatives from Shoreview,North Oaks and Arden Hills. Councilmember Holden indicated there were only two Fire Districts in the whole State and the legislation for this type of organization went into effect in 2011. Fire Chief Boehlke clarified that the special legislation did not go into effect until 2021. He noted the Cloquet and Moose Lake Fire Districts were approved under special legislation. Councilmember Rousseau questioned how long it would take to dissolve the current JPA and make the change to a Fire District. Fire Chief Boehlke anticipated this would take a year to a year and a half to make the transition. He noted the Fire District could be non-profit/tax exempt. Mayor Grant spoke to the number of tax exempt properties located in the City of Arden Hills, noting each of these organizations still utilized the services of the police and fire. He commented on how a franchise fee may assist with covering the increased expenses for the fire department. He stated the topic of franchise fees would have to be further discussed by the Council at a future meeting. Councilmember Rousseau asked if a discussion of the various options for funding this could be discussed at a future worksession. Councilmember Monson stated the budget for the Fire Board has been reviewed by staff. She noted she was open to discussing additional ways to cover the additional fees. Councilmember Fabel explained he liked the idea of having a governing body that was made up of elected officials. He stated if the current culture limits decision making it may be good to move away from this culture. He suggested a super majority be required for large capital expenditure purchases. Councilmember Holden indicated all purchases for the fire department were large capital expenditures. She commented further on how the TCAAP development would create more expenses for the fire department and noted the formula for the fire department may have to be adjusted. Councilmember Monson stated another option would be to move away from the formula and instead the assessed value of properties could be considered. Mayor Grant explained he would like to understand (hypothetically) how a ladder truck could be purchased under the current structure and the Fire District structure.