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ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION-MARCH 11,2024 6 <br /> City Administrator Perrault said ultimately the position as a City has been that if the <br /> development halts the assessments would fall to the property owner which is Ramsey County. <br /> So, the City shouldn't be put at financial risk if the development should cease to go forward or <br /> stop half way through, and they wouldn't be stuck holding the debt for those improvements. <br /> Mayor Grant has seen a number of iterations of the financials, as the JDA is working to solve <br /> portions of them, are the financial consultant's hours being billed to the JDA or the County? <br /> City Administrator Perrault said the consultant was the City's representative and her hours are <br /> being billed to the City. <br /> Mayor Grant said it's not surprising that Alatus comes across things, changes things, the City <br /> changes things and the consultant keeps massaging the numbers so the bills keep coming in. <br /> Councilmember Monson didn't agree with the whole concept that the Mayor thinks they're <br /> blowing money to assess the economic liability of a project, that is not what they're doing. She'd <br /> love to see what Ehlers was charged in all the years in the past if they're going to go down this <br /> route and he was going to start saying they're overspending on insuring that the economics of the <br /> City are what they are and however we assume it. They are trying not to put any undue risk on <br /> the City, and to say they're spending too much money on the financial advisor who will ensure <br /> they are doing just that, she didn't know what he was getting at but that's how she was <br /> interpreting it. <br /> Mayor Grant replied that was not what he was getting at. His comment was that they need to be <br /> cognizant and watch that because they have gone through multiple iterations. He wasn't saying it <br /> was a waste but something that needs to be watched. <br /> Councilmember Holden asked if what they were talking about was reimbursable by the JDA. <br /> City Administrator Perrault didn't believe it was. The recent iteration was looking at some of <br /> the horizontal infrastructure that was laid out that's required to go forward by the County using <br /> Kimley-Horn and Alatus' numbers. <br /> Councilmember Holden said Ehler's numbers used to be billed to the JDA. <br /> City Administrator Perrault said he could double check that but it was his understanding that <br /> all of her work was charged to the City and Bruce's work was charged to the County. <br /> Councilmember Rousseau was interested to know what they've been paying Ehlers. It had been <br /> made very clear to her that people want to be sure that this project has financials in a safe and <br /> secure place. <br /> Councilmember Holden said she didn't hear anyone say let's not run the numbers when they <br /> need to. <br /> Mayor Grant said there was a park planned on the signed agreement, was it still planned? <br /> City Administrator Perrault said the MOU park plan that was agreed to was still intended to be <br /> honored,but they could request revisions or relook at the terms. <br />