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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — APRIL 8, 2024 <br />Councilmember Holden stated there were 44 food trucks in 2023. <br />Councilmember Monson indicated this was true but noted only a few of the food trucks were <br />hosted at a residential property and the remainder were food truck that were hosted by <br />commercial properties. <br />Councilmember Holden reported she could support doing away with permitting, licensing <br />and/or registering residential food trucks in the City. <br />Council consensus was to recommend the City not license or register residential food trucks in <br />Arden Hills and that only Ramsey County Health licenses be required. <br />C. Lake Johanna Fire Department Discussion <br />City Administrator Perrault stated for the past few years, the Lake Johanna Fire Department <br />(LJFD) has been in discussions with its three cities, Arden Hills, North Oaks, and Shoreview, on a <br />new fire station. This project was the result of a needs study done in 2018. The study identified a <br />piece of property on Pine Tree Drive in Arden Hills as the ideal location. Since the study, the <br />department and the cities have acquired the land and completed the design of the station. The <br />department and cities also worked cooperatively to receive $6.6 million in State funding for the <br />station construction. The board is recommending the station be constructed in 2025, and next <br />steps are to figure out how to finance the station. Early estimates of the station in 2018 put the <br />cost around $13 million, today the cost is estimated to be between $20 million and $25 million in <br />total. Currently, Arden Hills' share of expenses for LJFD are approximately 25 percent; the City's <br />share of the project would be the total, less State funding, and we would be responsible for 25 <br />percent of the costs. For example, if the station were to cost $23 million, the cities would be <br />responsible for $16.4 million and the AH share would be $4.1 million. <br />City Administrator Perrault reported in order to unlock the State money, the cities need to <br />decide and have secured their share of the project. It is anticipated that bonding will be needed for <br />the project, and the question remains how will those bonds be structured i.e. one city bonding for <br />the entire project and the other cities agreeing to pay that city their portion of the debt service or <br />each city individually bonding for their share. The advantage of having one city bond for the <br />project is it would lower initial issuance cost of the bonds, the cities could take advantage of a low <br />interest rate (Arden Hills and Shoreview are both AAA rated), and it would streamline the debt <br />service payment coming from one City for the bonding versus three. The City Attorney has <br />looked at how an agreement could be drafted to facilitate one City doing the bonding, she believes <br />the agreement is relatively simple and is comfortable with the process. This term sheet assumes <br />Arden Hills would be the City providing the bonding. <br />City Administrator Perrault explained the question being posed to the City Council this <br />evening is if it would entertain bonding for the project and having an agreement with the other <br />cities to pay us their portion of the debt service annually. Tonight is not committing the City to <br />this financing method, but if the City is willing to consider it, the Council Liaison and Staff will <br />report back to the board for future funding discussions. It should also be noted that Shoreview has <br />proposed, and Staff would recommend, using a phased debt service option for the station, which <br />would have lower payments at the beginning and slightly higher payments later on. This would <br />result in approximately $125,000 more from Arden Hills over the 20-year life of the bond. Staff <br />