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�R EN HILLS <br /> Approved: October 28, 2024 <br /> CITY OF ARDEN HILLS,MINNESOTA <br /> CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION <br /> OCTOBER 14,2024 <br /> 5:30 P.M. -ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS <br /> CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL <br /> Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor David Grant called to order the City <br /> Council Work Session at 5:30 p.m. <br /> Present: Mayor David Grant, Councilmembers Tom Fabel, Brenda Holden, Tena <br /> Monson and Emily Rousseau <br /> Absent: None <br /> Also present: Interim City Administrator Jessica Jagoe; Finance Director Joua Yang; <br /> Public Works Director/City Engineer David Swearingen; Assistant Public Works Director, <br /> Lucas Miller and Assistant to the City Administrator/City Clerk Julie Hanson <br /> 1. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL <br /> Gregg Larson 3327 North Snelling Avenue - He wants to address the issue of franchise fees. He <br /> thinks some of the tables in the agenda are not correct in how the calculations were done and how <br /> the comparisons were made. He spoke to Finance Director Yang but couldn't resolve the issue. <br /> First item is the survey conducted by Arden Hills' residents, which is not a legitimate survey. That <br /> should have nothing to do with determining whether Arden Hills' residents want a franchise fee. It <br /> wasn't a scientific survey with a randomized group of participants. He thinks the survey was a <br /> meaningless exercise. His second point is there is a table in the packet that talks about the revenue <br /> requirement for bonding. For a 15-year bond that comes to $395,000 annually. The bottom of the <br /> table talks about raising a revenue requirement of$395,000 for residents. That is not a good way <br /> to go about this because homeowners pay up to 40% of the income tax that is raised in Arden <br /> Hills. The third point is the franchise fee is a regressive tax. If you take the 1,454 homes that fall <br /> within or below the median market value, they will end up paying 55% of the franchise fees. The <br /> 1,195 homes valued above the median market value would pay 45% of the franchise fees. So the <br /> people who are most able to pay for increased taxes are not the people who will pay the majority <br /> of these increases. This is especially evident if you compare the franchise fee monthly increase <br /> with property tax increase for manufactured housing. His final point is, if the expectation was that <br /> non-profit franchise fee revenue would produce a significant amount of revenue, it's not true. If <br /> the table reflects accurate estimates, Bethel and North Heights Lutheran Church will pay $3,348 <br />