CCWS 09-19-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION MINUTES September 19, 2005 4 . City Administrator Wolfe said that she is concerned about the proposed funding formulas for the Lake Johanna Fire Department. The City needs to budget for future equipment and capital improvement purchases pertaining to the fire department, especially the future replacement of fire station # l. Councilmember Holden noted that the City of North Oaks will have fewer fire calls, because they do not have a business area. If a portion of the costs for fire service are based upon the number of calls, the City of Arden Hills may not be treated fairly. Councilmember Larson said that there is no perfect formula when calculating the cost for fire services. The Fire Board attempted to determine a more equitable formula than has been used in the past. Mayor Aplikowski noted that funding formula was a compromise amongst the three communities. City Administrator Wolfe said the projected budget for police service is $771,000. The additional costs are associated with the hiring of an additional traffic deputy, tasers, and vehicle replacements. . Finance Director Murtuza Siddiqui reported that the general fund balance is healthy at this time. If the City Council was interested, City staff could look into transferring general fund dollars to the parks or other areas that may need additional revenue. Councilmember Grant asked if the budget amount of $ I 05,654.00 for costs associated with the Ramsey County Public Works building was correct. Finance Director Siddiqui said that the City is projecting $85,000 for costs associated with the Ramsey County facility. Councilmember Grant noted that the interest costs for the EDA TIF district #2 dropped from $286,376 to S262,250 in 2006. He thanked the City's Finance Director for refinancing the TIF district. Councilmember Grant asked about the City's projected fuel costs for 2006. Finance Director Murtuza Siddqiui stated that the fuel costs at the Ramsey County facility are less expensive because they buy in large quantities and have a yearly contract with a fuel vendor. Councilmember Holden asked about the projected natural gas costs. . Finance Director Siddiqui projected a l2% increase from the 2005 budget. Councilmember Holden mentioned that energy costs are expected to increase by 50%. 4 ----------