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ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — JULY 14, 2025 23 Finance Director Yang will ask the software vendor if we can tweak the report. Mayor Grant said they put a wing on the loader and use it to push snow back. The wing is $75,000 by itself. Council agreed that Public Works Superintendent Frid should be present to continue this conversation. Councilmember Weber said we still need to address the Equipment Levy. Mayor Grant said that levy will be influenced by some of the questions we have surrounding some of this equipment. Councilmember Weber said that is a fair statement but we have a fleet of equipment that cycles through replacement. We need to address the fund. Ultimately we're talking about assets that we need to fund the replacement of. He thinks $150,000 is a lot considering the fund has been kind of stable. Councilmember Holden wondered if there was anything on the list that can be pushed out to next year, even if we have to get it ordered this year. You can't just order something and it shows up, anymore. She said that's another thing we can ask Public Works Superintendent Frid. Mayor Grant asked to move on to the Enterprise Fund discussion. Councilmember Holden said she asked Finance Director Yang to run a couple numbers because we are going to increase the tax levy significantly and we know we aren't getting grants. Maybe we could reduce the Water this year and increase it three years from now, instead of 6%, 6% and 6%, maybe do 4%, 6%, 6% and 3%. Everyone's homeowners insurance is going to go up 50%. Forty percent of our population is affordable housing. We don't want to drive people out. We have to worry about other costs rising for our residents. Councilmember Rousseau thought last year some of the costs for water were diverted. Councilmember Holden said the Water Utility dropped to 3%. She thought Finance Director Yang brought it up to 4%. Finance Director Yang said at 4% for 2026 the ending Water Fund balance would be $2.18 million. Councilmember Holden said we are in the black. She thought 2026 and 2027 included the big water meter and the booster station. This Fund is doing well. If we can put it off, maybe 2029 is 6%. She thinks that may be an option with the Surface Water, too. Mayor Grant asked if she is talking about one or two years. Councilmember Holden said lowering below 6% for one year then making up for it in 2029. She thinks we need a utility study. There hasn't been one in many years.