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ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — AUGUST 25, 2025 18 <br />Councilmember Weber said our projects would stay on track, as well. <br />Finance Director Yang confirmed. She discussed scenarios C and D. These assume a shift in the <br />PMP projects after Public Works Director Swearingen's analysis. Both have the same <br />assumptions including: the shift in the PMP projects, increasing the levy by $50,000 in 2027 with <br />no impact on the 2026 levy. The key difference is in scenario D we increase the levy by $50,000 <br />annually thereafter. It will build up a Fund Balance reserve and get us to 2033 vs. 2031, as in <br />scenario C. If we keep adding to the Fund Balance reserve we will allow ourselves more time. <br />Finance Director Yang said scenario E assumes the same shift in PMP project expenditures but <br />instead of increasing the levy, we would bond in 2026. This scenario will get the City through <br />2033. With bonding, we have structured debt service payments, a tax levy, and a larger fund <br />balance capacity. Scenario E would see a $2 million fund balance vs. $1.3 for scenario D. If <br />Council doesn't want to bond, Staff s recommendation is scenario D. That would be the PMP <br />project shift and increasing the levy by $50,000 annually. <br />Councilmember Weber said he isn't seeing it outlined that with scenario B that there is going to <br />be a levy increase to pay that. It was a little over $300,000 combined for payment. Those would <br />be down the road vs. a straight $350,000 next year to still fall short. We are looking at a potential <br />increase of $1.2 million, splitting our project costs over the next six years. He said $1.2 over 20- <br />years is a big interest rate so is $1.2 million over six years. We're losing that money either way. <br />He would rather not risk degradation of our roads even further to the point where we have to go to <br />a reconstruct. That would double the price. He likes the idea of scenario D as a measured <br />approach, he thinks bonding now is justified. It will add to the PIR Fund annual levy immediately. <br />It will get our PIR back up, giving us a head start on paying back the bond. The interest is money <br />we would have lost anyway through increases to project costs. <br />Councilmember Holden asked where Councilmember Weber sees the project cost increased to <br />$1.2 or $1.7 million. <br />Councilmember Weber said there was an earlier slide that showed the before and after. <br />Comparing the prices it's a difference of $1.2 million. Each project split in half added an <br />additional $400,000 between the two. The last project getting pushed out two years was a half a <br />million dollars higher. That got kicked off the page so it isn't counted in the total amount. With <br />this plan, over the next 8 years, we're paying an additional $1.2 million for the same projects and <br />just splitting them up. That justifies bonding. <br />Councilmember Holden said the bonding cost is $1.7 million. That's $500,000. <br />Councilmember Weber said it also rescues our fund. <br />Councilmember Holden asked how many roads are close to requiring total reconstruction. <br />We've been doing the worst first. <br />Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen said today, without the new adjustment, <br />once we got to 2030 we were going to address the ones that are in the worst shape. We did a large <br />area of patching in Chatham neighborhood. That seems to be holding up well. He thinks we can <br />