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<br />ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION MINUTES <br />September 19, 2005 <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />City Administrator Wolfe said that she is concerned about the proposed funding formulas for the <br />Lake Johanna Fire Department. The City needs to budget for future equipment and capital <br />improvement purchases pertaining to the fire dcpartment, especially the future replacement of <br />fire station # 1. <br /> <br />Councilmember Holden noted that the City of North Oaks will have fewer fire calls, because <br />they do not have a business area. If a portion of the costs for fire service are based upon the <br />number of calls, the City of Arden Hills may not be treated fairly. <br /> <br />Councilmember Larson said that there is no perfect formula when calculating the cost for fire <br />services. The Fire Board attempted to determine a more equitable formula than has been used in <br />the past. <br /> <br />Mayor Aplikowski noted that funding formula was a compromlse amongst the three <br />communities. <br /> <br />City Administrator Wolfe said the projected budget for police service is $771,000. The <br />additional costs are associated with the hiring of an additional traffic deputy, tasers, and vehicle <br />replacements. <br /> <br />Finance Director Murtuza Siddiqui reported that the general fund balance is healthy at this time. <br />If the City Council was interested, City staff could look into transferring general fund dollars to <br />the parks or other areas that may need additional revenue. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Councilmember Grant asked if the budget amount of $105,654.00 for costs associated with the <br />Ramsey County Public Works building was correct. <br /> <br />Finance Director Siddiqui said that the City is projecting $85,000 for costs associated with the <br />Ramsey County facility. <br /> <br />Councilmember Grant noted that the interest costs for the EDA TlF district #2 dropped from <br />$286,376 to $262,250 in 2006. He thanked the City's Finance Dircctor for refinancing the TlF <br />district. <br /> <br />Councilmember Grant asked about the City's projected fuel costs for 2006. <br /> <br />Finance Director Murtuza Siddqiui stated that the fuel costs at the Ramsey County facility are <br />less expensive because they buy in large quantities and have a yearly contract with a fuel vendor. <br /> <br />Councilmember Holden asked about the projected natural gas costs. <br /> <br />Finance Director Siddiqui projected a 12% increase from the 2005 budget. <br /> <br />Councilmcmber Holden mentioned that energy costs are expected to increase by 50%. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />4 <br />