02-20-07 Item 2C, I-35W Corridor Coalition Membership

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., 1 ~ ~~HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: February 20, 2007 AGENDA ITEM 2C TO: Mayor and City Council '. (I ^ r o~ .11j! Michelle Wolfe, City Administrator '(l\ [Uk}, \; I-35W Corridor Coalition FROM: SUBJECT: . BACKGROUND The City of Arden Hills had been a member of the I-35W Corridor Coalition since its inception. In 2004 the City chose to withdraw from the organization, until 2006 when the City decided to re-jom. The Coalition spent 2005 redefining its purpose and scope of work. A result of that effort was reduced dues. The cost for Arden Hills to join the Coalition in 2006 was $5,340. In comparison, our 2004 membership fees would have been $11,594 if we had joined. (This included the fees for GIS and Housing Resource Center membership, both of which are no longer elements of the Coalition.) Our membership fee for 2007 is $5,933. The Coalition Board developed Amendment No.2 to the Joint Powers Agreement (also attached) which narrowed the focus of the organization. The stated goal is as follows: "To work cooperatively with Mn/DOT, the Metropolitan Council, Ramsey and Anoka Counties, and other agencies in planning for transportation improvement, transit needs, and other infrastructure improvements in the 1-35W Corridor." DISCUSSION To help with your discussion, some questions were developed that may help you in your consideration of this item. Some I've prepared answers to, some I've asked the Coalition to respond to, some are a combination. They are outlined below. #1: How can we reach consensus on I-35W issues with our neighbors? Arden Hills is situated in an area where we face multiple transportation issues beyond our local road system, including County roads and Interstate Highways. Therefore it will be a challenge to examine our priorities for all ofthese from both the local and regional perspective, and to balance how each transportation corridor affects the other. MnDOT is in the process of