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Home My WebLink About4F, Letter in Support of Improvements to I-694� EN HILLS � Request for Council Action Prepared By: Jill Hutrrtacher, Community Cou:ncil Meeting Date: Apri125, 2011 Development Director Letter in Suppor� of Improvements to I-694 Budgeted Arnount: Actual Amour�t: Fu�ding Source: NA NA NA Recommendation: Approve the letter of support �oar House File 118 and authorize staff to seek letters of sup�ort frozn large Arden Hills empioyers. Suppo�eti�� Docutr�ents: 1. Memorandurm dated April 25, 2011, from Jill Hutxnacher, Community Development Director. 2. House File 118. 3. Let�er of Support for I-644 Improve�ents. � EN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: Apri125, 2011 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Cauncilmembers FROM: Jill Hut�nnacher, Coxxvmunity Development Director Jff SUBJECT: I-694 Improvement Funding Back�round The "unweave the weave" project a� �-35E and I-694 was completed in 2008. Although this project faciliiated �he movement of traffic through the inierchange, traffic backups due to inadequaie infrastructure at Rice Street just west of ihe "unweave the weave" improvement frequently cause sxgnxficaz�t delays. Siaie Representatives Linda Runbeck and Bev Scalze wou�d like to secure State bonding to complete I-694 i�nprovements including reconstruction of ihe Rice Street interchange and the addition of a third lane from Rice Street to Lexington Avenue. The cosi of these improve�nents is estirnatcd at $26 �nillion and $30 rnillian, respectively. Repres�ntativ� Scalze has introduced House File 11 S{attached) which is essen#ially a placeholder to allow the bill to be consider�d as part of a Staie bonding bill. House �'ile 118 is likely to be significantly revised given the cost estimates from MnDOT and Ramsey County. At a meeting on April 19, 2011, attended by City staf� and representatives from MnDOT, Ramsey Couniy, Sharevievv, Cumrnins En�rgy, and Land O'Lakes, Representatives Runbeck and Scalze requested letters of support �rom af�ected cities and large employers. A draft letter of support is attached for the Council's consideraiion. If directed by ihe City Council, staff will contact Land O'Lakes, Boston Scientifc, and other large Arden Hills employers to request letters oF support. Recommendation Approve tl�e letter of support �or House File 118 and autharize staff to s�ek letters of support fram large Arden Hills employers. Attachments A. Hause �xie 118 B. Letter of Support for I-69� �mprovements Ciry of�Irden Hills Ciry Council meeting April 25, 2011 Page 1 of 1 12/20/10 REVESOR JSK/KS I1-0544 This Document can be made available in sEtemative farmats eipon request State of Minneso�a HQUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SEVENTH S�.S��oN HousE FII,E No. January 1$,2D11 Autkozed by Scalze and Hausmau The bill was read for the firsE Eime and referrecE to ihe Committee on Transportation Policy aad Finance �.t A bi11 for an act i.2 relating to capital investment; appropriai�ng money for the i-694 and Rice Street �.3 Interchange; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds. �.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLA'1'URE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: t.s Section 1. I-594 AND RICE STREET INTERCHANGE. i.6 Subdivision l. Appropriation. $1,250,Q00 is appropriated fro�n the bond proceeds 1.7 fund to the commi_ssioner of transportauon far a�rant to Ramsey Counry to complete the i.s final desi�� of the interchan�e of marked Interstate Hi�hway 694 Q-694} and Rice Street i.9 and for associated impro�ements to the throu�h-lanes of I-694 and areas oi Rice St�eet �.� o adjacent to the interchac��e, in Ramsev Countv. 1.z1 Subd. 2. Bond sale. '£a provide the money appropriated in this section from the �.[2 bond roceeds fund the commissianer of mana ement and bud et shall sell and issue 1.13 bonds of the state in an amout�t un to $1,250,OOD in„the mannesu�on the terms, and with t.ia ti�►e eifect prescribed by Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.b31 Eo 16A.675, and by the i.�5 Minnesota Constitution, article XI, sections 4 to 7. 1.16 EFI'ECTIVE DATE. This section is effect�ve the day following final enactment. Section 1. l � EN HILLS April 25, 2011 Governor Mark Dayton Office of the Governor 130 �tate Capitoi 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. B�vd. St. Paut, MN 55155 RE: House File 118 for the itt�pro�ement of Interstate 694 Dear Govennor Dayton: State Representative Scalze has intraciuced House �'ile 118 which appropriates State bond proceeds t'or irrtprovements to I-694 fncluding the reconstruction of the Rice Street interchange and the addition of a third lane between the "unweave the weave" project and Lexing#on Avenue. Traffic backups due to inadequate infrastructure at Rice Street just west of the "unweave the weave" improvement frequently cause significant delays. The City of Arden Hills is home to many large emptoyers including Boston Scientific, Land O'Lakes, Fair Isaac and Smith Medical. Tagether t�ese businesses ernploy over 4,000 people in Arden HiIts. Total empioyment in Arden Hills was 12,979 in 2449 according to DEED. Nearly all of the City's employers are located within one mile of the I-694 corridor and many err�ployees rely on I-b94 for their dai�y commute. The City supports State bonding to increase capacity along I-694 and to create an e�vironment conducive to business expansion in Arden HiIls and �the north Metro, Sincerely, David Grant Mayor, Arden Hills Cc: Repr�sentative Bev Scalze Representative Linda Runbeck Representative Ka�e Knuth Senator Barbara Goodwin Arden Hil(s City Council az�d Administrator Thomas Sorel, Minnesota Commissioner of Transportation Jim Tolaas, Ramsey County Director of Public Works City of Arden Hills �245 West Highway 96 • Arden Hills Minnesota 55112 Phone 65 i.634.5120 • Fax 651.6345137 www.ci. arden-hills.mn, us