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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,November 21,2011 <br /> Page 12 <br /> Jim DeBenedet, 808 Millwood Avenue, Roseville (GLWMO Task Force <br /> Member) <br /> Mr. DeBenedet noted that he had previously provided the Minority Report to the <br /> City Council, attached hereto and made a part hereof Mr. DeBenedet provided <br /> a history of the process for this decision initiated in early October and tonight's <br /> deadline for the member City Councils; opining that it was too short of a <br /> timeframe to allow a full review of alternatives and to have a fruitful discussion <br /> and accomplish goals in the most cost-effective manner. Mr. DeBenedet provided <br /> his rationale for the Minority Report; and his frustration at the November 4, 2011 <br /> GLWMO Special Meeting when he found out that the Task Force members were <br /> not intended to be full participants in the decision-making, with only GLWMO <br /> Board members voting on reprioritizing and re-grading criteria. At that point, Mr. <br /> DeBenedet stated that he became concerned that there was a hidden agenda at <br /> play; and while staying for the majority of the meeting as an observer while the <br /> GLWMO Board members present reviewed alternatives from a high-medium-low <br /> ranking, it was his impression that the decision had already been made. While <br /> awaiting the Majority Report and Recommendation, Mr. DeBenedet advised that <br /> he had written his letter and also contacted another Task Force member from <br /> member City Shoreview, John Moriarty, who was in agreement with Mr. <br /> DeBenedet and volunteered to alert the Shoreview City Council to the Minority <br /> Report at their meeting tonight; along with GLWMO Board member Jonathan <br /> Miller voting in opposition to the Majority Report and Recommendation. <br /> Given the management of the process and discussion of an Improved GLWMO, <br /> Mr. DeBenedet opined that in that case, there was no real or clear plan of what an <br /> Improved GLWMO constituted; and further opined that this was problematic <br /> since the cost estimates included in the revised three (3) year budget projections <br /> could not be funded with a$25.00 per resident assessment,based on the GLWMO <br /> Board's own calculations. Mr. DeBenedet noted that the GLWMO Board at- <br /> tempted to increase the fees to $32.00 per year, but opined that this was still not <br /> sustainable; in addition to the prospect of the GLWMO adding two (2) FTE's to <br /> manage the Plan and the WMO, neither of which was realistic and without defin- <br /> ing that funding source. Mr. DeBenedet opined that the only source for such <br /> funding would be through higher fees, equating an Improved GLWMO with resi- <br /> dent costs for merging with the Ramsey/Washington Area WSD. Prior to the City <br /> Council approving a revised JPA, Mr. DeBenedet strongly encouraged additional <br /> consideration of those issues. <br /> Councilmember McGehee thanked Mr. DeBenedet for providing a Minority Re- <br /> port and stating from the outset that the research time was too limited; and opined <br /> that many of these questions should have been answered before this presentation <br /> was brought forward; and that she couldn't personally see how funding for an Im- <br /> proved GLWMO could work with a flat fee per parcel. <br />