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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday, September 24, 2012 <br /> Page 24 <br /> simply maintain the City's infrastructure as "average." While these actions will <br /> make the City better, Councilmember Johnson reiterated that the current needs <br /> were directly related to the flat out neglect in the past. Councilmember Johnson <br /> referenced the abhorrent condition of the existing fire stations, opining that City <br /> staff deserved a state-of-the-art fire station; and the Parks and Recreation De- <br /> partment staff and citizens and families of Roseville deserved a comparable <br /> park system that parents and their grandparents had grown up with. While other <br /> City Fathers may have chosen not to maintain those facilities, Councilmember <br /> Johnson opined that it was his duty to do so, and to ensure that the City's fire <br /> and police departments and the OVAL facility have a roof and maintenance suf- <br /> ficient to maintain existing facilities that the City has taken a stake in. <br /> Councilmember Johnson stated that, if the taxpayers chose to pursue a referen- <br /> dum for a community center that was fine as it represented something new. <br /> However, Councilmember Johnson opined that the City had a stake in every- <br /> thing proposed in this funding, and he believed that his feet were firmly planted <br /> in the City and he would vote to support the motion. <br /> Councilmember Willmus stated that, years ago, as a junior member of the <br /> City's Parks and Recreation Commission, the Commission met jointly with the <br /> City Council advising them that they were not adequately funding the City's ex- <br /> isting facilities; and suggested that the City either invest in those assets or liqui- <br /> date some of them. Councilmember Willmus noted that the decision had been <br /> made by those City Councils not to liquid assets, but to retain them. When talk- <br /> ing about fiscal responsibility, Councilmember Willmus opined that it was not <br /> fiscally responsible to let capital assets rot and deteriorate over the years. <br /> While this is a huge chunk of money, Councilmember Willmus opined that this <br /> City Council and its taxpayers were faced with the situation due to the deferral <br /> of previous City Councils to future budget cycles or deferral of other capital im- <br /> provements. Councilmember Willmus stated that it is a fact that the infrastruc- <br /> ture and facilities identified are in disrepair, and this City Council, or a majority <br /> of them, have stepped up and said they were going to reinvest in the community <br /> and bring it back to the position in which it should be. Councilmember Willmus <br /> noted that this brings the community to tonight's proposed action; and contrary <br /> to Councilmember Pust's opinion that the Parks Master Plan process was not <br /> representative of the entire community he believed that it was incredibly inclu- <br /> sive and well-done. While having been a resident of Roseville his entire life, <br /> Councilmember Willmus opined that he had never seen a process to parallel it; <br /> and had no reservations about voting in support of the motion. <br /> For the record, Councilmember Johnson clarified that Councilmember Pust had <br /> abstained from the original bond sale vote, and had not voted against it <br />