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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday, January 29,2018 <br /> Page 15 <br /> Councilmember McGehee noted there are limited east-west bus routes. <br /> Mayor Roe stated local businesses in hospitality are concerned about the limited <br /> bus line service hours from Rosedale to the Twin Lakes area. Both employees <br /> and guests are affected by the inadequate bus service to that area. <br /> Senator Marty asked the City staff to highlight the specific transportation needs <br /> for Roseville. He described his ongoing effort in the Legislature to reduce transit <br /> fares to 25 cents per ride, which would probably result in a doubling of ridership <br /> in a year or two. <br /> Mayor Roe noted the current absentee ballot process is much more cumbersome <br /> than what is experienced at the polling place. <br /> Senator Marty noted there has been resistance to expanding voter accommoda- <br /> tions. However, absentee balloting is traditionally so much more expensive time- <br /> wise and cumbersome for voters and election judges. <br /> Mayor Roe noted that funding of the DEED grant program would help a built-out <br /> City like Roseville with things like demolition and revitalization projects. <br /> Regarding presumptive coverage for firefighters, Councilmember McGehee stated <br /> this has the potential to be a significant risk to resources, given that the City is <br /> self-insured. She stated that many cancers are genetically based and so she ex- <br /> pressed some difficulty with the idea for communities that are self-insured. <br /> Mayor Roe stated the City would want a good research-based presumptive cover- <br /> age program. <br /> Senator Marty noted that banning flame retardants for firefighters in Minnesota <br /> was a major legislative issue, given the amount of toxicity in them. <br /> Mayor Roe urged a change in the line itemization of the taxation notices to be <br /> sent out in November so that it is clear what charges are for the City and for the <br /> EDA. <br /> Senator Marty agreed the that most transparent form of communication would be <br /> to have a separate line item of Roseville taxes from the EDA. <br /> Councilmember McGehee stated affordable housing is a big issue across the <br /> State. A consultant reported that according to regulations, two-thirds of Roseville <br /> housing is affordable. She would like the state legislature to have a program that <br /> would help get first-time homeowners into some of these homes with a rent-to- <br /> own program or some sort of sweat equity program, so they are not always con- <br />