CCP 12082025 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

73 Preliminary Tax Levy 74 As previously mentioned, the original city budget and levy did not include additional public safety 75 positions, but the City Manager did present scenarios based on the possibility of receiving grants to 76 offset the levy costs for new positions and the use of franchise fees. 77 78 On September 22, the City Council adopted a preliminary levy increase of 12% to provide maximum 79 flexibility, given the uncertainty surrounding grant awards and the need for further discussion on the use 80 of franchise fees. This preliminary levy accounted for the addition of 22 public safety positions and 81 assumed no franchise fees would be used to offset the increase. Despite setting the levy at 12%, the 82 City Council expressed interest in pursuing a lower final levy, pending the outcome of the grant 83 applications and a final decision on franchise fee implementation. 84 85 Fire and Police Department Staffing Needs 86 Throughout the past year, the Roseville Fire Department communicated with City Council, leadership, 87 and the community about its growing challenges in meeting the increasing demand for fire and EMS 88 services. With a 36% rise in call volume over the past five years and more than half of calls occurring 89 simultaneously, the department is experiencing delayed response times and is falling behind peer 90 agencies in staffing levels. In the past year, the department engaged with the City Council to present 91 data and propose additional staffing, receiving support to pursue a FEMA SAFER grant to help fund new 92 firefighter positions. Having successfully used this grant in 2021, the department applied again in 93 summer 2025 and was awarded a $3.9 million grant on September 25 to support staffing needs. 94 95 Similarly, earlier in the year, the Police Department discussed their staffing needs. In June 2025, The 96 Axtell Group presented a comprehensive evaluation of the Roseville Police Department (RPD), 97 identifying both strengths and critical resource gaps, particularly in staffing. The study led to the 98 development of a flexible, four-phase, five-year implementation plan focused on improving operational 99 efficiency, employee wellness, community responsiveness, and long-term sustainability. A key finding 100 was that staffing levels have not kept pace with increasing service demands, with patrol staffing largely 101 unchanged since the early 2000s despite growing workloads. In response, RPD proposed adding four 102 patrol officers, two sergeants, and a records supervisor in the 2026 budget, aligning with the Axtell 103 Group’s recommendations. The department has already begun implementing improvements and was 104 awarded a $500,000 COPS Hiring Program grant to help fund the new patrol positions, which will 105 enhance frontline response and service coverage across all shifts. 106 107 Franchise Fees 108 On November 24, 2025, the City Council approved Electric and Gas Franchise ordinances with Xcel 109 Energy. The franchise ordinances set expectations between the city and the utility company, including 110 how the company constructs, operates and maintains equipment located on public grounds and rights- 111 of-way. The franchise ordinances are effective for 20 years. 112 113 Under the franchise ordinances, the City may impose a franchise fee for electric and gas services. The 114 franchise fees are charged to all customers, including those properties that are tax-exempt. (It is 115 estimated that about 84 properties in Roseville are tax-exempt and subject to the franchise fee. These 116 tax-exempted properties are estimated to generate around $175,000 in annual franchise fees). The City 117 can determine the amount, structure and use of collected franchise fees. The City Council discussed the 118 imposition of franchise fees at the November 24 meeting, but delayed consideration until December 8 119 when the 2026 Budget and Levy will receive final approval. 120 121 Franchise Fee Ordinances 122 Over 100 cities have franchise fees in Minnesota. In Ramsey County, 12 of the 15 cities have utility 123 franchise fees as shown in the table below. Page 4 of 10 Qbhf!8!pg!472