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City Manager's 2005 Budget Memo Page 24 of 27 by taxpayers. I also think the street light utility would allow us to set side a reasonable amount of funds to make system improvements. Sy "system improvements" I don't mean just replacing rusted out old streetlight poles, though that is certainly a start. I also mean that we need to think carefully and strategically about improving pedestrian level lighting in the city, especially within parks and along pathways. Whatever your thoughts and feelings about whether the city has too many trails or too few, we ought to safely and attractively light what we have. To do otherwise fails to maximize the value, appearance, and safety of those trails we do have. Council Action Recommendation #27: Council motion approving [disapproving] a feasibility study to create a street light utility ef- fective January 1, 2005. Sy the same token, the timing is appropriate to create an electric and gas franchise fee such as those in Little Canada, New Srighton, Shor- eview and many other cities. This is a fee assessed against Xcel for their use of public property to operate their for-profit electric and gas businesses by using our property — currently at no cost. (Thus, an electric and gas franchise fee is similar to the cable franchise fee we already assess.) I recommend that for 2005 the revenues from such a fee be placed in our General Fund to support police, fire, streets, and parks and rec- reation activities. This removes some pressure on our tax levy to support these functions. However, I also recommend that once we have successfully addressed the loss of $700,000 in general purpose state aid through the structural cuts and levy increase recommended above that we study dedicating these utility franchise fee revenues to a comprehensive effort to underground electric utility lines in Roseville. The VISTA 2000 Report identifies utility poles as the greatest visual blight on our community. Given Xcel's PUC-