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Regular City Council Meeting <br />Monday, February O8, 2010 <br />Page 23 <br />supported making a decision <br />the wall, and those that wou <br />impact of the wall. <br />tonight based on the preference of those closest to <br />d be impacted most by noise reduction and visual <br />Councilmember Roe opined that it was fairly clear and would make sense that if <br />people don't want the wall, the City Council wouldn't support the wall. However, <br />Councilmember Roe suggested that it also made sense that everyone understood <br />the impact of the wall; and that if the renderings helped in that process and <br />changed some points of view, it was not problematic to wait two weeks until the <br />next scheduled Council meeting, to hear their conclusions, as well as allowing <br />residents a chance to ask questions of staff, other agencies, or neighbors in order <br />to make a more informed decision. Councilmember Roe opined that this was a <br />major decision, and it was inherent to get it right, while respecting the varying <br />views and allowing residents a chance to consider other options. <br />Discussion ensued among Councilmembers and staff regarding timing with Mr. <br />Schwartz advising, from his perspective on the Project Design Team, that a deci- <br />sion was needed by the end of February at the latest, with the City responsible for <br />costs in changing the plan, in order for the project to be bid in April. Mr. <br />Schwartz noted that Calibre Ridge had requested a delay in bidding the project. <br />Mr. Schwartz noted that Ramsey County Public Works Director Jim Tolaas was <br />also in the audience to respond to any questions of the City Council. <br />Robert Deleo, 280 Minnesota Avenue <br />Mr. Deleo requested a breakdown of the total cost of the wall: how much was <br />City, State and Federal money; and questioned what would happen to the money <br />if the wall wasn't built. Mr. Deleo referenced the "cost reasonableness criteria" <br />comment in the RCA dated February 8, 2009, and questioned if the money needed <br />to be spent. Mr. Deleo opined that everyone was having budget problems, but <br />everyone was ready to keep spending money. Mr. Deleo further opined that a <br />rendering should be done to allow residents along that street to have an accurate <br />idea of what the wall would look like from their homes. <br />Mr. Schwartz clarified that County, State and Federal monies were involved; and <br />Mr. Goess advised that the "cost benefit criteria" had been developed by him to <br />determine the level of benefit to be achieved for each affected resident, and <br />whether or not construction of the wall met or exceeded operation of the wall cri- <br />teria. Ms. Bloom advised that, if the wall didn't get built, funds would go to an- <br />other wall somewhere else. <br />Councilmember Pust advised that, having not been at the June 2009 Council <br />meeting when the decision to construct the wall had been made, she was making <br />her decisions based on a different perspective. Councilmember Pust opined that, <br />if 95% of the residents didn't want the wall, then there was no reason to spend <br />any government agency's money to build it. Councilmember Pust expressed <br />