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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,January 24,2011 Page 10 Greiling reviewed the "temporary" cuts to LGA over a two-year period; how to resolve the huge deficit with permanent cuts and/or tax increases; and encouraged suggestions and input from local government. Rep. Greiling recognized the shared services among metropolitan cities; and opined that she was unsure how any more could be squeezed out on a local level. Rep. Scalze briefly reviewed the committees on which she served: Jobs and Eco- nomic Development Committee; Government Operations and Elections Commit- tee; and the Capital Investment Committee. Rep. Scalze noted that there had been some discussion around the Capitol for no bonding bill this year; however, she an- ticipated that such a reaction may not be known until the House was close to ad- journment and that it may be brokered at the last meeting. Rep. Scalze noted past use of the bonding bill that included some things for local communities, which were well-represented, and included the Rice Street bridge as part of the St. Jude's Medical expansion project. Rep. Scalze noted the interest of some busi- nesses on the north side of I-694 and the need to alleviate traffic stacking between I-35E and I-694 during rush hours; and the need for a major correction on the west side of the metropolitan area. Senator Marty extended his congratulations to new Councilmembers and ex- pressed his anticipation of working with them and hearing their thoughts and con- cerns. Senator Marty noted his involvement on the Tax Committee; Judiciary Committee; Health and Human Services Committee; and the extensive work on the State Budget based on federal and state monies. Senator Marty noted the many decisions previously pushed off into future years, and anticipated that the necessary cuts would hurt everyone to some degree, but opined that short-sighted cuts caused more negative impacts; and assured citizens that Governor Dayton and the legislature were attempting to solve the problem, and address long-term issues as well. Senator Marty encouraged suggestions, and noted that their doors were always open to their constituents. Mayor Roe questioned whether there would be legislative support or considera- tion given for a local sales tax to accommodate recreation needs, specifically which would facilitate implementation of the City's recently-completed Parks and Recreation Master Plan process, as cities looked to diversify their funding sources. Senator Marty advised that it would most likely only be considered for rural urban centers, given that the Cities of Roseville and Bloomington had so much retail, it seemed to be shifting or adding new taxes. Due to illness, Mayor Roe left the bench at approximately 7:08 p.m., turning the gavel over to Acting Mayor Pust.