12.03 - Assessment Policy - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Pequot Lakes City Council Meeting Tuesday, February 07, 2006 1. Sales Tax No. 1 priority: City improvements related to MnDOT's Hwy 371 project At least $5 million; $7 million if no funding assistance for tunnel 2. Last month we submitted the City's $2 million Transportation Enhancement Fund application for a pedestrian/bicycle tunnel ($1.6 million) and aesthetic improvements ($0.4 million) to Region 5 for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Last week, the Region 5 Transportation Advisory Committee allowed us to do a short presentation to them and answer some of their questions. They are allocated about $300,000 for this program. I spoke with Chris Etzler of Region 5 this morning. He said the Committee discussed all kinds of things related to the City's application: MnDOT's time frame being 2010-2012, and then before Governor Pawlenty's announcement, the time frame being slid back towards 2014, and then after the Governor's announcement,the time frame maybe being 2008. The fact that they don't have enough money to fund either request in full. The possibility of funding a portion but having the concern, especially with the tunnel, of throwing money at a project that really needs the full funding. After all the discussion, the project did not rank very high and was not funded, and Chris did not see it moving into the fundable range even if one or two other higher rated projects dropped out. The information in the application can be used by the City for applications to other programs. With the highway coming through town,the City really needs to look at what the priorities are going to be and what is going to get funded first. 3. We have provided funding summaries for Government Drive, Brunes-Royce, and South Oak Street to Sandy to forward to Representative Oberstar for any special legislation or funding programs that he can maybe help out with. 4. We met with the City and USDA-Rural Development(RD) - formerly the Farmers Home Administration- on possible funding for water and sanitary sewer projects. RD calculates what they believe the users should pay, i.e. 1.7% of median household income. They then determine how much loan the City could pay back with the money generated from those kinds of rates. RD (or other finders)will then provide grant assistance for project costs over this amount. The median household income (old City and old Township combined) is about$32,000. So, 1.7% of this works out to about $45 per month per house. 5. I have given Sandy some information on Congressman Oberstar's Section 569 program. It is for environmental and wastewater projects in his District. We've been involved in some projects where it has been used. The Corps of Engineers administers the program. Page 1 of 2 C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKB\Pequot Lakes Citv Council Meetine-020706.doc