05-30-2018 CC SPECIAL - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Minutes May 30, 2018 Comments received from members: Page 2 • The LOST is a no-brainer and is the fairest way for everyone to pay for facilities. He stated he was impressed to see 45% of the tax revenue would be from outside of Elk River. He stated this option should be an easy sell to "any normal Joe." ■ We are only willing to pay for Mr. Williams plan if the LOST passes. ■ The city has a lot to offer and people love coming to Elk River. People love the location and its offerings for food, restaurants, and gas convenience. • Sherburne County has the lowest sales tax in the metro area and people won't notice the difference with an increase. Mayor Dietz noted Sherburne County is also considering a sale tax which may create a slightly higher tax compared to surrounding communities but he still felt the LOST was a better option. He further stated he doesn't agree 100% with Mr. Williams proposed plan. He stated the approved plan has to encompass more than an arena and believes other amenities need to be included to appeal to a broader audience. Councilmember Wagner stated she doesn't agree completely with Mr. Williams plan. She stated this is an opportunity to effect a larger city population. She stated she would like to see trail connections completed. Councilmember Wagner stated Council still needs to have a discussion about the location of the facility, its economic impact and the build out that could occur around it, such as commercial, etc. Councilmember Westgaard stated the Council has always intended to address the multiple needs of the community. He stated the three facilities (Lions Park Center, Activity Center, and Ice Arena) were never programmed into the city budget for planning and maintenance purposes and needed to be a priority. He stated he likes the LOST option and its specifity requirements. He stated Council needs to develop other amenities that will appeal to a wider audience. He further commented an ice arena is expensive to own and operate but feels it is an asset to a community. He noted Council has been discussing much needed repairs to the arena for 12 years. He stated Council needs to discuss what Plan B will be if there is a referendum failure. Councilmember Olsen questioned what should be done with Lions Park Center and mentioned the opportunity for girls' softball to use the park for fields. A youth sports commission member stated he would like to see a turf facility noting other communities are installing them. He stated there is very little maintenance with turf noting snow is easily removable for use sometimes starting in February. He stated teams will use it and revenue can be generated from them. Mt. Williams noted it is in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan at another site. He noted turf fields only have a 10 -year useful life span so the return on investment for the initial cost may be a factor to consider. Councilmember Wagner stated in order to get buy in from the lacrosse group she wants to make sure there is a multi-surface/use in order to sell it. IAiEAFA AI NATURE