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Allard, Tina From:Portner, Cal Sent:Thursday, February 08, 2018 6:19 PM To:Allard, Tina Subject:FW: Arena project & tonight's meeting From: David Williams \[mailto:djw62563@hotmail.com\] Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2018 11:19 AM To: Mayor John Dietz; Westgaard, Matt; Wagner, Jennifer; Ovall, Nate; Olsen, Jerry Cc: Portner, Cal Subject: Arena project & tonight's meeting Mayor & Council Members, my name is Dave Williams & I’m the Resident Member of the Arena Design Team. I didn’t see an open forum area in tonight’s meeting agenda so I’m sending this to each of you prior to the meeting. I chose to serve in that position because I believe that it’s important that a member of the community was involved in the process to help get this project completed as a long term viable solution. My entire goal was to see this project be something that is a viable asset for the long term while at the same time staying within a budget framework. I completely understand the people that are concerned about their taxes going up. I’m a taxpayer & I’m not anymore excited to see my property taxes go up than anyone else. My preference is 100% for a local option sales tax which could not only pay the debt service for this project as well as parks & rec capital projects but that will be determined by the residents of the community voting. It will the residents choice how we pay for this, not the council choice. That being said, the alternative of doing nothing or even just keep letting this arena nickel & dime the city seems completely fiscally irresponsible. I also believe that the condition of the ice making systems makes this something that can’t be ignored. The possibility of a complete system failure makes this makes this project a priority to me. I’m not a member of the hockey community, there is no “what’s in it for me” but I do believe it’s important to move forward with this project because it’s what’s best for Elk River. I also believe that it was very clearly defined in the literature for the Community Center Referendum, that if it failed, decisions would have to be made to move forward. I was able to spend some time both in the general seating area & the operations areas of the Metrodome for a period of time a few years ago. It was so evident that it was built for value instead of viability. In all honesty, the Olympic part of our current arena reminds me a great deal of the Metrodome. Built for value & set up to fail which is where we are now. Using a previously used ice plant, having beyond substandard locker rooms & cutting the corners off the building are just two instances I can give as short sighted value based thinking in my opinion. I’ve seen the uproar that building Target Field & US Bank Stadium caused but once they 1