ADMINISTRATION- Bob Therres, Public Services Manager
Title
RESOLUTION DETERMINING THE NECESSITY FOR THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION THEREON
Background
The Community Center Task Force has been working for the last several years on looking at the possibility of building a community center in Blaine. The Community Center Task Force at its last meeting made its recommendation for the ballot question to appear on the November general election ballot. The City Council discussed the ballot question at the August 11th workshop and requested two additional sentences in regards to the property tax cost on a $200,000 home and that any operating costs are being picked up by the taxpayers. The ballot question and resolutions that the Council will be asked to adopt are attached.
The task force is recommending a ballot question that asks the voters to allow the City of Blaine to issue bonds not to exceed $29,350,000 for the construction and betterment of a community center and a senior center.
The task force is also recommending that the senior center be built as a separate facility to replace the existing facility in Aquatore Park.
By State Statute the bond question needs to be forwarded to Anoka County 74 days before the election (August 26th) to be placed on the November ballot.
Body
BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of Blaine, Anoka and Ramsey Counties, Minnesota (the “City”), as follows:
1. The City Council hereby finds and determines that:
(a) the City proposes to acquire and construct a community center and related betterments and, either separately or as part of the same facility, acquire and construct a replacement of its existing senior center and related betterments (collectively, the “Project”);
(b) the City is authorized by the provisions of the Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 475, as amended (the “Bonding Act”), to issue its obligations to finance the Project, in whole or in part, and to pledge its full faith, credit and taxing powers to the payment of such obligations, upon approval of a majority of the voters voting on such a proposal at a regular or special election;
(c) it is necessary and expedient to the sound financial management of the affairs of the City that the Project be financed in whole or in part by the issuance and sale of the City’s general obligation bonds pursuant to the Bonding Act in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $29,350,000.
2. The proposition for the issuance of bonds for the Project will be submitted to the voters of the City at a special election, to be held in conjunction with the regularly scheduled general election, to be held on November 8, 2016. The election will be held and conducted in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota relating to special municipal elections.
3. The City Clerk is directed to cause a sample ballot in substantially the form attached as Exhibit A and a notice of election in substantially the form attached as Exhibit B to be posted, published, and delivered as required by law as follows:
(a) The notice of election will be delivered to the County Auditors of Anoka and Ramsey Counties, Minnesota, at least 74 days prior to the election, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 205.16, Subdivision 4, together with a written request to notify the Secretary of State of the election at least 74 days prior to the election pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 205.16, Subdivision 5;
(b) The notice of election shall be published in the official newspaper of the City, the first publication at least two weeks prior to the election and the second at least one week before the election, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 205.16, subdivision 1.
(c) The sample ballot shall be published in the official newspaper of the City, the first publication at least two weeks prior to the election and the second at least one week before the election, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 205.16, subdivision 2.
(d) The sample ballot will be made available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk at least two weeks prior to the election and will be posted in the polling place on election day, all pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 205.16, subdivision 3.
4. The polling place or places and voting hours for the election will be those polling places and voting hours previously established for regular City elections.
5. The City Clerk is authorized and directed to prepare the ballot in substantially the form attached as Exhibit A, and in accordance with all requirements of Minnesota Statutes, Section 205.17 and Minnesota Administrative Rules, Chapter 8250.
6. The City Council shall meet in the City Hall on November 17, 2016 at 7:30 p.m., to canvass the results of the election and to declare the results thereof.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Blaine this 18th day of August 2016.