Board of Commissioners - Special Meeting

So, at this time, I'd like to call the meeting to order. Um, approve the agenda, please. Len, you got anything? Uh, no changes, Mr. Chair. We're starting with resolution 26-15 today. Thank you. I make motion to approve the agenda, please. I'll second. Thanks, Jeff. Thanks, Tim. Any discussion? Anybody got anything? Len, please. Rap. Yes. We yes. Meer yes. Schmidt yes. Kina yes. Motion carries.

Thank you. At this time I would like to call forward Kevin Lee, Terry Quist, Don Daly, and Lee Ketchart to talk about the library. Thank you, Mr. Chair. commissioners. So, yeah, uh we are here to um get a get approval on a resolution by the board uh in support for a local option sales tax for the new library. And just a little background on where we've been. Uh there's been a lot of pre-work done and steps taken already, but we've worked with been working with JLG architects. We've been um I'm sure the library board's been involved.

Um Flattering Hood um as a lobbyist. Ellers uh is a municipal advisor endorsing Whitney LLP as well on help with the resolution and bond information. So um those are some of the preliminary steps. Also we had uh as you recall we had a work session on the 20th with the board uh public work session. So we're able to discuss a lot of the details then. I don't know if uh Don Daly the library director or Kevin Lee the library board chair has anything to add. Well, thank you commissioners for uh meeting with us this afternoon, taking some special time on this. Yeah, we're we're moving ahead. Um we've been meeting with the architects and next next week from Friday, we're going to have a community meeting with a lot of the representatives of community organizations, the friends of the library, uh the library board to uh review what they've done so far. Uh not to have final plans yet, but to give us an idea of where we could be going. So today we're here to ask for help to make the first step toward that.

Okay. And I'd just like to comment here, Mr. Chair, and that is that last meeting we had when we talked about the possible uh uh alternates in that project like the skylights on the roof and stuff that could be possibly uh if if if it comes over budget that you got something to work with. Oh yes. Yeah. No, there are no final plans yet. Okay, very good. Thanks, Jerry. Anything else? Kevin, you're you're good. I think we're good. Unless you have some questions.

Okay. Uh so yeah, we have before you a resolution to be passed by the board um that would a uh support the local option sales tax for the new library. And in there are the terms. Uh essentially, you'll see some of the highlights. It's 34,000 ft structure and the project cost is approximately estimated to be 18,500,000. We are looking for a local sales tax of one quarter of 1% which conservatively would generate over $23 million over 10 years. And so we have this before the board for their approval.

Oh, Mr. Chair, if I may again, do we want to be more precise about that local sales tax that is going to be voted on in November? I mean, is that I mean, that's what it's for, right? Yeah. As as we understand those those numbers are probably going to subject to be changed as we go through the legislation. Okay. Legislation with the process down there. Just so it's clear to everybody that that that's what it's based on. Okay. We wanted to substantiate that the the sales tax would be enough to cover the expense. Yep. And we think we're being pretty conservative with that and that it'll go before the

So, Mr. Chair, I got a question. So, at the end of 10 years, this would sunset then. This would be the end of the bond as I understand it. Yes. Yep. Correct. And it'll go before the voters this year in the fall. So, this Yep. And this resolution would allow us to take it to the next step, which would be to the legislature for um approval there. And then if that goes through, then we would be presenting it on the 2026 ballot in November to the taxpayers and let them decide. And we'll be working with our lobbyists to get that legislation written um through our legislators both Mary Fransen and Tory Westerm

to get that introduced and working through the process in St. Paul. Mhm.

I'd like to make a resol uh a motion to approve resolution 2615. Is there a second? I'll second it. Thanks Jeff. Thanks Jerry. Is there any discussion? Anyone? Len please. Weey. Yes. Meer yes. Schmidt. Yes. Kina. Yes. Rap. Yes.

Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you. And just a thought too. I I Kevin and Don if you could put something together on the on the idea that it passes and we certainly hope it does but the so we can answer the questions about an ongoing budget. I you know we know what the size of it is. It's quite a bit larger than what we got today. how much staffing, you know, for an idea of the change

because I've already been asked that and I can't answer it the best. But and it would be an, you know, if you're looking at the 34,000 square foot compared to what we got today and how many people it takes to do that. We acknowledge that it's in another location, bigger building. We'll need staff to maintain. Right. Right. Yep. Yep. today. It's hard to it's hard to compare. That's that's the reason. Yeah. Because we know we have Horizon, we got, you know, social services, we library, and we got a lot of dead space over there, too. Well, and hopefully we can share some people to do it, too. We wouldn't have

Correct. fulltime just just so you could come up. That's nothing you need to do for the legislators or anything like that. Just for us, that's what you need for the locals. I understand, Charlie. I understand. Yep. Yep. Thank you,

Kay Lee. We have um sorry we have one more on there yet. Yep. That we need to discuss. So this next resolution uh 2616 I believe it would be is because uh if the library project is approved and we begin building um the county will take out bond sell bonds to raise the capital u because the tax the tax revenue that would come in would be delayed of course. Um and so before those bonds are even a available to be used for expenses, we will incur some initial expenses uh as the beginning work starts on the new library. So this next resolution is just allowing or making it clear that the county intends to utilize that bond money to reimburse themselves if there are any expenses incurred before the bonds are processed. And we have that That makes sense.

Anybody got any questions? I just got one question. Go ahead. Say for some unforesaken reason that we didn't have enough to cover the payment in that one year, would the county make up the difference? you know, is a bond with the sales tax. If for some reason we didn't get the bond payment through the sales tax, would there be a repercussion against the county to pay for that? Pay the difference. Jill, were you coming up? I am sure we are. Yeah. Well, that's what I'm because we're going to be the bond holders. We are. So, Todd can maybe help.

Todd's just going to do the paperwork. I was going to say Todd can speak to this a little bit too, but usually when you initially bond, the first payment that is due is generally just interest. And a lot of times in the bond paperwork that um is done, they factor in that first payment that has to be set aside specifically for that interest payment. Oh, yep. That's called capitalized interest. So we'll bond fund that first set of interest payments if it's a little sooner, right, than our revenues coming in from the sales tax. So the bond would pay for that. Okay,

that those and then we would um make sure the schedule we're able to uh manipulate the SK bond schedule too to account for that. So we can kind of graduate a little bit too kind of depending on how fast we think it's going to come into. It doesn't have to be a hard fast uh uh level principle and interest payment. it can kind of be a little bit more graduated on the front end and a little bit more level on the back part, too. So, there's all sorts of things we can do to that to account for for uh sales tax coming in time. So, yeah, I just was wondering what would happen. That was a good question. Yeah. No, we got to be the banker, but the sales tax will cover the expenses. It should.

Yep. Yeah. But like you said, some unforesaken reason, you know. Well, the beauty of it and this is the whole thing when we talked about it year ago and every year and a half ago and everything is the um it's great and and and the idea but but especially if the taxpayers want it, why not? And there's no question. Yeah, this is just another way to fund it. It's a great way to get it done. But irregardless if the the citizens of the county want a new library, we should certainly build one anyway. So,

the other thing I would add to this reimbursement resolution does not mean that you even ever have to bond. If we don't if something doesn't go through down the road and you decide not to bond, the reimbursement resolution only is done to allow ourselves to reimburse ourselves some of those costs should be. Yep. Makes sense. Any other questions? I got one other question. Go ahead. No, it's fine. So, if we didn't bond, where would the money come from before the sales tax kicks in? Donations probably. Okay. Yeah.

That's the beauty of the mix of how they're Yeah. Because they're out raising money right now. I know that. Yeah. I just had a few financial questions. Any other questions? Lord's wishes. I make a motion to u approve resolution 16. I'll second it. Thanks, Jeff. Any other discussion? Len, please. Meyer, yes. Schmidt, yes. Kina, yes. Rap, yes. Weey, yes.

Motion carries. Well, there you go. Thank you. Thank you. Let's Let's go get them down at the state capital. See what they got to say. So, next, is there any items from the floor? Any items from the floor? Any items from the floor? Motion to adjurnn. Motion from Charlie to adjurnn. Second. Second, Jerry. Thank you. Len, please. Kina, yes. Rap, yes. Weey, yes. Meyer, yes. Schmidt, yes. Motion carries.