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City Council Wants Feedback on the Use of Franchise Fees for Street Maintenance Funding

The City of Carver has 21 miles of existing roadway to maintain.  In order to maintain these streets, the City has developed a Street Maintenance Program to extend the roadway’s life before it needs to be reconstructed. The current five year plan includes mill and overlay projects in the Carver Bluffs neighborhood, 6th St. W., Kirche Hill Dr., Sunny Ridge Dr., and Mount Hope Rd.

Over the next 5 years the City will have to dedicate $1.2 million to fully fund the current Street Maintenance Program. In 2020, the Street Maintenance Program is funded at $70,000, with revenue collected primarily from property taxes. The current funding model leaves the City $850,000 short of the needed amount to move forward with mill and overlay projects as planned in the Street Maintenance Program.

In response, the City is evaluating using a franchise fee to fill the revenue gap in the Street Maintenance Program.  The City estimates that it could generate an annual $218,000 in revenue for street maintenance through franchise fees.  In 2020, the cities of Chaska, Chanhassen, and Victoria will generate an estimated $7.6 million in franchise fees.

WHAT ARE FRANCHISE FEES?

Specifically, franchise fees are a method of collecting funds from utility companies who use city rights-of-way. These funds are typically passed directly through to all commercial businesses, tax-exempt properties, and residents that use the street and trail systems.  While not technically considered a “tax”, this is a new dedicated revenue source for the city which would be collected from utility users in Carver; it will have the same effect as a tax. However, it is not levied in the way a property tax is levied, given that franchise fees are not tied to the value of a property. Thus, all single-family homes would pay the same amount toward the Street Maintenance Program assuming they have cable, gas, and electric services.

The City Council will be holding a listening session on Tuesday, January 21 at 7:00 pm (Carver City Hall) to hear from residents and businesses on the topic.

Click here to learn more!

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Now Hiring – Part Time Custodian

The City of Carver is seeking applicants for a part-time position of Custodian. This position performs cleaning and maintenance of all City-owned and operated buildings and facilities. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Public Service Superintendent.

For a complete job description and Application for Employment, click HERE.

Applications accepted until 3:30 p.m. on Monday, January 6, 2020.  The position will remain open until filled.

Contact Diane Schwalbe with any questions at dschwalbe@cityofcarver.com or 952-448-8728

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Safe Sidewalks and Clean Lakes

Many Minnesota lakes and rivers are contaminated with too much salt. Reduce salt and stay safe this winter. Shoveling is the best method to prevent ice and reduce salt use. Salt from de-icing frequently ends up in our lakes, rivers, and groundwater, and once there it is virtually impossible to remove. For more details, click HERE.

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City Council to Review Plans for Kwik Trip

The City Council will be reviewing final plans for a new Kwik Trip convenience store on Monday night.  Kwik Trip is proposing to start construction in the spring of 2020 at the northwest corner of Monroe Drive and Jonathan Carver Parkway…just north of Carver Elementary.  As a part of the development project, a new signal light would be installed at the intersection of Monroe/Spring Creek Dr. and Jonathan Carver Parkway.