Six million, probably, to go to BNSF: Each time a Northstar change is made, BNSF, as track owner, can demand another bite. In speaking with Bob Ramsey, he indicated that presently, as he recalls, six million of the cost of the station would be payment to BNSF, as their asking price as right-of-way owners, but Bob indicated there is negotiation effort to lessen that.
The mayor also mentioned that it appears the Planning Commission funding breakdown from their agenda (reported here) is in error, with the County not funding beyond 10% of the actual station cost. Bodley's report discusses funding.
Projected total cost per the earlier planning commission review, would be unchanged as best as I remember the conversation (again see this link). That cost is for the station only, with a walkway between the ramp and station costing roughly a million more, according to the mayor. Efforts for having that walkway funded out of ramp expansion residual grant funds are underway, (since that ramp grant exceeds the cost of expanding the ramp, as contracted by the winning bidder). Presumably the final funding breakdown, (and final cost breakdown between BNSF's bite and direct and indirect actual construction costs) will be available to the public when the Council [sitting as council I think rather than as HRA] finalizes its approval.
With numbers in flux, it is unclear to me whether the Planning Commission would need to conduct an updated public hearing, based on final numbers, or whether the Council, when the issue is on their agenda could simply designate it as a public hearing, on finalized dollar amounts.
At any rate it will be done, and City of Ramsey must necessarily join the Metropolitan transit taxing district, with the mayor indicating it involves an annual $300,000 assessment [everything can change over time, that being the present scenario] and with the district maintaining the Ramsey stop as with all other Northstar stops.
It is an obligatory thing, and the mayor believes it feasible additional services may be attained for the membership assessment amount, with that matter still pending. On the question of who "owns" the station stop, Bob said he did not know; while we agreed the question is interesting but fundamentally inconsequential, since once built and paid for, the maintenance is the only ongoing thing and it is via the taxing authority.
I believe Bob will be reading this and will let me and readers know if there is any error in details. He called about the above info, and this summary is from memory of our talking.
We discussed Flaherty-Collins and the rental adventure. I recall at the recent worksession where David Flaherty attended, in a conversation after the formal meeting adjoined that David Elvig discussed possible different bonding scnarios with Flaherty, as hypotheticals, and I do not know if that would result in any alteration in the city's risk exposure on that adventure between now and anticipated spring-2012 groundbreaking. The mayor spoke of that project advancing, as a certainty, and I have absolutely no cause to believe it will not happen. For better or worse.
Whether it turns out successful or not, time will tell. But expect it to happen. The mayor acknowledged that timing is such that when the 2012 general election is held, uncertainty about that rental adventure's success or failure will be inascertainable. To me that means citizens will have to consider their own faith in things as a key factor in voting. There will be no track record for the rental when you fill out your ballot.
_____________UPDATE___________
The mayor emails:
Two corrections...5 million is the BNSF cost. I didn't say it is certain that the F&C project will happen. I said it is likely and I will be voting yes on the current proposal.
It IS a certainty. He has four votes. (Unless somebody in the gang-of-four croaks, or has some disability against further service - and even then Tossey or Backous could change opinions - or Strommen serving the balance of the Jeffrey Ward 4 term might vote for it. I have no basis to guess how she'd vote, once seated and reviewing all aspects of Town Center proposals and possibilities.)
So, yes: Any deal could flip, until it doesn't, but this thing is as sure as it gets without a groundbreaking. As sure as the rail stop, but further back on the timeline where no chickens will be home to roost by the election.
Last point, $5 million for BNSF is a million better than six.
I doubt it will be reduced from five.