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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday,November 26,2018 <br /> 7:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> reformed or it could cost Minnesota taxpayers between$800 to $900 million. Osmek stated in <br /> order for that to be completed on time, it needs to be addressed in the very immediate future. <br /> - Also included in the bill were two bills relating to energy. One bill was to help the Prairie Island <br /> Native Indian community to become carbon free by providing them with renewable development <br /> account money. The bill also set a cap on the amount of money the residents have to pay for <br /> waste at the Prairie Island plant. That amount is now approaching$30 million every single year <br /> but that has now been reduced and capped. <br /> - Another portion of the bill dealt with the Renewable Development Account,which dealt with the <br /> Benson turkey manure burning plant. The plant was actually trucking in turkey manure from <br /> Alabama and other places in order to run that plant to create energy. The cost of that energy was <br /> significantly higher than any other energy source in the state. The plant has been shut down and <br /> the state is projecting a savings of$600 to $800 over the next ten years. <br /> - Some new legislative action that will be considered in 2019 is regarding distracted driving. The <br /> MN Legislature is going to clarify some definitions in the state statute regarding criminal <br /> vehicular manslaughter. If a distracted driver kills someone,that person will be given a prison <br /> sentence. <br /> Walsh asked what Senator Osmek sees the Republican Party accomplishing this coming year. <br /> Osmek stated he hopes to keep the budget at the cost of the CIP or at the rate of inflation. Over the past <br /> few years,the budget has been expanding at more than double the rate of inflation,and the taxpayers <br /> cannot afford to keep that up. Osmek noted there is money in the budget for Highway 12 but that <br /> additional money is needed for infrastructure. <br /> The Legislature also needs to deal with community solar gardens,which is part of a statute created in <br /> 2013 to help people who wanted to be part of the green energy movement. Community solar gardens are <br /> increasingly becoming very expensive for the taYpayer. Currently power generated from solar gardens <br /> costs between$130 to$140 per megawatt hour. Utility grade solar is between$40 and $50 a megawatt <br /> hour. Fossil fuel and natural gas is about$7 to $8 a megawatt hour. Osmek noted ta�cpayers are paying <br /> the differential. A portion of the rates is the amount�of money they are paying for the land. Currently <br /> farmers are getting$1000 a year per acre to rent their land out. Farm land that is sold goes for between <br /> $4,000 to$5,000 an acre. Osmek stated the statute was intended for consumers to be able to join the <br /> green revolution but a large percent are larger businesses or government institutions,which is not what is <br /> was created for. <br /> Crosby noted there is talk about a gas tax increase and asked what the tax is currently. <br /> Osmek indicated it is eitherl8 or 23 cents a gallon for the state and that what is being proposed is between <br /> a nickel and a dime. Osmek noted the Highway Distribution Fund over the next seven to ten years is <br /> going to exceed inflation by 90 percent and that the state is going to receive even more money because <br /> the fees and car tabs continue to escalate. <br /> Crosby stated the tab fee in Minnesota is exceptionally high and it is taxed on an annual basis. Crosby <br /> stated his understanding is that those dollars are supposed to go to infrastructure. <br /> Page 2 of 6 <br />