SiouxVolley Posted May 27, 2016 Posted May 27, 2016 The type of library the GF library board wants is more like what Billings has now. The non profit groups are big on free public spaces and meeting rooms and free cafe environments, especially for them. Something every library should have if the community does not have the service is capability of 3D printing. In the future, there may be a big push for libraries to have rental Google glasses or other 3D vision and gaming systems. Just like video and game rental now. Quote
Cratter Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 Sounds like Grand Forks could be voting on a 3/4 cent sales tax to pay for a new water treatment plant. Then a sales tax increase to pay for a new library. Grand Forks could be pushing highest rate in ND around or at 8%. Then property tax mill rates will be increasing by 5%....on top of that new higher appraised property value :). Quote
UNDBIZ Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 8 minutes ago, Cratter said: Sounds like Grand Forks could be voting on a 3/4 cent sales tax to pay for a new water treatment plant. Then a sales tax increase to pay for a new library. Grand Forks could be pushing highest rate in ND around or at 8%. Then property tax mill rates will be increasing by 5%....on top of that new higher appraised property value :). Let the good times roll! Quote
tnt Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 12 minutes ago, Cratter said: Sounds like Grand Forks could be voting on a 3/4 cent sales tax to pay for a new water treatment plant. Then a sales tax increase to pay for a new library. Grand Forks could be pushing highest rate in ND around or at 8%. Then property tax mill rates will be increasing by 5%....on top of that new higher appraised property value :). ... and there was supposed to be a sunset clause on the hike for the Alerus and with the higher collection than expected for years it should already be done. I am assuming that somewhere along the line they quietly appropriated that money elsewhere and there will be no sunset as they promised. When you give them an inch, they will always take a mile. And they wonder why citizens don't want to go down that road. Quote
SIOUXFAN97 Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 1 hour ago, gfhockey said: Hail mayor brown Hail jack weinstein Quote
82SiouxGuy Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 1 hour ago, tnt said: ... and there was supposed to be a sunset clause on the hike for the Alerus and with the higher collection than expected for years it should already be done. I am assuming that somewhere along the line they quietly appropriated that money elsewhere and there will be no sunset as they promised. When you give them an inch, they will always take a mile. And they wonder why citizens don't want to go down that road. That was a 30 year tax, it has been collected for less than 20 years so it is very doubtful that enough has been collected to pay for the bonds. They weren't collecting double the amount they projected. Part of that tax is dedicated to building a fund to pay for improvements. That fund paid for the Alerus Center's share of the new turf, the new carpeting and other improvements. The goal is to have enough in that fund to pay for any other future improvements so they don't have to ask for more money in the future. That tax was voted on by the citizens of Grand Forks, there is no way to "appropriate" those taxes for any other purpose. The only way they can use those tax funds for any other purpose is to put it to a vote of the citizens. Quote
tnt Posted July 13, 2016 Posted July 13, 2016 5 hours ago, 82SiouxGuy said: That was a 30 year tax, it has been collected for less than 20 years so it is very doubtful that enough has been collected to pay for the bonds. They weren't collecting double the amount they projected. Part of that tax is dedicated to building a fund to pay for improvements. That fund paid for the Alerus Center's share of the new turf, the new carpeting and other improvements. The goal is to have enough in that fund to pay for any other future improvements so they don't have to ask for more money in the future. That tax was voted on by the citizens of Grand Forks, there is no way to "appropriate" those taxes for any other purpose. The only way they can use those tax funds for any other purpose is to put it to a vote of the citizens. http://www.grandforksherald.com/opinion/letters/4032678-letter-grand-forks-breaks-promise-alerus-center-bonds These are some of my recollections as well. Quote
82SiouxGuy Posted July 13, 2016 Posted July 13, 2016 26 minutes ago, tnt said: http://www.grandforksherald.com/opinion/letters/4032678-letter-grand-forks-breaks-promise-alerus-center-bonds These are some of my recollections as well. Sorry, I don't consider CT Marhula an expert. He was looking for some kind of issue to grab some attention in his city council race. He finished 3rd in his ward, so it wasn't really effective. Here is an earlier article that discusses the subject, http://www.grandforksherald.com/content/city-discusses-diverting-sales-tax-money-away-alerus-center. The projection has normally been that enough taxes will have been collected to pay off the construction bond by sometime in the 2019-2023 time period. The tax was set up for capital needs for the facility. That is why they have used some of the money for improvements and why they are trying to save money from the tax for future needs. That sounds like a responsible plan for the city rather than not having a plan to pay for costs that everyone knows will come in the future. Most people wish that the city had set up a similar plan for the library when they built it 45 years ago. Some people have suggested changing the Alerus Center tax over to pay for the library. The current revenue level would pay for the library in just a few years (probably 3 to 3 1/2). But as I mentioned earlier, any change in use for this tax revenue would have to be voted on by the citizens of Grand Forks. The other question is whether the language in the bonds would allow a change before the full debt is paid off. I don't know if that has been reviewed. The Alerus Center bonds will be paid off early. They will bank some funds for future capital needs. Then they will either end the tax or give the community a chance to vote on using the money for another project such as a new library or an underpass at 42nd and Demers or a new exit off of I-29. They won't "appropriate" the money for anything as you suggested earlier. The entire process has been very open from the beginning and has been played out in the press. You may disagree with what was done, but nothing has been hidden. 2 Quote
Cratter Posted August 3, 2016 Posted August 3, 2016 Sounds like Grand Forks leaders want the city sales tax increase to be voted on (not the library) will last 50 years and likely bring in $400+ million. With a 100 or so going to treatment plant, and the other for general needs. Quote
Teeder11 Posted August 3, 2016 Posted August 3, 2016 18 minutes ago, Cratter said: Sounds like Grand Forks leaders want the city sales tax increase to be voted on (not the library) will last 50 years and likely bring in $400+ million. With a 100 or so going to treatment plant, and the other for general needs. Yeah, I saw that in the Herald. Quote
Cratter Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 On Wednesday, August 03, 2016 at 0:25 PM, Cratter said: Sounds like Grand Forks leaders want the city sales tax increase to be voted on (not the library) will last 50 years and likely bring in $400+ million. With a 100 or so going to treatment plant, and the other for general needs. City council president on the radio admitting if the vote (above) passed in November, a year or two later the odds are pretty good that they would have extra funds that, with a vote, would go toward a new library. Quote
UNDBIZ Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 1 hour ago, Cratter said: City council president on the radio admitting if the vote (above) passed in November, a year or two later the odds are pretty good that they would have extra funds that, with a vote, would go toward a new library. Public vote or Council vote? Quote
Cratter Posted August 5, 2016 Posted August 5, 2016 27 minutes ago, UNDBIZ said: Public vote or Council vote? Public. Quote
moser53 Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 On August 5, 2016 at 2:08 PM, Cratter said: Public. Library in the news again. Public or Council or Commission Grand Forks or Fargo Right or wrong Fargo doesn't mess around. Who's growing New Ferris Wheel in new GF Library KNOX news Ha Quote
UND1983 Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 54 minutes ago, moser53 said: Library in the news again. Public or Council or Commission Grand Forks or Fargo Right or wrong Fargo doesn't mess around. Who's growing New Ferris Wheel in new GF Library KNOX news Ha Go away. 1 Quote
moser53 Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 6 minutes ago, UND1983 said: Go away. This is home 701 772 9503 Quote
Cratter Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 2 hours ago, moser53 said: Library in the news again. Public or Council or Commission Grand Forks or Fargo Right or wrong Fargo doesn't mess around. Who's growing New Ferris Wheel in new GF Library KNOX news Ha One would guess, new sales tax passed for roads, would be added to already existing road budget But now they can move money around and have library money Grand Forks really voted for a library upgrades Quote
jdub27 Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 13 minutes ago, Cratter said: One would guess, new sales tax passed for roads, would be added to already existing road budget But now they can move money around and have library money Grand Forks really voted for a library upgrades No. That would have required extra money in the water/road/water treatment plant budget prior to the vote, which wasn't even close to the case. The backlash from them "finding" extra money for a new library would be huge, there's a reason they were very clear in stating the funds wouldn't be used for that. Quote
Cratter Posted February 1, 2018 Posted February 1, 2018 On 1/30/2018 at 2:49 PM, jdub27 said: No. That would have required extra money in the water/road/water treatment plant budget prior to the vote, which wasn't even close to the case. The backlash from them "finding" extra money for a new library would be huge, there's a reason they were very clear in stating the funds wouldn't be used for that. There was nothing in language of the vote that says the new water and road tax will be added to the existing percentage of the city budget that was already used for roads/water. While using the money for "library money" was being a little facetious, it certainly doesn't stop the city from helping it fund some of its other pet projects that will inevitable arrive. We'll see if the city spends "tens of thousands of dollars" on the new art project requests... Just wait five years when the "noise" of the new vote dies down. Quote
moser53 Posted February 2, 2018 Posted February 2, 2018 On January 30, 2018 at 2:41 PM, Cratter said: One would guess, new sales tax passed for roads, would be added to already existing road budget But now they can move money around and have library money Grand Forks really voted for a library upgrades Big $ to fix or repair existing library. Quarter of a million to upgrade bathrooms. Real numbers? Quote
moser53 Posted February 5, 2018 Posted February 5, 2018 On February 1, 2018 at 5:11 AM, Cratter said: There was nothing in language of the vote that says the new water and road tax will be added to the existing percentage of the city budget that was already used for roads/water. While using the money for "library money" was being a little facetious, it certainly doesn't stop the city from helping it fund some of its other pet projects that will inevitable arrive. We'll see if the city spends "tens of thousands of dollars" on the new art project requests... Just wait five years when the "noise" of the new vote dies down. Thought you would be on this. Library to Macy's. City talks to new owner. . Study I read 25% of malls to close and they have to be creative to stay open. Per Doug Barrett KNOX A downtown location? I'm old I remember a vibrant GF downtown. When us locals or visitors go downtown what kind of feeling or image does it give. We need students tech company's credit card co. Insurance co.big banks and housing. Idea for downtown how about go from Central High School to Wilder School with big ideas. A private college a 2 year tech school. Fargos getting a tech school are they on to something like future jobs. Quote
Cratter Posted February 6, 2018 Posted February 6, 2018 6 hours ago, moser53 said: Thought you would be on this. Library to Macy's. City talks to new owner. . Study I read 25% of malls to close and they have to be creative to stay open. Per Doug Barrett KNOX A downtown location? I'm old I remember a vibrant GF downtown. When us locals or visitors go downtown what kind of feeling or image does it give. We need students tech company's credit card co. Insurance co.big banks and housing. Idea for downtown how about go from Central High School to Wilder School with big ideas. A private college a 2 year tech school. Fargos getting a tech school are they on to something like future jobs. Downtown is very "vibrant." A lot more than it was 30 years ago. It keep becoming more vibrant all the time as developers keep building down there. City leaders don't want a library in a mall. They want a Library they can show off. They should build it on 42nd near the Alerus, another building they like to show off. Instead of looking an hour south, look an hourish to the West of Grand Forks. It might turn your frown upside down. and with that said, here is a thread I started over a decade ago on SiouxSports, that I'm sure you'll find interesting. Fargo just took FedEx air away from Grand Forks: Put that down in the "Hurt" column. Quote
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