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HomeMy WebLinkAbout[06] Legislative Priorities Council Agenda Item 06 MEETING DATE: February 18, 2015 AGENDA ITEM: Legislative Priorities SUBMITTED BY: Administration BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION: BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Annually the Area Cites prepare a list of priorities when speaking to legislators. This year the list has been revised and broken into two portions, the first is legislative proposals and the second is general policy statements. The general policy statements are similar to what the League of MN Cities is pursuing whereas the legislative proposals are unique to the six area Cities. As of this dates, St. Cloud, Sartell, St. Augusta and Sauk Rapids have approved. Waite Park will be considering later in February. BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT: ATTACHMENTS: Request for Council Action Legislative Priorities REQUESTED COUNCIL ACTION: Authorize execution of the 2015 Legislative Priorities, Resolution 2015-002. This page intentionally left blank 2015-003 Joint Resolution of the Central MN Cities of St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, St. Joseph, and St. Augusta Advocating Support for Certain Proposals and Policy Statements of Common Interest to the Central Minnesota Region WHEREAS, the Central Minnesota-St. Cloud area has a strong history of collaboration and coordination amongst its local units of government to facilitate well planned communities that are provided municipal services in the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner possible; and WHEREAS, to better assist our State legislative leaders, we have collectively identified certain legislative proposals and general policy statements that are of specific impact and interest to our communities to enable them to respond in a manner that strengthens the partnership between our local units of government and the State in fostering the continuation and enhancement of socially, economically and culturally vibrant cities. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Councils for the cities of St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, St. Joseph, and St. Augusta, Minnesota that the following legislative proposals and legislative policy statements are of common interest or concern to the Central Minnesota Region and therefore we officially support and advocate for the following actions of the MN State Legislature: LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS: 1.Commercial Air Service: APPROPRIATE funds to provide an economic development fund to re- establish local air service at the St. Cloud Regional Airport. 2.Sales Tax Exemption for all public purchases: SUPPORT legislation that would clarify the local government sales tax exemption approved in 2013 to define exemption for all purchases made by local units of government, whether by a private business on behalf of a local government (public capital projects) or by the municipality itself. 3.Regional Collaboration: APPROPRIATE FUNDS and CREATE A PROGRAM to encourage locally initiated regional efforts of local government jurisdictions to encourage these types of efforts. GENERAL POLICY STATEMENTS: 1.Publication Requirements: SUPPORT legislation that would allow municipalities to utilize alternative publication methods for legal notices. 2.Tax Exempt Credit Program: SUPPORT legislation to assist Cities with disproportionately high amounts of government and/or nonprofit business properties such as Colleges, Universities, and Hospitals. 3.Amendment to MN Statute 429. SUPPORT legislation to modify MN Statute 429 requiring assessing 20% of the cost to utilize bonding without referendum and adding language to provide a meaningful method to determine benefit from replacing failing underground infrastructure. 4.North Star Commuter Rail: SUPPORT extension of North Star Commuter Rail service northward to the St. Cloud area in a manner that serves the needs of public, business and commercial travels, that is highly expandable, and is priced affordably to optimize use. 5.Street Improvement District Authority: SUPPORT legislation that would give municipalities the authority to establish street improvement districts to collect fees from property owners within a district to fund municipal street maintenance, construction, reconstruction, and facility upgrades. 6.Local Government Aid: SUPPORT legislation that reduces pressure on the property tax system and equalizes property tax bases by reviewing LGA appropriations. Consider increasing LGA levels and providing for the annual inflation adjustment. 7.Levy Limits: SUPPORT facilitating local accountability by allowing local authorities to formulate and adopt budgets without state restrictions. 8.State Mandate Relief: SUPPORT legislation that reduces or eliminates unfunded and/or onerous mandates to local governments (e.g. personnel related mandates such as binding arbitration, lack of State funding for State retirement plan, aggregate value requirements for insurance benefits, and pay equity; MPCA fees; storm water fees). No additional mandates should be enacted unless the legislature or agency imposing the requirements provides a permanent stable revenue source for the mandate. SUPPORT legislation that sunsets all unfunded mandates so that they may be evaluated for necessity and verification of nexus. 9.State Fee Increases: SUPPORT measures that preclude State agencies and operations from shifting funding reductions and/or cost increases on to municipalities in the form of fee increases. 10.Eminent Domain: SUPPORT modifications to the 2006 Eminent Domain statute to remove recently added attorney fees and cost penalty provisions in actions involving public infrastructure improvements in order to restore a fair balance between the rights of private landowners and the interests of the public. 11.Administrative Authority: SUPPORT the expansion of authority of Statutory and Home Rule Charter cities ability to impose and collect administrative penalties to include enforcement and traffic infractions. 12.Private Well Installation: SUPPORT retention of local control of private water well installations. SUPPORT current law that authorizes cities to protect public health and safety through local controls regulating or prohibiting private wells being placed within municipal water utility service boundaries and would oppose any changes to law to remove that authority. 13.Government Data Practices Act: AUTHOR & SUPPORT amendments to the GDPA that enables email addresses provided to facilitate on-line invoicing, bill payment, application processing, public information alerts or similar. Adopted by the Cities of St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, St. Joseph, and St. Augusta prior to the 2015 Legislative Session. Mayor Dave Kleis Mayor Sarah Jane Nicoll Mayor Brad Gunderson Mayor Rick Miller Mayor Rick Schultz Mayor Bob Kroll This page intentionally left blank