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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-02-04 City Council Work Session Meeting PacketAgenda City Council Work Session City of Edina, Minnesota Commuity Room, City Hall Tuesday, February 4, 2020 5:30 PM I.Call To Order II.Roll Call III.Legislative Delegation Meeting IV.Adjournment The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing ampli$cation, an interpreter, large-print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861 72 hours in advance of the meeting. Date: February 4, 2020 Agenda Item #: III. To:Mayor and City Council Item Type: Other From:Casey Casella, City Management Fellow Item Activity: Subject:Legislative Delegation Meeting Information CITY OF EDINA 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 www.edinamn.gov ACTION REQUESTED: None; discussion only. INTRODUCTION: Staff have invited Edina's legislative delegation to attend the City Council's work session. Representatives from the Municipal Legislative Commission, Metro Cities and the League of MN Cities are also invited. Staff proposes to have a discussion about the City's 2020 state legislative topics, which are summarized in the handout and detailed in attached staff report. ATTACHMENTS: Description 2020 Legislative Priorities Handout Staff Report: 2020 State Legislative Priorities Municipal Legislative Coalition 2020 Priorities Metro Cities 2020 Priorities Handouts Development of Parks • Allow cities to collect park dedication fees for multifamily redevelopment projects • Support an Edina Local Option Sales Tax Local Authority • Eliminate the exemption of Hennepin/Ramsey counties in the Motor Vehicle Lease Sales Tax Allocation • Preserve utility franchise fees • Support municipal liquor operations • Eliminate city requirements for public notices in newspapers • Increase City Manager authority to adjust for inflation • Repeal statutory salary limitation on city employees • Adopt enabling legislation to allow cities to implement local environmental protection measures Environment • Support advanced energy standards for commercial buildings • Support limited liability for private commercial salt applicators • Support local environmental public health programs • Maintain local authority for building energy benchmarking • Support Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) Municipal Grant Program Transportation • Support Municipal State Aid (MSA) funding • Support cities’ ability to create street improvement districts • Support Local Bridge Replacement Program Funding Public Safety • Support a bonding request for the South Metro Public Safety Training Facility • Support funding of fire resources, training and statewide response teams • Support railroad and hazardous substance safety • Oppose statutory prohibition of residential fire sprinklers • Oppose the expansion of retail fireworks sales Housing • Protect low- and moderate-income tenants o Tenant protection in affordable housing property ownership change o Eviction expungement reform • Support regulatory tools for affordable housing o 4d tax classification tax rate program o Land trust tax reduction o Inclusionary zoning ordinances o Affordable housing fee on development • Create new funding sources for affordable housing o Affordable housing financing bonding authority o Establish revenue resource for affordable housing o Support affordable housing trust funds o Tax credit contribution fund o Use of pooled Tax-Increment Financing (TIF) for affordable housing EDINAe CITY of 2020 State Legislative Priorities February 4, 2020 Mayor and City Council Casey Casella, City Management Fellow 2020 State Legislative Priorities Information / Background This staff report provides detail to legislative priorities the City of Edina will watch for the 2020 State legislative session. The 2020 legislative session begins on February 11th. This staff report corresponds with a summary handout. The summary handout displays the priorities. The staff report provides background and detail for each priority. Association Legislative Priorities The City of Edina belongs to three legislative associations. Each has a set of legislative priorities adopted annually. Please see the organization’s legislative policies by visiting their website for more information. 1. The Municipal Legislative Commission 2. Metro Cities (Association of Metropolitan Municipalities) 3. The League of Minnesota Cities Each association’s 2020 priorities handout is attached in the packet. Edina-Specific Legislative Priorities City staff identified the following priorities in the 2020 legislative session. These priorities are in addition to supporting the three association policies above. Development of Parks Park Dedication Fees for Multifamily Redevelopment Projects • Support legislation to provide authority for statutory cities to collect fees for park improvements if a property is redeveloped and creates new demands on the park system. • Current state law does not allow statutory cities to capture park improvement district fees from certain types of multifamily buildings because they are not subdivisions. Multifamily buildings and apartments generate significant demands to parks and outdoor amenities. • By changing the legislation around the park improvement funds, cities could more evenly distribute the costs for maintaining and creating new parks. REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 2 Local Option Sales Tax • City of Edina seeks legislative authorization to use a local option sales tax to fund regionally significant parks and street reconstruction projects. • Edina is home to three regionally significant parks that have substantial funding needs in their master plans. The three parks are: Fred Richards, Braemar and Weber Woods. • Edina is also home to regionally significant roads. The City supplements Municipal State Aid (MSA) funding with a 20 percent assessment to property owners adjacent to the street reconstruction. Current funding only reconstructs one mile every other year on Edina’s MSA system. A local option sales tax will help meet street reconstruction needs on regionally significant MSA roads. Local Authority Motor Vehicle Lease Sales Tax Allocation • In 2015, state legislation was passed to reallocate $32 million of the sales tax collected from leased vehicles from the State’s general fund, 50 percent to Greater Minnesota and 50 percent to metro counties through the County State Aid Highway fund. To balance funding for transit and roads/bridges, the new law excluded Hennepin and Ramsey counties from receiving their percentage of funding. Instead, the other five metro counties split the proceeds generated in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. With the elimination of the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) in 2017, all seven metro counties now collect their own local transportation sale tax, but the exemption still blocks Hennepin and Ramsey counties. • The City of Edina advocates for returning to the original intent by eliminating the exemption of Hennepin and Ramsey counties and distributing the sale tax on lease vehicles, per the county state aid formula, to all metro counties. Distributing Hennepin and Ramsey county proceeds to the other five metro counties puts cities in Hennepin county at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing county funds for road and bridge projects. This change would provide an estimated $10.7 million in additional funding to Hennepin County to be used on roads and bridges. Utility Franchise Fees • Preserve current legal structure for utility franchise fees for local governments. Utility franchise fees allow costs to be shared by all users versus only property owners. • Edina uses utility franchise fees for the Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety (PACS) and Conservation and Sustainability (CAS) funds. Both funds are vital to the City’s progress in sustainability and pedestrian/cyclist safety. Municipal Liquor • Continue support of municipal liquor stores and recognize their ability to generate profit that is transferred back into local community programs and amenities. • Edina has operated a municipal liquor since 1948. The liquor operation generates over $1 million annually in profit. Much of these profits go toward Edina’s enterprise and recreation facilities, such as the ice arena and aquatic center. The City recreation programs serve children and families from all over the metro area. • Oppose proposals that diminish the ability of municipal liquor stores to provide fiscal and local control benefits to their community. Public Notices in Newspapers • The Legislature should eliminate outdated and unnecessary city publication requirements that are no longer relevant or representative of the technology that has significantly increased access to government. These requirements are unnecessarily costly to the city. In 2018, Edina spent approximately $36,000 on 143 public notices. Cities should have the authority to determine REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 3 whether web publication should replace or supplement newspaper publication based on the unique needs of each community. • Cities should have the authority to a) Determine whether web publication should replace or supplement newspaper publication. b) Designate an appropriate publication that reaches the maximum number of residents possible. c) Use alternative means of communication to fulfill statutory requirements such as city newsletters, cable television, video streaming, email, blogs and city websites. d) Expand the use of summaries where information is technical or lengthy by removing the requirement for Council approval of summary publications. Increase City Manager Purchasing Agency to Adjust for Inflation • The City Manager is the chief purchasing agent of statutory cities. Purchases and contracts over $20,000 are recommended by the manager but require additional approval by the City Council. In Edina, this approval is obtained through Requests for Purchase on the Consent agenda. • The $20,000 statutory threshold has not been raised since 2004. This does not account for standard inflation over the past 15 years. • The City of Edina supports a raise in City Council approval threshold to adjust for inflation. Repeal Statutory Salary Limitation on City Employees • Minnesota law limits the salaries of city employees to 110% of the Governor’s salary, with an annual inflationary adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index. Locally elected city councilmembers and mayors are in the best position to determine the needs of their communities, including the compensation of city employees. • The artificial cap on salaries places Minnesota cities at a disadvantage when recruiting and retaining talented individuals. Minnesota law already requires that each political subdivision post the salaries of its three highest-paid employees on its website, so the salaries of key employees are readily known to the local taxpayers and voters who provide the ultimate check on the actions of city councils. • Between 1998 and 2003, the Legislature exempted entities including school districts, hospitals, clinics and health maintenance organizations owned by a government organization from the salary limitation. During the 2018 session, the Legislature expanded that exemption by allowing the Metropolitan Airports Commission to be exempt from the salary limitation. • The Legislature should end the salary cap altogether and be consistent with all political subdivisions. Local Environmental Protection Measures • Adopt enabling legislation to allow cities to implement local environmental protection measures. • The City Council requests the State Legislature adopt enabling legislation allowing local governments to devise and implement environmental protection measures, including such measures as plastic bag and Styrofoam food packaging bans and maintain authority for fees of said products. Environment Advanced Energy Standards • Support the work cities have done around Advancing Building Performance Standards that would apply to any newly constructed and renovated commercial and multifamily development. • Buildings account for about 40 percent of all the energy used in Minnesota. Energy codes are among the most cost-effective way to impact the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of new construction. Since 2009, Minnesota’s energy code has saved homeowners and businesses, reducing energy bills by about $160 million. While the Minnesota energy code is a mandatory statewide code, local governments are restricted from setting more ambitious standards. If Minnesota wants to meet state climate goals, cities need other options for improving the baseline energy requirements for buildings. REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 4 • Bloomington, Edina, Minneapolis, Rochester, Saint Louis Park, and Saint Paul with over 20 engaged cities have convened city-led workshops to identify common interest and solutions. This work is being shared with elected officials in January 2020. Limited Liability for Private Commercial Salt Applicators • To address the growing levels of chloride pollution in water resources, legislation was proposed at the 2018 Minnesota Legislature to encourage commercial salt applicators to adopt winter maintenance best management practices. The City supports limited liability for commercial applicators who complete the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Smart Salting Certification Program. • The City of Edina passed Resolution 2018-18 supporting legislation to provide limited liability to commercial salt applicators that are certified through the MPCA program. Local Environmental Public Health Programs • The City of Edina supports the authority and opportunity of all cities and counties to locally operate delegated food, pool and lodging establishment regulatory programs supported by a local fee structure. • The City of Edina supports legislation that provides continued support of locally delivered environmental public health services. • The City of Edina supports a unified retail food safety system in a single state agency, which supports delivery of food safety program activities by local jurisdictions. Building Energy Benchmarking • Maintain authority for cities to create building energy benchmarking programs and ordinances. • Edina and St. Louis Park passed ordinances that would require buildings over 25,000 square feet to benchmark their energy data, like the current Minneapolis policy. Over 30 cities and a few states across the country have similar ordinances and see energy savings and emission reductions post ordinance. Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) Municipal Grant Program • Inflow and infiltration are terms for the ways that clean water (ground and storm) makes its way into sanitary sewer pipes and gets treated, unnecessarily, at regional wastewater plants. • The Metropolitan Council identifies cities contributing excessive inflow and infiltration (I/I) into the regional wastewater system and charges the city for the excess. • The City of Edina supports state financial assistance to cities for metro area I/I mitigation, such as the Municipal State Bond Grant Program. Transportation Municipal State Aid (MSA) Funding • The state aid road system was developed to provide vital, high-quality connections necessary for the overall state highway network to work well. The roads that are on the state aid system typically carry heavier traffic volumes, connect major points of interest and provide an integrated and coordinated road system. • The City of Edina has 40.85 miles of roads designated as MSA. The funding is a vital part of maintaining these high-quality connections. The City of Edina asks for continued support of municipal state aid funding. Street Improvement Districts • Enable legislation that would allow cities to create street improvement districts as a long-term replacement plan of special assessment financing of street improvement projects. REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 5 • Almost 85 percent of municipal streets are ineligible for municipal state aid (MSA) funds and must be paid for with property taxes, special assessments or other funding sources such as franchise fees. Maintenance costs increase as road systems age, and no city is spending enough on roadway capital improvements to maintain a 50-year lifecycle. For every $1 spent on maintenance, a road authority, and therefore taxpayers, save $7 in repairs. • Cities need greater resources and flexible policies in order to meet growing demands for street improvements and maintenance. Enabling legislation that would allow cities to create street improvement districts (like sidewalk improvement districts already allowed under Minn. Stat. § 435.44) would allow cities to use this tool as a long-term replacement plan of special assessment financing of local street improvement projects. Local Bridge Replacement Program (LBRP) Funding • The Local Bridge Replacement Program provides local agencies transportation funding for the reconstruction, rehabilitation or removal of bridges or structures. The City of Edina has 27 local bridges. • The program is financed by the passage of specific legislation allocating general obligation state bond funds. The program does not receive enough funding. In 2019, there were $36 million dollars in waitlisted unfunded bridge projects, including a request from the City of Edina on the Minnehaha Creek and Wooddale Ave bridge. • The City of Edina supports funding dedicated to the Local Bridge Replacement Program to provide safe bridges. Public Safety Bonding Request for the South Metro Public Safety Training Facility • The South Metro Public Safety Training Facility (SMPSTF) is a Joint Powers Agreement between the Metropolitan Airports Commission, and the Cities of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, and Edina. Since 2004, SMPSTF provides training space and opportunities for public safety personnel, and maintains ongoing contracts with the City of Minnetonka, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Veteran's Affairs Police Department. • The SMPSTF has regional appeal because of its convenient location, multiple classrooms, fire training tower, firing ranges, defensive tactics gym, and a variety of training courses. • To continue providing state-of-the-art training facilities and services for emergency personnel, and as part of its strategic planning, the SMPSTF Board of Directors has identified multiple capital improvement projects totaling $5.7 Million. The Board of Directors submitted a bonding bill request for 2020. Funding of Fire Resources, Training and Statewide Response Teams • The Edina Fire Department relies on State funding for training through the Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education (MBFTE). Edina is one of the primary departments that makes up the MN Task Force 1 Statewide Response Team. • The department relies on the appropriation of the dedicated revenue funds from insurance surcharge proceeds to fund vital functions of the Minnesota Fire Service. This funding has been approved by the Minnesota Legislature in the past. The MN Fire Service requests approximately $13 million to be appropriated from the dedicated revenue account to fund the State Fire Marshal’s office, the Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education (MBFTE) and the Statewide Response Teams (HAZMAT, Task Force 1 Structural Collapse Team and Air Rescue Team). • The City of Edina supports broader discretion in the use of the Fire State Aid it receives. Railroad & Hazardous Substance Safety Training and Funding REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 6 • Support railroad safety by requiring railroads to continue to provide training to responders and to share planning, response and rail line activity information with responders and emergency managers. • Edina has one active railway that carries two freight trains a day through the city. Residential Fire Sprinklers • Oppose efforts to statutorily limit the use of residential fire sprinklers. Sprinklers protect occupants, firefighters and property from fires. Recent Minnesota studies show the cost of installing residential fire sprinkler systems averages $1.15 per sprinklered square foot, or approximately 1 percent of new home construction • Support the inclusion of professionals and industry experts in the creating or writing of any code parameters, particularly as it relates to the installation of fire suppression systems in residential building code. Retail Fireworks Sales • Oppose the expansion of legal firework sales in Minnesota. Fireworks cause injury and pose a serious fire risk to humans and animals. Oppose expansion of aerial and audible fireworks in Minnesota to protect residents from serious risk of injuries and property damage. Housing Protect Low- and Moderate-Income Tenants • Tenant Protection in Affordable Housing Property Ownership Change o Support city’s ability to enact tenant protections to support access to affordable housing and housing stability for tenants. Amend State statute 471.9996 to allow for a 90-day tenant protection period following the transfer of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) property ownership. o Currently state statute prohibits any local adoption of an ordinance to control rents on private residential properties unless the ordinance is approved in a general election. Investment buyers have been purchasing NOAH multi-family residential properties, rehabbing properties and increasing rents. In some cases, new owners have non-renewed the leases of existing tenants with minimal notice and/or implemented substantial rent increases with minimal notice. A 90-day period that would prohibit rent increases and non- renewals would allow time for existing residents in these situations to seek alternative housing. • Eviction Expungement Reform o Records of unlawful detainer filings remain on a tenant’s public record regardless whether the matter was settled or dismissed prior to the court hearing or if the tenant prevails at the hearing. In these cases, the eviction record is not a reasonable predictor of future tenant behavior and should be expunged since the existence of this record impedes the ability of the renter to secure suitable rental housing in the future. o In 2019, Rep. Hassan introduced HF 1972 that would allow for expungement of the eviction record in the cases noted above. In addition, the courts could grant an expungement if an eviction case is three years old and the court finds that the court case is no longer a reasonable predictor of future tenant behavior and the expungement is in the interest of justice and those interests are not outweighed by the public’s interest in knowing about the record. o The City supports legislation that would expand the eligibility for discretionary and mandatory expungements for eviction case court files. Support Regulatory Tools for Affordable Housing • 4d Tax Classification Tax Rate Program REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 7 o The 4d low-income property tax program is run by the state and provides a property tax benefit to qualifying low-income rental properties. The program provides an incentive for market-rate properties to designate a portion of their units as rent-restricted and provide tax relief to existing rent-restricted properties. o Although preservation of the program is the top priority, the City supports evaluating the 4d low-income property tax program to determine how program changes could affect renters, landlords and property taxpayers. Studies should include participation and input from metropolitan local government representatives. • Land Trust Tax Reduction o Edina has 16 land trusts residential properties, with property values in the city rapidly increasing. The high property values and corresponding taxes are impacting the ability for land trust homeowners to remain in their home. o The city supports reducing property taxes for owners of land trust housing. • Inclusionary Zoning Ordinances o Inclusionary zoning ordinances allows for cities to require the development of affordable and workforce housing in market rate and commercial developments. o Inclusionary zoning ordinance are not allowed by statue for statutory cities. o City supports changing the statute to allow statutory cities to adopt inclusionary zoning ordinances. This will allow the city to address the growing need for affordable housing for our workforce and keep the city economically competitive. • Affordable Housing Fee on Development o The City of Edina requires a contribution into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund on new multi-family residential development. A contribution for all new development, including single-family homes or non-residential development, would help increase the trust fund for future housing projects and initiatives. o The city supports legislation that would allow for the collection of a permitting fee to contribute to affordable housing on all new development. Create New Funding Sources for Affordable Housing • Affordable Housing Financing Bonding Authority o The legislature provides bonding authority to construct affordable housing. The demand for affordable housing continues to rise, meriting the need for additional financing. o The city supports an effective bonding bill that provides Housing Infrastructure (HIB) and General Obligation (GO) Bonds to fund affordable housing to serve low-income households. • Establish Revenue Resource for Affordable Housing o The need for affordable housing in the State has grown to crisis proportion, requiring a larger response than local jurisdictions can provide on their own. Increased State level funding is critical to enable local jurisdictions to enact programs to facilitate the creation and preservation of affordable housing, including subsidized and Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH). o The City supports establishment of a financing source to fund local and regional programs to facilitate the creation and preservation of affordable housing. • Affordable Housing Trust Funds o In the 2017 session, the legislature passed language that enables cities to set up and resource Affordable Housing Trust Funds (AHTFs). The City of Edina created an Affordable Housing Trust Fund in 2019. o The City supports legislation that establishes a dedicated revenue source for AHTFs, including a state match for local and regional housing trust fund investments and policies in support of affordable housing. • Tax Credit Contribution Fund REPORT / RECOMMENDATION Page 8 o The housing market depends on federal tax credits to build affordable housing. Federal funding is increasingly volatile. A state-run program would simplify and increase participation in supplying adequate housing for all. The Minnesota Tax Credit Contribution Fund incentivizes private investment and promotes community and economic development. o The program is capitalized by contributions from taxpayers that have state income or corporate/insurance premium tax liabilities. In exchange for contributions to affordable housing, participating taxpayers receive credit against their state income tax liability equal to their contribution to a specific development or the general loan pool. Participation in the program is simple, and the credit is flexible, easy to use statewide, leverages significant private equity, and boosts local businesses. o The city supports the establishment of a tax credit contribution tool to incentivize private investment and promote community and economic development. • Use of Pooled Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for Affordable Housing o Currently, state statute allows for the pooling of tax increment financing to be utilized for affordable housing within the defined redevelopment area of the city. However, the pooled TIF must be maintained in a separate fund with ongoing annual reporting requirements. o Allowing cities with established Affordable Housing Trust Funds to deposit the pooled TIF in those funds will allow for greater flexibility in the use of the pooled TIF for qualified costs to facilitate the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing while alleviating the administrative burden of annual reporting. o Support legislation that would allow the City to deposit pooled TIF for affordable housing in Edina’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The MLC is an association of 16 suburban communities providing a voice at the capitol to promote transparency, accountability and equity in public policy decisions. 2020 Legislative Priorities Municipal Legislative Commission Building Permit Fees MLC Strongly disagrees with the builders’ industry claims on permit fees. The fees are based on valuation of the construction project, play an important role in ensuring standards are met, and help protect existing taxpayers from new development costs. Salary Cap Repeal MLC supports legislation to repeal the salary cap on key local government employees. Locally elected officials are accountable for fiscal decisions within their communities. Sales Tax Exemption on Construction Materials MLC supports legislation to streamline the process required for cities to secure the sales tax exemption on construction materials. Infrastructure Fees The MLC supports legislation that gives cities the ability to impose infrastructure fees so the costs of new development aren’t shifted onto existing taxpayers. Presidential Primary MLC supports changes to the Presidential Primary election law to protect voter privacy. Under current law, voters are required to request their ballot based on the political party of their choice. MLC is concerned data could be made public and used to “out” public- sector employees, such as those working for local governments, as biased or non-partisan. mlcmn.org Affordable Housing Tools MLC supports new and enhanced tools for cities to meet demand for affordable housing. This includes senior housing, workforce housing, naturally occurring affordable housing, and housing for the lowest-income households. Increased Funding for Corridors of Commerce MLC supports increased investments in Corridors of Commerce. Corridors of Commerce funds projects that improve traffic flow and the movement of freight. Investment in the TED Program MLC supports increased investments in the Transportation Economic Development (TED) program. TED is a partnership between DEED and MnDOT to leverage public and private funding to advance transportation programs with significant economic impact. MLC Policy Positions City Population Jobs Apple Valley 53,429 16,268 Bloomington 89,654 91,785 Burnsville 62,657 35,073 Chanhassen 26,266 15,323 Eagan 68,347 59,530 Eden Prairie 63,456 62,893 Edina 52,535 44,581 Inver Grove Heights 35,381 10,931 Lakeville 64,334 17,276 Maple Grove 66,903 35,898 Minnetonka 53,713 49,366 Plymouth 78,351 55,488 Savage 31,407 8,551 Shakopee 41,506 26,841 Shoreview 26,480 11,117 Woodbury 70,840 24,826 MLC City Statistics • Total Population: 885,259 • Total Jobs: 565,747 • MLC cities generate approximately 22% of sales tax in MN • Total Legislators in MLC Delegation: 45 MLC Government Relations Team Tom Poul • tpoul@messerlikramer.com • 651-260-0696 Katy Sen • ksen@messerlikramer.com • 612-280-2249 Rachel Stuckey • rstuckey@messerlikramer.com • 651-556-9205 MLC Cities - Population and Jobs Data from https://stats.metc.state.mn.us/profile/Default.aspx mlcmn.org • Supports individual property tax relief through the circuit breaker program • Opposes carving out revenue from the Fiscal Disparities pool to support specific projects • Opposes automatic inflationary increases in LGA • Supports policies that preserve local control over development decisions so existing taxpayers are not required to subsidize growth • Supports state funding for new early-voting responsibilities that fall on cities • Supports regional capital bonding equity BONDING FOR INFLOW- INFILTRATION MITIGATION Metro Cities supports a $9.5 million capital appropriation to assist metropolitan cities with inflow-infiltration mitigation on local systems. AIDS and REVENUES Sales Tax on Construction Materials: Metro Cities supports streamlining the process for the construction materials sales tax exemption for local governments. Local Government Aid (LGA): Metro Cities supports the LGA program and opposes restrictions in the distribution of aid. PERA Aid Extension: Metro Cities supports extending the PERA aid to local governments. LOCAL CONTROL Metro Cities opposes legislation that would erode local control and decision-making. Metro Cities opposes levy limits and other restrictions on local budget processes. Metro Cities supports removing the statutory salary limit on city employees. HOUSING and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT State Support for Housing: Metro Cities supports funding for state programs for housing preservation, affordable housing and workforce housing. Metro Cities supports a state match appropriation to support Local Housing Trust Funds. 4d Program: Metro Cities supports an evaluation of the 4d low-income property tax program. Economic Development and Job Creation: Metro Cities supports the Minnesota Investment Fund and Job Creation Fund, which help to support local economic development. INFRASTRUCTURE FEE AUTHORITY Metro Cities supports legislation clarifying that cities may impose infrastructure fees needed to support new housing development. TRANSPORTATION Road and Bridge Funding: Metro Cities supports the Local Road and Local Bridge Program, Corridors of Commerce, and Local Roads Wetland Replacement Program. Metro Cities supports legislation to create a new Local Cost Share Assistance Account and supports increasing Municipal Street Aid (MSA). Resources for Local Streets: Metro Cities supports a sustainable state funding source for the Small Cities Assistance Account, and creation of a Large Cities Assistance Account to assist with local road needs that fall outside the MSA formula. Metro Cities supports legislation that allows cities to create street improvement districts. Regional Transit Funding: Metro Cities supports an effective, comprehensive regional transit system to meet the needs of the metropolitan region and state, and sufficient state and regional revenue sources to fund capital and operating expenses for transit providers. EMERALD ASH BORER MITIGATION Metro Cities supports state assistance to help mitigate the Emerald Ash Borer infestation. REGIONAL GOVERNANCE Metro Cities supports four-year staggered terms for Metropolitan Council members and enhancing local official input into the selection of Metropolitan Council members. Metro Cities opposes local elected officials serving on the Metropolitan Council. Metro Cities Legislative Priorities Municipal Legislatne- The MLC is an association of 16 suburban communities providing a voice at the capitol to promote transparency, accountability and equity in public policy decisions. 2020 Legislative Priorities Building Permit Fees MLC Strongly disagrees with the builders' industry claims on permit fees. The fees are based on valuation of the construction project, play an important role in ensuring standards are met, and help protect existing taxpayers from new development costs. Affordable Housing Tools MLC supports new and enhanced tools for cities to meet demand for affordable housing. This includes senior housing, workforce housing, naturally occurring affordable housing, and housing for the lowest-income households. Sales Tax Exemption on Construction Materials MLC supports legislation to streamline the process required for cities to secure the sales tax exemption on construction materials. Salary Cap Repeal MLC supports legislation to repeal the salary cap on key local government employees. Locally elected officials are accountable for fiscal decisions within their communities. Investment in the TED Program MLC supports increased investments in the Transportation Economic Development (TED) program.TED is a partnership between DEED and MnDOT to leverage public and private funding to advance transportation programs with significant economic impact. Increased Funding for Corridors of Commerce MLC supports increased investments in Corridors of Commerce. Corridors of Commerce funds projects that improve traffic flow and the movement of freight. Infrastructure Fees The MLC supports legislation that gives cities the ability to impose infrastructure fees so the costs of new development aren't shifted onto existing taxpayers. MUNICIPAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION mlcmn.org MUNICIPAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION MLC Policy Positions • Supports individual property tax relief through the circuit breaker program • Opposes carving out revenue from the Fiscal Disparities pool to support specific projects • Opposes automatic inflationary increases in LGA • Supports policies that preserve local control over development decisions so existing taxpayers are not required to subsidize growth • Supports state funding for new early-voting responsibilities that fall on cities • Supports regional capital bonding equity MLC City Statistics • Total Population: 885,259 • Total Jobs: 565,747 MLC Cities - Population and Jobs City Population Jobs Apple Valley 53,429 16,268 • Total Legislators in MLC Bloomington 89,654 91,785 Delegation: 45 Burnsville 62,657 35,073 • MLC cities generate Chanhassen 26,266 15,323 approximately 22% of sales tax in MN Eagan 68,347 59,530 Eden Prairie 63,456 62,893 Edina 52,535 44,581 Inver Grove Heights 35,381 10,931 fh1LC (a.o.'..T9 ram e La kevi Ile 64,334 17,276 Re 1.jions Tainrn Maple Grove 66,903 35,898 Tom Poul • tpoul@messerlikramer.com Minnetonka 53,713 49,366 • 651-260-0696 Plymouth 78,351 55,488 Katy Sen • ksen@messerlikramer.com Savage 31,407 8,551 • 612-280-2249 Shakopee 41,506 26,841 Rachel Stuckey Shoreview 26,480 11,117 • rstuckey@messerlikramer.com • 651-556-9205 Woodbury 70,840 24,826 mlcmn.org 2020 State Legislative Priorities Development of Parks • Allow cities to collect park dedication fees for multifamily redevelopment projects • Support an Edina Local Option Sales Tax Local Authority • Eliminate the exemption of Hennepin/Ramsey counties in the Motor Vehicle Lease Sales Tax Allocation • Preserve utility franchise fees • Support municipal liquor operations • Eliminate city requirements for public notices in newspapers • Increase City Manager authority to adjust for inflation • Repeal statutory salary limitation on city employees • Adopt enabling legislation to allow cities to implement local environmental protection measures Public Safety • Support a bonding request for the South Metro Public Safety Training Facility • Support funding of fire resources, training and statewide response teams • Support railroad and hazardous substance safety • Oppose statutory prohibition of residential fire sprinklers • Oppose the expansion of retail fireworks sales Housing Protect low- and moderate-income tenants o Tenant protection in affordable housing property ownership change o Eviction expungement reform • Support regulatory tools for affordable housing o 4d tax classification tax rate program o Land trust tax reduction o Inclusionary zoning ordinances o Affordable housing fee on development • Environment • Support advanced energy standards for Create new funding sources for affordable housing commercial buildings o Affordable housing financing bonding authority • • Support limited liability for private commercial salt applicators Support local environmental public health o o Establish revenue resource for affordable housing Support affordable housing trust funds programs o o Tax credit contribution fund Use of pooled Tax-Increment Financing • Maintain local authority for building energy benchmarking (TIF) for affordable housing • Support Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) Municipal Grant Program Transportation • Support Municipal State Aid (MSA) funding • Support cities' ability to create street improvement districts • Support Local Bridge. Replacement Program Funding The CITY of EDINA