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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Packet 01-26-2010 Special.pdfCITY OF PLYMOUTH AGENDA SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 26, 2010, 5:30 p.m. MEDICINE LAKE CONFERENCE ROOM 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. DISCUSSION TOPICS A. 2010 Council Goals and Legislative Priorities 3. SET FUTURE STUDY SESSIONS 4. ADJOURN Special Council Meeting 1 of 1 January 12, 2010 rp)City of Plymouth Adding Qwbly to Life REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING January 26, 2009 Agenda Number: To: Laurie Ahrens, City Manager Prepared by: Calvin Portner, Administrative Services Director Reviewed by: Item: City Council Goals and Legislative Priorities Discussion 1. ACTION REQUESTED: Discuss and indentify 2010 City Council goals and legislative priorities. 2. BACKGROUND: Each year the City Council reviews and sets goals and legislative priorities. Attached for your discussion are the following: 1) 2009 Council Goals 2) 2009 Legislative Priorities 3) 2010 Draft Legislative Priorities for discussion 4) 2010 Draft Council Goals for discussion 3. BUDGET IMPACT: N/A 4. ATTACHMENTS: 2009 Council Goals 2009 Legislative Priorities 2010 Draft Legislative Priorities for discussion Page 1 rp) city of Plymouth Adding tx711Y to LIJe 2009 City Council Goals Implement Solutions to Economic Challenges. Prioritize and maintain the strong core services that helped Plymouth achieve its status as Money magazine's #1 City. Seek additional efficiencies and expand collaborative efforts to maintain service levels within financial constraints. Protect Plymouth's Strong Financial Position. Maintain Plymouth's fiscal health through sound financial management practices. Strengthen long-term financial planning through continued biennial budgeting and forecasting. Maintain Aaa bond rating and promote transparency through financial reporting. Address Transportation Issues. Advance transportation and transit issues to improve the local economy, promote business growth and development, and improve area roadways and highways to reduce commuter congestion. Specific emphasis is on maintaining suburban transit and advancing the following projects: third lane on 1-494, study of Highway 169 between 1-494 and 1-94, and improvements to Highway 55. Pursue Northwest Greenway and Environmental Initiatives. Continue acquisition of property for the Northwest Greenway and park land, as directed by voter referendum, and complete Phase 2 of the Millennium Garden. Collaborate with watershed agencies to ensure effective progress on water quality mandates. Continue energy conservation efforts in city buildings. Continue Proactive Public Safety Initiatives. Build on the successes of fire prevention and fire service programs as well as proactive policing strategies to promote and enhance livability. Protect the City's Infrastructure Investment. Continue to monitor financial resources, economic conditions and timing with regard to infrastructure needs to ensure that the City can protect and enhance the useful life of streets and utilities. Page 2 2009 Legislative Priorities Local Control. The City opposes legislation that erodes local control or creates mandates without a corresponding state appropriation or funding mechanism. Levy Limits. The City opposes levy limits. State -imposed limits on local decision making are inconsistent with local accountability. Market Value Homestead Credit. The City supports payment of MVHC directly to the homeowner (not using cities as a conduit) in order to improve transparency and eliminate unpredictability in budgeting. Fiscal Disparities. The City encourages the legislature to reexamine the fiscal disparities program. Many of the factors which supported the original fiscal disparities law in the early 1970's may no longer be valid. Transportation and Transit Funding. To efficiently transport commuters and promote business growth, the City encourages the legislature to identify long-term funding sources with growth potential to allow the building of efficient transit and highway systems. The City supports preservation of suburban transit, and the expansion of the transit taxing district. Public Safety o Primary Seatbelt Law. The City supports legislation for a primary seatbelt law. o Sentencing Guidelines for Weapons Crimes on School Property. The City supports an increase of the sentencing guidelines for both adults and juveniles for weapons -related offenses on school property to better protect our schools. o Secure Task Force Funding. The City supports continued funding for Drug Task Force, Gang Strike Task Force and other multijurisdictional organizations that pool regional resources. o Maintain Judicial System Funding. The City strongly encourages support for maintaining judicial system funding levels as it relates to pre- and post -sentencing impacts and retaining the Ridgedale Court. o Fire Insurance 2% Fund. The City encourages the continued use of insurance 2% funds to be devoted for firefighter pension funds. Additionally, the City supports the continuation of state funding for fire training activities. Metropolitan Council. The City encourages the legislature to broaden the metropolitan council boundaries beyond the current seven county area and to evaluate whether the Council would be more effective as an elected or appointed body. Sales Tax Exemption on Local Government Purchases. The City supports legislation to reinstate the sales tax exemption for all local government purchases. Utility Relocations. The City supports efforts to ensure relocation of utilities in a timely manner, efforts to increase service reliability, as well as indemnification from fees and fines when relocation is beyond the City's span of control. Election Law. The City supports enhancements to election law that improve efficiency, while maintaining system integrity. Page 3 1 2010 Legislative Priorities TRANSPORTATION To efficiently transport commuters and promote business growth, the City encourages the legislature to identify long-term funding sources with growth potential to allow the building of efficient transit and highway systems. Specifically, Plymouth supports the following: o Third lane expansion on 1-494 from Highway 55 to 1-694, the only portion of 1-494 still with two lanes. o The City supports preservation of suburban transit, and the expansion of the transit taxing district. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Housing Persons Not Capable of Self -Preservation. The city encourages clarification with respect to a conflict between the Fair Housing Act and the Uniform Building Code. Housing of more than five (5) persons not capable of self-preservation in the same building requires that the building be constructed to the Uniform Building Code specified standards. Day Care Facilities in Residential Areas. The city encourages the Legislature to amend or clarify MN Stat. 245A.14 Sud 1. to require that a residential day care facility must be accessory to the principal use of a residential property and the business must be operated by residents of the residential structure. MN Stat. 245A.14 states: "A licensed nonresidential program with a licensed capacity of 12 or fewer persons and a group family day care facility licensed under Minnesota Rules, parts 9502.0314 to 9502.0445, to serve 14 or fewer children shall be considered a permitted single-family residential use of property for the purposes of zoning and other land use regulations." This is interpreted by Hennepin County and the State to mean that a day care can be operated from a single family home independent of whether someone lives in the house or not. 180 Day Building Permit Rule. The city encourages the adoption of legislation amending MN Stat. 3268.121 subd. 2 (2), to allow cities the ability to adopt ordinance language that could require exterior work of residential structures be completed within 180 days of building permit issuance. Recent court cases have concluded that the strict interpretation of the Statute prohibits cities from adopting such ordinances. The current statute reads: a municipality must not by ordinance, or through development agreement, require building code provisions regulating components or systems of any structure that are different from any provision of the State Building Code. Vehicle Miles Traveled. The city opposes legislation mandating comprehensive plan amendments that includes requirements to calculate, monitor and reduce vehicle miles traveled to a previous date. Page 4 In 2009, bills were introduced (HF0898 and Senate SF549) requiring cities to calculate 1990 vehicle miles traveled and 2005 vehicle miles traveled and then update comprehensive plans by 2015 to included ways on how that city would reduce vehicle miles traveled through redevelopment and other means. This requirement would have resulted in updating Comp Plans three years prior to the current 2018 deadline. The bill was not passed, however, direction was provided to the Met Council to complete a Land Use and Planning Report on transportation by January 15, 2011. Next Round of Comprehensive Plan Updates. The city encourages the Legislature to amend MN Statute 473.864 Sec. 14. Sub 2., requiring the next mandatory Comprehensive Plan Updates to be completed by 2018 so that it is better tied to the census. Currently cities are updating plans using census data that is approximately seven to eight years old. To better plan for demographic changes, updates should be required by the second year of a decade. PUBLIC SAFETY Local responsibility to collect and dispose of over-the-counter and prescription drugs There is a proposal requiring local police agencies to act as a repository for the general public's unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Under the proposal, a department would collect unused drugs and make the proper provisions for disposal. This unfunded mandate would increase city liability exposure and would be incredibly expensive. Forfeiture and Seizure laws - there may be a proposal to change the current forfeiture laws. Under the new proposal, all proceeds from lawful seizures will go to the state versus the local task forces. The current law has a number of checks and balances and law enforcement has sustained their drug task force funding with the proceeds. Buy American Law" - Needs to be altered to provide better clarity. There are very few uniform specialized technology and equipment companies that manufacture all of their products in the U.S. or are of inferior quality. The League of MN Cities and most of the professional police and fire organizations have voiced concerns with the availability of service weapons and public safety equipment. The mandate's impact is a significant expense to cities. Sentencing Guidelines for Weapons Crimes on School Property. The city supports an increase of the sentencing guidelines for both adults and juveniles for weapons -related offenses on school property to better protect our schools. Maintain Judicial System Funding. The city strongly encourages support for maintaining judicial system funding levels as it relates to pre- and post -sentencing impacts and retaining the Ridgedale Court. Page 5 Fire Insurance 2% Fund. The city encourages the continued use of insurance 2% funds to be devoted for firefighter pension funds. Additionally, the City supports the continuation of state funding for fire training activities. Metropolitan Council. The city encourages the legislature to broaden the metropolitan council boundaries beyond the current seven county area and to evaluate whether the Council would be more effective as an elected or appointed body. GENERAL GOVERNMENT Local Control. The city opposes legislation that erodes local control or creates mandates without a corresponding state appropriation or funding mechanism. o Mandates. Remove unnecessary reporting and other mandates and provide a funding source for state -required mandates. o Levy Limits. The city opposes levy limits. State -imposed limits on local decision making are inconsistent with local accountability. o Market Value Homestead Credit. The city supports payment of MVHC directly to the homeowner (not using cities as a conduit) in order to improve transparency and eliminate unpredictability in budgeting. o Fiscal Disparities. The city encourages the legislature to reexamine the fiscal disparities program. Many of the factors which supported the original fiscal disparities law in the early 1970's may no longer be valid. Sales Tax Exemption on Local Government Purchases. The city supports legislation to reinstate the sales tax exemption for all local government purchases. Utility Relocations. The city supports efforts to ensure relocation of utilities in a timely manner, efforts to increase service reliability, as well as indemnification from fees and fines when relocation is beyond the city's span of control. Election Law. The city supports enhancements to election law that improve efficiency, while maintaining system integrity including improvements in absentee voting and early voting. Page 6 9 City of Agenda Plymouth Number: Adding Qkelity to Life To: Laurie Ahrens, City Manager SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Prepared by: Sandy Engdahl, City Clerk January 26, 2010 Reviewed by: Cal Portner, Administrative Services Director Item: Set Future Study Sessions 1. ACTION REQUESTED: Review the pending study session topics list, and set study sessions or amend the topics list as desired. 2. ATTACHMENTS: Pending Study Session Topic List Official Calendars Page 1 Pending Study Session Topics at least 3 Council members have approved the following study items on the list) Discuss Future Transit Service (CC) Review sign ordinance as it relates to athletic fields (JJ, GB, TB) Other requests for study session topics: Update with the City Manager (spring) Meet with prosecutor for update (fall) (TB) Consider incentives to encourage tree preservation Architectural guidelines (fall) Review dangerous dog regulations/process (JW/JJ) Page 2 r Plymouth Adding Quality to Life February 2010 Modified on 01/ 15/ 10 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 2:00-7:00 PM PLANNING HUMAN RIGHTS Fire and Ice PRECINCT COMMISSION COMMISSION Festival CAUCUSES MEETING MEETING Parkers Lake Council Chambers Parkers Lake Room 7 8 9 5:30 PM 10 11 12 13 SPECIAL COUNCIL 7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL 7:00 PM PARK 13 REC MEETING QUALITY ADVISORY Medicine Lake Room City Assessor Update COMMITTEE COMMISSION EQC) MEETING PRAC) MEETING 7:00 PM Council Chambers Council Chambers REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers 14 15 16 17 7:00 PM 18 6:00 PM 19 20 PLANNING BOARD AND PRESIDENTS COMMISSION COMMISSION DAY MEETING RECOGNITION Council Chambers EVENT Plymouth Creek CITY OFFICES Center CLOSED 21 22 23 24 25 26 275:30 PM 7:PM 7:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL PLYMOUTH HRA MEETING MEETING ADVISORY Medicine Lake Room Medicine Lake Room Review City Fees COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) 7:00 PM MEETING REGULAR COUNCIL Medicine Lake Room MEETING Council Chambers 28 Modified on 01/ 15/ 10 Page 3 City of Plymouth Adding Quality to Life March 2010 Modified on 01 / 15/ 10 Page 4 1 2 3 7:30-9:30 AM 4 5 6 STATE OF THE CITY MEETING Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 7 8 9 7:00 PM 10 11 Cancelled 12 13 REGULAR COUNCIL PARK It REC MEETING ADVISORY Council Chambers COMMISSION 7:00 PM PRAC) MEETING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE (EQC) MEETING Council Chambers 14 Daylight 15 16 17 7:00 PM 18 19 20 Savings PLANNING Commences COMMISSIONSetClocksAhead 1 Hour MEETING Council Chambers 21 22 23 7:00 PM 24 7:00 PM 25 7:00 PM 26 27 REGULAR COUNCIL PLYMOUTH HRA MEETING MEETING ADVISORY Medicine Lake Room Council Chambers COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) MEETING Medicine Lake Room 28 29 30 31 PASSOVER Begins at Sunset Modified on 01 / 15/ 10 Page 4 r Plymouth Adding Quality to Life April 2010 Modified on 01/ 15/ 10 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7:00 PM 7 7:00 PM 8 Cancelled 9106:00-8:00 PM 9:00 AM— Board of PLANNING PARK Ft REC Yard ft Garden 1:00 PMEqualizationCOMMISSIONADVISORYExpoYard13GardenCouncilChambersMEETINGCOMMISSIONPlymouthCreekExpo Council Chambers PRAC) MEETING Center Fieldhouse Plymouth Creek Center Fieldhouse 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 7:00 PM 7:00 PM Primavera Primavera REGULAR COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL Plymouth Arts Plymouth Arts MEETING QUALITY Council Show Council Show Council Chambers COMMITTEE Plymouth Creek Plymouth Creek EQC) MEETING Center Center Council Chambers 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Primavera Primavera 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM Plymouth Arts Plymouth Arts Board of PLANNING HRA MEETING Council Show Council Show Equalization COMMISSION Medicine Lake Room Plymouth Creek Plymouth Creek Reconvened MEETING Center Center Council Chambers Council Chambers 25 26 27 28 29 307:00 PM 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL PLYMOUTH MEETING ADVISORY Council Chambers COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT (PACT) MEETING Medicine Lake Room Modified on 01/ 15/ 10 Page 5