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)
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Adding Quality to Life
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