HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Resolution 2005-052RESOLUTION 2005-52
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
2005 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY ISSUES
Local Control. The City of Plymouth believes that local control is the cornerstone of
representative local government. We urge legislators to put decision-making on local issues in
the hands of local officials. This leaves no question about who is responsible and increases
accountability. We oppose legislation that erodes local control or creates mandates without a
corresponding state appropriation or fiinding mechanism.
Taxpayer Bill of Rights. State imposed limits on local government decision making, such as
Minnesota's proposed Taxpayer Bill of Rights legislation, are inconsistent with local
accountability and are rigid formula mechanisms that counter representative democracy and
challenge local units of government to plan with financial confidence.
Levy Limits. Levy limits should not be re-enacted. Local government officials should have the
ability to make decisions on local taxation and service levels.
Street Utility Fees. The City supports the Legislature allowing revenue options for cities, such
as street utility fees, particularly if levy limits or other restrictive measures remain in place.
Wine Sales in Grocery Stores. Eliminating the sale of alcohol to minors has been a top priority
of the City of Plymouth for several years. The City conducts compliance checks and has adopted
a Best Practices Program. The City of Plymouth opposes wine sales in grocery stores or other
venues where currently prohibited. The limit on points of sale for alcohol aids in preventing
youth access to alcohol.
Emergency Preparedness. Additional measures have been identified as necessary for improved
emergency preparedness at the state and local levels including training for local fire and law
enforcement personnel, additional detection and decontamination capability, additional
vaccinations/antidotes and protective equipment, and improved interagency communications.
The Legislature should support and fiind these activities at both state and local levels to improve
our readiness to meet emergency conditions that may arise from either natural disasters or
terrorist attacks.
CriMNet. The City of Plymouth urges continued support and fiinding of CriMNet, as well as
improvements to enhance the integrity of the system.
Firefighter Staffing. Shortage of paid -on-call and volunteer firefighters is a statewide issue. The
City of Plymouth encourages the State to enact legislation to enhance recruitment and retention
of paid -on-call and volunteer firefighters. Consideration could be given to providing tax credits
and supplemental disability insurance.
Affordable and Life Cycle Housing. Economic and demographic trends indicate that
Minnesota's population is aging and workers need more affordable housing closer to where they
work. The region's population age 65 and older will likely double from the year 2000 to 2020.
Jobs in Plymouth are projected to increase approximately 27% during the same period. Housing
is both a statewide and local issue. The City urges the Legislature to maintain and increase
resources to the extent possible in order to encourage the development of affordable housing for
both of these groups. Local property taxes should not be relied upon to fiind housing programs
because this increases the cost of housing for those most in need and has regressive impacts.
Surface Water Quality Plans. As mandated by the State, the City Council has adopted a surface
water quality plan and committed significant local funds for implementation. Because lakes and
watersheds often cross municipal boundaries, the City Council requests that the State maintain
and increase funding or bonding, to the extent possible, for water quality improvements to
enhance fiinding at the local level.
Transportation Funding. The entire economy benefits from a sound and adequately fiinded
transportation system. To adequately address growing congestion, this system must be multi-
modal. Consequently, significantly greater resources are needed to provide high quality, efficient
systems that include both transit and highways. The City encourages the Legislature to identify
long-term fiinding sources with growth potential that will increase transportation fiinding to
levels that will allow the building of high quality, efficient metropolitan and local transit and
highway systems. In addition, local elected officials should continue to be included in MnDOT's
decision-making process when state -aid roads and highways are planned in a city. The City
supports preservation of opt -out transit status.
Sales tax exemption on local government purchases. When the State was experiencing a
budget shortfall in 1992, the Legislature repealed the sales tax exemption for local government
purchases. Cities now pay state sales tax for purchases of items such as road maintenance
equipment and building materials. Since the Legislature provided no additional state aids to
offset the cost, this policy effectively increased local property taxes to finance state government
operations. The City supports legislation to reinstate the sales tax exemption for all local
government purchases.
Controlled Substance Laws. The City supports increased penalties for manufacture and
possession of methamphetamine.
Local control of residential speed limits. State law currently controls speed limits on residential
streets, with limited exception. Legislation is requested to allow more flexibility for local
officials to establish speed limits for residential streets that do not have an impact on neighboring
cities.
Construction Delays by Utility Companies. The City has experienced significant project delays
due to lack of timely response by utility companies in relocating utilities. Legislation is requested
to require that if a utility company fails to relocate utilities in a timely manner and causes a delay
in a constriction project, the City shall be held harmless.
Zero Depth Pools. A provision in Minnesota Rule 4717.1850, Subp. 213(1) states that a zero
depth pool may be allowed or used in Minnesota only if a lifeguard is present at the zero depth
area at all times in the pool is in use. The City proposes that this be overridden to allow use by
persons of 18 years or older without the requirement of a lifeguard.
I-494 and I-169 Median Barriers. Over the past decade, the stretch of I-494 in Plymouth has
been the site of more than 20 serious accidents in which 10 people died and 14 suffered life-
threatening injuries. Of those, I I involved vehicles that crossed the median and crashed into
oncoming traffic. This segment of roadway is not slated to be improved by the Minnesota
Department of Transportation until 2014 or later. Similarly, Highway 169 from 26th Avenue to
Bass Lake Road has many crossover incidents resulting in death and serious injury. That
roadway has no planned improvements through 2030. To improve safety along the road, the City
requests the installation of temporary cable median barriers.
Highway and Street Projects Cost Rider. The City opposes the Highway and Street Projects
Cost Rider (ICR) proposed by utility companies. This would add a line item for purported
"government required relocations." The vast majority of utility relocations are done because the
utility company wants to do the replacement while the streets are disrupted. The City's work
rarely creates a situation that requires a utility line relocation.
Combined MPCA and OEA. The City opposes the combination of the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency and the Office of Environmental Assistance into a new Department of
Environmental Protection due to concerns that recycling issues may receive less emphasis and
SCORE funding could be jeopardized or reallocated.