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Home My WebLink AboutCouncil Information Memorandum 04-07-2000Dummy APRIL 79 2000 1. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE: NOTE: Ward 1 Councilmember Tim Bildsoe meets with residents and receives their comments in the Administration Library, beginning at 6:00 PM before each Regular Council meeting. TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 7: 00 PM TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 7: 00 PM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 7:30 AM TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 7: 00 PM WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 5:30 PM 2. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 7.00 PM 3. THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 7: 00 PM 4. THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 7: 00 PM S. THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 7: 00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING: POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT UPDATESAND COUNCIL SALARIES, Public Safety Training Room SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING: PLYMOUTH CREEK CENTER AMPHITHEATER STAGE, Medicine Lake Room REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING WITH ISD 284 OFFICIALS, Plymouth Creek Center PLANNING COMMISSION, Council Chambers Agenda is attached. (M-2) PRAC, Medicine Lake Room PUBLIC SAFETYADVISORY BOARD, Public Safety Training Room. Agenda is attached. (M-4) HRA, Council Chambers. Agenda is attached. (M-5) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO APRIL 7, 2000 6. FRIDAY—SATURDAY, APRIL 14-15 7. MONDAY, APRIL 17, 6:00-8:30 PM 8. MONDAY, APRIL 17, 7:00 PM 9. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 7:00 PM 10. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 FRIDAY, APRIL 21 SUNDAY, APRIL 23 11. MONDAY, APRIL 24, 6: 00 PM 12. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 7:00 PM 13. THURSDAY, APRIL 27, S: 00 PM Page 2 PLYMOUTH FINE ARTS COUNCIL PRIMA VERA ART SHOW, City Hall public spaces ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITYFAIR, Kimberly Lane Elementary School, 17405 Old Rockford Road YOUTHADVISORY COUNCIL, Medicine Lake Room CONGRESSMAN RAMSTAD TOWN MEETING, Council Chambers PASSOVER BEGINS AT SUNSET GOOD FRIDAY EASTER BOARD AND COMMISSION RECOGNITION EVENT, Plymouth Creek Center PACT, Hadley Lake Room YOUTH TOWN FORUM, Plymouth Creek Center 14. A List of future Regular Council Meeting agenda items is attached. (M-14) 15. April, May, and June calendars are attached. (M-15) 1. NEWS ARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC. a) 1999 Street Reconstruction Project Update for April, 2000. (7-1a) b) Memo from the Municipal Legislative Commission's Bob Renner, Jr., summarizing the transit funding provision in the House Tax Bill. (I -1b) c) Grant Application information on water quality improvements in the Bassett Creek Water Management District. (1-1c) d) Association of Metropolitan Municipalities request for nominations to the Board of Directors. Deadline is Monday, April 10. (1-1d) 2. STAFF REPORTS a) Report from Youth Advisory Council member Amy Anderson on the recent National League of Cities Conference. (I --2a) b) Report on upcoming police canine training set for April 16-18. (I --2b) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO Page 3 APRIL 7, 2000 3. MINUTES a) Environmental Quality Committee February 2 meeting. (1--3a) b) Public Safety Advisory Board February 17 meeting. (1--3b) 4. CORRESPONDENCE a) Invitation to the Mayor to attend Arbor Day ceremonies, Friday, May 12 at Pilgrim Lane Elementary School. (1--4a) b) Letter from Troop 539 Boy Scout Scott Japs with thoughts on how to use the City's budget surplus. (1--4b) 5. LEGISLATIVE ITEMS a) Association of Metropolitan Municipalities AMM FAX News. (I -5a) b) League of Minnesota Cities Friday Fax. (1-5b) c) Suburban Transit Association Legislative Report. (I --Sc) 6. COMMISSION ITEMS a) Patricia Izek, Chairperson of the Plymouth Human Rights Commission, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Hennepin County Library Board. She brings experience as an involved Plymouth Library Friend and a library volunteer storyteller (in Spanish). (I -6a) 7. COUNCIL ITEMS a) First quarter attendance chart for Council meetings. (I --7a) M, 2, PLANNINGCOMMISSION AGENDA ® WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2000 WHERE: CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS Plymouth City Center 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 CONSENT AGENDA All items listed with an asterisk (*) are considered to be routine by the Planning Commission and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Commissioner, citizen or petitioner so requests, in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered in normal sequence on the agenda. 1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M. 2. PUBLIC FORUM 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 5. CONSENT AGENDA* 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. Kenneth Searl. Conditional use permit to exceed 50 percent office use in an industrial district for property located at 14700 28`h Avenue North. (20037) B. Reliance Development Co., LLP. Site plan and conditional use permits for retail development to include a bank with drive -though, convenience store with fuel and car wash, two drive-through restaurants, and a day care facility on property located at the northwest corner of Highway 55 and Peony Lane. (20004) 7. NEW BUSINESS 8. ADJOURNMENT M' 4 - AGENDA City of Plymouth AMO Adafso� Boas' Thursday, April 13, 2000 7:00 p.m. Public Safety Training Room I. Call to order II. Approval of minutes from meeting March 16, 2000 III. Review 2000 Work Plan IV. Around the table, any other issues V. Adjournment 'Vt Regular Meeting Agenda ® PLYMOUTH HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY THURSDAY, April 13, 2000 7:00 pm WHERE: City Council Chamber Plymouth City Center 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 1. Call to Order — 7:00 p.m. 2. Approval of Minutes of the Regular March 16`h and Special March 28`h meetings. 3. Outlot D Bass Lake Heights Addition 4. HRA Strategic Plan 5. Status of Comprehensive Plan Update - verbal report 6. Plymouth Towne Square Monthly Management Report 7. Affordable Housing Tour - Verbal Discussion 8. Other Business 9. Adjournment NOTE: The next meeting to review the draft Comprehensive Plan before it is submitted to the Metropolitan Council is tentatively set for the regular City Council Meeting on Tuesday, April 25`x' at 7:06pm. If possible Congressman Ramstad would like to join the HRA for its tour of affordable housing in Plymouth. Unfortunately neither he nor his staff are available on the scheduled date of May 18`x'. If the Board wishes, we can attempt to reschedule the tour sometime between May 30`x' and June 12`x'. Please bring your calendars to the meeting, if we need to discuss alternate dates. \bly_ntYudisk 1`commuttity dcvclopmauWousing\ivahgc das0000`02I700.doc M_ 14 - Tentative Schedule for City Council Non -Consent Agenda Items April 25 Comprehensive Plan - approve submission to Metropolitan Council Hearing on the proposed Vacation of a part of a drainage easement for ponding in Lot 5, Block 1, Inverness Addition (Steven Jantzen) Project Hearing for 2000 Street Reconstruction Project (9901) Vacation of Drainage and Utility Easements on Lots 2 and 3, Block 1, Plymouth Technology Park Reliance Development's Site Plan and Conditional Use Permit for a proposed development at the northwest corner of Highway 55 and Peony Lane Report from Elm Creek Watershed on draft storm water management rules Report on Arbor Day 2000 Right-of-way Use Agreement May 9 Hearing on amending Tax Increment Districts 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4 May 23 z ui W m F— J Q V LL 0 r.' 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The Excavation &Grading May/June A�77Z1 contractor for this project is Northwest Storm sewer May/June 200 Asphalt Inc. of Shakopee, MN. Street Curb and Gutter July reconstruction will began in the area Paving July with tree removal, mailbox relocation, .Sod &Cleanup August and utility relocation by Minnegasco. Complete Road Construction September 1 Sunset Trail at Deerwood Lane will be **Please keep in mind that this schedule closed for one week in April as the can change dramatically if bad weather or culvert running under Sunset Trail is other unforeseen situations arise. replaced. Sprinklers, Dog Fence, Sump Pump? If you have any of these items on your property, please call Steve Bot at 509-5538 ASAP. Yard drains, small plastic boxes connected to the draintile, are available in areas where draintile is already being installed in the street. They accept small discharges such as sump pumps or backyard draintile. If you are interested in finding out more call Steve. What ar e The Street Reconstruction Project will involve removing the existing pavement and the underlying earth. In most cases, roadway failures are due to poor soils supporting the road, or to soils which are those guys doing wet and do not drain properly. The existing blacktop will be ground up, and reused as a temporary driving surface. The temporary surface will be restored at the end of the day to provide access to adjacent properties. After unsuitable soils are excavated, a sand layer and draintile will be installed which will allow water trapped in the soil to drain into the storm sewer system. The sand layer will then be covered with a layer of gravel, and two layers of ayway? blacktop paving. Curb and gutter and storm sewer will be installed. A portion of sanitary sewer will be replaced along Deerwood Lane south of 3rd Ave. The last phase of the road construction will include restoring the driveways, resodding the yard areas, and maintaining the sodded areas for 30 days. The final portion of the project will be to clean out the sediment from the ditch through the wetland north of 3`d Avenue during the winter months. Keeping the home fires burning 1 I a As construction progresses, you may experience brief natural gas outages as lines are relocated to accommodate street construction. Minnegasco crews are available to assist anyone experiencing problems due to the construction. If you have any questions, please contact Minnegasco at (612) 372-5050. Who you gonna call and when they Gonna work???? Questions, comments, or special event notification (garage sales, receptions, etc.) on the 1999 Street Reconstruction Project should be directed to the project engineer, Steve Bot at (763) 509-5538. You are also welcome to visit us at City Hall or stop by the project field office located along Forestview Lane. Weekly construction meetings will be held on Tuesdays at 9 am in the field office and these meetings are open to the public. City personnel will be on-site and available to answer questions and to assist with access or other construction issues. For after hours emergencies, please call 911. Construction hours are 7 am to sunset M -F and 8 am to 6 pm on Saturdays. No road work will occur on Sundays. Danger! Danger! Please remember that construction sites can be very dangerous places. There will be heavy equipment operating on the site, and paving operations involve placing blacktop at temperatures in excess of 300°. We realize that both kids and adults like to watch street construction, but please make sure that you watch from a safe distance City of Plymouth Engineering Department 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447-1482 How do you like your Steak? Some people like their steak well done, some like it medium rare. At the City we like our stakes stuck into the ground with little pink flags on them. You will see our stakes throughout the neighborhood. We realize that they are a pain to mow around, and that kids sometimes like to play with them, but please try to leave them alone. Moving a stake could cause problems with constructing the road and costly delays. Your cooperation is appreciated BE CAREFUL PREVENT ACCIDENTS [] «Name» OR CURRENT OCCUPANT «Address» «City», «State» «Zip» ISLMUNICIPAL LEGISLATIVE i League of Minnesota Cities Building {� 145 University Avenue West, Suite 450 `' St. Paul, Minnesota 55103 Telephone: (651) 228-9757 Facsimile: (651) 228-9787 MEMO TO: MLC Operating Committee P" FROM: Bob Renner, Jr. Ic DATE: April 1, 2000 RE: House Tax Bill - Transit Funding Provision Included in the House Tax Bill is a provision to take the transit levy off the property tax and replace it with a General Fund appropriation. In order pay for the transfer, HACA to each city in the transit taxing district would be reduced by an amount equal to its portion of the transit levy. While the transit levy will be removed from the property tax statement (off the city transit levy for opt -out service providers/off the Met Council levy for other cities), city levies will have to increase by an amount equal to the HACA reduction. A number of cities in the metro area have a transit levy that exceeds the amount received in HACA. As such, taxpayers in these cities will theoretically receive a windfall if the transit levy is removed and HACA is reduced by a lesser amount. My judgment is that this provision won't survive the conference committee process. Most transit advocates, although sympathetic to the idea of taking transit funding off of the property tax, are not comfortable with a 100% state appropriation for transit operating costs and capital. Of the potential "winners" under the McElroy/Abrams transit funding plan, nine cities are members of the Municipal Legislative Commission. The full computer run is included for your perusal. CITY TRANSIT LEVY HACA UNCAPTURED $ (potential windfall) Bloomington $5,211,379 $3,726,836 $1,484,543 Eagan $2,772,027 $1,709,891 $1,062,136 Eden Prairie $3,206,446 $690,126 $2,516,320 Edina $3,713,499 $979,624 $2,733,875 Maplewood $1,706,888 $1,598,777 $108,111 Minnetonka $3,545,101 $2,100,315 $1,444,786 Plymouth $4,047,628 $1,851,619 $2,196,009 Shoreview $1,078,911 $1,010,936 $67,975 Woodbury $1,997,234 $1,335,166 $662,068 Member Cities: Apple Valley, Bloomington, Burnsville, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Lakeville, Maplewood, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Roseville, Shoreview, Woodbury Barr E=ngineering Company 4700 West 77th Street • Minneapolis, MN 55435-4803 Phone: 612-832-2600 • Fax: 612-832-2601 Minneapolis, MN • Hibbing, MN • Duluth, MN • Ann Arbor, MI • Jefferson City, MO February 1, 2000 Mr. John Velin Director LCMR Room 65 --State Office Building 100 Constitution Avenue St. Paul, MN 55155 Re: LCMR Proposal 2001: Medicine Lake, Sweeney Lake, Wirth Lake Improvements Dear Mr. Velin: Enclosed are grant applications for the Improvement of the Recreational Systems (water quality) for three metro area recreational resources. The Bassett Creek Water Management Commission is requesting grant assistance for improvement of these lakes to meet water quality requirements for the intended recreational use of these resources. Detailed water quality management plans have been completed by this commission with input from cities and other organizations and are available for review. The commissioners and staff will be available to discuss these application with you at your convenience. Sincer y, ee ustafson,5 ai an Bassett Creek Water Management Commission LJK/ymh Enclosures c: Sen. Martha R. Robertson, Senate 45 Sen. Linda Higgins, Senate 58 Sen. Allan Spear, Senate 60 Rep. Peggy Leppik, House 45 B Rep. Gregory Gray, House 58 B Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher, House 60 A Dean Barclay, State Planning Agency Leonard Kremer, Barr Engineering Company :ODMATCDOCS\DOCS1213637\1.doc LCMR Proposal 2001 Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission Medicine Lake Improvement Total Biennial Project Budget: S3,386,000 Funding Priority: Project Manager: Affiliation: Mailing Address: Telephone Number: E -Mail: Fax: Web Address: Improvement of Recreational Systems Leonard Kremer Engineer for the Bassett Creek Water Management Commission (BCWMC) Suite 200 4700 West 77`s Street Minneapolis, MN 55435 612-832-2781 LkTemer@Barr.com 612-832-2601 http://www.barr.com Location: Medicine Lake, Plymouth; Hennepin County I. Project Summary and Results: Medicine Lake, the second largest lake in Hennepin County, is also considered one of the most important recreational water body in the metropolitan area. The lake has multiple public accesses, and is intensively used during both summer and winter months. Fishing, boating, swimming, water-skiing and aesthetic viewing are some of the major recreational uses made of the lake. In addition, Hennepin Parks' French Regional Park and the City of Plymouth's East and West Medicine Lake Parks, and Medicine Lake Regional Trail are all located along the lakeshore. The North Hennepin Regional Trail is nearing completion and will circle the lake. The Metropolitan Council considers Medicine Lake a "Top Priority Lake" because of its multiple recreational uses and public access. The Association of Medicine Lake Area Citizens (AMLAC) also values lake water quality and has been involved in monitoring the health of Medicine Lake. The quality of Medicine Lake has typically fell below the water quality goals of area citizens, cities, Hennepin County, and BCWMC. Medicine Lake will continue to be affected by the problems that occur when a lake's watershed becomes urbanized, because of increased volume and pollutant levels of storm water runoff from the watershed. The BCWMC completed a management plan for the Medicine Lake watershed to determine the feasibility of reducing the phosphorus concentration in a lake to improve or maintain water transparency. The goal established for Medicine Lake in the Commission's 1993 Water Quality Plan was to reduce total phosphorus to 30,ug/L so that water quality fully supported all water-based recreational activities, including swimming. In -lake improvement options and site-specific structural BMPs were evaluated. The site-specific structural BMPs identified are: 213508 Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission Z- I � Medicine Lake Improvement Areal application of alum to the lake to control phosphorus release from the lake sediments. This in -lake treatment technique will likely be effective for 5 to 10 years, depending upon how well watershed nutrient sources have been reduced. Construction of an alum treatment plant within the Medicine Lake Park area, west of the Medicine Lake west bay, to provide treatment of soluble phosphorus concentrations in the storm water runoff from the Plymouth Creek Drainage District. Management of the waterfowl population which would include goose relocation, citywide "no feeding" ordinances, habitat modifications, barriers, and repellents. Other BMP Recommendations: • Wet detention for all new or redeveloped properties, where applicable. • Watershed -wide (or Citywide) ban on the use of phosphorus fertilizers. Continue to educate watershed residents about soil testing and the importance of using phosphorus -free fertilizers. • Education of watershed residents and lake users on other practices that would reduce pollutants entering the lake. • Enforcement of existing ordinances regarding litter and animal waste. • Street sweeping program that gives priority to the watershed areas within the Medicine Lake Direct Drainage District. • Require/encourage vegetated buffer strips between maintained lawns and the lake or detention ponds/wetlands. II. Description of Project Results: Result 1: Medicine Lake has a surface area of 902 acres and is surrounded by private lakeshore, open space and parks. Two beaches are maintained on the lake by the City of Plymouth and one by Hennepin Parks at French Regional Park. Annual attendance at the three parks is over 300,000 visits per year. The proposed project will reduce phosphorus concentrations so that the lake classification would improve from very poor water quality (hypereutrophic) to fair water quality (mesotrophic) Better water quality will improve the experience of existing Medicine Lake users and users of North Hennepin Regional Trail and increase the number of visits to Medicine Lake Parks. Cost for Development: $2,921,000 Engineering/administration $ 225,000 Contingency, Land, Monitoring $ 240,000 Total for result $3,386,000 III. Past, Present and Future Spending: A. Past Spending: Fish Barrier City of Plymouth, Hennepin Co., Hennepin Parks, Bassett Creek Water Management Commission $75,000 Outlet Control City of Plymouth, Hennepin Co. Public Works, Bassett Creek Water Management Commission Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources $160,000 Monitoring Hennepin Parks, Bassett Creek Water Management Commission $68,000 Watershed Planning Hennepin Parks, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Bassett Creek Water Management Commission $220,000 213508 Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission Medicine Lake Improvement 'f— )c B & C Current and Future Spending; Project Partners: City of Plymouth Hennepin County Parks Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Bassett Creek Water Management Commission State, Federal Grants D. Future Spending: $180,000 $20,000 $5,000 $350,000 $2,831,000 Annual operation and maintenance cost estimated to be $98,000 to be shared by the Bassett Creek Water Management Commission and the City of Plymouth. Water quality education of watershed citizens and implementation of non-structural BMPs is projected to be $7,000-$10,000, annually. Annual Operation and Maintenance, City of Plymouth Education, Implement Nonstructural BMPs, BCWMC E. Time: Estimated project completion time 24 months. 213508 3 $98,000 $10,000 Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission Medicine Lake Improvement (c, Project Manager Qualifications The Bassett Creek Water Management Commission (BCWMC) will manage the project. The BCWMC was formed in 1969 by the adoption of a joint powers agreement to manage the water resources in the Bassett Creek watershed. Parties to the joint powers agreement are the nine cities in the watershed. Since then it has a thorough record of managing, partnering and constructing water resource improvements to control flooding and to maintain and enhance water quality. The BCWMC has prepared an overall water quality management plan and individual Lake and Watershed Management Plan for 13 water bodies. The grant will be used to construct water quality improvement features identified in the plans. Over the years, the BCWMC has implemented several projects intended to improve the quality of life in the Bassett Creek Watershed. These projects have ranged from residential flood proofing plans, costing a few thousand dollars, to the Bassett Creek flood control project, costing several million dollars. The BCWMC has also included an extensive public participation program which involved citizens identifying problems and solutions and in the decision-making process. In addition, the Commission reviews development and redevelopment in the watershed to insure consistency with established water resource management policies. Some of the more significant projects include: • A new $28,000,000 tunnel to carry Bassett Creek through Minneapolis to the Mississippi River. About $10,000,000 was saved by partnering with the city of Minneapolis and the Minnesota department of Transportation to meet multiple needs. • Construction of fish barriers to prevent rough fish migration, which will eventually improve water clarity in Bassett Creek and Medicine Lake. • Completion of the Wirth Park control structure in June 1987, which prevented millions of dollars in flood damages from the 1987 "Super Storm." • Construction of channel improvements, control structures and storage basins, replacement of 11 street crossings and a bridge removal along Bassett Creek. • Construction of the Wisconsin Avenue and Golden Valley Country Club control structures in Golden Valley and the Highway 55 control structure in Minneapolis. • Replacement of the Medicine Lake dam. • Construction of the Bassett Creek Park Water Quality Improvement project. The BCWMC will be responsible for allocating costs for the project; preparing final plans; contracting with project partners to define responsibilities; development and implementation of a program for monitoring the success of the project; and coordinating the implementation of nonstructural BMPs in the watershed. 213508 4 BASSETT CREEK WATER MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MEDICINE LAKE IMPROVEMENT --36th-Ave.N.--'----- --- - — ---- ..3:. ,: ;: :::.•1• .;;fie+..;':•:' ♦ e+mss+ s++if�w++i+ t1 i '-'' � Y .,.. ._-. s<° Plymouth —. . IX Project Location 61 - .: 169 -- — z X. tAke.:iii"•fs�. �: .:.L'::`:;v: aennep[n A N— Connry — :.: - ' - - - ---10th ve - LEGEND N Lakes > . wetlands MEDICINE LAKE LOCATION Parks LCMR GRANT APPLICATION Cities 0 2000 40100 Foes to Association of Metropolitan Municipalities DATE: March 22, 2000 TO: Mayors, Managers/Administrators, and Councilmembers FROM: Gene Ranieri, Executive Director RE: Vacancies on the AMM Board of Directors BOARD OF DIRECTORS VACANCIES — NOMINATIONS SOLICITED There will be three vacancies on the AMM Board effective in June of 2000. The officials selected to fill these vacancies are eligible to serve two two-year terms. The AMM Board consists of 19 city officials and is responsible for the overall direction of staff, approval of the annual budget and work program, establishment of the annual dues schedule, determination of yearly legislative priorities. The Board also makes appointments to the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB), Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), the Metropolitan Radio Board and the Metro GIS Policy Board. The Board meets the second Thursday of each month at 7.00 p.m. Nominations are solicited from all parts of the metro area and can be either elective or administrative officials. Action requested The nominations should be in written form, including a brief resume of the nominee, and should be sent to the attention of Gene Ranieri. Nominations should be received in the AMM office by no later than Monday, April 10, 2000. Please call Gene Ranieri at 651-215-4001 should you have questions or Nvwit more detailed information. Thank you. 145 University Avenue West Saint Paul, Minnesota 55103-2044 Telephone: (651) 215-4000 Fax: (651) 281-1299 E-mail: amm@amm145.org Amelia Anderson 3/19/00 Trip Report National League of Cities Conference Washington. D.C. March 171-14,2000 Saturday, March 11 • 9:30am.......... Flight leaves Minneapolis airport • check into hotel • acquaint ourselves with the city Sunday. March 12 • 8-9:30am....... National League of Cities Youth Advisory Board Meeting • 9:30-11am..... National League of Cities Youth Delegates Meeting • 12:30pm........ General Session with President Clinton • 6-7:30pm....... Attend "Capitol Steps" performance Monday, March 13 • 10:30-11:45am.... General Session on 2000 Presidential Campaign • 5-7pm.................League of Minnesota Cities Briefing and Reception Tuesday, March 14 • morning..............Meeting with Representative Jim Ramstad • 5:30pm..............Flight leaves Washington -Dulles airport Keeping with the annual focus of the President of the National League of Cities, the Youth Advisory Board discussed issues of equality during our meetings. During the first meeting, experts in the field of promoting equality and diversity addressed our group. Dr. Gonsalves -Pinto spoke to the Youth Advisory Board about the Free Expressions Project that she is involved in. The Free Expressions Project started in Bowling Green, Ohio several years ago. The idea behind the project was action. Too often the issues of diversity and equality were addressed with panel discussions that never led to action. This project, however, engaged people's "heads, hands, and hearts." People in the community were allowed to express their ideas on the issues through artwork that was then displayed in the community. This non- verbal discussion proved to be successful. The second speaker to address the Youth Advisory Board was Mr. Jennings. He represented the Team Harmony movement that started in Boston in 1994. Team Harmony brings together celebrities and youth in large rallies to promote equality and diversity. Sports figures, musicians, religious leaders and others come together to show support for diversity. They provide positive examples for the youth in the community. Since the beginning of Team Harmony, the program has expanded greatly. Team Harmony events have taken place in other cities and also continue to be held in Boston. This project was also deemed a success. Issues that have been addressed through Team Harmony rallies include hate crimes and job disparity. The second meeting was spent primarily in focus groups discussing subtopics within the topic of equality. Youth delegates were divided into three focus groups: communications, youth councils, and violence. I participated in the communications group and was the note -taker. The rest of the Plymouth youth delegates participated in the youth councils focus group. The discussion in the communications group focused on two areas: communication between our home organizations and the community, and the communication amongst the youth delegates in the future. In our discussion on how to communicate with the community, we found ways to share our information on diversity and equality with the community. Many opinions were expressed, ranging from leadership by example to diversity parades. The issue of youth delegates communicating among each other then came up. We all exchanged our e-mail addresses and planned to keep in contact with each other, sharing our successes and asking for advice about our short -comings. We also suggested to the Youth Advisory Board that a newsletter be produced and shared at regular intervals. Everyone that participated in these Youth Advisory Board meetings will now be receiving information through the mail and e-mail. The issues brought up in these venues should be discussed at our Youth Advisory Council meetings. I will bring the updates to meetings as I receive them. We will then have the option to adopt successes from around the country and implement them to various degrees in the city of Plymouth. President Clinton addressed the general session. He discussed many issues including gun control and equality. He spoke at length about his opinions on gun control, prompted by the recent shooting death of a first grader. He addressed poverty within the United States borders and said that "we won't be able to do good around the world until we are good at home." On the issue of equality, he said that when we focus on differences, we dehumanize those that are different than us. When we have dehumanized them, violence begins. Violence is then followed by death. Instead of this fragmentation of society, President Clinton urged the importance of "One America". The general session on the 2000 Presidential campaign focused on what had been done up to this point and what we could expect to see from the candidates in upcoming months. Republican Mary Matalin stressed the need for a large staff, stating that candidates were only responsible for what they do best- giving speeches and knowing why they are running. She predicted the big issues to be education, military reform, tax reform, and character. Democrat James Carville stressed that the polls mean very little right now because the race is so close. He pointed out the need for each candidate to select a signiture issue. Carville stated that, in his opinion, Al Gore will need to separate himself from President Clinton, and George W. Bush will need to be more decisive. At the League of Minnesota Cities' Reception and Briefing, the Minnesota delegates discussed their feelings on several issues that would be coming up in the Congress. They prepared to lobby the Minnesota representatives the following morning. Included in the discussion was a bill dealing with the taxation of Internet commerce and how it could affect Minnesota's incomes. Representative Jim Ramstad invited us to his office and gave us the opportunity to voice our opinions on local issues that had yet to be resolved. We thanked him for the work he has already done on behalf of Minnesotans. He shared stories with us from his life that inspired us to continue to serve our community. He also gave us passes for a special tour of our nation's capitol building. In the evenings, we were able to visit many landmarks in the city. We visited the Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and the White House. Overall, I brought back several ideas from this conference. I hope to continue to communicate with the other youth delegates where many more ideas will be exchanged. I also learned a lot about our government. Thank you to the City of Plymouth for allowing me this opportunity and helping to fund this trip. i' 2-19 MEMO CITY OF PLYMOUTH 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD, PLYMOUTH, MN 55447 DATE: April 5, 2000 TO: Chief Craig Gerdes FROM: Lt. John Ward SUBJECT: USPCA REGION 12 and 18 SPRING TRAINING K-9 Officer Kleist, along with the assistance of Officer Pregler, have coordinated the upcoming training seminar for both Regions 12 and 18 of the United States Police Canine Association. This training is set for April 16 through the 18'h and will involve up to 80 K-9 teams. It can be anticipated that as many as many as 50 officers and their K -9s will be lodging at the Kelly Inn beginning Saturday, 4/15. Plymouth Reserve Officers will be assisting with security for the lodging offices vehicles during their stay at the Kelly Inn. On Sunday, 4/16, The narcotics detection tests will take place and will be limited to the first 30 teams that register. The tests will take place from 8:00 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. at Sunset Hills Elementary as well as the Drivers Exam Station on Fernbrook. The guest speaker for Monday is Doug Deacon, who is the trainer for the Canadian Mounted Police in New Westminster. Doug will be giving a class on decoy agitation. This class will consist of a couple hours of lecture and the rest will be hands on. The remainder of Monday and Tuesday will consist of classes on report writing, liability and drug interdiction. Monday evening will be the IORN DOG COMPETITION. This will include practical street problems for the K-9 team, some of which will include multiple suspect arrests, fence apprehensions and Civil Disturbance problems. Training sites for Monday and Tuesday will be the Kelly Inn for lecture and the Bass Lake Play Fields for practicals in the a.m. and early p.m. The City Shops and the Drivers Exam Station will be used for evening practicals. As always, weather may necessitate the need to alter the above schedule particularly at this time of the year. �� -3 a Approved ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE MINUTES — MEETING No. 92 Tuesday, February 2, 2000, 7:00 p.m. Members Kathy Marshall, Karen Haht, Connie Fortin, Bruce Larson, Terri Goodfellow -Heyer, Ann Marie Kjelland, Terry Jaffoni Present: Members none Absent: Others/Staff Shane Missaghi, Staff Present: Sandra M. Walline, Volunteer Secretary Ginney Black, City Council Liaison Fred Moore, Director of Public Works Dwight Johnson, City Manger John Barten, Hennepin Parks Water Quality Manager Joy Tierney, Mayor Guests: No guests were present. Call to Order: Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer brought the meeting to order at 7:10. This was followed by her donation of a book entitled "Minnesota Natural Heritage" for the use of the Environmental Quality Committee and the City of Plymouth. It was gratefully received by Mr. Missaghi for placement in the City Center Library. New members of the Environmental Quality Committee, Bruce Larson, Terry Jaffoni and Ann Marie Kjelland were introduced and welcomed by the Committee after each new member presented a brief sketch of their background and interest in the Committee. Minutes: It was moved by Ms. Marshall, seconded by Ms. Haht and unanimously approved by the committee that the minutes for Meeting No. 91 be approved as distributed. Election: Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer announced that the floor was open to nominations for the positions of Chair and Vice Chair of the Environmental Quality Committee. Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer nominated Ms. Marshall for the position of Chair. There being no further nominations, the nominations were closed. By unanimous vote, Ms. Marshall was elected as Chair of the Environmental Quality Committee for 2000. Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer announced that the Chair was open for nominations of Vice Chair. Ms. Marshall nominated Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer. There being no further nominations, the nominations were closed. By unanimous vote, Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer was elected as Vice Chair of the Environmental Quality Committee for 2000. Ms. Marshall assumed her position as Chair of the Environmental Quality Committee. In honor of the new members to the Environmental Quality Committee and the newly elected officers, Ms. Tierney distributed refreshments prepared by Ms. Fortin to the Committee. Comp. Plan: Mr. Moore indicated that the City Council will have a joint meeting/workshop on February 12 from 9:00 to 4:30 at the Reserve through which an overview of the entire plan will be presented. It was suggested that the Committee make themselves at least minimally aware of Staff notes with emphasis on chapter references made by Mr. Moore, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Black. Further discussion ensued regarding the agenda of steps to be followed before approval of the Comprehensive Plan, i.e., Open Houses, Public Hearings, etc. It was pointed out that a full agenda could be found on the city's web page. Page 1 of 2 D: I TEMPM92approved. rtf -3a, Grants: Ms. Marshall reviewed the application processes for 1999. Mr. Missaghi indicated that all applicants had accepted their grants and their attendant requirements. He also pointed out that vendor selection letters and planting guidelines would be mailed within 30 days. Additionally, it was announced that press releases would be sent to the "Sun Sailor" and the "Lakeshore Weekly." Ms. Kjelland suggested that information regarding the grant program and applications be available at the 2000 Environmental Fair. Lighting: Ms. Marshall reviewed the history of this issue for new members and asked for comments. The City of Plymouth Planning Department had made a presentation at the last meeting and handed out a proposed ordinance. Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer moved, it was seconded by Ms. Fortin and unanimously agreed that the EQC supported the City Lighting Ordinance to be presented to the City Council. Environmental Ms. Marshall brought all members up to date on the direction of the 2000 Environmental Fair: Fair, "Getting Back to Our Roots." Ms. Marshall, Ms. Kjelland, Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer and Mr. Larson volunteered to form a subcommittee to formulate specific activities by EQC members for the Fair. This group will meet at 7:00 am on February 9`h in the Engineering Department of City Hall. Guest Letters: Ms. Haht reviewed the sample letter she had written for the Committee, which was discussed at length. Ms. Fortin and Ms. Haht agreed to continue work on the draft of this letter, which will be signed by Ms. Marshall EQC, also reviewed and made appropriate changes to a draft letter written to Turtle Lake area residents. Annual Report: The 1999 Annual Report and 2000 Work Plan was reviewed with Mr. Missaghi pointing out that the Mission Statement appeared on page three; goals appeared on pages four and five; the 2000 Work Plan started on page six. It was moved by Mr. Larson, seconded by Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer and unanimously agreed that the Committee present this document to the City Council for approval. Agenda Items: Due to the involved discussions at this meeting, certain agenda items were moved to the March meeting. Following is an itemization of those items as well as new agenda items for the month of March: 1. Comprehensive Plan status (Mr. Missaghi, Mr. Moore). 2. 1999 Annual Report and 2000 Work Plan status (Mr. Missaghi,). 3. Modifications to EQC membership. 4. Year 2000 educational plan & Alternative Landscaping small grants (Mr. Missaghi) 5. Barr Engineering presentation dates (Mr. Missaghi, Ms. Black). 6. Possible available funding sources (Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer) 7. EQC visitors' Acknowledgment letter (Ms. Haht, Ms. Fortin). Adjournment: It was moved by Ms. Goodfellow -Heyer, seconded by Mr. Larson and unanimously agreed by the Committee that the meeting adjourn at 9:00. Respectfully submitted, Sandra M. Walline Page 2 of 2 D: I TEMPI 02approved. rtf _3b City of Plymouth Public Safety Advisory Board Minutes of Meeting February 17, 2000 7:00 p.m. Present at the meeting were members Kim Gassner, Cathy Kaufman, James Holmes, Investigator Curtis Smith, and Firefighter Kevin Werstein. Staff members attending were Public Safety Director Craig Gerdes, Public Safety Technical Services Supervisor Barb Cox and new recording secretary, Office Services Supervisor Tammy Ward. Council liaison Scott Harstad was also in attendance. Members Dan Freese and Harold Nelson were unable to attend. The meeting was called to order at 7:10 p.m. Cathy Kaufman asked for a motion to approve the December minutes. Motion by James Holmes seconded by Kim Gassner. 4 Ayes. Cathy Kaufman abstained. The motion passed. Introductions were made of all attending the meeting. Cathy Kaufman asked for nominations for Chair and Vice Chair for the upcoming year. Kim Gassner nominated James Holmes for Chair. Curtis Smith seconded. 4 Ayes. James Holmes abstained. James Holmes nominated Kim Gassner for Vice Chair, seconded by Curtis Smith. All voted in favor, motion passed. The next item on the agenda was the meeting date. Cathy Kaufman asked if everyone still wanted to meet on the third Thursday of each month. All agreed that this time worked out well, so the meeting dates will remain the third Thursday of each month. Cathy Kaufman advised that the next item on the agenda was the discussion of organization and work plan/goals and objectives for the upcoming year. Chief Gerdes stated that the group should develop a work plan indicating what the group is interested in doing, thus developing goals and objectives. Scott Harstad suggested that examples could be pulled from the City Council packets and sent out to Public Safety Advisory Board members. Chief Gerdes stated that would be done. Cathy Kaufman asked if the Public Safety Advisory Board received direction from the police department. Chief Gerdes stated that the mission statement clearly states that the Board's role is "to offer proactive support to the Public Safety Department by working on select issues of community interest, holding public hearings and/or discussions, giving advice and making recommendations to the City Council on these issues". Chief Gerdes reiterated that the Public Safety Advisory Board is not a civilian review board, but an advocate for the City Council and Public Safety Department. Chief Gerdes stated one issue that he would like to see the group address is pedestrian safety/crosswalk enforcement. The primary issue being citizen education. Chief Gerdes stated that the crosswalk law was changed approximately two years ago, however, many drivers are unaware of the crosswalk law. He discussed the Watch The Street For Feet campaign that the police department had participated in last year. James Holmes inquired if there was a public relations person at the City that could help communicate the crosswalk law, especially with spring being right around the corner. Kevin Werstein stated that Cable 12 did a program on the crosswalk law. Chief Gerdes stated that the role of the Public Safety Advisory Board is to try and determine alternative ideas that the police department is missing. What other things can be done so that drivers are aware of the law. James Holmes stated that the issue is compounded, as there is a major traffic plan to divert traffic down certain roads. Chief Gerdes stated that there is a hierarchy of streets. Some streets that look like they are residential streets are in fact major collectors. Chief Gerdes stated that there is a pedestrian crosswalk on Northwest Boulevard near Bass Lake Playfield. He stated that the pedestrian activates the crosswalk. He stated that these types of crosswalks are very expensive but seem to work very well. Scott Harstad indicated that currently, children walking to school is a hot topic at the City Council meetings. Chief Gerdes stated that the Public Works Department is responsible for what goes in (i.e. crosswalks, signs etc.) and that the Public Safety Department is responsible for the education and enforcement. Scott Harstad stated that Councilmember Slavik had asked for some statistics and trends regarding minors being charged with DWI and alcohol related violations. Chief Gerdes stated that this information would be forwarded to Councilmember Slavik. Scott Harstad stated that the City had spent money on a citizen survey and asked that the excerpts from the Public Safety portion be provided to the Public Safety Advisory Board. Chief Gerdes advised that this could be done. Kim Gassner asked what was the current status of the alarm ordinance. Barb Cox advised that the draft ordinance had been sent to the City Attorney's office for review. She stated that one item regarding a due date for end of year alarms needs to be added. After that, the draft would be sent to the City Council for their review. Cathy Kaufman indicated that she had recently attended a workshop for teen building and wondered if the informational tables that the police departments has had at other events were successful. Chief Gerdes states that the police department participates in several programs and information booths. He stated that one program was the helmet program that was in conjunction with North Memorial Medical Center. Quality bike helmets were sold for $8 2 each. The helmets were available at City Hall on Wednesday afternoons and booths were set up at Music in Plymouth, the Plymouth Parade and the Fire Department Open House. Curtis Smith asked if the police department participated at the Fire and Ice Festival. Chief Gerdes stated that DARE participated at that event. Scott Harstad stated that National Night Out was a successful program and that it was important to have a theme. Chief Gerdes stated that the 1999 National Night Out theme was pedestrian safety. Scott Harstad indicated that the City's web site receives a high number of hits and that this is an excellent means to provide information to the public. Cathy Kaufman stated that the Community Ahead Program provided a lot of information and inquired what type of programs that the public safety department offers children. Curtis Smith mentioned that the Safety Camp had been successful in the past but more recently had been canceled for lack of interest. James Holmes suggested that perhaps the Park and Recreation programs (i.e. soccer etc.) could be targeted as a place to provide information regarding safety concerns to both children and their parents. Chief Gerdes stated that the police department personnel could attend and be a part of other programs, rather than conducting their own programs. Barb Cox mentioned the Bike Rodeo always gets a great turn out. James Holmes asked if educational programs fall within the Public Safety Advisory's board responsibilities. Chief Gerdes stated that the number one primary areas of interest indicate community education, especially child safety issues. Chief Gerdes stated that the Public Safety Advisory Board in essence has a hard task because the public safety department is currently involved in or offers programs in the listed areas of interests. He advised that the Public . Safety Advisory Board can offer a different perspective or perhaps be able to see things that the public safety department may have missed. Cathy Kaufman stated that was helpful to know. James Holmes stated that it was important to educate both children and their parents. Scott Harstad reiterated this is why a work plan is so important. He also added that the board does not need to meet every month, only when there is work to be done. James Holmes inquired about trends in public safety. Chief Gerdes indicated that the statistics for 1999 would be coming out soon. He stated that Plymouth's crime rate is very low, that the call load is down 2% and the population is up 5%. Chief Gerdes noted that one trend that can be noted is an increase in domestics. He stated theft of cell phones from vehicles has changed to theft of lap top computers from vehicles. Curtis Smith mentioned the department's bait car and the Watch Your Car program. Chief Gerdes stated that the Watch Your Car Program was going to be presented to the City Council at their next meeting. 3 Cathy Kaufman asked if anyone had any other issues. Scott Harstad indicated that he had read in the paper about cost effectiveness studies on DARE. Chief Gerdes indicated that the problem has been that there was no follow up after Grades 5 and 6. He stated that the rapport between the police officers and the students has been very positive. He stated that the police department is involved in the GREAT program and DARE Plus which is a follow up for grades 7 and 8. Scott Harstad suggested that there should be some publicity celebrating the success of the programs. He added that many people don't even know what the acronym DARE stands for. Scott Harstad stated that another item of concern in the media is lights and sirens on unmarked vehicles. Curtis Smith responded that the unmarked units do not respond Code Red. Chief Gerdes added that unmarks do not engage in pursuits so for Plymouth this is a non -issue. Scott Harstad also mentioned the citizen survey regarding traffic/speeding concerns, as well as stop sign and traffic signal violations noted as concerns in neighborhoods. Scott Harstad indicated that the City should have an action plan. He mentioned that automated traffic enforcement (cameras) are being used in other cities. Cathy Kaufman asked if arrangements could be made to have a tour of both the police department as well as one of the fire stations. Chief Gerdes stated that this would be arranged and that normally one of the Public Safety Advisory Board's meeting is held at the fire station, so arrangements would be made to tour the building at that meeting. Motion by Kim Gassner, seconded by James Holmes to adjourn the meeting. All in favor, the motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 p.m. 4 Pilgrim Lane Elementary School Randy Moberg principal April 4, 2000 Mayor Joy Tierney Plymouth City Center 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Mayor Tierney: n DISTRICT 481 MENNIMNOW ROD D 1 uS Dn LE. area schools On behalf of the students, teachers and parents of Pilgrim Lane Elementary School, I cordially invite you to join us for our Arbor Day Planting Celebration, Friday, May 12 at 2:30 p.m. Please know how deeply we appreciate the generosity of the City of Plymouth in partnering with us for this exciting project. Since becoming an Arbor Day grant recipient, the Pilgrim Lane community has been working with city officials and local businesses to ensure that our landscaping project will create an environment of both aesthetic beauty and dynamic learning. We expect that our students will love and grow with this project for many years to come. On May 12 every student will have the opportunity to participate in the planting phase of this project. I look forward to welcoming you at 2:30 p.m. as we celebrate the accomplishments of the day . and the - future of this exciting venture. Sincerely, Randy Moberg Principal Pilgrim Lane Elementary School 0 3725 Pilgrim Lane North • Plymouth MN 55441 • (612) 504.7200 • Fax (612) 504-7209 March 30, 2000 Dear Mayor Tierney, I am a boy scout from Troop 539 and am working on my Citizenship in the Community merit badge. One of the requirements to earn this badge is to express my opinion to the Mayor about a community issue. The issue I have chosen is the budget surplus of $947,000. I think it is really neat that we have a surplus that is that big. I like the idea of using some of the surplus to get equipment that will control stoplights for emergency vehicles. This may reduce the number of accidents involving emergency vehicles. I also think that some of this money should be saved for when the economy is not doing so well. This will keep taxes down for when the economy slows down. Thank you for considering my ideas. Sincerely, Scott Japs 5co tT C K From: AMM To: Laurie Ahrens AMM FAX NEWS April 3-7, 2000 Date: 414100 Time: 5:56:30 PM Page 2 of 2 L Aiiociation of Metropolitan Municipalities Business Subsidy Bill passes Senate Companion is in tax bill, will be ironed out in Tax Conference The Senate on Monday approved an amended Business Subsidy Bill (SF 2893). The House companion is included in the Omnibus Tax Bill. It is probable that the bills could be con- ferred as part of the Tax Conference Committee. The major differences between the bills are the following: SUBSIDY THRESHOLD The House bill exempts a business subsidy of $100,000 or less from the provisions of the act. The Senate retains the current $25,000 or less exemption but exempts a business loan or guarantee of $75,000 or less from the act. WAGE FLOOR The Senate will require a city to adopt a policy that has a specific wage floor. The wage floor is to be determined by the city. There is no similar provision in the House. BUSINESS SUBSIDY CRITERIA The Senate bill requires a grantor's criteria to include specific minimum requirements that a recipient must meet. The Senate also prohibits criteria from being adopted on a case by case basis. Being aware of the changes to criteria the Senate pro- vides that a city that has adopted criteria prior to June 1, 2000 has until June 1, 2001 to amend its criteria to Board nominations are due by April 10 Nominations for the AMM Board of Directors are due Monday, April 10, 2000. There are three director positions to be filled for two-year terms commencing June 1, 2000. The Nominating Committee will meet within a week or 10 days following the application deadline to recommend a AMM Nous Fax is faxed to all AMM city managers and administrators, legislative contacts and Board members. Please share this fat witli your mayors, councilmembers and staff to keep them abreast of impor- tant metro city issues. VCopyright 2000.4A1D1 145 University Avenue West St. Pau4 31N 55103-2044 Phone: (651) 215-4000 Fax: (651) 281-1299 E-mail: amm@amm]4.5.org slate of directors, which will be voted on by the full membership at the Annual Meeting in May. Board meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the AMM offices. If you are interested in serving, please submit a resume and coverletter to the AM M by April 10 (145 University Ave. W., St. Paul, MN 55103-2044). If you have questions, call Roger Peterson at 651-215-4000. conform to the Senate amendments. The House does not have similar provisions. REPORTING UNDER THE OLD LAW By a floor amendment the Senate bill reinstates the 1995 Business Subsidy Law that was repealed in 1999. As a result of the amendment cities will need to file a report for subsidies granted between July 1, 1995 and July 31, 1999. The first report for the 1995 to 1999 reporting period will be April 1, 2001. There is no similar House provi- sion. If you have any comments or need additional information please contact Gene Ranieri at 651-215-4001. LCA report released The Metropolitan Council has released its annual report regarding the Livable Communities Act (LCA). The report provides information on LCA activity for 1999 and summary informa- tion for the four years that LCA has been operative. The report also relates the LCA activities to Metropolitan Council's smart growth policies and the Regional Blueprint. For a copy of the report call the Met Council at 651-602-1000. AMM Annual Meeting is set for May 18 Mark your calendars! The AMM Annual Meeting is set for Thurs- day, May 18, 2000 at the Sheraton Midway in St. Paul. A social hour will begin the evening at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 and the business meeting at 7:30 p.m. Rep. Ann Lenczewski (DFL - Bloomington), who is a former Bloomington councilmember and AM M Board member, is the featured speaker. A flyer with more information will be mailed to all AM M members later this month. Mar 31 Z000 15:3Z:06 L C Yw+gw of hS1Ne19 abi.r "w"a;7W OWMAWoa Via Fax -> 61Z+5B9+5060 Administrator Page 001 Of 001 a—FRIDAYFAx Number A weekly legislative update from the League of Minneso0 Cities March 31, 2000 Legislature enters conference committee stage Omnibus bills await spending targets The standing committees have generally completed their work. The omnibus bills have passed the House and Senate floors. Focus now turns to five major conference committees—transportation, edu- cation, taxes, bonding, and the supplemental spending bill, which contains appropriations for state departments, judiciary, agriculture, and environment. Before the conference committees can complete their work, House and Senate leadership must allot spending targets. This is no small task given the large spending and policy discrepancies between the House and Senate versions of the omnibus bills. And even if the House and Senate can agree on targets, there is no guarantee the governor will sign them into law. The major conference committees will likely be meeting almost daily starting Monday. Below is a list of omnibus tax bill conferees: Sen. Doug Johnson (DFL -Gook) Sen. John Hottinger (DFL -Mankato) Sen. Jim Vickerman (DFL -Tracy) Sen. Sandy Pappas (DFL -St. Paul) Sen. Bill Belanger (R -Bloomington) Rep. Ron Abrams (R -Minnetonka) Rep. Bill Kuisle (R -Rochester) Rep. Dan McElroy (R -Burnsville) Rep. Roxann Daggett (R -Frazee) Rep. Ann Rest (DFL -New Hope) Bleacher legislation changed Major amendments made On Thursday, the House debated the bleacher safety modification bill offered by Rep. Fran Bradley (R - Rochester). The Bradley bill would have delayed the compliance date for bleacher safety modifications, would have grandfathered all bleachers with less than a nine - inch gap and exempted bleachers under 55 inches from the safety requirements altogether. Rep. Steve Smith (R -Mound), last year's author of the original bleacher safety bill, offered an amendment to delete all of the bill and replace it with a six-month delay in the compliance date. After considerable discussion, the full House adopted the Smith amendment. The differing House and Senate language will have to be reconciled by a conference committee. The Senate bill exempts bleachers under 55 inches, delays the compliance date to January 1, 2002, and grandfathers retractable bleachers with less than a nine - inch gap. The House and Senate bleacher safety modification language is also contained in the two versions of the omnibus state appropriations bills. However, the governor has indicated his concerns with the overall scope of those bills. A governor's veto of any conference committee compromise currently appears likely. MINNESOTA CITIES: Building Quality Communities League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference 2000 LMC's 87" Annual Conference June 13-16, 2000 St. Cloud, Minnesota Mark your calendar now and plan to join us for LMC's premier conference event! Attending LMC's Annual Conference 2000 is a smart way to collect strategies and information, renew your enthusiasm, investigate new products and services, and spend time with colleagues who will remind you of your commitment to outstanding leadership. See future issues of Cities Bulletin and the April issue of Minnesota Cities magazine for more information on how to register for this event, or download the housing and registration forms from our Web site: vYww.1mnc.org. For more Information on city legislative Issues, contact any member of the League of Minnesota Cities Intergovernmental Relations team. (651) 231-1200 or (300) 925-1122 Apr 07 Z800 15:39:58 Lmc L wwoloC?0W " •rwuey Via Fax -> 61Z+589+5060 Judy Johnson Page 081 Or 08Z I/ -5Special Z"P9e edition FRIDAYF,4x Number 10 A weekly legislative update from the League of Minnesota Cities April 7, 2000 Bleacher agreement reached Last week, the House acted to delete most of the bleacher safety modifications in a bill offered by Rep. Fran Bradley (R -Rochester). The Senate refused to concur and the bills were sent to a conference committee consisting of Represen- tatives Fran Bradley (R -Roches- ter), Al Junke (DFL -Willmar) and Steve Smith (R -Mound); as well as Senators Deanna Wiener (DFL - Eagan), Tony Kinkel (DFL -Park Rapids), and Gen Olson (R- Minnetrista) . The conference committee reached a final agreement Thursday on modifications to the bleacher safety law that include an exemption for bleachers under 55 inches, a provision that all guardrails begin- ning at 30 inches above ground must comply with the standards, an exemption for retractable bleachers with less than a 9 -inch gap, and a delayed effective date for filing the certificate of compli- ance until Jan. 1, 2002. The conference committee report will now go to the House and Senate floor where the full bodies can only act to approve or defeat the report. Incidentally, bleacher safety language that mirrors the Senate bill and the House bill, before the bill was amended on the floor, is still contained in the omni- bus state agency bill. We assume these provisions will now be stripped from that bill. Local purchasing bill signed by governor On Tuesday, the governor signed into law a bill that increases the competitive bid threshold for cities and counties. Last year, a similar bill was vetoed by the governor based upon his concerns that the $50,000 threshold was too big of an increase for the state's smallest cities. Under Chapter 328, cities under 2,500 population will have the competitive bid threshold increased to $35,000, while larger cities will have the threshold increased to $50,000. The act. includes two other provi- sions. Cities and counties may contract for the purchase of sup- plies, materials, or equipment without regard to the competitive bidding requirements if the pur- chase is through a national munici- pal association's purchasing alliance or cooperative created by a joint powers agreement that pur- chases items from more than one source on the basis of competitive bids or competitive quotations. The act also allows a county board to authorize the use of a credit card by any county officer or employee otherwise authorized to make a purchase on behalf of the county. Cities were not included in this provision. Rules petition sunset extended The governor signed into law an act that extends the sunset for the rules petition law. Chapter 335, (Rep. Broecker, R-Vadnais Heights/ Sen. Wiger, DFL -North St. Paul), authorizes cities and counties to petition the state to amend or repeal state agency rules if the petitioner can demonstrate the rule is no longer needed or reasonable, or if the petitioner can demonstrate a less costly or intrusive method of achieving the purpose of the rule. The authority to petition is also extended to sanitary districts. The law now has a sunset date of July 31, 2006. Liability for snowmobile and ATV accidents in right-of-ways The House and Senate have passed legislation to provide limited immunity to the state and, in turn, to local governments for claims arising from accidents occurring in public right -off -way. The bill, S.F. 3307/H.F. 3613 (Ranum, D-Minne- apolis/Holberg, R -Lakeville), provides immunity from lawsuits when an individual is injured when riding a motorized recreational vehicle in public highway right-of- way. The bill is designed to balance the interests of recreational vehicle enthusiasts with the very real risks taxpayers face from civil litigation arising from private citizen use of public lands. The bill has been sent to the governor for his signature. For more information on city legislative issues, contact any member of the League of Minnesota Cities Intergovernmental Relations team. (651) 281-1200 or (800) 925-1122 Apr 87 Z000 15:48:48 Via Fax -> 61Z+589+5868 Judy Johnson Page HOZ OF 88Z FRI_D_A_YF4x APRIL 7, 2000 - PAGE 2 Seasonal weight restrictions The House and Senate have established a conference commit- tee to work out the differences in a bill to provide some exceptions to seasonal road weight restrictions. The bill, S.F. 27851H.F. 3274 (Murphy, D -Red Wing/Workman, R -Chanhassen), allows utility vehicles to be exempt from road weight restrictions if there is an imminent or actual emergency. The House amended the bill to add milk haulers and raw sewage haulers to the exemption list. A third class (recycling haulers) is also being discussed. The Association of Minnesota Counties opposes the addition of more exemptions. The conferees are Sens. Murphy, Fred- erickson, and Dave Johnson, and Reps. Buesgens, Juhnke, and Workman. Private sector contracts restricted The Senate approved a bill to place severe restrictions on munici- pal contracts with private service providers for all contracts exceed- ing $25,000. The bill, S.F. 3230, authored by Sen. Dave Johnson (D -Bloomington) and Rep. Ann Lenczewski (D -Bloomington), would require private service providers to comply with various public sector employment requirements, includ- ing data practices and affirmative action. Prior to entering into the contract, the public entity must conduct a detailed fact finding to support the decision to let the contract. The law imposes several restrictions on the private entities use of the funds received from the public sector. While it is widely assumed this bill is dead in the House and was a political vote in the Senate, it still sends a negative message to local governments. Annexation vote defeated in conference committee The House and Senate conferees settled on language designed to facilitate the authority of the Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning when acting on boundary adjustment petitions. The bill, S.F. 2951, authored by Sen. Vickerman (D -Tracy) and Rep. Larsen (R -Lakeland), was amend- ed in the House to allow a vote by township residents on the annex- ation if a city proposed to annex more than 90 percent of the town- ship territory. This provision was eliminated from the bill in confer- ence committee. As it heads to the House and Senate for final pas- sage, the bill essentially gives the director of the Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning the ability to send boundary adjustment disputes through an alternative dispute resolution process, and directs how costs of the proceed- ings will be assigned. Senate passes feedlot bill H.F. 3692 (Kuisle, R-Roch-ester/ Sams, D -Staples) modifies Minnesota's feedlot law and directs the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to amend Minnesota Rules regulating feedlots. Some signifi- cant changes include altering of the animal unit configurations, and relaxing of the ambient air quality standards. The full Senate passed H.F. 3692 as amended on Tuesday. The most noteworthy of the amend- ments adopted in the Senate was changing the animal unit designa- tion for hogs between 55 and 300 pounds from .25 animal units to 3 animal units. With this change, the House, Senate, and proposed MPGA rules all have the same animal unit designation for hogs The House passed their version of the bill last week. The differences between the bills will be worked out in conference committee. House passes wetland consolidation bill After considerable debate on the House floor, including temporarily laying the bill over, the House passed S.F. 83 on Tuesday, April 4. Before final passage, the bill was amended to state that any pro- posed reclassification of a pro- tected water does not take effect if any local government objects to the reclassification. S.F. 83 was passed on a vote of 120-83. SUBURBAN TRANSIT ASSOCIATION LEGISLATIVE REPORT STA LEGISLATIVE REPORT MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2000 REPORT 2000-4 LEGISLATORS COMPLETE COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND BEGIN TO FOCUS ON CONFERENCE COMMITTEES These last few weeks of session are often the most exciting, as well as tiring, for those who are involved in the process. Conference committees have begun to meet each day in an effort to resolve differences between House and Senate positions on more than a dozen bills, including the Omnibus Transportation, Tax and Bonding bills. According to legislative leadership, the House and Senate will recess for a few days after passing all bills. The recess is expected to begin during the second week in April. By recessing, legislators will be able to return to session to override any surprise vetoes handed down by the governor. Because legislators will not have adjourned, the governor will have only three days upon receipt to sign or veto the bills sent to him. If he chooses not to sign a bill, it will become law without his signature. This strategy means that Legislature will likely meet until April 20. OMNIBUS TAX BILLS HEAD TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE On Monday, March 27, the House .passed its 2000 Omnibus Tax Bill. The Senate followed suit and officially passed its Omnibus Tax Bill on March 28. (The Senate debated its bill on March 24 and laid it on the table in anticipation of the House passing its bill. Finance and tax bills are required by the Constitution to originate in the House.) The two very different bills now head to conference committee where differences will be hammered out. The final step will be to get the final bill past the governor's veto pen. Governor Ventura has stated that he is opposed to making significant tax -law changes this session, choosing instead to save that money for use in instituting his "Big Plan" in 2001. The remainder of this article will summarize and compare the provisions in each bill that are of interest to the STA. The STA Legislative Report is prepared by Thomas J. Poul and Jennifer J. Peterson Messerll 6 Kramer P.A., 145 University Avenue Wast, Suite 450, SL Paul, MN 55103 Telephone (651) 228-9757 Fax (851) 228-9787 HOUSE TAX BILL -r-- 5c SENATE TAX BILL License Tab Fees — No related provision License Tab Fees — The Senate bill contains a provision that reduces tab fees from 1.25 percent of estimated value to 1.2 percent. In addition, the lowest tab fee is reduced from $35 to $30. MVET — No related provision MET COUNCIL BONDING — No related provision. EMPLOYER TRANSIT PASS TAX CREDIT — The House bill contains a provision that gives Minnesota businesses a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost to the company of providing free or reduced -rate transit passes. METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT FUNDING MECHANISM — The House bill removes transit funding from the property tax, and instead funds transit programs from the General Fund. The Met Council and opt -out transit levies will no longer be utilized. Cities in which the transit property tax is levied will see their HACA permanently reduced in an amount equal to the transit levy. (See pages 8-9 for further information.) MVET — The Senate bill provides for a constitutionally dedicated 30 percent transfer of Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (MVET) funds from the general fund. Of that 30 percent, 15 percent will be used to replace the decrease in tab fee collections and 15 percent is dedicated to transit. This provision would require passage of a Constitutional Amendment by Minnesota voters. MET COUNCIL BONDING — The Senate bill provides for an annual inflationary increase in bonding authorization added to a statutorily dedicated base of $40 million. If it becomes law, this provision would become effective in 2001. EMPLOYER TRANSIT PASS TAX CREDIT — No related provision. 4 METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT FUNDING MECHANISM — No related provision. HOUSE AND SENATE OMNIBUS TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILLS HEAD TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE On March 21, the House of Representatives passed a $325 million Transportation Finance Bill. The Republicans' primary goal was to increase funding for transportation improvements, specifically for roads. On March 20, the Senate debated its Omnibus Transportation Finance Bill, giving it final approval on March 22. The Senate bill provides $650 million in funding and bonding for transportation and transit expenditures. Conferees working to craft a plan acceptable to both bodies are: House: Representatives Carol Molnau (R -Chaska), Tom Workman (R -Chanhassen), Bernie Lieder (DFL -Crookston), Michelle Rifenberg (R-LaCrescent), and Steve Wenzel (DFL -Little Falls). Senate: Senators Carol Flynn (DFL -Minneapolis), Dean Johnson (DFL -Willmar), Randy Kelly (DFL -St. Paul), Mark Ourada (R -Buffalo), and Claire Robling (R -Prior Lake). We will keep you up to date as these bills progress through conference committee negotiations. The House and Senate bills are quite distant in their spending and focus, and neither has earned a nod of acceptance from the governor. The next couple of weeks could be contentious. The remainder of this piece will briefly summarize the highlights of each bill and the differences between them. HOUSE TRANSPORTATION SENATE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL FINANCE BILL Metro Transit — Appropriates $3.7 million Metro Transit — Appropriates $3.7 million for Metro Transit. to Metro Transit. Also appropriates $20 million to construct bus garages. Appropriates $10 million for engineering and constructing bus transitways. Greater Minnesota Transit — Greater Minnesota Transit — Appropriates $450,000 for Greater Appropriates $4 million for grants to transit Minnesota transit assistance. systems in Greater Minnesota for buses and intelligent transportation system technologies. Appropriates $1 million for grants to construct transit facilities. 9 HOUSE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL Opt -Out Eligibility — Exempts the cities of Minnetonka and Shorewood from the law prohibiting additional municipalities from becoming opt -out transit service providers after July 1, 1984. (See page 8 for more details.) SENATE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL Opt -Out Eligibility — No related provision. Met Council Bonding — No related Met Council Bonding — Authorizes a provision. base $40 million in bonding for the Met Council beginning in 2002. Provides for a growth factor each year equal to the previous year's base adjusted by the change in the consumer price index or by a factor of three percent, whichever is less. Constitutional Amendment — No related provision. Multimodal Transportation Fund — No related provision. 4 Constitutional Amendment — Proposes an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that would dedicate 15 percent of the proceeds of a sales tax on motor vehicles to the Highway User Fund and 15 percent to the Multimodal Transportation Fund to be used for transit purposes. Submits the constitutional question to Minnesota voters at the 2000 general election. Multimodal Transportation Fund — Creates the "Multimodal Transportation Fund" to expend appropriated revenue as specified by the Legislature. Appropriates $119.65 to this fund and requires that the Commissioner of Transportation report to the Legislature on an annual basis making recommendations on appropriating the revenue in this fund. HOUSE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL Metro Mobility Study — Requires the Met Council to report to the appropriate legislative committees by February, 2001 on the future of Metro Mobility. Issues to be studied and reported upon are: increase of availability; integration of Metro Mobility into the regional transit master plan; integration of taxi service into the system; and the need for statutory changes to make the system more effective. Personal Rapid Transit — Appropriates $500,000 to the University of Minnesota for a grant for design and engineering of a personal rapid transit system. LRT Funding Prohibition — The House bill prohibits the Department of Transportation from spending any funds appropriated from the trunk highway fund for the planning, designing, acquiring, constructing or equipping light rail transit facilities. SENATE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL Metro Mobility Study — No related provision. Personal Rapid Transit — No related provision. LRT Funding Prohibition — No related provision. Cancellation of LRT Bonding — Cancels Cancellation of LRT Bonding — No the unspent and unencumbered remainder related provision. of the state general obligation bond authorizations for light rail transit (estimated to be $92 million). Commuter Rail Funding The House bill prohibits spending state funds for planning, design, engineering, land acquisition or construction for equipping commuter rail lines without prior legislative approval. '.i Commuter Rail Funding Prohibition — Appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to study the feasibility of extending the Northstar corridor to Little Falls. HOUSE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL Local Approval of Commuter Rail — Provides that if a city or town disapproves of the physical design component of a commuter rail corridor plan and the Department of Transportation does not accept the city or town's proposed changes, a newly created appeal board will review the alternatives. This new board is authorized to select whichever plan it deems most appropriate. Long -Term Bonding Authorization — No related provision. Ramp Meter Study — Directs the Commissioner of Transportation turn off all ramp meters on a date to be determined by a consultant hired to study their effects on traffic flow and safety. Authorizes the Department of Transportation to hire a consultant to perform this study. Authorizes $400,000 for the completion of the study. SENATE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL Local Approval of Commuter Rail — No related provision Long -Term Bonding Authorization — Appropriates $200 million from the bond proceeds account in the Trunk Highway Fund for the replacement and reconstruction of key bridges, improvement of interregional corridors, the removal of bottlenecks, provision of highway -related advantages for transit, and right-of-way acquisition. This appropriation will be spent in $100 million increments during fiscal years 2002 and 2003. A Ramp Meter Study — The Senate Bill contains a provision authorizing a study of ramp meter effectiveness in October of this year. However, unlike the House, the Senate has appropriated no funding to pay for such a study. HOUSE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL HOV Lane Study — Directs the Department of Transportation to study the effects of allowing certain additional vehicles to use high -occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes during peak traffic times. The vehicles to be studied for use of the HOV lanes are: trucks over 26,000 pounds, trucks and vans not registered for passenger transportation, and any other vehicles the Department deems appropriate. Major Transportation Projects — Creates a major transportation projects commission to set priorities among major transportation projects and submit a report delineating these priorities to the Legislature at the beginning of each session. Membership would be the governor, five senators and five representatives. The Commissioner of the Department of Transportation would serve as a non-voting member. State Road Construction — See "Bottleneck Elimination and "Greater Minnesota Highways" below. Bottleneck Elimination — Appropriates $201 million from the General Fund and the Trunk Highway Fund for elimination of bottlenecks on metro area highways. 7 SENATE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL HOV Lane Study — No related provision. Major Transportation Projects — No related provision. State Road Construction — Transfers $145 million from the General Fund to the Highway User Tax Fund for use as follows: $85.405 million for state road construction, with at least $74.301 million to be used for construction and improvement of trunk highways, bridges, interregional corridors and/or bottlenecks; and $59.595 million for local road construction and improvement. Bottleneck Elimination — See "Long - Term Bonding Authorization" above. HOUSE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL Greater Minnesota Highways — Appropriates $201 million from the General Fund and the Trunk Highway Fund for improvements on "at -risk" highway corridors in Greater Minnesota HOV Lane Construction — Prohibits any of the new transportation appropriation to be used for construction of high - occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Also prohibits conversion of existing lanes to lanes for HOV dedication. SENATE TRANSPORTATION FINANCE BILL Greater Minnesota Highways — See "Long -Term Bonding Authorization" above. HOV Lane Construction — No related provision. HOUSE AND SENATE PUBLIC FINANCE BILLS CONTAIN FUNDING FOR TRANSIT The House Public Finance Bill, as it heads to conference committee contains $19.4 million in bonding authorization for Metro Transit - $16 million to make up for the incomplete authorization provided in 1999 and $3.4 million earmarked for suburban park and ride facilities. This same provision is in the Senate Public Finance Bill. As the bonding authorization currently is in both bills, it is likely that this provision will easily survive conference committee and be sent to the governor for his approval. Governor Ventura has not indicated whether the additional $3.4 million will be approved. HOUSE ADVANCES TROUBLESOME PROVISIONS As mentioned in the brief summaries of the House Omnibus Transportation Finance and Tax Bills, two provisions have been included that the STA does not support. Neither of these provisions are included in the Senate versions of these bills. First, as it went to the floor the House Omnibus Transportation Finance Bill contained a provision championed by Representative Ron Abrams (R -Minnetonka) that opened up the opt -out system to additional communities. During debate on the House Floor, the bill was amended allowing two new opt -out communities — Minnetonka and Shorewood. While the STA does not oppose, in concept, adding more opt -out providers to the metro system, this provision was a surprise to us and we do not support it. The STA's opposition stems not from a desire to fence off the system as it is, but rather from our desire to ensure that such a change is made following a thoughtful planning process. 13 Second, the House Omnibus Tax bill includes a change in the funding mechanism for public transit. For a number of years, there has been much discussion of alternatives to using property taxes as the primary funding mechanism for metro area transit. Representatives Dan McElroy (R -Burnsville) and Ron Abrams added a provision to the House Tax Bill that would abolish the Met Council's property tax for transit. With the property tax abolished, transit services would instead be funded directly from the General Fund. To pay for this change, cities in which the transit property tax is collected would have their HACA permanently reduced by an amount equal to the transit property tax levied in that city. Transit supporters and local governments oppose this legislation for many reasons, including: 1. Using general fund revenues for transit will require that such services compete with education, healthcare and other state spending. 2. Without a dedicated pool of revenue, transit services are not guaranteed a minimum level of funding to provide the services needed. 3. There is no guarantee that the general fund revenue will increase, whereas increases in market value and population growth provide the current funding mechanism with a reasonable annual increase in revenue available for transit. (This provision includes an annual increase based upon the Implicit Price Deflator (IPD), but there is no guarantee that the increase will not be tinkered with in future legislative sessions.) It is currently projected that this change will cost transit services $110 million in lost revenue over the next eight years. 4. The transit system in the metro area has a goal of doubling its ridership during the next 20 years. The growth factor based upon the IPD will not provide adequate increases in revenue to enable this growth in the system. 5. Taking HACA from cities in the metro area will increase the disparity between the metro area and Greater Minnesota with regard to state aids. 6. While property taxpayers will not see net increases in property taxes, it will appear that their city's levy has increased by the amount of HACA taken away by the state. City officials are rightfully concerned this change will create the appearance that they are not fiscally prudent with their constituents tax dollars. 7. This provision does not contain an increase in funding that is guaranteed to keep pace with the rapid growth in suburban communities. Any increase for opt -outs will be directly proportional to increases received by the Metropolitan Council. �67 --,T--5C As mentioned on page 2, the Senate Tax Bill does not contain a similar provision. However, the survival of this plan during conference committee cannot be counted out at this time. Rural legislators will not likely be opposed to this provision, as it does not affect them. Legislators with an anti -Metropolitan Council philosophy will likely be supportive because this plan will remove some degree of autonomy from the Council and return it to the Legislature. Additionally, because it is almost universally agreed that transit should not be funded solely by the property tax system, many may be willing to accept this provision as an adequate solution, a belief not shared by transit supporters. STA DAY ON THE HILL On Tuesday, March 28, members of the STA converged on the State Capitol to meet with legislators. STA Chair, Mayor Elizabeth Kautz (Burnsville), Mayor Bob Burlingame (Maple Grove), Beverley Miller (Executive Director of MVTA), John Sweeney (Executive Director of Plymouth Metrolink), Michael Leek (Economic Development Director of Shakopee Transit) and Margaret Schreiner (Dakota County) were all in attendance and worked hard to impress legislators with STA positions on significant pieces of legislation. Members of the STA met with Representatives Carol Molnau (R -Chaska), Dan McElroy (R -Burnsville), Tim Pawlenty (R -Eagan), Rich Stanek (R -Maple Grove), Arlon Lindner (R -Corcoran), Erik Paulsen (R -Eden Prairie), Mary Liz Holberg (R -Lakeville), and Tim Wilkin (R -Eagan). Senate members they met with included Senators Dave Knutson (R - Burnsville), Deanna Wiener (DFL -Eagan), Claire Robling (R -Prior Lake), Roy Terwilliger (R -Edina) and Warren Limmer (R -Maple Grove). Excellent discussions were held regarding issues such as regional bonding authority, Representative McElroy's provisions providing an employer tax credit for transit passes and for removing transit funding from the property tax, and various other transit and transportation proposals. Following the visit to the Capitol, Chair Mondale met with STA members over lunch. During the lunch, Chair Mondale provided helpful insight into many of the issues facing transit supporters during the final few weeks of this session. The STA would like to thank the legislators who took the time to speak with our members on Tuesday, and we also offer our thanks to Chair Mondale for spending valuable time with us. M 2000 City Council Attendence X - Absent DATE MEETING TYPE Johnson Bildsoe Slavik Brown Black Harstad Tierney 01/04/00 Regular 01/11/00 Special 01/18/00 Regular X 02/01/00 Regular 02/08/00 Special 02/12/00 Special 02/14/00 Special X X X 02/15/00 Special 02/15/00 Regular 02/29/00 Regular X 03/02/00 Special X 03/09/00 Special X 03/21/001 Regular