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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Packet 02-20-2003 SpecialAgenda City of Plymouth Special City Council Meeting Thursday, February 20, 2003 6:00 p.m. Plymouth Creek Center, 1480034 th Avenue 1. Call to Order 2. Discuss legislative priorities with area Legislators 3. Adjourn CITY OF PLYMOUTH RESOLUTION 2003-031 ADOPTING PRIORITY ISSUES FOR THE 2003 LEGISLATIVE SESSION BE IT RESOLVED by the Plymouth City Council that the following issues are legislative priorities for the City of Plymouth in the 2003 session: State Budget Cuts. In attempts to balance the State budget, the City encourages the Legislature to find equitable solutions that do not disproportionately harm cities that are already more heavily dependent on the property tax to fund city services. Local Control. Local governments are empowered by the legislature to determine many issues within statutory and charter limits. The City opposes legislation that undermines or erodes local control, as well as state -imposed mandated services or procedures that result in added local costs. The City of Plymouth requests that the State recognize and enhance local prerogatives, especially during a time when the State will need to reduce services and financial support of local governments. Levy Limits. Levy limits should not be re-enacted for 2004 and beyond. Local government officials should have the ability to make decisions on local taxation and service levels. Phosphorus in Fertilizer. The City of Plymouth enacted an ordinance several years ago that prohibits the use of fertilizer containing any quantity of phosphorous except in extremely limited situations. In 2002, legislation was adopted at the state level to restrict the sale and use of fertilizer containing phosphorus. However, a technical amendment in the Revisor's bill will pre- empt enforcement after 2003. We request that the Legislature repeal the technical amendment in order to allow the City to continue to enforce ordinances relating to phosphorus content. Lake water quality may be maintained and improved if the amount of lawn fertilizer and other chemicals entering the lakes as a result of storm water runoff can be regulated. 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 the proposal to allow 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. Local Control of Residential Speed Limits. State law currently controls all speed limits on residential streets, with very limited exceptions. Legislation is requested allowing more flexibility for local officials to establish speed limits for residential streets that do not have an impact on neighboring cities. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Plymouth understands that the State has limited resources and can fund few, if any, new programs at this time. The following are priority issues for the City of Plymouth in maintaining and, if possible increasing, levels of service: 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 2003 State Legislature should support and fund 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. 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 fund housing programs because they increase the cost of housing for those most in need and have regressive impacts. CriMNet. Minnesota is taking steps to build and implement an integrated, statewide system to allow police, sheriffs, judges, prosecutors, probation and corrections officers to share information with each other. The Legislature provided funding in 2000 for the first step in the process, and it is important for the State to take the lead in this investment and not to impose unfair and unaffordable burdens on local law enforcement and local government. The City of Plymouth urges support and funding of CriMNet. 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. 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 funding at the local level. The City also wishes to carefully monitor any legislation to allow watersheds to use property tax levies to fund improvements. Transportation. The entire economy benefits from a sound and adequately funded transportation system, but resources for roads have fallen short. Additional resources are needed to provide a high quality, efficient metropolitan and local transportation systems. The City encourages the legislature to establish a mechanism for increased transportation funding. The transfer of transit funding to MVET has resulted in an unstable revenue source that is economically dependent. The City believes it is imperative to maintain existing funding levels, through additional sources if necessary. 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. Adopted by the Plymouth City Council on January 7, 2003.