HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Packet 03-28-2016 SpecialSpecial Council Meeting 1 of 1 March 28, 2016
CITY OF PLYMOUTH
AGENDA
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
MARCH 28, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
MEDICINE LAKE CONFERENCE ROOM
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. TOPICS
A. Discuss 2016 Legislative Priorities
3. ADJOURN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Plymouth functions in a multijurisdictional environment and is often subject to mandates from the State
of Minnesota, Hennepin County, the Metropolitan Council, and various watershed districts. This legislative agenda is
intended to advocate for the community’s residents and businesses, reduce waste and duplication of services, and
enable the city to govern itself.
I. TRANSPORTATION
To efficiently transport commuters and promote business growth, the city encourages the legislature to identify long-
term funding sources with growth potential to allow for the construction and maintenance of efficient transitand
highway systems this session. Specifically, Plymouth supports the following:
Suburban Transit. The city supports preservation of suburban transit, expansion of the transit taxing district, and
maintain full MVST funding to suburban transit providers. (Metropolitan Council, State of Minnesota)
Highway 169. The city supports improvements to Highway 169 in Plymouth. (Metropolitan Council, State of
Minnesota)
Rockford Road Bridge. The city seeks funding to replace the bridge over Interstate 494 at Rockford Road.
County Road Maintenance Budgets. The city supports adequate funding for maintenance, repair, and timely
replacement of the county road systems within Plymouth. (Hennepin County)
Transit Study. The city supports additional study of transit corridors through Plymouth. (Hennepin County,
Metropolitan Council, State of Minnesota)
Safe Rail Crossings. The city seeks funding to enhance the safety of rail crossings including improvements which
would enable a whistle ban in Plymouth. (State of Minnesota)
Utility Coordination on Transportation Projects. The city supports legislation that would compel utility companies
to complete improvements associated with a public transportation project in a timely manner – or enable the city
to engage a private contractor to complete the work at the utility’s expense. (State of Minnesota)
II. GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Local Control. The city opposes legislation that erodes local decision making and control. The city believes that
decision making happens best at the local level. (Metropolitan Council, State of Minnesota)
Mandates. Remove unnecessary reporting and other mandates and provide a funding source for state-required
mandates. (State of Minnesota)
Levy Limits. The city opposes levy limits. State-imposed limits on local decision making are inconsistent with local
accountability. (State of Minnesota)
Improving Public Access to Information. The city supports legislation that would enable it to meet its official
notice publication requirements on its website, rather than a designated newspaper. (State of Minnesota)
Water Management. The city must meet water quality standards from the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources, Board of Soil and Water Resources, Elm Creek Watershed District, Minnehaha Creek Watershed
District, Shingle Creek Watershed District, Bassett Creek Watershed District, Metropolitan Council, United States
Environmental Pollution Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency, and Hennepin County. The City of Plymouth supports process improvements to streamline
applications and standards.
Elections. The city supports a condensed early voting period, rather than an extended no-excuse absentee
process. (State of Minnesota)
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III. FISCAL REFORM
The city supports fiscal reforms that foster local independence from the state.
No Expansion of Local Government Aid. The city does not support the expansion of Local Government Aid (LGA)
and favors local autonomy and parity among like communities. Any city not receiving LGA should be free from any
levy limits imposed by the state. (State of Minnesota)
No Expansion of Fiscal Disparities. The City of Plymouth contributes 7% of its tax base to fiscal disparities
and does not support the expansion of the program as a tool to appropriately balance the city’s tax base. The
city opposes any legislation that would repurpose fiscal disparity contributions for special projects. (Stateof
Minnesota)
No Creation of the Home Grown Housing Fund. The Minnesota Housing Partnership has proposed an initiative to
create a new funding source to pool one-third of the growth in tax capacity above $350,000 on owner-occupied
homes (fiscal disparities approach). The revenue generated from the pooled capacity would be administered by
counties who develop housing strategies to use these funds to meet their communities’ needs. The city believes
that these decisions are best made at the local level – rather than the county level. The city strongly opposes any
effort that in effect, transfers local property tax base and/or funds to support other public policy objectives. The
city should be granted sufficient authority and flexibility to promote housing types that are best suited to meet
local needs, public purposes, and goals. (State of Minnesota)
Market Value Exclusion. The city supports the retention of the market value exclusion. The city opposes
reinstatement of the Market Value Homestead Credit program. The city believes the Market Value Exclusion
phase-out value should be relative to a local housing market and not arbitrarily assigned. (State of Minnesota)
Property Tax Reforms. The city supports property tax relief initiatives that are available directly to the taxpayer,
rather than the local government through the Local Government Aid program. (State of Minnesota)
Business Property Tax. The city supports reduction of the statewide business property tax. (State of Minnesota)
Tax Increment Financing (TIF). The city supports increased flexibility in the use of Tax Increment Financing. (State
of Minnesota)
IV. REGIONAL GOVERNANCE
Metropolitan Council. The city supports reform of the Metropolitan Council’s makeup and municipal input in
this process. A majority of members should be elected officials, appointed from cities and counties in the region.
Terms of Metropolitan Council members appointed by the Governor should be staggered and not coterminous
with the Governor. The Metropolitan Council should represent the entire region and voting should be structured
on population and incorporate a system of checks and balances. (Metropolitan Council, State of Minnesota)
Statutory Authority. The city supports the legislature confining the Metropolitan Council to its statutory authority.
Metropolitan Council, State of Minnesota)
Transportation Advisory Board. The city supports a re-examination of the Transportation Advisory Board’s
makeup and supports municipal input in this process. (Metropolitan Council)
V. PUBLIC SAFETY
Safe Driving/Diversion Programs. The city supports legislation that ensures a traffic diversion program designed
to change driver behavior through sound, structured and consistent education as a means to mitigate future
traffic violations and make roads safer. The city believes this type of program should focus on improving traffic
safety, rather than generating revenue. (State of Minnesota)
Traveling Data. The city supports classifying intelligence information shared by other law enforcement agencies as
non-public data. (State of Minnesota)
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Critical Incident Training. The city supports legislation that would fund Critical Incident Training for law
enforcement agencies on calls for service where an individual is experiencing a mental health crisis. (State of
Minnesota)
Body Cameras. The city supports classifying and clarifying when body-worn camera footage is public and
accessible versus when the footage is non-public while properly balancing both public safety and privacy
concerns. (State of Minnesota)
Prescription Drug Take-Back. The city supports legislation allowing pharmacies to “take back” unused
prescriptions or over the counter medications. (State of Minnesota)
Criminal Background Checks. The city supports legislation preventing individuals who are not legally able to
purchase a gun from doing so without a criminal background check. (State of Minnesota)
IV. SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL ASSETS
Plymouth Ice Center. The city supports a capital appropriation of $2.2 million for the Plymouth Ice Center
renovation. Combined with matching funds from the City of Plymouth, this appropriation will make mandated
and energy efficiency updates possible at one of the state’s largest and busiest facilities. It will also allow for
renovation and remodeling, helping meet long-term demands for regional, state and national amateur sports.
State of Minnesota)
County Road Retaining Walls. The city supports county funding for retaining wall replacement within city limits.
The city has identified significant issues on County Road 6 and requests Hennepin County adequately fund and
maintain its infrastructure in Plymouth. (Hennepin County)
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