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Home My WebLink AboutCouncil Information Memorandum 05-25-2017CITY OF PLYMOUTH COUNCIL INFO MEMO May 25, 2017 EVENTS / MEETINGS Official City Meeting Calendars ......................................................................................................... Page 2 Tentative List of Agenda Items ........................................................................................................... Page 5 CORRESPONDENCE Metropolitan Council's Preliminary Population and Household Estimates ........................................ Page 8 Spring Plant Swap Set for June 5th ................................................................................................... Page 11 Parks and Recreation Department Receives Three Awards of Excellence ........................................ Page 12 Site Plan Amendment for Wagner Spray Tech Located at 1770 Fernbrook Lane North (2017044) Page 14 Variances for Sicora Design Build for Property Located at 10124 South Shore Drive (2017050) ... Page 15 REPORTS & OTHER ARTICLES OF INTEREST Why Edina Officials Like the Teardown Trend, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal ................ Page 16 In Minneapolis, No Rush to Obtain Body Cam Video, Star Tribune ............................................... Page 18 Transportation Bill Staves Off Transit Cuts - For Now, Star Tribune .............................................. Page 21 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Bark in the Park Hilde Performance Center 4 12:30 PM Northwest Green- way Ribbon Cutting Vicksburg Lane Pedestrian Bridge 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 June 2017 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Phone: 763-509-5000 Fax: 763-509-5060 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers 7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE (EQC) MEETING Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM PARK & REC ADVISORY COMMISSION (PRAC) MEETING Plymouth Creek Center 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT 7:00 PM HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA) MEETING Medicine Lake Room CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Music in Plymouth 5K Run/Walk Hilde Performance Center 5:30 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Police Body-Worn Cameras Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers Page 2 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 NO REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 July 2017 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Phone: 763-509-5000 Fax: 763-509-5060 7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE (EQC) MEETING Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA)MEETING Medicine Lake Room 5:30 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Lodging Tax Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 30 31 INDEPENDENCE DAY CITY OFFICES CLOSED 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM Music in Plymouth Hilde Performance Center Page 3 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 6:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Budget and CIP Medicine Lake Room 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 6:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Budget and CIP (if needed) Medicine Lake Room 30 31 August 2017 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, MN 55447 OFFICIAL CITY CALENDAR Phone: 763-509-5000 Fax: 763-509-5060 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers 7:00 PM ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE (EQC) MEETING Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Council Chambers 7:00 PM HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HRA) MEETING Medicine Lake Room SUN TUES MON WED THUR FRI SAT 5:00 PM SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING Budget and CIP/Review Future Trail Projects Medicine Lake Room 7:00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Council Chambers CHANGES ARE NOTED IN RED 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Kids Fest Hilde Performance Center Page 4 Tentative Schedule for City Council Agenda Items June 13, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers • Announce Music in Plymouth and 5k Run • Public hearing on Wine and On-Sale 3.2 Malt Liquor License applications of GC 8028 LLC, d/b/a Kai & I, 3355 Plymouth Boulevard #180 June 27, Special, 5:30 p.m. Medicine Lake Room • Police body-worn cameras June 27, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers • Proclaim August 1 as “Night to Unite” • Quarterly City Manager’s update following the meeting July 25, Special, 5:30 p.m. Medicine Lake Room • Lodging Tax July 25, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers • Announce Kids Fest on August 3 August 8, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers August 15, Special, 6:00 p.m. Medicine Lake Room • Budget and CIP August 22, Special, 5:00 p.m. Medicine Lake Room • Budget and CIP • Review future trail projects August 22, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers August 29, Special, 6:00 p.m. Medicine Lake Room (if needed) • Budget and CIP September 12, Special, 5:30 p.m. Medicine Lake Room • Vicksburg Lane median proposals September 12, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers • Announce Plymouth on Parade on September 23 • Approve 2018 proposed budget, preliminary general property tax levy, HRA levy and budget hearing date September 26, Special, 5:30 p.m. Medicine Lake Room • Consider minimum age to purchase tobacco Page 5 September 26, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers October 10, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers October 24, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers November 14, Special, 5:30 p.m. Medicine Lake Room • Budget November 14, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers November 28, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers December 12, Regular, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers • Public hearing on 2018 budget, general property tax levy, HRA levy, and 2018-2022 Capital Improvement Program • Approve 2018 Target and Trap Shooting License renewal • Approve 2018 Amusement License renewals • Approve 2018 Tobacco License renewals Page 6 Budget Calendar 2018-2019 Biennial Budget Preparation & 5-yr Capital Improvement Plan Date Category Description April 17, 2017 Budget Departments receive budget instruction May 23 at 5:30 p.m. Budget Council Study Session – Financial Plan & Budget Goals April – June 2017 Budget Departments prepare budgets June 2, 2017 Budget Personnel changes submitted to HR June 12, 2017 Budget Budgets submitted to Finance June 26 – July 14, 2017 Budget Department meetings August 4 Budget Council receives budget materials for upcoming meeting August 15 at 6 p.m. Budget & CIP Council study session (Budget & CIP meeting #1) August 22 at 5:30 p.m. Budget & CIP Council Study Session (Budget & CIP meeting #2) Council Regular Session (Financial Overview & Audit Presentation) August 29 at 6 p.m. Budget & CIP Council Study Session (Budget meeting #3) (if needed) September 12, 2017 Budget Council adopts preliminary levies & budget (Budget meeting #4) October 4, 2017 CIP Planning Commission public hearing November 14 at 5:30 p.m. Budget Council Study Session (Budget meeting #5) (If needed) December 12, 2017 Budget & CIP Budget Public Hearing, CIP, Budget & Levy Adoption December 26, 2017 Budget Levy is certified with Hennepin County Page 7 May 15, 2017 Dave Callister, City Manager City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Blvd Plymouth, MN 55447-1482 Dear Mr. Callister: The Metropolitan Council has prepared preliminary population and household estimates for your community as of April 1, 2016. This is an annual process governed by Minnesota Statutes 473.24.Please note that these estimates are different from the Council's local forecasts that your community has reviewed before. Forecasts look ahead to the coming decades;the annual estimates communicated below look back in time to the previous year. 2016 Annual Population Estimate The Metropolitan Council estimates that the City of Plymouth had 75,452 people and 30,911 households as of April 1,2016.Household size averaged 2.403 persons per household. How was this estimate calculated? We estimate households and population with a housing-stock-based method, which involves three questions: 1. How many housing units did your community have? 2. How many households occupied these housing units? 3. How many people lived in these occupied housing units? This letter includes an overview of our estimation method along with a report showing the data inputs and calculations used to develop the preliminary estimates. For more information, visit https://www.metrocouncil.org/populationestimates , or contact me at 651-602-1513. This estimate is only 10 people(for example) higher than my community's 2015 estimate.Does this mean that my community added only 10 people between 2015 and 2016? No, not necessarily. Each year, we update our data and refine our methods, so estimates from different years are not directly comparable. Instead,we recommend examining growth since the 2010 Census. How can my community provide feedback on this estimate? We welcome discussion of the 2016 preliminary estimates and invite you to review and comment on them. Please send any written comments or questions to Matt Schroeder, Metropolitan Council Research, 390 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55101; or by e-mail to Matt.Schroeder@metc.state.mn.us. Under Minnesota Statutes 473.24, we must receive your comments, questions, or specific objections, in writing, by Saturday,June 24, 2017. What happens after my community provides feedback? The Council will certify final estimates by July 15,2017 for state government use in allocating local government aid and street aid. Sincerely, Ofdiff _ ifterx Matt Schroeder Senior Researcher 390 Robert Street Noah I Saint Paul, MN 55101-1805 P.651.602.1000 I iTY. 651.291.0904 I metrocouncil.org METROPOLITAN An Equal Opportunity Employer COUNCIL Page 8 2016 Annual Population Estimates Plymouth city, Hennepin County, Minnesota Households:30,911 Population in Households: 74,266 Average Household Size: 2.403 Housing Total: 31,884 Population in Group Quarters: 1,186 Occupancy Rate: 96.95% Total Population: 75,452 The Metropolitan Council's Annual Estimates account for housing stock changes since April 1,2010.These include housing units permitted and other changes.Other changes are due to demolitions,building conversions(units added or lost),city boundary changes(units annexed in or out),and other changes reported by city and township staff.We assume that 95%of single-family detached units,90%of townhome/duplex/triplex/quadplex units, and 85%of multifamily units permitted in 2015 were completed and occupiable by April 1,2016;the remainder are occupiable in the future and will count toward next year's estimates(for April 1,2017). Manufactured homes are counted each year from Metropolitan Council surveys of manufactured home park operators and local governments.Other housing(boats,RVs,etc.used as housing)comes from the most recent American Community Survey estimates. Housing Stock Permitted and Other changes Housing Stock April 1, 2010 built since 2010 since 2010 April 1, 2016 Single-family-detached: 16,068 1,332 97 17,303 Townhomes: 5,032 128 0 5,160 Duplex, 3-,4-plex units: 700 16 2 714 Multifamily units: 8,122 528 0 8,650 Manufactured homes: 60 57 Other(boats, RVs, etc. as shelter):0 0 Housing Total: 29,982 31,884 Each housing type has a specifically estimated occupancy rate and average household size.These data come from the most recent Community Survey estimates,decennial census data from the U.S.Census Bureau,and the U.S.Postal Service(for occupancy rates only).For more detail,please see the full methodology,available online from https://www.metrocouncil.org/populationestimates. Definitions:A household is a group of people(or one person alone)occupying a housing unit. The number of occupied housing units and the number of households are equivalent. Population in Group Quarters(or institutional housing)is counted separately through an annual Metropolitan Council survey. Housing Stock Occupancy Occupied with Persons Per Population in April 1, 2016 Rate 2016 Households Household 2016 Single-family-detached:17,303 98.21%16,993 2.606 44,275 Townhomes: 5,160 95.67% 4,937 2.606 12,863 Duplex, 3-,4-plex units: 714 97.16% 694 2.150 1,492 Multifamily units:8,650 95.16% 8,231 1.886 15,523 Manufactured homes: 57 97.49% 56 2.016 113 Other: 0 Counted only if 0 2.097 0 occupied Housing Total: 31,884 Households: 30,911 In Households:74,266 In Group Qtrs: 1,186 Total Population: 75,452 Metropolitan Council 5/9/2017 Page 9 Z JLFv; W C7 i >OJ Z a) cOZo v (15 . .:'='d c ° cLT p- y Ocf7uaoC va. oWWOc • ON co(a, amL caa) Om a)Z Z 0 O E c ( •N O ON OWZ0Q' 0 x O D E c a) ° O oQNOOacf) o a) _c a) a ° L Q) ? U)W 1.. a) .N L U U s a) a V1 = ctsQ LL n a) E QE O} c (1) 2.). a) a) o 0 c 0 a) L O D o C oti XQ 0 v.. 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LI _c N O N0cm+ O N o a) c E c L.r4 C 0 Z Q C U C O 0 C U a) .x c U) O O 0ZCUjVO ° 4OOO0UOoCmOWjo o p U/ rcu) (/) oa oN .- te a< Oa) t 0 o C 2 c Q_ cll 1 CO CI) a o U 0E ~ n o 0 0 l9- a3 cCo c U U) i Page 10 City of Plymouth News Release For Immediate Release May 17, 2017 Contact: Paul Buck City Forester City of Plymouth 763-509-5944 pbuck@plymouthmn.gov Spring plant swap set for June 5 Plymouth, Minn. – The Stewards for Greening Plymouth, in partnership with the City of Plymouth, will hold a free spring plant swap 4:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, June 5 at the Plymouth Maintenance Facility parking lot, 14900 23rd Ave. N. Participants are encouraged to bring perennials and swap them for plants shared by others. To get involved, participants should place extra plants in pots and label them with their common names. Seeds and plant wares – pots, tools, books and the like – are also acceptable swap items. For more information, call City Forester Paul Buck at 763-509-5944. -30- Page 11 City of Plymouth News Release For Immediate Release May 18, 2017 Contact: Kari Hemp Recreation Manager City of Plymouth 763-509-5220 khemp@plymouthmn.gov City of Plymouth Parks and Recreation Department receives three Awards of Excellence Plymouth, Minn. – The City of Plymouth Parks and Recreation Department recently received three Awards of Excellence from the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association. The city was recognized for its geographic information system (GIS) management, Spotted in Plymouth Parks campaign and Bark in the Park event. Each year, MRPA recognizes organizations for outstanding achievements in parks, recreation and leisure services for projects completed during the previous year. GIS Management The city’s GIS management received an Award of Excellence in the category of Administrative or Management Strategies. Due to the city’s substantial growth – from 31 parks with 1,023 acres in 2000 to 75 parks with 1,671 acres in 2016 – GIS management has become a top priority for the Plymouth Parks and Recreation Department. GIS benefits the department in a variety of areas, including park acreage tracking, development of scaled site drawings for special events and management of contracts. GIS assists city staff in making informed decisions with more accurate geographical data. GIS projects completed in 2016 include maps for requests for proposals, mowing contracts, snow removal, park listings, trails, park asset replacement projects, Emerald Ash Borer tracking and inventories of park signage and amenities. Spotted in Plymouth Parks A social media campaign, Spotted in Plymouth Parks earned an Award of Excellence in the category of Communications. The campaign helps highlight the variety of ways residents and community members use Plymouth’s parks and trails. Throughout the summer, city staff visit various locations in Plymouth a few times each month to “spot” an individual or group using a park. Prizes are awarded and a photo is shared on the city’s social media sites, using the hashtag #PlymouthParks. -More - Page 12 Bark in the Park Last year, the City of Plymouth held its first all-about-dogs event, Bark in the Park – which received an Award of Excellence in the category of Programming and Events. Bark in the Park is free and features dog products, pet supplies, veterinarians, service dogs, rescue dog adoption organizations and on-site services, such as vaccinations and nail clipping. It also offers fun attractions, including face painting and a doggy photo booth. For more information, visit plymouthmn.gov/barkinthepark. About MRPA MRPA fosters the growth and development of the parks and recreation profession throughout Minnesota, and includes municipal, county, state, district, commercial and private agencies. Judging considerations for the MRPA Award of Excellence include planning, funding, collaboration, community support, originality and design, and benefit or impact to the community. Cutline: The City of Plymouth Parks and Recreation Department received three Awards of Excellence from the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association for its GIS management, Spotted in Plymouth Parks campaign and Bark in the Park event. -30 - Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Why Edina officials like the teardown trend May 18, 2017, 6:50am CDT Nick Williams, Staff Reporter, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Though it can pose an inconvenience for some residents, Edina city officials are happy with the number of older homes being demolished and replaced with million-dollar houses in the Minneapolis suburb. Since 2008, there have been 668 teardown-and-rebuild projects in Edina, 320 of them between 2014 and 2016. Those residential redevelopment projects have a combined estimated property market value of $422 million, adding millions of dollars in property tax revenue to the city during that period, said Scott Neal, Edina's city administrator. Nearly 700 new homes have been built on razed lots in Edina since 2008. The average market value of a house that was demolished between 2008 and 2016 was $409,210, Neal said. The average value of the home that replaced it is $1.12 million. "In most cases, the land is more valuable than the house," he said. Based on Edina's 2016 property tax rate, via the League of Minnesota Cities property tax calculator, the value of those redeveloped home sites would amount to $7 million in additional property taxes for Edina. "We view it as something that is good for the city," Neal said. "It brings revitalization, new tax bases and new people who want to live here. They want to live here badly enough to tear a house down and build a replacement." Page 16 And there aren't many alternatives to building new homes in Edina. Aside from one development that will add a new neighborhood of roughly a dozen homes, there are no vacant parcels for new single-family homes, Neal said, so residents can expect more teardowns to occur. Neal estimated there are 16,000 single-family homes in Edina. Last year, 91 demolition permits were issued in Edina and 107 new homes built, down from a peak in 2014, when the city approved 129 demolitions and 121 permits for new homes. In some instances, demolished homes are not replaced with a new home in the same calendar year, Neal said. Though redevelopment projects have slowed some, it's far greater than the 15 demolition permits issued in Edina in 2009, when only 22 new homes were built. While the increase in property tax revenue is welcome, the rapid increase in the demolition-rebuild trend challenged the city's oversight process and sparked complaints from residents. To fix the issue, the city adopted an ordinance in 2013 to ensure that builders were being courteous, doing things like hosting neighborhood meetings with residents, not parking on private property, and disposing of hazardous waste materials. Under the city's construction management plan, builders must sign an agreement with the city and submit a cash bond in case there are issues that fail to resolved, such as repairing damaged city property. The city also created a position within its planning department to oversee the redevelopment process in 2013. Cindy Larson was named the city's residential redevelopment coordinator in 2013. Her role is to review demolition and redevelopment permits, inspect redevelopment sites and make certain builders are in compliance with the city's code. She also handles complaints from residents. "It’s been the single most effective thing we’ve done," Neal said. In 2012 and 2014, the city also made changes to its building code to make sure new homes weren't being built too high or too close to other homes, Neal said. Nick Williams covers manufacturing, airlines/aviation, residential real estate/ homebuilding and diversity in business. Page 17 MINNEAPOLIS In Minneapolis, no rush to obtain body cam video Since the city began outfitting each patrol officer with a camera last summer, the police received only 25 requests for information that included body camera video. MAY 20, 2017 — 3:59PM BY: JAMES ELI SHIFFER Jeff Wheeler - Star Tribune file In 2016, Minneapolis police officer Ken Feucht was one of the officers who volunteered for the body camera pilot program. He wore the Axon camera, made by Taser. Just last year, the Minneapolis Police Department braced for the expected crowds of people eager to see what their officers were recording with their new body cameras. So far, the newest movies in Minneapolis have been a box-office flop. Since the city began outfitting each patrol officer with a camera last summer, the police Records Information Unit received only 25 requests for information that included body camera video, according to department data. Page 18 Five were from investigators and others within government; seven came from lawyers; three were from news media. Only 10 individuals asked to see the video of encounters they or acquaintances had with officers. These requests make up a tiny fraction of the overall workload for the records unit, which handles 2,000 to 3,000 requests for accident and crime reports every week. Last year, the city hired two additional staff members to review and process body camera video, as part of the $4 million rollout that equipped more than 550 officers with the technology. The rapid adoption of body cameras by front-line officers is intended in part to shore up public confidence in police by improving transparency and accountability. While the video is shared internally as part of investigations and prosecutions, the few outside requests for the data reveal that it is mainly about private disputes, such as custody battles and traffic accidents, rather than as a check on police misconduct. After she was beset by a vicious dog in a south Minneapolis park last June, Rhonda Martinson called 911. The two officers responding helped her get away from the animal, but not before she injured herself trying to keep the dog behind a gate. Martinson asked for video of the incident in September, because she wanted a record in case she ever wanted to make an injury claim against the dog’s owner. She was told by the department that the video wasn’t available. State law requires the department to erase any body camera video older than 90 days that isn’t part of an investigation. In April, Graham Widmer had a terrifying encounter with a drug-addled man who was assaulting someone in a car near Widmer’s south Minneapolis house. After Widmer intervened, the man turned his rage toward him. He chased Widmer and his family into their house and tried to break down their door before police arrived. Two days after the incident, Widmer requested the body camera video. The department told him they couldn’t give it to him because the case was still being investigated. “I just wanted to see what happened,” said Widmer, who is an attorney. After the denial, “I’m not sure I’m even going to pursue it,” he said. Page 19 The body camera videos would likely have been much more sought-after, but for the 2016 law that restricted access only to those who actually appear on the videos. People who have received body camera video from the Minneapolis police say the faces of others are pixelated and their voices are muted. The law does allow anyone to see a small category of videos: those showing discharge of a weapon, or use of force that causes significant bodily harm. But those are also withheld until the end of the investigation. Jeffrey Kuhn asked for police video that showed the removal of a drunken woman from a hotel earlier this year. He did it on behalf of a friend who has a child with the woman. “I thought, this is going to be gold for my friend, as far as custody,” Kuhn said. But because Kuhn wasn’t in the video, he wasn’t allowed to see it. Contact James Eli Shiffer joined the Star Tribune in 2005. A native of Scarsdale, N.Y., Shiffer previously worked at The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. james.shiffer@startribune.com 612-673-4116 @JamesEliShiffer Page 20 LOCAL 424109073 Transportation bill staves off transit cuts — for now Transportation bill still requires Senate approval before it gets to Dayton. By Janet Moore Star Tribune MAY 24, 2017 — 10:17PM The transportation budget package released early Wednesday at the Legislature maintains the current level of money for transit service provided by the Metropolitan Council in the metro area. The Met Council will receive a one-time infusion of $70 million in taxpayer money, which is part of its overall two-year budget of $250 million, under a plan negotiated by DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP legislative leaders. The additional money will help the council trim its projected two-year deficit of $67.5 million. The red ink is largely due to burgeoning costs for Metro Mobility, the federally mandated bus service for people with disabilities. Costs for Metro Mobility have been climbing due to increased demand from aging baby boomers, inflation and declining tax revenue. The one-time infusion of money will not offset rising costs, so the regional planning body is still considering a fare hike to help stem ongoing losses. The $6 billion transportation package at the Capitol, which includes an additional $300 million for roads and bridges across the state, was approved by the House 74-54 Wednesday afternoon and still awaits action by the Senate. Met Council officials will not comment until Dayton signs the bill — the timing of which is unclear in a highly fluid special legislative session. The battle over the Met Council shortfall remained a persistent sticking point during the session. Page 21 Without money to offset the deficit, council officials claimed that local bus and light-rail service would be cut by up to 40 percent. This sparked protests by transit advocates at the Capitol and elsewhere in recent weeks. As the budget drama plays out in St. Paul, public hearings and meetings regarding a fare hike for bus, LRT, Northstar commuter rail and Metro Mobility are planned through mid-June. If the council approves an increase, it would be the first since 2008. The proposed increase for bus and LRT would be either 25 cents or 50 cents, while Metro Mobility could see a hike of 50 or 75 cents. The council estimates that, on average, a fare increase could raise an extra $15 million annually. The agreement calls for the state to continue to pay for half the annual operating costs for the Blue and Green LRT lines, estimated at $30 million a year. But that won’t be the case for the proposed Southwest line, according to language in the bill. The proposed bonding measure for state-funded construction projects calls for spending $12.1 million for the Orange Line, a bus-rapid transit project linking downtown Minneapolis to Burnsville. If approved, the $150 million project will get the local funding necessary for federal matching funds. A $25 million overhaul of the Mall of America transit station, the nexus for the Blue Line light rail and Red Line bus-rapid transit, received $8.75 million in the bonding measure. Another provision in the transportation package limits the liability of railroad companies operating within a light-rail corridor to $3 million after a catastrophic incident, according to Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL- Minneapolis. This provision is primarily aimed at Glencoe-based freight carrier Twin Cities & Western Railroad Co., which will share the Kenilworth corridor with Southwest light rail. janet.moore@startribune.com 612-673-7752 Page 22