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Cities show support for improved street funding options <br />Resolutions adopted by 74 cities <br /> <br />Anne Finn <br /> <br />Earlier this year, the League of <br />Minnesota Cities (LMC), the City <br />Engineers Association of Minnesota, <br />and the Minnesota Chapter of the <br />American Public Works Association <br />released the Funding Street Construction <br />and Maintenance in Minnesota's Cities <br />Report. The report describes challenges <br />relating to maintenance, safety, conges- <br />tion, highway access, and all-season <br />carrying capacity. P~eport recommen- <br />dations pertain to funding mechanisms <br />for the municipal state aid (MSA) and <br />non-MSA city street systems. <br /> Last month, the report's author, <br />Matt Shands, accompanied by member <br />city representatives, presented the <br />report to the House Transportation <br />Finance Committee and the Senate <br />Transportation Policy and Budget <br />Division. Testimony focused on the <br />need at the local level for flexible <br /> <br />funding tools that would allow city <br />officials to preserve infrastructure <br />investments while remaining account- <br />able to local taxpayers. The need for <br />improved mechanisms, according to <br />the report, is greatest on the non-MSA <br />city street system. <br /> The report's recommendations <br />seek, among other initiatives, local <br />authority to establish street utility <br />billing, greater flexibility to generate <br />revenues through special assessments, <br />and authorization to establish impact <br />fees. <br /> The report was distributed to all <br />League members and was accompanied <br />by a sample resolution supporting the <br />report's recommendations. To date, 74 <br />cities have adopted the resolution and <br />have provided copies to their legislators. <br /> League intergovernmental relatiom <br />staff is in the process of seeking <br /> <br />authors for legislation that would <br />accomplish the report's recommenda- <br />tions pertaining to the non-MSA <br />system, and key legislative committee <br />chairs have agreed to give hearings to <br />bills originating tkom the report. <br /> If your council wishes to consider <br />a resolution supporting the report's <br />findings and recommendations, visit <br />the Legislative section of the LMC <br />web site to download the Funding <br />Street Construction and Maintenance in <br />Minnesota's Cities report and a sample <br />resolution at: http://www, lmnc. <br />org/advocacy/streetstudy, cfm. <br /> Your help is critical to this <br />legislative effort. Please review the <br />report and make your legislators aware <br />of its applicability to your city. If your <br />council adopts a resolution supporting <br />the recommendations, please forward <br />copies to your legislators and to Arme <br />Finn, LMC, at afinn~lmnc.org. ~- <br /> <br />HR training sessions for city supervisors <br /> <br />Training your city's supervisors on the basics of human resources ensures <br />smooth operations and helps protect your city from employment-related claims. <br />Choose the session closest to you: <br /> · Crookston--May 12 <br /> · Two Harbors--July 17 <br /> <br />For more information on these sessions or for information on HR training, <br />please visit the League's web site at www. lmnc.org or contact Jill DeVriend, <br />HR & Benefits Assistant, at (651 ) 215-4064 or j devriend@lmnc.org. <br /> <br />HUMAN RESOURCES AND BENEFITS ASSISTANCE FOR LEAGUE MEMBERS <br /> <br />March 5, 2003 Page 9 <br /> <br /> <br />