Loading...
2004-02-13 Friday NewsCaPnt'' The Friday News November 14, 2003 North Urban Regional Trail Dakota County has sent RFP's to consulting firms interested in coordinating the construction of the NURT (North Urban Regional Trail) to be constructed on the north side of Hwy 110, from Dodd Rd. to Charlton. An existing trail extends from Charlton to the Dakota County Northern Service Center in West St. Paul. One of the firms that intends to submit a proposal, queried staff on the correct procedure for plan review of the route alignment through Mendota Heights, including connections to Town Center, and meeting schedules of the City Council and Park and Recreation Commission. They were advised to submit their proposed trail route design(s) to the Park and Recreation Commission for review and comment prior to seeking Council approval. A preliminary layout, shown to staff by the Dakota County Engineering Department last year, located the trail on the north side of Hwy 110 Frontage Road east of Oak Street, due to safety concerns, not between Hwy 110 and the frontage road as Council has previously requested. Locating the trail on the north side may be interpreted as a negative impact by some of the twelve residences with driveways that front on the frontage road. Joint City Council / Park Commission Workshop The City Council, at their regular meeting on February, scheduled a joint workshop with the Parks and Recreation Commission for Tuesday, March 9"' from 6:00 to 7:00 pnr. At Tuesday's meeting Park Commissioners discussed various items of interest they hoped to discuss with Council. A preliminary agenda including various background documents has been sent to Park Commissioners for review and comment prior to February 20"'. The workshop agenda, with any suggested revisions from the Commission, will be placed on the March 1" City Council agenda for their acknowledgement. The final form of the agenda packet for the workshop will be distributed to all participants by March 5"'. Winter Heights Hilites Due Out The winter edition of the Heights Hilites is done and is at the printers. We expect that is should be back and ready for delivery next week. President's Day Monday is President's Day which is a holiday for City, County and Federal offices. City Hall will be closed on Monday. Garage Fire The Mendota Heights Fire Department responded to a reported garage fire in the 1200 block of Second Street in Mendota at 3:00 A.M. Wednesday Morning. First arriving officers on the scene reported that the flames were out the roof. The owner and two sons were trying to extinguish the fire from the outside. The fire was a stubborn one to fight and burned the roof off of the garage. Damage was substantial to the garage and its contents. The fire's origin is currently listed as suspicious and is being investigated jointly by police and fire as well as the State Fire Marshal's office and the BCA. Xcel Poles Going In Xcel Energy has completed construction of all replacement transmission poles within the City of Mendota Heights except for three structures adjacent to their substation. Two poles will be set on the eastern edge of the substation outside of the fenced area and one will be set on the north side inside the fenced area. Xcel Energy estimates that pole construction should be completed by the end of March. Beginning the week of February 16th, they will begin stringing wire on the set poles beginning with Structure #9 near Sunfish Lake. Xcel Energy will also need to complete some modification work within their substation which will begin sometime this summer and should be completed in the October/November timeframe. If you have questions, you may contact Xcel Energy representative Sharon Price at (612) 330-5893. Respectfully Submitted, Jim Danielson Administrator Attachments: The Pipeline, Just the Facts, City Council Agenda, Pre -Application Meeting Synopsis, Update on Excel Poles going in, Terry Duggan is featured in the Star Tribune regarding the Adkins -style diet craze, AMM News, AMM Bill Tracking Report, State of the Cities Legislative Conference, and the Friday Fax Rich had to unplug the check valve at the Lilydale lift station this week. He discovered that it had plastic and paper stuck around it. Rich also received bids from suppliers for a sewer inspection video camera and roof saw. The Parks Crew fixed a snow blower and John Ambrose performed a welding repair on one of their plows. They also performed their daily tasks of picking up trash, checking ice rinks and warming houses, and inspection of the Rogers Lake aerator. The Street Crew cleaned off the Wagon Wheel Trail and Mendota Heights Road bridge decks. They replaced several burned out bulbs on the traffic signals at Mendota Heights Road and Dodd Road. They changed the cutting edges on plow #308 and brought it to Kramer Spring to fix a broken rear spring. They also made repairs to a number of mailboxes. The Public Works Crew, in addition to the various everyday duties, had to keep up with the snow that fell continuously this week. Snow Events of the Week: Day Response: Amount: Monday Plow all areas 1-1/2" Tuesday Scrape streets and sand Dusting Wednesday Plow, sand & clean up 1 -1/2 - Note: It has snowed 22 days out of the last 25!! Engineering The Engineering Department continued with design work associated with the preparation of the feasibility study for Somerset Area Street Reconstruction Project. The feasibility report will be presented to Council next Tuesday. Code Enforcement Code Enforcement issued a building permit to Roschon Corporation of Plymouth, MN to cover the construction of row house building 2 on Oak Street in Town Center. The 6 -unit building permit fee was based on a valuation of $1,050,000. Issue # 9 February 12`'', 2004 TA F T,k1AV4;t 4,Cw4,?4041- Ue, HDU Ht, --p P.0M The 10-50 (Accident no personal injury) 02-07-041642 hours Mendota Too fast for conditions or was the road too slippery? Officer Heights Bobby Lambert responded to Wagon Wheel Trail on a report of Police car that had rolled out onto the lake. The car had been east bound when the driver lost control and rolled the car onto the Department lake. No injuries were reported by the two young men who were in the car. They flipped their car back over and removed it from the lake. Support Custody Exchange Problems 02-07-20041747 hours Staff Officers Jennifer Hurst and Yvette Tillery responded to a Bekky Trost domestic disturbance with the reporter waiting in his car in the Cathy Ransom driveway. When the officers arrived they observed the callers Police Officers car to have a flat tire. Yvette Tillery spoke with the suspect. Jerry Murphy Officer Hurst spoke with the caller, who advised that when he Yvette Tillery attempted to drop the kids off and the suspect came out and Lee Flandrich slashed the tire on his car, because he wouldn't discuss the Scott Patrick children. The suspect then claimed to Officer Tillery that slashing Bobby Lambert the tire was in response to being hit. The officers sorted through Erie Petersen all the details and determined that the suspect was overwhelmed Todd Rosse with the thought of being the sole care provider for the four Tanner Spicer children. The victim did not wish to press charges and was Chad Willson Jeff vonFeldt willing to keep the children for the night. Jennifer Hurst Question 02-07-20041905 hours Officer Jennifer Hurst responded to an apartment where she was Investigations asked if it was illegal to touch your shoulder near your breast Mario Reyes when shaking hands. The complainant wanted to know if it was Brian Converycriminal for her landlord to shake her hand and rub her shoulder with his other hand. Officer Hurst advised that it may not be Sergeants appropriate, but it was not illegal. Donn Anderson Assault (just kidding) 02-08-20041106 hours Neil Garlock Officer Bobby Lambert investigated a misdemeanor assault that John Larrive had occurred the night before. The reporter, an under 21-YOA Chief adult male, reported being assaulted while attending an underage Mike drinking party in Mendota Heights. The reporter indicated that he Aschenbrener was drinking with 25-30 underage people at a party when he was struck from behind. Officer Lambert took a recorded statement and photographed the injuries. About 5 hours later, the victim Issue # 9 February 12", 2004 called back to advise he had changed his mind and did not want to purse charging a friend. He must have decided that an investigation into 25-30 minors having a party would be more trouble than it was worth. Dangerous Verbal Domestic 02-08-2004 2014 hours Officer Yvette Tillery responded to the area of Lexington and Hwy 110 on a juvenile who had jumped out of the car during an argument. The juvenile was not injured. It was later determined that he was upset because mom wouldn't buy him a cell phone. DAS / Stop Light violation / Warrant (Job Security) 02-08-2004 2305 hours While on patrol Officer Yvette Tillery watched an Explorer drive through the red light without stopping at Hwy 110 and Hwy 13. When stopped, the driver informed her that he did not have time to stop for a red light and he was already through the intersection when he realized it was red. Unfortunately, the driver was suspended for a previous violation that he had not taken care of and had an active warrant out of Ramsey County. The driver was taken into custody and his SUV towed to Southeast. His girlfriend posted bail for him at the MHPD and he was released to her, along with citations for the semaphore and DAS. Overdose 02-09-2004 0809 hours Sergeant Donn Anderson responded to Sibley HS to assist liaison officer Dan Weber with a student who overdosed on 25 Tylenol PM and 25 Tylenol gelcaps. The student was transported by HealthEast to St. Paul Children's Hospital. Car vs. deer 02-10-2004 1540 hours Officer Bobby Lambert reported that a car was "t -boned by a deer." The deer damaged the driver's door, door frame, and window to the point the door was not functional. The deer was last seen heading into the wooded area in the 600 block of Wentworth. The driver of the car was transported by HealthEast ambulance to United Hospital. FYI; The MBRB (Metro Bow Hunters Resource Base) has been working in the area to manage the deer population in accordance with the city deer population management plan. No MN DL I Trespassing 02-11-20041438 hours Officer Eric Petersen responded to assist liaison Weber at Sibley HS on a juvenile who had been trespassed in the past and had returned. Officer Petersen stopped the car on Delaware near Mendota Heights Road. The driver did not have a license or insurance on the car. The passengers were released at the scene and the driver was taken into custody. When in custody, officers found an altered resident alien identification card the number belonged to Philippine woman. The juvenile was cited for trespassing, no driver's license, and possession of tobacco. Suspicious Fire 02-11-2004 0304 hours Officer Jennifer Hurst responded to a fire call in Mendota. While on scene, the homeowners advised that they believed the fire was set on purpose. Investigator Mario Reyes (who recently completed arson investigation 1) was called in from home to investigate. He is looking into the fire with Fire Marshall Paul Kaiser, the state fire marshal, MHFD arson investigators and a SPPD arson investigator. The case is under investigation. Could anyone tell that Friday the 13th was this week? Have a Happy Valentines Day. Be safe! 9X-ke, 0 CITY OFK0ENDOTAHEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA February 17.2UO4-7:3OP.K8, Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Agenda Adoption 5. Approval of the February 3, 2004 City Council Minutes. 6. Consent Calendar m. Acknowledgement of the Minutes from the February 1 01h Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting. b. Acknowledgement ofthe NDC4Meeting Minutes and Agenda. o. Approval ofMinor Sign Modifications for Oo|tBest Hardware d. Sign Approval for Signage tobeInstalled onPylon Signs e. Adoption of Resolution No. 04-14 - "RESOLUTION ADOPTING PURCHASING POLICIES PROCEDURES"AND f. Approval of Metropolitan Livable Communities Grant Agreement g. Approval nfDelaware Axenue/TH11O Intersection Upgrade Agreement h. Acknowledgement ofJanuary Treasurer's Report i, Approval of Contractor List. j. Approval of Claims List. 7. Public Comments O. Unfinished and New Business a. Discussion ofTH11OSignal Lighte b, Discussion ofHiring City Engineer c. Discussion of Somerset Neighborhood Feasibility Report and Approval of Resolution No. 04- 15 — "RESOLUTION ACCEPTING ENGINEER'S REPORT AND CALLING FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT TO SERVE THE PROPERTIES REFERRED TO AS THE SOMERSET AREA NEIGHBORHOOD INCLUDING SOMERSET VIEW, SOMERSET HEIGHTS, AUDITORS SUBDIVISION 3,AND SURROUNDING AREAS (JAVROVEMENT NO. 2004, PROJECT NO. 1 S. Council Comments 10. Adjour Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 120 hours in advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights will make every attempt to provide the aids, however, this may not be possible gnshort notice. Please contact City Administration at452- 18SOwith requests. This meeting iobeing taped byNDC4(G51-4SO-SG91)and will replay nnFriday at1:08 p.nn'and 7:DOp.rn.onthe NQC4Government Channel 18 CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS MEMO February 12, 2004 TO: City Council, Commission Members, and City Administrator FROM: Patrick C. Hollister, Administrative Assistant SUBJECT: Pre -Application Meeting Synopsis Staff met with one potential applicant on Monday, February 9, 2004. Marc Mogan, Steve Grittman, and Patrick Hollister were present. Pat Donohue, 1924 Walsh Lane Mr. Donohue would like to add onto the front of his house. Staff determined that Mr. Donohue's addition would conform to all setbacks, but would be in violation of the "string rule", meaning that it would project beyond a line drawn between the front -most portions of the houses on either side of his house. Staff provided Mr. Donohue with the appropriate materials for a variance application. Mr. Donohue intends to apply in time for the March 2004 Planning Commission meeting. Low-carb) eating is all the rage, but ®tier weight -floss programs also are growing in popularity as diet awareness sprees. muLograpn5 uy UMI 0Guuuc/0L0J uxuuxxc Lifelong Weight Watchers member Terry Duggan inspired attendees at a Weight Watchers session this week in downtown Min- neapolis. The program hasn't been hurt by the popularity of Atkins -style diets, reporting increases in attendance and revenue. By John Reinan Star Tribune Staff Writer Debbie Grisco is an Atkins refugee. "You get sick of cheese," said Grisco, of Columbia Heights, explaining why she dumped the high-fat, low-carb Atkins diet last month and joined Weight Watchers. As many as 30 million Americans are on some form of low -carbohydrate diet, a fast-moving trend that has forced the food and restaurant businesses to respond with new products and marketing campaigns. You might think the low-carb craze would cut into the business of more tra- ditional weight -loss programs. But other diet businesses are going on the offensive — and some are even gain- A Weight Watchers magazine with Sarah Ferguson on the cover was for sale in the Minneapolis Weight Watchers office. ing business, they say, as the Atkins diet makes more Ameri- cans conscious of the need to lose weight, regardless of the plan they follow. "Our meetings, even with the competition, have been sus- taining very well," said Patti Ba - diner, Weight Watchers' territory manager for Hennepin County. Badiner oversees more than 140 WeightWatchers meetings week- ly, and the company just signed an agreement to nun three new meetings at areaYMCAs. Weight Watchers has re- sponded to the low-carb threat by boosting its marketing bud- get by 40 percent and by attack- ing low-carb regimens as "pseu- do -science" in its literature. Weight Watchers, which went public in 2001, reported strong results for the first nine months of 2003. Revenue was up more than 17 percent from a year ago, to $728 million. Product sales were up 21 per- cent. And attendance at Weight Watchers meetings in North America was up 11.3 percent. DIETS continues on ®4e — Some think the Atkins diet fad has reached its peak. --- OEM Avow W 01 olim-Fast is one diet hur-1 bycarb-countingfever California-based Jenny Craig Inc. said the low-carb craze has not hurt its business. "Sales are up and are posi- tive year -over -year, the busi- ness is growing and we're very pleased with our revenues," spokeswoman Gail Manginelli said. The privately held com- pany doesn't reveal its sales, but in 2002, when it was last publicly traded, Jenny Craig reported annual sales of about $300 million. The recent focus on Garbs re- ally is a blessing for all weight - loss businesses, said Darlene Kvist, founder and director of Nutritional Weight & Wellness of St. Paul. "It's created more awareness in people," she said. "People are becoming a little more aware of needing some information. They may have read a book, or they've tried [a low-carb diet]. But most people need more in- formation and support to apply an eating plan." Kvist said her business has grown about 200 percent over the past five years. Kathy Bedford, owner of Midwest Center for Weight Control in Maple Grove, said her business hasrft been hurt by low-carb competition. Midwest Center treats patients who are 50 pounds or more overweight; many are referred by their doctors. The center puts some of its patients on Optifast, a liquid meal replacement that is sold only by licensed medical per- sonnel. Novartis Medici Nu- trition, which makes Optifast, reported 2003 U.S. sales of $256 million, up 31 percent from a year ago. "We do get a lot more ques- tions about Garbs than we used to," Bedford said. "What it reflects is that people are looking for an easy answer. The bottom line is, it's hard work to lose weight, and it's hard work to keep it off. You have to eat sensibly and change your lifestyle, and people don't want to hear that." One company that has suf- fered from low-carb competition is Unilever, the Swiss multina- tional that makes the meal -re- placement drink Slirn-Fast. Slim -Fast sales worldwide grew nearly 11 percent in 2002, to about $1.25 billion. But sales in the third quarter of 2003 plummeted by 30 percent. Unilever CEO Niall Fitzgerald said last month that the low- carb craze took the company by surprise, but he vowed Uni- lever would make up the lost ground. A spokesman for Weight Watchers International Inc. Of Woodbury, N.Y, said he believes the Atkins craze has peaked. "There is already some evidence that the Atkins diet is coming back down," said Kevin Dinino. "Were seeing a lot of low-carb refugees." Lynne Bryant of Minneapo- lis is among them. She tried the Atkins diet two years ago and quickly lost 40 pounds — but later gained back 60. She joined Weight Watchers in October. "With Atkins, I couldn't eat everything I wanted, but I could eat as much as I wanted," Bry- ant said. "Weight Watchers is the exact opposite; you can eat any kind of food. On the Atldns, I'd eat a piece of peanut -butter toast and all hell would break loose." John lieinan is at jseh? ala@startr:unne.corn. Association of Metropolitan Municipalities AMM News February 9 - 13, 2004 Page 1 of 2 ARCHIVES Counties Seeking Plat Authority and Repeal of Municipal Consent for CSAH Projects The Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) has introduced legislation (h.f. 191..3) that would give county boards the authority to veto city plats adjacent to county roads. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Kuisle (R- Rochester). Currently, counties only have the authority to review and comment on such plats and this is done by the county engineer. AMC's proposed legislation would not only grant counties more authority over local land -use and development decisions, but it is also likely to add a significant amount of time to the development process. The AMC intends to argue that the change is necessary in order to ensure adequate right-of-way, drainage, access control, congestion mitigation and traffic flow measures. If passed, the change would impact 86 of the state's 87 counties since Dakota County already has this authority. The bill also contains a provision that would repeal the municipal input process for construction, reconstruction or improvement projects on county state aid highways (CSAR) as they run through a city. This provision would impact all cities, including those in Dakota County. Current law provides for city approval of CSAR projects and lays out a dispute resolution process for situations where there is a disagreement between the city and the county. AMM will be working with the League of Minnesota Cities and other city organizations to defeat the proposed legislation. City officials are urged to discuss these issues with their legislators. Legislative Updates from AMM As the 2004 legislative session begins, AMM members are reminded that they can find the latest information by accessing the AMM Bill Tracking system online at www.anun145.org. The bill tracking system provides information on bill numbers, topics, sponsors and status for issues of interest to metropolitan cities. A weekly bill tracking report will be sent via email to city managers and other subscribers. The report, as well as files on individual pieces of legislation, can also be accessed at your convenience via the AMM website. If you would like us to send the bill tracker - or this newsletter - directly to your mayor, councilmembers, or other city staff members, simply email us at ammaainml_45.,org with their email addresses. http://www.amm 145.org/newsletter.htm 2/10/2004 Association of Metropolitan Municipalities Page 2 of 2 AMM News is sent periodically to all AMM city managers and administrators. The information is intended to be shared with mayors, council and staff in order to keep officials abreast of important metro city issues. © Copyright 2004 AMM 145 University Avenue West St. Paul, MN 55103-2044 Telephone: 651-215-4000 Fax: 651-281--1299 Email: amm@amml45_.org http://www.amm l 4.5.org/newsletter.htm 2/10/2004 AMM Bill Tracking Report Pagel of �W O&N V0 Report .Ir JIL� AMM Bill Tracking'''' ,P ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN Tuesday, February 10, 2004 MUNICIPALITIES [index r—_ Municipal General Housing & Revenue & Legislation Economic Taxation 11 Development . . . ............. • 1B LGA • 1Z Purchase of Property by a Public Entity • 2A Mandates & Local Authority • 2C Firearms on City Property • ')D Salary Cap • 2Z Eminent Domain • 2Z Reverse Auction & Electronic. Bidding • 2Z Municipal Elections • 2Z Voter Approval for Casino Location • 2Z Storm Water Charges • 2-Z 0,08. Blood Alcohol Increment Financing Metropolitan Agencies ------------- . ..... * 410 Co. Plat Authority - CSAH City Approval Repealed * 4M Regional Parks * 4Z Comprehensive Planning - Lake Elmo Transportation • 5ADedicating Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Revenue • 5A LocalRoad Improvement Fund • 5F Transportation Utility_ • 5Z Toll Road Repeal Constitutional Amendment • 5Z Toll Road. Coqstitutio'nal Amendment • 5Z City Street Speed Limits http://www.Ininc.org/amm/report.cfm 2/10/2004 AMM Bill Tracking Report Page 2 of 8 http://www.lmnc.org/an-nl/report.cfm 2/10/2004 Limit II II II Policy HFile HAuthor HStatus Title/Summary SFile SAuthor SStatus Lobbyis 1_13 hf Rep. Tax LGA --February 4, sf Sen. Tax Roger 1782 Solberg, Committee 2004 15.77 Hottinger, Committee Peterson Secondary Loren This bill would John Policies: - eliminate the counting support in - of taconite aids when part computing LGA, adds $1 million to the LGA appropriation for 2005, and sets increasing appropriation amounts for '06, '07 and '08. 1Z ilf Rep. Tax Purchase of Kristine �= 1784 Thissen, Committee Property by a Lyndon Secondary Paul Wilson Public Entity -- Policies; - _ February 4, 2004 monitor This bill says that when the state or a political subdivision acquires taxable real property and that property becomes tax exempt, the state or political subdivision must pay to al l other taxing jurisdictions levying property taxes on the property either a portion of the taxes due for that property every year for five years or a lump sum payment at the time of acquisition. 2A hf Rep. Local Mandates & sf Sen. Local Gene 1717 Lanning, Government Local Authority 1790 nibble, Government Ranieri Scott and State Metropolitan •--February 5, 2004 Operations support Affairs This bill would increase the threshold for competitive bidding for small ciites and the purchase limit for city managers in plan B cities. It would also authorize the use of reverse auctions and electronic bidding. 2C Firearms on sf Sen, Crime Kristine -� City Property -- 1654 Solon, Prevention Lyndon Secondary Yvonne and Public Wilson February 4, 2004 Safety Policies: - This bill would amend Committee " last year's Citizens support http://www.lmnc.org/an-nl/report.cfm 2/10/2004 AMM Bill Tracking Report Page ) of 8 http://www.Imnc.org/amm/report.cfin 2/10/2004 Personal Protection Act to give local units of government the authority to ban guns in public buildings and parks by posting signs at all entrances. 2D hf Rep. Local Gov, Salary Cap _ Gene 1759 Erhardt, and Metro February 4, 2004 Ranieri Secondary Ron Affairs This bill would Policies: - Committee eliminate local support _ government employees from the list of those subject to the state salary cap. 2Z hf. Rep. Civil Law Eminent Gene X 1901 Paulsen Committee Domain --February Ranieri Secondary Erik Policies: - 9, 2004 This bill would permit monitor - the awarding of attorneys fees if the final judgement or award exceeds the original offer of the condeming authority by 20 percent. The bill would also require the acquiring authority to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the proposed taking is authorized by law and is necessary to serve a primary public purpose. If the petition for condemnation is denied, the court may award reasonable fees for attorneys, appraisals and experts as well as other costs incurred by the owner of the property. 2Z hf Rep. Local Gov. & Reverse Auction sf Sen. Rest, State & Gene 1918 Carlson, Metro Affairs & Electronic 18.24 Ann Local Gov. Ranieri Secondary y Lyndon Committee Operations Bidding --February Committee Policies: - monitor _ 9, 2004 This bill would authorize the use of reverse auction and electronic bidding by local governments when purchasing supplies, materials, and http://www.Imnc.org/amm/report.cfin 2/10/2004 AMM Bill Tracking Report Page 4 of 8 http://www.Imnc.org/amm/report.cfm 2/10/2004 2Z hf Rep. Gov. Municipal sf Sen. Elections Kristine 1719 Rhodes, Jim Operations Elections -- 1613 Marty, Committee Lyndon Secondary Committee John Wilson February 4, 2004 Policies - This bill would allow Cities to Use Cumulative monitor votinc, and/or ranked - order voting in municipal elections. 2Z hf Rep. Gov. Voter Approval sf Sen. Agriculture, A 1:1 Kristineu 1741 L nczewski, en_ - Operations for Casino 1591 - Ranum - I Veterans Lyndon Secondary Ann Committee Jane Affairs and Wilson Location -- Gaming Policies: - February 4, 2004 Committee monitor This bill would prohibit the location of a casino in a city unless the voters of the city have approved it in a referendum. 2Z hf Rep._ Local Gov. & Storm Water sf Sen-. State and Kristine 1925 Horns in te- -1 Metro Affairs Charges --February 1626 - _171 Wige Local Gov. Committee Lyndon - Secondary Frank Committee Chuck Wilson 4, 2004 Policies: - This bill would prohibit monitor cities frosetting storm sewer charges on the basis of a property's water consumption, 11 1 1 1 2Z hf Rep. Judiciary 0.08 Blood sf Sell. Crime Roger 1837 Howes, Policy and Alcohol Limit 1762 Merlin, Prevention -Peterson Secondary Larry Finance Bob & Public Policies: - February 5, 2004 Safety monitor This bill Would lower Committee the legal blood alcohol Ilimit from 0.10to0.08. I hf Rep Taxes Tax Increment 5f Sen. Taxes Gene 1684 David ­_ _s Financing -- 1778 Kierlin, Ranieri Secondary Gregory Bob Policies: - February 5, 2004 support it This bill would part establish a state grant fund to help cities and TIT authorities offset deficits in TIF districts caused by the 2001 property tax reforms. The bill also authorizes use of the "special authorities" (elimination of the certified tax rate, changing the fiscal disparities election and TIT revenue) to pay for shortfalls in pay-as- you-go notes, The bill http://www.Imnc.org/amm/report.cfm 2/10/2004 AMM Bill Tracking Report Page 5 of 8 http://www.Imne.org/amm/repoi-t.cfn-i 2/10/2004 fund permits the grant to support pay-as-you- go shortfalls. A developer can directly apply to the fund for a grant. 4.G hf Rep. Kuisle, Transportation Co. Plat Roger =� 1913 William Policy Authority - Peterson Secondary CSAH City Policies: oppose 5M __ Approval Repealed -- February 5, 2004 This bill would grant county boards approval authority over city subdivision plats that abut county roads based on consistancy with county guidelines that govern right-of-way, drainage, access control, and congestion management. (Dakota County is the only county that currently has this authority.) The bill would also repeal the city approval and appeal process for county CSAH projects within city boundries, 4M hf Rep. Environment Regional Parks - Kristine -=a 1852 Knohlach, & Natural -February 5, 2004 Lyndon Secondary Jim Resources This bill defines certain Wilson Policies: - Finance Committee outstate parks as Greater Minnesota monitor Regional Parks and says they should receive 40 percent of their operations and maintenance costs from the state. 4Z hf Rep. Local Gov. Comprehensive sf Sen. State and pristine r>k 1.737 Lipman, and Metro Plannin-Lake g 1770 LeClair, Local Gov. Lyndon Secondary Eric Affairs Brian Committee Wilson Policies; - Committee Elmo --February .5, _ 2004 monitor This bill would authorize the City of Lake Elmo to adopt and implement a comprehensive plan that maintains rural densities and ensures http://www.Imne.org/amm/repoi-t.cfn-i 2/10/2004 AMM Bill Tracking Report Page 6 of 8 http://www.imnc.org/amm/report.cfm 2/10/2004 that the city cannot be required to construct a local sewer system to connect to the regional system. 5A hf Rep, Mlson, Tax Dedicating Roger ** 1688 Marl: Committee Motor Vehicle Peterson Secondary Sales Tax Policies: - support in _ Revenue --February part 4, 2004 This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to dedicate the motor vehicle sales tax collected from the sale of new vehicles exclusively to public transit purposes and the motor vehicle sales tax collected from the sale of used vehicles exclusively to highway purposes. 5A lif Rep. Transportation Local Road Roser Swenson, Finance Improvement Peterson Secondary Howard Fund --February 5, Policies: support 5K __ 2004 This bill would modify the Local Road Improvement Fund to add a Rural Road Safety Account. Appropriates $125M in state bonds to be split $25M for Trunk Highway Corridors, $50M for Routes of Regional Significance, and $50M for the Rural Road Safety Account, which is to be split 50/50 between metro and outstate. SF hf Rep Transportation Transportation Roser a, .k 1785 Thissen, Finance Utility --February 5, Peterson Secondary Paul Policies: - 2004 Authorizes cities to support in " impose a transportation part utility fee on properties within the city with a two-thirds vote of the city council. Proceeds from the fee are to be used for street http://www.imnc.org/amm/report.cfm 2/10/2004 AMM Bill Tracking Report Page 7 of 8 http://www.Imnc.org/amm/report.cfm 2/10/2004 reconstruction, facility upgrades and maintenance projects contained in a locally adopted capital improvement plan, public, facility plan or master plan. This bill also allows use of the fee for affordable housing. 5Z h. f Rep. Transportation Toll Road Roger �- 1876 Vandeveer, Finance Repeal Peterson Secondary Ray Constitutional Policies: - monitor Amendment -- February 5, 2004 Toll Road Constitutional Amendment. Repeals all toll road authority. 5Z hf Rep.. Transportation Toll Road Roger 1877 Vandeveer; Finance Repeal Peterson Secondary Ray Constitutional Policies: - monitor Amendment -- February 5, 2004 Toll Road Constitutional Amendment. Repeals all toll road authority except any being collected on January 1, 2005 which may continue until January 1, 2010. 5Z hf Rep. Transportation Toll Road Roger m-� 1878 Vandeveer, Finance Constitutional Peterson Secondary Ray Amendment -- Policies: - monitor _ February 5, 2004 Toll Road Constitutional Amendment. Allows collection of tolls on highways or lanes constructed after January 1, 2005 only until all costs have been recovered. Finance 5Z City Street sf Sen. Roger :ti a Speed Limits -- 1674 LeClair, _Peterson Secondary _Brian February G, 2004 Policies: - Removes the half mile monitor http://www.Imnc.org/amm/report.cfm 2/10/2004 AMM Bili Tracking Report length restriction for a "residential roadway," which has a 25 mph speed limit. Allows any street or portion of a street functionally classified as a local street to take on the 25 mph speed limit. Key 1. * means Bill has changed since last report 2. * * means new bill AMM is monitoring 3. * * * means Bill did not meet committee deadline and is dead For best printing results, go to file/print/properties in your browser and switch from portrait to landscape. Prepct_red by the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities (AM Page 8 of 8 http://www.imnc.org/amm/report.cfm 2/10/2004 Feb 13 2004 1124:15 Via Fax _> 65145ZO940 Administrator Page Hol Of 001 I * ALSO ALERT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THIS CONFERENCE * I L E A G U E 0 F M I N N E S 0 T A C I T I E S State of the Cities Legislative Conference March 3, 2004 ,Four Points Sheraton Hotel, 1-94 at Hamline, St. Paul 9% uet involvedand Vn make your City S VOIC heard at the Capitol • Learn the findings of the State of the Cities Report 2004. • Find out about proposed limitations on city revenue. • Hear from leaders shaping the future of the state -local relationship. is Meet with your legislators as part of City Day at the CapitoL Many issues and initiatives in this legislative session will shape your ciVs quality of life and your ability to innovate and address local issues. Understand the state of our cities through a discussion oft Current city fiscal conditions and strategies used to balance city budgets. Economic trends includinc, the recession and the t, apparently jobless recovery. Irnpacrs of increasing health care costs and 0 Minnesora's aging population. The state of federalisin—how the erosion of local control hampers city officials' ability to tailor unique policy solutions to their communities. R,911;7arionfee is S70. Register online anytime: vvww.1m11c.01_9----4 Here's how you'll spend your day: 8:00 Rcgistration, coffee, and doughnuts 8:30 Welcome and Overview Mdrk Vox&,nd, Preridert, LMC 8:50 City initiatives from the White House Toby Burke, Specta-[Asststawf to the President 9:00 Getting the most out of City Day at the Capitol Gdry Carbon, Director, L.Al[C 9:30 Stam of the C;t;es Report 2004 Eric Willette, Policy Resea?rk Allanager, LMC 10:15 Brcak 10:30 Funding public services Sen, Aliekele Bdeb"j.-nn; Bill Bldzdr, Vice- pI res dent, Afinnesvta Cba,7ljber of Com,nerce, Jahn Gringote, Ciot Mdnagen State Findnce Director, Dr. Da.-gielillltdlins, Prof—or Of Pubbc.Adnw'stnit' 'on, Ap-neriedr. Unrversi�y Learn about revenue constraints potentially impacting how cities provide services. 12:00 Lunch 1:00 Let's talk about local control Sen. Dean Johnson, Senate Afajorrt), Lea -der Rep. Steve Svr�ffrrrrr, Speaker of the House Explore mandates and regulatory issues shaping your ability To determine your city's quality Of life. 1:45 Overview of Legislative Issues Gdry Cdr/on, 1p,.teTovern,,,?,jentdlReldt;ons Director, LYWC 2:00 City Day at the Capitol Makc appoiarmcnrs to build and strengthen your relationships with Your legislators. Feb 06 Z004 17:0Z:36 Via Fax _> 6514520940 Administrator .111 LJt LMC -FridayFax- A weekly legislative update from the League of Minnesota Cities February 6, 2004 Page 1 use regulation. Known as the Alliance for Reasonable Municipal Regulation (ARMR), this group is pursuing legislation this session to: wmpmii 1 i:?A, They're back — we're back. Beginning with this edition, the League will be updating you each Friday with recent developments on the 2004 session. Procurement bill tip in House committee Next week the House Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Committee will hear HF 1717 (Lanning)/SF 1790 (Dibble), a procurement reform bill supported by the League and other local government groups. I -IF 1717 updates municipal contracting laws to give local units of government more flexibility, allow greater use of technology, and minimize burdensome requirements. The bill authorizes municipalities to use reverse auctions to purchase supplies, materials, and equipment and clarifies that local governments may accept bids and quotes electronically. The proposal also increases the competitive bidding threshold for small municipalities and gives managers in plan B cities greater flexibility to make purchases and negotiate contracts. These changes will provide additional tools to help local governments operate more efficiently and reduce their purchasing costs. The bill will be heard in committee on Tuesday, February 10 at 2:30 p.m. in room 200, State Office Building. First of four land use bills introduced A coalition of various business groups recently formed to challenge municipal land 1. Further change eminent domain laws to protect property owners; 2. Allow non -conforming uses to continue even if damaged; 3. Limit moratoriums to one year; and 4. Ensure that fees are directly related to a need created by a proposed project. The first of these four proposals, HF 1901 (Paulsen), was introduced this week. The bill would allow a court to award attorney fees to a landowner if the damage award exceeds either the condemning authority's original offer or the amount deposited with the court by 20 percent or more. It would also require primary necessity before property may be taken for public purpose. HF 1901 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Civil Law Committee on Wednesday, February 111h at 2:30 p.m. in room 10, State Office Building. TEL bill pulled from Senate tax agenda Late this week, the tax and expenditure limits (TEL) bill authored by Senator Michelle Bachmann was pulled from the Senate Tax Committee agenda apparently because a delete -all amendment was not ready. As introduced, Senator Bachmann's proposal would amend the state's 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 Feb 06 Z004 17:03:15 Via Fax _> 65145ZB940 Administrator Page 00Z of OHZ r. LLMC i C�ylw Cir/r; CiLi— -FridayFax- A weekly legislative update frorn the League of Minnesota Cities constitution to limit tax and spending increases of the state and local units of government to the rate of inflation plus population or tax base growth. If taxes increased faster than the formula limit, the law would require that the excess be automatically rebated to taxpayers. The League has raised concerns with legislators about the potential unintended consequences of the Bachmann proposal such as replacing council discretion with an inflexible formula. The expected delete -all amendment may attempt to limit the scope of the proposal to the state while exempting local units of government. However, given the fact that more than half of the state budget is distributed to schools and another significant proportion is shared with cities and counties to help fund their services, limits to the state could have a severe and immediate financial impact every other level of government in the state. Alternatively, severe state limits could result in a flood of unfunded state mandates to local units of government. Hearings on local sales tax study announced The recently released Department of Revenue study of local sales taxes will be heard in the Senate on Tuesday morning and in the House on Thursday morning. The report reviews the history of local sales taxes in Minnesota and makes a number of recommendations related to the appropriate role of local sales taxes, the process of February 6, 2004 Page 2 enacting a local sales tax and criteria for evaluating local proposals. The report recommends a number of significant additions to the current approval process including a proposed change that would allow residents in surrounding communities that will pay a large share of the sales tax to participate in the referendum. The report suggests that this broader referendum would help establish the regional nature of proposed projects. Legislation reflecting the Department's recommendations has not been introduced and therefore, the hearings are largely informational. We will report on the hearings in an upcoming Cities Bulletin. House to take tip bonding for local roads and bridges The House Transportation Finance Committee plans to begin discussing bonding provisions pertaining to local roads and bridges. On Tuesday, February 10, at 8:15 am in room 200 of the State Office Building, the committee will hear HF1850 (Swenson), which authorizes $125 million in local road improvement program bonds, abolishes authority to use program money for loans and establishes a rural road safety program in the local road improvement fund as well as HF1849 (Ruth), which authorizes $83.5 million in state transportation bonds for local bridge replacement, rehabilitation, and repair. For more information an city legislative issues, contact any member of the League of Minnesota Cities Intergovernmental Relations team. 651,281.1200 or 800.925.1122