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2004-03-19 Friday NewsThe Friday News March 19, 2004 2004 Street Reconstruction Project At this Tuesday's meeting the City Council conducted a public hearing with the Somerset neighborhood to consider reconstructing their streets. Somerset is the neighborhood located north of Emerson Avenue and between Dodd Road and Delaware Avenue. It contains 2.4 miles of street and affects 104 homes. The Council Chambers was packed and discussion went on for about 3 hours. The neighbors were generally in favor of a project but they brought up many valid concerns. The most common concern was for traffic. There are a number of streets that provide for traffic flow through the neighborhood and a number of the neighbors say that motorists use their neighborhood to cut through to St. Joe's Catholic Church and other destinations in West St Paul to the east and to TH13 on the west. The neighbors also brought up several storm water problems, indicated that they wanted Colshire Lane abandoned between Dorset Road and Hingham Circle and constructed as an alley between Dodd Road and Dorset Road. They were also concerned that Xcel replace their very old gas main. The Council closed the hearing but asked the Engineer to look at a number of these issues before ordering the project. An update will be brought back to the City Council at the April 7"' meeting. Fire Department Awards Banquet The Fire Department held their annual awards banquet last Saturday evening at Mendakota Country Club. The banquet was well attended by existing members, City Council members and retired members. Mendakota was an excellent location for the event, and the Chief told me that they intend to continue to hold it there in the fixture. Scott Goldenstein was awarded Fire Fighter Of The Year. Congratulations go out to Scott! Also recognized at the banquet was Tom Weinzettel for his service of 32 years, Randy McNamara for his service of 16 years and Kevin Perron, for his service of 16 years. Town Center Ross Feffercorn attended the City Council meeting to request final PUD approval to construct the Gateway Bank building at the entrance to Town Center on Market Street. Gateway is operating from a temporary facility located on the Village Green right now. 2003 / 2004 Ice Rink Report Teresa Gangelhoff reported to me this week that the ice rinks were open 62 days this winter. Hourly counts of usage were as follows: Marie 1985 Wentworth 1687 Friendly Hills 1763 The number of days open was only 2 longer than last year, but usage was up considerably because the weather was much more conducive to having good ice. There were also 2 skating parties and 2 youth groups that used Friendly Hills for hockey practice. Respectfully Submitted, Jim Danielson Administrator Attachments: The Pipeline, Just the Facts, Planning Agenda, Sun Current Article "Street project gets yellow light", AMM News, and the Friday Fax NEWS The P L E T T E R Public Works Engineering March 11, 2004 Code Enforcement Public Works Rich is compiling data gathered during the sanitary sewer inspections conducted with the Freeway Road neighborhood street project. He will put together an information packet for the solicitation of quotes to make the repairs to the sanitary sewer system that we recommend should be made. Council had dedicated $35,000 in this years" budget for making repairs to the sanitary sewer system. The Street Crew is setting up their trucks and equipment in anticipation of the start of hot mix pothole and street patching. We anticipate that this could be a banner year for street patching. The Parks Crew made repairs to the Rogers Lake aerator as a result of another case of muskrat damage. An electrician was called in to install a protective sleeve around the exposed wiring to the pump in an effort to protect it from further damage from the muskrat perpetrator. Terry is starting to feel like he is living out Bill Murray's character in Caddyshack. They started sweeping the pedways throughout the City. The crew attended an irrigation workshop on problem solving techniques developed in 2004 that was sponsored by the Toro Company. Engineering The Engineering Department spent time researching some of the issues that were brought up at the public hearing for the Somerset Area Street Reconstruction Project that was held this past week. We met briefly with Karen Chandler of Barr Engineering to talk about the storm water issues associated with the project, and have scheduled a meeting for next Wednesday to talk about it in more detail. We have asked ISD 197 for information on bus routes in the neighborhood, and have contacted Xcel Energy again about gas main replacement in the area. Xcel Energy's gas main designers have indicated that if the decision were left up to them, they would replace the gas main in the neighborhood. Issue # 14 T4kL. w4,?4041,,,1k HU14U K U Pdlet D"Ut4IT March 19'h,2004 The Junk Vehicle 03-11-20041400 hours Mendota In following up on two 2003 complaints of junk cars at a Heights residence on Ocala Lane, Sergeant Donn Anderson impounded Police an unlicensed, windowless, not running car. When Sergeant Anderson removed the vehicle he did leave the owners a citation. Department The neighbors came over to express their gratitude for the clean- up. Support Suspicious Activity 03-12-20041800 hours Staff Officer Todd Rosse responded to a call of two white males, Bekky Trost wearing hooded sweatshirts, trying to break into a car in the Cathy Ransom parking lot. Officer Rosse learned that the young men were ' attempting to gain access to their keys to the car. One of the Police Officers mens mother confirmed that he owned the car. Sergeant Jerry Murphy Garlock unlocked the car before the officers cleared the scene. Yvette Tillery Lee Flandrich Accident / AOA 03-13-2004 0836 hours Scott Patrick The MSP requested assistance with a multi -car crash at 1494 and Bobby Lambert Eric Petersen Delaware. The MHFD responded to extricate one of the victims Todd Rosse from a vehicle, who was transported to the hospital by Tanner Spicer HealthEast. Officer Petersen obtained lodging for a chocolate lab Chad Willson at 4Paws. MSP wrote the accidents. Jeff VonFeldt Jennifer Hurst Detox 03-13-2004 1015 hours (yes right before lunch) A parent brought her juvenile son into the police department Investigations because he had been drinking. A PBT was administered and Mario Reyes showed a BAC of .083. The young man was also interviewed Brian Convery about a series of car break-ins. The rest of the weekend was spent at Dakota County Detox. Sergeants Donn Anderson DAR / Warrant 03-14-2004 0003 hours Neil Garlock ' Officer Tanner Spicer observed a group of young people hanging John Larrive out in the scenic overlook. The overlook is clearly posted that it is closed after dark. Officer Spicer had to ask the young people Chief to come out and talk with him as several tried to hide behind a Mike car. When asked who had driven he was told the driver had Aschenbrener gone to the store. Officer Spicer's report states, "Due to the unlikelihood of the story and the nervousness of the person talking, I believed him to be lying." A very brief investigation -1- Issue # 14 March 19'`', 2004 found the liar to be the revoked driver and the passenger to have an active arrest warrant. Recovered 10-29 (stolen auto) 03-14-20041501 hours An alert citizen in Mendota contacted Sergeant Neil Garlock about a suspicious vehicle. After making talking with the caller, the vehicle was located and confirmed as a stolen car out of the city of Eagan. The vehicle was impounded and held for the Eagan investigators to process for evidence. 2"d Degree DUI 03-15-2004 041 hours While on patrol Sergeant John Larrive observed a car that appeared to be speeding. A radar reading showed the car to be traveling 50 in a 35 mph zone. Upon making contact with the driver, it was obvious that he was intoxicated. The driver failed all of the SFST's and provided a PBT sample which showed a BAC of .230. The driver was arrested, read the Implied Consent, and agreed to a urine test. He was sent to Dakota County Detox to be held for court. Theft from Vehicle (very unusual theft from vehicle) 03-15-2004 1456 hours Officer Scott Patrick took a complaint from a truck driver in Lilydale. The driver reported that he was in stop and go traffic on the freeway and he approached the exit, he moved to the right and nearly struck a cream colored Cadillac Escalade that was passing on the shoulder. The Cadillac followed them into the Stonebridge development where the driver got out and began yelling at them. He told them he should shoot them and then said they could walk. The suspect then reached into the truck, took the keys from the ignition, and drove away. The suspect is a mid -20's black male, medium build with a goatee. Total loss was estimated at $3.00. DAS / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia 03-16-2004 006 hours Officer Tanner Spicer used his in -squad computer to run a check that revealed the female registered owner of the car in front of him was suspended. Officer Spicer stopped the car and requested to see her driver's license. While she was fumbling through her purse, Officer Spicer observed a marijuana pipe in her purse. After handing Officer Spicer her license, he asked her why she would keep a marijuana pipe in her purse. She stated she did not know. The driver was cited for DAS and possession of drug paraphernalia. She, along with her passengers, were transported home. DUI 03-17-20041932 hours Officer Brian Convery stopped a car for speeding and over the centerline. The driver failed all SFST's and was arrested for DUI. DUI / DAR / Warrants 03-17-2004 between 1930 and 2230 hours Officer Jeff VonFeldt arrested one drunk driver and two others drivers whose licenses were revoked and made a warrant arrest of a passenger. Both of the drivers who were cited for DAR told Officer VonFeldt that they knew they were revoked. He was far too professional to ask why they would be driving. If you had an active warrant for your arrest would you throw your cigarette out the window with a marked squad car directly behind you? Have a great weekend! Wb ? -2- CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA March 23, 2004- 7:30 P.M. 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of February 24, 2003 Planning Commission Minutes. 4. Hearings a. Case No. 04-07: Donahue, Patrick - 1924 Walsh Lane — Variance to Required Front Yard Setback — Public Hearing 7:30 p.m. b. Case No. 04-06: Zoning Amendment — Industrial District - Continued Public Hearing 7:45 p.m. 5. Verbal Review 6. Adjourn 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 on short notice. Please contact City Administration at 452-1850 with requests. MNSUN - News yr omqu Select a T ov,,n FS�.I.ct GO I ..., 0 c a 1 Ne t�,v s Local News Community Education Calendar Opinion Public Safety Seniors Obituaries Legals Election News Local poi's Sports News Sports Briefs Events/Scores HgMe Page Archive Classifieds Finance Calc Net -Directory Nutrition Cale Weather Con -tact Us How to Advertise Jobs At Sun A ,0 Special 'S, rac t 10 n S Bride's Guide NET DIRECTory F o r �i s In Memory Of Let It Be Known Spart Shots Stork.Report Private Partv Ad Form Search T'he ','Aleb Page I of 2 Local Fopecast Friday, Mar. 19, 20, 2:33.20PM ClickHere SUN MURRENT Local Mai Street project gets yellow light By Blair Reynolds Sun Newspapers (Created 3/18/04 5:07:20 PM) Speed temporarily slowed down a plan to reconstruct roads in a Mendota Heights neighborhood, While most residents at the March 16 City Council meeting said the neighborhood needs curb and gutter to aid in run-off of rainwater, adding newly paved streets could cause drivers to go even faster through the neighborhood. Approximately 30 residents from the community's Somerset neighborhood, on the city's northeast corner, gave their opinions at the meeting about the proposed 2.4 mile project and other issues they said are tied into the project. More than two miles of existing streets in the area, including Emerson Avenue, Colshire Lane, Staples Avenue, Mears Avenue, Beebe Avenue, Ashley Lane, Somerset Road, Dorset Road, Hingham Circle and Norma Lane, are slated for reconstruction. City Engineer Marc Mogan said the city selects one neighborhood project per year. "These roads were built in the 1970s; they are without curb and gutter, There is also storm sewer work needed," he said, "The streets would be widened just about 2 feet on each side to accommodate for the curbing and gutters," The total project would cost approximately $1.5 million, with the city picking up almost 70 percent of the tab, said Mogan, "Those with driveways on affected streets will be assessed $3,900," said Mogan, "There are 105 properties that will be assessed." AhNincitles.com Pal t of IN., I wincit;. Netviork c v -A 11�1 Get 500 FLjfl Colo Post Cards Of Yot Websito For Only $95 http://www.rnnsun.com/story.asp?city=Mendota Heights&story= 13 )23 )76 3/19/2004 Page 2 of 2 Powered by: "We looked into this two years ago."said Mogan, "At that time, the residents weren't infavor ofdoing anything, Today, the streets are inworse shape and the project iaohupcondidoheforvvnrk.^ Search "Our main concern inthe speed.''said naaidentJohnDriaon|."You could probably collect all the money needed for this project from ------------- speeding tickets. With new roads, traffic will increase. The potholes vvehave now doagood job ofslowing (rafDc.^ Tocontrol speed, residents proposed adding speed bumps and Counci|nnemborJack Vitelli proposed closing some ofthe 13 access points provided bvsecondary roads inthe neighborhood. "This might help curb people from cutting through the neighborhood.^hesaid, ^|'deven beopen tomaking Emerson Avenue aone-way street " While VhaUi'sidea was applauded bythe residents, Mayor John Huber said more thought is needed on the issue. ^|'dlike hosee the staff come back houointwo weeks and tell what they have discovered interms nfways hocut down onnpeed.^said Huber. ^| think it's safe tnsay the reconstruction project ioclose to being approved. But }'m afraid we may have waited too long. We usually approve these projects inJonuarynreveneadierThis might be something we keep working on, but ultimately do in 2005 " The council will discuss the issue again atits next meeting, scheduled at 730 p,m. Wednesday, April 7. "| was very pleased with this discussion tonight | think we got good sense of what the residents are feeling," said Huber. mmojk�and its contento�,�.)2000 2003 SuoNe,,�vspapers ' momomm��yoz�zo'nry7aeomm@m,munm`m cma'keoand ma.mmnsm»yOvamumoig|ta||memonvo|mrbo@nuomomsftmColn littp://www.ninsun.coi-ii/story.asp?city=Meiidota—Heic,,Iits&story=132376 3/19/2004 Association of Metropolitan Municipalities KYA�N�9 Page 1 of 3 March 1.5 - 19, 2004 ARCHIVES Compromise Reached on ARMR Fees Bill HF 210.3 Sent to Hoarse Floor On Wednesday, March 10, an amended version of Rep. Carla Nelson's bill related to municipal development fees and dedications was approved by the House Local Govermnent and Metropolitan Affairs Committee and sent to the House floor. The bill (H.F. 2103) is one of four being pushed by a coalition of industry organizations called the Alliance for Reasonable Municipal Regulation (ARMR). The compromise language is the result of negotiations between several city organizations (AMM, the League of Minnesota Cities and the Municipal Legislative Caucus) and members of ARMR. The bill, as amended, will require a fee to "have a nexus" to the actual cost of the service provided. The "essential and direct nexus" statement of need and reasonableness proposed in the original bill is not included in the compromise language. In lieu of the proposed posting, mailings and time frames regarding a fee increase, the new language provides that a fee ordinance is effective the January I after its adoption. A city may have a different effective date for the fee but the new fees would not apply to applications already submitted for final approval. Additionally, the original bill required an annual accounting for multi -phase projects, but this language was dropped because current law provides for such information. If there is a dispute over a specific fee current law permits the person aggrieved to appeal the fee. The compromise retains the appeal but requires that any appeal be brought within 60 days of the application's approval. The compromise language also clarifies that park dedication fees cannot be used for operations and maintenance and that they must be adopted by ordinance. In establishing a park dedication or fee the city must be able to establish an essential nexus. This is basically codifying the U.S. Supreme Court decision on park dedications. If the developer wishes to challenge the fee or dedication, he or she must give written notice to the city prior to final city approval of the project. Language of the amended bill is not yet available online. If you would like to have a copy faxed to you, please call AMM at (651) 215 - 4000. The Senate companion (S.F. 2273) will be heard in the Senate State and Local Govermnent Committee on Wednesday, March 17 at 12:30 p.m. in room 123 of the capitol. FAST Lanes Proposal Heard by House and Senate MnDOT's proposal for a form of toll road they've termed "FAST lanes" - for "Freeing Alternatives for Speedy Transportation" - was a significant topic of discussion at the legislature last week. Under the FAST Lane concept, additional lanes would be added to existing or planned highways, to create a presumably less -congested toll option alongside existing publicly owned free lanes. Private entities would finance, build and manage the toll lanes, with tolls charged until the cost of http://www.amm 145.org/newsletter.htm 3/16/2004 Association of Metropolitan Municipalities Page 2 of the additional lanes have been paid for. MnDOT has said they are considering FAST lanes statewide, however, highways within or connected to the metro -area seem the most likely candidates. MnDOT has stated that they hope to have FAST Lanes constructed on two corridors within the next two years, and it appears that they currently have the authority to pursue their FAST Lanes plan without any additional legislation. MnDOT officials recently met with a number of developers and contractors that may have an interest in building and/or owning a toll road in Minnesota. The hot topics in those discussions, and at the Legislature, included local veto power and the inclusion of non -compete clauses. Local Veto Power Current Minnesota law gives cities and counties the ability to veto a proposed toll road running through their jurisdiction. However, it seems unlikely that anyone would spend the money to develop plans for a toll road passing through a large number of cities/counties if any one local unit had the power to kill the entire project. In writing, MnDOT has said they "recognize that the local veto provision in the law is a potential barrier in the development of FAST Lanes" and they are "seeking ideas from developers and public policymakers" regarding an appropriate course of action. At a legislative hearing March 9, MnDOT representatives said they would not propose eliminating the local veto provision, but would like the time period for a local veto to be moved earlier in the process to the time of route identification, prior to any significant expenditures being made. Non -Compete Clauses Non -compete clauses have been included in development contracts for toll roads in other parts of the country. While each non -compete clause is different, in general they prohibit the construction of additional highways or highway lanes that would serve as an alternative to the toll road. Some also prohibit the addition of transit service to a corridor served by the toll road. It appears that MnDOT currently has the authority to include non -compete clauses in any contract they might enter into with a private toll road operator. In written materials provided for the March 9 legislative hearing, MnDOT said they "may be willing to consider some type of assurance or risk sharing within an agreed upon planning framework, to make a project viable," but that they are "not willing to consider non -compete clauses of the nature provided to developers on the SR -91 project in California." Legislation Pending Several bills dealing with toil roads have been introduced and discussed, but none have been acted upon so far. Most in some way restrict the state's authority on the issue. Transportation committees in both the House and the Senate held hearings on the topic last week, but no action was taken. For descriptions of the various toll road bills see the AMM hill tracker. 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 http://www.amml45.org/riewsletter.htrii 33/16/2004 Mar 12 2004 17:30:14 Via Fax -> 6514520940 Administrator Page 001 Of 003 -FridayFax- LMC Z�11'Me Ch dcS Cili— r L A weekly legislative updatefrom the League of Minnesota Cities March 12, 2004 Page I ARMR eminent domain bills advances The Senate bill was passed and referred to the State and Local Government committee. Late last night, the Senate Judiciary committee approved an amended version of SF 2037 (Kiscaden, I -Rochester), a bill that makes significant modifications to Minnesota's condemnation statutes. During the committee discussions, the bill was amended by Senator Julianne Oilman to remove provisions that would have provided the courts the discretion to award attorney's fees when a final award exceeds the acquiring entities offer by more than 20 percent.. The attorney's award provisions had already been scaled back in an earlier author's amendment to limit attorney's fees to a maximum of $2,000 for cases involving most residential property. The bill continues to place a more rigorous burden of proof on the governmental entity before property can be acquired. Under the bill, the acquiring entity would have to "prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the taking is reasonably necessary, the taking is authorized by law and is for a public purpose." The public purpose clause raises questions about whether property acquired for economic development or redevelopment would be permissible under this statute change. The League testified in opposition to the bill based upon concerns that the changes to eminent domain Statutes would unnecessarily increase the cost for the acquisition of property and that the narrower test for "public purpose" would potentially make economic development and redevelopment projects extremely difficult. Many of these projects typically involve assembling property through acquisition and the subsequently transferring the property to a private entity for redevelopment. In the House on March 91h, HF 1901 was amended in the Local Government committee to allow the award of attorney fees to a landowner in an eminent domain proceeding if the final judgment or award exceeds by 20 percent or more the last written offer made by the condemning authority before filing a petition. The amendment also established a heightened standard of proof for takings transferred to a private entity. Under the new language, the acquiring authority must prove by preponderance of the evidence that the proposed taking is reasonably necessary and authorized by law, and is for a public, not private, purpose. Toni Scott, an attorney with Campbell Knutson who provides legal services to several cities, testified on behalf of the League. He told committee members that removing local deference and adopting a new standard for proving public purpose would severely hamper City redevelopment and economic development efforts. The League also expressed concerns that this legislation would provide a disincentive to property owners to settle which would delay transportation projects and reduce available transportation resources as cities pay more in acquisition costs and attorney fees. HF 1901, as amended, was referred to the House Transportation Finance committee. Wine bill on the shelf until next year? The wine in grocery stores bill, SF 914 (Scheid, DFL -Brooklyn Park) died in Commerce committee this week. The bill was scheduled 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 Mar 1Z Z004 17:30:56 Via Fax _> 65145ZB940 Administrator Page OOZ Of 003 Jj _77 L/ -I yF -Fridaax- MC A weekly legislative update from the League of Minnesota Cities March 12, 2004 Page 2 with less than 24 hours notice. The committee not going on drivers' records and about a lack took testimony from two proponents and then of uniformity in ticketing between jurisdictions. asked it be rereferred to the Liquor subcommittee of the Commerce committee. The author acknowledged at that time that she did not have the favorable votes to pass it out and to the next committee, or the Senate floor. With that, the committee finished discussion of SF 914 and the opponents did not testify against the bill. Those testifying in favor were the MN Grape Growers Association and AFL- CIO. The League of MN Cities,, the Municipal Beverage Association, and many others were listed on the committee's public agenda set to testify against. The Liquor subcommittee is not expected to Lake up the issue this year; the vote to kill it there has an even wider margin than the full Commerce committee. Like anything, it could come back somewhere, sometime and become part of another bill—but both sides seem to admit it is not likely to happen. Administrative fine bill tabled A bill that would give cities explicit authority to issue administrative tickets for speeding violations under Len miles per hour was laid over in the House Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs committee on Wednesday HF 2253 (Samuelson, R -New Brighton) would give cities specific authority to do what many are already doing. The bill, initiated by the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, was discussed at length. City officials endorsed the bill, saying it keeps low-level violations out of clogged court systems while correcting illegal driving behaviors. Opponents, including some legislators, raised concerns about the violations Although the bill appeared to have some bipartisan support from the committee, it was tabled after Representative Jerry Dempsey (R - Red Wing), the committee chair, said he was uncomfortable passing the bill. Since the bill did not pass Out of Committee by the House's first deadline of today, the bill is unlikely to move forward in the House. League staff will monitor Senate agendas for a possible hearing in that body next week. The Senate companion to HF 2253 is SF 1951 (Fischbach, R-Paynesville). Pension Commission declines to reign in continued health insurance eligibility for public safety officers The Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement this week considered an amendment to the omnibus pension bill, HF 1086 (Smith, R -Mound), that would narrow eligibility for continued health benefits for public safety officers injured in the line of duty and dependents of officers killed in the line of duty. The language in the amendment, which has also been introduced as HF 2966 (Krinkie, R - Shoreview), would provide the benefit only when the injury or death occurs while a job- related hazardous duty is being performed. The amendment came up just before midnight at the end of a five-hour hearing. It received little discussion and was defeated on a narrow voice vote. The League is seeking the change to Minnesota Statutes 299A.465 because Use Of the fund has grown beyond the purpose for which it was 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 Mar 12 Z004 17:31:37 Via Fax _> 6514520940 Administrator L Lmc' Cities -FridayFax- A weekly legislative update front the League of Minnesota Cities created. Proponents of the original law testified the benefit was needed for extreme situations resulting from activities that make public safety work unique. But many of the claims made under the statute have been for injuries suffered during non -hazardous duty. For example, some claimants have been injured while engaging in on-the-job fitness training or office duties. The number of eligible claimants is multiplying and causing a serious deficiency in the fund created to provide this benefit. Since 1997, when M.S. 299A.465 was enacted, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) was obligated to reimburse cities for the full amount of the cost of continuing health benefits to public safety officers injured in the line of duty and for families of officers killed while on the job. Last year, due to increases in number of claimants, the fund used to compensate cities for these costs fell far short of the needed resources. Instead of increasing the fund, the Legislature amended the law to pro -rate reimbursements to cities based on the amount available and the number of eligible applicants. The 2003 law came at a significant and unanticipated cost to cities. The League and other employer groups worked unsuccessfully throughout the summer to negotiate a compromise with employee group representatives. The League is pursuing HF 2966 in order to protect the fund for applicants that make claims consistent with the law's intent and to limit unanticipated costs for cities. League staff will work with Representative Krinkie to find another opportunity in the 2004 session to address this issue. March 12, 2004 Page 3 Local Sales Tax Bills to be considered Next Tuesday at 9 a.m., the Senate Tax committee will hear several bills that would authorize specific and general sales taxes. The bills include SF 774 (Senator Mark Ourada, R - Buffalo) which would authorize a sales tax for the city of Clearwater, SF 961 (Senator Becky Lourey, DFL-Kerrick) which would authorize a sales tax for the city of Cloquet and S.F. 2618 (Senator Sheila Kiscaden, I -Rochester) which would generally authorize local option sales taxes by ordinance for cities over 10,000 population. The Kiscaden bill would allow cities of the first class to impose a one-half percent sales tax by ordinance, except the city of Duluth could impose up to a 1 percent sales tax. There are no restrictions on how these tax revenues could be used. Second and third class cities could impose by ordinance sales taxes of one-half percent with the proceeds dedicated to specific capitol improvements including regional convention centers, civic centers, regional airports, libraries, public safety equipment, road or bridge or railroad improvements and flood control. The sales Lax could be challenged by the citizens through a reverse referendum process. Resolution to reauthorize Transportation Equity Act The LMC has posted a resolution in support of reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for city councils to consider. The resolution is posted on the LMC web site in the 15 -Minute Advocate section at www.imnc.org. 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