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2004-04-07 Friday NewsThe Friday News April 2, 2004 HIPP Project Dakota County is working with its Cities to identify opportunities for local government collaboration and partnerships in a project called High Performance Partnerships (HIPP). Dakota County is funding a consultant to do the study. They are now looking for citizen panelists to attend a meeting Thursday night May 01' at 7:00 P.M. in Rosemount, At this meeting panelists will be administered a questionnaire where questions will be flashed up on a screen with panelists answering (anonymously) with a remote control device. Results of the questionnaire will be shown as they are completed. Each questions responses will be tabulated and shown before moving on to the next. A second meeting will occur in early June where panelist will be presented specific ideas of possible new collaborations and asked for their feedback. Mendota Heights has been asked to provide three panelists. I need help in locating these panelists, please call me if you are willing to help out or know someone who will help out. need to know soon who the panelists will be so call me as soon as you can with any names. Thank you. Concerning Pilot Knob The Native American Community held a Ceremony on Pilot Knob on Wednesday of this week (See attached news article). The City was notified rather late of this event and the Mendota Mdwakanton were concerned about that fact (letter attached). In spite of their concerns Wednesday's event came off without a problem. The Police Department monitored the event and told me that approximately seventy --five Native Americans attended the approximately two hour long Ceremony on the Acacia Cemetery's property. Acacia Cemetery had given them permission. Skate Park To Open at the End of April The City has been notified that the ramps, jumps and obstacles will be installed at Roger's Lake Park around April 15th thru 17th by TruRide, Inc. Following this installation the Public Works staff will install a "ground rail" to complete the components selected by the Parks Commission to be installed at this time. Following the completed installation an official "Grand Opening" will be scheduled. During the past few months, local supporters of the skate park have been anxious and have made many inquiries at City Hall as to the date when the park would be completed. They have offered to circulate flyers to inform local skateboard enthusiasts when the skate park has been completed. Marc Departs Marc Mogan, who has been with Mendota Heights for about 10 years, served with the City his last day this Friday. We had a going away luncheon for him on Thursday where there were two "Top 10 lists of reasons for his departure" revealed. Marc plans on taking a week off and traveling to Cancun Mexico before lie starts his new job as the Assistant City Engineer for the City of Burnsville on April 12t". Marc was very well liked by everyone at City Hall and we will miss him very much. Respectfully Submitted, James E. Danielson City Administrator Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, City Council Agenda, SOutlrWest Review Article "Sacred ceremony to be held at Pilot Knob", News from Dakota County, Thank you note from Maczko Family, Friday Fax, AMM News. Issue # 16 April 2"a, 2004 TA The DAR / Warrants 03-26-2004 0616 hours Mendota While on patrol Officer Lee Flandrich observed a vehicle with a Heights large eagle obscuring the license plate. Running a computer check on the license showed the registered owner to be revoked. Police Upon stopping the car the driver was ID'ed as the owner. Further Department computer checks revealed the driver to have active warrants out of Anoka and Washington Counties. When asked for proof of insurance, the driver informed Officer Flandrich that he did not Support have insurance on the vehicle. The driver was arrested for DAR / Staff no insurance and the active warrants. The car was sent to Bekky Trost Southeast Towing, the driver to the Dakota County Jail. Cathy Ransom Police Officers Molotov Cocktails 03-26-2004 0918 hours Jerry Murphy Officer Scott Patrick took a report of Molotov cocktails smashed Yvette Tillery in the street. Officer Patrick noted that there were several types Lee Flandrich . of bottles and wicks. It did not appear that anyone was the target Scott Patrick of these as they appeared to have been randomly smashed in Bobby Lambert the street as if they were testing the different options. Eric Petersen Todd Rosse Suspicious Activity 03-26-20041845 hours Tanner Spicer Complainant on Wagon Wheel Trail called to report suspicious Willson Chad illson Jeffn drug activity at his neighbor's residence due to the fact that there dt Jennifer Hurst was a high volume of traffic at the residence. Officer Tillery investigated and found the neighbor to be hosting a party with Investigations nothing illegal occurring. Clear no further investigation. Mario Reyes Brian Convery No Tail lights / DAS / Warrants 03-26-2004 2127 hours Sergeant John Larrive viewed a trailer being towed down the Sergeants road with no lights. Upon running a computer check he found the Donn Anderson owner to have active warrants out of four counties including a Neil Garlock felony warrant. Officers executed a felony traffic stop and the John Larrive driver was arrested. He was cited for not having a driver's license Chief and was taken into custody on the warrants. The vehicle was Mike released on scene to the passenger, who was valid. Aschenbrener 3rd Degree DUI 03-26-2004 Officer Jeff VonFeldt was dispatched to a car in the ditch. A cell -I- Issue # 16 April 2 nd 2004 phone caller had been following what appeared to be a drunk driver. The car attempted a u -turn and ended up in the ditch with the back of the car up in the air. When Officer VonFeldt arrived the driver was still attempting to get the car out of the ditch by revving the motor and spinning the tires. Officer VonFeldt knocked on the window and the driver continued to rev the motor. After pounding on the car and yelling at the driver he stopped and stepped out of the car, immediately falling to the ground. Officer VonFeldt attempted to do SFST's on the driver but, he was so intoxicated that he could not stand. The driver was arrested, read implied consent and agreed to a breath test. The breath test revealed a BAC of .21. The person was sent to Dakota County Detox to be held for court. Landlord tenant dispute I Fire violation 03-27-2004 0049 hours Officer Lee Flandrich responded to the address on Wagon Wheel Trail that was having the party (with the suspicious drug activity). The homeowner now wished assistance in removing his renter as he was upset about the drug allegations. He was advised of the process for removing a renter. Officer Tillery gave the renter a ride to his mother's house as he did not wish to stay the night. While on scene Officer Flandrich observed a large bonfire. Knowing, he had personally issued a copy of the fire ordinance to the homeowner in the past, he issued a citation for violations of the fire code. Clear without incident. AOA / Wrong way driver 03-27-2004 0318 hours While on patrol Officers Tanner Spicer and Lee Flandrich monitored the MSP putting a wrong way driver S/B in the N/B lanes of 35E. Officer located the car. The driver had pulled over just before officers arrived on scene. He was removed from the Gar, it was obvious that he had been drinking heavily. He was turned over to the MSP and officers cleared. Safety Conscious Thief 03-28-20041009 hours Officer Bobby Lambert took a report of a missing mountain bike and helmet. The homeowner forgot to close the garage door the night before and the next morning the bike and helmet were gone. Officers are looking for the safety conscious thief. AOA / Pursuit 03-28-20041843 hours Sergeant John Larrive assisted IGHPD with a pursuit on Hwy 55. Inver Grove was attempting to stop armed robbery suspects in a cream colored Toyota. IVIHPD discontinued assistance in the chase on the north side of the bridge. Mail Fraud 03-29-20041313 hours Sergeant Donn Anderson took a report from the daughter of an Alzheimer's patient who has been defrauded. She discovered that while her father was in a care facility he had been swindled out of a large amount of money. After reviewing the facts surrounding the case it was determined that it would be best investigated for charging federally. The case has been referred. Have a great weekend. 44 (D NEWS wm LETTER The Pipeline Public Works Engineering April 1, 2004 Code Enforcement Public Works The Parks Crew put up tennis nets at Ivy, Marie, Valley and Friendly Hills Parks. They primed and painted the dump box on truck #502. They attended the spring workshop for MSTMA at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. One of the topics was "Newly Tested Grass Seed and What Combinations Were Best For Sports Turf Management." They replaced light bulbs where needed at Mendakota and Kensington Parks. They brought in the aerator from Rogers Lake and took out the ""Thin Ice" signs for spring storage. Rich was called to 615 Butler Avenue for a blockage. He found at the end of their service, it drops wastewater onto a concrete bench. Rich and John Ambrose cleaned it with the jetter, then extended the service 24" with a 4" PVC and a furnco connection so the wastewater would drop into our line which solved the problem. Rich walked and checked visually the northeast interceptor line from Falls View Court to head house. Two trees were downed and had to be cut up and hauled away. The Street Crew repaired potholes and picked up broken curb on Crown Point, trimmed brush on Wagon Wheel for sight obstruction, cleaned up boulevards that were damaged from plowing. They reinstalled street and stop signs at Cygnet and Wagon Wheel that had been damaged from a vehicle accident. They installed posts for the new four-way stop signs at Victoria and Marie. Skate Park to Open The City has been notified that the ramps, jumps and obstacles will be installed at Rogers Lake Park around April 15th through April 17th by TruRide, Inc. Following this installation, Public Works will install a "ground rail" to complete the components selected by the Park Commission. Following the completed installation an official "Grand Opening" will be scheduled. During the past few months, local supporters of the skate park have anxiously made inquiries at City Hall as to the date when the park would be completed and have offered to circulate flyers to inform local skate board enthusiasts that the skate park has been completed. I AMU= U. The Engineering Department met to discuss current and future projects. They continue to work on plans for the Somerset Reconstruction project. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL AGENDA April 7, 2004 - 7:30 P.M. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Agenda Adoption 5. Approval of the March 1, 2004 & March 16, 2004 City Council Minutes. 6. Consent Calendar a. Acknowledgement of the March 2004 Building Activity Report. b. Authorization for Contingency Planning for Thirteenth Annual Celebrate Mendota Heights Parks. c. Authorization for Letter of Approval for Special Event at Ziggy's Deli and Ice Cream. d. Authorization for Issuance of Temporary Liquor License, St. Peter's Church. e. Approval of Sign Permit for Lennox Building at 1400 Commerce Drive. f. Approval of Sign Permit for 1150 Northland Drive. j. Adoption of Resolution No. 04-19: "A RESOLUTION APPROVING EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT". k. Approval of Contractor List. I. Approval of Claims List. 7, Public Comments 8. Unfinished and New Business a. Case No. 04-02: Robert Fink, 1850 Arvin Drive — Preliminary Plat to Create One Additional Lot. Resolution No. 04-20: "A RESOLUTION APPROVING A PRELIMINARY PLAT TO CREATE ONE ADDITIONAL LOT AT 1850 ARVIN DRIVE". b. Case No. 04-07: Patrick Donohue, 1924 Walsh Lane — Front Yard Setback Variance for a Garage. Resolution No. 04-21: "A RESOLUTION APPROVING A FRONT YARD SETBACK VARIANCE FOR A GARAGE ADDITION AT 1924 WALSH LANE". c. Case No. 04-06: Discussion of "I" Zone Language Amendment. Ordinance No. 391: "AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 12-113, SECTION 12-1G, AND SECTION 12-1U OF THE MENDOTA HEIGHTS CITY CODE, KNOWN AS THE ZONING ORDINANCE, BY PROVIDING FOR DEFINITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR TRADE SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN THE "I", INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT". d. Discussion of City of Mendota Request to Connect to Mendota Heights Water System along Sibley Memorial Highway/STH 13. e. Discussion of Request for Vacation of Drainage Easement Lot 18, Block I, Ivy Falls South (1423 Knollwood Lane). f. Discussion of Somerset Neighborhood Street Reconstruction Project, Job No. 200203, Improvement No. 2004, Project No.1 Resolution No. 04-22: "RESOLUTION ORDERING OF IMPROVEMENT FOR STREET RECONSTRUCTION IMPROVMENTS TO SERVE PEROPERTIES IN THE AREA REFERRED TO AS THE SOMERSET NEIGHBORHOOD INCLUDING SOMERSET VIEW, SOMERSET HEIGHTS PLATS, AUDITORS SUBDIVISION 3 AND SURROUNDING AREAS (IMPROVEMENT NO. 2004, PROJECT NO.1), Resolution No. 04-23: "RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH BARR ENGINEERING FOR COMPLETION OF THE STORM WATER DESIGN FOR THE SOMERSET AREA RECONSTRUCITON PROJECT". g. Discussion of Salary Increases. Resolution No. 04-24: "RESOLUTION AMENDING THE CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS PLACEMENT AND PAY CLASSIFICATION PLAN". h. Adjourn to City Council/Parks and Recreation Commission Workshop April 13, 2004, 6:00 — 7:00. 9. Council Comments 10. 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. This meeting is being taped by NDC4 (651-450-9891) and will replay on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on the NDC4 Government Channel 18 �,su��,��in�✓,�r. �ire�t�rv.a�,a��7�h ��e� OF YoU (2A Get z C- M eAOCM "4tYf,7 ,'I-AAW4� Blau 50 T746 5u�jic�/za' �vtWn .-E•� ��%�.-E'i � @Grp � .c,� L� '�ti�n.� �'eS2� c, e.. c+,.,.. ;_2-. F era LAA? 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Ima 0 0 rq E _0 4 t.. a cz (1) t.. 1N I., r. m '77 4� rA -- Ca V) 0 0 C) Q) 0 0 P >% rl 0 9 0 0 Q) ull :5 Q) iM4 cz ca "C:3 410 0 9 lao Q) 0 C) ",.j C) Q) P� 0 —0 In C,O W r.- -,d to 10 P4 Q o to ba 0 04 0 r, -Pa P4 0) 0 o a) - r. bo r m lizi >1 > C) 4 , 0 cu 0 =r C, Q) r. -cl ru 0 cZ ;3 0 B 0 - to C) ca Q) U) r. ::I > cz 19 rl4 >M ZZ r. Q CU Q) r- 0 _ 0 ;� (D 0 E 2 Q) 0 o o .- 0) 'ob � ;5 �0' 0 p La 0 cz >, E5 In Q.) 0 q-, V) cz 0 o o A -o 4) 4� - 0 Lo -0 0 o 4 ul 14� 0 nz P, cz >1 0 cz 0 C) 0 0 4� to c = C) ca Lo 0 co r...4 j - 0 V) V, CO Q) C) �4 0 0 04 0 0 P4 ul 0 0 ai Fi In Go Q3 (1) 0 0 En bo 0 o A 7:1 0 p 0 w 0 o C' > cn ca U) 41 C) 0 -49 V,,. 00 o 0 BRANDT RICHARDSON WSNECOUNTY ADMINISTRATOR JANE VANDERPOEL COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR C O U N T Y TELEPHONE (651) 438-4418 From Dakota County FAX (651) 438-4405 DAKOTA COUNTY GOVERNMENT COMPLEX Contact: Jane Vanderpoel 6511438-4423 DAKOTA COUNTY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1590 Hwy 55, HASTINGS, MN 55033-2372 WORLDWIDE WEB SITE: www,CO.dakota.nln.US March 29, 2004 Rural areas mapped with aircraft flyovers this spring If you see low-flying aircraft in rural Dakota County townships in April, don't be alarmed. Dakota County's Office of Planting has hired a pilot and aircraft to create digital topographic maps of rural parts of the county. To do so, it necessary for a pilot to spend about 60 hours flying at low altitudes — about 850 feet — at low speeds, and doing multiple pass -overs while taking digital photos. The flights are expected to begin any time after April 12, weather permitting, and take approximately three weeks. If this sounds familiar, it's because the rural mapping project was originally planned for late last fall, but early onset of snowfall prevented the work from being done then. The flights will occur in a north -south direction during daylight hours in Dakota County's 13 townships. Directional changes (airborne turns) will occur over the southern boundaries of Lakeville and Farmington. The cities of Rosemount and Hastings are included in the flyover. A person who lives in these areas on a typical 40 -acre farm could expect the aircraft to pass by two or three times. The information gathered is detailed topographic data that will be used as part of an effort, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to create new maps of floodplain areas in the County, which will be accurate to within two -foot contours. The last maps were created around 1980 and are obsolete. The benefit of the new reaps is more accurate determinations of likely floodplains, and providing citizens, builders, insurance companies and lenders with accurate floodplain infornnation, which may lower insurance premiums. The entire mapping project is expected to take two years to complete. More information about this project is posted on Dakota County's website (www.co.dalcota.mn.us). Go to the Office of Planning section (from the "Departments" link") and then click on the "Floodplain Restudy" link on the blue bar on the left side of the screen. Or call Dakota County's Office of Planning at 952-891- 7044 for more information. -.30- Mar 26 2004 17:31:03 Via Fax _> 6514520940 Administrator Ll LMC Lau -FridayFax- A weekly legislative update from the League of Minnesota Cities Water quality bills advance SF 1999 (Sparks, DFL -Austin) removes the sunset date on the ban on phosphorus in lawn fertilizers and extends the ban statewide and was passed to the Senate floor. Appropriate soil test results will continue to allow use of phosphorus fertilizers. LMC has a policy position supporting the removal of phosphorus from all possible consumer products to lessen city cost of treating wastewater and stormwater and supported the bill. Its companion bill, HF 2005 (McNamara, R -Hastings) has also been passed to the floor in that body. SF 2319 (Lourey, DFL-Kerrick) initially allowed the state to do extensive groundwater monitoring at sites where biosolids are applied to land and to bill back their costs without limit to the source of the biosolids and was opposed by LMC. The author amended her bill to address those concerns by making it a one-time appropriation to the MPCA from the state to do monitoring of a specific site in her district. That version was passed to the Senate Finance committee. The companion file HF 2318 (Hilty, DFL -Finlayson) was not given a hearing before the policy committee deadline. Two bills supplying funding to help cities address the requirements coming their way from federal impaired waters and TMDL programs made their way forward in the Senate. SF 401 (Sams, DFL -Staples) is a bill for a constitutional amendment that would dedicate i/o of one cent of the state sales tax for the next twenty years to fund game and fish, wildlife, parks and trails, and impaired waters programs. It allocates approximately $51 million per year to the state's impaired waters program. R has been passed to the Senate Finance committee. SF2889 (Marty, DFL- lammiumme March 26, 2004 Page I Roseville) includes the policy language related to creating a state impaired waters program that was crafted over the past year by a large and diverse stakeholder group that included local representatives, including LMC and CGMC. It funds impaired waters program needs by raising state income and corporate income taxes to generate $100 million per year. That bill was passed to the Finance committee. Inverse condemnation A bill opposed by LMC and other local government organizations was tabled in the Senate Judiciary committee on Thursday evening. SF 1233 (Ortman, R -Chanhassen) would have changed condemnation law to allow garbage haulers to sue cities for loss of business if organized collection is enacted. Heather Worthington, City administrator for the city of Falcon Heights testified on behalf of the League and provided the committee with information on her city's efforts to consider organized waste collection and the economic obstacles the bill would create. The initial bill (and the current House version) was drafted to include any business, not just garbage haulers, but the only businesses testifying in support of the bill have been from the solid waste industry. The House companion (HF 898 (Thissen, DFL -Minneapolis) has passed all of its required policy committees and is on the floor, so there is still a risk that the language will show up as an amendment to another bill. Open meeting law changes A bill allowing public meetings to be closed for the purposes of having security discussions moved forward in the Senate this week. SF 2343 (Higgins, DFL -Minneapolis) was drafted by Hennepin County and LMC. It was For more information on city legislative issues, contact any member of the League of Minnesota Cities Inter govern menial Relations team. 651.281.1200 or 800.925.1122 Mar Zfi Z004 17:3Z:43 Via Fax _> 65145ZB940 Administrator Ji LMC 1,wylw -FridayFax- A weekly legislative update from the League of Minnesota Cities changed somewhat to address concerns about record retention by the Minnesota Newspaper Association and was included in the Senate's omnibus data practices bill. The House has not yet acted on this language, but is expected to be receptive to the request. The chair of the House Judiciary policy committee, Rep. Steve Smith, is the author of the House companion bill, HF 2138. Electronics recycling SF 838 (Higgins, DFL -Minneapolis) sets up a recycling program for cathode ray tubes in televisions and video display screens. The Senate Environment, Agriculture, and Economic, Development Finance division passed it on Tuesday. It is not clear at this time what, if any, action the House will take on HF 882 (Cox, R -Northfield) now that the Senate has moved the bill forward. Gunyou, Kiedrowski address joint Senate Finance and Tax hearing I - Today, former Finance Commissioners Jay Kiedrowski and John Gunyou appeared before a joint session of the Senate Finance committee and the Senate Tax committee "to have and honest discussion about the fiscal management and future of the state." The two former commissioners appeared to tell committee members that the legislature and governor should regain control of the state budget not through recently -employed accounting shifts or use of one-time revenues but instead through permanent adjustments to spending or taxes. Specifically, the commissioners cited last year's use of one-time money and the fact that the updated forecast includes inflationary increases in the estimates for revenues but March 26, 2004 Page 2 ignores the inflationary increases on the expenditure side. They argued that the net impact of these short-term budget fixes was to push a large portion—perhaps as much as $1 billion—of the state's deficit into the future. They raised similar concerns about the recent supplemental budget proposals offered the governor and the House that they believe rely too heavily on "shifts and gimmicks." Jay Kiedrowski was the finance commissioner under former Governor Rudy Perpich who now works for Wells Fargo Bank and John Gunyou who was the finance commissioner under Governor Arne Carlson is now the city manager for the city of Minnetonka. Both appeared before the committee not to represent their current employers but as citizens and former finance commissioners. The impact of the hearing on the discussions on the deficit will play out over the next several weeks as the legislature moves beyond policy committees and into the finance committee activity. Eminent domain proposal still alive On Thursday, the House Transportation Finance committee heard HF 1901 (Paulsen, R - Eden Prairie), a bill that would require cities to pay property owners' attorney fees in a condemnation proceeding in certain circumstances and require cities to prove by a preponderance of evidence that a taking serves a public purpose. The bill was previously amended in the House 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 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 Z6 2004 17:34:1Z Via Fax _> 65145ZB940 Administrator Page 003 Of 003 __..1'j„ -FridayFax- LMC L:''I'eo�YO(A004 Cil;­FGit" A weekly legislative upstate from the League of Minnesota Cities March 26, 2004 Page 3 more the last written offer made by the worked with both sides over the last several condemning authority before filing a petition. The amendment also established a heightened standard of proof for takings transferred to a private entity. Under the proposed language, the acquiring authority rriusL prove by preponderance of the evidence that the taking is reasonably necessary and authorized by law, and is for a public, not private, purpose. The League testified against the bill in the Transportation committee, arguing that these proposed changes to the condemnation process would encourage more litigation that will delay resolution of condemnation cases and cost taxpayers more for public projects, and would make it much more difficult for cities, port authorities, EDAs and HRAs to perform statutory development and redevelopment functions. After testimony for and against the proposal, the committee tabled the bill. The committee later amended the public purpose provision into HF 2625 (K uisle, R -Rochester), the department of transportation land management bill. The League and other local government groups proposed a more reasonable approach that amends redevelopment statutes to address the degree of public benefit associated with these types of projects. The amendment failed on a voice vote, and the committee voted to send HF 2625, as amended, to the House Ways and Means committee. While the League remains concerned about the impacts of the House language on economic development and redevelopment projects, things are looking better in the Senate. Sen. Sheila Kiscaden (IP -Rochester), the author of the Senate companion bill (SF 2037) has weeks to negotiate a compromise proposal. At a hearing in the Senate Judiciary committee, Sen. Kiscaden presented a delete -all amendment to the original bill that exempted small strip takings from the attorney fee provision and limited the payment of attorney fees to a maximum of $2,000 for residential property. The amendment also attempted to tighten up the public purpose requirements. The Judiciary committee ultimately voted to remove the attorney fees provisions, but passed the rest of the bill and referred it to the State and Local Governi-rient committee. The Senate State and Local Government committee took -up SF 2037 today. Sen. Kiscaden was prepared to offer a compromise proposal that would have moderated the public purpose requirements in the bill, but the proponents and opponents had not reached final agreement on the language. She instead moved to strike the public purpose section of the bill and send the amended bill to the Senate Transportation Policy and Budget Division. The committee adopted the motion. It's likely that this issue will be resolved one way or another in negotiations on HF 2625 (Kuisle) and SF 2643 (Murphy). 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 Association of Metropolitan Municipalities AMMNews Pagel of 2 March 29 - April 2, 2004 ARCHIVES House Bill Cuts $5.7 M from Metro Transit Council Authorized to Use Livable Communities Dollars for Bus System The Omnibus Transportation Finance Bill released by the House last week would reduce funding for Metro Transit by $5.7 million in 2005. The bill includes a 3 percent (or $1.7 million) reduction in Metro Transit's general fund appropriation, as recommended in the Governor's supplemental budget. However, House Republicans have also decided to eliminate Metro Transit's percentage share of the motor vehicle sales tax, and replace it with a flat dollar amount, frozen at its 2004 level. This results in an additional curt of nearly $4 million for Metro Transit in 2005. The bill also authorizes the Metropolitan Council to spend any excess LRT funds, resulting from the delayed opening of the Hiawatha line, on the bus system; as well as all fiends levied for the Livable Communities Program through 2007. Based on the Council's 2004 budget, this would make roughly $14 million of property tax revenues originally intended for grants to local units of government available to the bus system. The bill has been approved by the House Transportation Finance Committee and the House Tax Committee, and is awaiting action by the Ways and Means Committee. The Senate has yet to release a Transportation Finance Bill. Update: County Plat Authority Legislation sponsored by Rep. Kuisle (R -Rochester) that would grant counties approval authority over city plats that abut a county road was amended by the House Transportation Finance Committee last week. As amended, H.F. 1913 no longer authorizes counties to veto plats. Instead it requires developers to submit the road and drainage elements of their plat proposals to the county .30 days prior to submitting them to the city, in order to give the county time to prepare comments. Unfortunately, the amended bill also states that the 120 -day review clock starts with the developer's submission to the county, thus reducing cities' approval time to 90 days. The bill now goes to the House Rules Committee and then on to the House floor. In the Senate, the bill, in its original form, was heard by the Transportation Policy and Budget Division and then tabled. Met Council Seeking Input on Planning Handbook The Metropolitan Council is hosting a ineeting of city planning officials to discuss updates and improvements to the 1997 Local Planning Handbook. Council staff is interested in hearing from individuals that have experience using the existing Handbook in order to identifying what aspects worked well and what can be unproved prior to the 2008 round of comprehensive plans. In addition to streamlining the Handbook and making it more useful for cities, the Council will be http://www.aimnl45.org/newsletter.htrn 3/.30/2004 Association of Metropolitan Municipalities Page 2 of 2 updating the guide to better reflect the 2030 Regional Develop»nent Framework and the new regional policy plans. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 14 from 9:00 to 11:3 0 a.m. at Golden Valley City Hall, 7800 Golden Valley Road. Those interested in attending are asked to contact Robin Caufrnan at the Metropolitan Council (651-602-1457 or robin.ca ifmai _a metc..state._mn.us). AMM Seeking Board Candidates AMM is currently seeking interested individuals for three openings on the AMM Board of Directors. The AMM Board is composed of 16 directors, plus a president, vice-president and past president. Board candidates will be reviewed by a nominating committee and voted on by the frill membership at AMM's Annual Meeting in May. In order to maintain balanced geographic representation on the Board, candidates are being sought from Hennepin, Dakota and Washington counties. Both elected officials and managers/administrators are eligible to apply. The Board meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Board room of the League of Minnesota Cities building. Interested individuals should send a resume and cover letter to AMM at 145 University Ave. W., St. Paul, MN 55103 or amm@amm145.org no later than Friday, April 9. Any questions about Board openings or the candidate selection process should be directed to Roger Peterson at (6.51) 215 - 4002. 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@amml45org http://www.amm 145.org/newsletter.htm 3/.30/2004