Joint Resolution of the Central MN Cities of St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, St.

Joseph, and St. Augusta Advocating Support for Certain Legislative Issues and Proposals of Common Interest or Concern to Central Minnesota Region WHEREAS, the Central Minnesota-St. Cloud area has a strong history of collaboration and coordination amongst its local units of government to facilitate well planned communities that are provided municipal services in the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner possible; and WHEREAS, to better assist our State legislative leaders, we have collectively identified certain legislative issues and proposals that are of specific impact and interest to our communities to enable them to respond in a manner that strengthens the partnership between our local units of government and the State in fostering the continuation and enhancement of socially, economically and culturally vibrant. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Councils for the cities of St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, St. Joseph, and St. Augusta, Minnesota that the following legislative issues and proposals are of common interest or concern to the Central Minnesota Region and therefore officially support and advocate the following actions of the MN State Legislature: LEGISLATIVE ISSUES: 1. Extension of local option sales tax authorization: AUTHOR AND SUPPORT legislation that authorizes extension of the existing 13 year local option sales tax authority for voter approved and eligible regional capital improvement projects in essentially the same form as approved by the MN Legislature in 2012. 2. Sales Tax Exemption for all public purchases: Approve the exemption of sales tax for all public purchases. LMC FF-9 Sales Tax on Local Government Purchases (p. 116) 3. Local Government Aid: Restore LGA funding to the 2008 certified level with no further reductions. In addition, revise the LGA formula in a manner that strengthens the statelocal partnership and is reflective of the historic purpose of the LGA program as both a tax base equalization and property tax relief program. As such, the formula needs to reflect a citys tax base and need, further reduce property tax rate disparities among MN cities, reduce yearly fluctuations in aid, and be both intuitive and rational. LMC FF1 State-Local Fiscal Relations (p. 109); LMC FF3 Funding LGA (p.111); and LMC FF-4 Local Government Aid Reform (p.112) 4. Levy Limits: SUPPORT facilitating local accountability by OPPOSING efforts to impose State control of local levies through levy limits. LMC FF-16 State Restrictions on Local Budgets (p.120)

5. State Mandate Relief: SUPPORT legislation that reduces or eliminates unfunded and/or

onerous mandates to local governments (e.g. personnel related mandates such as binding arbitration, lack of State funding for State retirement plan, aggregate value requirements for insurance benefits, and pay equity; MPCA fees; storm water fees). No additional mandates should be enacted unless the legislature or agency imposing the requirements provides a permanent stable revenue source for the mandate.
SUPPORT legislation that sunsets all unfunded mandates so that they may be evaluated for necessity and verification of nexus. LMC SD-1 Unfunded Mandates (p.1) 6. Tax Exempt Credit Program: SUPPORT legislation to assist Cities with disproportionately high amounts of government and/ or nonprofit business properties such as Colleges, Universities, and Hospitals. LMC FF-22 Payments for Services to Tax-Exempt Property (p.125) 7. State Fee Increases: SUPPORT measures that preclude State agencies and operations from shifting funding reductions and/or cost increases on to municipalities in the form of fee increases. LMC FF-5 State Charges for Administrative Services (p.113) 8. Eminent Domain: SUPPORT modifications to the 2006 Eminent Domain statue to remove recently added attorney fees and cost penalty provisions in actions involving public infrastructure improvements in order to restore a fair balance between the rights of private landowners and the interests of the public. LMC SD-20 Private Property Rights and Takings (p.17) 9. Land Use Reform & Annexation: SUPPORT legislation that better protects the environment, reduces green gas emissions, reduces the cost to deliver municipal services, and protects the interests of cities in annexation statutes. LMC LE-1 Growth Management and Annexation (p.71) 10. Regional Collaboration: SUPPORT locally initiated and controlled regional efforts of local government jurisdictions by providing additional incentives that encourage these types of efforts. LMC SD-3 Redesigning and Reinventing Government (p.2) 11. North Star Commuter Rail: SUPPORT extension of North Star Commuter Rail service northward to the St. Cloud area in a manner that serves the needs of public, business and commercial travels, that is highly expandable, and is priced affordably to optimize use.

12. State Airports Fund: SUPPORT efforts to re-establish local air service at the St. Cloud Regional Airport. LMC LE-36 Airport Planning and Funding (p.59) 13. Street Improvement District Authority: SUPPORT legislation that would give municipalities the authority to establish street improvement districts to collect fees from property owners within a district to fund municipal street maintenance, construction, reconstruction, and facility upgrades. LMC FF-19 City Revenue Diversification (p.69) 14. Administrative Authority: SUPPORT the expansion of authority of Statutory and Home Rule Charter cities ability to impose and collect administrative penalties to include enforcement and traffic infractions. LMC SD-36 Administrative Fines (p.24) 15. Private Well Installation: SUPPORT retention of local control of private water well installations. LMC SD-22 Private Well Drilling (p.20) 16. Government Data Practices Act: AUTHOR & SUPPORT amendments to the GDPA that enables the following to be classified as private data: a. Identify of injured parties in accident events (e.g. Verso Paper Mill explosion) b. Email addresses provided to facilitate on-line invoicing, bill payment, application processing, public information alerts or similar 17. Capital Investment/State Bonding Requests St. Cloud Civic Center Expansion: SUPPORT $10.1 million state funding for $27 million expansion project City of St. Cloud. Regional Parks & Trails: SUPPORT State bonding as follows: 1. Sauk River Park Land Acquisition (City of Sartell) - $ 1.3 million, ranked #1 land acquisition priority by Central MN Parks and Trails Board. 2. Quarry Park & Nature Preserve (Stearns County) - $ 422,500 for 39.5 acre land acquisition to facilitate expansion of the park and creation of an additional access into the park (located in Waite Park). 3. Wobegon Trail Extension of the trail from St. Joseph to the St. Cloud Area. 4. St. Cloud Area Regional Park and System Support the establishment of the St. Cloud Area Regional Park and Trail system to allow for funding to connect the area trails creating a central park system. 18. Additional Priorities: Support municipal authority to utilize photographic technology to enforce traffic laws.

LMC SD-44 Traffic Enforcement Cameras (p.30) Adopted this day of ,2012, by the City Council of the City of St. Cloud.

Mayor City Clerk Adopted this day of ,2011, by the City Council of the City of Sartell.

Mayor City Clerk Adopted this day of ,2011, by the City Council of the City of Sauk Rapids.

Mayor

City Clerk Adopted this day of ,2011, by the City Council of the City of Waite Park.

Mayor

City Clerk Adopted this day of ,2011, by the City Council of the City of St. Joseph. Mayor

City Clerk Adopted this day of ,2011, by the City Council of the City of St. Augusta. Mayor

City Clerk