Laserfiche WebLink
Legislative update,,, <br />... Metro governance reorganization <br />A metropolitan governance reorganization bill (HF1090, <br />Pugh) passed out of the House Local Government and <br />Metropolitan Affairs Committee on April 2. It contains an <br />elected Metropolitan Council provision that essentially <br />was taken from the AMM developed bUl, HF959/SF843. <br />HF1090 eliminates the Regional Transit Board (RTB) and <br />the MetropoUtan Transit Cbmmission (MTC) and the <br />dtizen boards associates with those agencies. In place of <br />the RTB, the bill would create a itew Metropolitan Transit <br />Authority (MTA) headed by a chief admiiUstrator ap­ <br />pointed iy the Metropolitan Cdundl Chair. The MTA has <br />roughly tfie same respoitsibilities as the diminated RTB, <br />minus the citizen boa^. <br />The MTC would be replaced bj' an entity called Metro <br />Transit (MT). Metro Transit essentially is the bus company <br />and would be run by a chief administrator appointed by <br />the Metropolitan Council chair. <br />On the Senate side, the governance reorganization bill <br />that is moving b SF1U7 (Hynn). This bill would keep the <br />Metropolitan Cbundl as an appointed body. It also would <br />dimirule the RTB aruJ MTC and would repbee them with <br />an MTA and MT |ust as HF1090. Sni27 abo contains a <br />provisio n that would esublish a sbte advisory council on <br />metropolitan govenumce which would provide advice to <br />the Legblature on the present and future role of the <br />Metropolitan Council, metropolitan agencies and local <br />govenuirental unib as defined in Minnesota Statutes <br />473.121. TTiis advisory council would sunset orre year after <br />the effective date of tht bill, which b the day foUowine <br />firuJ eructment ^ <br />Another bill affecting the Metropolitan Cbundl, HF1376 <br />(Ctmithen), SF1081 (PogemUler)^ would redraw the <br />boundaries of the Metro^tan Council dbtricb and <br />redefine Council tenrts under the redbtricting plan. It <br />would rebin gubernatorial appointiirent process to the <br />Council. The Senate Ethics Or.nmittee has passed out the <br />bill and it b on the floor. The AMM b monitoring the bUI <br />and has no position on it except to mainbin the integrity <br />of dty boundaries to the greatest degree possible. <br />.... Urban enterprise zones <br />Rep. Myron Orfield's bill that would create urban <br />CTterprbe zones (HF677; SF479, Mondale) b likely to be <br />folded into the House Omnibus Tax bill. <br />Orfield's bill would require the MetropoUtan Cbundl to <br />set criterb for tiwurfaan enterprise zone program and <br />would exempt from taxation improvemenb made to C/1 <br />property during the term of the enterprise zone. <br />Orfield's bill also would eliminate economic develop ­ <br />ment TIF districb in the metropolitan area. <br />The AMM opposes thb biU since it restricts TIF usage in <br />the metropolitan area as compared to oubbtc Minne^b <br />and restricte usage only to certain dties in the metropoli- <br />Un area. <br />... Transit/transportation <br />The transporfa ion elemente of Rep. Myron Orfield's <br />Metropolitan Community SbbUity Act are in HF623 <br />(Orfield), SF474 (Pappas). <br />ThebiU has been changed significantiy to remove the <br />^viroiunenbl Impact Sbtement sodal comment section, <br />^so deleted was a prohibitive dause dealing with capac­ <br />ity improvemenb that nuiy have stopped metropoUbn <br />highway development <br />Portiais retained in the bUI indude a requirement for <br />goab and objectives updates for the sbte and metropoUtan <br />tiansporbtion plaits, and a directive to consider whether <br />transit alternatives could better meet a capadty improve ­ <br />ment within individual projeeb. The bill also indudes <br />language that would direct that the federal Intermodal <br />Surface Transporbtion Effidency Act transit priority <br />funds must be used for traiuit unless a trunk highway <br />project b ancillary to a transit fadUty project. <br />Added to the bill was language that would allow a <br />transporbtion projed to be built or completed provided at <br />least 50 percent of the commuiUties served by the projed <br />are in compUanoe %vith comprehensive durice housing <br />projeeb. Those dties not in compliance would be refused <br />access to the hi^way. <br />The bill is on the floor in the House but b currently tied <br />up in the Senate Transporbtion Committee, where it lu » <br />had one hearing aiul was laid over. <br />Board opposes use of FD funds for <br />social, physical needs <br />The AMM Board of Directors at ib April 1 meeting <br />adopted language that opposes using fiscal disparitia <br />money to fund so^ or physical mebopoUbn programs. <br />In taking the action to oppose thb type of us#* of fiscal <br />disparities funding, the AMM board said it believed sucli <br />a move would result in a metropolibn-wide property tax <br />increase hidden from the public. <br />Suggestions have been raised to use a percenbge of the <br />fiscal dbparities funds for spedfic sodal or other pre^ <br />grams In the metropoUtan area. Because of the way F.D. b <br />calcubted, thb would aiiKHmt to a hidden property tax <br />inoease across the metropoUtan area. Rscal disparities <br />dbtribution b applied after levy certification so the <br />property tax iiKrease b automatic and not at the discretion <br />of local offidab. <br />Fiscal disparities b a fiscal tool that shares Coriuiwrdal/ <br />Industrial property value for tax purposes in the seven- <br />county metro^Ubn area. Ib priinary purpose b to help <br />equalize the property bx wealth among the dties by <br />sharing part of the growth in communities experiencing <br />significant growth with those experiencing little growth.