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Home My WebLink About6.g. Legislative Agenda memo E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y City Council Regular Meeting: January 19, 2016 AGENDA ITEM: Legislative Agenda AGENDA SECTION: PREPARED BY: Dwight Johnson, City Administrator AGENDA NO. 6.g. ATTACHMENTS: Proposed Legislative Agenda APPROVED BY: RECOMMENDED ACTION: Motion to approve the attached 2016 Legislative Agenda BACKGROUND Over the past several years, the City has adopted a Legislative Agenda in order to communicate the City’s positions on issues that we would like the Legislature to address. A draft legislative agenda was reviewed by the Council at the January 5th work session. A slightly updated version is attached for consideration. DISCUSSION The draft Legislative Agenda consists of some holdover items from the 2015 Legislative Agenda as well as some new items that have been recommended by either City Departments or Council members. As in the past, we endeavor to keep the list fairly short and also do not repeat all of the positions of the League of Minnesota Cities or the Metro Cities organization. The topics are not necessarily listed in order of importance. Upon adoption of the Legislative Agenda, it will be communicated to our area legislators and also posted on our City’s website. RECOMMENDATION The City Council should make any necessary changes in the proposed Legislative Agenda and approve a motion to adopt it. 2016 Legislative Priorities The City of Rosemount has identified the following legislative priorities for 2016. The City generally supports the platforms of Metro Cities and the League of Minnesota Cities and these policies are not generally re-stated here except where they have unusual relevance for Rosemount.  Interchange funding for Highway 52/County Road 42. While federal funding and a State TED grant have been approved, the local share for Rosemount is still about $2.5 million which is equal to over two years of our MSA allotment. This is limiting our ability to make other needed improvements in the community of a more local nature.  Trains blocking intersections for long periods of time. State law currently allows blocking for ten minutes. See https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=219.383. We have had recent complaints of blocked intersections for 30 minutes or more. New legislation should address repeated offenses and be written to address recent court rulings that citations interfere with interstate commerce.  Funding for extension of railroad quiet zone. Rosemount has developed a quiet zone through most of the community at a cost of over $1 million. As the community grows east, another crossing currently outside our quiet zone on Bonaire Path is increasingly disrupting the lives of new residents. Because this next crossing is on an unpaved road with no crossing arms or signals at all, the cost to add this one crossing to our quiet zone may be $750,000- $1,000,000, or nearly as much as the safety improvements for the entire rest of the community. Our ability to fund this locally is greatly affected by the obligation for the 42/52 interchange noted above.  Approve early voting bill introduced last year or similar legislation. This bill would make elections much more manageable for both the voters and the local election officials such as our City Clerk’s office.  Approve legislation on data from body cameras (e.g. SF498). Police departments are in very uncertain territory right now about when data from body cameras is public. This opens up local governments using body cameras to needless litigation in the future unless the laws are clarified. Rosemount hopes to implement body cameras later this year.  Funding for expansion of Rosemount’s Family Resource Center. This facility has been a huge success in Rosemount with 360 Communities staffing it to help families with after school tutoring, a food shelf and other programs. But it is now too small for the demand placed upon it.  Consider legislation on control of drones. Law enforcement and citizens are uncertain about whether drones can hover over someone’s private property and also about the safety of allowing them at certain types of public events. Clarification is needed as we begin to hear reports of people shooting at them in other places. 2  State Licensing of Massage Therapists. The City supports legislation requiring the statewide licensure or registration of massage therapists to assist local law enforcement efforts to control prostitution and other criminal activitiy. Minnesota is one of only five states that has no such requirement.  Support Youth Intervention Program (YIP) state grant for $1.75 million in the supplement budget added to the YIP base. The additional funds would help an additional 10,500 at risk youth to receive intervention services and provides a return on investment of $9.78 saved for every state dollar spent. This program is supported by the Dakota County Sheriff and County Attorney.