HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.c. Legislative Agenda
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
City Council Work Session: November 7, 2016
AGENDA ITEM: Legislative Agenda AGENDA SECTION:
Discussion
PREPARED BY: Dwight Johnson, City Administrator AGENDA NO. 2.c.
ATTACHMENTS: 2016 Legislative Agenda APPROVED BY: ddj
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Review the 2016 Legislative Agenda and consider changes or new
initiatives for 2017.
BACKGROUND
For several years, the City has considered and adopted a list of legislative priorities. Generally, we do not
specifically repeat the platforms of the League of Minnesota Cities or Metro Cities but rather issue a
general statement of support for them. Rosemount’s priorities have included specific projects or items of
particular interest to our community and also sometimes County initiatives that affect Rosemount. The
Legislative Priorities are generally adopted in January before the Legislative Session begins. They are then
shared with our legislators and other interested parties. Attached is the 2016 list of Legislative Priorities,
with items highlighted signifying issues that were addressed by the 2016 Legislature.
RECOMMENDATION
The Council should review the current list of Legislative Priorities and begin to consider any additions or
changes to the list.
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.
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 activity. 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.
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