In This Issue:
- Special Session Ends Without Agreement on Key Items
- COVID-19 Re-Opening Plans for Cities
- Municipal Permit Fee and Expense Report Due June 30
- REMINDER: Information Session: Federal CARES Act EDA Funding Opportunity
- Metro Cities' Policy Committees
Special Session Ends Without Agreement on Key Items
Legislators ended a special session at 6:30 am Saturday, without agreement on identified priority items including federal funding for local governments, police reforms, a bonding bill or tax bill. The Senate passed a resolution to eliminate the Governor’s peacetime emergency order; the House did not take up or pass a similar resolution.
Federal COVID-19 Funding for Local Governments
Bills to distribute $841.4 million of the state’s share of Federal CARES Act funding passed the Senate and House during the special session but an agreement on a final bill was not reached prior to adjournment. SF 47-Rosen passed the Senate on a 62-4 vote Tuesday. As the bill was considered later in the week by the House Ways and Means Committee, an amendment was added to include several supplemental budget items that were part of the Governor’s supplemental budget recommendations. The formula for distributing $841.4 million is the same in both bills. The amended bill passed the House on a 77-55 vote, along partisan lines and was sent back to the Senate. The Senate did not take up the amended bill and did not request a conference committee to resolve language differences in the bills. See HERE for a spreadsheet showing the distribution to cities under the bills.
On Monday, Metro Cities sent a joint letter with other city organizations to Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, as well as members of his administration and members of the Legislative Advisory Commission (LAC) to express our continued strong support for a prompt distribution of $841.4 million to local governments. The Governor can choose to distribute these federal funds using the LAC process, and it is widely expected he will do so. For additional information, contact Patricia Nauman at 651-215-4002 or [email protected]
Public Safety
The Senate and House exchanged offers on public safety proposals Friday, and legislators met behind the scenes throughout the evening. The Senate offer included funding for enhanced training related to mental health, crisis intervention and cultural sensitivity, clarifying changes in state law related to mental health training, requiring autism training for officers, providing peer counseling for officers, expanding mandatory background checks when hiring law enforcement employees, mandatory reporting of police deadly incidences to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), requiring officers to intercede when witnessing another officer using excessive force, a ban on chokeholds, instructing officers to preserve the sanctity of life, changes to the POST Board and changes to the binding of police arbitration decisions. Leaders in the Senate indicated they would not support changes to voting eligibility for those convicted of a felony, defunding or disbanding police departments, and provisions to have the state Attorney General lead on officer involved deaths.
The House proposed a counter-offer with some provisions supported by the Senate including arbitration reform, peer counseling for officers, reporting deadly force to the BCA, a ban on choke holds, use of force reforms, a duty to intercede requirement when officers witness excessive force, POST Board changes, autism training and mental health training.
The House proposal supported other public safety provisions including a prohibition on warrior style training, allowing cities to adopt residency requirements for law enforcement officers, removing the statute of limitations on wrongful death and assault cases involving law enforcement officers, provisions to require local governments with law enforcement agencies of 50 or more officers to create police oversight councils, the creation of an independent investigatory unit at the BCA, the creation of an Office of Community Led Public Safety and mandatory police officer critical incident review.
To view the Senate offer, click HERE. To view the House offer, click HERE.
Please see Metro Cities’ June 17th and June 19th newsletters for information on bills that passed or were considered during the special session, including small business assistance grants, a bill creating a metropolitan redevelopment corporation, and details on police and public safety bills.
COVID-19 Re-Opening Plans for Cities
As a reminder, by June 29, Critical Sector businesses are required to develop and implement a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. This includes cities. For COVID-19 Preparedness Plan templates, please visit dli.mn.gov/updates.
DEED has also prepared industry-specific guidance documents for businesses to aide in the development of their COVID-19 Preparedness Plans. For additional information or assistance in developing a plan, businesses can contact MNOSHA Workplace Safety Consultation at 651-284-5060 or [email protected].
Municipal Permit Fee and Expense Report Due June 30
Cities that received at least $5,000 in permit fees in 2019 are required to submit the Municipal Construction and Development Fee Revenue and Expenses Annual Report to the Department of Labor and Industry by June 30.
This is the same report and form that has been required in previous years. This year, DLI has taken input from Metro Cities, the League of Minnesota Cities and builders to revise the form for 2020 permit fees and expenses, due June 2021. Contact Charlie Vander Aarde at 651-366-7564 or [email protected] with any questions.
REMINDER: Information Session: Federal CARES Act EDA Funding Opportunity
Cities are invited to participate in a GREATER MSP’s Information Session on applying for federal EDA CARES Act Funding.
GREATER MSP will discuss the Regional Economic Framework (REF), the regional economic development strategy document that cities can attach to a project application to EDA. GREATER MSP, Metropolitan Council, and the Center for Economic Inclusion will provide an update on the REF and more details about how you can view the draft document, and provide input, in the coming weeks.
Darrin Fleener, Economic Development Administration, will give an overview of EDA's process to evaluate projects when they are being considered for funding and will be available to answer questions about the EDA's CARES Act Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This session will be recorded and will be publicly accessible afterwards.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Register here
Resources to prepare for the Information Session
Part I Information Session recording
Part I Information Session Presentation
Snapshot of the Regional Economic Framework
Metro Cities’ Policy Committees
Metro Cities is preparing for its 2020 policy development process, and your participation is encouraged! Meetings will be conducted remotely. Four policy committees will meet in July, August and September; see below for committees and schedules. Policy committees are open for participation by member city elected officials and staff. Whether you are new to the process or have participated in a committee in the past, your participation is welcome and encouraged. To sign up, click here. Please note: Due to site maintenance the registration form will be unavailable from 8am – 8pm on July 3rd.
Remember:
- Committees will meet either Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday in the morning from 9:00-11:30 am or the afternoon from 1:00-3:30. Committees and dates are listed below and on our website. Additional information, including remote meeting processes and access, will be posted on these pages as it becomes available.
- Please be sure to sign up for the committee(s) you wish to attend. This will help us keep our rosters current and accurate.
- Again, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, meetings will be conducted virtually.
We look forward to seeing you this summer! More information to follow.
Transportation & General Government
Mondays: July 20, August 17, September 21 / 9-11:30a.m.
Chair: Jason Gadd, Mayor, Hopkins
Municipal Revenues
Tuesdays: July 21, August 18, September 22 / 9-11:30a.m.
Chair: Patrick Trudgeon, City Manager, Roseville
Metropolitan Agencies
Wednesdays: July 22, August 19, September 23 / 9-11:30a.m.
Chair: Gary Hansen, Councilmember, Eagan
Housing & Economic Development
Wednesdays: July 22, August 19, September 23 / 1-3:30p.m.
Chair: Bryan Hartman, HRA Program Manager, Bloomington