In This Issue:
- Metro Cities' Annual Meeting and Board Elections
- Omnibus Bills are Combined and Passed by Ways and Means
- Environment Omnibus Bill Passes Senate
- Learn About Shared Mobility in Human Services
- 2022 Salary & Benefits Survey
- Bills of Note
Metro Cities’ Annual Meeting and Board Elections
Thank you to the many city officials who attended Metro Cities’ annual meeting on Thursday to elect officers and members to the Board of Directors. The meeting was highly attended and began with guest speaker Professor David Schultz. Professor Schultz spoke about national and state political trends, redistricting, the upcoming legislative races, the effects of generational shifts on politics and elections, and issues that will likely dominate the election season.
Metro Cities’ members elected Matt Stemwedel, City Manager, Coon Rapids as Metro Cities President and Jay Stroebel, City Manager-Brooklyn Park, as Vice President. Metro Cities’ current Past President Myron Bailey, Mayor-Cottage Grove, was elected to continue for an additional year as Past President to address the current vacancy in this office. Bryan Bear, City Administrator-Hugo, Kris Wilson, City Administrator-Inver Grove Heights, and Julie Strahan, Councilmember-Roseville were elected to the Board. Jamie Verbrugge, City Manager-Bloomington, and Jeffrey Dahl, City Manager-Wayzata, were elected for second terms on the Board. Congratulations to Board officers and members! Board terms begin July 1, 2022.
Omnibus Bills are Combined and Passed by Ways and Means
The Ways and Means committee met Wednesday to hear several omnibus bills, all of which were ultimately combined and passed as one bill.
HF 1683 – Hornstein is the transportation omnibus bill. It includes funding for city streets with an emphasis on providing local matches for federal dollars available via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). HF 1683 also includes funding for transit, policy changes to the Corridors of Commerce program, and changes to fees collected by DVS and deputy registrars. Click HERE for more information on the bill, HERE for the bill summary, and HERE for the latest budget spreadsheet. Metro Cities has testified in support of funding for the small cities account included and additional municipal street aid funding included in the bill.
The State Government Finance and Elections omnibus bill, HF 4293 – Nelson, was also heard. The bill provides supplemental budget appropriations for various state agencies and includes several policy provisions of note. HF 4293 extends the time for opening and processing absentee ballots to 14 days and makes it a misdemeanor to intimidate election officials. The bill includes local preemptive language that allows property owners to install and maintain managed natural landscapes. Metro Cities has testified in opposition to this provision. Click HERE to view the bill summary and HERE to view the latest budget spreadsheet.
HF 1683 was amended into HF 4293 along with HF 4324 – Ecklund (the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill) and HF 4306 – Murphy (dealing with pensions). The combined bill was passed out of committee and is scheduled to be taken up on the House floor on Tuesday, April 26.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.
Environment Omnibus Bill Passes Senate
SF 4062 – Ingebrigtsen was debated by the Senate on Thursday and ultimately passed, as amended, with a vote of 37 to 29. SF 4062 spends an additional $8 million in FY22-23 and $3.3 million in FY24-25. The bill contains policy provisions of note for cities, including provisions relating to the White Bear Lake court case. It amends state statute to make clear that the DNR is not prohibited from issuing new water appropriations or amendments to existing permits to a city whose water supply plan was approved by the DNR prior to 2021. It also amends the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act (MERA) to prohibit suits related to White Bear Lake until 2041. Finally, a report on White Bear Lake water supply options is included and required to be brought to the legislature by October 2023. Click HERE to view a summary of the bill as passed by the Senate and HERE to view the budget spreadsheet. The House Environment omnibus bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Ways and Means committee on Monday, April 25.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.
Learn About Shared Mobility in Human Services
The Twin Cities Shared Mobility Collaborative is holding its quarterly convening on Tuesday, April 26. The event will be held virtually via Zoom from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Speakers Sheila Holbrook-White (Metropolitan Council) and Sheri Wegner (ConnectAbility of MN) will highlight current initiatives in Minnesota that connect residents to human services using shared mobility modes. The discussion will include perspectives from inside the Metropolitan region and in Greater Minnesota. It will explore how COVID-19 exacerbated issues of transportation access to these essential services, but also how the pandemic produced innovative solutions to accessibility challenges. Harriet Tregoning will offer a national perspective and highlight some challenges facing this intersection of transportation and human services. Presentations will be followed by time for audience Q&A. Click HERE to register for Tuesday’s event.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.
2022 Salary & Benefits Survey
The Salary and Benefits Survey is a tool used by cities and counties and allows cities and counties to compare and view salaries and benefits of other organizations. To receive free access, you will need to participate in the survey. Non-participating organizations will be assessed an annual fee for requesting access. Click HERE for FAQs on participation and accessing the survey.
The deadline for updating data is May 20, 2022. While the survey allows organizations to update data anytime during the year, the deadline is in place to ensure a portion of the survey data will reflect 2022 wages and benefits.
To log in as the Survey Coordinator/Auditor (Username & password are required), click HERE. To access important dates for the 2022 Salary & Benefits Survey, click HERE. For more information on the Salary & Benefits Survey, please visit the League of Minnesota Cities website.
Bills of Note
HF 4808, Bennet: Bill establishes the crime of unauthorized possession of a catalytic converter.
SF 4504, Ingebrigtsen: Bill appropriates $600,000 to the MPCA to contract for a coordinated monitoring program for PFAS in wastewater.
SF 4517, Senjem: Bill authorizes municipalities to adopt the most recent ASHRAE 90.1 commercial energy code.
SF 4521, Dibble: Bill establishes The Public Safety Innovation Board and appropriates funds for public safety including but not limited to the recruitment of new officers.