State Awards $18 Million in Grants for Transportation Projects in Seven Communities

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2 Cities Bulletin Print Page Page 2 of 8 State Awards $18 Million in Grants for Transportation Projects in Seven Communities The state has awarded grants to three projects in the Twin Cities metro area and four projects in Greater Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), in partnership with the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), has awarded $18 million in grants for seven state highway projects that will support growing industry and businesses, leverage private funding, and improve the transportation system for all users. Three projects in the Twin Cities metro area and four projects in Greater Minnesota will receive a total of about $18.2 million as part of the state s Transportation Economic Development (TED) Program. The TED Program, which typically receives funding from the capital investment bill, is strongly supported by the League of Minnesota Cities. This year s TED funds help leverage other federal, state, local, and private funding for a total construction program of $130 million. The following are a few details about the projects that received the funds. Twin Cities area projects Anoka County ($5 million): The Highway 10/Highway 169 improvement project in the City of Anoka will address safety and mobility issues. The highway currently experiences long back-ups and more than 100 crashes per year. The project will reduce corridor delays by 75 percent by eliminating all at-grade access points and signals. It also will result in a 57 percent reduction in crashes, enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the movement of people, goods, and services. Total project cost is $82.9 million. Brooklyn Park ($10 million): The U.S. Highway 169/101st Avenue North interchange project will enhance traffic operations, improve roadway safety, and provide bicycle and pedestrian facilities for a segment of 101st Avenue North between Jefferson Highway and future Xylon Avenue. The project is near the Target Northern Campus, which currently employs 4,000 people and is expected to expand to 7,000 employees. Target has agreed to contribute a portion of the project cost, and DEED is contributing $1.5 million. Total project cost is $37 million. Carver County ($1.5 million): The project will reconstruct the County State Aid Highway 18 (Lyman Boulevard) and Highway 41 intersection in Chaska, which is currently controlled by a temporary traffic signal. The proposed project will install a roundabout to allow freight, passenger vehicles,

3 Cities Bulletin Print Page Page 3 of 8 pedestrians, and cyclists to pass through safely. This improvement is needed because the current intersection is overburdened, unsafe, and traffic volumes will continue to grow as adjacent industrial vacant land is fully developed and nearby businesses expand and hire new employees. Total project cost is $4.1 million. Greater Minnesota projects Pennington County ($1 million): This project will construct a roundabout at Highway 32 and County State Aid Highway 16 in Thief River Falls that will allow faster truck transportation to Digi-Key and Artic Cat. DEED is also contributing $1 million to the extension of the County State Aid Highway 16 project. Total project cost is $5.77 million. Dodge County ($135,450): This project provides for a bypass lane for southbound traffic and a right-hand turn lane for northbound traffic on Highway 56, about 1.5 miles south of the intersection with Highway 14 in Dodge Center. Access to Con-Tech Manufacturing will be improved and may result in the ability to add positions to their operation. Total project cost is $193,500. Duluth ($247,000): This project, located at Grand Avenue (Highway 23) and Warwick Street, includes the design and installation of a new traffic signal at the base of the Spirit Mountain Recreation Area. The City of Duluth and St. Louis County have secured funding for the right-of-way acquisition and construction of a new city street, Kayak Bay Road. This future street will create a new four-way intersection on Highway 23. This project will ensure vehicle and pedestrian safety as the planned development and existing recreational amenities increase traffic at the intersection. Total project cost is $354,000. Kittson County ($315,000): This project will install a turning lane and frontage road adjacent to Highway 75 near the junction with CSAH 10. It will improve safety by reducing the need for stacking trucks waiting to enter the plant located on Highway 75. Total project cost is $450,000. MnDOT received nine project proposals in the Twin Cities area and six proposals in Greater Minnesota, for a total of $67.6 million in requests for this year s TED grants. The TED program was established in DEED administers a parallel Transportation Economic Development Infrastructure (TEDI) program that funds projects on local roads and for other types of transportation. Projects may combine funding from both programs. Learn more about the TED program and the selected projects from MnDOT s website (Link to:

4 Cities Bulletin Print Page Page 5 of 8 State Auditor Report Reveals Increase in Both City Revenues and Expenditures The Office of the State Auditor released the 2016 Minnesota City Finances Report last week. (Published Jan 8, 2018) Cities overall saw an increase in revenues in 2016 over the previous year, according to the most recent Minnesota City Finances Report, released last week by the Office of the State Auditor (OSA). The OSA s annual Minnesota City Finances Report examines revenue and expenditure trends for all cities. The report summarizes city finances for all cities overall and for cities over and under 2,500 in population. It also contains detailed revenue and expenditure tables for each city as well as appendices related to fund balances and debt. Access the 2016 report from the OSA website (Link to: Revenues According to the 2016 report, total revenue from governmental funds was $5.43 billion for all Minnesota cities in That s an increase of 3.7 percent over Looking at cities by size, the increase in 2016 was 4 percent for cities over 2,500 in population and just 0.7 percent for cities with a population under 2,500. When the analysis accounts for inflation, city revenues are lower in 2016 than in Total city revenues fell 3.3 percent over the 10-year period when inflation is factored in. The report looks in-depth at the largest sources of revenue for cities as a group: property taxes and intergovernmental revenue. Without inflation, property tax revenue grew 41.5 percent from 2007 to 2016 while intergovernmental revenues increased 5.2 percent. When the figures are adjusted for inflation, the trends are markedly different: adjusted property tax revenues grew 18.3 percent over the 10 years, while intergovernmental revenue declined 12.1 percent. Expenditures On the expenditure side, total expenditures for governmental funds in 2016 was $6.3 billion, an increase of 4.6 percent over The growth rate was the same for cities over and under 2,500 in population. Expenditures for streets and public safety made up the largest share of total

5 Cities Bulletin Print Page Page 6 of 8 expenditures for cities overall. When the expenditure data is adjusted for inflation, total city expenditures fell 1 percent between 2007 and Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin (Link to: Your LMC Resource Contact Rachel Walker Policy Analysis Manager (651) or (800) rwalker@lmc.org (Link to: mailto:rwalker@lmc.org)

6 Cities Bulletin Print Page Page 7 of 8 Gov. Dayton Appoints Members to New Task Force on Housing Cities are encouraged to complete a short survey on housing priorities by Jan. 17. (Published Jan 8, 2018) Gov. Dayton has created a new Housing Task Force to study several issues, including a serious shortage of affordable housing in Minnesota. The task force is required to submit recommendations to the governor and Legislature by July 31. See Gov. Dayton s executive order creating the task force (Link to: The task force is charged with: Affirming and protecting the existing housing strategies that serve Minnesotans well, and identifying gaps in the system. Gaining a broader understanding of what housing stability looks like for people across the state, including how local policies impact housing stability. Developing innovative solutions for families, individuals, and communities so they may have safe, stable housing as the foundation for success. The task force will have working groups and provide recommendations in the areas of homeownership, rental housing, and housing stability and opportunity. Members Bremer Financial Corporation CEO Jeanne Crain and Catholic Charities Director of Social Justice Advocacy Acooa Ellis are co-chairing the task force made up of 28 members. The task force includes two members that are city officials. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson is a core member of the task force, and Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire is serving in an ex-officio capacity as a representative of the Urban Land Institute. Meetings The members will have five task force meetings in the first half of 2018, with the first two meetings scheduled for Jan. 12 and Feb. 21. Each task force member will be assigned to one of the working committees (on homeownership, rental housing, and housing stability and opportunity), which will meet eight times between now and the end of June. The task force will conduct extensive community engagement and research before issuing its final report in July.

7 Cities Bulletin Print Page Page 8 of 8 Learn more about the task force and sign up to receive updates (Link to: Submit your housing priorities to the task force The task force is seeking feedback from Minnesotans about their housing priorities via a survey. The deadline to take the survey is Jan. 17. Take the survey now! (Link to: Housing is one of League s legislative priorities for 2018 (Link to: The League will submit comments in line with the housing policies and priorities developed by its policy committees and adopted by the Board of Directors. Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin (Link to: Your LMC Resource vcontact Heather Corcoran IGR Member Relations Coordinator (651) or (800) hcorcoran@lmc.org (Link to: mailto:hcorcoran@lmc.org)

8 League Seeks City Official for Open LMCIT Board Position Page 1 of 2 League Seeks City Official for Open LMCIT Board Position The League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) Board of Directors (Link to: is seeking an elected or appointed city official to fill one opening on the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) Board of Trustees (Link to: The appointment will fill a three-year term beginning April 1, The incumbent is eligible to reapply. Background Board of Trustee members are appointed by the LMC Board of Directors. Trustees must be from a city that is a participating member in the LMCIT. At least two of the seven Trustees must be elected officials and at least one Trustee must also be a member of the League Board of Directors. The LMC executive director serves ex officio as a Trustee. Responsibilities The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the LMCIT. The Board s responsibilities include: Overall management and policy direction. Setting premium rates. Making decisions about dividend returns. Establishing the budget for in-house operations. Overseeing investments. Approving coverage changes. Reviewing and approving audits. See the Board of Trustees Summary of Expectations (Link to: and the Risk Management section (Link to: of the League s website for more information. Meetings The LMCIT Board typically meets six to eight times per year. In addition, the LMCIT Board meets annually for a strategic planning retreat in February or March. Trustees taking appointment on April 1, 2018, are highly encouraged to attend the Feb , 2018, retreat in Northfield. Compensation LMCIT reimburses trustees for travel expenses to attend meetings. In addition, trustees who are not compensated by their home city for time spent attending LMCIT Board meetings are eligible for a $100 per diem payment for each meeting day. Selection criteria The LMC Board recognizes the importance of maintaining an LMCIT Board that is representative of LMCIT membership. To achieve this, in addition to evaluating the skill and competencies of prospective candidates, the LMC Board tries if possible to achieve balance by weighing each candidate s geographical location, size of city, gender, race, city position, League experience and involvement, and positions held in other organizations. Application and interview process To apply, send a letter or expressing your interest to serve on the Board of Trustees. Please include: A brief outline of your background and experience as a city official. Your experience with the LMC and with the LMCIT, if any.

9 League Seeks City Official for Open LMCIT Board Position Page 2 of 2 The reasons for your interest in serving on the LMCIT Board. Send applications to: Laura Honeck LMCIT Operations Manager League of Minnesota Cities 145 University Ave. W. St. Paul, MN lhoneck@lmc.org (Link to: mailto:lhoneck@lmc.org) Fax: (651) Applications will be accepted until Jan. 12, The League Board s Executive Committee has tentatively set aside Jan. 17 and 18 to interview candidates, and they will make a recommendation to the League Board no later than Feb. 15, Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin (Link to: Your LMC Resource If you have questions about the position or the process: Contact David Unmacht LMC Executive Director (651) or (800) dunmacht@lmc.org (Link to: mailto:dunmacht@lmc.org) Contact Dan Greensweig LMCIT Administrator (651) or (800) dgreensweig@lmc.org (Link to: mailto:dgreensweig@lmc.org ) Meet our city vendors! (Link to:

10 Current Grant Opportunities Page 1 of 3 Current Grant Opportunities (Link to: #Housing) (Link to: #fire) (Link to: #RTCC) (Link to: #Parks) Minnesota s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) has issued its 2019 Request for Proposals (RFP) for funding from Minnesota s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Approximately $59 million is available for projects that will provide multiple ecological and other public benefits. New this year is a focus on proposals for projects under $200,000, especially from local units of government and nonprofits, that aim to quickly and efficiently provide environment and natural resource benefits in Minnesota. The LCCMR is requesting proposals in the following categories: Foundational Natural Resource Data and Information Water Resources Environmental Education Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species Air Quality, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy Methods to Protect or Restore Land, Water, and Habitat Land Acquisition, Habitat, and Recreation The deadline to submit a proposal is April 11. Learn more and access the request for proposals (Link to: Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Grant The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is seeking applications from counties, municipalities, and other local units of government for grants to address noxious weeds and invasive plants, with priority given to Palmer amaranth or other species on the Prohibited-Eradicate Noxious Weed List. Deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 12. Learn more and apply (Link to: Park and Trail Grants The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announces grant funding opportunities for park and trail projects across Minnesota. Applications are now being accepted for the following grant programs: outdoor recreation, natural and scenic area, regional trail, local trail connections, and federal recreational trails. These grants help local governments throughout the state create partnerships with the DNR to fund projects ranging from local parks and regional trails, to trail connections. Get details and apply for each program: Outdoor Recreation Grant Program (deadline: March 30) (Link to: Natural and Scenic Area Program (deadline: March 30) (Link to: Federal Recreational Trail Program (deadline: Feb. 28) (Link to: Regional Trail Grant Program (deadline: March 30) (Link to:

11 Current Grant Opportunities Page 2 of 3 Local Trail Connections Grant Program (deadline: March 30) (Link to: Greater MN Stand-Alone Noise Barrier Grants Cities and townships are eligible to apply for funding under the Minnesota Department of Transportation s (MnDOT) Greater Minnesota Stand-Alone Noise Barrier Program. MnDOT has set aside approximately $1 million in funding for each fiscal year. Applications for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 are due by Jan. 31, Future applications will be accepted annually from October through December. To qualify, cities must be adjacent to a limited access freeway, expressway, or interstate where noise limits exceed the standards set by the Federal Highway Administration. Cities are required to pay 10 percent of the project cost. Learn more and apply (Link to: Regional Transportation Coordinating Council Grants The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is offering grants to establish a statewide network of Regional Transportation Coordinating Councils (RTCCs) throughout Greater Minnesota. The councils will give transit users easier access to services. MnDOT will work with local governments and other state agencies, through the Minnesota Council on Transportation Access, to fill transportation gaps, streamline access to transportation and provide more options of where and when to travel. RTCCs will coordinate transportation services through a network of existing public, private and nonprofit transportation providers. The RTCCs will consist of stakeholders interested in improving the mobility for older adults, individuals with disabilities, individuals with low incomes, and military veterans. A grant application workshop will be held Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the MnDOT St. Cloud headquarters, th Street North. Interested persons and organizations unable to attend should contact Sue Siemers, Greater Minnesota Mobility Management program coordinator, at susan.siemers@state.mn.us (Link to: mailto:susan.siemers@state.mn.us). Grant solicitation timeline: Feb. 15, 2018 Deadline for applicants to submit letters of intent. March 31, 2018 Deadline for application submittal. July 1, 2018 Grant recipients announced. Learn more and apply (Link to: Workforce Housing Development Grants This grant program provides $2 million dollars each year in ongoing funding for the direct development of market-rate residential rental properties to increase the availability of rental housing in Greater Minnesota. Applications are due Jan. 25. MHFA expects to make recommendations to their Board in March. Learn more and apply (Link to: c=page&cid= &pagename=external%2fpage%2fextstandardlayout) Local Fire Service Planning Grants The Minnesota Department of Public Safety s State Fire Marshal Division (SFMD) announced Sept. 1 that the division is soliciting grant applications for the Service Planning Grant Program (formerly the Shared Services Program). The solicitation period will remain open until Jan. 31, Grants are intended to fund third-party feasibility studies aimed at developing options for service planning, including (but not limited to) those provided in A Blueprint for Shared Services (Link to: inline=true), a guide developed by the Governor s Fire and Rescue Shared Services Task Force in Grants will help local agencies identify ways to work together to enhance fire service delivery. This may involve collaboration related to training, department administration, personnel and/or equipment. Agencies may also use grant funds to explore potential department consolidations. Learn more and apply for the grant (Link to: Services.aspx) Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin (Link to:

12 League Publishes New Model Short Form Right-of-Way Ordinance Page 1 of 2 League Publishes New Model Short Form Right-of-Way Ordinance The League had created a new model ordinance to help cities comply with new right-of-way management requirements. The 2017 Legislature revised the state law that regulates telecommunications right-of-way users, and established a process for the deployment of small wireless facilities and the support structures on which those facilities may attach. Cities have always had the ability to regulate the use of their rights of way and to recover right-of-way management costs. However, cities could do so only if they had an enabling ordinance in place authorizing the regulation. With the 2017 changes in state law, most cities (other than those with municipal electric) must also comply with certain statutory criteria related to placement of small wireless facilities in rights of way and, in some cases, support structures for those facilities. Because some cities may not have enabling ordinances yet, or because the recent statutory changes may conflict with an existing right-of-way ordinance, the League has developed a new model short form ordinance. This new model complements the longer, alternative model right-of-way ordinance (Link to: prepared by the law firm of Kennedy & Graven, which is available on the League website. Cities, in conjunction with their city attorney, now have the option of two different models to work from to best regulate their rights of way. Download the model right-of-way short form ordinance (doc) (Link to: Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin (Link to: Your LMC Resource Contact Pam Whitmore Staff Attorney (651) or (800) pwhitmore@lmc.org (Link to: mailto:pwhitmore@lmc.org) LMC Public Safety Blog

13 LMC Staff News Page 1 of 1 LMC Staff News New employees Hannah Felix joined the League as a defense attorney on Jan. 2. Felix is no stranger to the League as she previously worked for the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust as a law clerk. Felix earned her law degree at William Mitchell College of Law. Before that, she graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor s degree in political science. She worked as an administrative assistant for the Engineering and Finance departments in the City of Willmar while in college. After graduating law school, Felix joined the law firm of Jardine, Logan & O Brien, where she gained experience working on lawsuits involving employment law, land use, construction law, constitutional law, and government liability. ******************** Emmanuel Emukah joined the League as a research assistant in the Research & Information Department on Oct. 23. Emukah graduated from the University of East London, United Kingdom, with a law degree (LLB), and recently earned an LLM degree in business law from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the League as a full-time employee, he was an intern with the League s general counsel. His previous work experience includes law clerk positions with LegalCorps; N,N Brown Emukah Associates; and David and Vine Solicitors, United Kingdom. He also worked as a research assistant for the University of Minnesota Law School, and he did a legal internship with Imo State Ministry of Justice in Nigeria. Read the current issue of the Cities Bulletin (Link to: Your LMC Resource Contact Donyelle Mikacevich HR Manager (651) or (800) dmikacevich@lmc.org (Link to: mailto:dmikacevich@lmc.org)