Agenda - Council Work Session - 12/07/2010

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capacity methodology in 2009, and sought SAC "shift" legislation in 20,10 to allow the Council flexibility to temporarily reduce the SAC transfer, and shift the amount to the Municipal Wastewater Charge when financially necessary. While Metro Cities recognizes the Council's need for flexibility to maintain the solvency of the regional wastewater system, we advocated for amendments to assure the new law would not be overly permissive and would allow for a comprehensive analysis of the SAC program. The amendments included a sunset of the legislation, a `shift back' mechanism to the Municipal Wastewater Charge when the SAC fund is solvent, and a precise trigger that puts the process for any reduction in place All were included in the final Iegislation that passed into law. to the summer of 2009, Metro Cities recommended the establishment of a task force to comprehensively examine the SAC financing structure and provide recommendations on SAC financing for the long term. The Metropolitan Council established a SAC Task Force in December, 2009. The task force is recommending a "growth pays for growth" approach for the SAC program, as well as changes to the commercial criteria on which SAC is based, with the aim of assuring fairness and equity in the SAC program. Metro Cities supports this approach. IV -N Funding Regional Parks & Open Space In the seven - county metropolitan area, regional parks essentially serve the role of state parks. Therefore, the state should continue to provide capital funding for the acquisition, development and improvement of these parks. State funding should equal 40 percent of the operating budget for regional parks. IWO Livable Communities The Livable Communities Act (LCA) is operated by the Metropolitan Council and provides a voluntary, incentive -based approach to affordable housing development, brown field clean up and mixed -use, transit - friendly development and redevelopment. Metro Cities strongly supports the continuation of this approach, which has been widely accepted and is fully utilized by local communities. Since its inception in 1995, the LCA program has generated billions of dollars of private and public investment, created thousands of jobs and added thousands of affordable housing units in the region. Metro Cities supports increased funding and flexible eligibility requirements in the livable communities demonstration account in order to assist communities with development that may not be exclusively market driven or market proven in their particular location and in order to support important development and redevelopment goals. Metro Cities opposes changes to this program that constrain flexibility around program requirements and criteria. Metro Cities supports statutory modifications in the Livable Communities Demonstration Account Program to reflect the linkages among the LCDA and municipal objectives and 2011 Legislative Policies 33