Resolution - #13-04-070 - 04/09/2013

Home

Councilmember Backous introduced the following resolution and moved for its adoption: RESOLUTION #13 -04 -070 A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING LEGISLATION AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MUNICIPAL STREET IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS WHEREAS, Minnesota contains over 135,000 miles of roadway, and over 19,000 miles —or 14 percent - -are owned and maintained by Minnesota's 853 cities; and WHEREAS, 84 percent of municipal streets are ineligible for dedicated Highway User Tax Distribution Fund dollars; and WHEREAS, the more than 700 Minnesota cities with populations below 5,000 are ineligible for dedicated Highway User Tax Distribution Fund dollars; and WHEREAS, city streets are a separate but integral piece of the network of roads supporting movement of people and goods; and WHEREAS, existing funding mechanisms, such as Municipal State Aid (MSA), property taxes and special assessments, have limited applications, leaving cities under - equipped to address growing needs; and WHEREAS, maintenance costs increase as road systems age, and no city - -large or small —is spending enough on roadway capital improvements to maintain a 50 -year lifecycle; and WHEREAS, for every one dollar spent on maintenance, a road authority saves seven dollars in repairs; and WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Ramsey finds it is difficult to develop adequate funding systems to support the City's needed street improvement and maintenance programs while complying with existing State statutes; and WHEREAS, cities need flexible policies and greater resources in order to meet growing demands for municipal street improvements and maintenance. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RAMSEY, ANOKA COUNTY, STATE OF MINNESOTA, as follows 1) That the City of Ramsey hereby supports enabling legislation that would authorize cities to establish street improvement districts to fund municipal street maintenance, construction and reconstruction. The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by Councilmember LeTourneau, and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: