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f) <br />g) <br />h) <br />motorists and sometimes prevent <br />passage of emergency vehicles. <br />Difficulty and expense of imposing and <br />enforcing whistleblowing ordinances. <br />Unabated graffiti on railroad cars and <br />structures. <br />Pre-emption of local and state authority <br />to regulate railroad activities. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities opposes legislation and policies that <br />disproportionately shift authority, costs <br />and/or liability away from railroad <br />companies and onto other entities. The <br />railroad industry, along with state and <br />federal government, must: <br />a) Adequately mitigate the <br />negative impacts of railroads <br />on communities; <br />b) Allow local governments to <br />enforce the existing law <br />regarding the maximum time a <br />crossing may be blocked; <br />c) Allow local governments to <br />enforce whistle -free zones; <br />d) Impose and implement safety <br />standards that are in the best <br />interest of the public; <br />e) Equip and train local public <br />safety officials to respond to <br />potential catastrophic rail <br />incidents; and <br />f) Develop plans and identify <br />funding sources for more grade <br />separations between railways <br />and roadways. <br />The public sector should not incur the <br />costs of improvements sought by the <br />private sector, and cities should not be <br />required to fund most of the cost of <br />crossing repairs or improvements. The <br />federal government must exercise greater <br />oversight of the STB to ensure fair and <br />equitable solutions are reached when <br />dealing with cities in Minnesota. Finally, <br />the Minnesota Department of <br />Transportation's (MnDOT's) Office of <br />Freight and Passenger Rail should <br />advocate on behalf of local communities <br />when conflicts between cities and railroad <br />entities arise. <br />LE-39. Airport Planning and <br />Funding <br />Issue: Airports are an essential component <br />of Minnesota's transportation infrastructure. <br />The Minneapolis -St. Paul International <br />Airport (MSP) serves as an important <br />gateway to the region, the nation and global <br />markets. It serves as a primary access point <br />to our national airport system. This airport, <br />even with all the planned improvements, <br />will eventually reach its capacity. The state <br />needs to implement a long term strategy to <br />make better use of other airport facilities and <br />existing resources, reduce environmental <br />impacts, and achieve sound and sustainable <br />economic growth throughout the state. <br />Aviation planning is a multi -layered effort <br />with different levels of responsibilities. <br />Currently, the State Airports System Plan is <br />put together by MnDOT with individual <br />pieces developed by the Federal Aviation <br />Agency (FAA), Metropolitan Council (MC), <br />and Metropolitan Airports Commission <br />(MAC). Aviation planning could be <br />improved by a more unified statewide effort <br />and coordination of the various aviation <br />strategies through creation of an oversight <br />body. <br />Minn. Stat. § 360.017 establishes the State <br />Airport Fund and authorizes the Minnesota <br />Department of Transportation (MnDOT) <br />Office of Aeronautics to support cities, <br />counties and townships in the planning, <br />development, maintenance and safe <br />operation of public airports. In recent years, <br />in order to help balance the state's budget, <br />the Legislature transferred funds from the <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2015 City Policies Page 71 <br />