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also supports the elimination of these <br />separate statutory apportionments while <br />allowing counties to use their designated <br />40 percent share of the remaining <br />proceeds for these uses. <br />FF-26. State Hazard Mitigation and <br />Response Support <br />Issue: Cities in Minnesota are exposed to <br />extreme weather events such as winds, <br />flooding, fires, and drought and are facing <br />the severe financial consequences of the <br />clean-up, repairs, and community social and <br />economic recovery, even though damages <br />may be deemed "not of such severity and <br />magnitude" as to qualify for federal <br />assistance. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities calls on our legislators and state <br />executive agencies charged with hazard <br />mitigation planning to address not only a <br />response to extreme weather events but to <br />also put into place a pro -active strategy to <br />minimize or mitigate the financial <br />consequences. At a minimum, this effort <br />should offer a reasonable loan funding <br />program that is easily accessible by cities, <br />businesses and homeowners to financially <br />recover and rebuild, with the ultimate <br />goal of preserving jobs, industries, and <br />communities. <br />The state response should allow for the <br />use of new technology and best <br />management practices for any <br />reconstruction of infrastructure to lessen <br />the impact of future disasters and to <br />mitigate the effects of disasters resulting <br />from future extreme weather events. <br />FF-27. Impact Fees <br />Issue: New development and the resulting <br />growth create an increased demand for <br />public infrastructure and other public <br />facilities. Severe constraints on local fiscal <br />resources and dramatic forecasts for <br />population growth have prompted cities to <br />reconsider ways to pay for the inevitable <br />costs associated with new development. <br />Traditional financing methods tend to <br />subsidize new development at the expense <br />of the existing community, discourage sound <br />land -use planning, place inefficient <br />pressures on public facilities, and allow <br />under -utilization of existing infrastructure. <br />Consequently, local communities are <br />exploring methods to ensure new <br />development pays its fair share of the true <br />costs of growth. Given the existing <br />authorization to impose fees on new <br />development for water, sanitary and storm <br />sewer, and park purposes, it is reasonable to <br />extend the concept to additional public <br />infrastructure and facilities improvement <br />also necessitated by new development. <br />Response: The Legislature should <br />authorize local units of government to <br />impose impact fees so new development <br />pays its fair share of the off -site, as well as <br />the on -site, costs of public infrastructure <br />and other public facilities needed to <br />adequately serve new development. <br />FF-28. Library Funding <br />Issue: State law requires that local <br />governments maintain a minimum level of <br />funding for public library services. This is <br />collectively known as "state -certified levels <br />of library support," or more commonly <br />known as, "maintenance of effort (MOE)" <br />and is described in Minn. Stat. § 134.34. <br />A majority of public libraries in Minnesota <br />belong a regional library system, which is <br />the entity that receives library funding from <br />the Minnesota Department of Education. Six <br />of the 12 regional library systems are <br />structured as a federated system where the <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2015 City Policies Page 108 <br />