Agenda - Council Work Session - 12/09/2014

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to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) commissioner for review and approval before adoption. Airport safety zones are intended to restrict land uses that may be hazardous to the operational safety of aircraft using the public airport, and to protect the safety and property of people on the ground in the area near the public airport. While some of the provisions included in the Minnesota Rules are required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), other provisions go well beyond the federal requirements. In some cases, the Minnesota Rules do not make sense for the community served by a public airport. Response: The League of Minnesota Cities supports efforts to protect the safety and property of people living and working near public airports. The League also recognizes that the Minnesota Rules related to public airport zoning standards exceed the FAA's and other states' standards and, thus, needlessly infringe on local control. The League supports changes to Minnesota Rules pertaining to airport zoning standards that will more closely align Minnesota's Rules with those in other states, while at the same time retaining local authority to be more restrictive than the Minnesota Rules. SD-26. Sustainable Development Issue: Minnesota cities spend significant time and resources planning for growth, development, and redevelopment that will best serve the future needs of their residents. Numerous factors are considered as part of that process, but an area of increasing interest involves concepts often categorized as "sustainable development." Minn. Stat. § 4A.07, subd.1(b) defines this term, as it pertains to local government, to mean "development that maintains or enhances economic opportunity and community well- being while protecting and restoring the natural environment upon which people and economies depend. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Cities play a key role in fostering sustainable development and other conservation practices due to their role in land use planning and zoning, stormwater and wastewater management, and local economic development. Local governments can take a lead on these issues by choosing to incorporate aspects of sustainable development into their local operations and facilities. They can also develop local policies and regulations that support and guide individual and private sustainability efforts. The ability of a city to affect these changes can, however, be restricted by policies and requirements imposed by other levels of government. Sustainable development initiatives can cover a wide range of issues, but share the benefit of lessening the future environmental impacts of communities on the land, air, and water in their area. Lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands, wildlife habitat, shoreland areas, and other natural resources can be protected and enhanced in quality through local efforts. Energy efficiency and renewable energy production reduce the energy demands of a community and the environmental impacts of energy production. By more efficiently using public infrastructure and minimizing resource consumption, the costs to individuals, business, and government can be reduced. New and expanded business and job opportunities are also generated by the "green" products and services needed to implement sustainable development initiatives. The ideal result of well -planned sustainability, natural resources League of Minnesota Cities 2015 City Policies Page 16