Agenda - Council - 01/12/1982 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I value of the property for tax purposes. The League Board should establish a task force to study emi- nent domain, its alternatives, and relocation practices and costs. 111-6. Planning Grant Program (C) The state matching grant program which pro- vides funds to increase the local planning capa- city of cities and counties was instrumental in encouraging many cities which otherwise might not be involved in land use planning to implement land use planning measures. However, because of the possibility that new mandatory planning pro- grams may be instituted by the Legislature, the League recommends that should these new plan- ning programs be mandated, that the Legislature participate in the funding of these planning activi- ties and in the implementation of these activities through a grant program. 111-7. Environmental Impact Statement Process (C) The rules and regulations which have been adopted by the Environmental Quality Council governing the environmental impact statement process have gone a long way toward integrating this process into the pre-existing legal procedural framework in local units of government. The result has been to reinforce the traditional role of local government in land use and related decisions which are primarily of local concern. Furthermore, the assignment of a major portion of the finan- cial responsibility for the preparation of any neces- sary environmental impact statement to the party initiating the new development, relieves local government of what could be a significant financ- ing burden. Nonetheless, there may be circum- stances .where it would be in the public interest to have an environmental impact study conducted which could not or should not be assumed by the party initiating the new development. Therefore, the League recommends that cities continue to be permitted to undertake such a study with their own resources. Furthermore, the petition proce- dure should be revised to provide that only regis- tered voters who are residents of the affected area, may sign petitions requesting the prepara- tion of an environmental impact statement. 111-8. Flexible Approach to Pollution Control (C) The present federal and state programs for the abatement of pollution problems tend to rely heavily or exclusively upon single solution ap- proaches which are not necessarily appropriate or economically feasible in very small communities. -13- As a result, small cities may be required to install very costly central collection and treatment sys- terns without regard to cost/benefit considerations or their ability to finance the continuing opera- tion of such systems, and larger cities are dis- couraged from using alternative strategies where they might be appropriate. Consequently, the League recommends that both federal and state pollution control programs be modified to permit lo~v interest loans and grants to upgrade alterna- tive environmentally sound systems and to finance other means of on-site disposal of domestic and commercial wastes in small cities. The League en- courages mandatory standards for individual on- site disposal systems. 111-9. Intergovernmental Strategies (C) During the last several years, the Minnesota Poi- lution Control Agency has taken several steps which have markedly improved the working rela- tionship between its own staff and local govern- ment officials. The decentralization of its staff in regional offices, tim increasing willingness to provide technical assistance to local governments and the appointment of an advisory council com- posed of Iocal government officials, have each contributed to better communication and coopera- tion. The League endorses these efforts and urges the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to con- tinue to involve local officials in the mutual ef- fort to improve the effectiveness of our efforts to preserve and improve our environment, and encourages all state agencies to do the same thing. 111-10. Minnesota Municipal Board (C) Since its organization, the Minnesota Municipal Board has strengthened municipal government by providing a means for the orderly and intelligent evaluation of proposed incorporations, consoli- dations, and annexations throughout the state. Recent additions and changes in the Board's authority in annexation areas will encourage and foster an assessment of the consequences for governmental framework of certain kinds of development and services in urbanizing fringe areas around cities. The League commends the legisla- ture for making this change and recommends that no further changes be made in the annexation laws until the current system has been evaluated through its application by the Municipal Board to annexa- tion situations. In '!979, the legislature adopted an orderly pro- cedure for the consolidation of cities. This pro- cedure should be broadened to include the conso-