Laserfiche WebLink
Metropolitan Agencies <br /> encourages the Metropolitan Council to partner in support of such appropriations. <br /> Metro Cities also supports an identification of best practices and other potential <br /> resources to local governments to address inflow-infiltration mitigation for private <br /> properties. <br /> Metro Cities supports continued state capital assistance to provide grants to metro <br /> area cities for the purpose of mitigating inflow and infiltration problems into <br /> municipal wastewater collection systems. <br /> 4-N Sewer Availability Charge (SAC) <br /> Metro Cities supports a SAC program that emphasizes equity, transparency, <br /> simplification and lower rates. <br /> Metro Cities supports a "growth pays for growth" approach to SAC as <br /> recommended by a 2010 Task Force of Met Council members and city officials, and <br /> adopted by the Met Council. This approach requires a statutory change. If state <br /> statutes are modified to effect a "growth pays for growth" method for SAC, the <br /> Metropolitan Council should convene a group of local officials to identify any <br /> technical changes necessary for implementing the new structure. <br /> Metro Cities supports allowing the Council to utilize the SAC `transfer' mechanism <br /> provided for in state statute,when the SAC reserve fund is inadequate to meet debt <br /> service obligations. Any use of the transfer mechanism must be done so within <br /> parameters prescribed by state law and with appropriate notification and processes to <br /> allow local official input and should include a timely `shift back' of any transferred funds <br /> from the wastewater fund to the SAC reserve fund. Efforts should be made to avoid <br /> increasing the municipal wastewater charge in use of the transfer mechanism. <br /> Metro Cities supports principles for SAC recommended by a 2014 work group that <br /> examined the overall SAC program and structure. These include support for <br /> program transparency and simplicity, equity for all served communities and <br /> between current and future users, support for cities' sewer fee capacities, <br /> administrative reasonableness, and weighing any program uses for specific goals <br /> with the impacts to the program's equity, transparency and simplicity. As such, <br /> Metro Cities opposes the use of the SAC mechanism to subsidize particular <br /> Metropolitan Council goals and objectives. <br /> Metro Cities supports recent changes to the SAC credit structure that enhance <br /> flexibility in the SAC credit structure for redevelopment purposes, and supports <br /> continued evaluation of SAC fees to determine if they hinder redevelopment_ <br /> Metro Cities supports the Metropolitan Council providing details on how any <br /> changes to the SAC rate are determined. Metro Cities supports a periodic review of <br /> MCES' customer service policies, to ensure that its processes are responsive and <br /> transparent to communities, businesses and residents. Metro Cities supports <br /> 2017 Legislative Policies 48 <br />