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be served by existing municipal systems, <br />unless: <br />a) The municipal system is proven to be <br />substantially less cost-effective and <br />substantially less beneficial to the <br />environment; and <br />b) The operation of these systems will not <br />create a stranded public investment in <br />the existing system. <br />Sufficient state and federal financial <br />assistance should be provided to local <br />governments when complying with state <br />and federal infrastructure requirements, <br />particularly with regard to wastewater, <br />stormwater, and drinking water facilities. <br />The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency <br />(MPCA) should streamline its permitting <br />and re -issuing processes to allow for <br />effluent standards and permit <br />requirements to be known earlier, <br />thereby giving communities more time to <br />defend against contested case hearings. <br />The Legislature should require the <br />MPCA to make its determination <br />regarding permit -required submittals, <br />permit modifications, and the reissuance <br />of a permit within a reasonable set time <br />period, and require the MPCA to make <br />its determinations and reissue the permit <br />within that reasonable set time frame. <br />The state should ensure townships are <br />required to meet the same environmental <br />protection and regulatory requirements <br />as cities. <br />Legislation should be passed that requires <br />state agencies to establish permit <br />requirements only when the criteria they <br />are using is developed through the rule - <br />making process. <br />State agencies need to develop science - <br />based standards and quantify new <br />effluent standards, ensuring that they are <br />scientifically and economically <br />practicable. State and federal agencies <br />should coordinate and integrate their <br />monitoring data to assure that all <br />pertinent data is available and utilized. <br />The state general fund is an appropriate <br />source for state water program funding. <br />Municipal water permit fees should only <br />be increased if new revenue is needed <br />because of increased costs of processing <br />municipal water permits or if the funds <br />would go for specific scientific research, <br />technical and financial support for cities, <br />or agency staffing needed by cities to <br />address environmental and public health <br />concerns, not as a means to generate new <br />revenue to cover other budget shortfalls. <br />Additionally, the Legislature should <br />create effective, producer -led reduction, <br />reuse, and recycling programs to deal <br />with a product's lifecycle impacts from <br />design through end -of -life management <br />and should regulate products and <br />compounds that damage water quality, <br />sewer collection, stormwater or <br />wastewater treatment systems at the <br />consumer and manufacturing levels, not <br />just at the treatment and infrastructure <br />maintenance level. <br />SD-63. State Support for Municipal <br />Energy Policy Goals <br />Issue: The State of Minnesota has adopted <br />an aggressive energy policy focusing on the <br />promotion of energy efficiency and the <br />expansion of renewable energy with the goal <br />of achieving a reduction in carbon <br />generation through reduced use of fossil <br />fuels. Minnesota cities share this goal, as <br />demonstrated by over 100 cities voluntarily <br />participating in the GreenStep Cities program. <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2018 City Policies Page 40 <br />