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fiscal and economic implications of the <br />proposed TIF district at least 30 days before <br />the public hearing required by Minn. Stat. § <br />469.175, subd. 3. The county auditor and <br />school board shall provide copies of these <br />TIF plan materials to members of their <br />boards. These current requirements provide <br />sufficient notice to taxpayers and other <br />government entities about proposed TIF <br />districts. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports additional tools for local <br />communities to develop workforce <br />housing: <br />a) MHFA should solicit input from local <br />communities to ensure that the goals <br />of the Workforce Housing Grant <br />program are met, and MHFA should <br />award funds to eligible projects as <br />quickly and efficiently as possible; <br />b) The Legislature should increase <br />funding to the Housing and Job <br />Growth Initiative to aid housing in <br />support of job growth, and amend <br />Minn. Stat. § 462A.33 to eliminate or <br />increase the maximum income levels <br />for participation in the program; and <br />c) The Minnesota Housing Finance <br />Agency should make administrative <br />changes to the Housing Challenge <br />Grant program to streamline the <br />application process, reduce the per - <br />unit cost of constructing affordable <br />housing, and increase the construction <br />of affordable rental units at 80% of <br />median income and owner -occupied <br />units at 115% of median income, as <br />currently allowed by state and federal <br />law; and <br />d) The Legislature should pass <br />legislation creating a workforce <br />housing tax credit to spur <br />development of workforce housing. <br />e) The Legislature should scale the <br />workforce housing grant program to <br />account for the additional cost <br />associated with the prevailing wage <br />requirements. <br />f) The Legislature should eliminate the <br />provision in Minn. Stat. § 469.175, <br />subd. 3, that requires the county <br />board and school board to approve a <br />workforce housing TIF plan before it <br />is enacted and the Legislature should <br />also eliminate the sunset of the <br />workforce housing TIF authority. <br />LE-31. Development Along Transit <br />Corridors <br />Issue: While the establishment of transit <br />lines and corridors provide the impetus for <br />economic development, there are limits to <br />existing development tools that hinder full <br />development of transit corridors. For <br />example, acquisition of land outside of the <br />line but within the corridor can be difficult, <br />and current tools are not well -suited for the <br />creation of public spaces, enhancement of <br />infrastructure, and investments such as <br />parking ramps that are necessary <br />components of a transit -oriented <br />development plan. <br />In 2008 the Department of Employment and <br />Economic Development (DEED) was <br />authorized to establish Transit Improvement <br />Areas, which should complement long-term <br />transportation planning initiatives such as <br />MAP-21 and Minnesota GO. Transit <br />Improvement Areas include parcels of land <br />that are located in part within one-half mile <br />of a transit station. A transit station is <br />defined as a physical structure or designated <br />area which supports the interconnection of <br />various transportation modes, including light <br />rail, commuter rail and bus rapid transit, and <br />which promotes and achieves the loading, <br />discharging and transporting of people. The <br />commissioner of DEED may designate a <br />Transit Improvement Area if it will increase <br />the effectiveness of a mass transit project by <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2018 City Policies Page 72 <br />