Agenda - Council Work Session - 02/27/2018

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General Government Cities share the goal of the state's Re -leaf Program —promoting and funding the inventory, planning, planting, maintenance, and improvement of trees in cities throughout the state. In addition, economic and environmental gains for storm water management, climate change mitigation, air quality management, tourism, recreation, and other benefits must be protected from tree loss. A lack of timely investment in urban forests costs cities significantly more in the long run. Cities are facing immediate costs for the identification, removal, replacement, and treatment of emerald ash borer (EAB) as it spreads across the state. The state has no program to assist cities in covering those expenses. Metro Cities supports funding for a state matching grant program to assist cities with building capacity for urban forest management and meeting the costs of preparing for, and responding to, catastrophic urban forest problems. Specifically, direct grants to cities are desperately needed for the identification, removal, replacement, and treatment of trees related to management of EAB. The state should establish an ongoing grant program with annual funding that is usable for those activities. 2-L Regulation of Harmful Substances and Products In metropolitan regions where most cities share boundary lines with other cities, local bans of harmful drugs and substances such as synthetic drugs, which have been found to be dangerous, do not eliminate access to these products unless all cities take the same regulatory action. Metro Cities supports the statewide regulation and prohibition of products or substances in circumstances where there is evidence that the products present a danger to anyone who uses them, for which there is broad local support for a ban and for which corresponding regulatory issues have regional or statewide significance. In addition, the Legislature should provide for the regulation of products that are known to damage water quality, sewer collection, and storm and wastewater treatment systems, not just at the treatment and infrastructure maintenance levels, but at the consumer and manufacturing levels, through accurate labeling of products, public education, and recycling and re -use programs. 2-M Private Well Drilling Restriction Authority Cities are authorized to enact ordinances that disallow the placement of private wells within city limits to ensure both water safety and availability for residents and businesses. This authority is important for the appropriate management of local water supply conservation efforts. Municipal water systems are financially dependent upon users to operate and maintain the system. A loss of significant rate payers as a result of unregulated private well drilling would economically destabilize water systems and could lead to contamination of the water 2018 Legislative Policies 15