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another, or seeking to reduce service <br />duplication. <br />c) Utilize government entities with <br />proven track records in redesign <br />efforts. <br />SD-5. State Government Shutdowns <br />Issue: Twice in less than one decade, the <br />state Legislature and governor failed to <br />reach a global agreement on the state budget <br />by the end of the fiscal biennium (June 30 of <br />odd -numbered years). As a result of these <br />impasses, portions of state government were <br />shut down. The shutdowns, particularly the <br />shutdown in 2011, created a range of <br />challenges for cities, as well as for the <br />state's courts, residents, businesses, licensed <br />professionals, state employees and others. <br />For cities, the most pronounced challenges <br />related to the shutdowns were as follows: <br />a) Uncertainty about the timing and amount <br />of aid and credit reimbursement <br />payments and the distribution of local <br />sales tax revenues. <br />b) Inability of licensed city professionals <br />such as peace officers and water <br />treatment facility operators to renew <br />licenses. <br />c) Loss of access to critical information <br />such as the Bureau of Criminal <br />Apprehension database and state - <br />mandated reports. <br />d) The shutdown of transportation projects <br />on the trunk highway and state aid <br />system. <br />e) Interruption of local economic <br />development due to the state having sole <br />authority to inspect, review and approve <br />various plans and types of projects. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities urges the Legislature and governor <br />to establish a procedure in state law to <br />continue certain state government <br />operations into a new biennium in the <br />event that the governor and legislators <br />cannot reach a budget agreement. <br />Specifically, the Legislature and governor <br />should modify state law to assure that the <br />staff necessary to distribute state funds <br />that are already encumbered or <br />statutorily appropriated to local <br />governments are distributed as statutorily <br />scheduled, or in the absence of a statutory <br />payment schedule, are released in a <br />predictable and timely manner in the <br />event of future shutdowns. <br />The Legislature should also pass <br />legislation that allows existing licenses of <br />public employees to be continued during <br />any future state government shutdown <br />and should identify additional areas, such <br />as electrical and plumbing inspection and <br />plumbing plan review, where local <br />governments could reasonably step in to <br />handle the inspections, review, and <br />approval necessary for local projects to <br />move forward, and allows work on <br />approved projects to continue in state <br />rights -of -way. <br />SD-6. Duration of Conservation <br />Easements <br />Issue: The Minnesota Marketable Title Act <br />provides that any deed over 40 years old can <br />be disregarded unless the holder of the <br />interest re-records it. There is an exception <br />for a person in possession of the property. A <br />2010 Minnesota Supreme Court decision <br />said that the person in possession has to <br />show that the possession has been visible <br />enough to put a prudent person on notice of <br />the interest, and that the possession has to be <br />continuous. Sampair v. Village of <br />Birchwood, 784 N.W.2d 65 (Minn. 2010). <br />This creates issues for cities that have <br />conservation easements. It is difficult, if not <br />impossible, to show actual use of the <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2018 City Policies Page 3 <br />