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most states. In addition, they are unlikely to <br />obtain health insurance and are afraid to <br />report crimes to local law enforcement. <br />Since immigrants are barred from most <br />federal public assistance, the burden of <br />providing social services, education, and <br />health care falls to state and local <br />governments that are increasingly feeling <br />the financial impact of both legal and illegal <br />immigrants living in their communities. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities, together with the National League <br />of Cities, urges Congress to move quickly <br />to enact and enforce effective <br />immigration laws. <br />Federal and state governments must not <br />transfer responsibility for enforcing U.S. <br />immigration laws to local personnel, <br />including police officers, firefighters, <br />educators, health professionals, and social <br />service employees. Finally, federal and <br />state governments must not prohibit local <br />units of government from implementing <br />policies aimed at fostering positive <br />relationships between local government <br />officials, including law enforcement <br />personnel, and immigrant communities. <br />SD-9. Responsibility for Locating <br />Private Underground Facilities <br />Issue: Cities are responsible for complying <br />with state pipeline safety regulations that <br />hold cities responsible for locating and <br />marking private service laterals that connect <br />in public rights -of -way to city sanitary and <br />storm sewer, water, and district heating <br />systems. The Minnesota Office of Pipeline <br />Safety (MNOPS) is proposing amendments <br />to state pipeline and safety rules related to <br />the definition of excavation and changes to <br />mandatory damage reporting. <br />19 <br />Cities are concerned that damage to private <br />service laterals within the public right-of- <br />way continues due, in part, to construction <br />methods during the replacement, repair <br />and/or installation of underground utilities <br />which cross city water and sewer services <br />that are in the public rights -of -way. <br />Trenchless excavation could potentially <br />cause damage to underground service <br />laterals and negatively impact the quality of <br />utility services. <br />Response: The League supports the <br />changes to the definition of excavation <br />presented by MNOPS at the 2012 Review <br />of Minn. Stat. ch. 216D. Cities support <br />the elimination of windbreaks, <br />shelterbelts, and tree plantations from the <br />definition of excavation, unless any of <br />these activities disturbs the soil to a depth <br />of 18 inches or more. <br />The League supports exempting normal <br />maintenance of roads and streets from the <br />definition of excavation if the <br />maintenance does not change the original <br />grade and does not involve the road ditch <br />by defining "original grade" as the grade <br />at the date of issue of the first notice by <br />the excavator. <br />The League supports increasing MNOPS <br />fines for violators of state pipeline safety <br />requirements, bringing state penalties in <br />line with federal penalties. <br />The League opposes mandatory damage <br />reporting and recommends a simple <br />standardized form to encourage cities to <br />voluntarily report damages. The League <br />opposes requirements that would force <br />cities to mark underground facilities of all <br />sizes and materials. <br />The League recognizes that trenchless <br />excavation presents concerns to cities. <br />Private property owners in the excavation <br />