Laserfiche WebLink
evolves over time. Despite changes made to <br />Minn. Stat. § 237.163 that created a special <br />process for the siting of small wireless <br />facilities, maintaining cities' local zoning <br />authority and police power to manage and <br />coordinate the siting of these facilities <br />continue is necessary and appropriate. <br />Response: Cities must continue to exercise <br />full authority to consider public health, <br />safety, and welfare concerns in <br />responding to requests to site, upgrade or <br />alter wireless facilities. The Legislature, <br />Federal Communications Commission <br />(FCC), and Congress should not place <br />further restrictions on city authority to <br />manage the siting of wireless facilities in <br />the public right-of-way nor enact <br />compensation restrictions that would <br />result in local government subsidization <br />of wireless providers. Furthermore, cities <br />must have recourse to require removal by <br />the provider of equipment deemed <br />abandoned. <br />LE-22. County Economic <br />Development Authorities <br />Issue: The 2005 Legislature authorized all <br />counties outside the metropolitan area to <br />establish county economic development <br />authorities (EDAs). Minn. Stat. § 469.1082 <br />provides specificity on certain process and <br />limitations issues, including the ability of <br />cities to prohibit the county EDA from <br />operating within the city as well as within an <br />agreed -upon urban service area or within a <br />distance approved during the formation of <br />the county EDA. County EDA activity in <br />areas surrounding cities will directly impact <br />the adjacent city in terms of service <br />provision and taxes. <br />Response: The Legislature should require <br />city approval for proposed county EDA <br />activities within two miles of a city. <br />87 <br />LE-23. Local Appropriations to <br />Economic Development <br />Organizations <br />Issue: Cities and towns are allowed to <br />appropriate up to $50,000 per year from <br />general fund revenue to an incorporated <br />development society or organization for <br />"promoting, advertising, improving, or <br />developing the economic and agricultural <br />resources" of the city or town. The $50,000 <br />cap has been in place since 1989 and places <br />unnecessary restrictions on a city's ability to <br />work with non-profit development <br />corporations. Local governments should <br />have the flexibility to work with outside <br />organizations if local elected officials <br />believe it is in the best interest of their <br />communities to do so. Such appropriations <br />are subject to the same budgetary oversight <br />as other government expenditures, and local <br />elected officials are ultimately responsible to <br />the voters for how local tax dollars are <br />spent. <br />Response: The Legislature should amend <br />Minn. Stat. § 469.191 to eliminate or <br />increase the cap on appropriations to <br />incorporated development societies or <br />organizations. <br />LE-24. Workforce Readiness <br />Issue: It is critical for the future of our <br />economy to prepare for new demographic <br />trends. While population rates among <br />communities of color are projected to <br />increase, the unemployment rate for <br />communities of color exceed the <br />unemployment rate for white Minnesotans. <br />For example, data from the Bureau of Labor <br />Statistics (BLS) indicate that black <br />unemployment rates are consistently two to <br />three times higher than the unemployment <br />rates of white Minnesotans and studies <br />indicate that hiring bias is a substantial <br />