Agenda - Council - 02/08/2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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property of people on the ground in the area near the public airport. While some of the provisions included in the Minnesota Rules are required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), other provisions go well beyond the federal requirements. In some cases, the Minnesota Rules do not make sense for the community served by a public airport. Finally, in some cases airports cross multiple municipal jurisdictions. Neither state law nor Minnesota Rules provide powers for joint airport zoning boards. These boards could be useful in resolving interjurisdictional issues involving airport planning, development, funding and zoning. Response: The League of Minnesota Cities supports efforts to protect the safety and property of people living and working near public airports. The League also recognizes that the Minnesota Rules related to public airport zoning standards exceed the FAA's and other states' standards and, thus, needlessly infringe on local control. The League supports changes to Minnesota Rules pertaining to airport zoning standards that will more closely align Minnesota's Rules with those in other states, while at the same time retaining local authority to be more restrictive than the Minnesota Rules. The League also supports changes to Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules that would authorize powers for joint airport zoning boards so issues related to funding, staffing, and authority to enforce ordinances can be resolved at the local level. 104 LE-47. Development Responses to the Pandemic Issue: The economic fallout of the pandemic has dramatically slowed development projects across the state. The tax increment financing tool includes many rigid timeline restrictions that do not anticipate the effects of severe economic disruptions. Response: The League of Minnesota Cities supports: a) A universal extension of the five-year rule to accommodate the impacts of the pandemic economic recession similar to the temporary authorization enacted during the Great Recession; b) Amending MS469.174 subd 10 (d) to extend the three-year deadline for parcels formerly occupied by substandard buildings to be included in a redevelopment TIF district. c) Providing tools for development authorities to offset losses in increment revenues caused by the unanticipated economic disruptions of the pandemic. d) Providing tools for development authorities to assist with costs associated with pandemic -necessitated improvements. e) Clearly authorize cities to use federal funds from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to provide assistance grants to individual persons, private businesses, non-profit entities and any other entity authorized under Public Law 116-136.