RES 20-16of
City of Elk River
ver City Council
Resolution 20-_L6—
A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Elk River Supporting
Infrastructure Accountability
WHEREAS, the development and construction associated with that growth are driving the
need for road improvements, street oversizing, street redesign, and street reconstruction; and
WHEREAS, municipal statutory authority appropriately exists for fees to support added
need for parks, sewer, and water; and
WHEREAS, this municipal authority does not exist for infrastructure development fees;
and
WHEREAS, city streets are one of the four major types of infrastructure local government
is responsible to provide to protect public safety and health, and city streets represent a
separate but integral piece of the network of roads supporting movement of people and
goods; and
WHEREAS, existing funding mechanisms, such as Municipal State Aid (MSA), property
taxes, and special assessments have limited applications, leaving cities under -equipped to
address growing needs; and
WHEREAS, neighborhood streets are constructed according to city standards by
developers; and
WHEREAS, funding sources for larger streets and intersections to support new
developments have historically come from infrastructure development fees; and
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Supreme Court found in Harstad v. City of Wloodbury that no
statutory authority existed for these infrastructure development fees; and
WHEREAS, cities should not be forced to make current residents and businesses pay for
costs of growth through local taxes but rather by those that are responsible for the growth;
and
WHEREAS, cities are finding it difficult to develop adequate funding systems to support
needed infrastructure development related to growth while complying with existing state
statutes; and
P 0 2 1 R 1 0 B Y
N" ATUR�
WHEREAS, cities need flexible policies and greater resources in order to meet growing
demands for street improvements.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Elk
River, Minnesota, as follows: The Council supports legislation that would authorize cities to
collect infrastructure development fees to fund municipal street improvements as a necessary
component of growth.
Passed and adopted this 2nd day of March 2020.
n J. Tetz, Vayor
ATTES
Tina Allard, City Clerk
NATURE