Resolution 07-03 Street Funding
SUPPORTING LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE IMPROVED FUNDING OPTIONS FOR CITY STREET IMPROVEMENTS
WHEREAS, Minnesota contains over 135,000 miles of roadway, and over 19,000 miles- or 14 percent- are owned and maintained by Minnesota�s 853 cities; and,
WHEREAS, city streets are 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, special assessments and bonding, have limited applications, leaving cities under-equipped to address growing needs; and,
WHEREAS, maintenance costs increase as road systems age, and no city -large or small – is spending enough on roadway capital improvements to maintain a 50-year lifecycle; and,
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Mountain Iron finds it is difficult to develop adequate funding systems to support the City�s needed street improvement and maintenance programs while complying with existing State statutes; and,
WHEREAS, the League of Minnesota Cities, the Minnesota Public Works Association and the City Engineers Association of Minnesota have jointly sponsored the development of a report entitled Funding Street Construction and Maintenance in Minnesota�s Cities wherein (1) the street systems of the cities within the State are inventoried; (2) the existing funding systems are detailed and evaluated; and (3) recommendations are made; and,
WHEREAS, cities need flexible policies and greater resources in order to meet growing demands for street improvements and maintenance.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOUNTAIN IRON that this Council concurs with the findings of the above referenced report, and fully supports the recommendations contained in that report; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOUNTAIN IRON, that this Council supports the adoption of legislation that would provide cities with the policy options they need to address current and future challenges in providing adequate street improvement and maintenance programs.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL THIS 3rd DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2003.
