HomeMy WebLinkAboutVIII-07 - Resolution Comprehensive Transportation FundingCITY OF HASTINGS
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION 03- -19
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HASTINGS
REQUESTING COMPREHENSIVE ROAD AND TRANSIT FUNDING
WHEREAS, all Minnesota communities benefit from a sound, efficient, and
adequately funded transportation system that offers diverse modes of travel; and
WHEREAS, the integrity of Minnesota’s transportation infrastructure is
dependent upon long-term planning and ongoing maintenance, both of which require
dedicated and sustainable revenue sources; and
WHEREAS, current funding for roads, bridges, and transit systems across all
government levels in Minnesota is inadequate, and this under-investment diminishes
quality of life for Minnesota residents and hinders Minnesota’s progress as a national
business, economic, and civic leader; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota’s transportation system is failing to meet the capacity
needs necessary to sustain population growth and promote economic development; and
WHEREAS, many rural roads are not built to modern safety standards and are
not meeting the needs of industries that depend on the ability to transport heavy loads;
and
WHEREAS, insufficient state funding has delayed regionally significant road
construction and reconstruction projects across Minnesota; and
WHEREAS, transportation infrastructure maintenance and improvement costs
significantly contribute to rising property taxes; and
WHEREAS, for every one dollar spent on maintenance, a road authority—and
therefore taxpayers—save seven dollars in repairs; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota contains over 141,000 miles of roadway, and over 22,500
miles—or 16 percent--are owned and maintained by Minnesota’s 853 cities; and
WHEREAS, almost 85 percent of all municipal streets are not eligible for dedicated
Highway User Tax Distribution Fund dollars; and
WHEREAS, the more than 700 Minnesota cities with populations below 5,000 are ineligible
for dedicated Highway User Tax Distribution Fund dollars, but have benefitted from the
creation of the Small Cities Assistance Account; and
WHEREAS, city streets are a separate but integral piece of the network of roads
supporting movement of people and goods; and
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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, city cost participation in state and county highway projects diverts
resources from city-owned streets; 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, cities need greater resources, including an additional dedicated state
funding source for transportation, and flexible policies to meet growing demands for
street improvements and maintenance.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF HASTINGS that this Council requests that the Minnesota Legislature pass
and Governor Tim Walz sign a comprehensive and balanced transportation funding
package that permanently increases dedicated funding for transportation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
HASTINGS that this Council defines a comprehensive and balanced transportation
funding package as an initiative that permanently increases dedicated funding for state
and local road and transit systems in Greater Minnesota and the Metropolitan Area.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
HASTINGS that this Council requests an omnibus transportation funding bill that
provides additional dedicated state funding for city streets, including funding that can be
used for non-MSA city street maintenance, construction, and reconstruction.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF HASTINGS, MINNESOTA THIS 18th
DAY OF MARCH, 2019.
Ayes:
Nays:
Absent:
Mary D. Fasbender, Mayor
ATTEST:
Julie Flaten, City Clerk
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