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City of Hopkins - City day at the capitol LMC lIIinnllsDta . lIIagars League ol.i.\J ;"uesota Crti, ASSDciatian Cities prmrlOti,lg eXCGJ!~rw March 24, 2003 Dear City Official, Please join your colleagues Wednesday, April 9, for City Day at the Capitol to scnd a resounding message that public policy proposals by the Governor and Senate don't work for Minnesota communities. Our goal is to gather 1,000 people on the Capitol steps to show the magnitude of our concerns. We need you, your elected officials and members of your community to help reach tlus goal. Proposals by the Governor and Senate would impact e1)e~l! Minnesota community - regardless of their reliance on state aids. While state aid cuts are severe and have been the focus of media coverage, the proposals from the Governor and the Senate related to levy limits and levy freezes, and the Governor's proposal to place restrictions on debt, to implement reverse referenda, and to impose salary freezes on local governments are of grave concern to all Tviinnesota cities. To increase the strength of our message, please bring your elected city officials, a member of your business conulllmity and a resident to City Day at the Capitol. We must show legislators that it is communities as a whole that will be hurt by these proposals, not just city government. . We will start the day with a legislative briefing, gather in force for a press conference on the Capitol steps, and then meet with legislators. (IYlore details will be published in the coming days on the League's web site, in CitieJ Bulletin, E-B"I/etin and Fn"d{!y Fax.) To help you explain to business leaders and residents the real impacts of these proposals, the League is posting a toolkit on its web site at www.lmnc.org. The first installment focuses on the business community. The kit will be expanded this week to include resident-focused templaks and tools, and the following week will focus on lobbying tips and tools. You also can find a spreadsheet that details the Governor's proposed cuts to state aids on the League's web site at W\VW.hnnc.org! pdfs/ gov _lga_cuts_03.pdf. There is no time to hesitate. Please, RSVP today with your name - as well as those of the elected city officials and the business leader and resident who will join you - for City Day at the Capitol. There is no charge to participate. RSVP today by sending an e mail or fax with your name, title and city name to Stephanie Lake, LMC public relations coordinator. E-mail: slake@lmnc.org. Fax: (651) 215-4141. In addition, include the names of the other city officials, and the business leaders and residents, who v.rill be joining you. An RSVP is encouraged to ensure an accurate meal count. If you have questions, need information via fax or mail, please call Stephanie at (651) 215-40.11. Sincerely, ~CCb-~ . Michael McCauley Gary Doty President, League of Minnesota Cities President, N1innesota Mayors Association City Manager, Brooklyn Center Mayor, Duluth 145 UllivtlSity Avenue West. St. Paul, lvIN 55103-2044. (651) 281 1200. (800) 925 1122. w,vw.1mnc.org tr ~4 Z~B3 ,~::~::, Via Fax -) 9529351834 AdMinistrator Page BBl Of BB2 . LMC 145 Univ~rsity Avenue W~~t, St. Paul, MN 55103-2044 L{'(f~'i'-' c4".....JrJUlI...S(.',7 ('ifh'$ Phone: (651) 281-1200. (800) 925-1122 (:i~ir:~ p}"mw1ti~hl ~:\..;~JJ~~r~." 1- Fax: (651) 281-1299 Web Sit~: http://www.1rnnl.org To: LMC Member Cities From: Jim Miller, Executive Director Date: April 4, 2003 RE: Cily Day allhe Capilol Hopefully, you are now well aware of the Day at the Capitol planned for April 9th. If you have not yet decided whether to attend, I want to encourage you to do so in the strongest possible terms. While there are encouraging signs that your efforts to communicate directly with your legislators are being heard, much work remains. The League has been meeting with legislators, testifying, and working with key administration officials to ensure that they understand the severe impact the Governor's and Senate's proposals would have on your ability to fund and manage your cities. The Day at the Capitol is one more, important, means of reinforcing this message. . Certainly the proposals to cut Local Government Aid and the Market Value Homestead Credit would affect cities differently. Some have more at risk in this part of the debate than do others. Regardless, all cities would face severe restrictions on their ability to raise levies and issue debt. Taken together, the ability of officials in every Minnesota city to meet the needs of their communities will be severely limited if the Governor's plan or the Senate's freeze proposal prevail. On April 91\ we will brief city officials on the status of budget negotiations and discuss key messages you can use when you meet with your legislators. We will also be holding a press conference where we will talk both about how these proposed funding cuts would affect services and restrict your ability to govern through the onerous levy limit and debt restriction provisions. Our intent is to make sure legislators, the media, and citizens fully understand what these proposals \vould mean to the quality of life in our cities. To further make this point, we will have cit y officials, business representatives and citizens from several cities available to share their specific stories with the media. I very much appreciate how difficult it is for many of you to come to Sl. PauL But, I also can think of no more important time in my ten years with the League for you to come to the Capitol and share your opinions with legislators. Within the next few weeks, the Legislature will make significant movement toward resolving the deficit. We have made strides in convincing the Legislature to move away from these proposals, but your continual involvement will be crucial. Your attendance on April 9th will make a difference! Our goal is to have 1,000 city officials and community representatives . with us that day. To make that happen, we really do need you. You can find more information on the League's web site www.lmnc.org. If you do decide to come, please let us know (651-281-1200) so we can have a lunch for you. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITYfAFFIRMATIVEACTION EMPLOYER App 34 28B3 14:32:3B Via Fax -) 9529351834 Adninistrator Page BB2 Of BB2 ~ . City Day at the Capitol Thank you for your interest and participation in City Day at the Capitol slated for April 9. The League is encouraged by the strong turnout and hope registrations continue to grow for this very important event. Please begin assembling on the Capitol steps so that the press conference can start on time. In addition, due to the strong turnout, we ask for your patience and understanding. Staff will make every effort to accommodate participants and to ensure things go as smoothly as possible. Because of the large turnout expected, we will be holding two briefing sessions and will assign participants to "Group A" or "Group B" as they arrive. Ae:enda 10:30 a.m. - Registration (LMC, 145 University Ave. W) 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Group A - Legislative briefing (Christ Lutheran Church, 105 University Ave. W) Group B - Box lunch (LMC) 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Group A - Box lunch (LMC) Group B - Legislative briefing (Christ Lutheran Church, 105 University Ave. W) 2:15 p.m. - Assemble on from steps of Capitol . 2:30 p.m. - Press conference, Capitol steps Note: Participants are encouraged to make appointments with legislators in between legislative briefing/lunch and the press conference, or after the press conference. Directions lo lhe Leae:ue The League is located in Sl. Paul, one-half mile north of 1-94 and two blocks west of the State Capitol on the corner of Rice and University. Traveling east or west on 1-94, take Marion (Kellogg) north. Follow Marion to Sherburne. T urn right onto Sherburne and go one block to Rice. Go right onto Rice for one block to University. Go right onto University. The first driveway on the right is the main entrance for parking. .._----, ...---------- -------------..-..-----..-..---- ......^... Parking MighWlli J6 : N All participants should come to the League parking A M~f)'lil:od "'~nllf lot, where they will be provided parking permits and directed to reserved parking areas. I t is critical that all participants stop at the League to ! :101.I get parking permits and directions to ensure vehicles l.I"l SlltlOOml: ~,. "" are not ticketed or towed. .~ IX I i'IMb] I: ':" : "..:,: lJnM:rsiry AA<~mle / t.......:,' . !,: I....=....j r.....~;~_......1 Ii: :810. I....."............."., 'm.' :$: .....~:;~~~~.~r.~~~~..... ......,,, "......................"'..".......,,,,,,,.... -. -~- -.....-............ 1-94 ! l,.,.....,.........II.,..' 1.1"".1.1.,11"......'.>>,....."....,.1". ,<...,'.....,.,,,..,,,,................... ,..1.1.1",..,,,,,,....1.... ".1.1,..