III.3. 2024 Legislative Agenda Review; Imihy Bean
CITY OF HOPKINS
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: PeggySue Imihy Bean, AICP, Special Projects and Initiatives Manager
Date: March 4, 2024
Subject: 2024 Legislative Agenda Review
_____________________________________________________________________
PURPOSE
To review the City of Hopkins 2024 Legislative Agenda and to provide an overview of the
City’s Bonding Bill requests and other items likely to come before the State Legislature
this year.
INFORMATION
Each year, along with other cities and under the advisement of the League of Minnesota
Cities and other professional associations, the City of Hopkins assembles a legislative
agenda which highlights the City’s priorities for the year, to be shared with sta te elected
officials. The City of Hopkins is represented by Senator Ron Latz and Representative
Cheryl Youakim.
In 2023, the City entered into a Government Relations Contract with Lockridge, Grindel,
Nauen, who assists the City with its efforts to obtain funding through the Bonding Bill as
well as in the pursuit of other beneficial legislation. The team from LGN meets with staff
bi-weekly during the session and provides feedback on the City’s Legislative Agenda.
This year, the Legislative Agenda has been trimmed down to cover fewer issues in an
effort to better highlight items which are of great importance to the City. The City has
introduced the following legislation:
• The City’s Bonding Bill Requests:
o City of Hopkins Recreation and Resilience Hubs Bonding Request (S.F.
3707 / H.F. 3358)
▪ The City of Hopkins is requesting $4,956,000 in financial assistance
to help design and construct two community park buildings to be
used for recreational, educational and climate resilient spaces to
help residents connect, gather, learn and participate in government;
and to offer a safe shelter during times of extreme heat or other
climate events.
▪ The buildings would provide residents with much needed indoor
recreational and educational space, as well as provide needed
Administration
places for voting, community engagement and public safety events,
and free access to cool spaces during heat events.
o Hopkins Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Bonding Request
(S.F. 3708 / H.F. 3357)
▪ The Hopkins Housing and Redevelopment Authority is requesting
$455,000 in financial assistance to design, develop and install a well-
functioning sprinkler system at Dow Towers, a 76-unit apartment
building for people and families of low-income. The seven-story
building has a fire alarm system, but is not sprinkled.
▪ Minnesota Statute 299F.48 requires all public housing buildings in
which at least one story used for human occupancy is 75 feet or more
above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access to have a
fully operational sprinkler system by August 1, 2033.
▪ A sprinkler system will reduce the risk of fire death or injury for Dow
Tower residents and employees.
▪ The rate of firefighter injury is also lower when sprinklers are present
• Park Dedication Legislation (S.F. 4051 / H.F. 4128)
o Hopkins along with a contingent of suburban and greater Minnesota cities
has worked with Senator Boldon and House Member Freiberg to introduce
a bill to expand Cities abilities to collect park dedication fees related to the
creation of new housing units.
o This would amend Minn. Stat. § 462.358 to allow all cities the option to
require a reasonable portion of land or park dedication fee on new housing
units and new commercial and industrial development without the
requirement that land be subdivided.
Additionally, the City is tracking a number of other items of importance:
• Comprehensive Plan and the Environmental Rights Act (H.F. 4028): The
legislature should clarify that cities’ comprehensive plans are exempt from review
under the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act (MERA).
• Local Sales Taxes: The legislature should allow for a change in law to generally
allow cities to enact a local sales tax for public improvements and capital
replacement costs without requiring a special law authorization.
• Local Control: The legislature should work to maintain local control for city planning
and zoning matters, and be mindful of the unintended consequences that may
occur through preemption of this control.
• Workforce Development: The legislature should continue to support expanded
partnerships between K-12 education, post-secondary education, the business
community and the city to address existing workforce needs and the creation of a
future pipeline.
FUTURE ACTION
Staff will provide additional legislative updates as necessary.