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CR 06-143 Livable Communities Levy C\TY OF m HOPKINS November 30, 2006 Council Report 2006-143 LIVABLE COMMUNITIES LEVY ProDosed Action Staff recommends .adoption of the following motion: Move to aoorove Resolution 2006- 087 suooortina continued Metrooolitan Council Livable Communities orooertv tax levy. With this motion the Resolution will be forwarded to the City's Metropolitan Council representative. Overview The Metropolitan Council is proposing to reduce funding for the Livable Communities Program. The City of Hopkins has relied on Livable Communities funding to make several projects financially viable. The proposed reductions include a $1 million cut to the 2007 Livable Communities levy, a one-time transfer of $500,000 to $1 million from LCDA to make grants to small cities for comprehensive plan development, and allowing up to $3 million of the Livable Communities levy to be used for the Tax Base Revitalization account. It is anticipated that the Metropolitan Council will be considering the recommended reductions at their December 13, 2006 meeting. Primary Issues to Consider The Metropolitan Council funds the Livable Communities program through a property tax levy. It is a valuable source of funds for the clean-up of contaminated land and redevelopment projects that demonstrate efficient use of land and infrastructure. SUDDortina Information CITY OF HOPKINS County of Hennepin RESOLUTION 2006-087 RESOLUTION SUPPORTING CONTINUED METROPOLITAN COUNCIL LIVABLE COMMUNITIES PROPERTY TAX LEVY WHEREAS, the Minnesota Legislature created the Livable Communities Act (LCA) in 1995 as a voluntary, incentive-based approach to help the Twin Cities metropolitan area address affordable and lifecycle housing needs while providing funds to communities to assist them in carrying out their development plans; and WHEREAS, LCA funds have leveraged millions of additional dollars in private and public investment that has provided new jobs, housing choices, and business growth; and WHEREAS, funds provided by the Livable Communities Act (LCA), make it possible for the Metropolitan Council to award grants to participating communities in the seven-county area; and WHEREAS, LCA grants help communities clean up polluted land for redevelopment, create new jobs and affordable housing; implement development and redevelopment projects that demonstrate efficient use of land and infrastructure; and WHEREAS, the City of Hopkins has participate in and received project funding from the LCA grant programs; and WHEREAS, the LCA grant programs have been a vital tool for the implementation of redevelopment and polluted site re-use projects in the City of Hopkins that demonstrate efficient use of land and infrastructure; and WHEREAS, the City of Hopkins of is deeply appreciative of the support and the LCA grants it has received from the Metropolitan Council over the ten plus years that the LCA program has been in existence; and WHEREAS, continued funding of the LCA grant programs including the Livable Communities Demonstration Account in the future is of vital importance to the City of Hopkins and other communities in the metropolitan area. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the City of Hopkins supports the continued full funding of the Metropolitan Council Livable Communities Program and maintaining the current property tax levy for that purpose. Adopted this 5th day of December 2006 Eugene J. Maxwell, Mayor ATTEST: Terry Obermaier, City Clerk