RES 20-13CITY OF OTSEGO
COUNTY OF WRIGHT
STATE OF MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION NO: 2020-13
SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE ACCOUNTABILITY
THROUGH ESTABLISHMENT OF STATUTORY IMPACT FEE AUTHORITY
WHEREAS, population, households, business, and industry in Otsego, and in Minnesota cities statewide
generally, are growing; and
WHEREAS, the development and construction associated with that growth are driving the need for
street improvements including street oversizing, street redesign, and street reconstruction; and
WHEREAS, municipal statutory authority appropriately exists for establishment of fees to support added
need for parks, sewer, and water, and
WHEREAS, this municipal authority does not exist for infrastructure development fees, including streets;
and
WHEREAS, city streets are one of the four major types of infrastructure local government is responsible
to provide to protect public safety and health, and city streets represent a separate but integral piece of
the network of roadways supporting movement of people and goods; and
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, local neighborhood streets are constructed according to city standards by developers; and
WHEREAS, funding sources for larger collector and arterial streets and intersections to support new
developments have historically come from infrastructure development fees; and
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Supreme Court found in Harstad v. City of Woodbury that no statutory
authority existed for these infrastructure development fees; and
WHEREAS, cities should not be forced to make current residents and businesses pay for costs incurred
to accommodate new growth through local taxes but rather by those that are responsible for the
growth; and
WHEREAS, cities are finding it difficult to develop adequate funding systems to support needed
infrastructure development related to new growth while complying with existing state statutes; and
WHEREAS, cities need flexible policies and greater resources in order to meet growing demands for
street improvements.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OTSEGO THAT, the City Council
supports legislation that would authorize cities to collect infrastructure development fees to fund
municipal street local, collector, and arterial street improvements as a necessary component of
continued new residential, business and industrial growth within the community.
ADOPTED by the Otsego City Council this 24th day of February, 2020.
MOTION BY: Darkenwald
SECONDED BY: Warehime
Stockamp, Darkenwald, Tanner, Warehime
IN FAVOR: None
OPPOSED:
2
CITY OF OTSEGO
Jessica L. Stockamp, Ma or
ATTEST:
Tami l.off, City Clerk