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<br />- <br /> <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21 <br />22 <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />41 <br />42 <br />43 <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Other groups, like the Citizens Jury and the media, are discussing the value of fees for <br />providing services. The Citizens Jury gave limited acknowledgment of the value fees may have <br />in providing core city services. The media often urges the public and policymakers to monitor <br />city use of fees. <br /> <br />Response: While the state has a role in providing a general statewide funding <br />policy, the state should not interfere in the decision-making functions performed by cities <br />when setting city budgets to provide city services. General services--such as permitting, <br />inspections, or enforcement..are best funded out of a city's general fund. <br /> <br />The League supports the Legislature endorsing city authority to charge fees that are <br />reasonably related to the cost of providing the service, permit or license, and <br />acknowledging there are other associated costs inherent in the provision of those services, <br />permits or licenses. However, cities oppose any move to legislate specific methods to pay for <br />city services or place caps on city fees. <br /> <br />SD-9. State Assistance for Library Funding (JO) <br /> <br />Issue: Many communily libraries in Minnesota are city owned. Although located in an <br />individual community, city libraries serve a much wider area. Local libraries need to be <br />improved in order to provide access to both written and electronic media to enhance the <br />educational capacity of both adults and children. <br /> <br />Response: The League supports a state matching grant program to provide dollars <br />to assist communities to work in partnership to build and improve libraries. <br /> <br />SD-IO. Civil Liability of Local Governments (RS) <br /> <br />Issue: One of the barriers to the delivery of governmental services and programs is the <br />exposure of local governments and their officials to civil damage claims. The state has acted to <br />protect itself and its local governments by enacting exceptions and limitations to liability suits, <br />and authorizing self-insurance and other mechanisms to deal with claims allowed by law. <br /> <br />Response: The League supports: <br /> <br />· Creating an exception to municipal tort indemnification law, Minn. Stat. ~466.07, where <br />an employee is defended and indemnified for claims under a contract of insurance <br />carried by the employee. <br />· Extending the protection of the state and municipal tort claims act to quasi- <br />governmental entities when performing public services such as firefighting. <br />· The League supports existing constitutional safeguards for protecting public and <br />private property interests without any statutory expansion of property rights. <br />· Clarifying and maintaining the applicability of municipal immunity in various areas <br />including, but not limited to, park and recreational immunity, including the extension <br />to entities providing a public service that have not traditionally been included within <br /> <br />25 <br />