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Metropolitan Agencies <br />support considering the use of a portion of the regional wastewater charge for private property <br />inflow/infiltration mitigation. Any proposal to utilize the wastewater fee for this purpose must <br />include the opportunityforlocalofficialstoreviewandcommentonspecific proposals. <br />Metro Cities supports continued state capital assistance to provide grants to metropolitan <br />citiesformitigatinginflowandinfiltrationproblemsintomunicipalwastewatercollection <br />systems. <br />4-NSewerAvailabilityCharge(SAC) <br />MetroCitiessupportsaSACprogramthat emphasizesequity,transparency,simplification <br />andlowerrates. <br />Metro Cities supports principles for SAC that include program transparency and <br />simplicity,equity forallservedcommunitiesandbetweencurrentandfutureusers, <br />support for citiesÓ sewer fee capacities, administrative reasonableness, and weighing any <br />program uses for specific goals with the impacts to the programÓs equity, transparency and <br />simplicity.Assuch,MetroCitiesopposestheuseoftheSACmechanismto subsidizeand/or <br />incent specific Metropolitan Council goals and objectives. Input from local officials should be <br />sought if the SAC reserve is proposed to be used for any purpose other than debt service, <br />including pay-as-you-go (PAYGO). Metro Cities opposes increases to the SAC rate while the <br />reserve is projected to exceed the Metropolitan CouncilÓs minimum reserve balance, <br />withouttheexpress engagementofcityofficialsinthemetropolitanarea. <br />MetroCitiessupportsmodificationsthatwererecommendedbylocalandbusinessofficials <br />and adopted by the Metropolitan Council in 2018 to use gross rather than net square feet <br />in making SAC determinations, to combine use categories, to adjust the grandfather credit <br />dateandtonotrequireanewSACdetermination forbusinessremodelsthatdonotchange <br />the use of the property. These changes were intended to simplify the SAC program forusers, <br />andtoreduceincidents ofÐsurpriseÑSACcharges. <br />Metro Cities supports current SAC policy that enhances flexibility in the SAC credit <br />structure for redevelopment purposes and supports continued evaluation of SAC fees to <br />determine iftheyhinderredevelopment. <br />Metro Citiessupportsthe Metropolitan Councilprovidingdetailsonhowany proposed <br />changes to theSAC rate are determined. Metro Cities supports a periodic review of <br />MCESÓ customer service policies, to ensure that its processes are responsive and <br />transparenttocommunities,businessesandresidents. MetroCitiessupportscontinued <br />outreach by MCEStousersoftheSACprogramtopromoteknowledgeand <br />understandingof SAC charges and policies. Any modifications to the SAC program or <br />structure should beconsideredonlywiththeparticipationandinputoflocalofficials inthe <br />metropolitanregion. <br />Metro Cities supports a Ðgrowth pays for growthÑ approach to SAC. If state statutes are <br />modifiedtoestablish aÐgrowthpaysforgrowthÑmethodforSAC,theMetropolitan Council <br />2022 Legislative Policies <br />51 <br /> <br />