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Transportation <br />significant implications for local public safety and local public service levels, the needs and <br />impactsofwhichvarybycommunity. <br />5-IAirportNoiseMitigation <br />AcknowledgingthatthecommunitiesclosesttoMSPandreliever airportsaresignificantly <br />impacted bynoise,traffic,andothernumerous expansion-relatedissues: <br />Metro Cities supports the broad goal of providing MSP-impacted communitiesgreater <br />representationontheMetropolitan AirportsCommission(MAC).MetroCities <br />encouragescontinued communication between MAC commissioners and the citiesthey <br />represent.Balancingtheneeds ofthe MAC,thebusinesscommunityandthe airporthost <br />citiesandtheir residents requires open communication, planning and coordination. Cities <br />must beviewedas partners with the MAC in resolving differences that arise out of airport <br />projects and thedevelopment of adjacent parcels. Regular contact between the MAC and <br />cities throughout aproject proposal process will enhance communication and problem <br />solving. The MAC shouldprovide full funding for noise mitigation for all structures in <br />communities impacted by flights inandoutofMSP;and <br />MetroCitiessupportsnoise abatementprograms andexpendituresandtheworkofthe <br />Noise Oversight Committee to minimize the impacts of MAC operated facilities on <br />neighboring communities. The MAC should determine the design and geographic reach of <br />these programs only after a thorough public input process that considers the priorities and <br />concerns of impacted cities and their residents. The MAC should provide full funding for <br />noisemitigationforallstructures incommunitiesimpactedbyflightsinandoutofMSP. <br />5-JFundingforNon-MunicipalStateAid(MSAS)CityStreets <br />Cities under 5,000 in population do not directly receive non-property tax funds for collectorand <br />arterial streets. Cities over 5,000 residents have limited eligibility for dedicated HighwayUser <br />Tax Distribution Fund dollars, which are capped by the state constitution as being availablefor <br />up to twenty percent of streets. Current County State Aid Highway (CSAH) distributions to <br />metropolitancountiesareinadequatetoprovidefortheneedsofsmallercitiesinthe metropolitan <br />area. Possible funding sources include the five-percent set-aside account in the Highway User <br />Tax Distribution Fund, modification to county municipal accounts, street improvement districts, <br />and/orstategeneralfunds. <br />The 2015 Legislature created a Small Cities Assistance Account that is distributed through a <br />formula to cities with populations under 5,000. The Account has received periodic one-time <br />appropriations,butnostableordedicatedsourceoffunding. <br />Cities need long-term, stable, funding for street improvements and maintenance. Metro Cities <br />supports additional resources and flexible policies to meet local infrastructure needs and <br />increased demands on city streets. Metro Cities also supports sustainable state funding <br />sources for non-MSAS city streets, including funding for the Small Cities Assistance <br />Account as well as support for the creation and funding of a Large Cities Assistance <br />2022 Legislative Policies <br />60 <br /> <br />