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Metro Cities represent cities in the seven-county metropolitan area. The 2026 Metro Cities Legislative <br />Policies were approved by the Metro Cities Board of Directors on October 9, 2025. The Metro Cities <br />membership also adopted these policies on November 20, 2025. Metro Cities will officially adopt their <br />legislative priorities in December and staff will lobby for these at the upcoming session. <br />Staff have identified a few issues for council to consider. These issues come from professional <br />associations and other organizations we are affiliated with. <br />County Hwy 10, 17 and 17B Intersection Improvements-pedestrian safety and connectivity at the <br />intersection by new Lake Elmo Elementary School.-Included in Washington County’s legislative <br />priorities. <br />Inclusionary Housing-included in LMC and Metro Cities legislative priorities. <br />Manufactured Home residents Bill of Rights <br />City Franchise Authority-Included in LMC and Metro Cities legislative priorities. <br />Administrative Fines for Code Violations-included in LMC and Metro Cities legislative priorities. <br />East Metro Public Safety Training Facility Bonding Request (Included in City of Maplewood <br />Bonding request)- ¬As a JPA member, the Lake Elmo Fire Department supports Maplewood <br />Public Safety and their bonding request to design improvements to the current training facility. <br />Upgrading the training facility will allow for a wide range of more realistic simulators and <br />training props. <br />OPPOSE SINGLE-WAY-OUT LEGISLATION THAT THREATENS SAFETY-included in <br />Minnesota Fire Association Coalition legislative agenda (attached) <br />MNFAC strongly opposes changes, through legislation or the rulemaking process, to single- <br />egress stairway requirements that jeopardize the safety of Minnesotans or compromise the ability <br />for the fire service to adequately respond to fires and other emergency situations. MNFAC <br />supports a collaborative approach that engages state agency professionals and industry experts in <br />creating, writing, and preserving codes and rules that ensure safety and security for all <br />Minnesotans. <br />OPPOSE THREATS TO BUILDING CODE, SPRINKLERS AND LOCAL CONTROL-included <br />in Minnesota Fire Association Coalition legislative agenda (attached) <br />We remain opposed to any attempts to remove or alter building codes and regulations that ensure <br />residential safety. We will continue to monitor proposed group home and assisted living <br />legislation impacting fire safety and access to vulnerable residents. MNFAC also continues to <br />oppose any efforts to statutorily limit the use of residential sprinklers, which save lives in a cost- <br />effective way, and efforts to limit local governments from enacting requirements beyond the State <br />Building Code. We support the preservation of local decision making authority that allows local <br />governments to best protect their communities. <br />Ask for Judge Marrinan’s ruling in 2017 to be negated and Lake Elmo removed from its <br />findings.-seek assistance from Jim Thomson formulating our ask. <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />East Metro Public Safety Training Facility Bonding Request <br />2026 Legislative Agenda MNFAC