HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes No XX HRA Econ Dev BillRESOLUTION NO. 2016-39 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MINNESOTA SUPPORTING PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY OF WASHINGTON TO CONFER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POWERS UPON THE WASHINGTON COUNTY HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BACKGROUND RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Washington County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (the “WCHRA”) is a county housing and redevelopment authority created and existing under Laws 1974, Chapter 475, as amended, which provides and maintains affordable, decent, and safe housing opportunities in Washington County ; and
WHEREAS, in 2013 the County Board of Commissioners (the “County Board”) of the County of Washington (the “County”) established a broadly-representative economic development work group comprised of municipal economic development practitioners and community partners to assist the County in developing a county-wide long-range
economic development strategy; and
WHEREAS, based on the process carried out by the economic development work group, in May of 2014 the County adopted an Economic Development Strategic Plan (the “Economic Development Strategic Plan”); and
WHEREAS, in furtherance of the Economic Development Strategic Plan, the County has determined that the WCHRA should have primary responsibility for economic development activities on behalf of the County; and
WHEREAS; proposed legislation has been prepared which would authorize the County
Board by resolution to confer on the WCHRA the powers of an economic development authority (the “Proposed Law”), thus enabling the County to address economic needs as identified in the Economic Development Strategic Plan; and
WHEREAS, adoption of the Proposed Law would empower the WCHRA to undertake
economic development activities not authorized by the current WCHRA enabling law, such as, by way of illustration, implementing County marketing and public relations programs relating to economic development, conducting economic development studies to document the need for financial assistance programs, and carrying out financial
assistance programs for economic development purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Proposed Law would retain the existing County Board consent process
for establishing the WHCRA’s housing and redevelopment authority levy under Minnesota. Statutes, Section 469.033, subdivision 6, and would preclude the WCHRA from imposing any concurrent or separate economic development authority levy otherwise authorized under Minnesota Statutes, Section 469.107 (while permitting the
County Board to consent to a WCHRA levy at a rate equal to the higher of the
permissible housing and redevelopment authority levy rate or the permissible economic development authority levy rate as they may be established by the Legislature); and WHEREAS, consistent with existing requirements of the WCHRA’s enabling law for
local approval of housing projects and redevelopment projects, the Proposed Law would
require municipal location and project approval as well for development districts and economic development projects; and WHEREAS, in order to appropriately reflect the combined housing, redevelopment and
economic development powers to be conferred, the Proposed Law would change the
name of the WCHRA to the Washington County Community Development Agency; and WHEREAS, the Proposed Law would effect no change in the current structure or composition of the WCHRA Board of Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, the Proposed Law would authorize the County to offer tax-forfeited real property to the WCHRA on the same basis as such parcels are offered to a County department; and
WHEREAS, the County Board has determined to include the Proposed Law as part of the
County’s legislative initiative for the 2016 Legislature; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, finds that enactment by the Legislature of the Proposed Law, and the carrying out of economic development
activities by the WCHRA in the County, including in the City of Lake Elmo, pursuant to
the Proposed Law, would be in the public interest and would afford substantial benefit to the residents, businesses, citizens and taxpayers of the City of Lake Elmo; and WHEREAS, the County, the WCHRA and the City of Lake Elmo contemplate that the
WCHRA and the City will work together as partners in carrying out economic
development activities within the City of Lake Elmo which will be complementary and non-duplicative.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Lake Elmo, Minnesota adopts this
Resolution supporting the proposed legislation described above in furtherance of economic development activities by the WCHRA on behalf of Washington County.
This Resolution was declared duly passed and adopted and was signed by the
Mayor of the City of Lake Elmo and attested to by the City Clerk this _____ day of _________, 2016.
______________________________ Mike Pearson, Mayor
ATTESTED: ______________________________ Julie Johnson, City Clerk