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Housing & Economic Development <br />• Modifying the public purpose definition under Chapter 117 to allow cities to more <br />expediently address properties that are vacant or abandoned in areas with high levels of <br />foreclosures, to address neighborhood stabilization and recovery; <br />• Providing for the ability to acquire land from "holdouts" who will now view a <br />publicly funded project as an opportunity for personal gain at taxpayer expense; i.e. allow <br />for negotiation using balanced appraisals for fair relocation costs; <br />Examining attorney fees and limit fees for attorneys representing a property owner; <br />• Allowing for relocation costs not to be paid if the city and property owner agree to a <br />sale contract; <br />A property owner's appraisal to be shared with the city prior to a sale agreement; <br />and <br />• Appropriately balanced awards of attorney fees and costs of litigation with the <br />outcome of the eminent domain proceeding. <br />3-N Community Reinvestment <br />Communities across the metropolitan region have aging residential and commercial structures <br />that need repair and reinvestment. Reinvestment prevents neighborhoods from falling into <br />disrepair, revitalizes communities and protects a city's tax base. <br />Metro Cities supports state programs and incentives for reinvestment in older residential <br />and commercial/industrial buildings, such as, but not limited to, tax credits and/or <br />property tax deferrals. <br />Historically, the state has funded programs to promote reinvestment in communities, including <br />the "This Old House" program, that allowed owners of older homestead property to defer an <br />increase in their tax capacity resulting from repairs or improvements to the home and "This Old <br />Shop" for owners of older commercial/industrial property that make improvements that increase <br />the property's market value. <br />3-0 Business Incentives Policy <br />Without a thorough study, the Legislature should not make any substantive changes to the <br />Business Subsidy Act, as defined in M.S. 116J.993, but should look to technical changes that <br />would streamline both state and local processes and procedures. The Legislature should <br />distinguish between development incentives and redevelopment activities. In addition, in order to <br />ensure cohesive and comprehensive regulations, the legislature should limit regulation of <br />business incentives to the Business Subsidy Act. <br />Metro Cities supports additional legislation that includes tools to help enhance and <br />2019 Legislative Policies <br />34 <br />