Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Eagan joins suburban lobbying group - 1/9/1984EAGAN
,HRON /CLE
a Current newspaper
SECTION A
Vol. V, No. 2, Monday, January 9, 1984
Bringing you the news of the people, the neighborhoods and business of Eagan
TWO SECTIONS
Eagan joins suburban lobbying group
by David Siegel
Minnesota's big cities have
"snookered" and bruised
suburban citie s at the state
Legislature, according to Con-
gressman Bill Frenzel, IR-
Minnesota.
But they are fighting back.
Eagan and 1 ? other suburbs
have agreed to hire a lobbyist
to work for a -eversal in cuts
made by the Legislature in
local government aid.
The Eagan City Council
voted Tuesday .o participate in
the group com )osed of Burns-
ville, Edina, Minnetonka,
Bloomington, Plymouth,
Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park,
Maplewood, F oseville, White
Bear Lake, Woodbury and
Shoreview.
Traditionally, Minnesota's
larger cities hive fared better
than the suburbs under the
Legislature's si ate aid formula.
Under the mos t recent revision
of the formula, Eagan expects
to see a drop of more than
$150,000 in state aid in 1984,
and no state aid in 1985, said
City Administrator Tom
Hedges.
Late in the Legislative ses-
sion last year, Eagan, Burns-
ville and Bloomington hired
William Strusinski of the firm
Capitol Hill Associates as a
lobbyist.
"We thought it was very ef-
fective last year. It convinced
us that it's just essential to have
someone over there (at the state
Capitol)," said Jim Spore, city
manager of Burnsville.
Each city is contributing 25
cents per person up to $10,000
based on the Metropolitan
Council's most recent popula-
tion figures. For Eagan, this
will be about $7,000. For
Burnsville, it will be about
$9,500.
"The consortium will be a
less expensive approach," than
only a few cities combining ef-
forts, Hedges said.
The group plans to review
applications from nine lob-
byists Jan. 13, Hedges said.
The candidates are: Capitol
Hill Associates; Dean -Ewald
Associates; Tom Boulette;
Larkin, Hoffman, Daily and
Lingren; Lefevere, Lefler,
Kennedy, O'Brien and Drawz;
Local Government Profes-
sionals; Peppin, Dayton, Her-
man, Graham and Getts;
Angela L. Wozniak; former
state Representative Iry Ander-
son.
The central issue the lobbyist
will be asked to follow is local
government aid, although
there might be some others,
Hedges said. The lobbying
firm will also be asked to watch
the Minnesota Tax Commis-
sion and the Metropolitan
Council, said Spore.
The group will meet Jan. 19
to draft position papers to be
used when the Legislature
reconvenes March 6, Spore
said.
Cuts in state aid may force
cities to cut services or raise
taxes. In addition, the formula
penalizes cities that have tradi-
tionally taxed low and en-
courages them to increase
taxes, Hedges said.
Under the formula, cities
that levy for a lot of taxes
receive more in state aid. "The
system ought to be designed to
reward cities that are frugal,"
he said.
The communities plan to use
a lobbyist for at least two
years. Spore said the initial
contributions from the cities
will be used to build a fund for
lobbying activities.
Cities view their lobbying ef-
fort as an effort to help
legislators by gathering infor-
mation and giving them an
organized opinion to weigh,
Spore said.
Hedges said a few other
cities have indicated an interest
in joining the group.
In other action the council:
• Approved the sale of a us-
ed police car to Metro Auto
Salvage of Lakeville for
$1,675. The business was the
highest of two bidders.
• Set an open house for the
new Eagan City Hall from 1 -3
p.m., Sunday, Feb. 5.
• Scheduled a meeting of the
Eagan Housing and
Redevelopment Authority at
6:30 p.m., Feb. 7, in conjunc-
tion with the regular council
meeting.
• Granted final approval for
ordinances prohibiting the car-
rying of firearms unless
unloaded and cased; permit-
ting the use of a bow and an ow
LOBBYING: top. 4A
FEAT URES:
AT & 'I breakup
The ch tnges in the phone industry are not expected
to affect -esidential customers much. Page 7A.
A distri !t matures
Despit continued area growth, School District
191's poi Illation is becoming older. Page 10A.
Chess champ. Page 2A.
INSIDE:
Editorials 6A
Business 17A
Community line 19A
Religion 22A
Entertainment 16B
Council
approves
ordinances
LOBBYING: from p. 1A
only in physical education
classes, on an archery range
and under sanctioned hnnrs of
the Eagan Police Department;
and setting penalties for in-
dustries who fail to call to ad-
vise emergency services when
their alarms accidentally go
off.
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