2021-11-24 EMC draft minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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percentage of the General Fund. Its not set, it is based on what will get approved through the Finance Department and the Mayors Office. There is some talk of trying to get us some kind of tax subsidy to get us into the wastewater, but this requires some legal understanding. Could we subsidize rate users with tax money, or does it have to follow certain criteria? Currently we are basing it on the rate users. Last year we had $1.8 million added to the entire budget from the General Fund (for wastewater). Commissioner McIntosh clarified that he was talking about setting aside something similar to the PONC fund, but for wastewater. Director Mansour asked to be sent more information so he could look into it deeper. Commissioner Cardwell recalled that it required a charter amendment 2 to be approved by voters. She asked if it would be something the County needed to vote on. Commissioner McIntosh said charter amendments need to be approved by voters while regular ordinances do not. Chair Adams said one of the items at the tail end of this writeup was to explore how we can work with the Regenerative Agriculture, Water, Energy, and Environmental Management Committee of the County Council. She talked with Council Member Tim Richards about how he and the Commission could work together to help out the Council, whether there are some mutual priorities. He thought that would be a good idea, and the way we would proceed would be he and his Vice Chair (Council Member Holeka Inaba), along with Chair Adams and Vice Chair Gaffney, would continue talking about how we can focus on things that can work. We would then go back to our respective Committee or Commission and talk about specific recommendations we can make to the Council. He also was talking about maybe we could bring in someone from Finance, and Director Mansour, and talk with them as well, to get some more information about how to proceed. That will happen, and we will hopefully set up a meeting between us in the next couple of weeks, Chair Adams said. In addition, she submitted a personal comment, and Council Member Richards also made a comment when the Council was looking at a County surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax, to see whether there could be a percentage designation going to the County agencies that are having to deal with the population doubling as a result of tourists. And that got shot down in Council, but Council Member Richards is still looking at ways to be able to direct and sequester some of that money. So that is not the end of this story, but it is a way to dedicate some funds, specifically, that would go toward solid waste and wastewater. In Minnesota, Chair Adams said, voters approved a constitutional amendment called the Legacy Act. It is a tax that generates a fair amount of money, of which one-third is dedicated to preserving the environment. Another third would go to cultural events, and the final portion would go toward environmental management with a specific focus on protecting the more than 2 County Charter, Article X, Section 10-15, 10-16 approved via Prop. 1 (2010), Prop. 6 (2020), Prop. 10 (2020) 4