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Richfield directors outline top legislative priorities: housing aid, limits on local contributions to county/state projects, safety and sustainability asks
Summary
City staff proposed top priorities to guide Richfield's 2026 lobbying: making transition aid permanent for impacted communities, revising a 2024 restriction on local rental licensing for state-licensed group assisted living facilities, disrupting cycles of violence through a suite of public-safety and mental-health investments, and limiting local contributions to county/state projects; staff also flagged bonding requests for Nicollet ($10M) and an emergency water interconnect ($2.5M).
City staff presented a consolidated legislative platform to the Richfield City Council at the Nov. 25 work session, identifying four principal priorities and two bonding requests that the city's lobbyist and staff will advance in the coming session.
Courtney McCamp and the director team proposed: (1) support for making a form of transitional "aid" permanent and available to impacted communities (staff asked council whether the ask should seek "being made whole" or other language), (2) repeal or modification of 2024 language that prevents cities from subjecting state-licensed group assisted living facilities to city rental licensing requirements, (3) legislation to disrupt cycles of violence that could include stricter gun laws, enhanced licensing, authority to ban firearms in city-owned spaces, and funding for mental-health programs, and (4) proposals to reduce local contributions to county and state projects and to limit long-term local ownership and major maintenance responsibilities for local agencies.
Directors also highlighted two bonding priorities: a $10,000,000 request for the Nicollet Avenue project and a $2,500,000 request for an emergency water interconnect to connect Richfield with the City of Minneapolis. City staff reported these bonding requests have been submitted to state and federal offices and performed well in recent bonding tours.
Councilors discussed details on several items. On the "aid" question, staff asked whether the city should ask to be made whole or to pursue an opt-out structure for taxing authorities; councilors largely favored asking to be made whole, citing fairness for communities that did not receive earlier transition aid. On local contribution limits, public works staff noted ongoing MnDOT and local agency working groups reviewing cost-share rules and said changes could arrive through administrative rule updates and legislative attention.
Staff indicated they will refine language for each priority, continue to consult department directors, and work with the city's lobbyist, Anne Monteschi, to advocate for the platform during the 2026 session.
