Metro Cities News 10/25/19


In This Issue:

 

 

Join Us! LMC Metro Regional Meeting and Metro Cities Policy Adoption Meeting

Join your colleagues for the LMC Metro Regional Meeting and Policy Adoption Meeting on Thursday, November 14, 2019 in Minnetonka! The metro regional meeting is jointly hosted by LMC and Metro Cities, and Metro Cities membership will also meet to approve the 2020 Legislative Policies. The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Minneapolis West in Minnetonka. Several state agency commissioners will join us to present information and updates at the regional meeting. The afternoon concludes with a networking social hour.

A membership quorum is required for the adoption of Metro Cities’ policies, so each member city should make sure to have a representative present. Click here for more information and to register. We look forward to seeing you there!


2020 Draft Legislative Policies

Metro Cities’ Draft 2020 Legislative Policies are now online for review. The draft policies were recommended by members through Metro Cities’ four policy committees and were approved by the Metro Cities Board of Directors at their October meeting.

A memo, link to the draft policies and Metro Cities’ policy adoption protocol has been mailed to city administrators/managers. The policies will be adopted by Metro Cities’ membership at the Policy Adoption Meeting on Thursday, November 14, 2019. Please be sure to mark your calendar and plan to attend! Click here to read the agenda and register.

Each member city has one vote, with one additional vote for each 50,000 population above the initial 50,000. Once the policies are adopted, they will serve as the framework for Metro Cities’ work at the Legislature and Metropolitan Council in 2020.

We hope to see you at the meeting! Comments or questions on the proposed policies should be directed to [email protected] or 651-215-4000.


DEED Awards Redevelopment Grants; Announces 2020 Grant Program

DEED announced over $2 million in redevelopment grants and demolition loans to several cities this month. The metro awards, to the cities of Plymouth and Minneapolis, were funded from the Redevelopment Grant Program, a program strongly supported by Metro Cities.

Plymouth was awarded $637,450 in redevelopment grant funds for asbestos abatement, demolition, and infrastructure costs for a site that will feature new housing units, green space and commercial space. Minneapolis was awarded $600,000 for demolition on a 2-acre site that will be redeveloped into rental housing and commercial space.

Metro Cities was instrumental during the 2019 legislative session in securing fund transfer authority for the FY 2020-21 biennium, including the fall 2019 grant round, which was funded by a $2 million transfer from the Minnesota Investment Fund and a small amount of reverted funds.

DEED also announced the winter 2020 grant round, which will be funded at $4 million. Those applications will be due February 1, 2020. More information can be found on the DEED website.


Metropolitan Council Releases Draft 2020 Budget for Public Comment

The Metropolitan Council on Wednesday approved the draft 2020 unified budget which includes the Council’s operating budget and capital program budget. The budget is now open for the public to review and comment.

By uses, transportation is 62 percent of the budget, environmental services 27 percent, community development 10 percent and regional administration one percent. Revenues come from a number of sources, including the property tax levy, state and federal funds, wastewater charges, transit fares, and budget reserves. The proposed 2020 property tax levy is $88.7 million, a two percent increase over 2019.

$15.7 million of that is a general purposes levy, which provides the Council some flexibility in determining how it is spent. Following discussion at Wednesday’s meeting, the Council may meet again before final budget adoption to determine how to spend $3.4 million on targeted initiatives. Currently, the Council plans to spend $700,000 on a Metro Mobility pilot, $200,000 on management workforce diversity, $1 million on homelessness, $500,000 on housing maintenance. $1 million of previously earmarked funds are now available to meet other identified goals or not be levied.

Comments on the budget may be submitted several ways:

  • Write to Metropolitan Council Public Information at 390 Robert St. N., Saint Paul, MN 55101.
  • Email Metropolitan Council Public Information at [email protected].
  • Record a comment on the Public Comment Line at 651.602.1500 (TTY 651.291.0904).

The full Metropolitan Council will vote on the budget at its December 11 meeting.


Metropolitan Council Accepting Comment on Regional Solicitation Application

The Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) approved a draft document with recommended changes to the Regional Solicitation application process at its meeting last month and released the application document for public comment. The Regional Solicitation is the method by which federal transportation dollars from the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program and Congestion Mitigation Air Quality program are allocated within the metropolitan area. Funding is distributed among roadway, transit and travel demand management, and bicycle and pedestrian projects. A total of $199.75 million for various projects was approved in the last solicitation. For more information on the draft application, click here.

The Metropolitan Council will accept comments on the draft application until 5:00 pm, November 6th. The final application will be released in February 2020. To view the recommended application changes, click here. Comments can be submitted via the following:

• Email [email protected].
• Record a message at 651.602.1500, TTY: 651.221.9886.
• Mail comments to 390 Robert Street North, St. Paul, MN 55101-1805.

Questions? Contact Steven Huser at [email protected], or 651-215-4003.


EVENTS: Metropolitan Council Regional Solicitation: Intersecting Transportation, Equity and Housing

The Metropolitan Council has scheduled two opportunities for communities to learn about the Regional Solicitation equity and affordable housing criteria and scoring measures. The Draft Regional Solicitation application is currently out for public comment. The Council has provided the information below on these events.

Register for Intersecting Transportation, Equity and Housing and learn about recent changes to the Regional Solicitation’s equity and affordable housing criteria and scoring measures.

In this session, we will explore how community engagement approaches can help you connect with hard to reach populations. You’ll learn how to:

  • Hear and identify transportation issues and problems specific to people’s experience
  • Identify potential solutions and benefits
  • Build on existing community engagement strategies
  • Understand new scoring criteria and measures
  • Gain tangible skills and resources for your selected regional solicitation project or identify a new project that will be a good fit.

Space is limited. Register by October 28 for Intersecting Transportation, Equity and Housing on either:

  • Friday, November 1, 2019, 9 to 11:30 am: The Columbia Heights Library, 3939 Central Avenue, Columbia Heights
  • Friday, November 15, 2019, 9 to 11:30 am: Northwest Area Foundation, 60 Plato Blvd. E., Suite 400, St. Paul

Coffee and light refreshments will be provided.

For more information from the Metropolitan Council on these workshops, click here.

Share this post: