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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMISC INFO(2) 2015-05-18METROPOLITAN C O U N C I L 1 I ITI Council to offer planning grants Eligible communities will get financial help to update comp plans Council considers housing plan amendment Local elected officials helped to craft the plan changes Business groups ask for additional transit funding A metro -wide sales tax will spur development, attract workers Cost-effective service: Metro Transit ranks high When it comes to bus and light rail, Metro Transit runs a lean operation. One of the best measures of cost-effectiveness is subsidy per passenger trip. Compared with 13 peer agencies around the U.S., Metro Transit has the third -lowest subsidy per bus passenger trip. And it boasts the highest share of operating expenses covered by fares, 30%, compared with its 13 peers. flf'ff4hflffh"Ifhluu4fll'I'filld'h°flffdllfflll'I'ff **************AUTO**SCII3-DIGIT 550 PLANNING COMMISSION CHAIR CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE 12800 RAVINE PKWY COTTAGE GROVE MN 55016-3195 Comparable Transit Systems - Bus Farebox Recovery Ratio 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% s79 Ti P1 0% For light rail, Metro Transit is in the middle of the pack of its 11 peer systems for both y n w M o y o 0 x subsidy per passenger trip and farebox 3 recovery. a a All figures are from 2013, the latest data available d from the National Transit Database. - Note: Farebox recovery ratio is the share of operating expenses covered by passenger fares. s79 Ti P1 Gov. Dayton appoints new Council members. Three new Council members were sworn in on March 12. The new members include Deb Barber, Shakopee, co-founder and senior partner of Canopy Medical, LLC; Gail Dorfman,St. Louis Park, executive director at St. Stephen's Human Services and former Hennepin County Commissioner; and Cara Letofsky, Minneapolis, founder and principal at Mill City Consulting, LLC. Clean Water Champions. The Council and its partners hit a home run when it comes to the rainwater capture system at CHS Field in Saint Paul. In April, the Freshwater Society bestowed its Clean Water Champion award on the City of Saint Paul, the Capitol Region Watershed, and the Council. Together these partners designed and constructed a system to capture rainwater from the Green Line Operations & Maintenance Facility roof for reuse in ball field irrigation and flushing some stadium toilets. Hovland is new TAB Chair. In March, Council Chair Adam Duininck tapped. Edina Mayor James Hovland to serve as chair of the Transportation Advisory Board. The Council in March also approved the appointment of four citizen members to the TAB: Anani d'Almeida, Coon Rapids; Patricia Schweitz, White Bear Lake; Suyapa Miranda, Saint Paul; and Peter Dugan, Eagan. The 33 -member TAB includes 17 local elected officials. The Council also appointed Kjensmo Walker, Saint Paul, to chair the Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee. Metropolitan Council Chair. Adam Duininck. Members: Katie Rodriguez (District 1); Lona Schreiber (2); Jennifer Munt (3); Deb Barber (4); Steve Elkins (5); Gail Dorfman (6); Gary L. Cunningham (7); Cara Letofsky (8); Edward Reynoso (9); Marie McCarthy (10); Sandy Rummel (11); Harry Melander (12); Richard Kramer (13); Jon Commers (14); Steven T Chavez (15); Wendy Wulff It 6). Regional Administrator. Patrick Born Editor. Jeanne tandkamer General Offices: 651-602-1000 1 (651-291-0904 TTY) 390 N. Robert St. I St. Paul, MN 55101 e-mail: public.infoometc.state.mmus Web site: metrocouncil.org This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Printed on paper containing 100 percent post -consumer and alternative fibers. 7sOw PflIMEO WITH r � SOYINK Metro HRA to launch mobility program Later this year, the Metropolitan Council's Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA) will launch an initiative to assist holders of Housing Choice (Section 8) Vouchers to find housing outside of concentrated areas of poverty and enjoy success in their new neighborhoods once they've moved. In April, two new mobility counselors came on board at Metro HRA to help design the Mobility Counseling Program and then start working with participants and property owners in summer 2015. The proposed program will have five components: • Landlord recruitment • Participant recruitment • Pre -move counseling • Housing search assistance • Post -move counseling Providing mobility counseling is part of Metro HRA's effort to fulfill the equity outcome of Thrive MSP 2040, the Council's long-range regional vision. "Giving families choice to live in high -opportunity neighborhoods improves their lives, particularly for children," said Terri Smith, Metro HRA Manager. "The benefits are well documented: access to high quality schools, youth programs, health services, more positive peer group influences, reduced violence and stress, and greater employment, among others." Part of the program design will include setting measures of success. Smith said Metro HRA will draw from successful mobility counseling programs in other metro areas, including Baltimore and Dallas. Staff will also explore how best to identify and recruit potential landlords,what kinds of move -related assistance to provide, and strategies tohelp families settle into their new neighborhoods. Metro HRA provides rent assistance to nearly 6,300 households throughout Anoka, Carver, and most of suburban Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Green Line Extension: `All options on table' Analysis released in late April by the Metropolitan Council concludes that test results and project delays have increased the cost of the Southwest LRT Project to $1.994 billion - a$341 million increase. The additional costs are primarily related to poor ground conditions along the Southwest LRT line and soil contamination in St. Louis Park and Hopkins. The Council analysis also determined that the Southwest LRT Project would not open until 2020, instead of late 2019. "The additional costs for the Southwest LRT Project pose significant challenges for our funding partners and taxpayers," said Adam Duininck, Chair of the Metropolitan Council. "I will be talking with our funding partners, local communities, and legislative leaders to determine the future of this project - all options are on the table." When the Council began designing the Southwest LRT line in early 2013 following completion of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, only one percent level of detail was available, which is standard at that point in the process. Once local and some state funds were committed to pay for engineering and environmental work, engineers conducted additional tests, which advanced the level of detail to 30 percent. "As we weigh our options, I have directed our engineers and contractors to pursue every possible efficiency to achieve cost savings" said Chair Duininck. Visit www.swlrt.org for more information. Businesses support more transit funding The Executive Board of the Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC) passed a resolution in March in support of the new half -cent sales tax for transit expansion in Gov. Dayton's transportation funding proposal. One of the goals of the MDC's Intersections 2025 Plan is to "lead the nation in transportation options in order to encourage new jobs, housing, and business vitality,' said Steve Cramer, MDC's Executive Director. A key objective of the plan is to raise the daily share of downtown employees who commute via transit from the current 40% to 60% in 10 years. "Supporting additional taxes is not the first instinct of the business executives leading our organization," acknowledged Cramer. "It's not an easy decision. In this case, they really see the value of the investment." And while the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce has not specifically endorsed the additional sales tax, it is urging the state to adopt a 10 -year plan that invests an additional $160 million to $210 million annually in transit, according to Chamber President and CEO Todd Klingel. "Other regions across the country and the globe are continuously upgrading their transit infrastructure because they understand the direct connection to jobs and prosperity," he said. "Should we fail to grasp this connection, we will lose opportunities for growth and by the time we realize our mistake, the costs of attempting to regain our position will be enormous with no guarantee of success." Transit is also a key draw to maintain and attract tomorrow's workforce, Klingel said. "The new generation... demands transportation alternatives and will willingly move to get them." Council delivers consistent value to metro region Value. It's what the Metropolitan Council delivers every day: • Our wastewater rates are 40% below the national average, while we consistently win awards for Adam Duminck environmental FRCm THFcHWR compliance. • Metro Transit has the highest ratio of bus fare revenue and the third lowest subsidy per bus passenger trip of our 13 peer U.S. regions. • Every year, our Metro HRA earns the highest possible ranking for administrative efficiency. • The Council continues to plan and put in place energy conservation measures that are saving ratepayers and the public millions of dollars each year. Our region is fortunate that nearly 50 years ago the state's leaders realized that to get the best value for taxpayers, it made sense to address issues that transcend local boundaries on a regional basis. Our region's water quality, our transit and highway systems, and our amazing regional parks system are all the result of this regional approach. We're proud of our work at the Council and we are proud of the value we deliver to the region. Local officials, too, are justifiably proud of the work they do on behalf of their communities. During February and March, I traveled to each of the seven counties and met with local officials. They eagerly shared their efforts and accomplishments on a range of issues, whether planning for water resources in Washington County, taking on housing challenges in Carver County, or addressing transportation challenges in Dakota and Scott counties. These are all issues the Council is committed to working on with communities. When it comes to our diverse region, I understand the importance and distinct nature of the challenges each community faces. Even though we may disagree on certain particulars about a policy, it must be clear that we are all working toward solutions in the best interests of the people we serve. I'm open to hearing how the Council can do a better job. We can never be satisfied and we will always be listening. My goal is to make sure we capitalize on the strengths of all of our individual communities and work together so that we have a prosperous, sustainable region now and in the future. Council considers housing plan amendment The Metropolitan Council is considering an amendment to the 2040 Housing Policy Plan that will provide needed information and guidance to local officials as they plan for housing and affordable housing, as state law requires under the Metropolitan Land Planning Act. The amendment includes: • Council expectations for the housing element and housing implementation program of local comprehensive plan updates. • The 2021-2030 Allocation of Affordable Housing Need for the region overall and each sewered community, and how the Council calculated it. • Criteria the Council will use to develop Housing Performance Scores for each community. Three working groups developed the amendment. The groups included city staff and elected officials, county staff, developers, and housing advocates. "Affordable housing is critical to strengthen and stabi- lize families and communities," said Council Chair Adam Duminck. "It's also important to business and the regional economy, because a range of housing options in communities helps attract and retain workers. For housing to be considered affordable, a low- or moderate -income household should pay no more than 30% of income for housing costs. In the region today, an estimated 265,000 low- and moderate -income households pay more than 30% of their income on housing; more than half spend at least 50% of their income on housing. The Council held a public hearing on the proposed amendment on May 4, but comments are welcome through May 15. Visit www.metrocouncii.org for information on how to comment in writing or call 651-602-1500. Comment via: • Mail - Metropolitan Council, 390 Robert St. N., Saint Paul, MN 55101 • E-mail: public.info®metc.state.mn.us • Public Comment Line: 651-602-1500 The public comment period will end at 5 p.m. Friday, May 15. A final amendment is scheduled to be considered by the Community Development Committee in June and the full Council in July. Explore the toolbox and conserve water Have you ever wondered if it's possible to collect stormwater for irrigation purposes? Or wanted to find a water -efficient appliance or fixture for your home? The Council's newly revamped Water Conservation Toolbox can answer those questions, and more. The Twin Cities region has ample water supplies, but we rely heavily on groundwater, and signs of stress are starting to show in our aquifers. To plan for future regional growth and ensure that there is plenty of water for generations to come, everyone should consider what they can do to conserve water. The Council's online Water Conservation Toolbox is now easier to navigate, giving visitors the chance to choose among four simple categories: • Residents and Businesses • Communities • Suppliers • Learners For each of these categories, Council water supply planning staff scoured the Internet to find the best tools for everything from learning how to replace a leaking toilet to calculating home water usage, auditing a municipal water system, or writing a water conservation city ordinance. Visit www.metrocouncil.org to access the toolbox.