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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-05-29 PACKET MISC.4?1 METROPOLITAN C O U N C I L I I yi From the Chair: Hop on the new bus Bus rapid transit will transform our transit system. SAC changes ease burden on businesses Application for many properties made simpler. Council collaborates on sewer improvements Projects ensure preserving public health and local waterways. Council grants help growing communities water more efficiently $500,000 Water Efficiency Grants 4151()) total devices replaced saved annually ylll�t�I�lll��tll��l�lll�l�lll��tl�tl���l���lllll'�'Itltlt'I'lll *************AUTO**ALL FOR AADC 550 PLANNING CON IISSION CHAIR CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE 12800 RAVINE PKWY COTTAGE GROVE MN 55016-3195 5365 T2 P4 Bus Rapid Transit: Hop on the new bus Local bus service works. The bus comes to your stop, you get on, pay your fare and pull a cord to tell the driver when you want to get off. Buses are the mainstay of our regional transit system. rmToday, we're in the process of adding 21 st century technology and innovation to bus service, making Alene Tchourumoff a big leap forward in the way riders FROM THE CHAIR can use transit. It's called Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). You don't need a schedule because buses come every 10 minutes most of the day. High-tech signs at the BRT stations track bus arrivals and departures in real time. Stations are heated and well lit, riders can board buses quickly and easily, and buses have ample room for strollers and adaptive devices like wheelchairs. Trips can be up to 25% faster. It adds up to comfort and convenience. We've proven this new service on the A Line in Saint Paul. Other rapid bus projects in the works: • C Line BRT on Penn Avenue in Minneapolis north to Brooklyn Center is under construction and will open next year. • Planning and design is well underway on the D Line, to connect North and South Minneapolis via Chicago and Freemont avenues. • METRO Gold Line and Orange Lines, which will operate in their own dedicated lanes, separate from traffic. When complete in 2024, the Gold Line will serve the east metro area on a route parallel to 1-94. Orange Line will connect Burnsville to downtown Minneapolis following 1-35W with existing roads and dedicated lanes; service is slated for 2021. We also have plans in the works for another 11 rapid transit projects across the region. By 2040, we expect to see our region's population grow by 700,000 people, with transit demand increasing 80%. BRT is one of several tools we will need to build out our transit system to meet this demand. This is an exciting time for transit in our region. We're using new technologies and time -tested techniques to meet the challenges of the future. Council appoints group to advise on Gold Line Fifteen people will serve on the Corridor Management Committee (CMC) of the METRO Gold Line Bus rapid transit project. The CMC will make recommendations to the Metropolitan Council on the overall scope of the project, specific design elements and construction. CMC members are Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff (chair); Council Member Harry Melander (vice chair); Andrea Date, Woodbury Council; Brian Isaacson, MnDOT; Stan Karwoski, Washington County Commissioner; Brian Lamb, Metro Transit; Jim McDonough and Rafael Ortega, Ramsey County Commissioners; Jane Prince, Saint Paul Council; Paul Reinke, Oakdale Mayor; Bryan Smith, Maplewood Council; Stan Suedkamp, Landfall Mayor; and Lisa Weik, Washington County Commissioner. In addition, a Community and Business Advisory Committee comprising local residents and businesses will advise on how the 11 stations can best serve the neighborhoods where they are located. The committee is still being formed. Council eases SAC burden for businesses The Council has approved changes that will simplify how SAC is a one-time fee charged to a community when a the sewer availability charge (SAC) is calculated. As a result: property connects to the regional wastewater system for • Many SAC determinations will be easier, faster and the first time, or when the use of the property changes in a simpler. way that increases potential demand on the system. • Determinations on remodels will result in fewer "surprise" charges. • SAC credits will be simpler to obtain. • Restaurants will receive twice the amount of free outdoor space for patio and sidewalk seating. The changes go into effect on July 1, 2018. A task force comprising city and business representatives recommended the changes. The SAC rate will not increase because of the changes, said Ned Smith, Director of Revenue for the Council's Environmental Services division (MCES). It has remained steady at $2,485 per unit since January 2014. After July 1, calculations for uses currently based on net square feet will be based on gross square feet of the entire business footprint. Businesses that remodel without changing their use, with the same building footprint, will face no additional SAC collections. "A lot of people asked a lot of hard questions and the Met The Council is also simplifying the SAC credit process. Council was very transparent and upfront with all of the Under the new rules, if there is no record of a SAC answers," said Kyle Klatke, Plans Examiner for the City of determination, proof of usage prior to Jan. 1, 2009, is all Brooklyn Park and member of the SAC task force. "The that is needed to establish SAC credits. Council was very open to constructive criticism, and I think that's the reason that we got so much done and were able Visit metrocouncil.org/SACprogram for more information. to make so much change." Neighborhood takes novel approach to planning Urban planning can take shape in many ways. But the approach used by the Frogtown neighborhood of Saint Paul—home to waves of immigrants over generations—is novel. Literally. Two years ago, the District 7 Council faced updating its "small area plan," a planning document that the city would make part of its long-range comprehensive plan. The city planning department had established a template for neighborhood plans that mimic the topics and format of a city plan, but at a smaller scale. For Frogtown community leaders, not a good fit. "We didn't want to do it," said Caty Royce, director of the Frogtown Neighborhood Association. "But then we though: We need to be the authors of our own story. And we can make it fun. We decided to do the plan as a graphic novel." The graphic novel would be peopled with neighborhood type characters, questions, situations, challenges, and—not to leave out the planning angle—policy directions. The District 7 Council hired local artists to coordinate and carry out the project. Conversations with residents at community meals around the neighborhood informed the content. It was written and illustrated drawing on community voices. Visit http://www.frogtowmmn.org/ smap12/ to see the Frogtown Small Area Plan. Council collaborates on sewer improvements Major infrastructure improvements are coming to Mound and Minnetrista, thanks to collaborative efforts with the Metropolitan Council, local government and CenterPoint Energy. Construction has begun to replace nearly three miles of regional sanitary sewer pipe. The Council installed the original sewer pipe in 1973 - the pipe is now reaching the end of its service life. The $23 million project is part of a 10 -year, $1 billion region -wide Council initiative that began in 2013 to accelerate the work of updating and improving aging wastewater collection and treatment facilities. The Mound/Minnetrista project is one of many regional sewer improvement projects in Lake Minnetonka -area communities, with investment totaling $150 million over the last 10 years. "Our region has one of the most efficient wastewater systems in the country," said Metropolitan Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff. "We're lucky our regional leaders of the past had the foresight to plan and build a regional system. It's our responsibility to preserve this investment to ensure this infrastructure protects public health, as well as area lakes and rivers." The Council, in coordination with the cities of Mound and Minnetrista, Hennepin County, and CenterPoint Energy are making utility and street improvements in the area. "By aligning and coordinating this work, we prevent multiple, duplicative disruptions to people's lives," Tchourumoff said. "We also save taxpayer money by making sure that any construction work only happens once - tearing up three miles of sewer pipe is a big undertaking, so it just makes sense to do all the work at once." MCES hosts open house and budget workshops. The Council's Environmental Services staff will discuss the regional wastewater system's financial structure, budget trends and capital needs at two events in May and June. City officials are invited to attend on Thursday, May 24, 9-11 a.m. at the Minnetonka Community Center, or Thursday, June 7, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Eagan Community Center. Staff experts will be on hand to talk about other topics including inflow and infiltration, SAC, water supply and more. Regional Solicitation applications to open. In May, the Council will officially release the 2018 Regional Solicitation online. The solicitation invites applicants for federal funding for upcoming transportation projects. Applications will be due on July 13, 2018. Council test new app for travel data. A new smart phone application will enable travel survey respondents to easily collect the household travel data that the Council needs for transportation planning. The Council is testing the new app with 400 households in May, in preparation for the rollout of the Household Travel Survey this fall. Council announces Livable Communities funding. In 2018, the Council has $27 million available in grant funds through its Livable Communities program. The funds help local communities clean up polluted land, create and preserve affordable housing, and support connected development. Visit metrocouncil.org for more information. Metropolitan Council Chair: Alene Tchourumoff 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 (16). Regional Administrator: Wes Kooistra Editor: Jeanne Landkamer General Offices: 651-602-1000 1 (651-291-0904 TTI) 390 N. Robert St. I St. Paul, MN 55101 e-mail: public.infoumetc.state.mn.us Web site: metrocouncil.org This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Printed on paper containing 100 percent post -consumer and alternative fibers. PSOYRINTED WITHINK ■�' � Metro dog parks provide social time for all If dogs are family - and they are - then two of the happiest words in the English language must be "dog park." "My dogs love our dog parks," said Brent Carlson -Lee of Minneapolis. "Living in the city, I find that dog parks are a must if you have an energetic pup like mine," he said, referring to Camper, his spirited 3 -year-old Dane/Lab rescue dog. "Dog parks are fun for me, too," he said. "Social interactions are much like at daycare: We talk about the 'kids.' And I'm not known by my real name but as 'Camper's dad.' It's great." Claire Welo of Maplewood agreed. "We particularly enjoy Battle Creek Dog Park in Saint Paul, because it allows both the pooches and parents ample room to walk and run, with a great combination of woodland, prairie, and water," she said. Since the first dog park opened in Elm Creek Park Reserve in 1983, dog parks have spread to nearly every corner of the region, and usage has grown every year. Currently 16 off -leash parks dot the Regional Parks System. They range in size from 3 to 40 acres. Mandy Whiteside of Three Rivers Park District said the off -leash areas are enormously popular. "Use at our dog parks has more than doubled in the past 10 years, while the number of passes we sell also grows every year," she said. Weekends are usually the busiest time for visitors, but the parks can be busy almost any time of day. She cautioned that dog parks are managed by different agencies and rules can vary greatly. She advised users to become familiar with the off -leash areas you plan to visit, and always pick up after your pet.