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Home My WebLink About6.d. Order Feasibility Report Section 29 Storm Drainage + CITY OF ROSEMOUNT EXLCIITIVE SUblMARY FOR ACTION : CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: May 3 , 1994 AGENDA ITEM: Order Feasibility Report Sec. 29 AGENDA SECTION: Storm Drainage New Business PREPARED BY: Bud Osmundson AGENDA NO 1 � City Engineer/Assist�nt Public Works Director �� C� � ATTAC�NTS: Storm Drainage Map, CMC Proposed APPROVED BY: Plat/Review, Resolution At the April 26 Planning Commission meeting, concept approval was given to CMC Heartland for their proposed development north of CSAH 42 , west of Biscayne, south of 145th Street, and east of the RR tracks adjacent to Grief Bros. As the attached drainage map irtdicates, stormwater is to flow from the area north of 145th Street to the south through the CMC property eventually ending up in the ponds in the Business Park. In addition, the area in and adjacent to the University Addition eventually flows to the Business Park ponding area. This stormwater flow needs to be addressed in conjunction with the CMC project. Trunk facilities will probably need to be installed within the CMC property or on Biscayne Avenue. SEH has completed a broad overview of this subject in conjunction with the Business Park project, but a further detailed analysis is necessary. SEH can complete this report and bring it back to Council on June 7, 1994 . Staff is recommending to order the feasibility report. CMC is going to be requested to provide an escrow to assist in paying for the report. RECOb�lENDED ACTION: MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION ORDERING THE PREPARATION OF A FEASIBILITY REPORT FOR SECTION 29 STORM DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS. COIINCIL ACTION: 4 � CITY OF ROSEMOUNT DAROTA COIINTY, MINNESOTA RESOLIITION 1994 - A RESOLIITION ORDERING THE PREPARATION OF A FF�..SIBILITY REPORT FOR SECTION 29 STORM DRAINAGFs IMPROVEMENTS WHFsREAS, the City Council of the City of Rosemount deems it necessary to investigate the feasibility of Section 29 Storm Drainage improvements; and NOW THERSFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the City Engineer is directed to have the necessary feasibility report prepared for Section 29 Storm Drainage improvements. ADOPTED this 3rd day of May, 1994 . E. B. McMenomy, Ma.yor ATTEST: Susan M. Walsh, City Clerk MOTION BY: SECONDED BY: VOTED IN FAVOR: VOTED AGAINST: � � � � ' 11 � ,. �;� 1 �4 9 � ;� DAL �� ,J�'� , KEE �� i - I, 1 ;� 128 ii �A� 123 �,� i : Ir 'I ; I� 12 7 �� ,� ;�, � _ � � �� : � ' � _ ��- _��t� � � � � - ROS 157f - - -�- �- . ; __ _ � - -- - _ _ _ _-- � _ —� 1 . 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MEMORANDUM DATE: April 22, 1994 TO: Rick Pearson, Planner FROM: Bud Osmundson, City Engineer SUBJECT: CMC Hearttand Eastbridge Preliminary Plat and Utility Review The engineering department reserves the right to review each phase as it is considered for final plat. A. WATERMAIN The preliminary utilities plan should provide an 8" connection to tfie 12" trunk main in 145th St. West. Also an 8" main should be compteted on Bridgewater Parkway between the two intersections with Bridgeport Way. B. SANITARY SEWER The site is adequately served with sanitary sewer trunk and interceptor facilities on CSAH 42 and Biscayne. C. STORM DRAIN As the comprehensive storm water plan exists, we are unable to ascertain if the proposed plat is in the Gity's best interests. It appears that trunk storm system facilities will be necessary in the proposed Plat which will be addressed by a feasibility study which will be ordered an May 3, 1994. None of these issues should be considered a road block to approval of this concept plan. nk 4 . R � Metro olitan Council p DRAFT FOR PUBLIC HEARING AND DISCUSSION . ! rint Re �onai B ue g p Twin Cities Metropolitan Area March 1994 Public Hearing to Be Held: Thursday, May 19, 7 p.m. Metropolitan Council Chambers Continued on Friday, May 20, 9 a.m. Metropolitan Council Chambers Publication no. 78-94-028 Mears Park Centre 230 E. Fifth St. St Paul MN 55101 291-6359 voice 291-0904 TDD Working for the region Planning for the future . � • , Metropolitan Council , Advocating regional economic, societal and environmental issues and solutions - �' March 15, 1994 Dear Fellow Twin Citians: New directions for shaping the Twin Cities area's future economic growth and development are proposed in the Regional Blueprint, a draft action plan developed by the Metropolitan Council with much input from the both the public and private sectors. We invite your review. The Blueprint outlines steps to: . • Promote the economic growth of the region. • Guide the growth of the region, including containing urban sprawl and strengthening the distressed parts of the region. • Increase economic opportunity for people and break the cycle of poverty. • Preserve and enhance the natural environment. • Promote the effective and efficient delivery of public services. Five Blueprint informational open houses will be held in April and May. The format is quite informal, with a brief presentation to be repeated twice each evening. With many cohosting organizations, the open houses are scheduled in Minneapolis/St. Paul and in suburban communities in Anoka, Hennepin, Dakota and Washington Counties during the weeks of April 11, 18, 25 and May 2. The specific dates and locations will be announced in the March Metro Voice and Blueprint Update newsletters, and in newspaper�otices to be published in late March. Also, a current schedule will be available by calling the pre-recorded Blueprint Infortnation Line, 291-661 I, starting March 25. The Council will take formal testimony at the public hearing, scheduled for Thursday,May 19,7 p.m., and continued on Friday, May 20, 9 a.m. The hearing will be held in the Metropolitan Council Chambers in the Mears Park Centre Building, 230 East Fifth Street, in downtown St. PauL Upon request, we will provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. We welcome your feedback. Hope to see you at a Blueprint Open House, or you may fax or mail in comments. The Council fax number is 291-6464. S incerely, � ' A � � . . . . � . � . . . �• . . . . . � � . � Dottie Rietow Metropolitan Council Chair Mears Park Centre 230 East F'ifth Street St.Paul,Minnesota 55101-1634 612 291-6359 Fax 291-6550 TDD 291-0904 - An Equal Opportunity Employer � .�Retycled Paper . . . � � . . . � . Preface A Plan of Action for the Region The Metropolitan Council Regional Blueprint outlines a plan of action to strengthen and improve the liveability of the region by targeting economic growth and land use development for the Twin Cities metropolitan area. To foster economic growth and j ob creation,the Blueprint proposes to strengthen "public supports"of the regional economy. The Blueprint both promotes and guides growth through prudent use of incentives and land-use planning. It TI'adit101111 BIU@PI'Itlt removes barriers and tazgets limited public dollars to stimulate business FOCUS development in distressed areas of the region. It encourages new development, •Coordination of development but in areas where essential public services can most economically support new with regional systems. urban growth. The Blueprint serves as a tool forbuilding environmental features •Sound fiscal management of into new development,to help sustain our region's high quality of life. regional systems. New focus A Partnership for the Future •Flexible approach to land use planning The Blueprint moves the Council beyond its traditional focus of regional •Revitalization of d istressed systems planning and fiscal management to face complex economic and societal areas. issues.The Blueprint sets directions for solutions and serves as a springboard for •A strengthened economy detailed action plans and proposals. These strategies need to be refined in •Use of partnerships and p�ership with others that play a role and have a stake in the region's success. incentives to achieve p�erships and alliances include cooperative efforts with business,education objectives. community,regional and local governments and neighborhood groups. By revitalizing distressed areas and targeting public resources where they are needed most,the Blueprint facilitates greater economic opportunity. The results are new and stabilized private sector jobs,abetter trained work force,revitalized neighborhoods,a competitive regional economy and a strong tax base to pay for public services to serve the people of the region. Authority The Council Blueprint was prepared by authority of Minnesota Statutes,section 473.145.The law states: The Metropolitan Council shall prepare and adopt...a comprehensive development guide for the metropolitan area. h shall consist of a compilation of policy statements,goals, standards,programs and maps prescribing guides for an orderly and economic development,public and private,of the metropalitan ' area. Discussion Draft � ' Metropolitan Council Mission The purpose of the Council is to improve the region by strengthening the economic, societal and environmental health and vitality of the metropolitan area.It provides leadership on critical and emerging regional issues leading to action and accountability. The Council is the chief regional policymaker for regional systems such as sewers, transportation, airports and parks, and COu 11CI I Pu YpOSe coordinates these systems with the land use decisions and economic development To improve the region by Plans of 1891ocal governments.Fundamental decisions about how this region strengthening the economic, should grow and how regional systems like transportation should support this societal and environmental growth aze deternuned under the leadership of the CounciL health and vitality of the metropolitan area. The Council conducts research on regional population,housing and economic trends. It also advocates the interests of the region as a whole by providing a regional perspective on research findings,providing trend analysis and outlining strategies for critical and emerging issues facing the metropolitan area. CoutlCil Role with a focus on five core areas--land use,regional investments,transportation, To provide leadership on housing issues, and water quality and supply--the Council collaborates with critical and emerging regional °�er public and private organizations to accomplish regional goals and to make issues leading to action and government services more efficient and effective. accountability. The Blueprint charts a new direction for the Council, focusing several key strategies: •Regional economic strategy--economic growth and development,infrastructure, and wark force issues. •Regional reinvestrnent strategy--business developrnent issues and neighborhood vitality. •Regional growth strategy--urban service issues,cluster planning and investment priorities. •Regional environmental strategy--water quallty, urban woodlands and air quality. The Blueprint will help improve the region's economic health by revitalizing distressed areas,building partnerships and incentives to achieve objectives and emphasizing flexible land use planning. 2 ! � � Discussion Draft . Contents Overview:Region at a Crossroads .................................................................. 5 The Twin Cities Area: Building from Strength ........................................ 5 Challenges to the Region's Vitality........................................................... 5 Mission of the Blueprint............................................................................ 6 Regional Economic Strategy ...........................................................................8 Positioning the Region to Compete ........................................................ 10 Regional Economic Objectives............................................................... 10 Regional Infrastructure for Economic Development.............................: 11 Local Economic Development Efforts.................................................... 13 A High-Quality Work Force ...,..................... .................... ................. 13 AStrong Business Climate ........................... :...................................... 15 Regional Investment Strategy........:.............................................................. 16 Creating a Climate for Reinvestment............ ....................................... 18 Attracting Business Development...:............. ....................................... 19 Strengthening Neighborhood Vitality ......... .................... .....:........... 24 Regional Strategy for Guiding Growth.... ......... .......................................30 Setting the Direction for Guided Growth ...............................................31 An Urban Service Area and a Rural Service Area.... ......... .................32 The Urban Service Area Boundary........................... ..,...... .................34 Land Use and Transportation..................................................................36 "Cluster" Planning ...................................................................................38 Priorities for Regional Investments.........................................................39 The Rura1 Service Area ................................. ......... ............................41 Special Facilities and Regionally Funded Programs..............................45 Fiscal Management of Regional Systems...............................................46 Regional Environmental Strategy.......................................................:..:.......48 Integrating Environmental Quality .......................... ......... ................. 49 Protecting Natural Watercourses.............................. ...:........................ 51 Water Quality for the Future ................................................................... 51 Major River Corridors ............................................................................. 53 Woodlands and the Urban Forest............................................................ 55 Air Quality..................................................... ........................................ 56 Implementing the Blueprint...........................................................................57 Direction far Regional Systems and Investments...:............................... 57 Guiding Growth and Change in the Region ............ ......... .................64 Monitoring the Region and Focusing Council Action........................... 78 APpendix ......................................................................... ...........................:. 83 3 Discussion Draft � � . Metropolitan Council Districts .�� _ �� »a �� .1ftJ[!(Y :MBOYpf Gp.�sNaus . AkKB kkCMA � �� :µaixa HK uKeR :: � � . . . . 91M�R i�4c: : . �: taYrii N lY . .:ION4 RMtC i � . � 4�N4 ��': xo . � . . . . . � �� "� Mq un�e ropna . � b�r. �i.. . . .:�MMx.�: �y� . . . YR�. �� nEpyrotR . . . " ..... aa*x.ar:: � .....:�. sna.e t . . . . ::.at�ea�a �z . ��a " 99hTM �' �� .. . . � . wf.ea�rox ��€� �� ,��;: . � . : iM i M� � 3P!ia„�s : . . ��.eUaE� ,acK :t�01itR � . . � . . �:: �MpPFf1N uwtiR: . . . M . . . � . �'AMl�di:: . . . . fifL:£ur�ty � � . . . � Cq;A;' ooL� . . � Metropolitan Council Members and Their Districts: Dottie Rietow,Chair Roger Scherer,District 1--northwestern Hennepin County Bill Schreiber,District 2--Robbinsdale,Crystal,New Hope,Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park Mary H. Smith,District 3--Edina,Hopkins,eastern Lake Minnetonka communities Julius C.Smith,District 4--Lakeville,Eden Prairie,Carver County,most of Scott County Sondra Simonson,District S--Shakopee,Savage,Bloomington,Richfield Martha M.Head,District 6--Golden Valley, St.Louis Park,southwestern Minneapolis Barbara Butts Witliams,District 7--downtown and north Minneapolis,portion of south Minneapolis Carol A. Kummer,District 8--eastern half of Minneapolis David Hartley,District 9--Anoka County except Coon Rapids Patrick C. Leung, District 10--Coon Rapids, Fridley, Hilltop, Columbia Heights, St. Anthony, New Brighton, Mounds View Esther Newcome,District 11--several communities in northern Ramsey County E. Craig Morris,District 12--a1most all of Washington County,portions of North St. Paul,Maplewood Diane Z. (DeDe)Wolfson,District 13--southern half of St.Paul Stephen B.Wellington,Jr.,District 14-northern half of St. Paul,Lauderdale,Falcon Heights Kevin Howe,District 15--Mendota Heights,Lilydale,Eagan,Burnsville,Apple Va11ey Terrence F.Flower,District 16--south Washington County and large portion of Dakota County 4 � � � Discussion Draft Overview: Region at a Crossroads The Twin Cities Area: Building from Strength ' The Twin Cities metropolitan area is a regional community of 2.35 million people,some 1$9 cities and towns,and seven counties.It stretches outward from the central cities of Minneapolis and St.Paul to the surrounding suburbs and rural The TW111 Citl@S 11'ea areas.A beautiful natural setting is graced by three majar rivers and more than ranked favorably among 900 lakes. A magnet for business, it is the headquarters for 17 Fortune 500 25 largest metro areas in manufacturing corporations and another 14 Fortune 500 service companies.The 1990... regionranks high among the 25 largest urban areas in employment growth(8th) •8th in employment growth �d household income(6th),and low in unemployment rate(24th). •Second lowest in unemployment rate The region resonates with its rich cultural life--theaters,museums and galleries �6th in median househoid --and its major league sports teams have strong followings well beyond the income(about$43,000) state's boundaries. It boasts 20 two- and four-year colleges and universities, including the state's major teaching and research institution--the University of Minnesota. The region is justif'iably proud of its productive citizens and its tradition of solving regional issues through joint civic efforts. : s" � ' ' �v��° ,.�.»p � ":; � ��.�� 1 �`� : ` �'k3�� .� . � �a .+ t* �� %'.i `.; � . . •,� , , --� .: . i ., 4 � �` a`.�'+��_,t �� . >�� :u x � r � .: �`��F �� j � � �� . 3�i . . ° 4 �?s . . �� W�v� .��'. .. . . . 9 , ��,.'. �.a_ �..� _ � . . . . � � l ��. �>c+3 �. . � �k� ��%` � . , a�� .. . „ , . .e.�� ,.. . �, . �� :.. ' � � e; . � � �...—.,A,`°^� . But the region also... •Ranked low(20th) in income Chalienges to the Region's Vitality per worker •Had higher poverty rate in Despite its strengths, the region faces serious challenges to its econornic and Minneapolis and St. Paul than societal vitality. elsewhere in region �s90 census data •The region's future place in the global economy is still an open question.Doubts are growing about the quality of worker skills. The region ranks low (20th) among the 25 largest urban areas in worker incorne. Business may need new kinds of infrastructure to help keep it on the cutting edge of competirion,as well as costly improvements to existing systems,like transportation.Our standard of 5 Discussion Draft � � living and our ability to meet the various societal needs of the region hinge on the future of the region's economy. •Cracks are emerging in the economic and societal profile of the region.Some azeas in the central cities,several suburbs and a few outlying towns are in decline or severely deteriorated. Some areas are marked by serious poverty;in others, the problem is just emerging. Increasingly poverty is becoming a problem passed from one generation to another.The region as a whole will not achieve its full economic potential,with the bene�ts of jobs,income and t�base,unless the problem of concentratedpoverry is addressed. •Much of the region's economic development--residential, commercial and industrial--is occurring in suburban areas. This growth represents a major contribution to the economic life of the region and requires supporting regional infrastructure,like sewers and transportation.At the same time,this growth must be guided so it does not overreach the region's ability to pay for those facilities. It is also important to guide suburban growth to help preserve agricultural lands and opportunities for a rural lifestyle.A great deal of development is occurring outside the region. The result is a heavy use of highways into the region for Blueprint Mission commuter trips, as well as t�base and economic activity lost to the region. �.Jobs and economic growth •Reinvestment •The region's natural environment is a highly prized feature of our quality of life. •Good public facilities It makes the region an attractive place to live and do business.The region has •Environmental preservation made good progress in dealing with obvious pollution sources. But its •Sense of community environmental quality is eroding as its lakes and rivers�11 with polluted runoff and natural features are altered or destroyed. The region also faces potential threats to its water supply. •A sense of community has eroded in distressed areas of the region,characterized by crime, weakened families and lost hope.Many factors determine whether people come together in a community of interest and support. But important building blocks to social cohesion are an adequate level of economic activity, including jobs and economic opportunity,and a healthy"civic infrastructure" of partnerships,coalitions and netwarks of people and organizations to develop and carry out solutions. Mission of the Blueprint The Regional Blueprint is the Council's action plan to meet the challenges of economic growth and development,reinvestment and environmental protection. The Blueprint lays out policies and action steps that will work toward the following goals: •Encourage job creation and economic growth through a regional economic strategy. The region needs to strengthen its economy--made up of many successful, private,independent enterprises--so it can compete effectively in the international marketplace and improve the standard of living of the region's residents. 6 � � � Discussion Draft Economic growth needs to be fostered by strong public"foundations,"including a supportive business climate, infrastructure that meets business needs and a work force that is well-trained. Successful local economic development efForts need to encourage the growth of local businesses and retain existing businesses. Cities should cooperate in encouraging new business development. •Foster reinvestment in distressed parts of the region, with a focus on attracting business. The strength of the region as a whole depends on the vitality of all its parts. Jobs,affordable housing and Distressed areas in the central cities and other older areas of the region need to transportation must be linked be economically and physical revitalized--attracting new business development together. and expanding the t�base.Neighborhoods facing decline need bolstering to renew confidence as good places for people to live,raise children and invest in a home or business. Jobs,affordable housing and transportation must be linked together,with jobs accessible to lower-income people. There needs to be a link-up of job growth where lower-income people live,more affordable housing where new jobs are located, better transportation to employment centers, and job training that improves wark skills and work readiness. •Provide financially sound public facilities that support business growth and averall regional development. Public services can support suburban growth but they must be provided cost- effectively and in ways that help contain urban sprawL Orderly urban growth and suburban growth generated by the private market needs to occur concurrently with the provision of regional facilities like sewers and transportation.The needs of urbanization must be reconciled with the need to preserve prime agricultural land and a rurallife style. Innovative community-based solutions--developed individually and jointly by communities to deal with housing needs, environmental protection, redevelopment and other issues--need to be fostered. Increased-density development along certain transportation corridors--which provide housing and commercial opportunities that are more transit- and pedestrian-friendly--is a need. •Preserve the natural environment and incorporate environmental features into the development and redevelopment of the region. Conecting damage to the environment is less effective and more costly than preventing the problem. A balance of economic growth and environmental quality--including development projects that preserve environmental features like wetlands and woodlands by incorporating them into the projects' design-- is needed. 7 � Discussion Draft � � The region should work toward causing no adverse impact on its waters,so the quality of water leaving the region is as good as when it enters the region. •Strengthen the sense of community. Achieving some success in revitalizing distressed areas and creating inclusive partnershigs to do so can go a long way toward restoring hope and a sense of community among its citizens. The Council will work to help achieve successes in economic growth, reinvestment,financing sound regional investment,environmental preservation and strengthened communities.They can only be accomplished in partnership with business, local and state government, schools, nonprofit agencies, community groups and others. Regional Economic Strategy Introduction The basic foundation for the future of the region rests with a strong and competitive regional economy. That includes an internationally competitive business community and a well-trained, versatile work force. In the last two decades,the region's economy has clearly performed we1L It held to a steady employment growth rate of 2.7 percent annually,and ranked high in a number of economic indicators(see page 5). Twin Cities Employment, 1970-90 (average annual growth rate=2.7%) � Thousands � � � � � 7,� . . � � 1.600 — — — — — — — — — � � . � � . 1.400 � -- — �— � � � . � . � �. t�200 — -- — � � . . . � 1000 � .. . . 800 600 400 200 . . . 0 �� , . �, � . � � . � 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 . � .. . . U,S.Bureau of Economic Anatysis 8 � � � Discussion Draft Despite solid economic achievements, the region and its businesses face increasingly strong competition in the national and international marketplace. The U.S.Department of Commerce ranked Minnesota 17th among the 50 states in the dollar value of its exports(1992),but the Twin Cities area is not generally seen as a major international business center.For example,the November 1992 issue of Fortune magazine recognized the Twin Cities area for its top-rated educational system,quality labor force,low poverty and unemployment rates and strong business involvement in the community.But the azea was veiwed as Despite solid achievements, "more insular than international." the region faces increasingly strong competition in the In addition,the benefits of economic growth have not been shared by everyone marketplace. in the region.Over the past two decades,80 percent of the region's commercial- industrial growth has been concentrated in 20 of its 189 cities and townships. Unemployment,while 4.6 percent for the region as a whole,is 15.2 percent far . racial and ethnic minorities in Minneapolis and St.PauL A healthy regional economy is dependent on the economic health of all communities within the region. Part of any regional economic strategy must address private redevelopment and reinvestment in older,distressed parts of the region. The Council's regional reinvestment strategy is described in the next section. As the region works to strengthen the economy,a range of issues to be addressed include: •The challenge of global economic competition. For many,an eroding standard of living make it all the more important for business,government,educators and others to work in partnership to strengthen the region's economy. A regional economic strategy--setting out objectives, actions and organizational roles--is essential to the area's future vitality. •Economic performance.It is crucial to gauge how well an economic strategy is performing,but there is currently no consensus in the region about what specific economic results should be achieved or measured. •Regional infrastructure. Transportation and sewers, for example need to be , carefully examined to meet future economic needs and to determine if new kinds Government s role is to invest in "foundations" the of infrastructure are needed. economy needs to grow, adapt and,compete. •Local economic development activities.While essential in promoting economic growth,too often cities compete with each other rather than help the region gain as a whole. •Job training.Too manyin the work force do not have the necessary work skills to hold a job and contribute to the economy.In addition,the region must consider what skills the economy will need in future years. •A favorable business climate.The region needs to fosters business growth and productivity if its economy is to compete successfully in the global marketplace. 9 Discussion Dr�ft � � •Economic opportunity. In the past, the region's racial and ethnic minorities have not fully benefitted from economic growth. A growing economy must provide greater employment opportunities for people of color,especially those who live in distressed areas of the region. Positioning the Region to Compete A regional economic strategy is an essential component for positioning the region in a world economy.The region's economic future depends on a vital, mazket-driven private sector in a climate that stimulates business creation, innovation,expansion and retention. Government's proper role is to invest in "foundations" the economy needs to grow, adapt and compete. An educated work force,infrastructure that serves current and future business needs,a stable, equitable taa�system and well-balanced regularions are some of these foundations. The role of the Metropolitan Council is to enable the region's business,nonprofit and public sector organizations to work together--from the bottom up. The Council will help form a metropolitan-wide partnership that blends the individual efforts of many groups into an overall cohesive strategy for the region. Regional Economic The regional economy has a powerful impact on the entire state,particularly on ObjeCtlV@S counties adjacent to the metropolitan area.A regional economic strategy must •Above average economic be coordinated with state strategies for fostering economic growth. State growth government plays a lead role with key economic issues facing Minnesota as a •Competitive productivity whole. growth •Reasonable living standard policy 1.The Metropolitan Council will actively promote development of •Prudent capital investment a regional economic strategy to strengthen the area's ability to compete •Improved employment/ in the international marketplace and improve the standard of living of its economic opportunities residents. •Diversified industry mix Regional Economic Objectives Action Step 1A. The Council wili analyze and report regional economic growth and monitor progress toward econcmic goals. The Council wi1L• •Develop measures that indicate how well the region's economy is performing. As a starting point, five state economic goals in the Minnesota Blueprint developed by the Minnesota Department of Trade and Economic Development will be measures. •Monitar selected outcomes and report periodically on the progress of the region's economy.Outcomes include economic activity in various parts of the seven-counry area. •Analyze the effectiveness of the regional economic strategy.Data collected in monitoring economic outcomes will be used. 10 � � � Discussion Draft It is essential to establish a set of objectives as part of a region-wide strategy. Economic objectives developed by the Council will gauge how well a regional economic strategy is facilitaxing: •Sustained, above-average economic growth, consistent with environmental � protection. •Producrivity growth at internarionally competitive levels. •Household incomes that provide a reasonable standard of living. .�,;; --- �f m 3° •Prudent capital investment to ensure economic renewal and competitiveness. •Improved employment and economic opportunity for all citizens in the region. •A diversified industry mix to insulate the regional economy frorn shocks and national business cycles. Regional Infrastructure for Economic Development �''- Action Step 1B.The Council wiil help ensure that the region has a high- quality,weil-maintained infrastructure that is responsive to the needs of „ business and new technologies. . B _ : ;; � � ��.. . � � � � :_ . ,,� �...... ,�_. � . � r.--�,..q w � .. , �_�- � � � � �� , � �;, ��. �:��,�_. , ; � �. U _ ... ,,,d, � : � � .. �,.� $ x.�..,M��. . ��. ;� u,.,.,�_�_ � � �� o,. � �., ' y�� ,, ,:..' ` %� ; ,.�. �� k F �„ � ��. � , .. . �s �� a» ;"a� ,� ,�4..'w,,, � . i;.� a::-�t � . ,.-� e.... . . � . � ,�y6..' . . . . � , � . � . f,le � i, Wid . . � � ��'�.,�'i r �II� � . z � . � ,�,. � .. . �� The Council will: •Identify the needs of the region for new infrastructure. Irnportant upcoming decisions inciude possibly expanding the existing airport ar building a new one, making major roadway improvements and developing light rail transit.Possible future needs are a regional telecommunications network,or intermodal linkages of the region's transportaxian systems to improve the eff'iciency and effectiveness of goods movement. 11 Discussion Draft � � •Determine regional needs and financing: -Are needs being met and where are there shortfalls? -Is investment adequate for maintenance and replacement? -Are revenues adequate to make these investments? •Assign priorities to public infrastructure investments with an eye to economic needs.Priorities could be givento investments that would bring a net increase of new jobs to the region or increase exports (bringing new money into the regional economy}. -Compare the region infrastructure and its return on investment with that of other regions. � f • . ' , .: ivYi�„ 'F . . . �� V �fi i"�� s✓"� �� :�a� �a �� .,� � ,A, `�w i �. . .. � � � �� ,� :.�,, .`�s, *�. `, , ,.„r #, i �i� ��i�� I�Ik°r�l� � � � � �ii� � I;t .ew�€��±"y� � ��.�,,, �I �� -� �.«.�- � � � � � � � ��' � !� i � ,I; 'ui x , = ��p� � � �} �IA„ _ � tl� f a ��i �,»Y' � x , r�_ .: ��_ „,: �:<. � � vV �'�y��°,'��iwi �I'II :,.;;,i�ip:'�,I . . � ��i �Yh . ,�,''„r�,;,� . � � . Regional facilities play a maj or role in the economic life of the metropolitan area. Regional sewer lines and highways connect with local sewer and road networks directly serving business sites.The region's airports connect local businesses to the entire nation and the world.The transit system carries commuters to and from major employment centers, especially downtown Minneapolis and St. PauL They represent sizeable infrastructure investments and aze important in any economic development expansion. As the chief regional policy agency, the Council determines the long-term direction for many of these regional systems and issues bonds to finance them. As a result, the Council is in a position to ensure that these systems provide strong support for business and to ensure that systems are expanded and maintained to support the region's economic growth. A good business climate depends in part on getting the most value from infrastructure investments.The Council provides stability and predictability in the quality and capacity of the region's infrastructure.Businesses areless likely to select a site for expansion if there is doubt about the availability of key public facilities.In addition,the region's citizens must be assured of the best return for their collective"infrastructure"dollazs.A good business tax climaxe depends in part on getting the most value from infrastructure investments. 12 � � Discussion Draft Local Economic Development Efforts Action Step 1C. The Council will support local economic development initiativesthatfosterthegrowthof local businesses,bring newbusinesses to the region,retain existing businesses,add to the tax base and generate new jobs for the region as a whole. The Council wi1L• •Coordinate regional-level planning and priority-setting for regional infrastructure investments. Wark with local public/private development efforts in tazgeted Minnesota has "a fairiy areas. diverse economy, but the level and growth of new firms .Monitor redevelopment projects in distressed areas of the region,and report the is poor." numbers and types of jobs that are actually created by cities and/or their Tne 1 ss$veve�opment Report card tor development agencies. ihe States, Corp. for Enterprise D�evelopment •Develop strategies with local governments on ways to encourage healthy competition among communities.The result is a net increase of new jobs and t� base for the region. Discourage negative competition(resulting in the shift of jobs or taac base from one city to another)with little or no regional payback. Loca1 economic development programs need to add new jobs to the regional economy,and to encourage investments from exisring firms that would add jobs and expand the property tax base.The Corporation for Enterprise Development cites Minnesota for its diverse economy but says"the level and growth of new firms is poor° (The 1993 Development Report Card for the States). Most job growth comes from expansion of existing businesses and crearion of new local businesses. Shifting businesses from one part of the area to another produces no net gain for the region as a whole.The Council advocates retaining existing employers and encourages them to expand in place(when space allows) rather than moving jobs around the region. Expanding businesses in existing locations can be difficult and should be assisted(see Action Step 2D). A High-Quality Work Force Action Step 1 D.The Councii will work to improve the skills of the region's labor force to meet the current and future needs of the economy,and to strengthen the work readiness of all those seeking employment,especiaily young and difficuit-to-employ people. The Council will: •Promote an ongoing region-wide dialogue. Partnerships include business leaders,educators,social service agencies,nonprofit organizations and others to draw attention to issues involving the education and training needs of a changing job market,changing labor force and changing technalogy.Issues could include: -Education and trainingresources.Prepare people for the jobs of the future. 13 Discussion Draft � � -IIliteracy problems in the region.How effective are literacy programs. -Funding differences among the region's school districts.The property tu� system,state aids and economic development in the region are inter-related. •Work with the educarion sector. Include public colleges,vocational-technical schools, the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Private College Foundation in developing a broad future strategy for the education,training and retraining of a high-quality work force. T'he Council will help foster a strong working relationship between this effort and the business community. •Initiate collaborative efforts among nonprofits,and state and county agencies, Combine training with other services that support people entering the job market--including transportaxion initiatives, work readiness programs and daycare services.Also,provide staff resources to help local education providers identify gaps in work-readiness and self-sufficiency programs in the region. •Support efforts to strengthen the educational system's ability.Provide students with the skills and training needed to successfully enter the work force. •Support the efforts of the educational system and private industry. Work cooperatively to create apprenticeship programs to prepaze noncollege-bound young people for the work force. •Support efforts to continually update vocational and technical training programs. Match business and industry needs. Any long-range approach to economic growth must address both the creation of jobs and the improvement of wark force skills and training.If the region is to capture and hold higher-wage jobs, a well-trained, well-prepared work force with skills for the future should be maintained.Skills include analytical ability, communications abilities, and competency in applying technology. These actions are intended to deal with gmwing concerns about the quality of the region's work force. For example, according to the Minnesota Literacy Council,more than 500,000 Minnesotans cannot read,write,compute,problem- solve ar cope with changing conditions suff'iciently well to meet the requirements of adult life. In addition, many children are not getting a good start in life. A growing number of children live under poverty conditions that are producing a generation of future citizens who have may lunited productivity and who do not participate fully in the community. The creation of new jobs in deteriorated areas will not guarantee that local residents will have the necessary skills to fill them.An overall effort to raise the job-skill level of the region's work force should include a program specifically aimed at strengthening the job skills of people living in distressed areas. 14 � � � Discussion Draft Percent and Number of Children in Poverty, 1979-89 � . Percent �. � . � � . . � 60 � � � � . � A 7 979�1989 . � � � 17 4 I � 50 — — — — — — , . . . 40 19— — — — — — � � 7 . 3 The number of children in poverty '�.�, � � . . (in OOOs)is shown above each column. . i � � . 30 — —� — — . � — —''� . 3 I, 3 20 — — —.— -� . . . 10 — — — — — — . . . . 28 33 D � Asian Black Indian White Hispanic* � Racial Group Ethnic Group *People of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any rac+e,and are included fn racial breakdowns. U.S.Census Bureau A Strong Business Climate Action Step 1 E.The Council will work toward achieving a strong business ciimate, including a tax and regulatory structure that balances both business and public needs. The Council wi1L• •Recommend strategies for streamlining government regulations (including regional government) that hamper business development, innovation, and competition,based on discussions with business groups and state agencies. •Develop findings from a long-term dialogue on tax climate issues with large and sma11 businesses,local governrnents and others.Initiate or support a long-term, broad-based legislative strategy to improve the tax climate. Responding successfully to international competition means closelyexamining a11 potential barriers to economic growth.Making Minnesota.less competitive with other states are its tax system and workers compensation program. The regulatory climate,also cited forraising business costs,has prompted complaints about"never-ending"procedures and requirements that seem unnecessary and nonproductive.Two types of regulations frequently mentioned as problems are environmental regulations,and building and development requirements.While t�es and regulations serve worthwhile public purposes, the challenge is to uncover opportunities for greater efficiency and streamlining. 15 Discussion Dr�ft � � But because the regional economy has a tremendous impact on the entire state, the metropolitan community needs to explore the issues involved in achieving a strong business environment. However,the business climate is primarily an issue that state government must address. Regional Reinvestment Strategy Introduction , � Most of the region's communities aze "healthy"--with adequate jobs and services,where residents feel safe and are confident in their community's future as a place to live.But other azeas of the region face growing problems,and a few are in the throes of serious decline. The problems of deteriorating azeas are varied and complex--crime,dilapidated housing,lack of jobs and adequate job training, spreading poverty,a weakened sense of community. Some areas of the region face Most of the seriously distressed areas in the metropolitan area are in the two growing problems of dilapidated housing,crime, Percent Unemployment in Working-Age Population, 1990 lack of jobs and poverty. .�. SHOREVIEW FRIDLEY WHIT• BROOKLYN BEAR CENTER AREA '1!pl ROSEVILLE GOLDEN ` VALLEY MAPLEWOOD ST. LOUIS PARK � . � ST. PAUL � � MINNEAPOLIS EDINA SOUTH SL PAUL � INVER BLOOMINGTON GROVE -z- EAGAN HEIGHT � 0-9.9% 10.0-19.9% 20.0-50.2% U.S.Census Bureau 16 � � Discussion Draft Boarded-up Housing Units as Percent of Vacant Units, 1990 SHOREVIEW FRI DLEY W HIT BROOKLYN BEAR CENTER AREA ROSEVILLE GOLDEN VALLEY MAPLEWOOD ST.LOUIS � PARK ST.PAUL MINNEAPOLIS � � � EDINA SOUTH ST. PAUL � � � � � � . . INVER � . . �BLOOMI�N(3TON GROVE � � EAGAN HEIGHTS � 0-7,1% . 7.2-9.9% 10%or more U.S.Census Bureau central cities of Minneapolis and St.Paul and several older suburbs.There are others--neighborhoods at risk--where conditions are less serious but deserve attention.They can be found throughout the region. It is essential to the overall vitaliTy of the region that all of its communities are places where residents want to live and work.Their well-being affects the region as a whole. In metropolitan areas where central cities have a much lower per capita income than their suburbs, total employment growth is slower than areas where the disparity is less, according to a recent study by the National League of Cities. Another recent study by the Federal Reserve of Philadelphis found that,with few exceptions, the better a central city does, the better its suburbs da Even if suburban areas do not show the most acute problems of decline, central city decline is likely to be a slow,long-term drain on the economic and social vitality of a region. The central cities'well-being colors the perceptions of prospective investors and businesses for the entire region. The region's reputaxion as an urban center with a high quality of life may suffer, affecting new business development,unless deteriorated azeas are revitalized.Further decline will be even more difficult to 17 Discussion Draft � � reverse unless the region acts now to deal with problems before they reach the stage experienced by other large metro azeas around the country. The region faces several key issues in revitalizing its distressed areas: •Public financing tools. Limited dollars to stimulate and foster redevelopment must be directed to the areas and projects most in need. •Land contamination or pollution. This is a major barrier to reinvestment in the region's distressed areas. •Attracting economic development.Some extremely distressed areas will require multiple incentives to attract development. •Cross-sector partnerships.To accomplish redevelopment,the region needs to build on its suceesses and promote cooperation, not confrontation, among governmental agencies,the business community and the nonprofit sector. •Housing tax policy and public resources.Encourage and support home ownership and rehabilitation almost exclusively in older,at-risk communities. •Neighborhood vitality. Perceived safety and confidence in an area as a good place to live must be addressed in any revitalizaxion effort. •Poverty concentrations.This is one of the region's most complex,urgent issues. Creating a Climate for Reinvestment The problems of distressed areas require a region-wide response drawing on efforts of business, local and state government, social service agencies and others. A regional strategy is needed to break the cycle of disinvestment and The region needs to draw on create a climate for reinvestment. efforts of business, government, social service The Blueprint proposes a broad range of actions, focused on the long-term agencies and others to break the cycle of disinvestment. strategy of economic redevelopment.The strategy is to: •Focus existing and new public dollars on the region's distressed areas,giving top priority for dollars spent on regional services like transit. •Provide stronger incentives to attract business development for jobs and expanded tax base. •Stabilize neighborhoods that are at risk or in decline, and help healthy neighbarhoods remain attractive to current and pmspective residents. •Strengthen programs that help people become more self-sufficient. •Increase people's skills to match job needs;impmve transit and transportation to better link workers living in older areas to job opportunities in growing communities;provide wider opportunity for housing choice across the region. 18 � + Discussion Draft •Eliminate policies that restrict the housing choices of low-incorne people to at- risk neighborhoods;link economic development with community development in target neighborhoods;and encourage cities and counties to jointly strategize to reduce crime in tazget neighborhoods. The Council's role is ta �Act through its current authority in land use,transportation and housing. •Promote and support key recommendations for legislation. •Convene various parties to work toward common goals and develop action plans. •Support actions of education,social services and other organizations important to a regional redevelopment and reinvestment strategy in areas where the Council has not been active,or has a limited role and authority. •Study the t�and revenue changes necessary to implement the investment and redevelopment proposals of the Blueprint. Policy 2.The Council wiil lead a muitifaceted,region-wide effort#o carry out redevelopment strategies focused on the revitalization of distressed areas of the region, especiatly commerciaUindustrial revitalization and efforts to strengthen neighborhood vitality. Attracting Business Development Although the problems of distressed areas go beyond economics, jobs and economic development clearly are a key part of any solution. Jobs that pay a living wage help people escape the bonds of poverty.Jobs generate incorne that ripples throughout the local economy. New business development stabilizes neighborhoods and strengthens the property taac base.This approach has to be supported by other measures that bolster conf'idence in distressed areas. REDUCING INVESTMENT BARRIERS Examples of Additional Action Step 2A.The Council will work to remove or substantially reduce DeVelOpmerlt COSts 111 cost barriers that make it more difficult to develop in distressed parts of Older Areas the region compared with newer communities. •Razing unusable structures •Pollution cleanup The Council wilL• •Complex land assembly •Promote a stronger role for cities and/or their development agencies in both site assembly and creative use of existing buildings for commerciaUindustrial redevelopment. Such a role could include making more effective use of existing tools such as rezoning or eminent domain to aid in assembling larger sites for redevelopment, 19 Discussion Dr�ft � � creating incentives to use a greater proportion of cities'available"development" funds for commerciaVindustrial projects--to increase numbers of jobs, and continued use of taa� increment financing, industrial revenue bonds or other financial tools to underwrite the added costs of redevelopment, and to make older communities regionally competitive. •Recommend changes to the property tax system that would encourage redevelopment and reinvestment, working jointly with local government and others. Areas experiencing disinvestment need to successfully attract economic development and jobs to increase the taac base.One strategy of the Blueprint is to attract economic development to distressed areas of the region, as well as older, underutilized areas, by reducing the cost difference between suburban development and urban redevelopment. Current incentives, primarily lower costs,make it more desirable to develop in the newer,rather than older,parts of the region.Usually the costs are substantially higher for redevelopment than for "first-time"development in previously undeveloped areas.For exarnple,barriers include razing unusable structures,pollution cleanup and diff'icult land assembly. In Minnesota,as in most other states,a number of public financing tools enable local governments to attract business to their community. One of the most important, according to local redevelopment officials, has been tax-increment financing.Originally intended to help redevelop distressed areas,tax-increment �nancing legislation has broadened over the years to support low-and moderate- income housing,economic development, and hazardous waste cleanup. The 1980s saw a proliferation of talc-increment financing,prompting concerns by the Minnesota Legislature that the program was open to misuse.In 1988 and later sessions, the legislature imposed a series of restrictions and changes limiting the use of the program.Although the restrictions have helped head off abuses,they made the program almost unusable for redevelopment. State law should be changed to make it easier for distressed areas to use tax- increment financing, and limit its use to redeveloping distressed azeas and far low- and moderate-income housing. RECYCLING POLLUTED SITES Action Step 2B. The Councii will work with local governments and the Minnesota Pol{ution Control Agency to put contaminated sites back into productive commercial and industrial use through aggressive use of the Minnesota Land Recycling Act and similar measures. The Council wi1L• •Identify issues,responsibilities and barriers involved in putting contaminated sites back into productive use, working with lenders, the Pollution Control Agency,developers and others. 20 � � � Discussion Draft •Consider creation of a metropolitan enterprise fund,which could be used for a wide variety of revitalization purposes--for exaxnple,cleanup and acquisition of contaminated sites, site assembly, housing rehabilitation, increased owner- occupied housing,and diversifying the job base in distressed areas. •Support the use of tax-increment financing for cleanup of polluted sites in deteriorated areas. •Support changes in federal and staxe laws to establish various standards for defining "clean" sites, based on their intended future use. Use of these sites would be spelled out in cities' land use plans. Contaminated Sites on State Priority List and Federal Superfund List ■ � State priority site • ■ Site eligible for � ANOKA � federal funding � �l WASHINGTON HENNEPIN . o� • � a RAMSE � ■ � � St. Paul � � Minnea olis 0 Ca ■ ♦ ♦ CARVER � � � �] � a SCOTT DAKOTA � ♦ � � Q Minn.Pollutfon Control Agency,U.S.Environmenial Protection Agency 21 Discussion Dr�ft � � A major detenent to reinvestment in distressed areas is polluted sites.Businesses usually avoid any location where they could become liable for future environmental cleanup.Federal and state Superfund laws impose strict liability for cleanup costs on all companies found responsible for a site,and the costs of determining responsibility and planning the cleanup are high.Even if a potential developer could be found,lending institutions aze rarely willing to lend money for projects on such sites.When these sites are not developed,the community loses jobs and tax base. The federal Superfund cleanup program has too few dollazs to pay for cleanup at all designated sites. Moreover, hundreds of contaminated sites have been identified in the region that do not qualify for Superfund money,most of them in the central cities and older suburbs.If the region hopes to see local polluted sites recycled,it must take action itself. There are two major issues related to regional action.Financing cleanup is a key one.A second issue is:how clean is"clean",and who deternunes that--state or federal agencies or both?A safe level for a factory could possibly be"less clean" than for houses or a playground.Many toxic wastes are not amenable to current cleanup methods and are difficult to remove completely. The new state Land Recycling Act allows companies to clean up polluted sites and proceed with new economic development, with protection from liability. This law is a beginning, but the region still needs to allow different levels of cleanup,depending on the proposed use of a site. TARGETED ZONES Action Step 2C.The Council wiii explore the creation of targeted zones in areas of greatest need in order to focus attention and resources,working within the newly created federal "empowerment" program. The Council will: •Encourage the participation of local governments in the federal empowerment and enterprise programto foster new investment and the hiring of local residents. In the 1980s the idea of enterprise zones drew increased national attention as a way to strengthen areas with a long history of poverty,lack of jobs and physical deterioration.With financial tools such as tax credits,grants and t�abatements, enterprise or "opportunity"zones are intended to attract new employers that would draw heavily on area residents as workers. The U.S.Congress recently established a national program,but has not yet provided appropriations.To have a good chance of success,financial incentives will have to be combined with other resources to stimulate development. COOPERATION AND INFORMATION-SHARING Action Step 2D.The Councii wil I work with communities in developing and carrying out redevelopment plans by making sure that regional services 22 � � Discussion Draft � and facilities support local actions,by being a catalyst forfocusing action on critical needs and by providing local planning and technical assistance. The Council wi1L• •Provide technical assistance to cities,especially those with limited resources, to carry out redevelopment"models"that could be adapted to local needs and conditions. •Promote information-sharing among and within cities about successful redevelopment methods,and programs to stimulate new business development and economic revitalization. •Create a task force of developers and local officials in planning, zoning and redevelopment to determine the impact of development regulations on redevelopment efforts.The task force would make recommendations or develop a model process to improve local redevelopment procedures and practices. •Carry out small-scale demonstration projects to illustrate the merits of redevelopment models, and to further identify strengths and weaknesses of redevelopment oprions.Funding could come,for example,fromfoundations or possibly from federal transportation funds, where the project is part of � transportaxion improvements. •Promote a climate of cooperation and collaboration whereby public,private and nonprofit organizations work toward common goals supporting redevelopment. - -Hold a regianal forum involving local community leaders that would meet regularly to discuss mutual goals and objectives,and ways to collaborate to achieve them. -Encourage local governments engaged in redevelopment to identify regulations and procedures that impede or slow redevelopment and take ' action to streamline thern.Encourage them to adopt the recommendations or models developed by the task force discussed above. •Develop ways to facilitate business expansions and land assemblg for redevelopment,working in partnership with local governments. Sharing information about successful redevelopment projects can help cities develop new marketplace niches, identify their strengths and build on them. There are good examples in the region that others could learn from--arnong them,the Phalen Corridor Redevelopment Proposal developed by the City of St. Paul with assistance from the University of Minnesota College of Architecture, and a plan prepared by the City of Robbinsdale for redevelopment of its downtown. Greater public-private cooperation is also a factor.Loca1 approvals and regulations can sometimes slow or even halt a redevelopment effort.On the other hand,the city and its residents have the right to scrutinize a development that will affect 23 Discussion Draft � � them.Government officials and private developers need a better understanding of each other's point of view. Strengthening Neighborhood Vitality Older azeas can keep and attract new residents by offering housing stock in good condition,parks and playgrounds, shopping and other services, and the basic requirements of cortfidence and safety.Any strategy to reinvest in the region's distressed azeas must work to rebuild confidence in the future of neighborhoods. That means strengthening neighborhood stability and vitality.Of most concern are those neighborhoods with the highest crime and unemployment rates. TARGETING HOUSING PROGRAMS Action Step 2E.The Councii will support targeting public funds for home ownership and rehabilitation programs for owned and rental housing to � older,at-risk or deteriorated areas. The Council will: HOUSlt1g Utlits Needltlg •Explore creation of a metropolitan enterprise fund (mentioned on page _), MajOr Repail' which could be used for a wide range of revitalization activities, including Minneapolis&St.Paul 25,700 housingrehabilitationindistressedareasandincreasedowner-occupiedhausing. Older suburbs(12 cities) 11,500 Developing suburbs(21) 3,300 •Support legislation to restrict federal and state-financed or-authorized home Rura1 towns(27) 600 ownership and housing rehabilitation programs and federal tax credits to areas 7992 Counci!survey of 117 citfes. of greatest need. Such legislation would: -Limit use of state mortgage revenue bond authority for home ownership programs to areas meeting specific criteria that indicate severe distress. -Target housing rehabilitation programs of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency and the federal government to areas meeting similaz criteria. •Examine state property tax laws to determine how to remove disincentives that discourage improvements to rental properties without imposing undue addirional burdens on homesteaded and commercial-industrial properties. Below-market-rate home loans are available to first-time home buyers with low- and moderate-incomes through the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency(MHFA) and local hausing and redeve2opment agencies (HRAs). State law currently requires that these funds,far the first 10 months of each year,be used only for existing housing or to redevelop exisring housing.While this represents a step in the right direction, these programs should be focused further on areas of greatest need. Another issue is home maintenance and rehabilitation,a crucial part of halting neighborhood decline and restoring a city's tax base. Older housing requires regular attention to maintain residents' confidence in the neighborhood.Many houses in the central cities and their older suburbs are in basically sound 24 � � � Discussion Draft condition but need repair. According to a 1992 Council survey of 117 cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul have 25,700 units needing major repair; 12 older suburbs have 11,500 units; 21 developing suburbs, 3,300 units; and 27 rural towns,600 units.In addition,thousands of apartment units built in the late 1960s need to be rehabilitated. In some cases, the structures are beyond repair, and should be cleared to create open space or make way for new housing or other development.A major obstacle to maintaining rental housing in good condition is very high real estate t�es on rental property.Property taxes are the highest operating cost for rental property in the Twin Cities and in Minnesota,representing an average of 20 percent of rental housing operating expenses,far higher than in most other U.S. cities. Property taxes are the highest operating cost for Even with a sharpened focus, these programs will not have enough funds to rental property in the region and the state. sufficiently strengthen deteriorating areas.Additional dollars may be needed as part of a multipurpose metropolitan enterprise fund. INCREASING CONFIDENCE IN NEIGHBORHOODS Action Step 2F. The Council will support ways.to make declining neighborhoods more desirable places to live by working with local governments having extensive declining areas to find more comprehensive,effective, long-lasting solutions. The Council wilL• •Promote wider use of successful neighborhood-level planning models to create a sense of community and preserve the area's assets and amenities,including parks,shopping azeas and services,and other desirable features. •Actively participate in discussions about issues affecting the quality of education provided by schools in central cities and older suburbs,and the potenrial role of schools as neighborhood centers for community programs and services. •Explore programs that can help preserve residents' investment in their homes and help preserve stability in home values. For example, an equity assurance program similar to the one used in Oak Park,Illinois,reimburses owners if they sell their house for less than the home's appraised value when they bought it. While home ownership and housing maintenance are important to the image of a neighborhood, other factors also affect its future. Confidence is the key to neighborhood preservation because it leads residents to make finaneial investments in their property and neighborhood and feel pride in living there. Further,lenders will direct their investments to neighborhoods in which they have confidence. Many older areas of the region have much to offer--parks,lakes,architecturally interesting housing, good transit and freeway access, and proximity to jobs. However,the perception of the older areas as a good place to live or invest in is generally not as high as for newer suburban areas.As the region has increasingly experienced "big city" urban problems, homeowners may question their 25 Discussion Dr�ft � � neighborhood stability, and value of their home on the open market. Y While the majority of residents in older communities are doing well,the number of households in poverly is increasing. Poverty is highly concentrated in a few but growing number of neighborhoods at the region's core.Some neighborhoods appearto be caught in a self-perpetuating cycle thatfuels property disinvestment, concentrated poverty and ultimately social and economic decline. Racial and ethnic minorities are mare likely to be poor in Minneapolis/St.Paul than in other U.S.care cities.A significant number of households are headed by single parents (many of whom are not in the labor force).A household with only one adult is more vulnerable to economic setbacks,with the children more vulnerable to the physical and emotional stress of poverty. Crime Rates for Violent Offenses* in the Twin Cities Area, 1992 (per 100,000 population) � � zwo , � , . � . � i z,aao — — — — — — — _ — i.soo — — — — — , � . i,000 — — — — — — — — — — — — — i � �� . . � � m� ,, � � . � � �'��.�'�', _.'S4 — —�— — —� — — . � 331 0 . . � Core �Raetd � DBveloPed� �Fkmd Repian � . . . � cetralci6n suhubs rcgan � . � . "Murder, rape,aggravated assault and robbery. Offense data from Minn.Dept.ofPublic Safetyand from Minneapolls and St Paul Po/fce�pts. Population data from ifie MetropolPtan CounciL Research shows that strategies must simultaneously address both economic/ business and community developmentto be effective.Hopelessness,anger and crime may develop in a community that does not offer future opportunities for its residents. The region cannot afford to ignore the families and children in neighborhoods at risk,nor do we want to see their individual investments (in homes and businesses) destroyed. Neither does the region want to waste the investment in public infrastructure in these azeas. Public and private interests must work together to make all neighborhoods livable and attractive to people --places where residents are willing to invest in building and maintaining homes, businesses,jobs and schools. Another important factor affecting where people choose to live,for parents of school-age children, is the quality (or perceived quality) of schools their children will attend.Perceptions about the quality of schools in Minneapolis and 26 � � � Discussion Draft St. Paul can lead families to decide to move to suburbs where the schools are considered better.Schools can also be considered a resource to foster a"sense of neighborhood" in the central cities. They can serve as a focal point for neighborhood activities like community programs and services. POVERTY CONCENTRATIONS Action Step 2G.The Council will support actions to improve conditions in areas where poverty is concentrated, especially efforts to broaden economic and housing opportunities inside and outside those areas and to improve accessibility tc job, housing and training opportunities. The Council wi1L• •Support the efforts of communities to help rental property managers become a ' conduit for information that helps residents find services inthe community that promote self-sufficiency (information about employment counseling, job training,job placement), and promote successful local initiatives with other communities. •Encourage efforts to base support services in neighborhood- or community- based locations,such as in schools or community centers convenient to transit, rather than in downtown locations. •Support neighborhood,city and state efforts that assist people to achieve self- sufficieney--for example, employment and service combinations that work toward this goa1. •Support efforts to provide renters and first-time homeowners with skills and information on how to rnaintain their apartments and homes,such as private and nonprofit management groups and the U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development financial and home maintenance counseling. •Support improved access to employment opporlunities for residents of areas experiencing disinvestment. The Council will advocate for and support improvements in the regional transit system that provide higher funding priority for transit, especially reverse-commute and suburb-to-suburb transit improvements. •Work with local governments singly or in"clusters"to revise the comprehensive • plans of each community within the urban service area to plan for a diversity of housing types and costs that meets residents' needs at all stages in their lives. •Give priority for regional infrastructure investments or expenditure of public dollazs to communities that have implemented plans to provide their share of the region's low-and moderate-income and life-cycle housing opporiunities.Work with local government to develop measures of progress towazd meeting housing goals,whether achieved individually by communiries or through participating with other communities in a multicommunity"cluster."` 27 Discussion Dr�ft � � •Seek changes in state law to eliminate requiring a"one-for-one"replacement of low-and-moderate-income housing units,or seek state legislation to prohibit the building of such replacement units in areas of poverty concentration or areas experiencing disinvestment. •Work with the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency and the U.S.Departxnent of Housing and Urban Development to target new public dollars for rental housing production and rent assistance for low-and moderate-income households to areas that do not have concentrations of poverty but do have transit service and employment opportunities. Poverty in the Twin Cities region,as in other U.S.metro areas,is concentrated in the older parts of the region--especially in the core areas of Minneapolis and St.Paul(a central area surrounding the downtowns).In many parts of the core area,poverty haspersisted for decades,and it has deepened--and spread--over the years. Concentrated poverty has been associated with high levels of unemployment among males,high school drop-out rates,high dependence on welfare and other public assistance,and higher crime rates.The resulthas been loss of economic productivity, increased costs for public assistance, health care, and safety/ security, and a weakened ability of traditional public schools to effectively educate children. These complex issues mean that improving the physical infrastructure,though necessary,will not be enough to make a real difference. Dealing with concentrations of poverty must recognize other problems affecting the lives of people. One approach to alleviating the effects of poverty is to improve conditions within areas of high poverty concentration.That would include creating jobs, upgrading housing conditions, and adding stores, services and community centers in the neighborhood. A second approach would provide additional housing choices in suburban locations, where educational, job and other opportunities can improve conditions in people's lives. It's important to note that,especially in suburban locations,people without cars need to be close to good public transit and jobs, or access will be a significant problem. A third approach involves providing ways to help people make connections to opportunities in other parts of the region. No single approach will work; a combination of all three is necessary. Addressing issues of poverty concentrations will require a multifaceted approach to be successful. In some areas, such as encouraging affordable housing in suburban locations,the Council has authority to require local governments to prepare plans to provide for a variery of housing types and costs.In other areas, such as education,social services,and the criminal justice system,the Council should work in partnership with other levels of government,other organizations and the private sector to address these complex issues and help bring about positive change. 28 � � � � Discussion Draft Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Percent of Persons Below Poverty Level, 1989 (Census Tracts Above Metropolitan Average) CoonRapids Blaine BrooklynPark � I Shoreview White • Beaz Fridley �� Plymouth � f ' Rosevitle Golden _.. ;,.;: ., . ::. Valley : . .� : , '»y: �v:::::::::::n . .:::::� '' :i::f:: ':::�� . . !'v':::>::i::i:i;iiiiii: '::L:::>� . �...'�'�. ..: . ''i:i�' .... .::::� �y :L;::>y . . . . � }.. . ��\:�:� . / / Edina !.�y Woodbury 1•F� '��'� � I � � . � . . .. i E aa n 9 EdenPrairie Bloomington . . -`J . � � .� � . . . .. — \ Shakopee ApPleValley Bumsville ' I 27J%-76.6% 13.8%-27.7% `.::: 8.1%-13.8% j� F�� . !' Highest deci� Second highest decile � Remaining tracts k• �f .'i':� above regwnal average' `r; • /•�'.'•. .,! ""r ��i . � Metrapolrtan Counctl Source:U.S.Bureau ot the Census.1990 � 'Traas 701.01 antl 612.00 not shown on map � . � � � � 29 Discussion Draft � � Regional Strategy for Guiding Growth Introduction Regional services like highways,transit,sewers and airports play a key role in supporting new development,and regional reinvestment for providing services ef�ciently and effectively.The costs of public services are ultimately passed on to businesses and households by way of taxes and user fees.These costs aze a part Regional services I ike of the overall economic climaxe in which businesses operate.Trends indicate that highways,transit, sewers and fewer federal and staxe dollars will be available to pay for regional facilities, airports support new making it a11 the more important to invest those dollars wisely. development and reinvestment. The Council has authority to plan for regional systems,which include sewers, transit, major highways, airports and regional parks. It also plans for other services that are not considered"systems"but are nonetheless important to the region,such as water supply and solid waste management.The Council works with providers of other major services--such as telecommunications,electrical power, rail lines, and river barges to make sure the region has the facilities it needs to grow and develop. The effectiveness and efficiency of public services go beyond regional facilities. Local governments aze responsible for a range of public services and land use decisions that affect the provision of those services, such as housing, redevelopment projects, environmental protection, and transportation. These local decisions play an essential role in meeting not only the needs of the community but also,the region. � � � r,, . �� ',�. ��, The challenge of guiding growth poses a range of issues: � �x � �.- � � ,x � , •The timing,location and capacity of regional facilities. Sewers and highways �� =-� must be coordinated with new development to make sure services adequately � ``�� ` ;' � � � .� ,� ;- � � meet development needs at reasonable cost. �;� r �,�� , � _. .�-'°� _, � ;_ � � �jf E � � •The urban service area. Generally there is sufficient land to accommodate �� development until the year 2005,but the Council needs to monitor development � = � trends and verify its land estimates with�local communities. � � � �� ': A •Linking transit to high-density development.The region needs to creaxe more ,�:ur " � "people friendly" environments in combining transit improvements to " �� development. `!�� d �i 5�x �^�'G, �,. �.,'f . . . ��',f.��.:� � : . .:.„ , � ��--- •Flexible,better coordinated planning.Many regional issues require a flexible � ' . .. ,:+�;�5�. �" approach that recognizes the diversity among different parts of the region.There needs to be better communication between adjacent communiries and with other levels of government to coordinate planning and solve regional and iocal issues. •Targeted public investments. When dollars are limited for investments in regional facilities, where should they be targeted--in growing communities or , 30 � � i Discussion Draft older urban areas? •Urban sprawl into rural areas.When urban development encroaches into rural areas,it can create demands for costly services,jeopardizethe rural life style that attracted many people to the area in the first place, and consume prime agricultural land. •Special,one-of-a-kind facilities.The Metrodome and Mall of America have an unpact on regional systems such as highways,transit or sewers.Special facilities such as these that aze proposed for the region should be evaluated to determine whether they are built in the most appropriate locations and at the right scale far the region.Also,programs that draw on regional funds should be reviewed. •The debtburden forregional facilities.Sewers,transit and other investments are possible new major pmjects. Sett�ng the Direction for Guided Growth The Council sets direction for regional systems,financing for systems and land- use planning by local governments. The Council is in a unique position of overseeing major regional facilities that are part of the underpinnings of economic and development activity.It sets the direction for the timing,location and capacity of regional systems,and issues bonds to finance capital improvements for several regional systems. The Council also sets the direction for land use planning by local governments under the Metropolitan Land Planning Act. The Council coordinates the delivery of regional services and extension of services into newly developed areas. Good fiscal management of regional facilities assures that the debt for these facilities is not a burden to the region. Maintaining and upgrading existing facilities in the urban part of the region and effecrively managing these facilities is necessary to preserve the regional's Iarge financial investment. With local communiries,the Council works to comprehensively examine not only the factors and forces affecting their communities today but those they will face in the future.Many important issues regarding natural resource protection, economic development,redevelopment,shared services and fiscal impacts are not addressed or adequately dealt with now in local comprehensive plans.Also, many issues that directly affect a community--like transit, the upgrading of a highway or library service--need to be planned with adjacent communities and other govemmental units. The Council's role is to: •Guide development into areas that have regional and local services available and promote new development to occur adjacent to existing development. •Establish comprehensive land use guidelines that address: 31 Discussion Dr�ft � � -Sharing and restructuring of government services. -Coordinating development with infrastructure investments. -Diversity of housing prices,types and locations. -Incorporating planning for environmental preservation into the developrnent process. -Job crearion and economic development. -Impacts of development on services (police,fire,local roads, schools). -The interrelationship of jobs,housing and transportation. •Make more efF'icient use of local and regional infrastructure by selectively increasing the density of development--for example,by intensifying development along certain transportation comdors or by filling in vacant land pazcels. Policy 3. The Council will ensure that regional services and facilities underitsjurisdiction areprovidedcost-effectivelytosupportdevelopment and revitalization in the region.The Council will work with the providers of other important infrastructure to make sure the region has the facilities it needs to grow and develop. An Urban Service Area and a Rural Service Area Action Step 3A.The Council wili provide regional services for urban-scale development within the urban service area, including the freestanding growth centers, consistent with local comprehensive plans that meet Council objectivesfor regional investments.The Council will provide onty those services in the rural service area that do not promote urban development,except for serv�ces that meet a regional need as determined by the CounciL The Council wi1L• •Ensure there is sufficient developable land in different portions,or sectors,of the urban service area to: -Meet regional demand for economic development. -Have a balance of opportunities for residential(single-family and multifamily) and commercial-industrial development. -Have reasonable amounts of land for commercial-industrial development. -Prevent an artificial increase of land prices. -Discourage leapfrog urban development into the rural service area or adjacent counties. •Require local governments to show in their local comprehensive plans how they will provide services when new development needs them. •Seek changes to the Metropolitan Land Flanning Act to require that local governments periodically update their comprehensive plans. •Consider ways to deal with unplanned development that leapfrogs beyond the seven-county area, in cooperation with representatives of adjacent counties, 32 � � � Discussion Draft Minnesota and Wisconsin state agencies and regional development commissions. In the early 1970s the Council divided the region into two areas for planning purposes.Tn one,the urban service area,the Council supported urban growth and provided regional services.In the rural service area,urban development was not allowed. Regional services include central sewer and large-volume sewage treatment, higher-capacity highway improvements and more closely spaced highway interchanges, and other facilities. Metropolitan Urban and Rural Service Areas 1992 Urban Service Area ' - Freestanding Growth Centers Rural Centers ANOKA � Rural Service Area WASHINGTON HENN - � , . _ _ . � �� '��:It y P � ;:�'.';a i��liRo41l''I�i'� !�I ��,��'� . � . � .� . CARVER �� i�il!��I�� ;,�I � SCOTT DAKOTA 33 Discussion Dr�ft � � The reasons forthe urban service azea are still valid today.The urban service area helps ensure that urban services are provided in the most economical way to the region.It is mare cost-efficient to provide regional services to development that expands incrementally from existing development.Also,focusing development in an urban service area protects agricultural lands and preserves the option of a rurallifestyle.While growth continues in suburban areas,the Council and local government must work to ensure the continued stability and maintenance of the older areas of the region. The region has a diverse mix of different kinds of residential development --ranging from apartment buildings and clustered townhouses to rural homes on sizable acreages,from suburban and central city houses to semirural homes on large lots.This diversity offers the region's residents a wide range of lifestyles and settings.However,not all of these choices are amenable to providing urban services cost-effectively.The urban service area is a mechanism for making this distinction. Most of the urban service area consists of one large,urban-suburban area in the central portion of the region.A number of cities lie outside this area but are also considered apart of the urban service area.These freestanding growth centers are locations where regional growth is encouraged and are the focus for growth in the rural azea.The Council is committed to providing regional services to these cities under the same conditions as cities in the larger portion of the urban service area. The Urban Service Area Boundary Action Step 36. The Council wili retain the current urban service area boundary,making appropriate changes after verifying land demand and supply with local govemments along the boundary line.The Council will make changes in the current urban service area boundary consistent with regional policies,local pians to stage growth,aggregate land demand and suppiy within regionai sectors and clusters of communities, and the capabilities of the regionai systems. The Council wi1L• •Improve the quality of its landuse informatian,working with local communities individually, including freestanding growth centers, to review and update the data. •Reexamine the boundaries of the urban service area each time new forecasts of population,households and employment for cities and townships in the region are adopted. •Monitor and regularly publish data on vacant,developable land in the region, land use(residential,commercial,industrial)and housing market trends,including home values and rental prices by community. •Establish formal agreements with all local jurisdictions for changes to the urban 34 � � " Discussion Draft service area boundary,including freestanding growth centers,to address these factors: -Integrate regional and local plans for highways, parks, schools, local sewers and other investments. -Ensure housing is available in a variety of types and prices for current and future residents of the community. -Preserve environmental resources. •Focus the expansion of regional sewer service to local governments that currently have some regional sewer service. •Determine a community's need for urban service area changes in light of land demand and supply within larger sectors.Changes to the urban service area in the aggregate will be considered instead of on a first-come,first-served basis. •Better inform and educate local communities about how growth affects the demand for local services and the fiscal impact on the local government. Dates When Sectors Are Expected to Run Out of Developable Land,Based on Preliminary 1993 Estimates 2009 20y5 ANO� 2OZO+ ,; , � 1992 Urban Service Q °�' Area ZOO7 WASH I NGTON HENNE D � 2017 0 p 2015 � CARVER _ � i;l SCOTT D � DAKOTA 2009 0 0 � 2012 p 35 Discussion Dr�ft � � Council land use data shows no overall need to enlarge the urban service area before 2005.Originally the supply was considered large enough to accommodate an ample amount of development without many expansions. However, some sectors may run low on developable land sooner.The Council thus recognizes the need to review land use data with each community. Council esrimates of land supply assume that the region will continue to develop according to current trends in density and geographic patterns.The Council does not expect that development will occur evenly across the region. Because long-range forecasting is diff'icult and involves uncertainty,the Council will monitor development activity atregularintervals and evaluate land availability periodically. Land Use and Transportation Action Step 3C. The Council wiil promote higher-density development along selected transportation corridors where major transit capitai investments are made,or at major transit transfer points(transit hubs and park-and-ride lots),and guide a portion of the region's future growth to such corridors and locations. The Council will: •Combine regional transportation improvements with land use strategies to encourage more direct links among housing, jobs and transportation and to reduce heavy dependence upon the automobile. •Actively work with local communities to identify underutilized lands and other opportunities for increased-density development and redevelopment along transportation corridors. Wark with existing or proposed major transit capital improvements or at majar transit transfer points. •Take a lead role in working with local communities to ensure that they adopt land use policies,urban design practices and zoning controls to support transit- and pedestrian-oriented development,including higher density and mixed use development.Integrate local activities in engineering and design plans from the beginning of transit project development. •Develop pricing methods for the transportaxion system that would encourage use of transit facilities(example:parking fees, "congesrion"pricing). •Initiate diseussions with areas adjacent to the seven-county area to explore transportation,land use and development issues of mutual concern. A portion of the region's future growth should be guided along transportation corridors to support development that is"transit friendly"and bicycle/pedestrian- oriented.In the older,developed portions of the region,such an approach would support not only neighborhood revitalization efforts but also strengthen commercial and employment centers. In a11 areas, including the fast-growing 36 � � � Discussion Draft suburbs,a transportation/land use strategy would,over rime,provide a number of significant benefits,including: -Less consumption of land. -Reduced traffic generation. -Less need for and less costly urban services -Higher-density development along transportation corridors. -Less air pollution. -Reduced energy consumption. -More human-scale urban and suburban living environments. Transportation Corridors for Focusing Higher-Density Development F� � -� A x � � �" x �. � � � 94 �� . � HEN �� .� � � � � �� 69 '�� ° �� ` � �� aSHI��NGTON� � � � � � � � : � � � � � 0 �� 94 � � � �� 5W 36 � 9a o � 'S 94 � kw z � � 5W % E � �� . . .k � � . . . .. R � � . . . 'hY' � . . � � . 48 5 i� � . � � . . .� . . � �� ' ��. �� KOT � � � � Existing Recommended Proposed �RT HOV Lanes HOV Lanes � Corridors 37 Discussion Draft � � The Council has identified a number of iransportation corridors where major transit capital investments, in the form of light rail transit lines or high- occupancy vehicle lanes, will be made. To maximize development and redevelopment opportunities along these corridors, local units of government must be involved in efforts such as developing specific improvement plans (including the necessary regulatory and zoning changes),assembling oracquiring sites, removing substandard or underutilized structures, cleaning up polluted sites, and providing financial incentives. In addition,the Council has identified other key transit capital investments such as transit hubs,intermodal facilities,and park-and-ride lots.These facilities can also become a focus for local developmendredevelopment efforts, Transportation routes have stimulated the growth and development of azeas just outside the region.Development and transportation issues involving the Twin Cities region and adjacent areas should be jointly discussed and analyzed,and potential solutions recommended. "Cluster" Planning Action Step 3D. The Council wili promote a flexible, "ciuster" pianning . process whereby locai communities and other governmental entities can work together to resolve issues of regional concern in ways that are tailored to the needs and concerns of those involved. The Council will: •Provide increased planning assistance to local governments and"clusters"of communities to help them achieve regional goals. •Work with local governments to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in local services through shared arrangements and service redesign. •Revise and streamline guidelines for reviewing local comprehensive plan amendments,"metropolitan significance"rules,metropolitan system plans and other policy plans to reflect a cluster planning approach. •Work with local governments and housing interest groups to foster the effieient development of housing that reflects the unique geographic, political and societal conditions of suburban communities. The Council believes that"cluster"planning can encourage innovative solutions that are tailored to local area needs and resources while meeting regional objectives.These clusters could involve communities that are located within the same transportaxion corridor,that share a common natural resource,watershed ar river corridor location,that are part of the same housing market area or face similar problems--for example, environmental remediation or redevelopment projects.The issues can even link parts of the urban area with those in the rural area or adjacent parts of Minnesota or Wisconsin. 38 ' � � Discussion Draft Priorities for Regional investments THE EXISTING URBAN AREA Action Step 3E.The Council will give top priority for funds for regional systems to maintaining,upgrading and repiacing system facilities serving existing urban development to make the best use of investments the region has already made. The Council wi1L• •Determine the needs for maintenance, replacement and upgrading of infrastructure in the urban service area,especially in older areas.This examination would be part of the general examination of infrastructure needs in the region (see Action Step 1B under"Regional Economic Strategy"). •Examine the combined infrastructure plans of regional agencies and the metro highway plans of the Minnesota Department of Transportation to make sure they provide adequately for maintenance and replacement of facilities in the older parts of the region. •Ensure that plans for regional systems, especially sewers and transportation, carry out this priority. The existing urban area represents an investment in regional facilities that should be maintained.The developing area,accounting for much of the region's new growth,should be provided with facilities to serve its needs.When regional funding is adequate, meeting the needs of both areas is not a problem;when funding is especially limited,the region must target decisions. A prudent policy is to build on existing investments and keep the facilities akeady serving urbanized areas in good condition. Investing to support new developments at the urban edge would have a secondary priority. For some regional systems such as sewers and highways,facilities in the already urbanized area provide the necessary links between the developing area and other parts of region. 39 Discussion Draft � � Regional Systems: Transportation, Wastewater, Aviation and Parks Transportation — Metropolitan � � � . . � highway system . . . . hansit service � � � � e�ee Wastewater Treatment AN � WASHINGTON _ MWCC interceptors � . HENNEPW MWCC wastewater. � ❑ treatment plaMs ANOKA � � WASHINGTON o HENNEPIN p CARVER �, ❑ �/ DAKOTA � SCO7T � ❑ �7 Q CARVER � � C ❑ !', Shaded hansit area includes fixeaFroute service;specialized transn SCOTT services snch as Melro Mobility;and community-based program�. ❑ ; Outside shaded area are county and rural transportatlon programs. �b DAKOTA ': p Aviation nNOKn parks � MSP IMemaBonal . � . . Airport Reliever AnOka CO./Blaine � � airports � - Existing regional � � . � � � parks/park reserves �� WASHINGTON � � � Proposed regional � � HENNEPIN parkslpark reserves ANOKA ,� ❑ Lake E%mo —° Existiog regional CryStel ° erails d RAMSEY Minneapolis Proposed regional Q � � �—� trails � � =MSP Internat/onal S�� WASHINGTON o HENNEPIN� p �Flying Cloud� Downtown ° ° � CARVER a Mpis RAMSEY � `� Ai�lake � q S� Pa 0 SGOTT DAKOTA p � � � ❑ � a � CARVER r �] ❑ SCOTT DAKOTA ❑ ❑ � p 40 ' � � Discussion Draft MAJOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ActionStep3F.TheCouncilwiligivespeciaiconsideration toinvestments inregionalfacilitiestomeetthereasonableneedsof majorneweconomic developments, inciuding business expansions af local companies. The Council will: •Include provisions in its regional system plans allowing expansions of regional systems to accommodate major new economic development, provided it is consistent with the Council's review of special facilities and regionally funded programs. Jobs and a growing tax base are critical to the continued growth of the area and its valued high quality of life. Most econoxnic development occurs fairly gradually and can be supported with the usual level of investments in regional facilities. Occasionally,an economic development project comes along that will create a very lazge number of jobs and represents a very large private investment--for example,the Saturn automobile plant of the early 1980s.If a facility of similar size and scope required additional sewer capacity,betterroad and transit access or even improvements to a reliever airport,the payoff in new jobs and taxable property could outweigh costs of expanding the regional systems. The Rural Service Area Action Step 3G.The Council will not support extensive development in the rural service area. However, the Council will support low-density residential developments at densities of no more than one unit per 10 ' acres,with a maximum of 64 units per 640 acre parcel(one square mile). It should not affect prime farmlands or areas certified or covenanted as part of the agricultural preserves program. Appropriate rurai land uses must meet ali environmental quality standards, not require urban-level support services,and be of a scale to serve locai market demands. The Council wi1L• •Limit exceptions to the rural area policy for local governments that cannot meet the policy to use already platted subdivisians or land development. •Revise its wastewater treatment and transportation policy plans to recognize that cumulative negative impacts of small-scale development may have a substantial impact on or constitute a substantial depariure from these plans. Encouraging growth within the urban service area limits growth in the rural area. A substantial amount of development in the rural service area can lead to premature and costly demands to extend regional services'like sewers and expandfacilities like highways.It does not take advantage of regional investments that have been ma.de in the urban service area. 41 Discussion Dr�ft � � To preserve the rural character of the area and riinimize the demand for local services,development should occur at very low densities and should minimize conflicts with those who depend on agriculture for all or part of their livelihood. People then can still enjoy a rural lifestyle, with a home "in the country" near nature and away from urban life. Loca1 governments can maintain low densities in several ways. The Council encourages"clustering"housing units on smaller lots and keeping the remainder of the land parcel in open land.Clustering can help preserve natural features like wetlands,lakes,and wildlife areas or help avoid soils or topography that are not suitable for housing units with on-site sewage disposal systems. The Council also encourages local governments to use performance standards(for example, suitability of soils for an on-site system)to determine appropriate lot sizes for rural areas,rather than to rely on a uniform minimum lot size. Examples of Ways to Meet the Council's Rural Density Clustering Standard 640 Acres 640 Acres , ,; � Housing � a+� ; Cluster: ;_ _ _ _ _ Housing ; 14 Units Agricultural ; Cluster: ; ; Land , 20 Units Agricultural , m � Land , � - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Housing Housing Cluster: Cluster: 20 Units 10 Units 1 Mile On-site sewer systems must meet Cauncil requirements. 42 ' � � Discussion Draft � LONG-TERM RURAL USES Action Steps 3H.The Council will support agriculture as the primary long- term land use in the rurai service area.The Council wiil give priority to the protection of those prime agriculture lands most capable of supporting long-term agriculture production,specifically"prime farmland"or Class I, II,Iil and irrigated Class IV soils. In a prime farmland area,the Council will support a density of one housing unit per 40 acres if the housing un�t is part of a farming operation. The Council wi1L• •Protect lands that aze"prime fannland"or land with Class I,3I,IlI and irrigated Class IV soils according to the capabiliry classification of the Soil Conservation Service and the county soil survey. •Make the protection of prime farmland soils a consideration or priority for urban service area expansions and local plans. •Consider a study on ruraUurban issues in Anoka County. A common misconception is that agriculture and other ruralland uses are only temporary,waiting for the land to be developed.Most of the rural area will not be needed for urban development in the foreseeable future.Agriculture and rural land uses are legitimate and permanent land uses in these areas. One of the region's prime natural resources is its productive agricultural soils. The currentMetropolitan Agricultural Preserves programemphasizes protecting lands that are planned and zoned for long-term agriculture use and enrolled under an eight-year covenant with the land owner. Productivity of the soils should be a consideration in the Council's protection of farmland. RURAL CENTERS Action Step 31. The Council will support a rural center's plans to accommodate additional growth, provided they are consistent with the center's abilityto finance and administer services and are consistent with Council policies and forecasts.The Council supports rural center service improvements but not at regional expense or atthe expense of neighboring communities. Rura1 centers historically served as trade centers for the surrounding rural area.However, with changes in agriculture and ra.pid urban expansion,many have become residential areas for urban people and locations for industries with little tie to local agriculture(see map of cities).While some rural centers have metropolitan transportaxion and sewer service,the Council does not support the . extension of regional systems to rural centers because of the distance from the urban center and the small populations of rural centers. Rural centers can accommodate some additional development,provided that they can locally finance and administer services,including sewer,roads,water and stormwater drainage,and as long as the developrnent isconsistent with their 43 Discussion Dr�ft � � comprehensive plan and the Council's urban and rural areapolicies andforecasts. If additional land is needed to accommodate growth,rural centers should extend services in a staged,contiguous manner.Residential,commercial and industrial development at urban densities should be accommodated only in rural centers with central sanitary sewers that are meeting state and federal water quality standards.Larger projects should be located in freestanding growth centers that have a full range of services. Rural Centers in the Metropolitan Area Bethel St. Francis Dayton ANOKA � Centervilie Marine • Rogers Hugo Rockford HENNEPIN �oretto WASHINGTON Medina � � Maple Plain � RAMSEY �akeland Watertown MltlflG'apOhS �ke Elmo Lakeland � St. Bonifacius� St. PaUI Shares New St. Croix Germany Afton Beach Mayer St. Mary's Point Young America CARVER Norwood Coates Cologne_,Carver Hamburg SCOTT DAKOTA Vermillion New Market Hampto Elko New Trier Miesville Randolph 44 � � " Discussion Draft NONRURAL LAND USES Action Step 3J.The Council wiii not extend metropolitan systems to serve urban-density residential development in the rural area. Where a local government has ailowed urban-density residentiai development, it should address service issues in its comprehensive plan. Action Step 3K. The Council wiil support urban-generated uses in #he rural area provided that they are consistent with local and regional plans. Residential subdivisions,mobile home parks and clusters of moderate-density residential development exist in the rural area.They frequently demand urban services but are in locations where urban serviees are di�cult or costly to provide. Many facilities exist in the rural area that serve the urban or entire metropolitan area public.These facilities include campgrounds,regional parks,waste disposal installations, gun clubs, festivals, mining sites and similar facilities. These facilities should be provided with adequatepublic services,consistent with local and regional plans, and to the extent possible, that they do not interfere with agricultural acrivities. Special Facilities and Regionally Funded Programs Action Step 3L. The Council will review special-purpose ?acilities or programs proposed by public or private entities that are designed to serve the general pubtic. The Council witl evaluate a proposed special facility by its own initiative or in response to outside requests. The Councii's review will focus on the purpose of and need for the facility, whom it will serve, where it works best, and Council development objectives.For speciaf facilities or programs that propose financing with regional bonds or regional ta�c resources, the Councit will review the financial elementsforconsistency with the Councii's economic evaluation criteria and other fiscal policies. The Council wi1L•` •Adopt procedures for reviewing special facility and regionally funded program proposals. Special facilities--the Minnesota Zoo or the Target Center, for example--are usually one-of-a-kind projects with a specific function or focus,like sports or recreation.They are often unique and meet a regional or even state-wide need. When such facilities aze proposed,the Council's concern focuses on who should pay for such facilities and whether regional or state public subsidies are appropriate, based on how benefits of the facility are distributed. Regionally funded programs--such as a proposed use of regional financing or a redistribution of regional t�base or taac revenues--aze also a concern to the Council.They can 45 Discussion Dr�ft � ' have substantial financial impacts on taxpayers and on regional investment decisions. Fiscal Management of Regionai Systems Action Step 3M. The Council will ensure that regional investments are made in a fiscally sound manner and achieve their objective of providing needed services and facilities at minimum cost to taxpayers. The Council wilL• •Establish a process for: -Reporting information about the consolidated capital investments far current metropolitan systems or other regional-level capital facilities. -Comprehensive planning of capital investments by the Council and metropolitan agencies. Projected Debt Service of Metropolitan Agencies as Percent of Personal income Percent of Personal Income 0.25� 0.2II - - - - - - 0.15 II�- - 0.1 III i 0.05 I'� 0I' ` 1988 1990 1982 1994 1996 Y996 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 Airports Wastewater Transit �Other "Other" includes parks,sports facilltie�s and solid waste grants. 'Airports"excludes Northwest AiHines-re/ated afebf. 46 ' � � Discussion Draft -Evaluating the long-term�scal impacts of capital investrnents and capital financing of all metropolitan agencies on taxpayers and users of regional facilities. •Propose legislarion requiring metropolitan agencies to submit their annual operating and capital budgets for review and comment prior to adoption. •Manage the long-term debt of regional agencies to maintain the ability bf the Council and metropolitan agencies to finance regional services and capital facilities,minimizing borrowing costs and the fiscal impact of regional agency debt service on taxpayers and regional system users. Currently the total debt for regional facilities--including sewers and transit --is within reasonable bounds. The Council, which issues bonds for these facilities, has a triple-A (the highest) bond rating.Regional agency debt is a ' relatively sma11 percentage of alllocal government debt in the metropolitan area and it has declined over the past several years compared to personal income or market values. Currently approved(1993) capital improvements and debt financing plans of the regional agencies will cause the annual debt service costs to increase as a percent of regional personal income over the next 10 years. These new debt service levels are not excessive in light of the region's ability to pay. This favorable debt situation means the Council does not have to adopt specificlimits on regional debt.But the region faces decisions about major investments in new regional faciliries--a possible new airport or expansion of the existing one, a light rail transit system, and upgrading of sewage treatment. These potential investments require that the Council play an active role in the decision-making process.In addition,the economic and financial impacts of these decisions need to be well understood by the region. 47 Discussion Dr�ft � � Regional Environmenta.l Strategy Introduction The region has made good progress in protecting the environment from obvious sources of pollution like smokestack emissions or sewage discharges.Although The region's water supply some environmental problems remain, the more difficult issue now is how to provides a major resource deal with the combined impact of many, small-scale individual sources of base for economic pollution. Destruction of local natural features, like natural drainageways or growth...provided it is used woodlands as the region develops;the loading of ri�ers,lakes and streams with wisely and protected from fertilizers;spills of hazardous waste into groundwater;and land use patterns that pollution. generate a great deal of caz traffic and air pollutants--all erode the quality of the environment. Perhaps the region's greatest resource is its abundance of good quality water.This resource sets this region apart from most urban centers.The region's water supply provides a major resource base for economic growth.The region boasts over 9001akes, three major rivers, and a multi-layered aquifer system capable of yielding a large supply of good-quality water,provided it is used wisely and proteeted from pollution. � � � �� ,� ;��` ��. �"a„ ,r,Y�. �u�� i f � .,, .... 4(y�4` — . :.�� r..: . .��!':. ,a <�4 .. .. � w . � � .. wau"�A'k�� 4��t. �" ^�'v� � .. � ra"�,�...� . This water resource is a fum foundation for economic growth well into the next century,provided it is protected.Development in some parts of the region may overreach the available groundwater supply.Regional economic vitality relies on the ability to use this water resource wisely and plan well for its future use. Protecting the region's environmental resources poses several key issues: •Damaged or altered natural watercourses. Lakes, wetlands, streams, rivers, drainage channels, floodplains and shorelands, when not integrated properly, can cause serious problems for development.They can be lost as amenities that could otherwise benefit development. •Economic growth and water quality.The region's future development could be jeopardized if the quality of its water is not protected. 48 ` � Discussion Draft � •Intenelated river system.The region's three major rivers have many economic and recreational purposes and,together,make up one river system.However, planning takes place without fully recognizing their multiple roles or their interconnection. •Preserving woodlands and the urban forest. Trees and woods enhance urban development and improve the environment. However, efforts to protect the region'sremaining woodlands from destruction and maintain the urban forest in older areas have been sporadic. •Air quality. Current solutions to the region's air quality problems focus on technological fixes,while land use tools are not adequatelyxecognized as ways to improve and protect air quality. Integrating Environmental Quali#y Recent yeazs have seen a change in attitudes toward use of the land. Today, working "with"nature has taken on a new value because people increasingly recognize the benefits of improved water quality,widened recreation opportunities and appealing aestheticqualities.Incorporaring natural features into development saves money,enhances property values and ma.kes sense. The features of the natural environment--for example,soils and topography--are capable of supporting certain kinds of development but may pose limitations far others.Development can benefit from adapting or tailoring itself to the natural capabilities of the land. Planning ahead avoids expensive after-the-fact mitigation of environxnental impacts.For example,it can reduce development costs of having to duplicate a natural ctrainageway or to build holding ponds to replace natural wetlands, Developers can know the "rules of the game" ahead of time so theirprojects reflect environxnental guidelines. � �� y, �::m � �,, s� I +�`��,li��i��i , �, �'�� I��III' �;t', � �� , :��' �� ' �, �� ;� ;;� 49 Discussion Dr�ft � * v The Council's role is ta •Review the comprehensive land use plans of local governments and various projects to make sure they adequately protect the environment. •Provide assistance to local governments and others to help them develop and carry out environmental protection measures. •Develop data to document the extent and limitations of key natural resources. •Develop regional plans on water quality and water supply outlining actions to be taken by local government, regional agencies and others to protect the region's natural resources. •Work with other organizations in pollution prevention and cleanup programs. Policy 4.The Council wiil recognize the inherent capabilities of the natural environmentto support development in its regional land use,infrastructure and development plans. The Council will also examine how well the environmental capabilities of the land are reflected in locai land use plans and development projects that it reviews. �� opa„ °�a�,g„ waca� � �� SOIIS � � Slopes .� � � �- d��"��` ��- — � ��,��.� �d�t ,.. p Lakes _L �� . �� \��aa�, a��a��A�L;ao� b \�� ' . . v � . �,S'd9Wx��^ _ . � Wetiands L _ � — � � � � — . � � � L Woodlands � � � , • 0 z �•� — INTRINSIC 3 � , _ 1,� - SUITABILITY z � . . � . . O � � 3 . . . . . � . . � . . O 1 . � . . . � . � � � JO � . . . . � � � Discussion Draft Protecting Natural Watercourses Action Step 4A.The Council wiii work to protect all natural watercourses to maintain and improve water quality and quantity and to preserve their ecological functions. The Couneil will: •Seekto amend the Metropolitan Land Planning Act to require local comprehensive plans to include a section identifying all protected watercourses such as lakes, wetlands,rivers,streams,natural drainage courses and the critical adj oining land azeas that affect them,as well as land use and other management strategies to ensure their preservation. •Provide technical assistance to local governments and watershed organizations to support their efforts to develop adequate protectian strategies. •Recommend steps for evaluating the environmental, economic and other bene�ts of restoring significant natural watercourses that have been replaced by artificial systems; •Assess the impact of comprehensive plans and projects on natural water courses and proposed protection strategies. Watercourses drain water runoff, store and treat surface water and affect the groundwater.Changing the landscape,channeling runoff through pipes,filling floodplains or wetlands,paving over areas so less water filters into the ground and removing natural vegetation--a11 change the ability of the landscape to handle water. The results can be serious--erosion, less water to recharge groundwater supplies,increased pollution from runoff and localized flooding. If the natural drainage system is destroyed,expensive artificial systems will have to be built to perform the same functions. Or it will require costly remedial measures to reduce the effects of damaging the natural system.For example,it will cost an estimated$3.5 million ($13,0(�per acre)to restore the 271-acre Long Lake in western Hennepin County bybuilding detention basins to reduce the load of pollutants entering the lake from urban runoff. And it will cost an estimated$6.5 million over the next six years to reduce the pollutants entering the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, including $2.9 million to restore drained wetlands. Water Quality for the Future Action Step 4B. The Council wiil pursue steps toward a goal of "no adverse impact"on water quality by the year 2015,so that the quality of the water leaving the region is as good as when it enters.The Council will reassess this goal if it poses an unreasonable cost burden for the region. 51 Discussion Dr�ft � � The Council will: •Develop a comprehensive surface water quality management plan far the region by 1997,as required by staxe law.The plan would define the sustainable capability of the regional water supply and recommend how the region could live within it. •Be an active participant in joint efforts by intergovernmental groups and other organizations to address water quality problems such as the Minnesota River Improvement Project and the Lower Minnesota River Technical Advisory Group. •Promote equitable means of financing water quality protection and improvement efforts through such rneans as the Minnesota River Improvement Project, watershed planning and federal and staxe cast-sharing programs. •Pursue the cost-effective reduction of nonpoint source pollution through a wide variety of actions. •Work toward the "no adverse impact" goal in its review of comprehensive plans, federal dischazge permits, environmental impact statements and the Waste Control Comrnission's long-range implementation plan; through the Council's regional water resources plan;and by providing technical assistance to other jurisdictions. •Monitor progress toward this goal and assess the costs of achieving it,as well as the implications for achieving the economic development and reinvestment objectives of the Blueprint. •Support efforts to reduce pollution in everyday activities of the region through pollution prevention programs, public educarion and review of discharge permits. •Support efforts to correct past surface and groundwater problems through its review of permits and the Waste Control Commission's long-range unplementation plan and through federal and state grants. •Through its review of comprehensive plans and projects,work to minimize the environmental impact of development on all drainage features so their natural functions can operate unhindered. •Document the changes in water quality in rivers,lakes and other water bodies through research and monitoring programs. •Establish a means to coordinate the water management structure and process in the metropolitan area. 52 � � Discussion Draft , The region's economic prosperity,continued development and quality of life depend on good water quality. The region needs a safe, adequate supply of drinking water,and suitable water for industrial and commercial development: The quality of the region's water is threatened on many fronts.The Metropolitan Area is blessed with a vast underground system of aquifers that supply the region with good-quality water.However,the most productive aquifer--the Prairie du Chien-Jordan--is not available in many rapidly developing parts of the region and has experienced substantial drops in its water levels in areas where it has supported growth in the past. There have also been spills and discharges of to�c and other poliuting material into the groundwater system. For example, a special statewide survey by the Freshwater Foundation in 1989 showed that groundwater contamination cost 18 private companies and 1'7 cities mare than$69 million to pay for site cleanup, technical assistance and replacement wells. The Mississippi River,with its large volume of water,is a great underused asset to the region.In all but extremely drought-affected years,far more water flows through the region in the Mississippi River than could ever be used.However, the river must be protected from the numerous chemical and oil storage and transportation facilities, and rail and highway crossings that pose threats to its quality. Surface water runoff is another issue. Despite state legislation, communities have had varying success in controlling nonpoint pallution from water runoff and increased runoff from development. And correcting problems can be expensive. For example, restoration of the water quality in lakes affected by urban and agricultural runoff costs about $15,000 per acre of water,with no guarantee of success. Sewage treatment has greatly improved in the last two decades,but water quality is still affected.For example,the Metro sewage treatment plant is a contributor to the load of phosphorus entering Lake Pepin that encourages the growth of algae during low flow. Major River Corridors Action Step 4C. The Councii will recommend ways af coordinating the management of the Mississippi,Minnesota and St.Croix River corridors that recognizes their importance for orderly regional development,their multiple uses and unique characteristics. The Council wi1L •Hold a forum to discuss the region's three major rivers, current and future problems,and how planning and managing river uses might fit together in a more holistic way. 53 Discussion Dr�ft � � •Identify the areas of coordination needed to more effectively manage the Mississippi, St. Croix and Minnesota Rivers,working in partnership with the Mississippi National and Recreation River Commission, the Minnesota- Wisconsin Boundary Commission, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service. River Gorridors in the Twin Cities Area—Encompassing Multiple Uses ANOKA C,� N C� Ca '��s '' s�� HENNEPIN -t3 � WASHIN ❑ o a RAMSEY � � Mi is c q � � P '�A < � „[ �p CARVER��e�0lA �I`" � � � C� SC TA ❑ ❑ ❑ Q i ,' � e;;��j�ll' Mississippi River � Corridor Boundary � � . Q,��O �� High Density Residential � ,}0 yQ Low-Med. Density Residential �; � Commercial ' � Institutional � Industrial �8 �,0 � � Transitional (industriel ,;.� to other uses) y55�g5�Qp _ Tr8nspOrtatiOn � � . �� Woodland/Wetland � . � Existing/Proposed Parks and Open Space � 1 Mile , 1 Mile � 54 � � " Discussion Draft . The Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix Rivers have played a key role in shaping the historical and economic development of the region.More recently, they have been recognized for their importance in providing recreation and open space opportunities. Efforts to manage the three river corridors,however,has been piecemeal.They are not treated as one system, even though factors that affect one also affect another.For example,the silt and phosphorus in the Minnesota River degrades water quality in the Mississippi River.The construction of boat marinas on the Mississippi increases recreational traffic on the St. Croix and leads to shore erosion. A plan for the Mississippi River is being prepared under its federal designation as a National River and Recreation Area.However,many conflicts in river use, such as economic and recrearional use,are not likely to be resolved by the plan. Much of the Minnesota River in the metropolitan area is designated a National Wildlife Refuge and Recreation Area. But protections for the river focus on recreation and trails in the valley bottom.There is no protection,for example,of the bluffs overlooking the valley.The St.Craix River is managed as a National Scenic Riverway. Protections extend to land use and water quality, but their effect is limited unless the other two rivers are managed to the same degree. Woodlands and the Urban Forest . Action Step 4D.The Council will encourage the protection of the region's remaining woodlands and the long-term management of the urban forest. The Council will: •Support and encourage the protection of the remaining woodlands and the urban forest through its review of local comprehensive plans and projects. •Work with local and state agencies to provide technical assistance strategies and information,such as model standazds,to local governments for their local plans in protecting and managing woodlands. The region has lost many of its stands of trees to development and to the devastaxion of Dutch elm, oak wilt and other diseases Yet woadlands and the "urban forest"of our older cities play many valuable roles. They are important in reducing air pollution and moderating local temperatures and winds.They control runoff and erosion,especially on steep slopes and along lakes and streams.They enhance the appearance of new and old neighborhoods, and can raise property values.They can provide habitat for wildlife such as song birds.Many U.S.and European cities have taken significant steps to use trees and other vegetation to improve the urban environment, including the cities of Dayton, Ohio, and Stuttgart,Germany. 55 Discussion Dr�ft � ~ a Air Quality Action Step 4E. The Council will promote development and land use policies and pianning that protect and improve the quality of air. The Council wi1L• •Provide technical assistance, including model development and land use criteria and standards, to local governments to help them develop planning strategies to protect air quality. •Encourage local governments to address air quality issues in their local comprehensive plans, especially communities in air quality nonattainment areas. •Review proposed local comprehensive plans and amendments and projects for the potential impact on air quality and e�sting air quality problems. •Assess the impact of regional plans and include strategies for protecting and improving air quality in those plans. � •Work with state and local agencies in evaluating existing air quality problems and developing plans to mitigate them. Air quality is a key indicator of the quality of life in the region. Maintaining and improving air quality will affect the region's abiliry to continue growing economically. Generally air quality in the region is considered good in comparison to other major urban areas around the country.Even though the region has not exceeded cazbon monoxide air quality standards in the past two years,amendments to the Air Quality Act require the region to continue to carry out procedures to ensure ongoing compliance with air quality standards for mobile and stationary ernission sources. Solutions to these problems have focused on"technological fixes"and solutions tailored to speci�c sources.These types of solutions will continue to play a role in resolving specific air quality problems for the fareseea.ble future. Over the long term,however,the region will need to examine the effect of its development and land use poficies on air quality. 56 � � Discussion Draft , Implementing the Blueprint Introduction Implementation Tools TheactionstepsoutlinedearlierintheBlueprintshowhowtheCouncilwillcarry atld Pt'OCedUYeS out its growth and development policies.This section describes in more detail how the Council will carry out the Blueprint's policies under its responsibilities for setting the policy direction for regional systems, coordinating local and •Policy direction for regional regional planning,and dealing with critical issues facing the region. systems and investments •Coordination of local and regional planning Speci�cally, this secrion describes the tools and procedures to implement the •Addressing critical issues Blueprint: •The policy directions the Council will pursue in its other regional plans for sewers,transportation,airports and parks in support of the Blueprint's policies and action steps. •The process and the roles of the CounciY and local govemment in coordinating local and regional planning. •The process and criteria for monitoring the region and focusing Council actions. Direction for Regional Systems and Investments The Council is committed to managing regional systems for transportation, wastewater treatment,aviation and parks through its policy plans to achieve the Blueprint's outcomes.These policy plans guide the Council's decisions involuing the four systems and provide guidance to the systems' operating agencies--the The Blueprint Regional Transit Board/Metropolitan Transit Commission, the Metropolitan provides guidance to waste con�rol commission, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, and the metropolitan systems... Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission.The CounciP s other regional plans need to reflect the policies of the Blueprint.After the Council adopts the •Wastewater Treatment Blueprint,the Council will reexamine the role,scope and intenelationships of the •Transportation various chapters of the Metropolitan Development Guide,of which the Blueprint •Regional Open Space is the keystone chapter.The Council will drop ontdated chapters and reevaluate •Aviation the other chapters, determining the priority and order for their revision. Until ...and other regional plans �en,the Blueprint will be used to help interpret policies in the Council's system plans and its other regional plans. The Blueprint replaces the geographic policy areas for the urban service area, identified in the Council's 1986 Metropolitan Development and Investment Framework, with a cluster planning approach, As a result, each metropolitan system plan will need to identify appropriate cluster areas for planning and implementation activities. 57 Discussion Dr�ft � � � METROPOLITAN SYSTEMS As policy plans for metropolitan systems are updated,they should address the following points: Wastewater Treatment •Plan both treatxnent plant and interceptor capacity for timely and cost-effective pmvision of sewer service to urbanizing areas as provided for in the Blueprint. •Recognize that the cumulative irnpacts of small-scale development inconsistent with Council rural area pol'icies may have a substantial negative impact on these plans or constitute a substantial departure from them. •Continue to address the impacts on the metropolitan sewer system from development outside the urban service area--specif'ically,impacts on the service availability charge(SAC) and the underuse of inetropolitan sewer facilities. •Strengthen the effort to address nonpoint-source pollution issues. •Develop policies and priorities for sewer investments to ensure economic renewal and competitiveness of the region. •Maintain standazds for on-site sewage disposal systems in the rural area to protect the region's groundwater and the health of rural area residents, and to prevent the need for premature extensions of the regional sewer system. All elements of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency standards for on-site sewage disposal systems should be followed in all areas.All communities sha11 require at least two sewage-disposal drainfields to be located on each building site, a primary drainfield and a replacement should the original system faiL Except in the commercial agricultural area,all facets of the Council's standards for the proper design,location,installarion,maintenance and on-gaing monitoring of on-site systems should also be adopted. The Council will require a11 communities to certify that they have met these standards prior to approval of local comprehensive plan amendments or making favorable recommendations in project reviews. •Assess effectiveness of existing sewer policies concerning communiry on-site sewage disposal systems and package treatment plants in the rural area in light of the Council's policy to encourage clustering in the rural area and the improved technology that is or may become available in the future and revise Council sewer policy accordingly. •Assess need far systematic monitoring of rural water supplies to detect pollution from on-site sewage disposal systems and revise Council sewer policy accordingly. 58 LL � � Discussion Draft . Transportation •Plan the metropolitan transportation system to provide and support effective connections and movement of goods to,from,and within the region and stateby the mode--highway,rail,water--most suitable to the particular function. •Plan metropolitan highways in the rural area to support a level of development consistent with the Council's rural density policies.The Council will not plan for a level of service that would support or encourage development at grea.ter densities than the policy provides for. •Recognize that the cumulative impact of small-scale development inconsistent with Council rural area policies may have a substantial negative impact on the Council's transportation policy plan or constitute a substantial depariure from the plan. •Strengthen existing strategies for linking jobs,housing, and transit. •Develop pricing methods for the transportation system that would encourage use of transit facilities. •Develop detailed land use guidelines for transit-supportive development along fixed-route transit corridors, and incorporate into altematives for corridor analyses. •Develop policies and priorities for transportation investments to ensure economic renewal and competitiveness of the region. •Allocate regional highway capacity in accordance with the planned expansion of the urban service area and the intensification of land uses at interchanges and transit hub areas. •Take into account the cost of providing transit services to low-density areas and how that may change over time as transit-dependent populations increase in these areas. •In highway and transit planning,consider the relationships among transportation needs, population densities and the provision of human services including public schools, health and social services, ernployment opportunities and emergency services. •Establish corridor priorities based on coordinated land use and transportation planning. Regional Open Space •Develop policies and priorities for investments to ensure economic renewal and competitiveness of the region. 59 Discussion Dr�ft � � . •Develop strategies for improving the regional trail system to interconnect regional parks within the urban service area and link to the transportation system where appropriate. •Develop strategies for preserving open space in the urban service azea and in the rural service area. •Develop regional park recreation facilities that attract large numbers of users generally in the urban service area,unless the demands cannot be adequately met.If it is necessary to develop such facilities in the rural service area,adequate support services such as roads and sewers must be provided. Aviation •Develop policies and priorities for investments to ensure economic renewal and competitiveness of the region in the international market. •Develop strategies to resolve environmental and land use concerns around all airports in the regional airport system. THE COUNCIL'S OTHER REGIONAL PLANS The Council's plans for housing,surface water management and water resources should reflect the policies of the Blueprint and metropolitan system plans.The Council also recognizes the numerous interrelationships among the system plans and the its other regional plans. Examples include transportation and housing, and sewers, solid waste and water resources. For some of the other systems;the relationships aze less obvious. All of these plans have the following in common: a)assumptions about future directions of area-wide growth and change and reliance on a uniform set of forecasts; b) accountability to Council legislative mandates; c) concern with orderly and economic development; d) adherence to the same process of regional planning and decision-making;and e)reliance on the azea's population for most of their financial support. INVESTMENT AND FINANCING DECISIONS , The Metropolitan Council has developed a review process to guide its decision- making for regional investments and development proposals submitted for its review.This process includes using a set of criteria for evaluating investments and development proposals,as well as the methods of financing.These criteria will help the Council to determine whether its investment and financing decisions aze carrying out the RegionalBlueprint and evaluate the economic and fiscal impacts of its decisions. 60 4 � � Discussion Draft . Investment Decision-Making Process One way the Council carries out the Regional Blueprint is by deciding what investments are made in facilities and services.For some of these investments, like those in sewers and transit,the Council plays a major role in determining whether projects are undertaken and how they will be financed.For others,the Process for Council's role is one of strongly influencing the projects to be funded by state t'eglOflal 111VESt1't'it�17tS: �d or federal agencies. The Council's housing, aging and highway program plans fall into this category. •Determine regional needs •Determine benefits/costs In either case, the Council must make choices among investments because •Determine priorities regional needs exceed the resources available.The Council must decide what is •Develop/evaluate needed most and how it should be funded. financing plans The Council will use the process described below to develop plans,determine priorities and select fmancing rnethods for regional investments.The Council will also use this process to review local development proposals subxnitted to it for review that request regional public subsidies.Not all steps will be needed in each review.For example,when the Council reviews a special project,such as a new stadium or racetrack, setting priorities may not be an issue, but the financing method may be an important consideration. In instances where the Council is involved in reviewing projects with considera.ble potential far stimulating economic development and affecting metropolitan systexns plans, an economic development review will be added to the review process. •As a first step, the Council will determine regional needs based on this document and, where appropriate, in the policy plans/systems plans for the metropolitan systems.The Blueprint discusses needs in a broad context while the system plans provide specific direction to individual agencies or target groups. Projects or programs developed by these agencies or groups must be consistent with regional needs as determined by the Council. •The Council will then determine regional benefits and costs of individual investments,projects or programs to determine if they should be undertaken. The Council will consider alternatives for addressing regional needs.In addition, the Council will analyze what groups in the population and which geographic areas will benefit from the investment,project or program. •The Council will determine regional priorities based on the investment priorities in the earlier sections of this document as well as specific priorities included in the policy plans/system plans.The Council will also use criteria for determining "tazgeted areas" as a basis for making investment decisions. The Council will initially determine regional priorities without regard to the availability of external funding. •Following the ranking of proposed investments, projects or programs, the Council will develop or evaluatefinancingplans.The availability and methods 61 Discussion Dr�ft � � . of financing may influence the ranking of projects. Decisions on regional investments will be based primarily on identified regional needs and the benefits and costs of alternatives for meeting those needs. However, the method of financing and the region's "ability to pay" for investments,projects or programs may be a secondary factor. The Council will use the following economic evaluation criteria and fiscal principles in the investment decision-making process,including the review of metropolitan agency investment and financial plans.Special projects and major economic development proposals will also be reviewed against these criteria/ principles. 62 � � � Discussion Draft Criteria for Economic and Fiscal Evaluation •Efficiency. Will financing methods, including the tax or fee structure, lead to better or more efficient use of regional investments or services?Will a policy,program or financing method create incentives for individuals, business firms or others to make decisions that support regional policies. •Equity in Service Provision.Are programs distributed fairly in terms of availability,service level and quality? Have minimum service levels or quality standards been established? •Equity in Payment for Services. Payments through taxes or user fees should relate closely to services or benefits received, either directly or indirectly. Payments should consider "e�cternalities"--costs/benefits to individuals or groups not directly receiving regional seroices. •Generational Equity.Paymentsfor regional services should relate#o benefits received on a generational basis? What is the time frame for benefits and costs/payments and how do they correspond? •Ability to Pay.How do payments through taxes or user fees relate to the ability to pay of individuals or specific target groups? Do payments place a financial hardship on low-income individuals or families? •External Funds. Federal, state, local and private funding sources should be used to the maximum extent feasible to finance regional services and advance regional priorities.Regional priorities should be determined without regard to external funding availability. •Regional Debt.Where appropriate,the Council will make use of long-term debtto finance regional investments/ facilities.The Council will monitor the use of long-term debt in relation to the region's fiscal resources. •User Charges.User charges should be used to the maximum extent feasible and should be related to benefits received.The general public may pay for services where the general public receives an indirect benefit,user fees are not feasible or user fees are inequitable for target populations. •Broad-based Taxes. Income ta�ces,general sales taxes and other broad-based taxes should be reserved for general public purposes rather than dedicated to selected, narrow service areas or functions. •Funding Flexibility.The Council encourages flexibility in the application of funding sources to regional solutions and discourages the dedication of funding to narrow purposes where the dedication would preclude other potential solutions to a regional need. •Federal,State and Regional Funding Distribution.The Council encourages the distributian of federal,state and regional funding for regional projects based on a priority setting and project selection process reflecting regional needs and priorities and discourages funding distributions by formula. •Disparities in Fiscal Capacity and Senrice Expenditures.The Council supports reductions in disparities in fiscal capacity and service expenditures within the region. Disparities includes differences in fiscal capacity, or the availability of resources to finance public services, and recognizes that tax base is npt distributed equitably throughout the region. It also recognizes disparities in service needs and public expenditures resulting from factors outside a governmental unit's control and encourages revenue sharing through federal, state and regional programs that address these disparities in service needs and expenditures. •�ocal/Private Cost Sharing.The Council will consider local/regional cost sharing where it can demonstrate a net regional benefit and the project is consistent with Regional Blueprint priorities.The Council will considerthe regional benefits, regional facility capacity needs and regional timing/staging requirements when negotiating the allocation of costs between parties. 63 Discussion Dr�ft � � Guiding Growth and Change in the Region LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING The Land Planning Act process coordinates Sound comprehensive planning can help maintain the "quality of life" this local development and regional infrastructure region has come to expect. Communities in the rnetropolitan area prepare needed to support comprehensive plans under the authority of the Metropolitan Land Planning development. Act.When it passed the Land Planning Act in 1976,the Minnesota Legislature declared that"since problexns of urbanization and development transcend local government boundaries,there is a need for the adoption of coordinated plans, programs and controls by a111oca1 governmental units and school districts in order to protect the health,safety and welfare of the residents of the metropolitan area and to ensure coordinated,orderly and economic developrnent."The Land Planning Act established a process intended to coordinate development and the regional infrastructure for sewers,transportation,airports,and regional recreation open space needed to support development. The Land Planning Act also provided a vehicle to address issues concerning air and water quality and affordable housing concerns. The Metropolitan Land Planning Act requires that comprehensive plans prepared by local units of government contain the following: •A land use plan that designates the existing and proposed location,intensity and extent of use of land and water for agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial and other public and private purposes, or any combination of such purposes. •If appropriate,a protection elementforhistoric sites and other historic resources. •An element for protection and development of access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems. •A housing element eontaining standards, plans and programs for providing adequate housing opportunities to meet existing and projected local and regional housing needs,including but not limited to the use of official controls and land use planning to promote the availabiliry of land for the development of low-and moderate-income housing. •A public facilities plan,including a transportation plan,a sewer policy plan, and a parks and open space plan. •An implementation program describing public programs,fiscal devices,official controls and other specific actions to be undertaken in stated sequence to implement the comprehensive plan and ensure conformity with metropolitan system plans. It includes a capital improvement program for transportation, sewers, parks and open space facilities. It must also include a housing 64 � � � Discussion Draft . implementation program,including official controls to implement the housing element,which will provide sufficient e�sting and newhousing to meet the local unit's share of the metropolitan area need far low- and moderate-income housing. •A water supply element, added by the legislature in 1993.After Jan. l, 1994, communities in the rnetropolitan area need to prepare water supply plans that address the protection of the region's supply of drinking water. After the Land Planning Act was enacted, the legislature passed other laws requiring single-purpose plans.They require the solid waste plans prepared by metropolitan counties and the surface water management plans prepared by cities and towns.It is important for local communities to incorporate these plans into the comprehensive planning process. The comprehensive planning process provides the formal vehicle through which the local comxnunities coxnmunicate to the Council and vice versa.The Cauncil uses local comprehensive plans to help plan for growth in the region and ensure that regional services are available to accomxnodate that growth.In addition,the Council identifies issues of regionalimportance and provides guidance to local communities accordingly. PROPOSED LAND PLANNING ACT CHANGES Proposed Land Planning ACt Chatlges The planning process outlined by the Land Planning Act is still necessary today. Changing needs,however,dictate thatthe planning process should be strengthened •Zoning/planning relationship to better conserve the natural resources of the region,strengthen the older areas our cities,protect the quality of the environment,address housing concerns,and •Period ic pian updates provide adequate public services at a reasonable cost while promoting beneficial economic development and renewal.The process also needs to provide for better •Natural resources element communication among various units of governrnent such as cities, school •New metropolitan systems-- �stricts and watershed districts to ensure consistent and coordinated development. Blueprint and housing � Because the planning process needs to address a broader range of issues than •Optional planning elements: originally intended(redevelopment,reinvestment and economic development, lntergovernmental for example),the Council will pursue efforts to amend the"Metropolitan Land cooperation Planning Act" as the "Metropolitan Comprehensive Planning Act." This Economic development legislation will seek to update outdated portions of the existing law and Redevelopment strengthen the comprehensive planning process in the following manner: l. The relationship between zoning and comprehensive planning The original intent of the Land Planning Act was to require that local governments . use zoning to implement the policies of their comprehensive plans. The act, however,never included an effective method to ensure that local communities followed the intent of their comprehensive plans when adopting local off'icial contrals.Clarifying the relationship between zoning and comprehensive planning will be an important first step in realizing the intent of the Land Planning Act. 65 Discussion Dr�ft � � . The Council should also explore ways to hold local governments accountable far implementing their comprehensive plans. Such a system of accountability would recognize that local communities are key players in helping to implement regional policies.The ultimate objecrive in making local communities accountable would be to limit the Council's involvement in the local decision making process. Following the adoption of the Regional Blueprint,the Council will revise and streamline the process for its review of local comprehensive plans to ensure greater flexibility. The details of the revised comprehensive planning review process will be included in a handbook far local comprhensive planning and other referrals,which will be developed by the Council.The handbook will be included as Appendix B to the Regional Blueprint. 2.Perzodic Updates Far better coordination among local communities and the region, the Land Planning Act should be amended to ensure that communities amend their comprehensive plans to reflect applicable changes to metropolitan system . policy plans. It should also be amended so that school districts within the metropolitan area are required to prepare capital improvement programs that are reviewed by local governments and the Council.These plans would be updated every five years. A process should also be established for communities to examine the need for a complete update of their local comprehensive plans every 10 years after the Council revises its forecasts ofpopulation, households and employment. 3.Natural Resources Element The Land Planning Act should be amended to include a natural resources element addressing the protection and management of environmental features. In the element, local communities would identify a11 protected watercourses such as lakes,wetlands,rivers,streams,natural drainage courses and the critical adjoining land azeas that affect them.It would also identify land use and other management strategies to ensure their preservation.The element can be used to incarporaxe land use and environmental considerations into local decisions about infrastructure investments. It would also provide a way to coordinate existing natural resource protection programs. Finally,the element would be used to explore ways in which the Council, acting in partnership with local communities and the staxe regulatory agencies, can develop a streamlined environmental permitting process. 4. Overall update of the Land Planning Act The act should be updated to repeal obsolete references, to better reflect the ongoing comprehensive planning process and to make the process more "performance based." 66 " Discussion Draft , 5.New Metropolitan Systems a.The Regional Blueprint The Council will seek legislation to strengthen the tie between regional planning and the activities of local communities. Making the Regional Blueprint a "metropolitan system" will provide the region with a more effective tool for meeting the needs of regional growth and change with the provision of public services at the regional, county, municipal, and school district levels. Local communities need to adopt detailed comprehensive plans that aze consistent with and promote the objectives of the Blueprint.The Council would have the authority to review and approve those aspects of local comprehensive plans to ensure consistency of local action with the Blueprint. The Council would provide a metropolitan systems statement to local communities containing information about population,household,and employment projections as well as the outcomes of the Blueprint that communities need to implement through their local comprehensive plan. b.Housing By making housing a"system,"the Council would seek to have urban communities revise their comprehensive plans to outline goals and activities for providing choices of housing rypes and prices and removing barriers or creating incentives to achieve a mix of housing types and prices available within a community,to meet the"life cycle"needs of residents.Local communities also need to develop strategies to avoid the concentration of affordable housing units only in specific areas of the community.With the differences in community size and the way the housing market functions,the availability of housing types and prices may be evaluated by looking at clusters of communities or subareas of the region.The Council,in partnership with local communities,will define clusters or subazeas to evaluate the availability of housing types and prices for current and future residents. 6. Optional Planning Elements Recognizing the changing needs of the metropolitan area,the Council will also seek to amend the Land Planning Act to explicitly enable local communities to better plan for the future. These elements would not be mandatory. Loca1 communities can include these elements at their discretion as their particulaz needs warrant. The Council will work with local communities to tailor these elements to help individual communities plan strategies to address issues confronting them in a rimely fashion. The Council recomrnends additional elements for inclusion in local comprehensive plans.Coordination of the elements of the comprehensive plan is a rnajor objective of the planning process. 67 Discussion Dr�ft � � a.Intergovernmental Coordinarion Element This element would describe how the land use and urban service elements of a local unit's comprehensive plan relate to the part of the region where the community is located. The objective would be to ensure better coordination between various levels of government and achieving goals promoting the regional general welfare. The element would also promote coordination with other government jurisdictions.It would identify existing services and programs shared by one or more communities and idenrify principles and guidelines to be used in coordinating the adopted comprehensive plan with the comprehensive plans of adjacent municipalities,the county,adjacent counties,the region,and the state. � In addition,the element could ensure consistent land use practices.For example, the management of land use to conserve and protect environmental values requires adjacent communities to use consistent land management programs-- otherwise, the efforts of one community may be undone by an adjacent community's actions.Where appropriate,the element would lay out procedures to identify and implement joint planning areas, especially for the purpose of annexation and joint infrasixucture service areas. The element would also state principles and guidelines to help coordinate loeal comprehensive plans with the plans of school boards and other governmental units providing facilities and services but not having regulatory authority over the use of land. Each local community, district school board and service providers in the local community could establish--by formal agreements executed by all afFected entities and in their respective plans--joint processes for collaborarive planning and decision-making on public school siting,the location and extension of public facilities,analyzing the fiscal impacts of growth, and siting locally unwanted but necessary land uses. b.Economic Development Element This element would set forth principles and guidelines far commercial and industrial development,if any,and employment within a community.It could detail the type of commercial and industrial development sought,related to the present and projected employment needs of an cluster area and to other elements of the plan, and could set forth methods for pursuing a balanced and stable economic base. The element could also be nsed to ensure the availability of housing for the employees of new enterprises. c.Redevelopment Element This element would be used by local communities,the region and the state to target various tools to address redevelopment and reinvestment. While some communities may not have an immediate need for redevelopment,all communiries need to look ahead to how they will change over the next 20 years and whether they can meet the lifecycle needs of their residents. 68 � � Discussion Draft . This element would consist of plans and programs for redeveloping sites in the community and for community redevelopment, including sites for housing, business and industry,public buildings,recreational facilities and otherpurposes. It could also examine the need for redevelopment, and address building maintenance code and enforcement. If local communities include a redevelopment element,the Council will use it to identify regional system capacity constraints that need to be addressed and determine the priority to fund improvements to remedy the constraints. Technical Assistance The Council will provide technical assistance to local communities in designing these elements and in preparing environmentalland management,redevelopment and reinvestment,and economic development strategies to implement them and other regional goals.The Council i�vill seek to expand the local assistanee laan fund to help communities needing financial assistance for planning activities. CLUSTER PLANNING The Council's mandate to coordinate and plan far the orderly and economic developmentof the region requires apartnership with local government and with Cluster planning brings �gional, staxe,and federal agencies.The Council recognizes that the complex together communities issues facing the region require flexible,targeted and innovative approaches. to work on the same issue, like sewers, A key element in the Blueprint's overall implementation approach is cluster �Ilution ciean-up or planning. This recognizes that there are significant diversity and differences affordable housing throughout the region in terms of the nature and degree of problems and in the ability af the public and private sector to respond to issues of regional importance. Cluster planning allows for more performance-based implementation and gives local communities,in partnership with the Council,flexibility to determine the best way to achieve regional objectives. In the past the Council used geographic policy areas to differenriate and prioritize needs among communities and azeas in the region. The basic differentiation between urban and rural remains,but other policy areas have been eliminated. Cluster planning is intended to present a new fleacible approach to link parts of the urban or rural areas based on shared needs, eircumstances or interests. Proximity is not always necessary. Far some regional services like highways,transit and sewers,physical location is important,but notfor issues like pollution clean-up.Problems need to be framed and addressed atthe level and locale that reflect how the region functions.Cluster planning needs a region- wide perspective and policy direction,but it is a way to tailor and target solutions to the"problem"and the actual area or areas affected.Cluster planning will also be used in the review of special-purpose facilities or programs proposed by public or private entities that are designed to serve the general public. 69 Discussion Dr�ft � � J The basic tool for implementing cluster planning at the regional and local level will be the local comprehensive planning process.There are two ways in which the cluster planning will function through the comprehensive planning process. First,each local community should consider including an"intergovernmental coordination"element in its comprehensive plan.This element could be used by a community to establish how the community fits into its pazt of the seven- county region and/or beyond as well as how it fits into the region's social, economic and development fabric.As amendments to comprehensive plans are prepared by local governments, adjacent communities and other levels of government affected by those plans should compare those plans with theirown plans and policies. Where differences occur or where mutual problems are identified, the affected units of government should attempt to negotiate a resolution of the problem.If the respective units of government cannot reach a negotiated resolution of the issue,the local units may request that the Council work with them to resolve the question. The second way ciuster planning will work allows for issues to be identif'ied and addressed 'm a manner appropriate to the particular issue.Working with local government and other governmental units, the Council will identify cluster planning areas considering variaus factors including: •regional highway and transit corridors •regional sewer system treatrnent plants/interceptors and service areas •regional housing submazkets •regional transit service areas •employment concentrations and commuting patterns •environmental resources (major rivers, lakes, regional parks designated protection areas,watersheds) •shared service agreements •jurisdictional boundaries Regional investments will be guided by the objecrives of the cluster planning areas as established in each metropolitan system and policy plan.In an effort to achieve consistency and compatibility across the various levels of government in the metropolitan area,the Council will campare local comprehensive plans (including any intergovernmental coordination element) with other comprehensive plans and with regional policies and plans. The Council may establish formal agreements or compacts with local jurisdictions to coordinate regional and local planning,so that highways,parks,school,local sewers and other investments are made in a coordinated way.The region's role in providing urban services will be based on an evaluation of how well a local community meets or is willing to help meet regional goals and policies 70 � � " Discussion Draft Cluster Planning Process Step 1. Preliminary Definition of the Problem and the Geographic Area Involved What is the issue or problem that has a broader-than-local nature?What grouping of communities have a common interest in solving the problem or concern, or should be part of the solution?What group of communities that by reason of geography, pattems of association or land use characteristics can be an effective area for implementation?What is the°area"of interest, considering how the region functions in terms of the problem?If it is a housing issue,what area or cluster of communities makes sense to begin a process of more in-depth problem definition and research?If it is atransportation issue,whattransportation corridor or service area encompasses the relevant travel patterns and transportation networks? Step 2.Identification of Stakeholders/Diversity of Interests Who are the parties with a direct interesUstake/role in problem resolution(cities,townships,counties,school districts, special districts, regional or state agencies, nonprofit,civic or business organizations)? Step 3. Problem Definition and Scope of Inquiry Convene the interested parties and negotiate a focused statement of the issue or problem; also identify related issues or links and regional objectives to be addressed.These related issues may be included in the study but only if they are relevant to"solving"the problem and as they add to a comprehensive understanding of the situation such as regional fiscal and economic criteria.Checklist of potential regional objectives#obe addressed: •Guide development into areas that have regional and local services available and promote contiguous orderly development of the region. •Establish comprehensive land use strategies at the regional and local levels that address —coordination and integration of services —housing diversity(price,type and location) ]ob creation and economic development —fiscal and service impacts(police,fire, local roads, schools) •Link regional transportation improvements to land use strategies. •Link regional sewer investments to land use strategies. •Ensure availability of developable land within all parts of the urban service areato meet regional demand. •Incorporate environmental planning and protection into the development process at the local,subregional and regional levels and use environmental features to guide development. •Support redevelopment and reinvestment in the older parts of the region. •Allow for unforeseen significant large-scale regional development proposals that help achieve regional goals and objectives. •Support increased density of new development in areas where it will result in better use of existing metropolitan facilities and/or system capacity. •Ensure an adequate potable water supply to meet expected short-and long-term development needs. (A definitive list of regiona!objecfives and their implications wifJbe developed as part of a handbook on local comprehensive planning and other referrals, to be prepared by the Council.) Step 4. Conduct the Study Negotiate ground rules,identify who does what and when,how the process and product are to be evaluated. Step 5. Develop the Strategy, Implement and Evaluate Summarizethe analysis/research,define findings and conclusions,establish a strategyforproblem-solving. Determine who does what for implementation,evaluate the process and,after an appropriate period of time, the success and inadequacies of the implementation strategy. 71 Discussion Dr�tft � � DEFINING THE RURAL SERVICE AREA AND THE URBAN SERVICE AREA Rural Service Area The Rural Service Area consists of three land use types: The rural service area includes the: The commercial a,g,ricultural area includes "agricultural preserve" land under •commercial agricultural �e Metropolitan Agricultural Preserves Act that is certified by the local area �general rural use area government as eligible for the agricultural preserves program.It also includes •rural centers the long term agricultural land that is categorized as Class I,II,III or irrigated Class IV land according to the Capability Classif'ication Systems of the Soil Conservation Service and the county soil survey. The Council supports agriculture as a long-term land use. The general rural use area is land outside the urban service area that has a wide variety of land uses,including farms,residential development and facilities that mainly serve urban residents, such as regional parks. The Council supports agriculture and low-density residential development in the general rural use area.However,it does not support extending regional facilities into this area to serve high-density development like that found in the urban service area. The rural centers are 34 small ciries that used to serve primarily as retail and transportation centers for surrounding agricultural areas,but are now hame to many residents who work in the urban area and many industries with few ties to agriculture.Examples include Young America,New Mazket and St.Francis. These cities should pace development with their ability to provide their own urban services,but without regional facilities. 72 Y � Discussion Draft � Land Use in the Rurat Area* Rural Service Area Exampies of Consistent Land Uses Commercial Agricultural: broad range of agricultural land uses, including horse boarding and training, Agricultural Region kennels, sod farms, tree farms, fish production and processing, storage areas or buildings Residential: single family residences, maximum density of 1/40 acres, accessory apartments Commercial/IndustriaL• small on-farm operations normally associated with farming � Institutional: urban generated facilities, such as waste disposal facilities; prohibited ftom primary protection areas unless no other iocation available; prohibited from secondary protection area unless no site in general rural use area available � General Rural Use Agricultural: all uses listed for commercial agricultural policy area Area Residential: single family residences at a maximum density of 1/10 acres computed on the basis of 640 acre parcels (one square mile), twin homes/duplexes (meeting density standard), accessory apartments, group-living homes with shared cooking facilities Commercial/Recreational and Urban-Generated Uses: urban-generated uses, including recreational vehicle parks, racetracks, festival sites, campgrounds, gun clubs, private airports, solid waste facilities, auto salvage/recycling, other similar facilities, neighborhood convenience/servicehetaif uses, such as financial offices, video stores, gasoline, groceries, daycare centers, commerciaVservice/retail uses adjacent to or served by existing metro highways, agricultural products processing, home occupations, bed and breakfast lodging facilities, dentist and doctor offices, landing areas for ultralight and model airplanes, retreat facilities, golf courses Industrial: sand and gravel mining, urban-generated uses that require a spacious, isolated location, small manufacturing firms originating from home occupations, oil or gasoline storage tank farms, refineries, solid waste transfedprocessing facilities Institutional: urban-generated uses, such as waste-disposal installations, jails; prisons, public airports, human service agency satellite offices, parks, trails, open space, other similar facilities, unique natural or conservation areas, schools, churches, cemeteries Rural Centers ResidentiaL• urban density housing development consistent with local plan and ability to provide and finance services including sewer, roads, water and stormwater drainage; new residential development in staged contiguous manner and larger amounts within local central sanitary sewer service area meeting state and federal water quality standards; on-site systems to meet installation and inspection standards CommerciaUlndustrial: commerciaUretaiUservices meeting the needs of the center and adjacent rural area; manufacturing and agricultural related service operations including grain elevators, creameries; urban scale development consistent with local plan and ability to provide and finance services including sewer, roads, water and stormwater drainage Institutional: urban uses such as schools, churches, human service agency offices, community/public buildings ` "Even though a particular land use may be acceptable in the rural area from a regional perspec6ve,the Council will not recommend that every community provide for every possible land use in its rural area if it would not be consistent with local plans.All uses would afso be subject to any lopl,regional or state � permitting or licensing requirements. 73 Discussion Draft � J � The Metropolitan Urban Service Area The Council's preliminary land supply estimates for 1990 and projected land demand from 1990 to 2020 show for the region as a whole and for the quadrants and sectors that sufficient serviced land currently exists to meet needs through The Council will update its 2005 in the metropolitan urban service area.These estimates of land supply are data on developable land based on the assumption that the region will continue to develop according to every five years. today's trends in density and general geographic patterns.The Council does not expect that development will occur evenly across the region. Long-range forecasting is difficult and uncertain, making regular monitoring essential. The Council will monitor development activity at regular intervals (annually}and evaluate land availability(every five years).This will a11ow for a more arderly and economic staging of regional and local investments,a more timely regional response to anticipated and unanticipated land demand and assessrnent of the effect that any Blueprint strategies may have on the rate, pattern and location of land consumption and development. Although,preliminary regional data show there is no need overall to enlazge the urban service area before 2005,the Council recognizes the need to review its land use data with each community. This regionaUlocal review process is important for communities at the edge of the urban service azea and those completely within it.What happens on the inside in terms of development,infill, redevelopment and reinvestment affects what goes on at the urban development fringe,and vice versa.The Council will work with local cornmunities to review and improve the quality of the Council's land use information.This process will likely take two years.The process began in 1993 by starting with sectors and communities where the data indicates emerging shortages.This process will be completed by the end of 1995. Once this regional/local process is completed, land use information will be regularly updated every five years. Freestanding Growth Centers The Council supports urban-density residential, commercial and industrial development in freestanding growth centers. Freestanding growth centers are similar to communities within the urban service area in thatthey have a full range of services and thus are able to accomrnodate a full range of urban land uses.The distinction,however,is that freestanding growth centers are physically separaxed from the larger urban service area by undeveloped land. In addition,they have an employment base within the community that is large enough to provide work for the local population. They are more than just residential communities. The Council will make investments in metropolitan systems serving freestanding growth centers based on the overall urban service area policies, as applicable. The Council has identified seven comxnunities as freestanding growth centers: Forest Lake, Stillwater-Bayport-Oak Park Heights, Hastings, Farmington, Jordan,Belle Plaine,and Waconia. 74 � � Discussion Draft � Freestanding Growth Center Criteria 1.The community is physically separated from the urban services by undeveloped, unserviced land. 2.The community has a basic set of urban services including sewer and water, full-time police and fire protection. 3.The community has schools from elementary through high school. 4.The community is an economic center and provides a basic level of employment and retaiL PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA FOR CHANGING THE LOCAL URBAN SERVICE AREA When a local government requests a change in the staging in its comprehensive plan by either adding more land to its urban service azea ar changing the urban service area boundaries, the Council will use the following principles and criteria. Principles for Changing Urban Service Area 1.No regional sewer service will be provided during the year-2020 planning horizon to cities or townships that currently do not receive regional sewer services. However,if growth rates accelerate in a sectorand there is a deficiency of developable land within the sector,the Council will reevaluate the need to add urban service land to a new community. 2.No expansion of a local urban service area will be allowed untess appropriate and sufficient regional sewer and transportation capacity exists or is planned. 3.An urban service area compact will be developed between the Council and local community outlining the respective roles,responsibilities and commitments.ln subsequent applications for urban service area changes or expansions,the local community will provide an assessment of progress and actions taken.The Council will also include in the review of the request an assessment of regional progress and actions. If the Council determines lack of sufficient progress or actions to carry out the compact the request for change or expansion will be denied until the Council determines that sufficient progress has been made. 4.The Council discourages incremental changes to a local urban service area.Local governments should not submit more than one comprehensive plan amendment requesting a change to the urban service area per year. If numerous requests are submitted, the local government must analyze how the total number of proposed changes will affect regional forecasts and system plans and operations. 75 Discussion Draft � � . Criteria for Increasing the Size of an Urban Service Area The Council will consider requests from local units for expansion to the urban service area.These requests will be considered together for their impact on the region as a whole,metropolitan systems, regional policy objectives and other units of government. Each request,submitted in the form of a comprehensive plan amendment,will be evaluated at both the local level and at a subregional level, as appropriate,and must satisfv the following criteria: 1.Forecasts and Urban Land Demand.Is there demonstrated urban land need.The Council first reassesses land supply and demand based on current Council forecasts and acomparison of figures provided bythe local governmental unit.The Council will analyze the local community's request in terms of the urban land supply/ demand in the pertinent regional data sector(s),cluster planning area,the sewer interceptor and treatment plant service area,and transportation corridor area to ensure a five-year overage.lf the land supply is below or within three years of the five-year overage and regional facilities(transportation and sewer)are adequate, the Council will consider a service area expansion;in no case will land in arural service area community be added to the MUSA for a net increase of serviced iand unless there is a shortage of land suitable for development in the urban service area communities within the pertinent data sector(s). 2. Transportafion and Sewer Service. Metropolitan transportation and sewer services must be in place or plan ned for implementation concurrent with the development proposed i n the request.Analysis of transportation system impacts will include those communities or areas that are within the same regional transportation (highway or transit)corridor(s)or service area(s).Adequate capacity in the metropolitan sewer(treatment plant and interceptor)and highway systems must be available to serve any new development.Analysis of sewer service capacity will include those communities that are within the same service area ofthe wastewater treatment interceptor or treatment plant. 3.Staging.As communities seek to provide urban services to areas which are not currently urbanized,the communities must specify in five year urbanization areas, the timing and sequence of major local public facilities in the capital improvement program and also the official controls which will ensure that urbanization occurs only in designated urbanization areas and in accordance with the plan. 4.Rural Area Policy. Areas of the community not receiving urban senrices must be consistent with the CounciPs rural area policy for land uses and protection of prime agricultural land. S.Local Comprehensive SewerP/an.The local government must have an up-to-date comprehensive sewer plan, including on-site sewer management. 6.Loca/Transportation Plan.The local govemment must have an up-to-date transportation plan. 7.Local Assessment Practices.The local govemment has assessment practices that limit creation of vested development rights. In addition, the request must also address how the community has and intends to address the following regianal issues 1.Housing Diversity.Local implementation of strategies and actions that allow for a variety of housing types and prices for current and future residents including building mixed-use or infitl development and increasing density in residential development. 2.Environmental Resources. Use of environmental factors to guide urban development, concentrating development in areas environmentally suited for development.and 3.Shared Services. Local plans for service cooperation or consolidation and cost savings as well as the governmental unit's place and role the broader cluster context including relationship to school districts. 76 � � Discussion Draft � ' CHANGING THE BOUNDARY OF A LOCAL URBAN SERVICE AREA ' If a community cannot jusrify increasing the size of its urban service area or if ' the community seeks to otherwise change the con�guration of its urban service ' area,the Council will consider land-trade proposals involving vacant,developable land adjacent to the urban service area provided metropolitan systems and other governmental jurisdictions are not adversely affected.The Council will use two ', options to evaluate land trade proposals. ', a.The proposals must involve equal amounts of vacant,developable land with ' similar land use types and intensiries as well as similar urban service(transportation ' and sewers)characteristics;or , , b.If the scale of land use and the intensity of potential development differ ' between the parcels,then proposed land trades must have similar urban service , chazacteristics.Proposals will also be evaluated to determine their impact on the affected sector's five-year overage of land. Under either option, the Council will use the above criteria to evaluate the ' proposal.The local community,however,need not demonstrate regional urban land need. ' REGIONAULOCAL COST-SHARING AGREEMENTS ', The implementation of cluster planning may require the negotiation of a formaI ' agreement to share the costs of regional facilities. The Council will consider locaUregional cost-sharing only at the request of a local government. Cost- ' sharing will typically arise in a situation where a local government seeks to Cost-sharing is usually change the capacity,tirning,or staging of regional facilities. an issue when a community ' wants to change the Upon the request of a local government, the Council must decide whether it capacity,timing or staging wants to enter into such an agreement based upon the following factars: ' of a regional system. ', •Costs--laying out the costs and timing of all projects,both regional and local. , The Council will compare costs using when appropriate a present value analysis. It will also examine the cost burden and allocation of costs. ,Services -- specifying the services being provided, service levels, which , communities are being served and what segments of the population within a community are being served. •Consistency with regional policies -- evaluating how well the community is achieving regional policies and the consistency of the proposal with regional policies. The Gouncil will use the information gathered in this step to evaluate the net benefit to the region,as well as to analyze what the region would gain under such 77 Discussion Draft � ` , a proposal and what local government would gain.The Council will also use this information, as well as the information obtained through the eluster planning process, to establish the scope of the agreement. This scoping will include identifying the appropriate parties to the agreement,and the issues that need to be resolved as part of the agreement. If the Council determines that there aze net regional benefits and that the proposal is appropriate from a regional perspective, then it will negotiate a resolution of the issues with the interested parties and decide how the costs should be shared.The Council will evaluate both the project and the financing against its economic and fiscal evaluation criteria.In general,the Council would , like to see both parties,the agency and the local govemment,better off with than without the cost-sharing agreement and it would like costs shared according to measured and/or perceived benefits.The Council's policy plans for metropolitan systems should include more specific criteria such as measures that ensure the integrity of the individual regional system and language that specifies regional ownership and control of the facility involved. As part of the agreement,additional formal steps may need to be followed.The local government may need to amend its comprehensive plan;the Council may need to amend the affected policy plan to include the project. The affected agency may need to amend its development program or capital improvement program and capital budget to include the project. Monitoring the Region and Focusing Council Action The Blueprint calls for action to address critical issues facing the region.This section describes how the Metropolitan Council will: •Develop and monitor benchmarks to measure progress toward B lueprint goals. -Identify emerging issues,new challenges to the region to get out in front of them and forestall crises. • Develop an annual Council warkplan using this information. This includes changes or elimination of any Council actions that are not effective,re-direction of Council efforts--policy development,reseazch,and/or technical assistance- -to issues that meet criteria for evaluating and prioritizing issues. REGIONAL OUTCOMES The strategy sections describe the need for regional action in four major areas: the regional economy,reinvestment in older parts of the region,guiding new regional growth and ensuring the region's environmental quality.This section outlines the long-term outcomes or performance indicators of results that provide goals for the Council and others to work toward in carrying out those strategies.Many of these outcomes will require private as well as public action 78 y Discussion Draft �. and a level of regional collaboration that is new. The Council's intent is to monitor and to report the region's collective success,as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the Council's own spec�crole in the effort.Specific performance indicators will be identified in the Council's annual workplan. In most cases,the Council is not the appropriate agency to collect the primary data for performance indicators.In most cases other public and private agencies collect the information; the Council will evaluate those data sources for reliabiliry,validity,timeliness, relevance and representativeness. Performance Indicators for the Regional Economy l.The region's aggregate economic growth exceeds the U.S. average. 2.Public capital investments on regional infrastructure compare favorably with other regions in the U.S. 3.Public incentives for economic development result in net increases in jobs in the region; the proportion of new jobs in the region that pay above minimum wage exceeds the state and national averages. 4.The skill level of region's labor force is nationally and internationally competitive. S.The proportion of business leaders who perceive the region's business climate � to be favorable increases--compared to comparable regions in the U.S. Performance Indicators for Regional Reinvestment 1.Cost barriers for reinvestmendredevelopment in older parts of the region will be reduced from 1990 levels. 2.The number of contaminated sites in the region that are put back into productive commerciaUindustrial use will be higher than the number of sites that are abandoned. 3.Identi�ed at-risk areas in the region will be"targeted"for innovative programs that link economic development with community development. 4.The local assistance and policy developmendimplementaxion roles of the Council are perceived to be positive(conducive)to local redevelopment efforts. S.A higher proportion of public investment dollars are targeted to the region's distressed areas. 6.The research and local assistance roles of the Council are perceived by local governments as helpful to neighborhoods facing decline--to promote renewed confidence as places to live,raise children and invest in a home or business. 7.The regional trend of increasingly concentrated poverty is reversed. Performance Indicators for Guided Growth 1.Increased 1eve1 of consistency between actual land use and planned land use for the urban service area,the freestanding growth areas,and the rural service azea. 2.Council decisions on changes to the current urban service area boundary and regional infrastructure investments will reflect adopted policy criteria; 3.Density within the urban service area is increased,particularly along selected 79 Discussion Draft � ' .� , transportation corridors and in designated activity"nodes." 4.Loca1 comprehensive plans and implementation activities--zoning,building codes and ordinances,capital improvement programs--actively support and are consistent with regional development objectives. S.The rate of development of identified"prime farmland"in the region will be reduced. Performance Indicators for Environmentai Quality 1.Maintain at 19901evels and/or increase quality of water in the region's natural watercourses(lakes wetlands, streams,rivers,drainage channels, aquifers). 2.By 2015,there will be no adverse impacts on the region's waters,so the quality of water is as good when it leaves the region as when it entered. 3.The region's woodlands and "urban forests" have been documented and . strategies adopted to protect and rnanage them. 4.The region's air quality is improved. ADDRESSING EMERGING AND ONGOING REGIONAL ISSUES Changes in the region may signal issues or pmblems that must be addressed for the overall good of the region--or they may indicate that an old problem has been solved.The regional planning and the local comprehensive planning process put the Council in a position to identify critical issues and assess them so the Council can seek out entities,public or private,to take new action on the issue or to assess their programs and methods to be more effective. The vast majority of issues would not become the Council's responsibility for action or ongoing attention. The Council will use the 5-step process and criteria listed below to identify,sort, evaluate,andmove regional issues for study and action.Building accountability is a cornerstone for focusing action, both for the Council itself and for other, independent groups without resorting to regulation or control over them.In most cases,there is likely a"responsible party or parties." However,in some cases, the Council could ask the Minnesota Legislature to intervene--to identify a responsible agency in the region. In that case, the Council will propose and advocate for new legislation to address the issue. 80 y � Discussion Draft Criteria for ldentifying and Managing Emerging Issues . Step l:Identify/ssues--!s this a regional issue? a.ls the issue of regional importance? -What aspect of the issue needs a regional perspective? •Is there a role for regional advocacy?By whom? •Is itbeing dealt with by someone? •Has Council looked at issue previously?What action did they take? b.What are the potential overall regional impacts with or without action? c.Does the issue cross local govemmenUdistrict lines? d.Does this issue affect/concem equity within the region? •Does it involve a redistribution of resources? •Does it involve access to resources? e.Does the issue involve cost-effective/efficient delivery of services? f. Is regional financing/oversight required to ensure cost-effective/efficient operations or service delivery. •Are economies of scale involved? •Is the region the appropriate level? •Are there implications for overall capital costs or for total costs of consolidated regional operating budget? Step 2:Examine and Define Problems-- What is the best way to use regional and Council resources? a.What level and type of action is needed?What of the following is needed: •Issue solution? •Implementation of a soiution? •Performance accountability? b.What unique contribution can the Council make? •Will the key organizations collaborate inaddressing the problem? •Can the CounciPs interdisciplinary and or regional perspective make a difference? •Can the issue be handled better elsewhere? c. Does the Council have the resources to take on the issue? •How important is the issue compared with other Council priorities? •Who can work with us on it? •What is the appropriate level and type of Council involvement? •Is the issue time limited? d.What are the implementatioNfiscal impacts? •What are costs of activity if pertormed by Council? •What are the regional costs of activity if handled elsewhere verses if handled intemally? •What income is associated with pertorming activity? e. Do the CounciPs decisions on individual ongoing or emerging issues,when taken as a whole, result in a Metropolitan Council that can execute its role and purpose? Step 3:Propose Solutions--What are the recommended ro%s:for the Council?for others? a.What are the consequences if the Council doesn't accept the recommendations? Would doing so hamper the ability of others to carry out their roles? b.Will otherkey organizations carry out their recommended role?Will doing so help the region? What is the best way to use regionaUCouncil resources? a.ls there a direct senrice role? c.What impact would it have on the Council workforce? Step 4:Carry Out So/utions--!s solution being imp/emented?What modifications are needed? Step 5:Performance Accountability--ls the Council done?ls this still a regional issue?What new issues have emerged? 81 Discussion Draft r � ANNUAL WORK PROGRAM UPDATES The Council will annually update its work programreviewing of prior years' performance--how effeetive were the Council's action steps in moving the region toward Blueprint outcomes;incorporating any"new"regional issues that survived the 5-step priority-setting process;and dropping any"old"issues that are no longer regional priorities, or which are more effectively dealt with by others in the region. Appendix C will be updated annually to describe: •The Council's overall work effort and specific"action steps"arranged by the four Regional Blueprint Strategies--regional economic strategy, regional reinvestment strategy, regional strategy for guiding growth and regional environmental strategy; •Expected long-term outcomes of Council action; and •5taff division within the Council that has primary responsibility for the work. 82 , . Discussion Draft APpendix _ A. Population, employment, and household forecasts [Currentforecasts to be included;to be monitored annually]For a copy ca11 the Council's Data Center at 291-8140 and request publication no. 620-93-066. B. Handbook for Local Comprehensive Planning and Other Referrals The Council will revise its referrals process and the guidelines for reviewing local comprehensive plan amendments to reflect the direction of the Regional Blueprint. The Council will develop a handbook for local communities and others that explains how the comprehensive planning and referrals process works.The Council will introduce a performance-based process for the review of local plan amendments and other referrals.The performance based review will be a flexible process which evaluates how well communities meet certain criteria. The Council will develop different criteria for the various review funcrions of the Council. Many of the criteria will actually include two classes • of review criteria. There will be several required criteria which all referrals will need to satisfy.Far example,see the criteria far increasing the size of an urban service area. The second class of review criteria will be variable criteria. The variable criteria will provide the flexibility to recognize the differences inherent in the region.Examples of the variable criteria are included in the checklist of potential regional objectives contained in the clusterplanning process discussion. Expansions of the urban service area as well as setting priorities for regional funding will be based on how well the referral item meets the criteria.This effort is not intended to restrict the quantity of development but rather focus on the quality of development and working together to meet regional objectives.The performance-based process is designed toreward,not penalize,communities for helping achieve regional objectives. C. Annuai Work Program Updates [To begin with Council work program planning for calendar year 1995] 83