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11a. AMM Policy Adoption Meeting -e /*A e 4 / r" I M 1. il l 1 V 1 i I/ a. 1 AMM Policy Adoption Meeting 1 When: Thursday, Nov. 5,1992 Where: The Decathlon Athletic Club 1 7800 Cedar Avenue Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 1 4:15 p.m. Insiders tour of the P > • 1 MALLOFAMERICA. I 5:45 .m. p 6:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Social9four Suffat Pinner roacy Adoption Muting (Cash bar) 'Io[as styaBanccuc Barbecued Ribs and Chicken • Chefs Catch of the Day • Fruits, Salads and Vegetables Apple Pie and Cherry Cobbler I Spouses, significant others and guests are welcome! Price: $25 per person. I Before taking on the serious business of adopting AMM's 1993 Legislative Policy, treat yourself to an insiders tour of the Mall of America.The tour begins at 4:15 p.m., and you'll arrive at the Decathlon Club about 30 minutes before the buffetfdinner 1 begins. 1. Reservations for the dinner and the Mall of America tour must be made to I Carol Williams (490-3301) no later onday,-Noy.2. (Reservations are not needed if you plan to attend the business meeting portion only. Please channel all reservations through the office of your City Manager /Administrator.) 1 2. Some of the Metropolitan Governance Task Force recommendations have gener- ated spirited commentary. Adding to the discussion will be Metropolitan Council Chair I Mary Anderson, who will offer her opinions on the recommendations. Specifics for Mall tour, map of the area and meeting agenda on reverse. DISTRIBUTION 1 U ON NOTE. This invitation has been mailed to Mayors. Council Members and Managers/Administrators individually. "7[MI 3O0'Ca' Tirglo' n'7Cvan' ai�"11611h;'Sf: PAT VIN - 55176 1 1 The AMM Board of Directors is scheduled to consider and adopt this section of policies at its Oct. 29 meeting • VII ' METROPOLITAN GOVERNANCE REORGANIZATION ' VII -A LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION OF METROPOLITAN GOVERNANCE The Association of Metropolitan Municipalities' Metropolitan Governance Task Force has suggested broad -based changes in the make -up and operation of the Metropolitan Council so it may become more responsive and responsible to the current climate and to help lead the metropolitan area into the 21st Century and beyond. The types of recommendations are divided into two main ' categories: Those requiring legislative action and those needing action by the Metropolitan Council. (There are also suggestions for AMM action that are not listed in this document.) 1 A-1 ELECTION OF METROPOLITAN COUNCIL /METROPOLITAN AGENCIES APPOINTMENTS The Metropolitan Council has substantial taxing authority and supervises other metropolitan agencies that have considerably more taxing authority. This taxing ability ' requires accountability that cannot be achieved through current appointment process. Direct election would give the accountability the citizens need to balance the Council's ' taxing authority and other responsibilities it now has or may have. As a side benefit, the election process would help address the general lack of understanding about the ' Metropolitan Council and its role in the region. THE AMM RECOMMENDS THAT METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEMBERS BE ELECTED ' DIRECTLY TO THEIR POSITIONS TO BALANCE ACCOUNTABILITY WITH AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY. (THE ELECTION PROCESS SHOULD BE IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE TASK FORCE REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ELECTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.) THE AMM ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL CHAIR BE ELECTED BIENNIALLY FROM WITHIN THE COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP, NOT APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR. THE AMM FURTHER RECOMMENDS THAT THE COUNCIL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO APPOINT ALL CHAIRS AND MEMBERS TO REGIONAL AGENCIES UNDER THE COUNCIL'S PURVIEW. THESE AGENCIES ARE METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS COMMISSION (14-A.C.), METROPOLITAN WASTE CONTROL COMMISSION (MWCC) , METROPOLITAN TRANSIT COMMISSION (MTC), METROPOLITAN PARKS AND OPEN SPACE COMMISSION (MPOSC) AND THE REGIONAL TRANSIT BOARD (RTB). ' A -2 METROPOLITAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEES IN THE LEGISLATURE is �: r � •, The state Legislature frequently is asked to review and pass If legislation that affects only the seven - county metropolitan area. The Senate currently has a Metropolitan Affairs Committee to address these matters. At one time, the House of Representatives also had a committee whose purview was metropolitan affairs, but since has folded its duties in with its Local Government Committee. TO BETTER ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS AND SITUATIONS THAT ARE TRULY OF TWIN CITY METROPOLITAN SIGNIFICANCE AND INTEREST, AND NAVE NO DIRECT BEARING ON OTHER REGIONS OF MINNESOTA, THE AMM RECOMMENDS THAT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REVIVE ITS METROPOLITAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND THAT THE SENATE CONTINUE ITS METROPOLITAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. MEMBERSHIP ON THESE COMMITTEES SHOULD BE PREDOMINANTLY METROPOLITAN LEGISLATORS. A -3 REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITIES /TRANSIT - • The regional rail authorities - as they affect transit matters in the metropolitan area - have outlived their usefulness. No one rail authority has the broad metropolitan perspective to plan a transit system. As a group, the rail authorities duplicate and complicate transit planning of the existing metropolitan agencies. THEREFORE, THE AMM RECOMMENDS THAT THE ROLE OF THE REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITIES AS INVOLVED IN TRANSIT IN THE SEVEN - COUNTY METROPOLITAN AREA BE ELIMINATED. 1 A -4 RESTRUCTURING OF METROPOLITAN AGENCIES The AMM believes that to better meet the needs of current and future delivery of regional services and developing and implementing regional policy, some changes should be made to the structures and responsibilities of the regional agencies. The detailed reasons and rationales for such changes are contained in the aforementioned Task Force report. THE AMM RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING STATUTORY CHANGES WITH RESPECT TO METROPOLITAN AGENCIESS - REMOVE THE METROPOLITAN SPORTS FACILITIES COMMISSION AS A METROPOLITAN AGENCY SINCE THE BACK -UP TAX LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO ONE CITY WHICH ALSO APPOINTS ALL COMMISSIONERS EXCEPT THE CHAIR/ - MODIFY THE STATUS OF THE M.A.C. 80 THAT IT EITHER BECOMES A TRUE METROPOLITAN AGENCY OR A STATE DIRECTED AGENCY. IF THE BACK -UP PROPERTY TAX IS ONLY LIMITED TO THE SEVEN- COUNTY METROPOLITAN AREA, THEN IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A METROPOLITAN AGENCY AND ITS COMMISSION MEMBERS APPOINTED BY AN ELECTED METROPOLITAN COUNCIL. THE BACK -UP PROPERTY TAX SHOULD BE STATEWIDE IF THERE IS STATEWIDE REPRESENTATION ON THE M.A.C. AND IF A STATEWIDE ENTITY IS THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY. ' 2 - CONVERT THE LAND USE ADVISORY COMMITTEE INTO THE LAND USE ADVISORY COMMISSION SIMILAR IN STRUCTURE AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE METROPOLITAN ' COUNCIL AS IS THE MPOSC. - GRANT THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL THE AUTHORITY TO REORGANIZE THE TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT STRUCTURE AND OPERATION IN THE REGION. THIS COULD INCLUDE REVISING THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE RTB AND ' MTC, AND MAY INVOLVE SHIFTING OF FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN THE TWO AGENCIES AND ITSELF. UNDER SUCH REORGANIZATION THE RTB CHAIR SHOULD BECOME PART -TIME AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MUST NOT BECOME ' THE SHORT - RANGE, DAY -TO -DAY PLANNING AUTHORITY. RECOMMENDATION FOR ELIMINATION OF EITHER THE RTB OR MTC WOULD REQUIRE SPECIFIC LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL. ' VII -B RE- ENERGIZING THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL The Metropolitan Council was formed to address specific ' problems, such as providing an adequate sewer system for Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding suburbs, but it had a broader focus. Its mission was to serve the ' metropolitan area. Its first members took what could be called a pro- active stance and, over time, became involved in issues such as land use planning, parks and open space, and transportation to allow for the orderly expansion of ' growth in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. During the years since its inception to the present, ' however, the Metropolitan Council is perceived to have become more politicized and is offhandedly referred to as the "State Department of Metropolitan Affairs." It has, either by design or happenstance, become an enforcer of rules and regulations. It has become enmeshed in minutia and dealing with the here - and -now, functioning less as an institution of forward- thinking planning. When the Council was created to address the issues of sewers, transit, and parks and open space, it seemed natural ' for the Council to engage more heavily in the day -to -day activities of the systems and agencies it envisioned. The Council did nothing wrong, per se. Rather, it seemed to institutionalize its vision, which pulled it back from ' forward- thinking. The AMM believes the Council should become re- energized. 1 THEREFORE THE AMM RECOMMENDS THAT: - THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL RE- EMPHASIZE ITS VISIONARY ROLE AND ' APPOINT A PERMANENT COMMITTEE WHOSE SOLE CHARGE IS TO SEEK OUT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES THAT THE COUNCIL MAY ADDRESS. THE COUNCIL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ADVANCE THE METROPOLITAN AREA INTO THE NEXT CENTURY BY FOCUSING ON VISION AND LONG -RANGE PLANNING - THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL WORK ACTIVELY TO GET CITIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN THE ACTUAL DELIVERY OF SERVICES. TO THIS END, THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO WORK WITH CITY OFFICIALS 3 TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AS NEEDED AND TO GET A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE ON ISSUES. - TEE COUNCIL EXAMINE SEVERAL ISSUE AREAS THAT HAVE METROPOLITAN WIDE SIGNIFICANCE. THE COUNCIL WOULD PROVIDE OVERSIGHT AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPRESENTING AGENCIES UNDER ITS CHARGE AT THE STATE LEVEL. IT WOULD FACILITATE PLANNING DEVELOPMENT OF THESE ISSUE AREAS. SOME OF THE ISSUES AREAS INCLUDE LAND USE PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT; HOUSING COMMUNITY PRESERVATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION; ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORTATION, HUMAN RESOURCES, PUBLIC SAFETY SUPPORT, AND REGIONAL AND LEISURE SERVICES. ' - THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL STRENGTHEN THE AUTHORITY OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN RUNNING THE DAY -TO -DAY OPERATIONS AND THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS BECOME MORE • BIG PICTURE" ORIENTED AND LESS INVOLVED IN DETAILS. • t 4