In This Issue:
- Metropolitan Governance Task Force Holds First Meeting
- Federal Transportation Funding Opportunities
- Subscribe to the Transportation Policy Plan Bulletin
- Webinar on Local Affordable Housing Aid
Metropolitan Governance Task Force Holds First Meeting
A task force established by the 2023 Legislature and charged with studying governance models and making recommendations for the governance of the Metropolitan Council to the Legislature, held its first meeting this week. See HERE for a list of members who have been appointed to serve on the task force. The legislation authorized Metro Cities to appoint one metropolitan city official, and its Board appointed Edina Mayor and Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) Chair Jim Hovland. Senator Eric Pratt and Representative Frank Hornstein were appointed to chair the task force at the meeting this week.
The enabling legislation requires the task force to study various approaches to governance. Legislative task force members noted this is the first legislatively mandated task force, which differentiates it from other recent task forces on the issue. Studies of the Council’s governance have been conducted in recent years by the Citizens League, Governor’s Blue-Ribbon Commission, and the metropolitan League of Women Voters, all of which recommended staggering the terms of members and measures to increase transparency and input on appointments. These recommendations are consistent with policy positions of Metro Cities.
The first meeting included a high-level overview of the Metropolitan Council’s governing structure, and general discussion and questions by members on how the task force will approach its work. Members also discussed other items for future meetings, including public outreach and engagement.
The next meeting date has not been scheduled. Questions? Contact Patricia Nauman at 651-215-4002 or [email protected].
Federal Transportation Funding Opportunities
The Office of the Secretary of Transportation is set to release a joint Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) and Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) programs, which will combine two major discretionary grants into one NOFO. This combined program will be known as the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program. The RCN program will solicit grant applications for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot discretionary grant program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and for the newly created Neighborhood Access and Equity discretionary grant program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Under the combined RCN Program, USDOT will offer three grant types:
- Capital Construction
- Community Planning
- Regional Partnerships Challenge
Both programs included in the RCN program have several characteristics in common including prioritizing disadvantaged communities, improving access, fostering equitable development, and reconnecting communities. Because of this overlap many projects will be eligible for both programs. Click HERE for more information on how to apply, scoring criteria, frequently asked questions, webinars, and more.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.
Subscribe to the Transportation Policy Plan Bulletin
Metropolitan Council transportation planning staff are inviting you to subscribe to their Transportation Policy Plan bulletin. The Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) is the region’s long-range transportation investment and policy plan, currently undergoing its major 10-year update. If you’re interested in receiving these bulletins, you can sign up here. Please feel free to share this invite broadly with interested people and groups. Click HERE to view the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Policy Plan webpage which contains links to the current 2040 TPP and information regarding ongoing public engagement efforts, the 2050 TPP Technical Working Group, and the 2050 TPP Advisory Work Group.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.
Webinar on Local Affordable Housing Aid
The League of Minnesota Cities is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, August 30th from 10:30 to 11:45 am focused on the new metro-area Local Affordable Housing Aid program. The webinar will feature a speaker from Minnesota Housing, Housing Chairs Senator Lindsey Port and Representative Mike Howard, and staff from the Department of Revenue. Speakers will discuss how the programs will be administered, what the funding can be spent on, and ways to maximize the resources by collaborating and coordinating with counties. To sign up for the metro-specific webinar, visit this website HERE.
If you have questions for presenters, you can submit them to the league by email at [email protected] before 10 am on Tuesday, August 29th.
Questions? Contact Ania McDonnell at [email protected].