Metro Cities News 11/15/24

Nov

In This Issue:

RSVP for Policy Adoption Meeting Next Thursday - November 21st!

Metro Cities’ legislative policies will receive final adoption at the Policy Adoption Meeting Thursday, November 21st at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be virtual and will feature Distinguished Professor David Schultz of Hamline University as our guest speaker. Draft legislative policies can be viewed HERE. A quorum is required for the adoption of policies. RSVP to Jennifer Dorn at [email protected]. We hope to see you!

Imagine 2050 Update: Public Comments

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Council heard an update from staff on public comments received on the Council’s draft Imagine 2050 document. Imagine 2050 is the regional development guide crafted by the Metropolitan Council and serves as the long-range policy foundation for the region. The plan includes a Land Use Policy Plan, Housing Policy Plan, Transportation Policy Plan, Water Policy Plan, and the Parks and Trails Policy Plan.

During the meeting, Council staff shared high level themes in the comments received from residents, local governments, and non-profit/advocacy organizations. Some key themes heard from local governments were requests for clarification of terms, clarification on what is required, technical assistance and funding support, and flexibility in implementation. Staff noted that they heard concerns on the draft plans from local governments about proposed policies going beyond and outside of the Council’s authority, policies being disadvantageous to suburban/rural communities, and outside factors outside a local government’s control that could make implementation difficult.

Several Council members spoke to concerns they have heard from local governments about the draft plans, and the need for more local feedback and robust Council discussion on some concerns that local governments are raising on the plans.

View the presentation slides HERE. There is a timeline on slide 19 that shows upcoming Metropolitan Council committee discussions on the various policy documents. The Council is scheduled to adopt the Imagine 2050 plan and documents on February 12, 2025.

You can watch the presentation and Council member discussion on the draft plan and public comments HERE. The Imagine 2050 portion of the meeting begins at 39:20 minutes into the video.

Contact Patricia Nauman at [email protected] with any questions.

2025 4% Housing Tax Credits Pre-Application Process is Open

MN Housing is accepting pre-applications for 2025 4% Housing Tax Credits (HTC) for projects being financed with tax-exempt volume limited bonding authority from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB).

The pre-application allows developers to receive information before submitting a full request to MMB for tax-exempt volume limited bonding authority. For projects that receive an award of tax-exempt bonds from MMB in 2025, a complete application must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the bond issuance. Full applications for the program will be accepted beginning January 14, 2025. Find more information HERE.

Projects selected for an allocation of federal housing tax credits on or after January 1, 2025 will be subject to new state prevailing wage laws that include new reporting requirements and broader prevailing wage applicability for multifamily rental housing projects that receive funding from MN Housing. Learn more about the new state prevailing wage requirements that were passed during the 2024 session HERE.

Contact Ania McDonnell at [email protected] or 651-215-4001 with any questions.

Local Climate Action Grants

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is seeking proposals for planning and implementation projects that enable local jurisdictions to adapt to extreme weather events and a changing climate and/or to reduce the local jurisdiction’s contributions to the causes of climate change. Approximately $3 million in total funding is available through two separate grant opportunities: Local Climate Action Planning Grants and Local Climate Implementation Grants. Applications are due no later than Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 4PM. Cities are among the list of eligible applicants. The maximum grant award is $50,000 and there is no minimum award amount. Click HERE for more information on these grants. The MPCA is also holding an informational webinar on Wednesday, November 20 at 1PM to answer questions about this grant opportunity.

Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.

Geothermal Planning Grants

Geothermal Planning Grants are available statewide to provide financial assistance to eligible applicants to examine the technical and economic feasibility of installing geothermal energy systems. As part of this program, the Department of Commerce will administer $1.08M in grants to local governments across Minnesota. Eligible applicants for this grant program include counties, cities, townships or the Metropolitan Council.

Grants will be awarded for up to $150,000 for the planning of a geothermal energy system that heats and cools one or more buildings. Eligible systems include a bored geothermal heat exchanger, a groundwater thermal exchange device, and a submerged closed loop heat exchanger. Commerce anticipates launching the Geothermal Planning Grant program by the end of 2024. Register for a Public Webinar on Monday, December 16, 10:30-11:30am.