In This Issue:
Community Development Committee Discusses LCA Programs
On Monday, the Community Development Committee (CDC) met and heard information on proposed changes to the 2025 Livable Communities Act (LCA) Fund Distribution Plan (FDP). Of the proposed changes, staff shared a plan to lower the minimum score for the LCA Pre-Development program, as well as add criteria in the Policy Development program for cities with lower net tax capacity to receive additional points. On January 20th, the committee will hear detailed scoring criteria and funding recommendations for the 2025 FDP, and on February 3rd, the Committee will vote on the 2025 FDP.
The changes in 2025 are intended to be minimal. The Council plans to conduct outreach regarding proposed changes to the LCA program for 2026 and beyond. Council staff also indicated that the plan is to align LCA policy with the upcoming new regional guide, and to create an evaluation plan for proposed changes. During the meeting, Council members discussed future changes to the program, and the importance of engagement with cities.
The committee also heard funding recommendations for two LCA grant programs including for 2024 round two Tax Base Revitalization Account (TBRA) grants. This includes the TBRA Site Investigation and TBRA Seeding Equitable Environmental Development (SEED). These programs help with planning, design, and environmental remediation before construction begins. The Council received six applications, totaling $2.5 million in requests. The recommendation approved by the committee awards five Tax Base Revitalization Account grants totaling $2,261,200 to the South St Paul EDA, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul. The committee also heard funding recommendations for the 2024 LHIA Multifamily grants. These grants are part of the consolidated RFP through Minnesota Housing. Four LCDA grants were recommended to be approved, totaling $2.5 million. The cities recommended for funding are Medina, Richfield, Bloomington, and Minneapolis.
The committee was slated to have a discussion on the proposed minimum average density for Suburban Edge communities in the Imagine 2050 Land Use Policy Plan, however this discussion was moved to the next CDC meeting, due to the absence of a few members at the meeting. The next CDC meeting is scheduled for January 6th, 2025.
Contact Ania McDonnell at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Thank You and Happy Holidays!
On behalf of the Metro Cities Board of Directors and staff, thank you for your work with us over this past year to represent the interests of metropolitan cities before state and regional policymakers. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to working with you in 2025!