In This Issue:
- Save The Date! Metro Cities Housing Forum October 2nd
- Transportation Committee Approves Funding Allocation Policy
- Metropolitan Council Votes to Suspend Northstar Rail Service
- Regional Climate Action Plan Update
- Contamination Cleanup and Investigation Grant Program Information Sessions
- Affordable Homeownership Grant Application Opening
- Distressed Multifamily Rental Building Funding Available
Save The Date! Metro Cities Housing Forum October 2nd
Mark your calendar for Metro Cities’ Housing Forum on Thursday, October 2, 2025. This will be an in-person forum held at the Roseville Oval/Banquet Center from 8:00 – 12:00 noon. The forum will feature topics including innovative uses of resources and tools, tax increment financing for housing, homeowner associations, housing improvement areas, preserving affordable housing, and more! Attendees will receive a comprehensive binder of resources and information. More information coming soon. Please RSVP by contacting Jennifer Dorn at [email protected].
Transportation Committee Approves Funding Allocation Policy
The Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Committee voted to adopt a new transit funding allocation policy on Monday, August 25. The new policy changes how federal formula funds, regional sales tax revenues, and transit capital property tax revenues are allocated among the transit providers in the metropolitan region. The proposed policy would allocate federal formula dollars directly to providers as opposed to pooling these funds at the Metropolitan Council.
The Council is proposing that 4.55% of the regional transportation sales and use tax revenues be distributed to suburban transit providers. This amount is based on Council estimates that 75% of the sales tax revenue for regional transit are required in law to be spent replacing funding previously covered by the seven counties or the state for transitway operation costs. The remaining 25% is proposed to be allocated based on census population to the Metropolitan Council (20%) and cities served by suburban providers (4.55%). The proposed policy would also allow the use of transit funds for active transportation purposes and require fare collection system agreements by each provider by January 2027. Click HERE to view a graphic illustrating the proposed allocation of regional sales and use tax revenue.
The Metropolitan Council levies a property tax (approximately $55 million per year) within a portion of the region to service debt on transit capital bonds. The proposed policy approved at Monday’s meeting would allocate the equivalent funds levied in replacement service municipalities to these providers for transit purposes.
Click HERE to view the business item from the Transportation Committee’s meeting and HERE to view a red-lined copy of the proposed allocation policy. This item is scheduled to be before the full Metropolitan Council on September 10, 2025.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.
Metropolitan Council Votes to Suspend Northstar Rail Service
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Council voted to suspend Northstar Commuter Rail service. Ridership on the line reached a maximum of 2,260 average weekday rides before the pandemic. In 2024 there was an average of 430 weekday rides. The 2023 subsidy for the line was $116.60 per ride (compared to $16.70 per ride for commuter bus). The 2025 operating budget (not including insurance and capital expenditures) is $18.6 million. Four public meetings were held in April and May to discuss the transition to bus service along this corridor. Click HERE to view the full slide show that was presented to the Transportation committee last week.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.
Regional Climate Action Plan Update
Staff provided the Metropolitan Council with an update on work that began in 2023 to develop a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) by December 1, 2025. This work is being funded via a federal Environmental Protection Agency grant. The CCAP will include an 11-county greenhouse gas inventory, emissions projections, and reduction targets. It draws on content found in the Council’s existing Priority Climate Action Plan, the Imagine 2050 Regional Development Guide, and information gathered via community collaboration.
The presentation at this week’s Council meeting contains graphs illustrating GHG inventories by sector as well as a list of reduction measures for each of those sectors (transportation, electricity, building energy, and industrial processes). Legislation passed in 2023 now requires the regional development guide to plan for and consider climate adaptation and mitigation. As a result, local governments in the region will be required to consider GHG emissions and climate adaptation in their comprehensive plans. One key component of this CCAP is to develop technical assistance tools for local governments to help them meet this requirement. Click HERE to view the presentation slides for this information item. Click HERE to view a draft copy of the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.
Contamination Cleanup and Investigation Grant Program Information Sessions
Next week, the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, and the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) will host two information sessions on the Contamination Cleanup and Investigation Grant Programs. Dates and locations are listed below. Learn more about the programs and apply HERE.
Plymouth:
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Medicine Lake Room at Plymouth City Hall
3400 Plymouth Blvd
Plymouth, MN 55447
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Inver Grove Heights:
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Inver Grove Heights Council Chambers
8150 Barbara Ave
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Affordable Homeownership Grant Application Opening
The Metropolitan Council’s Affordable Homeownership grant program application opens on Monday, September 1st. This grant program is open to participating LCA communities and is intended to support and prioritize projects that help close the racial homeownership gap and create more geographic choice for homebuyers. You can learn more about the program and apply HERE. Applications for this program are due by Wednesday, October 1 at 3 pm.
Contact Ania McDonnell at [email protected] with any questions.
Distressed Multifamily Rental Building Funding Available
Minnesota Housing has opened the application for the Community Stabilization: Distressed Multifamily Rental Building Program. This specific program was established for providing loans or grants for the recapitalization of distressed buildings. There are a variety of requirements for eligible properties and eligible uses for the funding. You can find more details on the program and the application HERE.
Applications for this program are due by noon on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
Additionally, Minnesota Housing will be hosting three virtual information sessions on this program and application process. The first session will be held on Tuesday, September 2nd from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm. You can register for the information session HERE.