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In this Issue
I am honored to serve District 6 (representing parts of Hennepin County and Minneapolis) as a member of the Metropolitan Council. One of my roles as a Council member is to serve as the Council liaison to the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission (MPOSC). Many people are surprised to find out that the Council has an active role to play with our regional parks. The regional park system has 56 regional parks and park reserves totaling more than 54,000 acres, nearly 400 miles of interconnected trails, and eight special recreation features.
MPOSC helps the Council develop a long-range plan and program to acquire land and develop regional parks. A key aspect of this is developing funding priorities. MPOSC works in coordination with 10 regional park implementing agencies (counties, cities, and special park districts).
Recently, MPOSC had two off-site meetings that included tours of regional parks. In September, we toured the Vadnais-Snail Lakes Regional Park in Ramsey County. The tour explored Ramsey County’s water management challenges at this very wet park. The beach at Grass Lake has been closed for four seasons, with the picnic areas, tables, and trails under water. Neighboring communities to the park share these water management challenges and there are no easy or quick fixes. At the tour, it became clear that solutions to these types of issues require coordinated partnerships across political boundaries and new approaches. We toured Spring Lake Regional Park in Scott County in October, where we were joined by members of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s natural resource department to talk about collaborative management of the park.
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This fall, I have been working with other Council members, MPOSC representatives, and community members to look at projects that applied for the Competitive Equity Capital Grant Program for the regional parks system. These grants are intended for capital projects that aim to increase inclusion at regional parks for underrepresented populations. The funding decisions should be approved by the end of the year, and I will share more information in my next newsletter about the projects that were funded. I am passionate about investing resources in our parks to promote equitable access for communities who have been previously underinvested in, and this is one way we can try to move the needle.
 I visited the MPR booth at the State Fair this summer to talk on air about Minnesota's parks and trails
Recently, the Metropolitan Council awarded a total of nearly $500,000 in stormwater management grants to five cities, one county, and one watershed district. The grants will support projects at redevelopment sites. Local governments submitted 15 applications requesting a total of more than $1 million.
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Residents of 40 cities and townships in the seven-county metro area will be eligible for rebates to purchase water-efficient toilets, clothes washers, irrigation controllers, and irrigation spray heads over the next three years, thanks to a renewed Met Council grant program. |
Local governments and the Met Council have expanded the region's solar capacity by an estimated 50 megawatts since 2015. Solar energy is one tool in a wide array of options for governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resiliency to climate change. Learn about the SolSmart program and benefits to local governments.
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One of the most active areas of Southwest light rail (Green Line Extension) construction this season has been near the Cedar Lake Channel in Minneapolis, where crews have been building a new freight rail bridge. A new video shows the civil contractor working to preserve the historic Roosevelt-era Works Progress Administration wall during construction.
In September, the Council awarded the systems contract for the Southwest light rail project (Green Line Extension) to Aldridge-Parsons Joint Venture, with a value of $194.4 million. The systems contract includes the construction and installation of equipment such as overhead catenary lines, traction power, and communication systems.
There's a certain amount of uncertainty that comes with trying something new – like using some of the country's first 60-foot electric buses. But facing the unknown and accepting that things may not always go as planned is necessary to evolve. Learn about Metro Transit's plans for electric bus purchases.
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Youth ages 15 to 19 will be the focus of, and key participants in, a Met Council study this fall. The goals of the study include gathering information to help create a more inclusive parks system for youth and families, and building youth capacity in research practices, civic engagement, and public speaking. Youth-serving organizations are invited to apply to collaborate on the project.
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Among the priorities of the Met Council is a commitment to expand the regional system of parks and trails as the metro area population grows. To date in 2019, the Council has awarded nearly $8 million in acquisition grants to the agencies that operate regional parks and trails. The latest grants benefit parks across the region.
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Two transit-oriented development projects in Minneapolis earned a total of $1.4 million in Livable Communities grants from the Met Council in November. The grants support moderate- to high-density development that is more affordable and walkable, and is near transit. Learn about the developments. A rendering of one of the buildings, Bimosedaa, is to the left. |
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