About the Metropolitan Council

The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning agency serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area and providing essential services to the region. The Council works with local communities to provide these critical services:

operates the region's largest bus system
collects and treats wastewater
engages communities and the public in planning for future growth
provides forecasts of the region's population and household growth
provides affordable housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families
provides planning, acquisitions and funding for a regional system of parks and trails
provides a framework for decisions and implementation for regional systems including aviation, transportation, parks and open space, water quality and water management.

More about the regional services provided by the Council.

Governance

The 17-member Metropolitan Council has 16 members who each represent a geographic district and one chair who serves at large. They are all appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governor. The State Senate confirms Council member appointments.

Organizational structure

The Council delivers regional services to communities and the public through these divisions and operating areas: Regional Administration/Chair's Office, Community Development, Transportation, and Environmental Services. (See more about the Council's organizational structure and an organizational chart in pdf format.) Council Chair is Peter Bell; Regional Administrator is Tom Weaver.

Location and directions

The Council's main offices are located at 390 N. Robert St., St. Paul, MN 55101. (See directions and map.) The phone number is (651) 602-1000. Contact the Council by email at data.center@metc.state.mn.us.

Funding

The Council relies on a number of funding sources to support its operations. In 2005, 43 percent of the Council's revenue comes from user fees such as wastewater treatment charges and transit fares, and 54 percent from state and federal funds. About 2 percent of revenue is from a seven-county property tax, and 1 percent from other sources. The Council's adopted 2005 budget for operations is $430 million, primarily directed to wastewater collection and treatment and transit service. In addition to the operations budget, the Council will spend about $77 million in 2005 on grants to local jurisdictions for regional park operations and community development projects, and to individuals as subsidized housing assistance. The community development grants are funded from a seven-county property tax, while the parks operations grants and housing subsidy payments are funded from federal and state grants. See Council budgets and annual reports.

History

The Minnesota Legislature established the Metropolitan Council in 1967 to coordinate planning and development within the Twin Cities metropolitan area and to address issues that could not be adequately addressed with existing governmental arrangements. Additional legislative acts in 1974, 1976 and 1994 strengthened the Council's planning and policy roles, and merged the functions of three agencies (the Metropolitan Transit Commission, the Regional Transit Board and the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission) into one — the Metropolitan Council. More on the Council's history.

Performance

Along with 22 other Cabinet-level departments, the Council was asked by the Governor to identify its priority goals and develop performance indicators to measure progress toward achieving these goals. See the Council's four goals and results.