Message from the Council Chair - August 2003

The Regional Development Framework

Council Chair

Peter Bell

One of the important charges the Metropolitan Council faces is crafting a comprehensive development guide for future growth in the seven-county metro area. With projections of nearly one million more people in the region by 2030 and 460,000 more households, the stakes are high for all of us.

Few things we'll do as a Council, in fact, are more important than writing and adopting the Regional Development Framework to help ensure that growth occurs in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Though the previous Council adopted the Blueprint 2030 growth strategy in December 2002, the current Council, appointed by Governor Pawlenty, will put its own stamp and make its own mark on this important planning document.

The new plan will provide a scaled-down and more flexible "framework" to guide future growth rather than a "blueprint" that dictates how things will be done, a philosophical change reflected in the document's new name.

The document will be more clear and concise and better reflect the priorities of the Pawlenty administration. It will emphasize efficiency, a renewed focus on the Council's core mission and a greater commitment to working collaboratively with local communities in shaping Twin Cities-area growth. It will be more streamlined and customer-friendly, focusing on policies and strategies with less editorial commentary.

That's not to say we will ignore the input, ideas and thinking that went into the previous document. We are committed, however, to ensuring that regional policy better reflects this Council's heightened level of respect for local control and autonomy.

I am highly impressed by the caliber of the discussion by the Council and among stakeholders so far. The learning curve is steep, but the issues are fascinating as we confront a litany of growth-related issues from traffic congestion and housing affordability to land supply and natural resources preservation. They're issues that touch our lives in some way each and every day, yet I continue to marvel at how few of us really recognize the reach and role of the Metro Council in coordinating area development.

Work on the policy document will continue this summer and fall, with the goal of adopting the new Regional Development Framework before the end of the year. More on the Framework schedule and the Council's mission and guiding principles.

To assist in the drafting process, the Council's new public affairs director, Steven Dornfeld, former Pioneer Press associate editorial page editor, will serve as editor. Steve brings a fresh perspective and impressive journalistic experience to the project. I'm pleased that he will play a key role in producing a strong document that reflects the approach of this Council as we work to address pressing regional needs and preserve the livability and quality of life we so enjoy in the Twin Cities metro area.

Peter Bell

August 2003