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Message from the Chair - March 2003

Balancing regional and local needs

When Gov. Pawlenty appointed me chair of the Council, I felt honored to be chosen to lead this agency. I was honored, too, to become part of a system of metropolitan governance that is the envy of the nation. Few regions around the country have the tools that are available to us — long-range planning for the region's growth, a process to coordinate local priorities and regional needs, and a fine-tuned system of regional services.

We consider ourselves citizens of our own local communities, but we are also regional citizens. Our communities are interconnected by roadways, housing and job opportunities, telecommunications, and financial networks. No city is an island — the actions of one community can affect another, or the region as a whole. That means we need some degree of regional coordination and mediation.

At the same time, the Council's coordination role should be grounded in balance — balance between the interests of the region as a whole and the interests of its individual communities. Where should the line be drawn? Reasonable people can disagree, but I believe that 90 to 95 percent of the time, these issues can be worked out cooperatively.

As we balance regional and local growth needs, the Council should assist communities with their planning activities to encourage housing and commercial development along transportation and sewer corridors to reduce infrastructure costs. This must be done in a collaborative manner that respects and preserves the character of local communities. We also need to increase governmental accountability and make decisions that foster individual accountability.

The Council is an agency that regulates, crafts policy and has taxation authority. It's incumbent on us to explore ways to enhance our accountability to citizens, communities and the state. As a first step, we are reviewing the Council's authorizing legislation and will take steps, if necessary, to reconcile the Council's current programs and services with its authority.

At the individual level, I believe in the guiding principle that people should bear the cost of their own behavior and lifestyles. We need to offer more choices, but the costs of those choices should be an individual responsibility. For example, should communities be allowed to have large lots? Yes. Should they be held accountable for any pollution that may entail? Yes. Should they bear the cost of building the roads out to their communities? Yes. I envision several other directions for the Council.

• I think the major focus of the Council should be to provide regional services and oversee regional systems, such as transit, wastewater collection and treatment, and regional parks.
• The Council should further explore the development of high-speed express buses on dedicated bus lanes. This approach would allow for maximum flexibility in meeting the region's future transit needs.
• The Council is committed to bringing the Hiawatha light rail transit line into service on time and within budget.
• The Council is committed to addressing the current budget problems in a way that maintains our core services.

These are times that test the old solutions. Today we're challenged to create new, innovative ways to do our job, to fulfill our responsibilities. I welcome your thoughts, your ideas, your perspectives as we work together meet the current and future challenges before us.

Peter Bell

March 2003