Metropolitan Council departments

The Metropolitan Council was created by the Legislature more than four decades ago to plan and coordinate the orderly growth and development of the seven-county area. It has authority to plan for regional systems — transportation, aviation, wastewater, and regional parks and open space. The Council’s core mission also includes the efficient operation of transit, wastewater collection and treatment, and housing assistance programs for households with low incomes.

The Council carries out its responsibilities through three primary organizational divisions focusing on transportation, the environment and community development, supported by administrative and service units. The Council has approximately 3,700 employees and annual expenditures of approximately $400 million to carry out its planning and service functions.

The Community Development Division is responsible for the Council’s regional growth strategy, planning and technical assistance to local communities, and parks and open space. This division also includes the Metropolitan Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA) and the Livable Communities program.

The Environmental Services Division (MCES) operates and maintains approximately 600 miles of regional sewers and treats up to 300 million gallons of wastewater daily at eight regional treatment plants. Serving nearly 90% of the seven-county area population, MCES provides cost-effective wastewater service to 103 communities.

The Transportation Division includes Metro Transit and Metropolitan Transportation Services.

Metro Transit is one of the country's largest transit systems, providing roughly 95% of the 73 million bus trips taken annually in the Twin Cities. Each weekday customers board Metro Transit buses an average of 231,000 times. Metro Transit operates 137 routes — 70 local-service routes and 51 express routes — and 16 contract service routes, using a fleet of 913 buses. The majority of the company's fleet (790) are standard 40-foot buses while 115 are articulated ("accordion") buses, with 16 small buses, and two coach buses. All Metro Transit buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts or ramps.
Metropolitan Transportation Services develops the overarching transportation plan for the region and prepares the short-range capital improvement program for all transportation projects using federal transportation funds. It also coordinates regional aviation system planning. The unit operates Metro Mobility, the region’s primary service for people with disabilities, and a network of 42 regular routes run by private providers under contract to the Council. It also promotes alternative modes of transportation through the programs operated by Metro Commuter Services and travel-demand management organizations in the region.

Within these primary divisions are departments that support the day-to-day work of the Council.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Regional Systems Planning and Growth Strategy

This unit is responsible for helping the Council to shape its regional growth plan — the Regional Development Framework – and to coordinate outreach efforts related to the plan. This unit also includes the Council’s parks and open space program, which helps the Council oversee the acquisition and development of regional parks. The parks are operated by 10 partnering cities and counties. The Council also annually allocates state funds to cover a small share of the cost of parks operation and maintenance.

Local Planning Assistance

This unit coordinates the review of local comprehensive plans prepared by local governments, which deal with transportation needs, land use, housing, parks and other issues. It provides technical assistance to communities that are amending their comprehensive plans or working to carry them out.

Livable Communities

This unit administers the Livable Communities program, which provides funding for cities to invest in local economic revitalization, affordable housing initiatives, and development or redevelopment that connects various land uses, creates community identity, and has good access to transportation.

Research

This unit collects, analyzes and provides data about the region, forecasts growth trends and analyzes other regional trends.

Metro HRA

The Council’s housing and redevelopment authority (Metro HRA) administers the federal Section 8 Housing Choice voucher program in communities throughout Anoka, Carver, and most of suburban Hennepin and Ramsey Counties. The program uses the existing private rental market to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing for about 6,800 low-income seniors, disabled individuals, families and singles at an affordable cost.

METRO TRANSIT

Bus Operations

This department has four units:

Engineering and Facilities - manages the planning, engineering, design and construction of Metro Transit bus and rail facilities.
Maintenance - manages the maintenance operations for a fleet of over 900 buses.
Transportation - ensures service for the 73 million bus trips taken annually in the Twin Cities area.
Service Development - manages scheduling and planning for bus service.

Rail Operations

This department has three units:

Rail Transportation - manages service delivery for light rail transit.
Systems Maintenance - coordinates and evaluates maintenance and repair of all light-rail system track, traction power, signals, electrification systems, as well as right-of-way maintenance, and sign/shelter maintenance.
Vehicle Maintenance - manages the engineering system specifications and requirements, construction and requirement of light-rail vehicles.

Transit Systems Development

This unit manages budget, procurement, contract management and oversight for the system design and construction of the light-rail transit system.

Security/Police Services

Metro Transit has its own police force, committed to the safety of its customers and drivers, serving seven counties and 85 cities in the metropolitan region. There are 23 full-time officers, 146 part-time officers and five administrative staff dedicated to public safety.

Rail and Bus Safety

This unit is responsible for ensuring the safety of workers and members of the public who use Council facilities and services.

Administration

This Metro Transit department consists of Purchasing, Customer Services and Marketing, Finance, Grants Management, and Materials Management.

METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

System Planning and Programming

This unit drafts the updates to the Council’s long-range regional transportation plan every four years, in compliance with federal requirements. It also prepares the list of transportation projects selected for federal funding and a four-year Transportation Improvement Program, working through the Transportation Advisory Board.

Regional Transportation Services

Contractor Regular Routes oversees contracts with nonprofit organizations and private companies to provide about 5% of regular-route bus service in the metro area.

Metro Mobility

This program provides transit services for people with disabilities who can’t use regular-route transit service. Two private transit providers are under contract with the Council to provide the service. The Council staffs and manages the Metro Mobility Service Center, which evaluates and certifies applications for ADA eligibility, provides customer service support and manages the overall program.

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Interceptor Services

Interceptor Services operates and maintains the large, intercommunity wastewater sewers (interceptors) and related facilities necessary to collect and transport wastewater from community sewer systems to wastewater treatment plants. This infrastructure includes nearly 600 miles of interceptors, 61 lift stations, 188 meter stations, and 18 rain gauge stations. Units include Municipal Services, Interceptor Engineering, Interceptor Operations, Interceptor Maintenance, and Computer and Metering.

Treatment Services

This unit operates and maintains the eight regional wastewater treatment plants in the Twin Cities area. Plant operations are carried out by eight business units – Administration, Maintenance Services, Support Services, Incineration, Liquids, Solids, Southwest and East.

Technical Services

The Technical Services unit provides capital planning and administration, contracting and procurement services. It also provides engineering, drafting, and construction services that support the Council's maintenance and capital projects.

Environmental Quality Assurance

Industrial Waste/Pollution Prevention - controls use of the public sewer system to ensure compliance with regulations and to protect Environmental Services and community facilities. This unit also promotes pollution prevention and provides technical assistance to reduce pollutants.
Analytical (Laboratory) Services - prepares an average of more than 111,500 analyses annually and 88 monthly reports that must be submitted to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency from all eight treatment plants.
Environmental Compliance - responsible for submitting applications for environmental permits, negotiating permit conditions, tracking permit and regulatory requirements, and monitoring regulatory developments of federal and state environmental programs.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment - responsible for evaluating point-source emissions, site-specific air zones, and ambient air at and around Environmental Services facilities. The unit also monitors the water quality of regional rivers, streams, lakes, and wastewater treatment plant discharges.
Research and Development - conducts research and gathers information that assists in making informed decisions about current and future problems, treatment processes and methods for achieving air and water quality objectives, and the impact of agency actions on the environment.
Water Resources Assessment - provides technical assistance to local watershed management organizations and municipalities, and carries out a continuous program of research on the control and prevention of water pollution. It also conducts short-term and long-term planning for water use and supply in the metro area, as well as environmental reviews.

General Manager’s Office

Administration - provides support for the Metropolitan Council's Environment Committee and the General Manager's office. This office also provides expertise for business administration, coordination of information, policy and procedure development and support, human resources, contracting and procurement services, and organizational improvement in Environmental Services.
Financial Management and Planning - provides budgeting, financial analysis, rate design and setting, decision support, capital finance strategy and leadership in revenue generation and expense analysis for Environmental Services. In addition, Service Availability Charge (SAC) determinations, record keeping, rule making and municipal auditing are done by this office.

REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION

Legal/General Counsel

The Office of General Counsel provides advice and preventative legal services to the organization to assist in compliance with all appropriate federal and state requirements.

Public Affairs

The Public Affairs unit is responsible for corporate communications and media relations. The unit also carries out programs and campaigns that support regular-route transit in the metro area.

Evaluation and Audit

Internal Audit conducts audits, program evaluations and internal controls.

Government Affairs

This unit helps maintain good working relations with state and local government policymakers.

Finance and Administration

This unit includes the following units:

Budget and Evaluation - responsible for coordinating development of the annual operating and capital budgets and for managing the organization’s internal cost-allocation process. The unit also coordinates issuance of Council-sponsored debt.
Finance - responsible for payroll and budget functions, financial analysis, capital finance strategy and accounts receivable/payable.
Information Systems - constitutes the Council’s core of computer expertise and information management, including the organization's entire network of computer resources, GIS and MetroGIS.
Risk Management - identifies, evaluates and manages the Council's exposure to loss through risk control and risk-financing methods.

Human Resources

Human Resources includes four units:

Labor Relations - manages collective bargaining, grievance and arbitration procedures, and management consultation.
Staffing - manages recruitment and selection, compensation administration and position classification, policy and procedure consultation and administration, and leave management.
Benefits - designs, implements and administers group benefit programs for the Council’s employees and retirees;
Learning and Organizational Development - provides training and development services for all divisions of the Council.

Diversity

The Office of Diversity is responsible for small-business development programs – the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program and the Women and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) and Small Business in Rural Areas (SBRA) programs. Diversity also administers the Council’s Affirmative Action Plan and Equal Opportunity policies and programs, and it investigates discrimination complaints.