Council approves planning grant program for smaller communities

Dozens of small communities in the seven-county metropolitan area can benefit from a grant program approved by the Metropolitan Council in late May.

The planning grants will assist eligible communities to prepare their local comprehensive plan updates, due to the Council for review by the end of 2008.

Legislation approved in the 2007 session and signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty allows the Council to transfer $1,000,000 from the Livable Communities Demonstration Account on a one-time basis for planning grants.

Resources for smaller, growing communities

“We recognize that smaller communities may have difficulty finding the resources to meet their statutory planning requirements,” said Council Chair Peter Bell. “This program provides some help.”

Elko-New Market is one of the communities eligible to apply for a planning assistance grant.

“We think it’s very important for all the communities to do good planning, especially when they’re facing such growth pressures,” said Lynn Moratzka, manager of planning for Dakota County. The county will facilitate a meeting of the townships to get the plan updates started, and will leverage the Council funds with county and local funds to assist the townships to complete their plans, she said.

Communities eligible to apply for a grant include those with:

A 2005 net tax capacity (NTC) amount equal to or less than 300 percent of the median NTC ($12,840,000) for all communities in the metro area; AND
With a forecasted household percentage growth for 2010 to 2030 that is equal to or greater than the median (21) percent of forecasted household growth in the region.

Also eligible are counties who facilitate or do planning on behalf of townships, or a consortium of at least five communities working collaboratively to update their local comprehensive plans.

Under the criteria, 11 unsewered communities, 36 sewered communities, and three counties or multi-township consortia in the region are eligible for the grants. Grant amounts will include $15,000 for unsewered communities; $20,000 for sewered communities; and $50,000 for counties or consortia.

Under the state’s Metropolitan Land Planning Act, all communities in the seven-county region must prepare long-range comprehensive plans, and update those plans at least once every 10 years. The plans must compatible with the Council’s 2030 Regional Development Framework and regional system plans for transportation, aviation, water resources and parks.