Transportation, wastewater system issues highlight Dakota County District Dialogue
Contact: Bonnie Kollodge
(651) 602-1357
ST. PAUL – Dec. 21, 2009 – When Dakota County elected officials and Metropolitan Council members gathered for a meeting in December, the discussion focused on transportation and wastewater issues.
Council Chair Peter Bell and Council Members Rick Aguilar, Dan Wolter and Wendy Wulff co-hosted the ninth and final meeting of the Council’s District Dialogue series for 2009 with the Dakota Mayors/Managers group at the Eagan Municipal Center. The annual series provides an opportunity for Council officials to meet with city, county and state officials to discuss top local and regional concerns.
Sen. John Doll from Burnsville (left) and Kevin McHenry from Metro Cities at the Dakota County meeting.
The meeting included all communities in the Dakota County, which comprises all of Council Districts 15 and 16, and a portion of district 13.
“These meetings are an important way for the Council to hear the concerns and issues of local officials throughout the region, and discuss potential solutions,” said Council Chair Peter Bell.
Bell described strategies used to balance the Council’s $750 million annual budget, more than half of which goes to transit operations. Prior to the previous legislative session, a transit operating budget deficit of $62 million was projected for the current 2010-11 budget cycle. The shortfall was largely due to lower-than-expected receipts from the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax (MVST), as well as the responsibility for operating the new Northstar commuter rail line, which began service Nov. 16.
The Council used a combination of stimulus funds, shifts from other funds, and Council reserves to balance the budget. Specifically, the legislature gave the Council the authority to use up to half of its levy for Livable Communities grants and a portion of unexpended funds in the Right-of-Way Acquisition Loan Fund (RALF). Bell said he expects the Council will not use the RALF or Livable Communities funds for the budget. In addition, the Council does not anticipate raising fares or cutting service for transit.
Bell also outlined transit capital improvements worth $21 million in state bonds for various projects throughout the region, particularly $8.5 million for the Central Corridor, $3.3 million for bus-rapid transit (BRT) on Cedar Avenue and $500,000 for the Union Depot in downtown St. Paul.
Express bus service in the county was expanded recently through the Urban Partnership Agreement, which brought $133 million in federal funds to the region for congestion relief in the I-35W corridor. A new park and ride ramp opened in September in Lakeville on I-35W with express service to downtown Minneapolis. In addition, the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority is providing express bus service to downtown Minneapolis from a new park-and-ride on Cedar Avenue and 181st Street in Lakeville.
Additional construction on bus-rapid transit lanes in the corridor will begin in 2010.
BRT is a good option for transit corridors, Bell said, because you get 80 to 90 percent of the benefit of light rail for 20 to 30 percent of the cost. “You should do that almost every time,” he said.
Mayor Molly Park from Sunfish Lake asked about progress on studying transit modes in the Robert Street corridor. Bell noted plans for a park-and-ride at the Dakota County service center near Robert Street and Mendota Road. He also noted that ridership is a key piece in discussion of transit modes.
Bell also addressed the restructuring of dial-a-ride service throughout the region. Today, 20 vendors provide service throughout the seven-county area and the restructuring will simplify service delivery into five areas, primarily county-based. The plan standardizes operating protocols, fares, and hours of service.
The new service, called Transit Link, will be available throughout the region. Dakota County service will be delivered by one vendor.
The Council is beginning a comprehensive study to assess methods for investing in the region’s highway system. Bell said the study, which is a joint project with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, will focus on opportunities to leverage technology and other low-cost, high-yield strategies to make better use of the existing highway-system capacity in the region.
The study will create a 50-year outlook for metro-area projects for the first time, Bell said. The project will lead to an update of the Transportation Policy Plan (TPP) in 2010.
Bell also mentioned recent changes in wastewater charges. There are two sources of revenue for the wastewater treatment system – the Service Accessibility Charge (SAC), which developers pay to connect to the sewer system, and the flow charges that residents pay for collection and treatment. The Council recently changed the way the charges are calculated, which will mean increases in municipal charges averaging four percent starting in 2010.
A task force, chaired by Council Members Peggy Leppik and Roger Scherer, will examine these fees and make recommendations to assure long-term sustainability. Bell said his only stipulation on the outcome of the task force is that the wastewater system continue to be self-supporting.
In addition, Bell praised communities for responding to inflow and infiltration (I&I) of stormwater into the wastewater system. Several Dakota County communities also participated in a grant program to cities to reimburse homeowners for making improvements that will keep clean water from going into the wastewater system.
In 2013, the Council will begin to implement demand charges on communities that haven’t resolved these issues. Council Member Wulff will chair the task force to develop recommendations for the charge.
Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire asked whether additional funds might be available for I&I mitigation, particularly in communities that have somewhat older housing stock. Council Government Relations Director Judd Schetnan noted that a few organizations have discussed some proposed initiatives for the upcoming legislative session.
Bell also highlighted parks improvements, including proceeds from the constitutional amendment to designate a portion of the state’s sales tax to the environment and arts are also improving park facilities in Dakota County. And a new Regional Parks Foundation is working to raise funds to meet the Council’s challenge of increasing the current regional park system to nearly 70,000 acres and regional trail miles to 877.
Brandt Richardson, Dakota County Administrator noted challenges of securing funding from the land and legacy amendment for metro-area projects. He suggested there might be ways for the Council to work with local governments to support such funding opportunities.
Bell also thanked communities for their work to submit comprehensive plan updates. Currently, about 96 percent of all plans have been submitted for review and about 66 percent of plans are through the review process. In Dakota County, 29 of the 32 plans have been submitted.
In addition, Bell said the Council will be creating a composite view of comprehensive plans around the region in the coming year, to get a sense of what the plans say about trends in the region’s development and local planners’ vision for the future.
Inver Grove Heights Mayor George Tourville noted his appreciation for the meeting, and added that it’s good for communities to have a sense of the big picture from a region-wide perspective.
“It’s extremely helpful to meet,” said Tourville. He said there are many issues that affect both the Council and cities, and they provide opportunities to address those issues collaboratively. “There are a lot of issues that are huge items for communities, and are also important to the whole region,” he said.
The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area. The Council runs the regional bus and light rail system, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The Council board is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor.
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