3A, Metropolitan Council Rep John Doan

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The Council runs the regional bus and light rail system, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates water resource manage- ment and preservation, plans regional parks, and administers funds that provide housing op- portunities for low- and moderate - income families and individuals. The role of Council members is to provide a regional perspective and work toward a regional consensus on issues facing the metropolitan area. Metropolitan Council Metropolitan Council Facts Working for the region The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven - county Minneapolis -St. Paul metro area. The Council provides cost - effective transit and wastewater services, coordinates orderl y and economic development, and assists communities as they plan for anticipated growth. The Council was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1967.The Council's jurisdiction comprises the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington. The Council: • Provides an average Of 250,000 bus and rail rides each weekday. • Collects and treats up to 250 million gallons of wastewater daily, protecting public health and the 9P environment. • Helps plan and fund a system of regional parks and trails — more than 54,000 acres in all. • Provides affordable housing opportunities to households with low incomes. The Council develops, in cooperation with local communities, the 2030 Regional Development Framework, a set of policies to guide the efficient growth of the region and help maintain the region's economic competitiveness. The Council carries out the Framework, in part, through its plans for "regional systems " — transportation, regional parks and water resources. Council staff is organized in four divisions that focus on transportation planning and transit operations, wastewater treatment and water quality, and community development, supported by administrative and service units. How the Council is governed The Metropolitan Council has 17 members; they are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governor. Sixteen Council members represent geographic districts of roughly equal population across the region. The Council chair, the 17th member, serves at large. The current Council (hair is Susan Haigh, CAD of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and a former Ramsey County Commissioner. The role of Council members is to provide a regional perspective and work toward a. regional consensus on issues facing the metropolitan area. All meetings of the Council and its subcommittees are open to the public. Major achievements in 2010 • Awarded five major construction contracts and began construction on the Central Corridor light -rail transit project, linking downtown St. Paul, the State Capitol, the Midway Shopping District, the University of Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis. • Continued implementation of bus rapid transit in the I -35W and Cedar Avenue corridors, with service start -up scheduled for 2012. • Implemented region -wide dial -a -ride service, Transit Link, in areas not served by fixed -route transit. The service is equitable and consistent across the seven counties, and coordinated with fixed -route transit.