Council seeks applicants for Regional Parks Commission

Applications for north/northwest metro opening due Sept. 29

ST. PAUL – Sept. 9, 2009 – The Metropolitan Council is seeking applicants for a vacancy on the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission (MPOSC), which helps the Council develop long-range plans for the Twin Cities’ renowned system of regional parks, park reserves and trails.

The MPOSC includes eight citizen members who represent geographic districts across the seven-county metro area, and a chair who serves at large. The regional parks system includes 49 regional parks and park reserves, more than 230 miles of trails currently open to the public and six special recreation areas, including the Como Zoo and Conservatory.

The vacancy is in District A in the north and northwest metro. The district is composed of Metro Council Districts 1 and 2, including the Hennepin County cities of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Corcoran, Dayton, Greenfield, Independence, Loretto, Maple Grove, Maple Plain, Medicine Lake, Medina, Osseo, Plymouth, Robbinsdale, Rogers and the town of Hassan, and the Anoka County cities of Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop and Spring Lake Park.

Candidates must live in the district and would complete a four-year term ending January 2011.

Members of the commission do not receive pay, but may be reimbursed for parking. The commission meets once a month. Members of the MPOSC may not hold the office of Metropolitan Council member or be a member of any metropolitan agency or any judicial office.

Interested applicants should contact the Secretary of State's Office at 651.297.5845 or visit the Secretary of State’s website.

Applications must be returned to the Secretary of State by the end of the business day on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009.

For more information on the MPOSC or regional parks call Ann Beckman at the Council at 651.602.1669, or visit the Council’s parks web pages.
See a map of MPOSC districts (pdf).

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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