Council NEWS & EVENTS

Council recognized for leadership on climate change mitigation and adaptation

The Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP) awarded the Council for efforts to help the region adapt to climate change.

Sewer Availability Charge for industries will change in January

Industrial customers of the Council’s wastewater treatment services will have another option to pay SAC for their process wastewater flows.

Metropolitan Council approves $2.5 million in grants to support affordable housing

Grants will help create and preserve more than 250 affordable homes and leverage $82 million in other public and private investment.

Council wastewater rates are very competitive

In 2016, households in the Twin Cities paid about $274 per year for wastewater collection and treatment service. That’s 41% less than households in our peer regions across the country.

Regional sanitary sewer project works around a Saint Paul eagle nest

Work on the Beltline Interceptor Sewer is covered under a special federal permit for construction taking place near an eagle nest.

Council adopts update to region’s 2040 Transportation Policy Plan

The update addresses trends that have emerged since the 2040 plan was first adopted in 2015 and includes new information.

2020 census has big stakes for states, local governments

At stake is the number of representatives each state will get in Congress, and distribution of billions of dollars to and within states for the upcoming decade.

Twin Cities metro area stands to gain by eliminating racial and ethnic disparities

Council’s new interactive data visualization tells the story.

New online mapping resource pinpoints 1.2 million ‘address points’

The information will benefit a wide range of public services from emergency response to municipal planning.

New report: River water quality sees big improvement, some declines in last 40 years

Generally, concentrations of sediment, bacteria and phosphorus decreased from 1976 to 2015, but nitrogen and chloride increased.

Metropolitan Council launches major travel behavior survey

Thousands of households are expected to participate using smartphones — a first for the region.

Apprentice Program to help fill Metro Transit driver shortage

Metro Transit will participate in the Minnesota Apprenticeship initiative, which will bring on as many as 200 new employees in the coming years.

Council receives loan to finance wastewater treatment capital improvement projects

$45 million loan from the Minnesota Clean Water Revolving Fund will finance multiple wastewater treatment plant and interceptor sewer system capital improvement projects in 2018-2019.

New report shows population and household growth in the Twin Cities metro outpaces available housing

The Twin Cities is facing a critical housing shortage as the population increases. In addition to needing more housing supply, demographics are increasing the need for more diverse housing.

Fuhrmann leaves passenger rail legacy for generations to come

Leaders at Metro Transit and Metropolitan Council recognize Fuhrmann as the person responsible for the region’s 62 miles of passenger rail (40 miles for Northstar and 22 for LRT).

Met Council expands opportunities available to minority businesses

By expanding its criteria to include other certifications recognized by the State and other regional governments, the Council will increase the number of businesses it works with to 2,800. 

Transit leaders break ground on $25 million renovation to Mall of America transit center

Upgrades to state's busiest transit hub will provide safer, more efficient experience for thousands of daily customers

Groundbreaking to mark start of Mall of America Transit Center improvement project

All bus operations will be moved to the east side of the light rail tracks, creating a safer and more efficient operation, along with improved lighting, signage and a new façade. 

Metropolitan Council names new Director of Equal Opportunity

Cyrenthia Jordan is the new Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity at the Metropolitan Council. Jordan brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this role.

Region’s third rapid bus line approved to begin design and engineering

D Line would replace region’s highest ridership bus route; still needs $35 million to construct entire project

Public meeting for process to appoint Council members, Feb. 13

Meeting will include testimony from the candidates for four Council districts: 5, 6, 7 and 8. Will be streamed on the Council’s Twitter feed, @MetCouncilNews.

Public meeting for process to appoint Council members, Feb. 12

Meeting will include testimony from the candidates for four Council districts: 3,4,15 and 16. Will be streamed on the Council’s Twitter feed, @MetCouncilNews.

Local Brownfield Funding Resources Webinar, Feb. 6

Learn more about local public financing programs that assist with the cost of cleaning up and redeveloping contaminated sites.

Public meeting for process to appoint Council members, Jan. 30

Meeting will include testimony from the candidates for four Council districts: 11, 12, 13 and 14. Will be streamed on the Council’s Twitter feed, @MetCouncilNews.

Public meeting for process to appoint Council members, Jan. 29

Meeting will include testimony from the candidates for four Council districts: 1, 2, 9 and 10. Will be streamed on the Council’s Twitter feed, @MetCouncilNews.

Public comments period open for an amendment to the 2040 Transportation Policy Plan

Public comments will be accepted through Jan. 21, 2019 on an amendment to add the Riverview Modern Streetcar transitway project to the Current Revenue Scenario.

Upcoming Council and Committee meetings

The Council and its committees meet regularly most months.  Find information on all upcoming Council and Committee meetings.   

Can manufactured homes help the housing crisis?

FastCompany.com

Tiny houses get all the attention, but mobile homes–despite the stigma–are already a huge part of the country’s housing, and could have a bigger part to play. 

Explaining the multifamily housing boom in the Twin Cities suburbs. (Yes, there is one.)

MinnPost

Increasingly, suburbs around the country are making room for a different kind of development: multi-family homes: Apartments, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.

St. Paul would get new wastewater incinerator under $150 million proposal

TwinCities.com Pioneer Press

As the metro grows, so does the amount of its poop. And that means a major wastewater plant along the Mississippi River in St. Paul needs to grow as well, to burn heavier volumes of solid waste.

Metro Transit works to provide commuters options in wake of construction

Star Tribune

Metro Transit increased service by 40 percent, with additional park-and-rides and expanded trip times, and partnered with the city and MnDOT on creating transit advantages, like bus-only lanes..

Met Council Partners with Xcel to Operate on 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2040

KSTP-TV

Xcel Energy and the Metropolitan Council announced Friday a commitment to allow the council to operate on 100 percent renewable energy by 2040.

Lake Elmo neighbors are nearly 6 decades apart in age, but united in their care for a murky backyard pond

TwinCities.com Pioneer Press

The two are among 113 volunteers metrowide who check the health of lakes and rivers for the Metropolitan Council. They have become friends, in the process of befriending the pond.

The numbers don't lie: Twin Cities needs more housing

Star Tribune

Construction hit the average last year, but dwellings in the region are far below the projected population growth. 

Shortchange transit, shortchange growth

Star Tribune

Every world-class city has a world-class transit system, something peer regions like Seattle, Denver and even Dallas in deep-red Texas acknowledge as they invest more rapidly than the Twin Cities.
 

Minneapolis is growing at its fastest rate since 1950

MinnPost

Last week, Mayor Jacob Frey announced a goal to fund $50 million on housing projects in Minneapolis to address an affordable housing crisis in a city “growing faster that it has since 1950.”

Met Council explores treating, reusing wastewater in SE metro

MPRNews.org

The Metropolitan Council is asking the public to weigh in on a preliminary proposal to treat wastewater in the southeast Twin Cities metro area so it could be reused by a waste-to-biofuel plant.