Council NEWS & EVENTS

Council evaluates accessibility of services, facilities

Included in the evaluation is a look at Council facilities at 400 locations across the metro area including offices, treatment plants, transit garages, and other transit facilities.

Parks study to focus on youth

Youth-serving nonprofit organizations are invited to apply to collaborate on the project and will be compensated for their work.

Metro HRA considers minimum rent requirement, biennial inspections, measures related to homelessness

The 5-year plan identifies key goals that the agency will be working to achieve during the next several years.

Council awards grants to acquire property for regional parks and trails

The abundance of places to enjoy the outdoors and recreate contributes to livability in the Twin Cities and our health and well-being.

Regional and local planning go hand-in-hand

Local comprehensive plans reflect the vision of metro area cities and townships. The Met Council reviews the plans to ensure planned growth is compatible with regional infrastructure investment.

Vintage sandstone tunnel makes for challenging sewer cleaning project

An Environmental Services regional interceptor cleaning project has been an interesting mix of technology, geology, and sewer design and construction dating back to the mid-1930s.

Soccer stadium features innovative rainwater reuse system

The new rainwater reuse system is expected to recycle more than 2 million gallons of rainwater every year.

Tax-base sharing supports more orderly development and improves equity

After more than 40 years, the region’s Fiscal Disparities program continues to support orderly and efficient development, equity, and economic competitiveness of the Twin Cities area.

Former mayor connects the dots between where people work and where they live

Mike Webb learned, firsthand, the need for homes that are affordable to working people.

Council approves 2020 wastewater rates

The municipal wastewater charge will rise 3.6% overall, although any given city or town’s charge will vary based on its flow relative to total regional flow volume.

Lunda/McCrossan chosen to build Southwest LRT

Council awards civil construction contract, setting stage to break ground on Southwest LRT.

SWLRT gets critical approval from federal government to begin construction

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) cleared the path for construction to begin on the Southwest Light Rail Transit Project (SWLRT).

Metropolitan Council Chair to Step Down November 30

Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff will pursue a new professional opportunity. Vice Chair Harry Melander will assume the duties of the Chair in the Chair’s absence, until the end of the administration.

Metropolitan Council awards $4.5 million in grants to support affordable housing development

The grants are expected to support the creation of more than 650 housing units affordable to low- and very low-income residents and important connections to jobs and services.

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. 

Upcoming Council and Committee meetings

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

Metro Mobility Fall 2019 Community Conversation

The goal of the event is to hear feedback and suggestions from Metro Mobility users on how to improve service.

Intersecting Transportation, Equity and Housing

Learn about recent changes to the Regional Solicitation’s equity and affordable housing criteria and scoring measures.

2020 Regional Solicitation public comment period

The Transportation Advisory Board released the 2020 Regional Solicitation for public review and comment. The public comment period is open through November 6.

Intersecting Transportation, Equity and Housing

Learn about recent changes to the Regional Solicitation’s equity and affordable housing criteria and scoring measures.

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.

St. Paul led seven-county metro in population growth in 2017

Star Tribune

Capital City beat Minneapolis for first time in a decade.