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Transportation, Parking and Housing) that influence the City's Comprehensive Plan. He stated <br /> that the Housing Plan was different in that it was not necessarily infrastructure improvements but <br /> it does guide some of the investments the Metropolitan Council makes, especially grants that the <br /> City works to access through the Livable Communities Program. He stated that the City does <br /> participate in the voluntary Livable Communities Program with the Metropolitan Council. With <br /> this program, housing performance scores are utilized to help gauge our grant applications in a <br /> competitive scoring process against other participating communities. He stated that the City has <br /> received several grants through this process and that this is an important document as it relates to <br /> regional investments within the City of Ramsey. He stated that the City is not opposed to the <br /> amendment as long as these are not required mandates but are voluntary goals that the <br /> community aspires to. There would be no penalty for not meeting the affordable housing <br /> thresholds published in the document but it gives the City something to strive for. He stated that <br /> this has been a controversial document for many of the suburbs in the area. He stated that the <br /> City did respond to the preliminary document based on the standards being voluntary and the <br /> plan not requiring amendments to the City's current Future Land Use Plan or its Housing <br /> Assistance Policy, or the housing chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. He stated that the Council <br /> did make minor adjustments to the language as it relates to the land use plan and not wanting to <br /> restrict the City from expanding the MUSA or urban service area in the future. He highlighted <br /> things that were incorporated from the City's previous comments including trying to normalize <br /> the City's housing performance score across years. <br /> Commissioner Bauer spoke about issues not becoming mandates. It is important to have <br /> guidelines that the City tries to follow. <br /> Commissioner Andrusko stated it is his understanding that the Metropolitan Council doesn't <br /> have the necessary staff to review, in depth, every land use plan submitted to them. So along <br /> with that line, these should be guidelines until the Metropolitan Council can fully say, with every <br /> page and every policy that each individual municipality recommends. He felt it needs to come <br /> full circle before it does become a requirement. <br /> Commissioner Brauer stated he sent an e-mail to Community Development Director Gladhill <br /> outlining his issues with the Metropolitan Council document and the City's response omissions. <br /> He stated that out of 53 members, there was only one from Anoka County and the document <br /> favors rich gated communities over communities like Ramsey because of the criteria it uses. <br /> Chairperson Levine asked if the communities are privately owned property. <br /> Commissioner Andrusko stated that there are community-associated properties but they still have <br /> to provide the legal amount for the federal government. <br /> Community Development Director Gladhill stated that the Metropolitan Council's role is to look <br /> at how much is necessary and then looks at the various local land use plans. Looking at what the <br /> plan could sustain with regard to density was important. He noted that the City's allocation was <br /> less than it was in the past. <br /> Planning Commission/April 20,2015 <br /> Page 2 of 4 <br />