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300 Metro Square Bldg., St. Paul, MN 55101
<br />General Office Telephone (612) 291- ~R. LLOYD $CHNELLE
<br /> , ADMINISTRATOR
<br /> EW CITY OF RAHSEY
<br /> "~QKA HN 55303
<br />
<br />^ Metropolitan Council Bulletin for Community Leaders
<br />For more information on items mentioned in this publication,
<br />
<br />call the P, tblic Information Office at 291-6464.
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<br />July 31, 1981
<br />
<br />RECENT COUNCIL ACTIONS (July 20-31)
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<br /> METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
<br />/~.So~ste -- The Cou-nci, ad~pted the c~iteria it ,~ill user'to
<br /> pare the list of potential sites to dispose of sludge and sludge
<br /> ash and directed staff to apply the criteria to the 31 sites.,
<br /> under consideration (see item below). The Council also auth-
<br />orized an $18,500 grant to Anoka County so the county can
<br />evaluate and develop recommendations regarding met~nP ~
<br />~very from sanitary landfills. ~
<br />~---~ater Quality-- The Councd said the construction of a
<br /> sewage collection system and sewage stabilization pond treat-
<br /> ment facility for Bethel is consistent with regional planning.
<br /> Construction was approved with the following conditions:
<br /> that Bethel work with East Bethel on details of site location;
<br /> that a seal be provided for the stabilization pond to protect
<br /> the groundwater; and that Bethel further study the long-term
<br /> effectofthis method of effluent disposal to ensure that seepage
<br /> into groundwater will not cause pollution in East Bethel.
<br /> Transportation --The Metropolitan Council found the draft
<br /> Environmental Impact Statement (ELS) on Hwy. 610 (North-
<br /> town Crosstown) and the upgrading of Hwy. 252 to be adequate
<br /> except for some points that need clarification. Eleven miles of
<br /> Hwy. 610 between Hwy. 1-94 in Maple Grove and Hwy. 10 in
<br /> Coon Rapids and four miles of Hwy. 252 between 1-94 in
<br /> Brooklyn Center and the new Hwy. 610 in Brooklyn Park am
<br /> planned. The requested clarifications deal with travel time,
<br /> cost of the project, relocation of residents displaced by construc-
<br /> environmental impacts on Coon Rapids Dam Regional
<br /> impacts of relocating the channel of Pleasure Creek.
<br /> The Council also recommended that a Rideshare Manage-
<br /> ment Board be established to assist the Council as lead agency
<br />
<br />About 10 percent of the money will be set aside for boat
<br />launch proposals.
<br /> The Council atso authorized a S540,946 grant to St. Paul
<br />for Hidden FaHs-Crosby Farm Reglonal Park. Funds are to pay
<br />for site development, a bike-and-hike access, markers, trail
<br />extensions and special security equipment.
<br /> Arts - The Council accepted a McKn[ght Foundation Grant
<br />Award of $99,000 per year for a six-year period to support
<br />arts and long-range plannlng in the Region. Each year the
<br />Counci! will make six grants of $15,000 to regional arts organ-- -
<br />izations with budgets under $300,000. '""
<br /> Financing -- The Metropolitan Council directed its staff to
<br />review the possibility of refinancing $86.6 million of an exist-
<br />ing bonded debt of $190.6 million of the Metropolitan Waste
<br />Control Commission (MWCC). Staff is to report to the Council
<br />at the time the commission requests additional bonds funds
<br />for development during the next five years.
<br /> The Council also approved a MWCC 1981 capital budget
<br />amendment for $311,504 for administrative work related to
<br />the siting of sludge-ash facilities and $195,470 for an environ-
<br />mental impact statement on the six "candidate" sludge-ash sites.
<br /> Other -- The Council decided to present testimony at the
<br />Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's public hearings on revision
<br />of ambient air quality standards for sulfur dioxide and ozone.
<br /> The Council said the comprehensive plan for Forest Lake is
<br />consistent with regional parks, airports, transportation and
<br />wastewater planning. No plan modifications are required, but
<br />the Council said the city's capital improvement program should
<br />include projects contemplated to begin by 1985, clarification
<br />of staff costs, and schedules of existing and possible future
<br />debt. Also, the city should submit proposed controls for man-
<br />agement of steep slopes, wetlands, vegetation, floodplains and
<br />poor soils to the Council for review.
<br />Recent Appointments -- The Coun'~il appointed John
<br />Wells, of the Minnesota Water Planning Board, St. Paul, to the
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<br />in implementing recommendations of the Governor's Task 208 Water Quality Management Advisory Committee and
<br />Force on Ridesharing. -- ......... - - ' Patrick Murphy, St. Paul, to the Metropolitan~-lealth Board.
<br />
<br /> Health -- The Council recommended approval of St. Mary's
<br />Hospital's application for a Certificate of Need to modernize
<br />its critical care units at an estimated cost, including financing,
<br />of $7.8 million. The Council a0d the Metropolitan Health
<br />Board strongly recommended that St. Mary's continue to
<br />explore ways to reduce the project's cost through reexamina-
<br />tion of the units' size and design.
<br /> The Council authorized the hiring of Popham, Halk,
<br />Schnobrich, Kaufman and Duty, Ltd., to provide special trial
<br />counsel for three federal district court actions challenging the
<br />Council's and the Metropolitan Health Board's Phase Four
<br />Report. The report deals with the cost of hospital care in the
<br />Region.
<br /> Parks -- The Metropolitan Council recommended criteria
<br />for awarding preliminary grant applications for $1 million in
<br />funds from the Land and Water Conservation program
<br />(LAWCON) and the Legislative Commission on Minnesota
<br />Resources (LCM R) for fiscal year 1982. The Council recom-
<br />mended the following distribution: $100,000 for top-prlority
<br />projectS; $441 000 for projects in the Fully Developed Area;
<br />$306,000 fo~tJ',e Area of Planned Urbanizat on; $99,000 for
<br />Freestanding Growth Centers; and $54,000 for the Rural Area.
<br />
<br />COMMI3-rEES OF THE COUNCIL
<br />
<br /> The Physical Development Committee held a public hearing
<br /> on the proposed deletion of Riley Lake Regional Park from
<br /> the regional recreation open space system. Eden Prairie wants
<br /> the park deleted from the system to make its comprehensive
<br /> plan consistent with the regional system plan and to allow
<br /> development of a community park at the site.
<br /> The committee reviewed the master plan for Como Regional
<br /> Park. The committee questioned whether it wes committed
<br /> to funding the $17.5 million plan, and delayed action pending
<br /> more information.
<br /> The committee reviewed North Oaks' comprehensive plan
<br />and said it conformed with regional aviation, parks, transporta-
<br />tion and sewer plans. The committee said it was concerned
<br />about the plan's lack of proposed controls for protection of
<br />the environment, the absence of policies for handling storm
<br />· water, and housing.
<br /> The committee said the Hennepin County Soil and Water
<br /> Conservation District Plan was consistent with Council plans
<br /> and policies.
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