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NOV-23 98 10:58 FROM: TO:612 427 5543 PRGE:02 <<... ....-.---.- e ~ Metropolitan Council ~ Working for the Region, Planning for the Future e . .... .... - '- " November 19. 1998 Brian Wessel Community Development Director City of Lino Lakes 1189 Main Street Lino Lakes MN 55014-2123 RE: Request for Clarification ofCounciJ Procedures for Review of Comprehensive Plans Dear Mr. Wessel: In general. there are two ways the Metropolitan Council receives and reviews comprehensive plans, plan updates and plan amendments submined from local units of government.: In both cases, the city council must take affirmative action to send the plan to the Council for review. These options are outlined in the Council's Local Planning Handbook, May 1997 edition, page7.3. " The flrSt option is for the city council to "take action to submit the plan to the Metropolitan Council for review and comment but without taking fonnal action to approve the plan." In this case, the city council ask for the Council to complete its review and detennine whether any plan modification will be required before the plan is officially adopted. The upside of this action is that it may eliminate the need for multiple hearings if a plan modification is required, and allows the city council to consider the Council comments in depth before adopting the plan. The downside to some city councils is that adoption of the plan is postponed until the Council's review is completed, which may take up to sixty days following the Council's determination that the plan is complete for review. Because this option does not require formal approval of the comprehensive plan, a two-thirds majority approval by the city council may not be required simply for submission of the plan to the Council unless required by city chaner. Minn. Stat. ~ 462.355, Subd. 3 says in part... ... Unless otherwise provided by charter, the governing body may by resolution by a two- thirds vote of all OriES members adopt and amend the comprehensive plan or portion thereof as the official municipal plan upon such notice and hearing as may be prescribed by ordinance. This permits a second option for a city council to "adopt the plan contingent on Metropolitan Council review and comment." In effect, under this option, the city council takes official action to adopt the plan but agrees not to take any action to implement the new plan (such as making zoning changes) until after the Metropolitan Council has completed its review. The upside oftbis option is that the city council does not need to take further action on the plan or hold fW'ther hearings so long as the Council's review does not result in a plan modification. The do~side. is that if the Council requires a plan modi fication, the city may need to have another pubhc heanng and the city council will need to take additional action to modify and resubmit the plan to the Counci 1. AREA CODE CHANGES TO 651 IN JULY, 1998 230 Ea.t llfLh Street SI. Paul. MlnncSOL8 511101.I~e 18121 8O:HOOO Pu 802.15eo TDOITlY 291.0004 Metro Into Unll8CY.I-I888 An lrqIMIl Op~ &rnpq,wr