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<br />~\ . <br />,~ . .:". Metropolit. Council <br />. .. Working for the Region, Planning for the Future <br /> <br />F ~ .-' ..:-J <br /> <br />AUG 1 G 1999 <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />August 11, 1999 <br /> <br /> <br />Tom Gamec, Mayor <br />City of Ramsey <br />15143 Nowthen Blvd NW <br />Ramsey MN 55303-6140 <br /> <br />Dear Mayor Gamec: <br /> <br />On behalf of Metropolitan Council member Natalie Haas Steffen and the staff, I would <br />like to thank you for the opportunity to discuss growth and comprehensive planning <br />issues with the Ramsey City Council. I am writing to respond to questions and provide <br />additional points of clarification relative to that discussion. <br /> <br />1. Does the city get credit for existing affordable housing in terms of its Livable <br />Communities Act participation and goals attainment? <br /> <br />Response: In establishing affordable and life-cycle housing goals with communities, <br />the existing stock of affordable and life-cycle housing was taken into account, and the <br />goals that were negotiated by the city reflect the affordability of the existing housing <br />stock. Annually, the Metropolitan Council surveys cities to determine the amount of <br />new affordable stock that is being added in a community, and that progress is charted <br />against the goals that have been negotiated. <br /> <br />2. What are the penalties for not participating in Livable Communities? <br /> <br />Response: The Livable Communities Program is a voluntary, incentive-based <br />program, the purpose of which is to provide resources to cities that are working on <br />affordable and life-cycle housing to meet the needs of working families, clea.i1 up <br />polluted sites to create new jobs and provide assistance for mixed-use development of <br />the type that could occur along a transportation corridor such as the North'Star Line. <br />Failure to participate in Livable Communities eliminates the city's access to these <br />incentives as well as incentives provided from the Department of Trade and <br />Economic Development for polluted sites cleanup. <br /> <br />The broader principle is that the Metropolitan Council is looking to invest its <br />resources, including Livable Communities, transportation and transit dollars through <br />the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) and other incentives in communities that <br />ar~ planning for growthin a manner that achieves local and regional objectives. <br /> <br />V:\LIBRARY\COMMUNDVlMCEL VEEN\I999\OSI 199Ramscy.doc <br /> <br />230 East Fifth Street St. Paul. Minnesota 55101-1626 <br /> <br />(65 I) 602- 1000 <br /> <br />Fax 602-1550 TDO/TIY 291-0904 Metro Info Line 602-1888 <br /> <br />An Equal Opportunity Employer <br />