01-08-2025 Workshop Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MA-17 DENSITY Metro Cities monitors the LCA programs on an ongoing basis and supports any necessary program modifications to ensure that the LCA program criteria are flexible and promote the participation of all participating communities, and to ensure all metropolitan area cities are eligible to participate in the Livable Communities Demonstration Account (LCDA). Metro Cities supports statutory goals and criteria established for the Livable Communities Act and opposes any changes to LCA programs that constrain flexibility provided for in statutory goals, program requirements and criteria. Metro Cities monitors any potential modifications to the LCA program to ensure that program criteria are responsive to local needs within the context of overall LCA objectives. Metro Cities supports increased funding and flexible eligibility requirements in the LCDA to assist cities with development that may not be exclusively market driven or market proven in the location, in order to support important local development and redevelopment goals. Metro Cities supports the findings of a recent local official working group that identified the need for the Metropolitan Council to expand its outreach to cities on the LCA programs and to continue efforts to ensure that LCA criteria are sufficiently flexible to meet the range of identified program objectives. These efforts should include ongoing opportunities for structured input by Metro Cities and local officials. Metro Cities opposes reductions in funding for Livable Communities Act programs and the transfer or use of LCA funds for purposes outside of the LCA program. Metro Cities supports statutory modifications in the LCDA to reflect linkages among goals, municipal objectives, and Metropolitan Council system objectives. Metro Cities supports the use of LCA funds for projects in transit improvement areas, as defined in statute, if funding levels for general LCA programs are adequate to meet program goals and the program remains accessible to participating communities. Any proposed program modifications should be considered with input by local officials before changes to are enacted or implemented. Use of interest earnings from LCA funds should be limited to administrative program costs. Remaining interest earnings should be considered to be part of LCA funds and used to fund grants from established LCA accounts using funding criteria. Metro Cities recognizes the need for a density policy, including minimum density requirements, that allows the Metropolitan Council to effectively plan for and deliver cost- efficient regional infrastructure and services. Regional density requirements must recognize that local needs and priorities vary, and requirements must be sufficiently flexible to accommodate local circumstances as well as the effect of market trends on local development and redevelopment activity. The Metropolitan Council asks cities to plan for achieving minimum average net densities across all areas identified for new growth, development, or redevelopment. Because each community is different, how and where density is guided is determined by the local unit of government, regional density requirements should use minimum average net densities and provide flexibility to accommodate individual city circumstances. 72