Agenda Packets - 1997/07/07 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

JUN-23 97 08:40 FROM: TO:612 784 3462 PAGE:04/09 _• LOCAL PLANNING ASSISTANCE GRANT GUIDELINES PURPOSE The purpose of the planning assistance grant and loan program is to assist local governmental units in the Metropolitan Area in implementing the Metropolitan Land Planning Act. The funding is intended to provide communities with incentives to review and amend local comprehensive plans, fiscal devices and official controls, to reinforce regional goals and to create more livable communities. These grant program guidelines outline the Council's funding objectives, criteria and the disbursement schedule. These grant guidelines also are intended to implement the provisions of 1996 Minnesota Law chapter 464, article 1, section 9,subdivision 2. AUTHORITY • The Metropolitan Council is authorized to prepare and adopt guidelines establishing uniform procedures for the award and disbursement of planning assistance grants under Mitmesota Statutes, sections 473.854 and 473.867. Amendments to the Metropolitan Land Planning Act require local communities to update their comprehensive plans and official controls by December 31, 1998. In 1996, the Legislature authorized the Council to transfer up to $1 million from solid waste bond proceeds to the planning assistance grant and loan program to assist local communities in meeting comprehensive planning requirements. The planning assistance fund includes this SI million available for grants and approximately$770,000 available for interest free loans. FUNDING OBJECTIVES The Council will distribute planning assistance funds based on communities' efforts to meet the Council's regional goals and policies, and on the communities' demonstrated need and available financial resources. Funding priority will be directed toward communities located within the Illustrative 2020 Metropolitan Urban Service Area (MJSA) which are expected to have the highest growth and redevelopment. The Council will utilize the planning assistance funding to reinforce the following regional objectives: • Target planning dollars to communities that include the Illustrative 2020 MUSA and are projected to have high growth or redevelopment. • Provide incentives to communities to implement comprehensive planning activities that reinforce the Regional Blueprint(December. 1996) goals which reduce sprawl,preserve agricultural areas, revitalize the urban core and target job growth. • Encourage effective planning that creates more livable communities and implements the Council's Metro 2040 policy goals. FUNDING APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS • The following criteria are tailored to meet the Council's Metro 2040 Regional Strategy goals. Applications must describe: the activities for which the grant will be used; the persons which the applicant plans to use in performing the grant contract; the services and activities which will be paid for by funds of the applicant; and the applicant's need and ability to pay for the contract services. 1