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Metropolitan Agencies <br />4-A Goals and Principles for Regional Governance <br />The Twin Cities metropolitan region is home to a majority of the state's population and <br />businesses and is poised for significant growth in the next two decades. At the same time, the <br />region faces significant challenges and opportunities. The responses to these opportunities and <br />challenges will determine the future success of the region and its competitiveness in the state, <br />national and world economies. <br />The Metropolitan Council was created to manage the growth of the metropolitan region, and <br />cities are responsible for adhering to regional plans as they plan for local growth and service <br />delivery. <br />The region's cities are the Metropolitan Council's primary constituency, with regional and local <br />growth being primarily managed through city comprehensive planning and implementation, and <br />the delivery of a wide range of public services. To function successfully, the Metropolitan <br />Council must be accountable to and work in collaboration with city governments. <br />The role of the Metropolitan Council is to set broad regional goals and to provide cities with <br />technical assistance and incentives to achieve those goals. City governments are responsible and <br />best suited to provide local zoning, land use planning, development and service delivery. Any <br />additional roles or responsibilities for the Metropolitan Council should be limited to specific <br />statutory assignments or grants or authorization, and should not usurp or conflict with local roles <br />or processes, unless such changes have the consent of the region's cities. <br />Metro Cities supports an economically strong and vibrant region, and the effective, <br />efficient and equitable provision of regional infrastructure, services and planning <br />throughout the metropolitan area. <br />Metro Cities supports the provision of approved regional systems and planning that can be <br />provided more effectively, efficiently or equitably on a regional level than at the local level <br />by individual local units of government. <br />The Metropolitan Council must involve cities in the delivery of regional services and planning <br />and be responsive to local perspectives on regional issues, and be required to provide <br />opportunities for city participation on Council advisory committees and task forces. <br />The Metropolitan Council must involve cities at all steps of planning, review and implementation <br />around the regional development guide, policy plans, systems statements, and local <br />comprehensive plan requirements to ensure transparency, balance and Council adherence to its <br />core mission and functions. These processes should allow for stakeholder input before policies <br />and plans are released for comment and finalized. <br />2019 Legislative Policies <br />39 <br />