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Metropolitan Agencies <br />regularly review the Council's activities, and to provide transparency and accountability of <br />its functions and operations. <br />4-D Funding Regional Services <br />The Metropolitan Council should continue to fund regional services and activities through a <br />combination of user fees, property taxes, and state and federal grants. The Council should set <br />user fees through an open process that includes public notices and public hearings. User fees <br />should be uniform by type of user and set at a level that supports effective and efficient public <br />services based on commonly accepted industry standards, and allows for sufficient reserves to <br />ensure long-term service and fee stability. Fee proceeds should be used to fund regional services <br />or programs for which they are collected. <br />Metro Cities supports the use of property taxes and user fees to fund regional projects so <br />long as the benefit conferred on the region is proportional to the fee or tax, and the fee or <br />tax is comparable to the benefit cities receive in return. <br />4-E Regional Systems <br />Regional systems are statutorily defined as transportation, aviation, wastewater treatment and <br />recreational open space. The purpose of the regional systems and the Metropolitan Council's <br />authority over them is clearly outlined in state law. The Metropolitan Council must seek a <br />statutory change to alter the focus or expand the reach of any of these systems. <br />Systems plans prepared by the Metropolitan Council should be specific in terms of size, location <br />and timing of regional investments to allow for consideration in local comprehensive planning. <br />Systems plans should also clearly state the criteria by which local plans will be judged for <br />consistency with regional systems. <br />Additional regional systems should be established only if there is a compelling metropolitan <br />problem or concern best addressed through the designation. Common characteristics of the <br />existing regional systems include public ownership of the system and its components and <br />established regional or state funding sources. These characteristics should be present in any new <br />regional system that might be established. Water supply and housing do not meet necessary <br />established criteria for regional systems. Any proposed additional system must have an <br />established regional or state funding source. <br />4-F Regional Water Supply Planning <br />The Metropolitan Council is statutorily authorized to carry out regional planning activities to <br />address the water supply needs of the Metro Area. A Metropolitan Area Water Supply Advisory <br />Committee that includes state agency representatives and local officials was concurrently <br />established to assist the Council in developing a master water supply plan that includes <br />recommendations for clarifying the roles of local, regional and state governments, streamlining <br />and consolidating approval processes and recommending future planning and capital <br />2019 Legislative Policies <br />41 <br />