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Metropolitan Agencies <br />investments. The Master Water Supply Plan serves as a framework for assisting and guiding <br />communities in their water supply planning, without usurping local decision -making processes. <br />Many cities also conduct their own analyses for use in water supply planning. <br />As the Metropolitan Council continues its assessment of the region's water supply and issues for <br />sustainability, it must work cooperatively with local policymakers and professional staff <br />throughout the region on an on -going structured basis to ensure a base of information for water <br />supply decision making that is sound, credible and verifiable, and considers local information, <br />data, cost -benefit analyses and projections before any policy recommendations are issued. <br />Metro Cities encourages the Metropolitan Council to consider the inter -relationships of <br />wastewater treatment, storm water management and water supply. Any state and regional <br />regulations and processes should be clearly stated in the Master Water Supply Plan. Further, <br />regional monitoring and data collection benefits should be borne as shared expenses between the <br />regional and local units of government. <br />Metro Cities supports Metropolitan Council planning activities to address regional water <br />supply needs and water planning activities as prescribed in statute. Metro Cities opposes <br />the insertion of the Metropolitan Council as another regulator in the water supply arena. <br />Further, while Metro Cities supports regionally coordinated efforts to address water <br />supply issues in the metropolitan area, Metro Cities opposes the elevation of water supply <br />to "Regional System" status, or the assumption of Metropolitan Council control and <br />management of municipal water supply infrastructure. <br />Metro Cities supported 2015 law changes that expanded municipal representation on the <br />water supply advisory committee and eliminated the requirement that city comprehensive <br />plans be consistent with the regional water supply plan. These laws serve to strengthen input <br />and collaboration for water supply planning, and help to ensure sound scientific analyses and <br />models are developed before legislative solutions to these issues are considered. Metro Cities <br />supports the technical advisory committee to the MAWSAC that maximizes participation <br />by municipal officials. <br />Metro Cities supports efforts to identify capital funding sources to assist with municipal <br />water supply projects. Any fees or taxes for regional water supply planning activities must be <br />consistent with activities prescribed in M.S. 473. 1565, and support activities specifically within <br />the region. <br />4-G Review of Local Comprehensive Plans <br />In reviewing local comprehensive plans and plan amendments, the Metropolitan Council should: <br />• Recognize that its role is to review and comment, unless it is found that the local plan is <br />more likely than not to have a substantial impact on or contain a substantial departure from one <br />of the four system plans; <br />Be aware of the statutory time constraints imposed by the Legislature on plan <br />2019 Legislative Policies <br />42 <br />