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Metropolitan Agencies <br />Metro Cities recognizes the merit of aligning comprehensive plan timelines with the release of <br />census data. However, the comprehensive plan process is expensive, time consuming and labor <br />intensive for cities, and the timing for the submission of comprehensive plans should not be <br />altered solely to better align with census data. If sufficient valid reasons exist for the schedule for <br />the next round of comprehensive plans to be changed or expedited, cities should be provided <br />with financial resources to assist them in preparing the next round of plans. <br />Metro Cities opposes cities being forced into a state of perpetual planning because of <br />regional and legislative actions. Should changes be made to the comprehensive planning <br />schedule, Metro Cities' supports financial and other resources to assist cities in preparing and <br />incorporating policy changes in local planning efforts. <br />Metro Cities supports a 10-year time frame for comprehensive plan update submissions. <br />4-J Local Zoning Authority <br />Local governments are responsible for zoning and local officials should have full authority to <br />approve variances to remain flexible in response to the unique land use needs of their own <br />community. Local zoning decisions, and the implementation of cities' comprehensive plans, <br />should not be conditioned upon the approval of the Metropolitan Council or any other <br />governmental agency. <br />Metro Cities supports local authority over land use and zoning decisions and opposes the <br />creation of non -local appeals boards with the authority to supersede city zoning decisions. <br />4-K Regional Growth <br />The most recent regional population forecast prepared by the Metropolitan Council projects a <br />population of 3,738,047 people by 2040. <br />Metro Cities recognizes cities' responsibility to plan for sustainable growth patterns that <br />integrate transportation, housing, parks, open space and economic development that will result in <br />a region better equipped to manage population growth, to provide a high quality of life for a <br />growing and increasingly diverse metropolitan area population and improved environmental <br />health. <br />In developing local comprehensive plans to fit within a regional framework, adequate state and <br />regional financial resources and incentives, and maximum flexibility around local planning <br />decisions are imperative. The regional framework should assist cities in managing growth while <br />being responsive to the individual qualities, characteristics and needs of metropolitan cities, and <br />should encourage sub -regional cooperation and coordination. <br />In order to accommodate this growth in a manner that preserves the region's high quality of life: <br />2019 Legislative Policies <br />44 <br />