County’s Parks System Plan change prompts governance discussion
by Laura Adelmann
Thisweek Newspapers
Dakota County commissioners unexpectedly became champions of local control as they recommended adoption of the Park System Plan in a committee meeting April 8.
The issue surfaced after Commissioner Joe Harris challenged the Metropolitan Council’s authority to override a previous County Board decision.
While being given final committee review of the much-discussed Park System Plan, expected for final approval Tuesday, Harris objected to Eureka Township’s Chubb Lake again identified as a future regional park.
County Planner Mary Jackson told the board the county’s plan was changed at the request of the Met Council staff.
The news prompted Harris, who represents rural areas, to ask, “Is this our plan or their plan?”
PHOTO: County Commissioner Joe Harris discusses his views at an April 8 committee meeting. Photo by Laura Adelmann.
“It’s our plan …,” Jackson said.
Harris interrupted her, saying, “So, who runs the county here?”
Answering his own question, Harris continued.
“The County Board. Not the Metropolitan Council staff and not the
Metropolitan Council. Now, I thought we had board direction that Chubb
Lake is not to be looked at for a possible future park at this
particular time.”
Harris then challenged his colleagues.
“I would ask this board:who’s running this county?”
Harris’ frustration is obviously felt by other metro county officials
who recently worked together to create a joint committee to collect
additional sales taxes to fund transit.
Legislative action gave the Met Council about $30 million of that money off the top, a caveat that upset county officials.
In addition, the Met Council has some voting power as part of that
County Board that will prioritize and fund regional transit projects,
but commissioners throughout the region designed the board to obtain
controlling power for elected officials.
Many local governments supported legislation that created the Met
Council in 1967 as a regional planning and coordinating board for the
seven-county metro area.
But Jim Mulder, executive director of the Association of Minnesota
Counties, said the council’s focus and power has grown over time.
He said it’s grown to such a concern the organization is drafting
legislation they hope to introduce next session that would eliminate
the council completely and “start over with a clean slate.”
State Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-District 36A, said although she would
prefer that the Met Council be eliminated altogether, such a bill would
be hard to pass because the council’s power is so concentrated.
She said there is no interest or support from legislators whose areas are not impacted.
“I’ve often said the fastest way to get rid of the Met Council would be
to draft legislation to expand their authority … make their
geographical boundary larger,” Holberg said.
She said, however, regional cooperation is important, and she would support a council of governments to replace the Met Council.
Holberg said a “cog” is the more common way of addressing
cross-jurisdictional issues and those boards are comprised of local
elected officials who join to cooperatively address common goals.
Mulder said county officials would, in particular, prefer to manage transit without Met Council oversight.
Mulder called Met Council the “super authority in comprehensive
planning” that requires all plans to conform to the council’s plans.
“There’s a concern they are disconnected from what’s really going on …
that they’re too far away to make the best decisions,” Mulder said.
“There’s always been a sense, particularly recently, that the Met
Council has been aloof to working with the local governments.”
In addition, the Met Council controls money, including state and grant
funds, that keeps local governments under Met Council’s thumb.
“They are a very hidden level of authority in our process,” Mulder said.
Holberg was blunter: “It’s like, ‘You do what we say or you don’t get anything.’ ”
Before voting on Harris’ motion to remove the Met Council’s designation
of Chubb Lake as a future regional park, commissioners made sure they
knew if the action jeopardized funding.
It did not, and the motion passed unanimously – sans the absent Commissioner Paul Krause.
Met Council spokesperson Bonnie Kollodge said the Met Council is fulfilling its legal responsibilities for regional planning.
“Obviously, collaboration is one thing the council really tries to
advocate,” she said. “We’re in a partnership with local government,”
she said.
Koolodge added that the council has to consider regional impacts
regarding how local plans affect other communities and how they
correspond to regional plans.
Despite what the local elected officials decided, the Metropolitan
Council is expected to keep Chubb’s regional park designation and issue
another comment about it when they have a final plan review.
“I don’t care if the Metropolitan Council wants to keep it in their …
overall plan,” Harris said. “I’m not happy that it was put back on the
(county’s) map after the direction of this board was given, without
coming back to this board requesting to put it back.”
Holberg said the Legislature is to blame for the Met Council’s growing powers.
“We only have ourselves to blame to where we are now,” she said.
Laura Adelmann is at
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Seriously - the State may as well revoke Dakota county's ability to operate independently and let the State legislature control our county.
The Met Council vision for transit will not help Lakeville commuters get to work - especially since many don't work downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul.
... written by Colleen Hippler,
April 17, 2008
I agree with previous comments regarding the Metropolitan Council. This is an organization paid for by taxpayers that is not needed. Cities and Counties do not need an organization to tell them how to run their cities or counties. We have ELECTED officials for that. The Met Council needs to go away like yesterday!!!!!
... written by Colleen Hippler,
April 17, 2008
I could not agree more with Ken Hippler. His comments are correct!!! He is very tuned as is Mr Harris. THE METOPOLITAN COUNCIL NEEDS TO GO AWAY YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!
... written by Ken Hippler,
April 17, 2008
I applaud commissioner Harris for standing up to the Metropolitan Council. They are nothing more than a group of power hungry unelected beaurocrats, and I for one am fed up with them and their attemps to micromanage local governments. I propose that in the next legislative session that their operating budget be set to zero. There is no basis for the continued existence of the Metropolitan Council. We elect county commissioners, mayors and city councils to run our local governments thank you very much! Ken Hippler (South St. Paul, MN)
... written by Ken Hippler,
April 15, 2008
This is undeniable proof that is it high time for the Metropolitan Council to be forcibly disbanded by the legislature once and for all. In the next legislative session, their operating budget should be set to zero. Local governments do not need a bunch of unelected totalitarian beaurocrats telling them what to do. That's why we elect county commissioners, mayors and city councils. There is no logical basis for the Metropolitan Council's continued existence whatsoever. They are obsolete!!
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Seriously - the State may as well revoke Dakota county's ability to operate independently and let the State legislature control our county.
The Met Council vision for transit will not help Lakeville commuters get to work - especially since many don't work downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul.