In This Issue:
- 2026 Metro Cities Policy Committees
- Local Community Energy Resilience Planning Webinar
- Metropolitan Council Accepts Annual Parks Allocation
2026 Metro Cities Policy Committees
Metro Cities 2026 policy committee process will begin later this month and your participation is encouraged! Committees will recommend the association’s legislative policies for 2027. Participation is open to city elected officials and staff. Committee descriptions and dates are on the website. Please be sure to sign up for the committee(s) you wish to attend. This will help us keep rosters accurate. We look forward to seeing you this summer!
Local Community Energy Resilience Planning Webinar
The Minnesota Dept. of Commerce is hosting a local community energy resilience planning webinar on July 13 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This webinar will focus on the Community Energy Resilience Toolkit. This resource was developed by staff at the MN Dept. of Commerce to help local governments prepare for energy emergencies. Learn how your community can utilize this resource to be more prepared for possible energy disruptions. Hear about this and other Commerce Dept funding opportunities. Following the presentation staff will take questions from attendees. Click HERE to register for the webinar.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.
Metropolitan Council Accepts Annual Parks Allocation
At their meeting on Wednesday, July 8, the Metropolitan Council took action to accept the Regional Parks and Trails System state fiscal year 2027 operation and maintenance report. State law requires that by July 15 each year the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission (MPOSC) reports to the Metropolitan Council the funding requests from the implementing agencies for the regional parks and trails system. Statute directs that available funds are distributed based on factors such as park usage, operation and maintenance expenditures, and the acreage for each implementing agency’s portion of the system. Discussion of this item at MPOSC and the full Council concerned the lack of robust state funding for regional parks and the impact that has on the local budgets of the various implementing agencies. Click HERE to view the business item, which compares reported actual 2025 O&M expenses and the estimated distribution amounts for each agency, as well as a summary of the discussion that MPOSC had regarding this item.
Contact Mike Lund at [email protected] or 651-215-4003 with any questions.