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<br /> Still, Bell said, the Twin Cities metro area has many competitive strengths, including high
<br /> workforce participation, home ownership, educational attainment and per-capita income.
<br /> Moreover, he said, it is still adding population — unlike many urban areas in the northern
<br /> tier of states.
<br /> Bell reflects on seven years at Council helm
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<br /> Council Chair Peter Bell reflected on the Council's successes and what he has learned during
<br /> his seven-year tenure.
<br /> Bell, the longest-serving chair in the Council's 43-year history, also discussed some of the
<br /> lessons he has learned in seven years on the job. Among those he listed:
<br /> •The Council needs to strike a careful balance between "local control" and efficient use
<br /> of regional infrastructure, saying both are important values.
<br /> •The Council, the Governor and Legislature need to explore ways to involve the
<br /> adjacent counties in regional planning, since the metro area clearly is larger than
<br /> seven counties.
<br /> •The Council should be the lead agency for planning both transit capital investments
<br /> and transit operations, saying you can't divorce one from the other.
<br /> •The region is blessed by many outstanding local elected officials who work hard to do
<br /> what's best for their communities and avoid the partisan rancor that affects other
<br /> levels of government.
<br /> Debate should occur on Councii make-up
<br /> During the question-and-answer session following the speech, Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire
<br /> asked about Bell's thoughts regarding the make-up of the Council. Bell said he sees several
<br /> possibilities. One is the reinstatement of staggered terms, with the same appointment
<br /> process, that would bolster the institutional memory of the Council and '�depoliticize the
<br /> Council a bit."
<br /> '�Another idea that I think bears exploring is to have a mix of elected officials and appointed
<br /> officials on the Council," Bell said. '�We have that on the TAB; that works fairly well." He
<br /> acknowledged that the Council is sometimes criticized that by virtue of the size of its budget
<br /> it is the fourth or fifth largest government unit in the state, with taxing and regulatory
<br /> authority, "all without an election certificate. [That criticism] does not fall on deaf ears with
<br /> me," he said.
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