06-22-1992 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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;ri^; i; ;“-r t; 1 V,' I I*. ::5^. . I^v' |- 0 ^■Vs"- rh There are many ways thai ihe Meiropoliun Council can exhibit forward ihinJung leadership f or example, the Council could appoint a permanent Viskjos (or Long-Range Planning or Futures) Comomtee. smilar lo such committees in both the pubbc and private sectors, to develop pvissible tracks that the Council should consider. It is the Task Force's opinion that this commtnee would be the pnncipie of the Meoopoliiaa Council. The Task Force would urge that committee members be notated to provide fresh otHlooks on matters. This committee ma-< up of Council members also should have ' fT aiitsdupoaaL Rir any «j**»«*^ it examines, the Metropolitan Council should be able to conceptualize a plan of action aid develop a strategy for aclueving that plan. The Task Force believes the Council should neither dnuedy impicflMnt nor operate Us course of action in most cases. To do » could stifle its ability to i—.a IQ icview aid *«>■«««* avenues and consequences of courses of actioa that couli be taken to anidpnle aul leact to efnerging probkmx it also ooukJ result in ensts-dnven management in which the problem wniM be erroneously klentiried and the recommended solution would be. 'Metropolitan Council win take care of U by making it a regional sysrem.* Were the Council K> adopt a vtsionary role, ideally policy and accompanying strategies would ^mng from its vision Morp Tlm« to Look to Futurn, Address the Present By ipendHif BMce tine n developuig issue areas and possible soluuons. members would move away from dirrer invoivement in the operauon of a regional system The Metropolitan Council could recommend action in a varieiy o( neas: developmcni of a regional system without a regional agency to operate U, creation of a regional agency or commission, suggest that the opportunity/problcm be mariiicd on a subregional or a statewide basis, or. in some instances, recommend that nothing be done. To be truly viaronary. the Metropolitan Council must be allowed lo spend more time thinking creatively and thoroughly examining issues. Because of expectations by the Legislature, local officials and the Govmnor’s Office, the Metropolitan Council has not been encouraged to act as a think tank in its exammation of questions of significance to the metropolitan area The Council, for example, could examine the area's demographics to help it map a plan to address the aging population, deteriorating neighborhoods or shifts in housing stock. The Council members mue be leaden in creating visions for the metropolitan community. Sometimes that vision may conclude there is no metropoiiian significaiKe of any consequence. But the important thing is that the Council looks for and studies questions of metropolitan significance. History has shown some matten of scope and vision did not always come from the Metropolitan Council's vision. For example, the piuh for the world-class Minneapolis Convention Center came from Minnc apolis business and civic teaders, not the Metropolitan Council's foresighL ITT- Metropolitan Council's Constituencies: Getting to the Customer Once the Council is allowed to return to its role of a futurist, it must explain and defend i s positions to its constitaaicies. Who are its constituencies? The Metropolitan Council’s constituencies should be the people of the metropolitan area. The Council shottld be accountdile to the metropolitan area - cities, townships, counties, businesses, legislators, and moft importantly. Us residents of today and tomorrow. Its message to its constituencies should be: The Metropolitan Council is not a stale agency. It is a regional planning and visioning agency that will help develop the best possible environment for metropolitan area residents, businesses and visitors. It also is a vehicle that will help foster intergovernmental cooperation. V.