HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.A.1. Approve a letter of concurrance to the Federal Transit Administration designating Met Council as the direct recipient of Sec. 5307 federal transit formaula funds for the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metro region �� Consent Business 4. A. l.
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TO: Mayor and City Council
Mark McNeill, City Administrator
FROM: R. Michael Leek, Community Development Director
DATE: 09/03/2013
SUBJECT: Approve a letter of concurrence to the Federal Transit Administration designating
Metropolitan Council as the direct recipient of Section 5307 federal transit formula
funds for the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan region. (F)
Action Sought
Offer and pass a motion approving the execution and sending of a letter of concurrence to the
Federal Transit Administration designating Metropolitan Council as the direct recipient of Section
5307 federal transit formula funds for the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan
region.
Background
The Metropolitan Council staff requests that the City of Shakopee, as a regional transit provider,
send the attached letter to the Federal Transit Administration concurring that the Metropolitan
Council will act as the eligible, designated recipient of federal transit formula funds for the
metropolitan region.
The Urbanized Area Formula Funding program (49 U.S.C. 5307) provides federal resources to
urbanized areas for transit capital and operating assistance for transportation related planning and
reimbursement for fuel and utility expenses (Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations
Act, 2012, Pub. L. 112-055).
According to Metropolitan Council staff, the Metropolitan Council is acting as the major transit
operator for the region (Metro Transit), not as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO),
when it is the designated recipient of federal funds. As the MPO, the Metropolitan Council will
also submit a letter of concurrence. The Metropolitan Council staff acknowledged that this region
is unusual as the major transit operator and the MPO are the same entity.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Shakopee City Council approve a letter of concurrence to the Federal
Transit Administration designating Metropolitan Council as the direct recipient of Section 5307
federal transit formula funds for the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan region.
Budget Impact
This item has no direct budget impact.
Relationship to Vision
This item is a housekeeping item (F).
Requested Action
Offer and pass a motion approving the execution and sending of a letter of concurrence to the
Federal Transit Administration designating Metropolitan Council as the direct recipient of Section
5307 federal transit formula fiinds for the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan region.
Attachments: FTA letter
September 4, 2013
Ms. Marisol Simon
Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Region 5
200 West Adams Street,Suite#320
Chicago, IL 60606
RE: Concurrence with Designation of Section 5307 Direct Recipient
Dear Ms. Simon:
The purpose of this letter is to fulfill the requirement in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Circular 9030.1D
Urbanized Area Formula Program: Program Guidance and Application Instructions to document the designation of a
direct recipient of Section 5307 funding in the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul Urbanized Area. The City of
Shakopee concurs with the designation of the Metropolitan Council as the direct recipient of Plymouth's Section
5307 funding for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Urbanized Area.
The City of Shakopee requests that the FTA copy the Shakopee Community Development Director on any
communications regarding the transmittal of funds to the Metropolitan Council. This will assist the City of Shakopee
to track transit funds for our system. Any communications should be copied to the following contact and address;
R. Michael Leek, Esq./Community Development Director
City of Shakopee
129 Holmes Street
Shakopee, MN 55379
E-mail: mleek@ci.shakopee.mn.us
Phone: (952)233-9346
In the mid-1980s the City of Shakopee elected to exercise its right to provide public transit. It was empowered by the
Minnesota Legislature in 1981 to create a suburban transit authority separate from the Metropolitan Transit
Commission, now Metropolitan Council. The City of Plymouth transit system provides over 100,000 rides annually on
express commuter and local bus services.
If you need additional information, please contact Community Development Director Michael Leek. Thank you for
supporting public transit.
Sincerely,
Brad Tabke, Mayor
City of Shakopee, MN
Cc: Susan Haigh, Chair, Metropolitan Council
Pat Born, Regional Administrator, Metropolitan Council