SF4137

Purpose

The bill strengthens and clarifies how water supply planning for the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area is done. It assigns clear duties to the Metropolitan Council, creates advisory committees to guide planning, and establishes reporting requirements to the Legislature to support informed decisions and long-term sustainability of the region’s water system.

Subdivision 1: Planning activities

• The Metropolitan Council must lead planning for the metropolitan area’s water supply, using a base of technical information and analysis about surface and groundwater availability, future water demand, withdrawals and use, and related modeling.
• The council must develop and periodically update a metropolitan area master water supply plan. This plan must be created in cooperation with, and subject to approval by, the Policy Advisory Committee and should:
  • Provide guidance for local water supply systems and regional investments.
  • Emphasize conservation, interjurisdictional cooperation, and long-term sustainability.
  • Address reliability, security, and cost-effectiveness of the water supply system and its local components.
  • Make recommendations on roles and responsibilities of local, regional, and state government, and on streamlining and consolidating decision-making and approval processes.
  • Recommend ongoing, long-term funding for planning activities and capital investments.
• Planning activities must be carried out in consultation with the Policy Advisory Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee.

Subdivision 2: Policy Advisory Committee

• A Metropolitan Area Water Supply Policy Advisory Committee is established to assist the council.
• Membership includes:
  • State agency heads or their designees (Agriculture, Health, Natural Resources, Pollution Control Agency).
  • County officials from the metropolitan area (appointed with input from the Association of Minnesota Counties).
  • Officials from noncounty local government units within the metropolitan area (appointed with input from the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities).
  • The chair of the Metropolitan Council (or the chair’s designee) who also serves as chair of the advisory committee.
  • Specific county officials from Chisago, Isanti, Sherburne, and Wright counties.
  • Representatives from the Saint Paul Regional Water Services and the Minneapolis Water Department (appointed by their respective bodies).
  • A tribal representative appointed by the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.
• Each local government unit in the seven-county metropolitan area (including Chisago, Isanti, Sherburne, and Wright) must be represented among the appointments.
• Members serve at the pleasure of the governor, without compensation but may be reimbursed for ordinary expenses.
• A member who is no longer an elected official must resign.
• The policy advisory committee’s work must be considered when the council prepares its regional development framework.

Subdivision 2a: Technical Advisory Committee

• A Metropolitan Area Water Supply Technical Advisory Committee is created to provide scientific and engineering expertise to support the policy committee’s work.
• It consists of 15 members appointed by the policy advisory committee, with most members representing single-city or multi-city public water systems in the region.
• Required expertise includes water resources analysis and modeling, hydrology, and the engineering planning, design, construction, or financing of water systems. The committee may include one tribal representative.
• Members serve at the pleasure of the policy advisory committee and are eligible to be reimbursed for reasonable expenses.

Subdivision 3: Reports to Legislature

• The Metropolitan Council must report to the Legislature on its findings, recommendations, and ongoing planning activities under subdivision 4.5 (as referenced in the bill), and these reports must be included in the Minnesota Water Plan (section 103B.151) with optional five-year interim updates as needed.
• By February 15, 2017, and at least every five years after, the Policy Advisory Committee must report to the Council, the Legislative Water Commission, and the chairs and ranking minority members of the relevant House and Senate environment committees with the required information. This report must include information provided by the Technical Advisory Committee.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds formal, multi-layered water supply planning requirements for the metropolitan area, led by the Metropolitan Council.
• Establishes two new advisory committees (Policy Advisory Committee and Technical Advisory Committee) to guide planning, technical analysis, and decision-making.
• Requires a metropolitan area master water supply plan, updated periodically, that addresses reliability, security, cost-effectiveness, conservation, and regional cooperation.
• Introduces specific reporting to the Legislature on a defined schedule, integrated with the Minnesota Water Plan and future five-year updates.
• Expands roles and representation from state agencies, counties, local governments, and tribal interests in metropolitan water planning decision-making.
• Seeks to streamline and clarify roles and responsibilities across local, regional, and state government, and to detail funding needs for planning and capital investments.

Relevant Terms - Metropolitan Council - metropolitan area water supply - water supply planning activities - base of technical information - surface and groundwater availability - water demand projections - water withdrawal and use impact analyses - modeling - master water supply plan - conservation - interjurisdictional cooperation - long-term sustainability - reliability, security, cost-effectiveness - local government units - counties (e.g., Chisago, Isanti, Sherburne, Wright) - policy advisory committee - technical advisory committee - water resources analysis - hydrology - engineering planning, design, construction, and financing of water systems - Minnesota Water Plan - reporting to Legislature - Minnesota Indian Affairs Council - Saint Paul Regional Water Services - Minneapolis Water Department - Association of Minnesota Counties - League of Minnesota Cities - regional development framework