Friction builds over road funds in Scott County

Scott County officials are fuming because of what they see as slights on transit projects by the regional planning agency.

By DAVID PETERSON, Star Tribune

Last update: October 10, 2009 - 9:33 PM

Print this story

Follow local news on Twitter

More from South Metro

Growing resentment in Scott County concerning its treatment at the hands of the Metropolitan Council is bursting into open flame.

The county's top elected officials have released a five-page, 2,300-word letter outlining their exasperation over what they consider a long list of failures to provide their constituents with adequate highways and transit.

And dozens of them packed a meeting room in Prior Lake on Friday to hear the response from Peter Bell, Gov. Tim Pawlenty's appointee as council chairman.

"There's a feeling that we are 'out there somewhere,' like we were 30 years ago!" exclaimed Prior Lake Mayor Jack Haugen.

Referring to maps showing future high-speed transit lines, from which the county is now missing, he added: "Why in heaven's name can we not get at least a 'dotted line' for the future? A recognition that this is an important asset to the broader metro area and we are a part of that?"

"That's a fair point," Bell said. "Duly noted. I hear what you're saying with that. I have received that message. It's helpful."

County officials believe that the Met Council, the regional planning agency for the seven-county metro area, is treating their main lifeline to the rest of the metro area, Hwy. 169, as a forgotten stepchild, even as hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent to upgrade Interstate 35W and Cedar Avenue. And they have many smaller grievances.

Bell and a phalanx of senior aides sought to defend themselves vigorously concerning some points. They maintained that they have:

• Worked hard to lure federal dollars to get the stoplights out of Hwy. 169 where it meets Interstate 494 and that there is still hope of getting help.

• Done what they could to get legislators to overturn a long-standing ban on any planning for a Dan Patch commuter rail from Northfield through Savage and on to Minneapolis.

"We introduced the bill to do that," council lobbyist Judd Schetnan said. "We had legislators from Northfield carry that bill, even though the Met Council is not in Rice County. We moved that bill all the way to conference committee. But we ran into a buzz saw from legislators at the north end of that line [in cities including Bloomington and Edina]."

On some other points, they promised to see what they could do.

For example, Scott County officials complain that they are trying to forge a deal with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to lease land for a second transit station for their express bus service to downtown Minneapolis, but are getting no help from the Met Council. Making matters worse, Lakeville has gotten generous new transit facilities, even though, for decades, it refused to pay into the region's transit system.

For the Met Council, the sticking point with the tribal deal is that the land would be leased, not bought. But the county counters that it would be leased for 50 years at a much lower cost ($115,000) than to buy it ($1.5 million).

"We are constantly challenged by the governor and our elected officials to be innovative, the [feds] considered this lease worthy of their funding, and the lease -- which is with another government agency -- is a tremendous taxpayer savings!" the county letter exclaims.

Bell, who had been provided the letter in advance, said, "We'll check into it."

As for the Lakeville facility, Bell said he often runs into resentment from surrounding communities when new entrants into the transit system get attractive deals. And lobbyist Schetnan added:

"We'd hope folks in Scott County would use those facilities [in Lakeville]. They're open for everyone to use. ... We hope folks in Scott drive over and hop on."

In addition to specifics, there are more fundamental points of difference. One of the biggest is the Met Council expectations for communities to plan for major growth, even as the council itself does not promise anything by way of additional roads for new traffic.

David Peterson • 952-882-9023