This commission provides guidance on community issues around light rail development.
About
The METRO Blue Line Extension (BLRT) Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is established to provide guidance to the BLRT Corridor Management Committee (CMC) on community issues during the project development phases of BLRT. Appointments to the CAC will serve commencing in the fall of 2022 for the duration of the environmental review process, taking approximately two years.
Purpose
The purpose of the CAC is to serve as a voice for the community and advise the Metropolitan Council’s BLRT Corridor Management and the Hennepin County Community Works Steering Committees:
- Advise on communications and outreach strategies related to BLRT.
- Provide input on design and engineering options, including opportunities and impacts.
- Identify opportunities to improve community benefits from the BLRT project and to improve project planning and design to maximize positive community impacts.
- Identify potential issues and review strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of project development on residences and businesses.
- Provide input on Community Works initiatives, as requested.
- Serve as an information resource and liaison to the greater corridor community and their appointing organization.
Responsibilities
Each member of the BLRT CAC agrees to:
- Attend a majority of CAC meetings and actively participate in discussions by sharing ideas and expertise.
- Actively participate in discussions; be a voice to advance the broader interests of community.
- Routinely report back to their organization on the activities and discussions of the CAC.
- Serve as a conduit of information to the broader community.
- Identify opportunities to improve the project and maximize community benefits.
- Identify negative community impacts and assist in developing strategies for minimizing those impacts.
- Listen to and respect the viewpoints of others.
Membership
Appointments to the CAC will serve commencing will serve commencing in the fall of 2022 for the duration of the environmental review process, taking approximately two years.
Members need to be residents of the city or county region of the appointing organization. Members cannot be employees or elected officials from the appointing body.
Membership is intended to represent the diverse interests and stakeholders in the Blue Line Extension project study area. Specifically, membership will be appointed as follows:
| Appointing agency | Details | Members |
| City of Brooklyn Park | City resident | 3 |
| City of Crystal | City resident | 2 |
| City of Robbinsdale | City resident | 2 |
| City of Golden Valley | City resident | 2 |
| City of Minneapolis | City resident | 3 |
| Minneapolis Park & Rec. Board | Chamber member/representative | 1 |
| Transportation Accessibility Advisory Committee | Chamber member/representative | 1 |
| Hennepin County | Appoints targeted members to increase representation | 3 |
| Metropolitan Council | Appoints targeted members to increase representation | 3 |
If an appointed member is no longer able to participate actively in the CAC, the organization that appointed that person will be notified and allowed to name a replacement.
Reporting requirements
One CAC Co-Chair will serve as a member of the CMC and provide updates of CAC activities at CMC meetings. The other Co-Chair will act as alternate to the CMC.
As an advisory body that deliberates on consensus, the Co-Chairs will bring the majority viewpoint as well as dissenting viewpoints and corresponding issues to the CMC. As an advisory body representing multiple interests and viewpoints the role of the committee Co-Chairs will be to facilitate collaboration and represent the variety of opinions, desires, and concerns.
Committee co-chairs
The CAC membership appoints the Co-Chairs and the method in which to appoint them. The Co-Chairs must represent different respective cities. The Co-Chairs are charged with ensuring corridor-wide perspectives are present when offering guidance to steering committees; lead committees through their tasks and ensure charter compliance; identify topics/issues of committee concern; and develop meeting agendas with Blue Line Extension Project Management Team.
Co-Chairs should be willing to respectfully and with merit represent views that are not their own when they report to the CMC. They will also focus discussion facilitation on ensuring full participation from all members, such as encouraging those that have not contributed to do so and working though disagreements to reach the best possible outcome
Meetings
The CAC will schedule monthly meetings on the first Wednesday before Corridor Management Committee (second Thursday of month) from 6:00-8:00 PM. Agendas and meeting summaries will be distributed to all members before the meeting and posted on the project’s website at BlueLineExt.org.
Post meeting, meeting materials/presentations and approved meeting summaries will be posted on the project’s website: BlueLineExt.org.
Due to the timeliness of topics, additional meetings, subcommittees meetings and focus groups may be scheduled as needed.
View meeting agendas and minutes >
Application
Applications are currently closed.