Guide to Minnesota Planning - mnplan.state.mn.us · —Steve Dornfeld, St. Paul Pioneer Press, August 28, 1998, on Minnesota Milestones “Models of excellence in a new era of communication

Guide to Minnesota Planning

1 Welcome

3 OverviewThe cross-disciplinary advantageResource teamsHistoryMissionAccomplishmentsConstituenciesKey legislative committeesImportant upcoming dates

6 Budget and personnelManagement structureDirector’s role in advisory and decision-making bodies

7 Team overviewsClerical SupportCommunications, Publishing and LibraryCriminal Justice CenterCritical IssuesEnvironmental Quality BoardFinancial ServicesInformation Technology SupportLand Management Information CenterLegislative ServicesLocal Planning AssistanceState Demographic Center

Guide to Minnesota State Agencies 1999 was coordinated byMinnesota Planning, 658 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55155,651-296-3985.

Upon request, Guide to Minnesota State Agencies will bemade available in an alternate format, such as Braille, largeprint or audio tape. For TTY, contact Minnesota RelayService at 800-627-3529 and ask for Minnesota Planning.

November 1998

GUIDE TO MINNESOTA PLANNING, 19993

Overview

Minnesota Planning keeps the state focused on thefuture, drawing on many different fields of knowledgeto deliver sound information and good ideas topolicy-makers and the public.

Information and ideas are the agency’s main products.These are delivered through printed reports, theInternet, helplines, personal consultation, presenta-tions and testimony in legislative hearings andmeetings.

The Governor and the Legislature rely heavily onMinnesota Planning for research, analysis and policyoptions. Of the agency’s 50-plus reports in 1998,roughly a dozen were undertaken for the Governorand another dozen for the Legislature. These projectsalso reach other interested customers, includingpublic agencies, local governments, federal officials,service organizations, businesses, the news media andMinnesotans from all walks of life.

The number of reports published by MinnesotaPlanning increased 40 percent in 1998. Even with thishigher workload, the agency continued to win nationaland state awards and recognition from major govern-ment, communications and design organizations.

“A valuable tool for state policy-makers as well as ordinarycitizens to monitor the health of the state and its programs,to measure progress and to hold government accountable.”

— Steve Dornfeld, St. Paul Pioneer Press, August 28, 1998,on Minnesota Milestones

“Models of excellence in a new era of communication andknowledge … They show us what is possible when humancreativity embraces the power of a networked world.”

— Global Information Infrastructure Awards, commendingthe agency web site

“An authoritative source of reliable data on a wide rangeof issues.”

— Lester Collins, executive director,Council on Black Minnesotans

The cross-disciplinary advantage

Six teams engage in long-range and strategic plan-ning, each within its own specialty. Since innovativethinking about the future requires crossing traditionalboundaries of expertise, members of these teamsfrequently work together. This cross-pollinationproduces exceptional results and sets MinnesotaPlanning apart from other government agencies. Staffbackgrounds include planning, statistics, engineering,law, geography and many other areas of professionalexpertise.

The Criminal Justice Center studies crime statisticsand the justice system in Minnesota, including publicspending, juvenile crime and criminal history records.It also helps communities set up teen court programs.

The Critical Issues team handles a broad range ofresearch, analysis, policy and strategic planningprojects, often leading collaborative efforts that drawon experts from several other teams plus other stateagencies, local government and the public.

The Environmental Quality Board develops policyand reviews the environmental impact of proposedprojects. Staffed by Minnesota Planning, the board’sresponsibilities include the current major study ofanimal agriculture and review of projects touching onother hot issues such as nuclear waste storage, windpower, genetic engineering, power plants and trans-mission lines and airport expansion proposals.

The Land Management Information Centerpromotes coordination among public and privateorganizations that use geographic information,manages and provides access to costly geographicdata, develops technology to meet special analysisneeds and conducts mapping and analysis projects forother agencies and organizations in Minnesota.

The Local Planning Assistance team coordinatesfunding and assistance for community-based planningand operates an assistance center for all Minnesotacommunities undertaking local comprehensiveplanning.

The State Demographic Center delivers data andanalysis on Minnesota’s population and economy,including long-range trends. The center isMinnesota’s link to the U.S. Census Bureau. It leads anetwork of data centers that deliver informationthroughout the state.


Resource teams

Minnesota Planning also has five resource teams withprofessional skills that enable the agency to serve itscustomers well:

The Clerical Support team helps all the other teamsachieve their goals.

The Information Technology Support team takescare of hardware and software.

The Communications, Publishing and Library teamhelps the agency reach audiences effectively andprovides agency staff members with access to infor-mation.

The Financial Services staff ensures the responsibleuse of public funds.

The Legislative Services staff coordinates theprocess for the entire executive branch.

History

Minnesota Planning was created in July 1991, afterthe Legislature abolished the State Planning Agencyand created the Office of Strategic and Long-RangePlanning, known as Minnesota Planning.

The Legislature has charged Minnesota Planning withpreparing a long-range plan for the state; coordinatingactivities among all levels of government; stimulatingpublic interest and participation in the future of thestate; and coordinating with the commissioner ofFinance, affected state agencies and the Legislature inplanning and financing major public programs.

Three directors have led the agency since 1991:Linda Kohl, January 1991 to June 1995Ron Youngren, July 1995 to September 1995Linda Kohl, October 1995 to July 1997Ann Schluter, July 1997 to present

Mission

Continually scan the horizon, identifying and evaluat-ing the critical and emerging issues that will keepMinnesotans focused on the future, provide policy-makers and the public with accurate information andanalysis, influence policy decisions through long-range planning, and coordinate activities among alllevels of government.

Accomplishments

During the past two years, Minnesota Planning:

Championed government accountability andfocused thousands of Minnesotans on the futurethrough Minnesota Milestones — a citizen-basedvision for the state, with far-reaching goals and 70measures of progress toward those goals.

Developed an award-winning World Wide Web sitethat has about 90,000 hits a month, delivering infor-mation and services such as reports, maps, databases,helpline service and electronic ordering.

Helped seven Minnesota communities set up teencourts, an innovative approach that develops youthleadership, keeps young offenders out of the courtsystem for minor offenses and links offenses torelevant consequences.

Gave policy-makers solid information on crime andthe justice system, helping them sort out facts andperceptions about this perennially hot political issue.

Delivered local data to help Minnesota communi-ties understand and deal with trends affecting theirchildren, public health, land use, demographics, localeconomy and natural resources.

Alerted policy-makers and the public to emergingissues and ideas through the monthly electronicMinnesota IssueWatch newsletter.

Prompted a close look at the future of highereducation in Minnesota through a series of meetingsand reports dealing with financing, efficiency, tech-nology, work force preparation and other aspects ofhigher education policy.

Prepared Minnesota to respond to federal welfarereform, hosting a major conference in January 1997that brought together legislators, welfare recipients,business leaders and service organizations; andthrough the highly regarded Work in Progress report.

Led in the development and siting of wind-poweredelectric generation in Minnesota.

Developed, updated and delivered powerful data-bases of information about geography, demography,criminal justice and local conditions.

Provided environmental leadership by launching ascientific study of the volatile feedlot issue, publishing

Examples of cross-team collaboration

4 4 4 4 4

4 4 4 4

4 4 4 4 4

4 44 4 4

CriminalJustice

CriticalIssues Demography EQB

LocalPlanning LMIC

MinnesotaMilestonesplan

LocalPlanningAssistanceMinnesotaIssueWatchnewsletter

Governmentspendingstudies


clearer guidelines for users of Minnesota’s environmen-tal rules, and handling the evaluation of hundreds ofdevelopment projects with environmental implications.

Provided leadership and coordination forMinnesota’s fast-growing geographic informationtechnology field, including the development of datastandards and strategies for providing access to data.

Worked with the U.S. Geological Survey to developstate-of-the-art digital photographs for the entire state,making Minnesota a national leader.

Helped other state agencies accomplish goals thatrequired geographic information technology, includ-ing the departments of Public Safety, Agriculture, andChildren, Families & Learning.

Fostered unprecedented coordination of geographicinformation technology among Twin Cities areagovernments by cosponsoring the MetroGIS project, amodel of regional collaboration.

Led the state to consider the critical links amongenvironmental, economic and social issues and theneeds of current and future generations, through theMinnesota Sustainable Development Initiative.

Helped shape public policy to prevent and treatfetal alcohol syndrome by publishing Suffer theChildren: The Preventable Tragedy of Fetal AlcoholSyndrome in 1998 with the Department of Health andFirst Lady Susan Carlson.

Implemented landmark, local planning legislationin 1997 that embraces sustainable developmentconcepts and provides practical help to communitiesas they plan for the future.

Constituencies

A sharp focus on audience needs and preferences is ahallmark of Minnesota Planning. The agency’s topcustomers include:

Governor’s officeMinnesota Legislature and legislative staffState agenciesLocal governmentsFederal agenciesNews media throughout MinnesotaInterested Minnesotans

In addition, special constituencies are listed in eachteam’s detailed overview section.

Key legislative committees

This list includes committees that turn to MinnesotaPlanning for assistance as well as committees thatregularly influence the agency’s resources andassignments.

Government OperationsChairs: Sen. James Metzen, Rep. Phyllis Kahn,Budget and Finance subcommittee chairs:Sen. Leonard Price, Rep. Tom Rukavina

Legislative Commission on Minnesota ResourcesChair: Rep. Loren Solberg

AgricultureChairs: Sen. Dallas Sams, Rep. Steve Wenzel

EnvironmentChairs: Sen. Bob Lessard, Rep. Willard Munger

Environment and Agriculture Budget DivisionsChairs: Sen. Steve Morse, Rep. Tom Ostoff

Crime Prevention (Senate), Judiciary (House)Chairs: Sen. Allan Spear, Rep. Wes Skoglund

Crime Prevention Budget Division (Senate),Judiciary Finance Division (House)Chairs: Sen. Randy C. Kelly, Rep. Mary Murphy

Local and Metropolitan GovernmentChairs: Sen. Jim Vickerman, Rep. Ann Rest

Important upcoming dates

March 1999Local Planning Assistance team reviews the

Metropolitan Council Planning Guide for consistencywith community-based planning, as required by theLegislature.

Local Planning Assistance team and SustainableDevelopment Initiative publish a comprehensiveguide to local planning in Minnesota.

Authority for the Governor’s Council on Geo-graphic Information expires unless renewed byexecutive order.

June 1999Fiscal year 1999 ends.Minnesota Geographic Information Clearinghouse

completes 100 documented data sets, its target forphase 1.


September 1999Criminal Justice Center releases Minnesota Crime

Survey results.

December 1999Environmental Quality Board publishes the draft

Generic Environmental Impact Statement on AnimalAgriculture.

Critical Issues team unveils interactive version ofMinnesota Milestones.

Municipal Board duties are transferred to Minne-sota Planning.

April 2000Census 2000 is conducted.

June 2000Environmental Quality Board takes final action on

animal agriculture study (target date).

September 2000Environmental Quality Board completes statewide

10-year water plan.

December 2000State Demographic Center begins delivering data

from Census 2000.

Budget andpersonnel

Management structure

The director appoints the deputy director, assistantdirector, executive aide, legislative coordinator, fiscalofficer and leaders for the agency’s teams. Thedirector also has the authority to appoint the statedemographer and the director of the Land Manage-ment Information Center.

The deputy director reports to the director. This is anoperations role, overseeing day-to-day management,budget activities and personnel decisions. The agencycontracts with the Department of Employee Relationsfor professional assistance with human resource issues,including hiring, employment policies and administra-tion of benefits. The deputy director also serves as apolicy advisor to the director and as liaison for thedirector to the Land Management Information Center,Environmental Quality Board, Local Planning Assis-

tance, and Communications, Publishing and Libraryteams. In the absence of the director, the deputy hasfull authority to act on the director’s behalf. The fiscalofficer also reports to the deputy director.

The assistant director reports to the director andserves as agency legislative liaison and specialprojects manager. This includes staffing or overseeingthe staffing of various task forces, committees andcouncils. The assistant director advises the director onpolicy and legislative matters and serves as thedirector’s liaison with the State Demographic Center,Criminal Justice Center and Critical Issues teams. Thelegislative coordinator also reports to the assistantdirector.

The executive aide reports to the director and supportsthe work of the director, deputy director and assistantdirector. This person also leads the Clerical Supportteam.

The management team coordinates agency activitiesand gives broad input into decisions. This group,including all the team leaders plus the legislativecoordinator and the financial officer, meets weeklywith the director, deputy director and assistantdirector.

1998 funding sourcesGeneral funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,188,000Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,133,000Community-based planning . . . . . . 665,000Teen courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175,000Feedlot GEIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,200,000Census . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,000

Legislative Commissionon Minnesota Resources . . . . . . . . . . . $1,175,000

Integrated access to environmentalinformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $650,000

Economics for lasting progress . . . . 250,000Urban growth economics . . . . . . . . . 75,000

Proprietary funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $816,737Federal funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153,322

Total 1998 funding sources . . . . . . . . . . $8,333,059

1998 expendituresPayroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,981.851Other expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434,406Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 666,317

Total 1998 expenditures . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,082,574.00


The director and deputy director coordinated execu-tive branch transition activities for the change ofadministration taking place in 1999.

Director’s role in advisory anddecision-making bodies

The director of Minnesota Planning is assigned bystatute to membership on several boards. Except forthe Environmental Quality Board, these responsibili-ties may be delegated:

Children’s CabinetEnvironmental Quality BoardFetal Alcohol Syndrome Coordinating BoardCriminal and Juvenile Justice Information Task

Force

The director of Minnesota Planning is the appointingauthority for the Governor’s Council on GeographicInformation. The director may also create and appointmembers to advisory groups to assist the agency inaddressing specific issues.

The director served on the Lieutenant Governor’sViolence Prevention Task Force.

The director led Governor Carlson’s agencycluster structure, serving as a cluster leader andattending the administrative and human developmentcluster meetings. The deputy director attended theeconomic development and environmental clustermeetings.

Staff organization Full-time equivalents

Director and executive management and support 4.00Criminal Justice Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.50Critical Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.00Environmental Quality Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.30Land Management Information Center . . . . . . . . . . . 19.90Local Planning Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.25State Demographic Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.50

Operations and support staffClerical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.50Communications, Publishing and Library . . . . . . . . 7.10Fiscal Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.00Legislative Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.00Technology Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.50

Team overviews

Minnesota Planning is organized into eight functionalareas. The following staff allocations reflect the statuswhen the agency budget was prepared in September1998.

Clerical Support

These are the organizing experts that keep Minne-sota Planning functioning efficiently. Theircontributions include extensive contact with agencycustomers, the handling of mailings and fax distribu-tion, schedule management, event planning,effective use of office equipment and office softwareapplications, inventory control and accurate record-ing of meeting proceedings.

Communications, Publishingand Library

The tailoring of words, graphics and communicationmethods to meet the needs and interests of theaudience is an essential service provided by theCommunications, Publishing and Library team. Theteam is involved from the time an idea starts to geluntil the final product gets into the hands of thepeople who need it.

This team also helps the agency reach its audiencesbetter, faster and more effectively. For a given project,the target audience may be elected leaders, corporatemovers and shakers, data analysts, scholars, journal-ists or the entire Minnesota public. Within the lastyear, the Communications, Publishing and Libraryteam produced more than 50 published reports,oversaw a large, content-rich web site and helpedproject leaders gain media coverage for many issuesand events. High professional standards for writing,editing, visual design, print and online productionhave led to more than a dozen awards for MinnesotaPlanning products in 1997 and 1998.

Strategic communication planning is another contri-bution of this team. The team helps project managersinform and inspire the people whose support isneeded to accomplish agency goals in the interest ofall Minnesotans.

The Communications, Publishing and Library teamcontributes to the agency’s coordinating role. A recent


example is the full suite of agency briefing materialsfor the new Governor’s administration. The teamhelped to plan and produce these practical guides tothe accomplishments and inner workings of each stateagency.

The Communications, Publishing and Library teamcoordinates the Minnesota Planning web site, whichalready contains more than 3,000 pages of information.The site — www.mnplan.state.mn.us — is consultednearly 90,000 times a month by decision-makers andcitizens. In September 1998, visitors downloadednearly 7,500 copies of agency reports. At the sametime, demand for printed copies is edging down.

“The exceptional way you presented complex informationmakes this report rise to the top. Rich in information, wellplanned and executed.”

—Association for Women in Communications,1998 Crystal Clarion Award

The library provides quick access to relevant docu-ments, a service that is vital to an agency that deals ininformation and ideas. The leading edge of libraryservices is the ability to conduct sophisticated elec-tronic search and retrieval. The library staff, part ofthe Communications, Publishing and Library team,performs topical searches, reference and fact checks,and updates the agency on current events and issues.They also maintain a collection of relevant documentsand periodicals, oversee records retention for theagency and hone the research and database skills ofagency staff.

The library is undertaking two major projects. It ismanaging the transition to the new statewide librarycatalog, MN-LINK. The library is also overhaulingand updating the Minnesota Planning referencecollection.

Special constituenciesIn addition to the constituencies served by the entireagency, the Communications, Publishing and Libraryteam has a special focus on:

News mediaGovernor’s office communications staffMinnesota Planning executive leadershipMinnesota Planning analysts, authors and web

content developers

Criminal Justice Center

The Criminal Justice Center at Minnesota Planning isthe leading source of crime and justice statistics inMinnesota. It also serves as the state’s StatisticalAnalysis Center under the State Justice StatisticsProgram of the U.S. Department of Justice. This teamprovides information and analysis to equip policy-makers for strategic planning related to crime andcriminal justice. The staff maintains seven largedatabases and draws out information on such topics ascrime rates, arrests, apprehensions and inmatepopulations.

The Criminal Justice Center team often briefs legisla-tive committees on crime and justice issues, andresponds to frequent requests from legislators and themedia for data and analysis, often with very shortturnaround time.

The team answers about 2,000 requests for criminaljustice reports, statistics and information each year. Itserves many Minnesota organizations and citizens, aswell as federal agencies, through its helpline. Recentpublished reports have covered gun-related crime, thecost of the justice system and the demographics ofjuvenile offenders. The criminal justice team adminis-ters grants for the startup of teen courts, local programsin which a jury of teens determines the consequencesfor minor offenses committed by their peers.

“Timely, accurate data and sound analysis are ... particu-larly important in the field of criminal justice given publicperceptions regarding crime and the dollars that areinvested across the entire criminal justice system.”

— Rebecca Goodman, Citizens Council

IssuesData availability and quality. Sometimes the datathat policy-makers need simply is not collected inMinnesota, so policy-makers must rely on datadeveloped for other purposes and not well suited tothe need. Another problem is data of questionablequality. Serious caveats limit the usefulness of suchdata, and “cleaning up” problematic data takes aheavy investment for a team this size.

Lack of state funding. Only one of four staff posi-tions on this team is state-funded. The need to secureand implement grants for the other positions takes a


significant portion of staff members’ time and makestheir tenure uncertain from year to year.

Special constituenciesIn addition to the constituencies served by the entireagency, this team has a special focus on:

News mediaCriminal justice professionals at many levels of

governmentTeen court grantees and other communities explor-

ing the conceptUsers of the helpline

Priority projectsEvaluate the teen court programs we have funded.These innovative programs train youth volunteers toassign consequences to their peers for minor offenses.The offenders choose this option as an alternative tothe traditional court system. Three evaluations are duein January 1999 and four in June 1999.

Conduct a survey of Minnesotans’ experiences withand perceptions of crime. The results of this survey,done every three years, generate significant interestfrom the Legislature, the media and the public. Newcomponents in the next survey will include an addi-tional survey sample to focus on domestic abuse andnew techniques to improve the inclusion of otherunderrepresented groups. Due September 1999.

Continue to implement the National Criminal HistoryImprovement Program. This federal grant enablesstates to improve criminal history records. TheMinnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension awardedfunds to the criminal justice team to identify prob-lems with the state’s criminal history database.Minnesota is a model state in this program; federalofficials meet with criminal justice team staff toevaluate the effectiveness of the grant program.

Boards, commissions and task forcesThe Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information TaskForce brings together state agencies and local lawenforcement officials to improve the state’s informa-tion collection, forms and procedures. By statute, thedirector of Minnesota Planning or a designee (cur-rently the criminal justice team leader) is a member.The task force meets quarterly and has no sunset date.

The Interagency Adolescent Female Subcommitteefocuses on the correction system. The criminal justiceteam sends a staff liaison. The subcommittee has nosunset date.

The Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee is a stateadvisory group required by the federal government.This committee has funded projects for the criminaljustice team. The criminal justice team makes presen-tations to the committee. No sunset date.

Critical Issues

The Critical Issues team excels at clear, thoroughpresentation of complex issues and policy options.Strong working relationships with people throughoutstate and local government are a real asset of this team.The breadth of expertise of its members includes:

Elementary to post-secondary education, organiza-tion and reform

Fetal alcohol syndromeChild abuse and neglectChild adoption, custody and placementWelfare reformGamblingRacial, ethnic and diversity issuesChildren and family policyPublic health and health careHomelessness and housing issuesGovernment accountability, productivity, service,

restructuring and spendingJuvenile and criminal justiceWork force, training, adult education and employ-

ment issuesRegional economic futurePerformance measurementStrategic planning

“Minnesota Milestones is a fantastic piece and a fineexample of the quality of information we get from youragency. We not only use this report ourselves, we make surethat our local library, United Way office and local founda-tions get their own copies.”

— David Martin, Fargo-Moorhead Chamber of Commerce

The Critical Issues team not only responds to manyrequests from the Governor and Legislature, but takesthe lead in drawing attention to issues on the horizonthat warrant public discussion and action. The teamalso coordinates Minnesota Milestones, drawing onexpertise from throughout Minnesota Planning andmany external advisors to measure progress towardthe state’s long-range goals.


IssueAgency need to upgrade web capabilities. Greatpotential exists for getting information about criticalissues to many audiences through online data andinteractive methods, but the agency needs the staffand tools to move to a new level.

Priority projectsDevelop an online Minnesota Milestones — interac-tive, regularly updated, including frequent dataupdates and links to other data sources. This wouldmake it easy for local communities, policy-makersand other organizations to find the most recentavailable data on the indicators that interest them.Target date: December 1999.

Revise and update the Children’s Report Card, theprinted and online source of county data about keychildren’s indicators, to improve users’ access to localdata. Target date: December 1999.

Develop the “future indicators” laid out in MinnesotaMilestones. Establishing these important data sets formeasuring the state’s progress involves working withother agencies that may gather and maintain the data.Target: six new indicators in 1999.

Prepare a report on Minnesota’s system on localgovernment. Create an inventory of local governmentactivities; conduct focus groups and interviews withlocal administrators; analyze local governmentresponsibilities. Due June 1999.

Handle the transfer of Municipal Board responsibili-ties to Minnesota Planning, after the board’sexpiration in December 1999.

Boards, commissions and task forcesThe Advisory Council on Local Government exam-ines the roles and responsibilities of local andregional government in the metropolitan area. Admin-istrative and staff assistance from Minnesota Planningis required by statute. Expiration: June 30, 1999.

The Minnesota Interagency Task Force onHomelessness. No sunset date.

The Department of Human Services aging initiative,Project 2030, looks at several strategic issues relatedto the aging of Minnesota’s population. No sunsetdate; scheduled to end December 1998.

An interagency Benchmarking Sharing Groupmeets monthly to promote quality improvementthrough comparison with successful programs.No sunset date.

Environmental Quality Board

The Environmental Quality Board is Minnesota’sprincipal government forum for discussing environ-ment and development issues. The 15-member boardincludes a chairperson and five citizen membersappointed by the Governor, the commissioners of thedepartments of Agriculture, Transportation, Trade andEconomic Development, Economic Security, PublicService, Natural Resource and the Pollution ControlAgency; the directors of Minnesota Planning and theMinnesota Office of Environmental Assistance; andthe chair of the Board of Water and Soil Resources.

Minnesota Planning staffs the Environmental QualityBoard. Staff members specialize in issues such asnuclear waste storage, genetic engineering, environ-mental impact statements, airport planning, statewidewater planning, power plant siting, electric transmis-sion line routing, pipeline routing, environmentalreview and sustainable development. This staffcoordinates the sometimes diverse interests repre-sented on the board. One of the most importantcontributions of this team is to move the focus oncontroversial issues beyond emotional response andtoward objective information and analysis. The teamalso makes sure that the public has opportunity toparticipate in environmental decisions.

The Environmental Quality Board fills a unique role inMinnesota government. Its broad coordinating functionis a good fit with the statewide planning and coordinat-ing mandate of Minnesota Planning. The boardprovides:

A public forum for debating and discussing theenvironmental policies and decisions of state government

A mechanism for coordinating the actions of majorstate agencies and the impact of their decisions on theenvironment and development

A tool for the Governor and the Legislature to use inaddressing environmental issues that do not fall withinthe scope of the state’s other environmental agencies

“We have had superb help from EQB staff throughout theprocess of siting wind power facilities in our county. Theyunderstand the local issues that are involved — sometimeseven better than we do. Their web site is also excellent.I use it a lot for information about power production andwind power issues.”

— Jack Keers, Commissioner, Pipestone County


IssuesAnimal agriculture . Concerns have been raisedabout the impact of feedlots on surface and groundwater quality, air quality and the rural landscape. TheEnvironmental Quality Board is undertaking a majortwo-year study of this volatile issue.

Chisago electric transmission line project. Keyissues in this controversial project are the long-termlocal and inter-region need for the project and itsproposed crossing of the St. Croix National ScenicRiverway.

Restructuring of the electric utility industry. Theelectric utility industry has been a regulated mo-nopoly of companies that are vertically integrated,meaning that the same company generates, distributesand sells the electric power. Over the past few years,there has been increasing pressure to introducewidespread competition to the industry. Recentchanges in federal law and regulation are causingstates to explore policies and industry structures thatcould reduce prices and increase services, whilecontinuing to provide the public benefits of regula-tion. The Environmental Quality Board regulates thesiting of power plants over 50 megawatts and therouting of transmission lines over 200 kilovolts.Under most proposed restructuring plans, transmis-sion lines would remain regulated and the board’sauthority probably would not change. The authorityfor siting power plants could change.

Prairie Island nuclear power plant. An issue thatcould return to the forefront is the Legislature’sdecision in 1994 to allow Northern States PowerCompany to store high-level radioactive waste at itsPrairie Island nuclear power plant. In exchange, theLegislature required NSP to invest in alternativeenergy programs such as wind power and biomassfuels, and in programs to benefit Minnesotans inneed. The Environmental Quality Board has beeninvolved in this issue through environmental reviewactivities and through other duties assigned by theLegislature.

Engaging Minnesotans in sustainable developmentissues. The Minnesota Sustainable DevelopmentInitiative and the Governor’s Round Table on Sustain-able Development have suggested a new path towardprogress where economic, environmental and socialconcerns are seen as intimately connected. They haveidentified concrete steps that might be taken bygovernment and private enterprise. The challenge nowis to engage businesses, communities and governmentagencies in the discussion about how best to movetoward this path.

Continuation of the Minnesota Round Table onSustainable Development. This group of business,civic and environmental leaders expired in June 1998,but a proposal to continue the round table is beingconsidered.


Environmental organizationsParties interested in projects that require environ-

mental reviewParties interested in the board’s current study of

animal agriculture

Priority projectsComplete the Generic Environmental Impact State-ment on Animal Agriculture. Environmental QualityBoard staff members work with a Citizen AdvisoryCommittee and technical consultants to prepare adraft study to be completed in 1999. The board willhost public meetings on the draft GEIS early in 2000.Staff will work with the Citizen Advisory Committeeto refine the draft for board action in June 2000.Policy-makers consider the key recommendationsfrom the study in 2000-2001.

Manage the environmental review process. Thisprogram was created by the 1973 Minnesota Legisla-ture to minimize adverse environmental impacts fromhuman activities by informing project proposers, thepublic, and governmental decision-makers of poten-tial environmental impacts of major developmentprojects and how they could be avoided. The Environ-mental Quality Board establishes the rules for theprogram, helps project proposers interpret and applythe rules and prepare review documents, and in rarecases reassigns responsibility for review. In addition,the board itself conducts environmental review forpower plants, high voltage transmission lines andmajor pipelines.

Create the state’s next 10-year water plan. By Sep-tember 15, 2000, the board is to develop acomprehensive long-range water resources plan withstrong participation from local governments and otherwater interests. The plan must engage communitiesand industrial interests in order to address economicand social implications of water protection andmanagement.

Study potential sites for cogeneration in Minnesotaand produce a guide for navigating the regulatoryprocess. Cogeneration is the capture of waste heatcreated by power generators and the use of this


thermal energy for heating buildings or other pur-poses. If the 1999 Legislature approves funding($100,000 has been recommended by the LegislativeCommission on Minnesota Resources), the projectwould start in July 1999.

Oversee the siting of wind energy facilities. As part ofthe agreement allowing Northern States Power totemporarily store nuclear waste at its Prairie Islandpower plant, the Legislature required NSP to develop425 megawatts of wind energy capacity by 2002. TheEnvironmental Quality Board issues the permits forthe wind turbine sites.

Oversee the routing of major pipelines. The board hasauthority to route major gas and petroleum pipelines,except those of public utilities and those covered byfederal authority

Route the proposed Chisago electric transmissionline. Northern States Power Company and DairylandPower Cooperative have proposed a 38-mile transmis-sion line to serve northern, northwestern and westernWisconsin and east central Minnesota. Permits arerequired from the Minnesota Environmental QualityBoard and the Public Service Commission of Wiscon-sin. The proposed line would connect the ChisagoCounty Substation southwest of North Branch and theApple River Substation north of Amery, Wisconsin. Adecision may come before the Environmental QualityBoard in December 1998 or early 1999.

Site the Minnesota Agri-Power Alfalfa-BiomassProject. The project would convert alfalfa stems into alow-Btu “alfagas” as fuel for a power plant. As part ofthe agreement allowing Northern States Power totemporarily store nuclear waste at its Prairie Islandpower plant, the Legislature required NSP to con-struct or contract for 125 megawatts of biomasspower by December 31, 1998. In 1996, NSP selecteda proposal from the Minnesota Valley Alfalfa Produc-ers, based in Granite Falls, to supply the first 75megawatts. The role of the Environmental QualityBoard is to conduct a joint environmental review withthe U.S. Department of Energy and to issue a certifi-cate of site compatibility specifying the size, type,and location of the new biomass plant.

Revise the environmental rules related to “connectedaction.” Minnesota’s environmental rules call forlooking holistically at the full impact of a project,including activities related to the specific projectbeing reviewed. In the field of animal agriculture,conflict has arisen over whether all sites in a multi-site operation should be added up when determining

if the project is big enough to require an environmen-tal assessment worksheet. The Environmental QualityBoard is refining the rules to address this issue.

Develop sustainable development resources. Theseinclude a guide to local planning, in cooperation withthe local planning assistance team, by early 1999; aMinnesota progress indicator that integrates eco-nomic, environmental and social elements, by July1999; an Environmental Quality Board strategic planfor sustainable development, by November 1999; aguide to indicators of sustainable communities, byJanuary 2000; a collection of sustainable developmentsuccess stories, by March 2000; and interagencyworking groups on sustainable development policiesfor state government.

Monitor the airport planning process. Currently thisincludes the Dual Track Airport Planning ProcessFinal Environmental Impact Statement for Minneapo-lis-St. Paul Airport and the Flying Cloud AirportEnvironmental Impact Statement. Funding for theseefforts was provided by Metropolitan AirportsCommission.

Boards, commissions and committeesThe Water Resources Committee of the Environmen-tal Quality Board includes members from theEnvironmental Quality Board, several water-relatedstate agencies, the Metropolitan Council and theUniversity of Minnesota. Representatives of the U.S.Department of Agriculture’s Natural ResourcesConservation Service and U.S. Geological Surveyalso attend.

The Citizen Advisory Committee for the genericenvironmental impact statement on animal agriculturemeets at least monthly for the expected duration ofthe study — until June 2000. The statutory expirationdate is June 30, 2001.

The Citizen’s Advisory Task Force on the MinnesotaAgri-Power Alfalfa Biomass Project, a group based inGranite Falls, focuses on the scope of the board’senvironmental review of the proposed power produc-tion plant and on the site of the facility.

The Route Advisory Task Force on the ChisagoCounty power line proposal, made up of 19 citizens,is preparing final recommendations for board actionin late 1998 or early 1999.


Financial Services

The fiscal officer is responsible for preparing andaccurately reporting on the agency budget. Workingclosely with the departments of Finance and Adminis-tration, the fiscal officer manages day-to-day financeoperations to ensure that Minnesota Planning followsthe proper policies and procedures.

Seeing that payments and employee reimbursementsare on time, payroll is processed accurately, contractsare appropriate and properly authorized, cash receiptsare deposited and budget information is available tomanagers in an easy-to-understand format are amongthe vital functions of this role. The fiscal officer alsoacts as a liaison with the Legislative Auditor’s Officeand handles quarterly reporting for federal funds.

Priority projectDesign a budget system to improve the agency’sability to track, recover and distribute overhead costs.

Information Technology Support

Reliable and well-maintained computing resourcesare essential tools for an agency whose work isinformation-based. The Information TechnologySupport team ensures that Minnesota Planning staffmembers have the tools they need, and resolvestechnical problems with dispatch.

This team plans, manages and maintains the agency’scomputing system. During the past four years, theteam has rebuilt that infrastructure from the groundup, replacing an unreliable collection of desktopsystems with two well-designed and easily main-tained networks. A Novell NetWare network providesaccess to e-mail services, the World Wide Web, allagency printers and reliable daily file backups. AUNIX network supports specialized software equip-ment used by the Land Management InformationCenter.

IssuesPlanning and oversight. Minnesota Planning has nofull-time position to guide an agency plan for infor-mation resource management, which is a requirementfor obtaining funding for new technology initiatives.The agency has proposed funding for an informationtechnology integration effort, including a chiefinformation officer position.

Technology budget as a basic cost of doingbusiness. Minnesota Planning has been stronglycommitted to providing the software and equipmentthat staff members need to accomplish their work.Standard and specialized software options for theagency require continuous review and investment.Hardware investments are also required regularly.Because of an aggressive upgrade program over thepast several years, desktop systems are currentlyadequate. However, a rule of thumb suggested by thestate’s Information Policy Council is that desktopsystems currently have about a three-year life cycle.Network upgrades and shared peripheral equipment,such as printers and scanners, are also on a shorttimeline.

Priority projectsCreate an information technology team headed by achief information officer. This team leader wouldoversee a comprehensive technology plan for theagency covering the web site, databases and computersupport. The team would also establish policies andprocedures for system administration, security,purchasing, computer and network use, Internet use,user support, application development and databasedesign.

Task forces, committees andadvisory groupsThe Information Policy Council brings together thechief information officers from state agencies. Thedirector of the Land Management Information Centerhas represented Minnesota Planning, but this shouldbe reviewed, especially if a high-level informationtechnology position is created.

The System Network Administrators Group isattended by technology support staff.

Land ManagementInformation Center

This team advances the use of geographic informationand analysis for planning and decision-making inMinnesota. A widely respected pioneer in this field,the Land Management Information Center is onereason Minnesota has been nationally recognized foreffectively using geographic information technologyin the service of public policy.

The center plays a big role in coordinating thedevelopment and use of geographic informationresources in Minnesota, a rapidly growing field withhuge potential. This coordinating role includes


helping people find the data they need and reducingduplication of effort. The center also helps to spreadadvances in geographic information technology inMinnesota. Its project services team designs customsolutions for a wide range of clients and projects.

The center’s services benefit thousands of Minneso-tans every year. DATANET, an Internet serviceoffering extensive socioeconomic data, is available inevery county through more than 1,000 organizations,including libraries and schools. EPPL, the center’sinexpensive geographic information software custom-ized to use more than 30 years of statewide data, islicensed to nearly 600 Minnesota users. Each year, thecenter’s data services staff fills more than 150 majordata requests and the project services staff conductsmore than 30 projects for other agencies and units ofgovernment.

“I would like to recognize the recent successful collabora-tive effort between the Minnesota Department ofAgriculture and the Land Management Information Center.… We successfully met the program objectives. Thisachievement, in part, was based on the maps produced atthe Land Management Information Center.”

—Gene Hugoson, Commissioner, Minnesota Departmentof Agriculture, about the center’s assistance during anemergency response simulation by the U.S. NuclearRegulatory Commission.

IssuesMunicipal boundary mapping. The MunicipalBoard has determined changes in municipal bound-aries since 1959, but no agency maintains officialstatewide maps of the municipal boundaries. Inaccu-rate boundaries can result in problems with taxation,service delivery, judicial authority and liability. Aworking group chaired by the Land ManagementInformation Center and including the State Demogra-pher and other organizations currently involved inboundary record-keeping is investigating solutions.The group will report its findings to the Governor’sCouncil on Geographic Information.

Modernizing land records. Converting Minnesota’slocal land records into a consistent data format wouldallow this data to be shared among local, regional andstate information systems. A Minnesota Planningproposal to fund local systems development understandardized state guidelines was not funded for1998-1999. At the request of the Governor’s Council

on Geographic Information, the Land ManagementInformation Center has proposed a scaled-down pilotprogram for the 2000-2001 budget. The Associationof Minnesota Counties and the League of MinnesotaCities have recognized the need for state support oflocal efforts, but seem less interested in elements ofthe proposal that promote standardization and state-wide coordination.

Status of the Governor’s Council on GeographicInformation. This group, appointed by the director ofMinnesota Planning as specified by executive order, isessential to the coordination of geographic informa-tion technology in Minnesota. A recent report fromthe Office of Technology affirmed its importance. Weshould support its continuation. Consideration shouldbe given to clarifying its mandate and formalizing itsrelationship to the executive branch.


Office of TechnologyInformation Policy CouncilState agencies that use GISClients for technical services, including the depart-

ments of Transportation, Natural Resources, PublicSafety, Public Service, Children, Families & Learningand Health; the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency;and the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources

Federal agencies, particularly the U.S. GeologicalSurvey, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Serviceand Federal Geographic Data Committee

Schools and librariesBusinesses such as planning consultants and

engineering firmsProfessional organizations, including the Minnesota

GIS/LIS Consortium and the National States Geo-graphic Information Council

Priority projectsContinue to develop an Internet-based MinnesotaGeographic Data Clearinghouse to provide accessto geographic data maintained by the center andother Minnesota organizations, by the end of fiscalyear 1999.

Working with the Local Planning Assistance team,develop tools and training for community-basedplanning, based on the center’s own EPPL geographicinformation software. Funding has been recom-mended by the Legislative Commission on MinnesotaResources for 2000-2001. Work is scheduled to beginin July 1999.


Help to coordinate Twin Cities area geographicinformation through MetroGIS, a project fundedprimarily by the Metropolitan Council. The LandManagement Information Center has played a keyrole in working with seven metropolitan counties andmany other organizations that use geographic data toserve the metropolitan region.

Help to coordinate state and federal mapping intereststhrough the National Spatial Data InfrastructureFramework Demonstration Project. The projectfocuses on the state’s interest in specific elements of aNational Spatial Data Infrastructure. The centerreceived a grant in 1996, extended through September1998. Work has been delayed; a second extension willbe sought.

Continue to assist the Department of Children,Families & Learning in several important programs,including several programs that qualify Minnesotachild care providers for assistance.

Provide ongoing GIS support to the U. S. Departmentof Justice for its case, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,Red Lake Band, Et Al. versus United States. Thecenter’s role includes the creation, analysis andmapping of historical and contemporary cultural andnatural resource data as requested by the Departmentof Justice and its consultants. This is a disputebetween the United States government and the RedLake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. TheState of Minnesota is not currently a party in thelawsuit.

Provide oversight for the Foundations for IntegratedAccess to Environmental Data project. The project iscreating a single point of access to all kinds ofenvironmental information for Minnesotans. Minne-sota Planning coordinated the project proposal, butresponsibilities were shifted to the Department ofNatural Resources through an interagency agreementin fiscal year 1998. Land Management InformationCenter staff participate in the project oversight group.

Work toward the creation of a more precise digitaldatabase of pipeline routes for the Minnesota Na-tional Pipeline Mapping System, State RepositoriesProject funded by the U.S. Department ofTransportation’s Office of Pipeline Safety and theMinnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office ofPipeline Safety.

Reach key audiences through the GIS/LIS Consor-tium Conference. The Land Management InformationCenter and the Governor’s Council on GeographicInformation both use the annual fall conference for

outreach. Most of the center’s staff members attend;many help to lead sessions and workshops.

Sponsor an EPPL Users Conference each October.This forum for users of EPPL7, which is the GISsoftware developed and supported by the center, helpsto focus development efforts for the software.

Maintain and promote DATANET, including anannual open house to promote integration of statisticscollected by state agencies. DATANET is an onlinequery system for socioeconomic data about Minne-sota, now offered via the World Wide Web.

Boards, commissions and task forcesThe Governor’s Council on Geographic Informationcoordinates public investment in geographic informa-tion technology and provides technical and policyadvice. The Land Management Information Centerstaffs the council.

The Intergovernmental Information Systems AdvisoryCouncil has an interest in GIS but has a broader focuson information technology use in local and stategovernment. This council expires in fiscal year 1999,but legislation will be introduced to replace it with anInformation Advisory Council for Technology. If thisis approved, Minnesota Planning representationshould be reviewed.

The GIS subcommittee to the Information LeadershipCouncil of the Department of Transportation is anadvisory group whose bylaws name the Land Man-agement Information Center as a standing member.This is an important opportunity for coordination.

The National States Geographic Information Councilis a small but important group through which Minne-sota has been able to influence national datastandards.

The Urban and Regional Information SystemsAssociation sponsors one of the major nationalconferences on GIS technology. The Land Manage-ment Information Center’s director is a past boardmember and a member of the URISA Journal editorialadvisory board.

The mid-continent Mapping Center of the U.S.Geological Survey brings together state representa-tives annually to discuss regional mapping issues. TheLand Management Information Center representsMinnesota.


The Geographic Data Clearinghouse AdvisoryCommittee advises the Land Management Informa-tion Center on the clearinghouse project. Its memberswere recruited by the center and represent local, state,regional and federal agencies, academic institutionsand businesses.

The Steering Committee for the Federal GeographicData Committee, chaired by Secretary of the InteriorBruce Babbitt, includes the Minnesota Governor’sCouncil on Geographic Information. Staff members ofthe Land Management Information Center have oftenrepresented Minnesota on this steering committee.

Legislative Services

Minnesota Planning coordinates legislative review forthe Governor’s office. This service enables theGovernor to ensure that all executive branch propos-als make fiscal and strategic sense and support theGovernor’s agenda for the state. The coordinator alsotracks the progress of bills and alerts the Governor’soffice to those that will require action.

In the height of the session, this can meanshepherding up to 100 different bills at a time throughthe review process and delivering a complete reviewpacket for each one on tight deadlines.

The legislative coordinator trains and assists liaisonsfrom other agencies. All legislation initiated by anystate agency is reviewed by these liaisons and by theDepartment of Finance, the Governor’s office and theRevisor of Statutes.

In addition to supporting the Governor’s office, thelegislative coordinator tracks legislation for Minne-sota Planning, briefing the executive team,management team and involved staff members. Whenthe Legislature is not in session, the coordinator takeson special projects for the agency and contributes tothe work of other teams.

Local Planning Assistance

The Community-Based Planning Act of 1997 markedthe first legislative focus on local comprehensiveplanning in more than 15 years. The law establishesstatewide goals for local planning, stresses publicparticipation and cooperation among neighboringcommunities, and calls for state review of local plans.Assigned by the Legislature to implement this newframework, the local planning assistance team makesavailable practical assistance to all Minnesota com-munities conducting local planning.

“When we first started talking about doing a pilot projectin community-based planning, I knew the grant moneywould help, but the expertise and assistance fromMinnesota Planning was what really interested me. Sofar, we haven’t been disappointed.”

— Paul Michaelson, director, Upper Minnesota River ValleyRegional Development Commission

IssuesState involvement in local planning. While peoplearound the state have voiced support for planning andstate guidance and assistance, some are concernedabout state review of local plans and fear stateapproval could become a requirement.

Fewer strings attached to grant funds. The 1998Legislature removed the requirement that localgovernments return community-based planning grantfunds if they refuse to enter dispute resolution. Whilethis change has made communities more likely to trythe process, some people believe the change weakensthe framework. Proposals for change are likely.

Property rights. Some believe that local planning,particularly when it involves state oversight, infringeson the rights of property owners to use their land asthey see fit. Debate is likely to continue on this issue.

Future funding. Staffing and grants to local govern-ments for community-based planning were fundedonly for the fiscal years 1998 and 1999.

Dispute resolution. It is unclear what processes willremain after the Municipal Board’s functions move toMinnesota Planning, slated for December 1999. Thealternative dispute resolution process enacted in 1997is still untested.



County, city and township officials and staffState associations for cities, townships and countiesThe Minnesota Regional Development OrganizationThe Initiative Funds, six organizations that provide

grants, technical assistance, training and small businessassistance to communities throughout the state

Groups and organizations interested in land use anddevelopment in Minnesota

Priority projectsImplement and administer the Community-BasedPlanning Act. This is the team’s top priority for thenext biennium. We are required through MinnesotaStatutes 4A.09 to provide financial and technicalassistance to local governments that use this planningframework. The first pilot project draft plan is duefrom the St. Cloud Planning District in December1999. Draft plans from the other three pilot projectsare due in July 2000.

Report to the 1999 and 2000 Legislatures on theprogress of community-based planning. A final reporton the four pilot projects is due in the 2001 session.This latter report also will provide an update on theplanning and technology grants and will makerecommendations about ongoing funding to localgovernments for planning.

Operate the Planning Assistance Center and increaseits capacity to provide technical assistance to localgovernments. Our initial emphasis is on helpingcommunities that use the community-based planningframework. The center draws on existing efforts,expertise and materials, and develops materials wherenone exist.

Work with the Environmental Quality Board’sSustainable Development Initiative to publish adetailed planning guide for local governments in early1999. The guide incorporates the 11 community-based planning goals and the principles of sustainabledevelopment. Following publication, the team willprovide training in using the guide.

Work with the Land Management Information Centerto develop tools and training for using geographicinformation systems in local planning. MinnesotaPlanning is slated to receive $450,000 in the nextbiennium from the Legislative Commission onMinnesota Resources to develop and deliver easy-to-use software, data and training. The tool kit will be

developed between July 1999 and July 2000, withtraining to follow.

Review and comment on the Metropolitan CouncilDevelopment Guide. The Legislature has required thatthe guide be amended to reflect and implement thegoals of community-based planning. This must beaccomplished by July 1, 1999. We expect our role tobe concluded by March 1999.

Present a final report to the Legislature on a $20,000appropriation made to Minnesota Planning in 1998for a local planning grant to the Southwest RegionalDevelopment Commission. State grants for thesepurposes had been available to regional developmentcommissions through the early 1990s. This appropria-tion was viewed as a pilot effort to determine whethersuch funding should be restored.

Working with the Critical Issues team, produceMinnesota IssueWatch, a monthly electronic newslet-ter for decision-makers and interested citizens.Minnesota IssueWatch scans journals, newspapers andother sources for issues, trends and innovations thatcould affect government spending, revenues andpolicies in Minnesota.

Continue outreach for community-based planning.Participate in the annual meetings of local govern-ment associations and provide instruction to localplanners through Government Training Serviceworkshops in January and February 1999.

Boards, commissions and task forcesThe Government Training Service develops andarranges training programs for state agencies andlocal governments, including annual training sessionson local planning. Local Planning Assistance staffserves on the board and executive committee.

The Minnesota Regional Development Organiza-tion offers an opportunity to strengthen ties betweenregional and state planning efforts. Local PlanningAssistance staff serves as the Minnesota Planningliaison to this board.


State Demographic Center

The State Demographic Center studies Minnesota’spopulation and economy, documenting importanttrends and making long-range projections. Thisinformation forms the basic building blocks for manyMinnesota Planning projects as well as for planningefforts throughout Minnesota by government, busi-nesses and service organizations. The demographystaff has the widest public contact of any MinnesotaPlanning team, fielding several thousand requestseach year through the Demography Helpline andmaking many presentations to professional and civicgroups. Businesses are the largest single category ofhelpline clients, submitting about one-third of tele-phone queries January through September 1998.Local and state government agencies are a closesecond.

“Thanks so much for helping me find the answers … I havebeen searching for nearly a month now. … I’m glad to seethere are still a few caring, helpful people out there, willingto spend a few minutes helping someone out.”

—Mindy Herr, helpline client

IssuesSuccess of Census 2000. The census will be used toapportion seats in Congress, determine state legisla-tive district boundaries, distribute federal money andprovide critical data for the next decade. The demog-raphy team needs to make sure that Minnesota gets anaccurate count. Census-related work includes aCensus Round Table, Local Area Training, assistanceand technical expertise for the Legislative Coordinat-ing Committee on Redistricting, and the AmericanCommunity Survey.

Expansion of the American Community Survey.This annual Census Bureau survey will begin in 2001to cover housing, social and economic data for localcommunities and population groups. Until now, thesample size has made it difficult to give reliablestatistics for local areas. The demography team willinvest considerably in the design and delivery of dataproducts made possible by the improved survey.

Expanding services of the Minnesota Data Center.The center is a cooperative venture between the StateDemographic Center and the U.S. Bureau of theCensus for disseminating federal and state datathrough affiliate agencies. After Census 2000, the

Minnesota Data Center will not only disseminate datafrom the Census Bureau and other federal agencies,but will develop new data products for Minnesotafrom the raw data.

Boards, commissions and task forcesThe Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retire-ment oversees pension funds for public employees,including police, firefighters, public higher educationand state government. The state demographer and thestate economist advise the commission on suchforecasting assumptions as longevity, retirement ageand economic trends.

The Minority Health Task Force of the Department ofHealth looks to the State Demographic Center forstatistical information.

Cooperative liaisonsBoth the Federal-State Cooperative Program onEstimates and Federal-State Cooperative Program onProjections are joint ventures between the State ofMinnesota and the U.S. Department of Commerce.These liaison roles offer Minnesota the opportunity toreview, coordinate and comment on programs thatprovide money, services, and representation forMinnesotans.

The State Demographic Center coordinates theMinnesota Data Center Network and EconomicResource Group, and thus also serves as Minnesota’sliaison to the National State Data Center Network.

Priority projectsPromote Census 2000, which takes place on April 1,2000. The demography team is heavily involved inplanning, promotion and staff recruiting for Census2000. The team will also develop and deliver newcensus products — ways for people to access and usecensus data — beginning in December 2000.

Deliver data and analysis gathered annually in theAmerican Community Survey by the Census Bureau.

Conduct continuous scanning and analysis of emerg-ing demographic trends with potential impact onMinnesota.

Monitor the state population projections and countypopulation projections published in 1998. Revise asneeded.

Publish annual estimates of population and house-holds for Minnesota counties each May. Theseestimates are used to help determine state aid to localgovernments.


Coordinate the Minnesota Data Center, including anannual meeting each fall. This event provides work-shops, updates and introduction of new products tothe nearly 70 affiliates throughout Minnesota.

Support the Legislative Coordinating Committee,Subcommittee on Redistricting, through 2002.

Answer queries from government, business, serviceorganizations and local communities through theDemography Helpline.

Complete the Block Boundary Suggestion Programand address list update for the 2000 Census. The StateDemographic Center and the Legislative GIS Officecollaborate to make sure Census 2000 will reflectaccurate local boundaries.

Conduct a Boundary and Annexation Survey each falland continuously update geographic files of county,township and city boundaries. This directly affectsstate aid to local governments based on population.

Conduct scoring for Community Development BlockGrants each year. This qualifies local governments forfederal aid to local programs that benefit low- andmoderate-income people, prevent or eliminate slumsand urban blight, or meet other community develop-ment needs. The eligibility formula uses census data.

Publish Population Notes and PopBites, widely readbriefings on demography findings.


PlannersMinnesota Data Center Network member organizationsNews mediaBusinesses

Documents

Guide to Minnesota Planning - mnplan.state.mn.us · —Steve Dornfeld, St. Paul Pioneer Press, August 28, 1998, on Minnesota Milestones “Models of excellence in a new era of communication