On Sept. 11, Metro chief operating officer Michael Jordan gave city and county administrators a preview of a report he will issue on Sept. 15 that outlines recommended policies and investments to support jobs, protect the urban growth boundary and build on past investments in essential public services. This report will bring together the various transportation and land use elements of Metro’s four-year Making the Greatest Place effort and inform upcoming decisions by the Metro Council related to transportation policies and investments, the capacity of the urban growth boundary, and the designation of urban and rural reserves.
City managers and county administrators praised the effort to link land use, transportation and investment decisions together, while raising questions about how to achieve greater regional equity in balancing the siting of jobs and housing. Discussion also focused on governance and finance issues in the delivery of key public services to the region’s residents, and how to ensure that urban growth occurs in areas governed by cities, rather than expanding unincorporated urban areas. More than 400,000 residents live in urban areas that are outside of city boundaries and therefore do not enjoy the full array of urban services.
Jordan meets on a quarterly basis with city and county administrators in the region and from neighboring cities to discuss issues of local and regional policy and finance.