Last week, Dakota County Commissioner Joseph Harris expressed anger and frustration at the Met Council's insistence that Chub Lake be included in the County's Parks System Plan as a possible regional park site. ThisWeek reported:
Dakota County commissioners unexpectedly became champions of local control as they recommended adoption of the Park System Plan in a committee meeting April 8.
The issue surfaced after Commissioner Joe Harris challenged the Metropolitan Council’s authority to override a previous County Board decision.
While being given final committee review of the much-discussed Park System Plan, expected for final approval Tuesday, Harris objected to Eureka Township’s Chubb Lake again identified as a future regional park.
County Planner Mary Jackson told the board the county’s plan was changed at the request of the Met Council staff.
The news prompted Harris, who represents rural areas, to ask, “Is this our plan or their plan?”
“It’s our plan …,” Jackson said.
Harris interrupted her, saying, “So, who runs the county here?”
Answering his own question, Harris continued.
“The County Board. Not the Metropolitan Council staff and not the Metropolitan Council. Now, I thought we had board direction that Chubb Lake is not to be looked at for a possible future park at this particular time.”
Harris then challenged his colleagues.
“I would ask this board: who’s running this county?”
Then the Board voted unanimously to remove the reference to Chub Lake as a regional park site from the County's Parks System Plan.
The article went on to describe other areas of disagreement between the County and the Met Council. Dakota County is not alone in this. The Association of Minnesota Counties, concerned with the Met Council's growing power, is drafting legislation that would eliminate the Met Council completely. According to State Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-District 36A, the Met Council's power would make it hard to pass such a bill at this time.
