Today, the MN House met to learn more about the Minnesota Advisory Council. The House Daily reports on the meeting…

On Wednesday, the House Sustainable Infrastructure Policy Committee considered language to create the council. Rep. Erin Koegel (DFL-Spring Lake Park), the committee chair, plans to sponsor the bill. She hopes the committee can hash out details over the next three committee meetings.

“The goal of this is to educate and have the best practices out there so when we do award a bonding project, we know that these (small) communities know what they’re doing when it comes to our assets, and that they are going to be the very best stewards of the project and the money that we award them,” she said.

The 26-member board — 11 voting members and 15 non-voting members — would be charged with:

• identifying approaches to enhance and expedite infrastructure coordination across jurisdictions, agencies, state and local government, and public and private sectors, including in planning, design, engineering, construction, maintenance, and operations;

• identifying objectives and strategies that enhance the longevity and adaptability of infrastructure throughout the state;

• developing any advisory recommendations;

• developing and recommending a plan for a statewide asset managers program that provides for identification, exchange, and distribution of best practices on infrastructure management, training for infrastructure owners and asset managers and coordination and collaboration among infrastructure owners and asset managers; and

• submitting an annual report to the Legislature.

Most of the questions seemed to relate to who was responsible for the council, who would support/staff it especially since there’s a drive for it to be independent. Also, the proposers are waiting for the fiscal note before taking the Council out of Committe. There was concern about cost and size of government.