The luxurious Mississippi Crossings in Champlain was the site for a Met Council road trip and a meet and greet last week. >> We have an imagine 2050 plan which is a part of our devel regional development guide and it helps us to plan and forecast the growth of the metropolitan council 7ount metro area with the scenic mighty Mississippi River as a backdrop. Met council members mingled with mayors and other politicians at the forum as both sides shared their vision for what the region's future should look like. >> We do a very good job of collaborating with cities. We do a lot of engagement not only with the policy makers at the cities but in the directly with the community members to see what their visions are. >> If you haven't been to district 9, it's right across the river from here. Diego Morales represents District 9 for the Met Council, which includes most of Anoka County. His MMO is to be candid and transparent with the cities he deals with so they can thrive and prosper. >> One thing that can work in one small city doesn't typically work for all the suburban edge communities that are in my district. So, we have to handle it a little differently and and actually just get engaged, get in there, talk to those communities. In the past couple decades, Anoka County has become a hot spot. >> Anoka County is growing by uh leaps and bounds. >> Blaine is the epicenter for the county's explosive growth and the Met Council is paying close attention to the city. Blaine is really blown up. There's a lot more construction happening. There's a couple of plant developments happening in Blaine. The National Sports Center is making a lot of upgrades. It's sort of becoming the new mecca of Anoka County with everything that's going on in Blaine. >> I know Blaine is a top uh 10 in terms of growth. It provides jobs, uh leisure activities. I know Blaine is really uh well uh known for its sports. >> Ana County has buolic charm. There is open space and a rural vibe despite being in a major metro area. Keeping things this way in the future is everyone's goal. >> Really, that's the main reason I moved to Anoka County is because I'm close enough to everything, but yet far enough. And we actually have to listen to the communities in which we represent to continue to build on what is in those communities. We don't want to isolate any one community uh for being too rural, for being too diverse, for being, you know, high density, low density. The Met Council has comprehensive plans for housing, community development, natural resources, parks, and trails. Transportation is another focus, and the upgrades on US 10 are going to benefit Anoka County. It's going to be amazing once it all gets done. Of course, right now, everyone wants to complain about the traffic. I live right off of the traffic. I deal with it. But in the long run, it's going to be a benefit to the community, benefit to everybody living in that area. >> In Champlain, I'm Eric Nelson, North Metro TV News.