(a)      A body corporate and politic to be known as the "Baltimore Metropolitan Council" is created.

      (b)      The Council is not an agency of the State.

      (c)      The Council shall:

            (1)      Serve as a forum for local officials and their representatives to identify and address problems in the Baltimore Metropolitan Region;

            (2)      Provide a central source of information and coordination for fashioning responses to needs in the Baltimore Metropolitan Region; and

            (3)      Assist generally local jurisdictions in developing regional policies, prioritizing regional infrastructure needs, and developing regional strategies in the Baltimore Metropolitan Region.