Prodded by the heads of three state Senate committees, the Pawlenty administration is exploring whether it can help Ford keep its Twin Cities Assembly Plant ? and more than 2,400 jobs ? in existence past 2007.

Matt Kramer, commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development, met with business and government representatives Oct. 18 for ?an informal, internal? discussion on ?what issues might arise and what strategies might be best,? said Kit Borgman, a spokeswoman for Kramer.

In addition, Kramer and others are scheduled to meet with Ford corporate officials in St. Paul on Nov. 4, Borgman said. ?We want to be prepared with some ideas, though the primary goal is to listen to Ford, ?she said.

Kramer?s initial meeting came two weeks after DFL senators Ellen Anderson, Richard Cohen and Larry Pogemiller urged Gov. Tim Pawlenty to establish a high-level task force to sit down with Ford officials and discuss ways to keep the plant open beyond the company?s contractual commitment of September 2007.

The three DFL legislators encouraged Pawlenty to appoint a bipartisan panel of business, labor, government and educational leaders who would make recommendations in time for the new Legislature to act when it returns in January.

Specific, often small, changes in such areas as property taxes, payroll taxes or other state policies often can be of direct help to a company like Ford, said Pogemiller, chair of the Senate Taxes Committee. ?There are not many new ideas. It?s just a matter of putting together the right package.?

?I?m glad they?re meeting ? that?s a good thing, ? said Anderson, chair of the Jobs, Energy and Community Development Committee. But she expressed disappointment that Pawlenty seems to be taking such a low-key approach.

?In the big picture, there?s a lot of work to do. I?m disappointed the governor didn?t want to take really strong action on good-paying jobs we?ve already got here.?

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