Sponsor: Parks & Recreation
Title
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Grant Awards from the Metropolitan Council for Legacy Amendment Parks and Trails Fund Projects
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Recommendation
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1. Accept grant awards from and approve grant agreements with the Metropolitan Council for Legacy Amendment Parks and Trails Fund Projects for the periods of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2027, in the total amounts of $2,320,762 for State Fiscal Year 2024, and $2,073,188 for State Fiscal Year 2025.
2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute State Fiscal Year 2024 grant agreements.
3. Authorize the County Manager to execute State Fiscal Year 2025 grant agreements in a form approved by the County Attorney’s Office.
4. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and amendments to agreements, in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of the grant funding.
5. Authorized the County Manager to make temporary cash loans, as needed, from the General Fund to the Parks and Recreation Department to implement these projects until funds are received, with repayment to be made when funds are available.
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Background and Rationale
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Minnesota Management and Budget has budgeted an appropriation of $54,096,000 from the Legacy Amendment Parks and Trails Fund for the Metropolitan Council to provide grants to the regional park implementing agencies for State Fiscal Years (SFY) 2024 (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024) and 2025 (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025). The funding allocation is based on a statutory formula. Ramsey County has been allocated $2,320,762 for SFY 2024 and $2,073,188 for SFY 2025.
Ramsey County Parks and Recreation department includes the anticipated Legacy project funding requests in the county’s six-year Capital Improvement Program plan, although project priorities are subject to change. The following projects were submitted to the Metropolitan Council as Legacy funding requests for SFY 2024 and SFY 2025, as outlined in the following chart:
The approved grant funds for SFY 2024 were available for use beginning July 1, 2023, and will have a grant period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2027. SFY 2024 funding amounts has been provided based on SFY 2024 funding appropriations and from submitted Legacy grant applications. Any adjustments to SFY 2024 funding amounts will be updated in SFY Grant contracts.
Funding through the Legacy program provides improvements to the regional parks and trails within Ramsey County. The projects create safe places, build a sense of community, protect, restore, and preserve the environment. Project plans will offer opportunities for community engagement during the development phases.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☐ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The nine legacy funded projects meet a variety of residents’ needs throughout the Ramsey County Parks and Recreation system. While a racial equity lens is applied during the project prioritization process, certain projects have a greater racial equity impact than others. The outreach position for nature and outdoor recreation is predominately dedicated to connecting with underserved residents to introduce them to the parks system and to provide meaningful and welcoming facilitated experiences. The development improvement projects will incorporate a wide variety of community engagement tools to reach and connect with residents who have not had a strong voice in the parks planning process. The Keller Regional Park Tuj Lub improvement project will help establish new and expand existing audiences within the Hmong community. The collective slate of projects advances the county’s racial equity work and serve as investments to increase the quality of life for all Ramsey County residents.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Initial community participation was conducted through the process of developing master plans for these regional parks and trails. Projects identified with these grants will require additional participation with residents for specific design elements and site amenities. Several steps will be taken to involve residents through community meetings at the time the projects start.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☒ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Funding provided through the Legacy Amendment grant funding allows for park and trail development and programming in the Regional Park System. The legacy grants for outdoor nature programming, Minnesota Conversation Corps, and volunteer coordinator are included in the Parks and Recreation department operation budget. Funding amounts for FY 2024 ($2,320,762) and FY 2025 ($2,073,188) are slightly higher than two previous legacy grant periods which have ranged between $1.4 million to $1.8 million, however these amounts do fluctuate and have been increasing over several grant periods. Ramsey County is responsible for ongoing maintenance costs for new development after the projects are completed. The ongoing grant funding of projects that include personnel have been included in the 2024 and 2025 operating budgets. The other funding has been included as an estimate amount in the Capital Improvement Program Plan.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
1. Bald Eagle-Otter Lake Regional Park Volunteer Corps Grant Agreement
2. Off-Leash Dog Area Improvement Grant Agreement
3. Bruce Vento Regional Trail Design Phase 2 Grant Agreement
4. Battle Creek Regional Park Site Infrastructure & Accessibility Grant Agreement
5. Keller Regional Park Tuj Lub Court Improvement Grant Agreement