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. Ratify the submittal of the grant application to the Metropolitan Council for Parks and Trails Legacy Amendment funding for regional park projects for State Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023.
2. 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, 2021 through June 31, 2025 in the total amounts of $1,827,856 for State Fiscal Year 2022 and $1,656,274 for State Fiscal Year 2023.
3. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the grant agreements.
4. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and contracts and amendments to agreements and contracts, in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of the grant funding.
5. Authorize 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 $43,861,000 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) 2022 (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022) and 2023 (July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023). The funding allocation is based on a statutory formula. Ramsey County has been allocated $1,827,856 for SFY 2022 and $1,656,274 for SFY 2023.
Ramsey County Parks and Recreation 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 2022 and SFY 2023, as outlined in the following chart:
|
Park, Trail or Project Description |
SFY 2022 |
SFY 2023 |
|
Ramsey County Regional Parks and Trails System - Outreach for nature and outdoor recreation-based programming for people of low income and people of color |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
|
Ramsey County Regional Parks and Trails System - Conservation Corps of MN |
$110,000 |
$110,000 |
|
Bald Eagle Otter Lakes Regional Park - Volunteer Corps for Tamarack Nature Center and Discovery Hollow) |
$75,000 |
$75,000 |
|
Ramsey County Regional Parks and Trail - System-wide Off-leash Dog Area Improvements |
$200,000 |
|
|
Vadnais-Snail Lakes Regional Park - Trail Enhancements and Site Improvements |
$510,700 |
$1,346,274 |
|
Battle Creek Regional Park - Battle Creek Winter Recreation Improvements |
$807,156 |
|
|
Total Parks and Trails Legacy Amendment Funding |
$1,827,856 |
$1,656,274 |
The approved grant funds for SFY 2022 were available for use beginning July 1, 2021 and will have a grant period from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025. SFY 2023 funding amounts have been provided based on SFY 2023 funding appropriations and from submitted Legacy grant applications. Any adjustments to SFY 2023 funding amounts will be updated in SFY Grant contracts. Grant contracts for SFY 2023 are expected to be ready for execution before the end of 2022 and will have a grant period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2026.
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 six 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 Battle Creek Winter Recreation area not only will serve an established audience of cross-country skiers but will increase the quality of life for the neighborhood’s racially diverse residents by providing free healthy amenities for youth, such as sledding and tubing throughout the winter. 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 meeting 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 Conservation Corps, and volunteer coordinator are included in the Parks and Recreation’s operating budget. Funding amounts for SFY2022 ($1,827,856) and SFY 2023 ($1,656,274) are slightly higher than previous Legacy grant periods which have ranged between $1.4 million to $1.6 million. These grant amounts fluctuate and have been increasing over several grant periods. The 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 2022 and 2023 operating budgets. The other funding has been included as an estimated amount in the Capital Improvement Program Plan.
County Manager Comments
No additional comments.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
1. SFY 2022 Parks and Trails Legacy Amendment Grants