Title
Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply for funds from the Capitol Region Watershed District's 2011 Special Projects Grant Program, and to apply for grants to other agencies and groups as needed for any matching amounts required.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is committed to a sustainable future including cleaner air, soil, water, and other natural resources; and
WHEREAS, the City supports, and will continue to support, collaboration with the CRWD and other agencies and groups to provide resources for increasing water quality, and for providing a cleaner environment throughout the city; and
WHEREAS, the Clean Water Act, administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, mandates improvements in water quality; and
WHEREAS, the Capitol Region Watershed District has solicited grant applications for its 2011 Special Projects fund, to which it has allocated $150,000, for projects that will a) improve water quality, b) preserve and protect plant and wildlife communities adjacent to lakes, rivers, and wetlands, c) establish links between people and water resources through education, and d) provide demonstration projects for innovative management practices; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department has determined that two projects are appropriate (meet criteria) for these funds:
• Parks and Recreation created a stream in Swede Hollow Park through daylighting of storm sewer water in the historic valley of Phalen Creek in 1989, but have determined that stream flow and water quality does not meet expectations, and needs analysis and corrective action to address sediment loads and water quality issues in order to upgrade this feature to provide a high quality resource, and improve the water released to the Mississippi River; and
• The Payne-Maryland Project to construct an innovative library/recreation community center, and incorporate innovative methods in sustainable construction, including possible use of the Stockholm Tree Planting Method to provide both stormwater management and increased tree health, and which might be fitted with specially engineered stormwater distribution and monitoring system to provide effectiveness data on which to base future use decisions; and
WHEREAS, the Capitol Region Watershed District has expressed interest in participating in the design of these projects and possibly future support of implementation, monitoring, sharing data on the effectiveness of the techniques developed, and public education efforts regarding each project; and
WHEREAS, staff has been researching the innovative Stockholm Tree Planting Method, which aims to increase urban tree life and health, while providing for stormwater storage and treatment. Those goals have been realized in Stockholm, Sweden, which has a similar climate to Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, the funds would be disbursed to Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department projects on a reimbursement for work completed basis, as follows;
|
City of Saint Paul |
Saint Paul |
Funding |
Funding |
Capitol Region Watershed |
|
Park Project |
or Other |
Year |
Amount |
District Funds to be |
|
|
Funding Source |
|
|
Applied For |
|
Swede Hollow Stream |
Not applicable |
2011 |
|
$50,000 |
|
Restoration Feasibility |
|
|
|
|
|
Analysis |
|
|
|
|
|
Payne - Maryland Part- |
TBD |
2011 |
TBD |
$60,000 |
|
nership-Stockholm Tree |
|
|
|
|
|
Planting Method Plans |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
$110,000 |
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Council of the City of Saint Paul, that support is hereby granted for the Park and Recreation Department's application to the Capitol Region Watershed District's 2011 Special Projects Grant Program, and to apply for grants to other agencies and groups as needed for any matching amounts required; and if funds are granted, grant agreements shall be executed by the proper City of Saint Paul authorities in compliance with all applicable laws, and staff is authorized to apply for reimbursement from the grant funds approved for the projects herein.