Title
Authorizing the proper City officials to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement with the State of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for real estate services associated with the realignment of the Gateway Trail between Maryland Avenue and Arlington Avenue.
Body
WHEREAS, the Commissioner of the State of Minnesota Department Natural Resources (“State”) has the authority, duty, and responsibility under Minnesota Statutes Section 86A.015 to provide state trails and associated facilities; and under subdivision 14b, to establish, develop, maintain and operate the Gateway State Trail; and
WHEREAS, the State and the City are authorized under Minnesota Statutes Section 471.59 to enter into an agreement to jointly or cooperatively exercise common powers, a proposed draft of which is attached as Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, the State and City have determined that realigning the existing Gateway State Trail within the City of St. Paul is of high priority and therefore will be realigned to a corridor paralleling Interstate Highway 35E between Arlington Avenue and Maryland Avenue, hereinafter referred to as the “L’Orient Street Realignment;” and
WHEREAS, the State and City have determined that the City will participate in the identification, survey and selection of the preferred corridor for the L’Orient Street Realignment; and
WHEREAS, the State will provide funding assistance to the City for corridor identification, option evaluation, property and ownership research, and surveys associated with the L’Orient Street Realignment of the Gateway State Trail; and
WHEREAS, the State will secure all permits required for the engineering, design and future construction of the Gateway State Trail within the right-of-way of Interstate Highway 35E, property owned and administered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) as shown in Exhibit B; and
WHEREAS, the City may acquire easements for the L’Orient Street Realignment and is interested in transferring those easements to DNR, as appropriate state funding becomes available; and
WHEREAS, the City owns and/or administers a small parcel of land near the tunnel under Maryland Avenue described as: Sec. 19 & 30, T29N, R22W, Ramsey County, as shown on the map attached and incorporated into this Agreement as Exhibit B; and
WHEREAS, the City will allow for the construction of the L’Orient Street Realignment on City owned or administered lands located adjacent to L’Orient Street and as referenced in Exhibit B;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul hereby authorizes the proper City officials to execute the Joint Powers Agreement in substantially the same form as shown in Exhibit A and as approved by the city attorney, in consideration of the mutual benefits to be derived by the public bodies hereto and for the benefit of the general public.