Title
Granting approval to submit the 2012 / 2017 Regional Parks and Trails Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) request to the Metropolitan Council.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul performs significant services for citizens of the Metropolitan area and all Minnesota residents through its ownership and operation of Regional Parks and Trails; and
WHEREAS, the City supports and will continue to support the cooperative efforts of the State of Minnesota, Metropolitan Council, and Regional Park Implementing Agencies to provide resources for the betterment of the Regional Parks and Trails system; and
WHEREAS, assuming the State issues $10,500,000 in bonds for regional parks biennially, to be matched with $7,000,000 in Met Council bonds for a total projected amount of $17,500,000 for metro regional parks; and
WHEREAS, St. Paul's share of this assumed amount is a percent share based on a formula that allocates 70% for each Implementing Agency's share of the metro population, and 30% for each IA's share of non-local visits it hosted; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council biennially solicits grant applications for its 3 biennium, 6 year CIP for a projected allocation per biennium of $17,500,000; subject to modification, approval and appropriation by the Met Council and the Legislature, of which approximately $2,305,000 per biennium may be granted to Saint Paul Regional Parks and Trails based on formulas currently in state statute; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Regional Park System currently open for public use encompasses over 53,000 acres of parkland and includes 38 regional parks, 12 park reserves, 6 special recreation features and 231 miles of regional trails in 33 segments. These park/trail units are owned and operated by ten regional park implementing agencies of which the City of Saint Paul, Parks and Recreation Department is included as the Implementing Agency for St. Paul, and City of St. Paul regional parks and trail corridors encompass 3,778 acre...
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