Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/09/2014

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Using Council bonds, the Council will create, fund, and administer a set -aside competitive grant program for capital projects explicitly aimed to strengthen equitable usage of the Regional Parks System. The Council will levy Council bonds annually to fund a competitive grant program that is used solely to strengthen equitable use of the Regional Parks System. Considering existing limitations on Council bonds, the grant program will only provide funding for acquisition, development, or redevelopment projects in the Regional Park System. To develop this grant program, the Council will work in close collaboration with regional park implementing agencies, partners, community -based organizations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholder groups in 2015 to formulate criteria and measures for awarding grants to regional park implementing agencies for capital projects aimed to strengthen equitable use. The amount available for the grant program would vary annually. The amount available is primarily determined by four factors: 1) the Council's $40 million limit on outstanding park bond debt at any given time (Minn. Stat. 473.325), 2) the Council's policy to limit park bond levying to $7 million annually, 3) the amount required to fulfill Council's obligated match to state funds, as it pertains to other Regional Parks System grant programs, and 4) Council approval to levy bonds. Finance - Strategy 6: The Council may reimburse regional park implementing agencies for the costs of acquiring some lands before they have been made part of the Regional Parks System or for development projects undertaken before they can be financed through the Metropolitan Regional Parks Capital Improvement Program. Reimbursement for acquisition of land not currently designated in the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan Reimbursement will be considered for early acquisition of land that is not currently designated as regional recreation open space by the Council in the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan under certain conditions. If land is acquired or protected under an option to purchase by a regional park implementing agency, or an entity under contract with that agency while the Council considers adding the land to the Regional Parks Policy Plan via a public hearing process, the Council will consider reimbursing the regional park implementing agency for the costs to acquire or protect the land via an option to purchase under the following conditions: • The Council is informed in writing of the land acquisition or option to purchase before it occurs. • The Council makes a preliminary finding through staff analysis that the proposed regional park unit is consistent with Siting and Acquisition Strategy 1 and the size /service area requirements for the applicable regional park system unit are met. • The Council conducts a public hearing to designate the acquired land as regional recreation open space based on a draft acquisition master plan containing the acquired land or land held under an option to purchase. The hearing is conducted under the requirements of Minn. Stat. 473.147.