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

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Finance - Strategy 8: The Council actively will seek funding from the state and other sources. The Council will seek continued state funding for acquisition, development and rehabilitation of all components in the Regional Parks System. The Council will also pursue other sources of funding where appropriate. Continued state supplemental support to finance 40% of operation and maintenance costs of the regional system will also be sought. The Regional Parks System has been funded through a combination of state and local funding sources over the last 40 years. Funding for operations and maintenance of the regional system has been provided primarily by regional park implementing agencies through local taxes available to them and, to a lesser extent, user fees. Since 1985, the state has provided some supplemental funding to regional park implementing agencies to help fund their operations and maintenance costs. Minn. Stat. 473.351, subd. 3, states that: • Each regional park implementing agency must receive no less than 40% of its actual operation and maintenance expenses to be incurred in the current calendar year budget as submitted to the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission. If the available operation and maintenance money is less than the total amount determined by the formula, the implementing agencies will share the available money in proportion to the amounts they would otherwise be entitled to under the formula. Any changes in the formula used to distribute state funds for operations and maintenance will require legislative action. System Protection Policy: Protect public investment in acquisition and development by assuring that every component in the system is able to fully carry out its designated role as long a{ need for it can be demonstrated. The Council has in place several mechanisms that protect the integrity of the Regional Parks System and of individual parts of the system: • Master plans: The master plan defines acceptable activities within a system unit. The regional park implementing agencies must receive Council approval before proceeding with any activities inconsistent with the existing Council- approved master plan. • Restrictive covenants: Regional park implementing agencies are required to record restrictive covenants on lands purchased with regional funds, to ensure that the land remains in regional recreation open space use unless the Council agrees to a change. • Land Planning Act: Proposed plans of local governments that have a substantial effect on or represent a substantial departure from the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan may be subject to a required modification by the Council to ensure that the system is protected. • Metropolitan significance: Proposed development projects that have a substantial effect on or represent a substantial departure from the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan may be required to undergo a review for metropolitan significance, with up to a one year delay in development if the project is found to adversely affect the system.