Agenda - Council - 04/25/2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The trail use of rights-of-way owned by regional rail authorities is allowed as an interim use under agreements between the regional rail authority/transit provider and regional park implementing agencies. Signs on these trails inform the public that trail use may be displaced or shared with transit in the future. A more difficult situation occurs when the corridor can accommodate either transit or trail recreation, but not both. In the interim, the corridor can be considered for recreational trail purposes. It is possible that the eventual conversion of the corridor to transit will not occur and, presumably, the corridor will be available for permanent recreational uses. However, it is also possible that transit will eventually claim the corridor after several years. If the facility has been used as a recreational trail, it's possible that the trail will become popular and be viewed as a permanent part of the Regional Parks System. The Regional Parks System will experience a substantial dislocation and deprivation if one of its links is suddenly removed from the system. Public opposition over conversion from recreation to transportation use is likely. If the regional trail system and the transit system are to take this risk, it must be done with the clear understanding that trail recreation may only be a temporary use. No significant long-term recreation investment will be made in the facility unless it will be in operation for its useful design life of 10 years or more. Finance - Strategy 8: The Council will actively 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. 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. Between 1985 and 2014, state funding to support the operation and maintenance of the Regional Parks System has funded, on average, only 9.5% of the overall cost for operations and maintenance. Continued state supplemental support to finance 40% of operation and maintenance costs of the regional system will also be sought.