Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/12/2017

Home

Parks & Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood stated it is difficult to accurately predict how much the trail will be used. He added the trail connection will improve connectivity within the community, which is an imperative that has been identified in the City's Strategic Plan. He noted connecting the two neighborhoods seems like a worthwhile return on investment. Chair Bennett stated the trail connection will also provide pedestrian access to public spaces in the COR for residents who would otherwise have to drive there. Commissioner Bayer asked for clarification regarding the letter received by City Staff from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He asked if City Staff have re -applied for funding for the project. Parks & Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood stated funding for these types of projects is usually granted to communities that have more opportunities for ensuring regional trail connectivity. Motion by Commissioner Bayer, seconded by Commissioner Leistico, to forward the following recommendations to the City Council: 1. Recommend City Council approval of the Trott Brook Boardwalk Trail Project at a cost not to exceed $300,000. 2. Recommend that the City Council direct City Staff to issue notification to benefitting neighborhoods of a potential trail connection at the northwest corner of the COR. Further discussion: Chair Bennett asked whether the use of funding for the Trott Brook Boardwalk trail project will reduce available funding for future projects. Parks & Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood stated funding requirements for future projects are difficult to estimate. He added this expenditure should be viewed as a positive step toward regional trail connectivity and the benefits it will bring to the whole community, rather than a potential cause for lack of funding for future projects. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Chair Bennett, Commissioners Bayer, Leistico, Sis, and Trappen. Voting No: None. Absent: Commissioners Fyten and Tchuinkwa. 6. COMMISSION/STAFF INPUT 6.01: Mayors for Monarchs Pledge Parks & Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood stated the City of Ramsey has pledged its commitment to the National Wildlife Federation's Mayors for Monarchs initiative, in which cities and communities take steps to restore habitat for monarch butterflies and pollinators, and provide information for residents about the Monarch butterfly. The location for the project is the Lake Itasca Trailhead, where this meeting is taking place. The project plans include Park and Recreation Commission/August 10, 2017 Page 11 of 12