Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 02/08/2018

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appropriate legislatively authorized project list. In certain circumstances, projects can be amended and the process for such an event is described in subsequent content. Finance - Strategy 5: Where appropriate, equity will be a consideration in Regional Parks System funding and investment. Thrive MSP 2040 states the Council will "strengthen equitable usage of regional parks and trails by all our region's residents, such as across age, race, ethnicity, income, national origin, and ability". Thrive MSP 2040 also states that the Council will use equity as a lens to evaluate its operations, planning, and investments. An equity lens, otherwise called an equity analysis toolkit or equity impact assessment, is a tool government agencies use to collect information related to their major activities. Many government agencies throughout the country are using an equity lens to inventory, monitor, and institutionalize equity principles. Typically, an equity lens consists of a short series of open-ended questions that clarify both the positive and adverse impacts a project may have on equity. As of 2014, the Council does not have an equity lens developed. The Council, in collaboration with external partners and stakeholders, will develop a Council -wide equity lens to use to evaluate its operations, planning, and investments. The developed equity lens will serve as a base for creating an equity lens specific to the Regional Parks System, which will be called a Regional Parks System equity toolkit. The Council and the Regional Parks and Natural Resources unit staff will work in close collaboration with regional park implementing agencies, partners, community based organizations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholder groups to develop a Regional Parks System equity toolkit in 2015. Similar to the Council -wide equity lens, the Regional Parks System equity toolkit will be a short series of open-ended questions. Once approved by the Council, the Regional Parks System equity toolkit will be used by regional park implementing agencies and the Council in specific ways described in the following paragraphs. Using the Regional Parks System equity toolkit, the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission and Council will be involved in the prioritization of the project list proposed for funding for the Capital Improvement Program and Parks and Trails Legacy Fund. As noted previously, for both the Capital Improvement Program and the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund, a list of projects must be provided to the state for legislative approval on a predetermined schedule. While regional park implementing agencies possess the greatest knowledge of the needs of their respective park and trail units, the Council has a role in reviewing and assessing the ranked list of proposed projects, from both a regional and fiscal perspective, before it is submitted to the state. The Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission and the Council will evaluate the project lists using the Regional Parks System equity toolkit. Therefore, the regional park implementing agencies will be required to respond to questions included in the Regional Parks System equity toolkit for each proposed project on their respective project list. To evaluate the proposed list of projects submitted by the regional park implementing agencies, the Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Commission and the Council will discuss and evaluate the proposed projects based on the benefit a particular project may provide to all the region's residents, the needs and preferences of specific under -served populations, and the unintended consequences of the project. On occasion, based on the Council's evaluation, the Council may elect to recommend shifting the order of the prioritized list. Reprioritization will in no way apply to regional park implementing agency projects that serve as a match to Federal or State funds.