Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/09/2020

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Minnesota's non -motorized trail users spend approximately $2.7 billion annually on trips and equipment, and support 37,000 jobs statewide. Communities located along state and regional trails are the primary beneficiaries of this economic activity. For example, the Paul Bunyan State Trail, Heartland State Trail, and Root River State Trail each generate between $1.2 million and $2.2 million for their local regions respectively. The majority of this spending — 90% or more — comes from trail users who reside outside the local economy, and thus are "new" dollars that would not otherwise be spent in the community. A similar study in Wisconsin found biking -related tourism and recreation contributes nearly a billion dollars to the state economy (MN Parks and Trails). [while applies to state parks, can be seen on a smaller scale with connected opportunities and Ramsey's unique river features] Recreation Recreation Trends in Ramsey The 2018 Community Livability Report (NCS, 2018) studied a sample of residents to better understand their perception of the city and level of engagement [create visuals for this section]. Some of the key findings (2018 NCS Community Survey): • 85% of residents rated the City as an excellent or good place to live On par with national averages, 59% of residents rated health and wellness as positive, and 64% rated fitness opportunities Figure 1.73xxxx Only 50% rated recreational opportunities as positive, which is considered lower in comparison to the national benchmark k.. In regards to governance, 76% of citizens rated City parks at positive, and 59% rated recreation centers as positive. • There is not a City -owned recreation center in Ramsey. Respondents may have been referring to school facilities or private businesses. • 0% of citizens stated they had attended a City -sponsored ext text -text Figure 1.14xxxxxx CITY OF RAMSEY PARK SYSTEM PLAN