DEPARTMENT: Parks, Facilities, and Fleet Management
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
title
Ratification Of Submittal For Funding Grant Request To Legislative-Citizen Commission On Minnesota Resources And Authorization to Execute Grant Agreement With Minnesota Department Of Natural Resources And Amend 2024 Park Capital Improvement Program Budget If Funding Approved
end
PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Ratify submission of four Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) grant applications to the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) requesting $200,000 to acquire fee title on ~130 acres of the Wicklund property in Waterford Township as a new County Park Conservation Area (CPCA); $104,000 to acquire fee title of the 4.9-acre Dakota County Community Development Agency (CDA) property in Hastings for a new CPCA, including a segment of the Vermillion River Greenway; $182,000 to acquire a 32-acre natural area conservation easement (Easement) on the Benjamin property in Nininger Township adjacent to the Mississippi River Greenway; and $104,000 to acquire 0.5-acre Easement on the Haskell Street Conservation LLC property in West Paul; and authorize execution of a grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and amend the 2024 Park Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget if ENRTF funding is approved.
SUMMARY
The LCCMR established an Emerging Issues Account (EIA) to be used for projects that would address unexpected and urgent environmental resource needs in an expedited manner, such as:
1. Addressing environmental or disease issues where delay will threaten the viability of segments of the State’s natural resources or human health.
2. Implementing a natural resource corrective action where delay will be detrimental to the State’s natural resources.
3. An opportunity to enhance natural resource management in a timely manner.
4. An opportunity to acquire critical land in a timely manner.
The County was notified on January 18, 2024, that there was approximately $400,000 of EIA funds available. The EIA funding application process uses an expedited grant review and approval process consisting of submission of a one-page letter describing the project, proposed budget, and description of the organizational capacity to implement the project. County staff considered a number of potential projects and recommended four prioritized acquisition projects (two of which were already approved by the County Board) that meet criteria #4 above:
1. $200,000 to acquire fee title on ~130 acres of the Wicklund property in Waterford Township as a new County Park Conservation Area (CPCA).
2. $104,000 to acquire fee title of the 4.9-acre Dakota County Community Development Agency (CDA) property in Hastings for a new CPCA, including a segment of the Vermillion River Greenway.
3. $182,000 to acquire a 32-acre natural area conservation easement (Easement) on the Benjamin property in Nininger Township adjacent to the Mississippi River Greenway (County Board approved).
4. $104,000 to acquire a 0.5-acre Easement on the Haskell Street Conservation LLC property in West St. Paul (County Board approved).
The grant funding opportunity and recommended projects were discussed during the January 23, 2024, County Board of Commissioner’s General Government and Policy Committee meeting where the Committee directed staff to submit the four prioritized projects. Due to the immediate grant deadline, the required materials were submitted to the LCCMR by their January 25, 2024, deadline without a County Board Resolution authorizing submission (see Attachment: EIA Grant Application Letters). Presentations on the four projects were made by staff to the LCCMR on February 5, 2024. The LCCMR recommended funding for projects 3 and 4, and Governor’s Office approvals are pending.
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Staff recommends that the County Board of Commissioners ratify the submission of four acquisition projects totaling $590,000 to the LCCMR for ENRTF funding and authorize execution of a grant agreement with the DNR, and amend the 2024 Park CIP Budget if ENRTF funding is approved.
end
EXPLANATION OF FISCAL/FTE IMPACTS
None.
☒ None ☐ Current budget ☐ Other
☐ Amendment Requested ☐ New FTE(s) requested
RESOLUTION
body
WHEREAS, the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) was established to make funding recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature for special projects that help maintain and enhance Minnesota's environment and natural resources; and
WHEREAS, Dakota County was notified in mid-January that the LCCMR has approximately $400,000 available for acquisition projects through its Emerging Issues Account (EIA), with a grant submission deadline of January 25, 2024; and
WHEREAS, County staff developed a list of potential grant projects and recommended that the County Board of Commissioners consider submitting the following four prioritized conservation acquisition projects that meet the EIA selection criteria of acquiring critical land in a timely manner:
1. $200,000 to acquire fee title on ~130 acres of the Wicklund property in Waterford Township as a new County Park Conservation Area (CPCA);
2. $104,000 to acquire fee title of the 4.9-acre Dakota County Community Development Agency property in Hastings as a new CPCA, including a segment of the Vermillion River Greenway;
3. $182,000 to acquire a 32-acre natural area conservation easement (Easement) on the Benjamin property in Nininger Township adjacent to the Mississippi River Greenway (County Board approved); and
4. $104,000 to acquire a 0.5-acre Easement on the Haskell Street Conservation LLC property (County Board approved)
; and
WHEREAS, On January 23, 2024, the County Board of Commissioner’s General Government and Policy Committee meeting directed staff to submit the four prioritized acquisition projects to the LCCMR; and
WHEREAS, County staff submitted the necessary grant materials to the LCCMR by the January 25, 2024, deadline; and
WHEREAS, County staff presented the projects to the LCCMR during its February 5, 2024, meeting; and
WHEREAS, the LCCMR recommended funding for two projects: Benjamin ($182,000) and Haskell Street Conservation LLC ($104,000); and
WHEREAS, Governor’s Office approvals of LCCMR recommended funding requests are pending.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby ratifies the submittal of four acquisition funding requests totaling $590,000 to the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That if funding for the two Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources recommended projects is approved by the Governor’s Office, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners authorizes execution of a grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That if Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund funding is awarded for two of the four acquisition proposals, the 2024 Parks Capital Improvement Program will provide the balance of funding needed to complete the acquisitions.
end
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION
None.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment: EIA Grant Application Letters
BOARD GOALS
☐ A Great Place to Live ☒ A Healthy Environment
☐ A Successful Place for Business and Jobs ☐ Excellence in Public Service
CONTACT
Department Head: Taud Hoopingarner
Author: Lisa West