DEPARTMENT: Parks
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
title
Authorization To Execute Joint Powers Agreement With City Of Eagan For Natural Resource Restoration And Enhancement Of Caponi Art Park
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize expenditure of up to $275,960.00 through a joint powers agreement (JPA) with the City of Eagan to enhance and restore natural resources in Caponi Art Park.
SUMMARY
By Resolution No. 20-568 (November 17, 2020), the County Board adopted the Land Conservation Plan (LC Plan) to prioritize and improve County coordination and collaboration with other agencies and organizations regarding land protection and long-term natural resource management. The County received $6.2 million of Outdoor Heritage funds appropriated by the 2022 Minnesota Legislature for land protection and restoration to assist in implementing the LC Plan.
The County initiated the City-County Conservation Collaborative (Collaborative) in 2021 as an innovative and strategic LC Plan initiative to assist and provide incentives for cities to increase natural resource management on important city-owned property. The County worked with the cities to jointly develop guidelines and criteria for implementing the Collaborative, and cities were then asked to submit potential natural resource restoration projects to the County for financial and other assistance. The City of Eagan submitted a proposal for restoring 40 acres of the 50-acre Caponi Art Park (Park).
The LC Plan also developed a recommended cost share split of 85/15-County/City, but each case will be negotiated per a management agreement between the County and City, based on precedent greenway policies and the Land Conservation Collaborative. Examples include River to River Greenway between County and Cities of Mendota Heights and West St. Paul, Lake Marion Greenway with the cities of Farmington, Lakeville, and Burnsville, and North Creek Greenway with the cities of Apple Valley, Farmington, and Lakeville.
Caponi Art P...
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