DEPARTMENT: Parks
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
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Authorization To Execute Joint Powers Agreement With Minnesota Zoological Board To Provide Native Prairie Hay To Feed Zoo Animals
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RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, by Resolution No. 17-274 (May 9, 2017), Dakota County's Natural Resource Management System Plan (NRMSP) calls for increases in acres of parkland restored, actively managed, and maintained and expansion of partnerships and collaborations to effectively leverage external funding resources; and
WHEREAS, to meet these goals, the NRMSP recognized the need to augment the County's management tools; and
WHEREAS, the NRMSP directs staff to capitalize on potential revenue streams, specifically highlighting the sale of prairie hay (p. 97); and
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Zoological Board (Zoo) is a Minnesota State board; and
WHEREAS, the Zoo, authorized by Minn. Stat. ? 471.59, is permitted to enter into a joint powers agreement (JPA) with Dakota County; and
WHEREAS, the Zoo and the County are desirous of entering into this Agreement so that the County and the Zoo may share the actual costs for harvesting and transporting native prairie hay from the County and used by the Zoo; and
WHEREAS, a JPA has been prepared, which includes the following predominant terms: the Zoo will provide reimbursement for prairie hay to the County at the rate of $210 per ton of native hay received; each year, the Zoo will provide the County with a letter indicating the amount of native hay the Zoo would like to receive from the County; the County makes no guarantees that the entirety of the estimated tonnage will be provided but will in good faith work to meet the amount of hay requested by the Zoo; and
WHEREAS, adequate funds are available within the Parks Natural Resources Capital Improvement Program to mow and gather the clippings into hay bales; and
WHEREAS, the proceeds from the sale of the hay will be used to reimburse the Parks Natural Resources Capital Improvement Prog...
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