Statewide Outcome(s):
The Metropolitan Regional Parks System and Water Supply Planning supports the following statewide outcome(s).
A clean, healthy environment with sustainable uses of natural resources.
Context:
Regional Parks: The purpose of the Metropolitan Regional Park System is to meet the outdoor recreation needs of the residents and visitors to the metropolitan region through the acquisition, development, operation and maintenance of regional parks and trails that complement the State parks and trails in this region.
Planning and funding for the regional parks is a partnership between the Metropolitan Council and ten regional parks implementing agencies that own and operate the parks. The ten regional parks agencies are the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington; Three Rivers Park District, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, and the Cities of Bloomington and St. Paul.
Approximately 75 percent of operations and maintenance funding is provided through property tax levies, 15 percent from user fees and merchandise sales and ten percent from State Appropriations.
Land acquisition and capital improvement funding is provided by Council bonding, federal grants, local bonding and property tax levies and state funding. State sources include capital bonding, the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund and the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
100 percent of state funding for Parks appropriated to the Council is passed through to the park agencies.
Water Supply Planning: The Metropolitan Council has responsibility for planning activities and implementation of the master water supply plan for the seven county metropolitan area plus the counties of Chisago, Isanti, Sherburne and Wright. The purpose of the Master Plan is to ensure a sustainable water supply for current and future generations in the area.
The primary customers of this activity are community planners (regional and local), municipal water suppliers, government officials, and interested citizens.
No permanent funding source exists for Master Plan Implementation. Work to date has been funded through three one-time appropriations totaling $1.8 million from Minnesota’s Clean Water Fund to conduct specific projects recommended by the Master Plan.
Strategies:
Regional Parks: Acquire lands with high-quality natural resources that are desirable for regional parks system activities and put these lands in a protected status.
Provide adequate and equitable funding for the acquisition, rehabilitation and development of regional parks system units and facilities in a manner that provides the greatest possible benefits to the citizens of the region.
Promote master planning and help provide integrated resource planning across jurisdictions.
Protect public investment in acquisition and development by assuring that every element in the system is able to fully carry out its designated role as long as a need for it can be demonstrated.
Water Supply Planning: Develop local assessments, hydrogeologic studies and sustainable water supply options.
Enhance tools for stormwater and wastewater management, including reuse and water conservation
Collect, analyze, and share technical information with communities
Update the regional groundwater model (Metro Model 2) and apply the model to simulate different approaches to water supply development
Implement a sustainable water management demonstration project.
Results:
Providing adequate and equitable funding for the acquisition, rehabilitation and development of regional parks system units in a manner that provides the greatest possible benefits to the citizens of the region is measured through the growth in annual visits to the Metropolitan Regional Park System relative to the region’s population (annual visits per capita).
Planning and implementation of the master water supply plan is showing some success as measured by the number of gallons per capita used in a day and the number of communities utilizing the regional groundwater model in water supply development.
|
Performance Measures |
Previous |
Current |
Trend |
|
Park visits per capita |
11.1 |
15.2 |
Improving |
|
Municipal water use per capita in gallons per day |
135 |
127 |
Improving |
|
Number of communities utilizing Metro Model 2 in local models |
None |
20 |
Improving |
Performance Measures Notes:
Park System visits per capita compares 2000 to 2011.
Municipal water use reduction is a one year change between 2009 and 2010.
Metro Model 2 was first made available in 2010 and 20 communities currently are utilizing it in their planning.