04-08-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Keis and Members of the City Council FROM: Bryce Shearen, Parks & Recreation/Community Services Manager Bill Dircks, Public Works Director DATE: April 8, 2020 RE: Great River Greening Letter of Support ACTION REQUESTED Motion to authorize Mayor to sign a letter of support for Great River Greening to seek funding for the Pollinator II grant through the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund. BACKGROUND The City of Little Canada has been working with multiple partners to create a plan to restore Thunder Bay/Westwinds Linear Park after the area was clear-cut by Xcel Energy contractors during routine maintenance in 2018. There have been multiple efforts to restore the area with plants and grasses that will provide a long-term benefit to the Park and not be subject to future clear-cutting operations. In order to help fund the enhancement efforts, staff has been seeking alternative funding sources and potential grants. Earlier this year, staff submitted a grant application for a Partnership Proposal with Great River Greening. Great River Greening (GRG) leads community-based restoration of prairies, forests, and waters throughout Minnesota. Great River Greening has a long track record of funding success and is always looking expand its support of new and existing partners. GRG is creating a proposal to the Natural Resources Trust Fund and Outdoor Heritage Fund that is comprised of many different projects with different organizations. After preliminary review of our grant application, a project discovery meeting, and a site visit, representatives of GRG feel that the City’s project fits well with their funding proposal. They would like to add the Linear Park – Pollinator Habitat Enhancement project to their funding package that will be submitted to the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) for funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). GRG will be seeking $40,500 for the project, however they have informed staff that many times projects do not receive the total amount requested. The grant requires a minimum match of $20,000 from the City of Little Canada over the three year span of the project. The Parks Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) currently includes $25,000 dedicated to the restoration project in 2020 & 2021. The 2020 funds will be used to keep the momentum of the project moving forward by prepping the next phase for 2021 planting/seeding. Any dollars spent in 2020 will not be reimbursable by the grant nor can they be applied to the matching funds. Staff will continue to seek other potential sources of funding to help cover the required match.