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<br /> <br />Lino Lakes Park and Recreation Advisory Board <br />Recommendations for 2018 Parks and Trails Capital Projects 4/29/18 <br /> <br />1. Intro/Context <br />The Lino Lakes Park and Recreation Advisory Board has been tasked by the City Council to develop a <br />proposal for the allocation of up to $500,000 of capital funding intended for the repair, rehabilitation, and <br />upgrade of current recreational assets, including trails and park amenities. <br /> <br />2. Background on Park/Rec/Trail Funding Model <br />a. Past Funding Model: For the past two decades the Park and Recreation Board has relied solely on <br />fees derived from new developments to fund new trails and park amenities. In a growing community <br />where the prominent demand was to meet the needs of our new residents, this model made some sense or <br />at least was temporarily workable. However, as the community and its park and trail assets continued to <br />mature and legislation more tightly bound new development funding onto the needs of those paying the <br />fee, limited funds were available to meet a growing need for the repair, rehabilitation, and enhancement <br />of the existing parks and trail system. This funding model simply wasn’t sustainable. <br /> <br />b. City Council Response: The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board is so grateful that the City <br />Council finally recognized this ticking time bomb. Our park and trail infrastructure was aging and <br />beginning to show heavy wear and tear and there wasn’t a funding model to reinvest in these highly <br />desired and utilized assets. The only existing park and trail funding mechanism was dedicated park fees <br />that were required to support adjacent development and simply couldn’t be used to sustain broader <br />existing facilities. So the Council allocated funding for 2018 was extremely timely and greatly <br />appreciated. Furthermore, this Advisory Board takes this opportunity very seriously and has worked hard <br />to prepare a comprehensive plan that will maximize the use of these funds for the recreational enjoyment <br />of the entire Lino Lakes community. <br /> <br />c. General Funding Needs: Below are listed the categories of funding needs and sources for the <br />development, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and enhancement of our parks and trail system. <br /> - Day-to-Day Operations: Most day to day needs are currently supported within the Public Works. <br /> - Minor Repairs: For the past two decades, minor repairs to trails and park facilities went unfunded, <br />unless there was a significant safety concern. At that point it would be addressed with a special <br />request to the Council. In the future, it would be ideal to have a recurring budget for this purpose. <br /> - Small Capital Expenditures: Previously there were no available funds for major repairs, <br />rehabilitation, and upgrades to existing trails or park features. The Park Board views this category as <br />a very high priority for this one-time funding opportunity. <br /> - Medium Capital Expenditures: In the past, major replacement, renovation, or addition of new trails <br />or park features were simply not possible as there was no funding mechanism to support them. This <br />category is also considered a high priority for these one-time funds. <br /> - Large Capital Expenditures: This category would include a major investment in an existing or new <br />park without dedicated park fees. A good example would be the clearing, master planning, and <br />development of Country Lakes Park. Though tempting, we believe the high front-end costs of land <br />preparation and a masterplan would simply use a large fraction of the available funding with limited <br />immediate benefit to the community. <br /> - Very Large Capital Expenditures: A category that would require a very significant capital <br />undertaking such as the Athletic Complex remasterplan and development. Again, the sizeable pre-