02/07/2000 Park Board Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • To: Lino Lakes City Council From: George Lindy Chair, Lino Lakes Park Board Re: 2000 Park Board Goals and Priorities Attached is a summary of the Lino Lakes Park Board proposed goals and expenditures for the year 2000. Each year we review the funds we have available to allocate toward park development and improvement and try to distribute these funds as efficiently as possible while still trying to maintain a reasonable balance in the Dedicated Fund. The undesignated Dedicated Fund balance with which we have to work this year is $125,093. As I have stated before, we have a multitude of needs throughout our park system, yet we are faced with a diminishing funding source. Thus we prioritize those issues which we feel have the greatest need. We are pleased the city has secured land for an active outdoor recreation complex and we support pursuing the referendum process to secure funding for trail improvement, neighborhood parks, and the development of an outdoor athletic complex at an appropriate time. With the allocation of a portion of the "Excess Fund Balance" to the parks department, we have been able to address the safety issues of deteriorating play structures in a number of parks. This funding has also made it possible to place structures in parks that otherwise did not have funds available to them. With our playgrounds through out the city being in great shape, we now turn out attention to the trail system. Our linear parks are an extremely popular and heavily used component of outdoor recreation and transportation system. Due to the aging of the trails, the routine renovation and restoration of the system becomes a number one priority. Besides routine maintenance (ie., mowing, plowing, etc.) the older trail segments are in need of more extensive repair (ie., sealcoating, culvert repair, tree root damage). We do not have the funds necessary to address these needs (we are committing $20,000. Of our Dedicated Funds toward trail renovation; Funds which are intended for park land acquisition and park development), thus we request the Council consider this ongoing need and make the necessary budget adjustments to preserve this resource. The Lino Lakes park board looks forward to working with you in the future and we thank you for your past support.