The Minneapolis park system’s 55 miles of parkways and 13 lakes have long been at the heart of the park system. Now, their maintenance and sustainability are at the heart of two resolutions that Commissioners for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) passed during their meeting on Wednesday, April 12.
Resolutions 2023-54 and 2023-55 request the City of Minneapolis increase funding for paving and restoration of parkways and establish dedicated stormwater utility fee funding to support management of MPRB-owned stormwater infrastructure on parkland.
“Both the parkways and the lakes are fundamental to quality of life for Minneapolis residents, and the lakes are a critical element of the urban ecosystem,” said MPRB President Meg Forney. “”That’s why the current Park Board Commissioners are committed to securing updated funding sufficient to address the short-term and long-term repair and protection these assets.”
The MPRB has been seeking funding since the late 1990s and, as parkways and lake conditions decline, park commissioners and staff are hopeful current city leadership will address the funding needs.
“Without dedicated funding, parkways will continue to decline and become unusable by the public. Without dedicated funding, water bodies will continue to be impacted by stormwater, water quality will decline, and poor water quality will negatively impact public use of the city lakes,” said MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura. “Past city leadership has not provided funding or resources identified in the 1999 service redesign agreement or subsequent MPRB requests. We are asking current city leadership to partner with us and address this issue.”
Parkway Paving
The 55 miles of parkways managed by the MPRB are not just for regional park access but are used for vehicle and bicycle commuting. The City’s funding allocation for parkway repairs has remained stagnant for more than two decades, at $750,000 annually, despite the City and MPRB’s landmark agreement in 2016 to equitably address needed funding to repave City streets and maintain neighborhood parks far into the future. The agreement and ordinance provide an annual increase to the City’s street maintenance budget of more than $21 million, with a two percent annual increase for almost $23.9 million in 2023 and $25.3 million in 2026.
Today, the $750,000 the MPRB receives annually allows for repaving only 0.35 to 0.6 miles per year of 55 total parkway miles in the park system. “At this rate, the parkways will be largely unusable in about 15 years,” noted MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura.
Resolution 2023-54 requests the City of Minneapolis increase parkway paving and related infrastructure investment to $6 million annually, starting in 2024. This funding would support paving and sealcoating; accessibility improvements based on the Americans with Disabilities Act; and development of a comprehensive program for parkway reconstruction. It would also include future funding adjustments consistent with the city’s capital program increases.
Stormwater Management
Stormwater runoff from pavement, roofs and other hard surfaces throughout the City of Minneapolis drains through the city stormwater system and the MPRB’s stormwater system into park lakes and creeks. The City of Minneapolis stormwater utility was created 18 years ago and the MPRB should have had dedicated funding during the initial creation of the utility to take care of its portions of the stormwater system. The need has not gone away and has only grown in those 18 years. In 2023, the City of Minneapolis is projected to collect $45.2 million in revenue from its stormwater utility fee. There is currently no dedicated funding to maintain and operate the MPRB’s aging stormwater management infrastructure on parkland; nor for protection or improvements of those lakes, creeks and shorelines.
Resolution 2023-55 focuses on funding to keep lake water quality suitable for recreation and for sustaining plants and wildlife. MPRB is responsible for city lakes and their shorelines under the terms of its shared federal stormwater permit with the City, which manages the storm drain system outside MPRB-owned parkland.
To address these issues now and into the future, Resolution 2023-55 requests the City of Minneapolis provide dedicated, sustainable stormwater utility fee funding at a rate of $2 per month per equivalent storm water unit, on average $24 per year for a typical household, with an annual adjustment based on cost increases. This funding would support MPRB’s management of stormwater infrastructure on its park properties; and a capital program for water quality improvement projects to protect, restore and improve water quality in Minneapolis lakes and creeks.
“Minneapolis residents have enjoyed the park system’s parkways and lakes for more than 100 years,” said Bangoura. “I’m grateful that the Park Board Commissioners are working to sustain that legacy for current and future generations.”
For more details, view the Board Resolutions, fact sheets and staff presentations online: Parkways and Stormwater – Investing, Protecting and Restoring