Public comment opportunities scheduled Oct 25, Nov 1, 15 and Dec 5
Posted on 18 October, 2023At the October 18 Board meeting, Superintendent Al Bangoura presented his Recommended 2024 Budget for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) that focuses caring for park amenities and infrastructure, protecting the environment and natural resources it manages, and serving the youth of Minneapolis through quality programming.
“This year we are celebrating 140 years of Minneapolis Parks history by honoring our past and looking to the future. This budget makes critical investments so we can continue enriching the lives of Minneapolis residents today and for generations to come,” said Al Bangoura, Superintendent. “With more than 30 million visits to the park system each year, we need to maintain current service levels and invest in how we assess and care for park assets within almost 200 parks located throughout the city.”
In April 2023, Park Board Commissioners passed two resolutions to request the City of Minneapolis increase funding for paving and restoration of parkways and to establish dedicated stormwater utility fee funding to support management of MPRB-owned stormwater infrastructure on parkland.
With the passage of these resolutions, negotiations with the Mayor and City staff began, culminating in the Mayor Frey’s 2024 Recommended Budget in August that included new funding for MPRB stormwater infrastructure starting in 2024 and parkway repairs starting in 2025. Dedicated funding for parkways and stormwater will be formalized through concurrent ordinances to be passed by the City and MPRB.
“These are legacy moments that will impact the quality of our parkways and water bodies for generations to come,” said Bangoura. “Park Commissioners and staff have been dedicated to securing this funding, and we are grateful Mayor Frey, council members and city staff are working with us to address these important needs.”
In September, the Board voted unanimously to support the request to the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) to set the MPRB’s maximum property tax levy at an estimated amount of $82,652,380, a 5.35 percent increase from 2023. The levy increase for the MPRB will result in a 0.94 percent increase in city property taxes overall, which amounts to an approximate $17 annual increase in property taxes – less than $2 per month – for owners of a median $329,000 value home. Currently, of every dollar homeowner’s pay for property taxes, 7.8 cents go to the MPRB.
The proposed tax levy included two distinct elements. The first is to maintain current service levels, including inflationary pressures impacting the MPRB budget and $260,000 needed to support the MPRB’s 2021 six-year arrangement with the City for the historic $2.6 million youth investment that began in 2022. The second element of the MPRB maximum tax levy request is $124,000 to support the Board adopted Strategic Direction D – Care for Park Assets to Meet Evolving Needs and Practices. This care of park assets investment will provide for an analyst as the MPRB moves to identify and implement an asset management lifecycle for asset types within the MPRB system. The addition of the position will be utilized towards the maximization of existing funding for maintenance, repair, rehabilitation and capital.
The Superintendent’s Recommended 2024 Budget supports the neighborhood park and regional park capital investments and utilizes criteria-based systems for project scheduling. Racial equity work continues to be demonstrated in the Superintendent’s Recommended 2024 Budget in five distinct areas: 2024 department budget actions; neighborhood park capital improvement and rehabilitation funding; regional park capital improvement funding; recreation center funding; and 2024 budget adjustments.
The Superintendent’s Recommended 2024 Budget includes the maximum tax levy increase of $82,652,380, for a total 2024 Budget of $156 million, including $103 million for the general operating fund, $17 million for the enterprise operating fund, $2 million for the special revenue fund and $34 million for capital project funding.
This proposed budget also supports the MPRB’s commitment to strategic long-term planning through the 2023-2026 Strategic Directions, Performance Goals, and Priority Comprehensive Plan Strategies adopted by the Board in May 2022. The five strategic directions are: act boldly for our climate; cultivate each community’s place and honor cultural traditions in Minneapolis parks; implement quality youth and intergenerational programs; care for park assets to meet evolving needs and practices; and steward our natural resources.
Strategic Direction A – Act boldly for our climate future
The Board is committed to act boldly for our climate future through a reduction of carbon footprint, implementing resiliency projects in service area master plans and the ecological system plan and by analyzing park visitor modes of park access to create baseline data for future decision-making. This budget supports these goals through the department budget actions, the construction of the Graco Park building which will be the first net-zero building in the MPRB system, exploration of the Xcel Energy – Solar™Rewards Community, and the continued use of formal criteria for evaluating equipment purchases and replacements to reduce fuel consumption, minimize pollution and emissions, and improve operations.
Strategic Direction B – Cultivate each community’s place and honor cultural traditions in Minneapolis parks
The MPRB mission looks to dismantle historic inequities in the provision of park and recreation opportunities for all people and the Board seeks to cultivate each community’s place and honor cultural traditions in Minneapolis parks through enhanced and unified organization-wide volunteer management and through enhanced community safety and Park Police engagement activities. This budget supports these goals through the department budget actions and the addition of positions that will add capacity to support volunteer engagement including a Volunteer Program Aide, Horticulture Crew Leader, and a certified part-time .75 FTE program administrator. The budget also supports completing the work on the development and delivery of Indigenous Acknowledgement training and the development of an Indigenous Reconciliation Plan that began in 2023.
Strategic Direction C – Implement quality youth and intergenerational programs
In 2021, through the culmination of significant work and collaboration with the Mayor and City staff, a historic $2.6 million investment in youth was realized through a six-year funding agreement that includes a combination of property tax levy and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. This budget provides for year three of this agreement and includes a property tax levy increase of $260,000 and continuation of the ARPA funding in 2024. This Board is committed to implementing quality youth and intergenerational programs and ensure its success through program capacity measurement, multi-tiered program evaluation, and enrollment tracking. This budget supports these goals through the department budget actions; implementation of an upgraded on-line registration system that will improve user experience and support data collection for tracking and reporting; additional part-time inclusion staff hours for Rec Plus; and the continuation of free youth programming in areas of Minneapolis with the greatest need. This budget also includes increases in fees based on comparative market rates and a reduction in contractual services to offset and reduce the amount expected to be raised by grants and donations. This budget also supports the $1.5 million in youth employment funding received during the 2023 state legislative session and the addition of a Naturalist Program Coordinator focused on youth and teen programming.
Strategic Direction D – Care for park assets to meet evolving needs and practices
One of the most consistent messages received from all Commissioners is the desire to care for park assets to meet evolving needs and practices. The Board is committed to increase the rate of parkway repaving or reconstruction, increase the percentage of assets that are within their expected lifespan, establish service standard levels for the top assets within the park system, and increase the advancement of policy items identified in the system-wide master plan implementation tracker. This budget supports these goals through the department budget actions; the implementation of the parkway investment; the implementation of the Stormwater Utility Enterprise Fund; implementation of the next generation of asset management software with enhanced capabilities; and the reallocation of resources to fund needed positions in the Asset Management Department. This budget includes an analyst to support the work to identify and implement an asset management lifecycle for asset types within the MPRB system; a reclassification of a vacant Horticulturalist to a Horticulture Crew Leader, conversion of seasonal parkkeeper hours to a full-time parkkeeper, conversion of seasonal mobile equipment operator (MEO) hours to a full-time MEO; and the addition of a HVAC Technician.
Strategic Direction E – Steward our natural resources
The Board acknowledges its role as the steward of the park system’s natural resources and commits to natural area management, growing the public tree canopy, and improving water quality through best management practices. This budget supports these goals through the department budget actions; enhanced natural area management through on-going state operations and maintenance funding; implementation of the Stormwater Enterprise Fund; and the planting of at least two trees for every tree removed focused in the two major heat islands within Minneapolis through the ARPA funding received in 2024. This budget also supports participation in the Urban Tree Carbon Offset Program through the partnership with Green Minneapolis. This budget includes a Volunteer Program Aide II and seasonal Natural Resources Specialists to support natural area management; and the addition of an engineer and an increase to part-time provisional staff hours funded through the Stormwater Enterprise Fund.
“This budget is the culmination of a great deal of work, including thoughtful consideration and input from the Board of Commissioners and staff,” said Bangoura. “I look forward to obtaining further input from the Board of Commissioners and public on this Recommended 2024 Budget in November.”
The proposed budget and related documents are available for viewing at www.minneapolisparks.org/budget. The public may comment on the proposed budget during the times listed below.
- October 25, Public Hearing on Tax Levy and 2024 Budget – City of Minneapolis public hearing on 2024 tax levy and 2024 Budget, City Hall, Council Chambers Room 317, 350 South 5th Street, Minneapolis. Comments may be made during the 6:05 pm public hearing.
- November 1, Public Comment Session on MPRB Superintendent’s Recommended 2024 Budget – Administration and Finance Committee meeting, MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Minneapolis. The Committee meeting will follow the Board’s regular meeting, which begins at 5 pm. Comments may be made during the Budget Comment period scheduled for 6 pm.
- November 15, Public Comment Session on MPRB Superintendent’s Recommended 2024 Budget – Regular Board meeting, MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Minneapolis, which starts at 5 pm. Comments may be made during Open Time scheduled for 5:30 pm.
- December 5, Public Hearing and Board Approval of 2024 Budget – City of Minneapolis public hearing on 2024 tax levy and 2024 Budget, City Hall, Council Chambers Room 317, 350 South 5th Street, Minneapolis. Comments may be made during the 6:05 pm public hearing.
“I want to thank all the members of the Board and staff for their efforts during this year’s budget process,” Bangoura concluded. “Through it all, we have done great work and together we can dramatically impact people’s lives by building communities, delivering meaningful services, and meeting the diverse needs of Minneapolis residents.”
Departmental initiatives and changes for 2024 include:
- Asset Management – includes the addition of an analyst to support the work to identify and implement an asset management lifecycle for asset types within the MPRB system; the replacement of the enterprise asset management software; the reallocation of resources to fund needed positions including a reclassification of a vacant Horticulturalist to a Horticulture Crew Leader, conversion of seasonal parkkeeper hours to a full-time parkkeeper, conversion of seasonal mobile equipment operator (MEO) hours to a full-time MEO, the addition of a HVAC Technician, and the reduction of contractual services; and a slight increase of 520 seasonal parkkeeper and MEO hours and supplies for system equity investment related to the MPRB entering into an agreement to add two dog parks to the MPRB’s system.
- Athletic Programs, Aquatics, Golf & Ice Arenas – includes the addition of a full-time Athletic Program Specialist , part-time provisional staff hours, and an sports officials’ pay increase; the addition of three seasonal pool managers one at each outdoor pool facility; and the inclusion of revenue and staffing at Phillips Pool to host the adult masters program displaced by the YWCA’s impending closure; an increase in adult athletic revenue based on league and participant expansion; increase to non-MPRB teams’ youth field permit fee based on market rates; an increase to water park entry fees, golf fees and ice arena rental fees based on market rates; the introduction of Golf Simulators at Columbia Golf Course; and the introduction of wall and/or rink sponsorships at the ice arenas.
- Communications and Marketing – includes an increase to contractual services for the development and implementation of a multi-faceted advertising campaign to improve awareness of and participation in park programs by Minneapolis residents, including multilingual residents.
- Environmental Management – includes the establishment of the Stormwater Enterprise Fund supported by the City utility fee and includes the addition of engineer and part-time provisional staffing; the establishment of a natural resources management special revenue fund supported by state operations and maintenance funding and includes a Volunteer Program Aide and three seasonal Natural Resources Specialists; the addition of a certified part-time (0.75 FTE) program administrator for the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden funded through a reduction in part-time provisional staff hours, increased program revenue, and financial support from the Loppet Foundation; the conversion of part-time provisional hours to a full-time Naturalist Program Coordinator focused on youth and teen programming; the receipt of a $1.5 million direct youth employment grant from the State of Minnesota; and a slight increase to material and supplies and slight decrease to contractual services.
- Finance – includes the addition of a full-time Accounting Technician and elimination of 561 part-time urban scholar hours; a slight increase to P-Card rebate revenues; and an increase to the Enterprise Fund overhead charge.
- Forestry – includes a reduction of a vacant, full-time MEO based on department needs which was utilized to address other Environmental Stewardship Division needs.
- Park Police – supports system equity investment with the addition of 520 park patrol agent hours.
- Superintendent’s Office – includes the elimination of the Grant and Donation Administrator position to fund other General Fund needs.
- Visitor Services – includes a slight shift in staffing (0.15 FTE) from the Enterprise Fund to the General Fund to better align time allocations between functions; a one-time use of the Regional Park Amenity fund to replace the boats used to access moored sailboats; and a slight increase in revenue for a new sign fee.
- Youth and Recreation Center Programs – continues implementation of the historic investment in youth and intergenerational programming including department budget actions to develop a capacity measurement, multi-tiered program evaluation tool, and enrollment tracking to ensure successful implementation of quality programs; also includes an increase to Rec Plus fees based on market rates and the addition of 1040 part-time inclusion facilitator hours to support Rec Plus; also includes a decrease in contractual services.
The budget and related documents are available for viewing at www.minneapolisparks.org/budget.