Three Rivers, Scott County move ahead with parks partnership

Three Rivers Park District, which taxes residents of suburban Hennepin County, voted last week to enter a partnership with Scott County to provide regional parks in Scott County.

The stated goal is to take a "collective approach toward regional park and trail operations that would provide the most effective and efficient delivery of regional park and trail services."

Commissioners from Scott County and Three Rivers, which already owns two regional parks in Scott County, will finalize the agreement at a joint meeting at Cleary Lake Regional Park in Scott County. Either side could dissolve the partnership with a year's notice.

Three Rivers is the only regional park district in the metro area that owns parks outside of its taxing authority. It would be setting a precedent with this agreement by taking on responsibilities for other parks that are owned by Scott County.

As a nod to suburban Hennepin County taxpayers, Three Rivers has promised that the new partnership will not result in Three Rivers spending more money on Scott County parks next year. The partnership would allow increased spending in the future if approved by the Three Rivers park board.

In the first year, Scott County will contribute about $601,000 plus two parks staff employees and work in parks by the county's public works and public safety departments.

In return Three Rivers, which voted last Thursday to go ahead with the partnership, will coordinate the operation and maintenance of all regional parks and trails in Scott County and budget and account for the money spent on them.

In addition Three Rivers will to continue to pay the direct operating costs of the two regional parks it owns in Scott County: Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve and Cleary Lake Regional Park. After applying park user fees and regional park grants, Three Rivers this year paid about $129,000 to operate those parks.

Scott County owns some regional park lands that it has not had money to develop. By joining forces, the two sides hope to make more parks and trails available while spending the same amount of money.

Three Rivers would assign its chief financial officer, Howard Koolich, to closely monitor the new arrangement for cost and results. He would keep track of staff time, expenditures and services traded between the county and park district.

Last week park commissioner Rosemary Franzese cast the lone vote against proceeding with the partnership. She objected to the partnership agreement not stating dollar commitments. It says "Scott County and Three Rivers will maintain, at a minimum, their respective annual parks budgets at their 2010 levels for 2011 and beyond."

A past agreement with Scott County fell apart several years ago because the county did not hold up its end, and that could happen again because Scott County faces major budget challenges, Franzese said. "To go forward with the whole joint powers right now is putting us at risk."

Three Rivers superintendent Cris Gears said the partnership "would bind them for at least 2011 to maintain their contribution from 2010." With the county contribution, funds from the Metropolitan Council for regional parks and revenue from park user fees, "we are not running a risk here," Gears said.

Mark Themig, manager of parks and trails for Scott County, said the county is committed to holding up its end of the partnership. He said Franzese remembers a time "when Scott County was not in the park business." Since that time, the county has made about $12 million in park investments and the county's commitment to parks has strengthened, Themig said.

Scott County commissioners have not taken a vote on the plan but they have studied it and their approval is expected, Themig said.

Under the partnership, Themig would be an employee of Scott County working for Three Rivers. He would be responsible for developing an annual work plan for the joint operations that would be approved by both the county and the park board.

Laurie Blake • 612-673-1711