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<br />The policy plan, adopted in 1974., incorporated the Minneapolis Park and <br />Recreation Board and the city of St. Paul as implementing. agencies, in <br />recognition of their historical role in providing large urban parks that serve <br />residents from throughout the Metropolitan Area. Carver County was designated <br />as an implementing agency for Baylor, Lake Minnewashta and Lake Waconia <br />Regional Parks. Eden prairie and Bloomington were designated as implementing <br />agencies too, because they were already involved in the. acquisition of the <br />Anderson Lakes Park Reserve area-,.and Eden Prairie was also acquiring Bryant <br />Lake Regional Park. <br />Besides the 11 implementing agencies listed earlier, the city of Fridley has <br />become an implementing agency. Its role is limited to implementing a program <br />under only one of the five categories in the regional recreation open space <br />system -- the special recreation use category. The Interim Special Recreation Use <br />policy plan amendment adopted by th.e Council in 1977 said that~Tnunicipalites <br />could be implementating agencies for special recreation use facilities of <br />regional significance. <br />Other municipalities have expressed interest in being designated as <br />implementing .agencies for programs in the regional trails and special recreation use <br />categories. Lino Lakes and Hugo are interested in being designated the <br />implementing agency for part of the Otter-Bald .Eagle Regional Park. <br />It seems reasonable that the Council and Commission should limit the number of <br />implementing agencies involved in the regional recreation open space system. <br />Although many municipalities have park facilities that serve people who don't <br />live in their communities, few have facilities that serve the Region to the same <br />degree as the units in the regional park system. Communities with parks that do <br />provide regional-service already are implementing agencies. <br />By not designating additional implementing agencies, the Council and Commission <br />would be able to carry out their administrative role more efficiently and <br />effectively. Limiting the number of implementing agencies will become increasingly <br />important as the regional park system evolves from the acquisition and developmen t <br />phase to operations and maintenance of parklands. It would also support the <br />premise that regional parks serve areas with populations greater than a municipality. <br />5. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE FUNDING FOR THE REGIONAL PARK SYSTEM <br />Should the policy plan address. the issue of funding sources for operation <br />and maintenance of regional parks, and the procedures for administration <br />of funds? <br />The existing policy plan concentrates on the acquisition of regional recreation <br />open space. Now that much of the land has been acquired and a number of the <br />facilities have been developed, the question becomes one of what policy should be <br />developed regarding park operation and maintenance. <br />7 <br />