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Minnesota Zoo seeks legacy funding to expand access and accessibility; committee lays SF1411 over
Summary
The Minnesota Zoo requested additional Clean Water Legacy‑related funding to expand free/discounted access for Greater Minnesota and to address aging campus accessibility and mobility needs. Senators pressed on the distinction between legacy‑eligible projects and normal operating costs; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion.
Minnesota Zoo leaders asked the Senate Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy to incorporate a multi‑year legacy funding increase to expand access and accessibility at the Minnesota Zoo. John Frawley, director of the Minnesota Zoo, requested funding to support free or discounted access for Greater Minnesota residents, school‑bus scholarships, an on‑campus electric shuttle system, and ADA‑compliant upgrades.
Frawley described the zoo as a state agency and a public–private partnership that receives roughly 37–38% of its operating budget from the state. He said the zoo set a record 1.5 million annual visitors and seeks to raise that total to more than 2 million by expanding outreach to underserved Greater Minnesota communities. Testimony described specific program goals: monthly free days, expanded free‑to‑explore memberships, school‑bus scholarships (noting earlier pilots exhausted initial funds in one day), a planned EV shuttle referred to as “Zuber,” and campus accessibility upgrades.
Committee members asked whether the requested legacy funds would supplant existing operating resources or instead expand programs. Senator Green pressed the zoo to explain why legacy dollars are an appropriate source for some upgrade and program costs rather than the zoo's operating budget; zoo staff responded that the requested activities would extend access beyond current operating capacity and were tailored to legacy priorities.
Workers and zoo staff also testified in support, citing deferred maintenance, digital‑display upgrades and behind‑the‑scenes infrastructure needs that affect animal care and visitor education. The committee laid Senate File 1411 over for possible inclusion in the omnibus legacy bill pending additional detail on program costs and alignment with legacy statutory priorities.
