Park Board presents 2024 annual report; city staff list $62M+ in proposed capital asks for MMB review

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s finance director presented the board’s 2024 annual report and five‑year project schedule to the City Council Intergovernmental Relations Committee on Sept. 9, highlighting the NPP 20 program, ordinance‑based project-selection criteria and the board’s capital planning process.

Julie Wiseman, finance director for the Park and Recreation Board, said the NPP 20 program—created by a concurrent ordinance with the City—provides guaranteed funding for neighborhood‑park maintenance, rehabilitation and capital improvements. Wiseman reported the City’s 2025 general fund property tax support for the NPP 20 program at $4,400,000 and the 2025 capital and rehabilitation allocation at $12,690,000; she said the ordinance requires an annual report and that the guaranteed minimum is adjusted every five years.

City intergovernmental staff then reviewed the City’s early submissions for the 2026 capital investment process required by Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB). Steve Huser, senior government relations representative, described draft requests that the City has included in early submissions to MMB: a structural renewal of a 36‑inch water main ($12,360,000 ask; total project cost $24,800,000) to rehabilitate 2.6 miles of primary supply line; an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan implementation request ($5,000,000 ask, while staff described the remaining scope of work as about $400,000,000); a 13th Avenue Stormwater Project ($13,500,000 ask; $29,000,000 total) to replace roughly 2,100 feet of storm infrastructure and add a new outfall to the Mississippi River; a 35th Avenue North flood mitigation project ($25,000,000 ask; $29,000,000 total) that staff said would mitigate flooding affecting about 100 properties and include streetscape and ADA improvements; and an Aldrich Avenue South sanitary rehabilitation project ($6,600,000 ask; $7,000,000 total) using slip‑lining to rehabilitate 3,300 feet of sewer pipe.

Council members asked clarifying questions about revenue sources and project timing. Council Member Wansley asked whether the park dedication ordinance (fees collected from new construction) is included among the ordinances referenced in the Park Board presentation; Adam Arvidsson, director of strategic planning at the Park Board, said the park dedication ordinance is a concurrent ordinance with no expiration date and that fee receipts and allocations are viewable in the Park Board’s CIP tool on minneapolisparks.org. President Payne asked about the status of ARPA and other federal funds on the capital program; Wiseman said the City reallocated certain ARPA dollars for North Commons to the general fund, that there is a $2,000,000 federal allocation for North Commons being monitored, and that Willard Park also has federal dollars.

Council Member Vitah pressed for specifics on the 35th Avenue ask; Public Works engineer Matt Ali said construction is planned to start next year, design is being finished, and any funds awarded would apply to construction and completion efforts. On the ADA ask, Huser said the $5,000,000 request represents an incremental step given the large overall scope and the City’s capacity to implement work over years; he described an approximate remaining inventory of sites and said the work is planned to be staged.

The committee received and filed the Park Board report and heard staff describe the timing for submitting the City’s final MMB requests and a planned resolution of support to be presented at the Oct. 7 Committee of the Whole.