Laserfiche WebLink
r REQUEST FOR(4SOmi3fblACTION <br />OCT 2 7 1997 DATE: October 23, 1997 <br />CITY OF ORONO ITEM NO:/y <br />Department Approval: <br />Name Ron Moorse <br />Title City Administrator <br />Administrator Reviewed:Agenda Section: <br />City Administrator's <br />Report <br />Item Description: <br />West Hennepin Recycling Commission Proposal for Environmental Endowment <br />A letter is attached from the West Hennepin Recycling Commission describing a proposal to use <br />Commission resert'es to fund an environmental endowment as a memorial to Mary Leintz, the <br />former City Clerk for the city of Independence. Maiy was an active member of the WHRC and was <br />committed to recycling and the environment. The WHRC has discussed providing for some sort of <br />ongoing memorial to Mary Leintz using all or a portion of reserves that have been accumulated by <br />the Commission over a number of years due to underspending of budgeted expenditures. The option <br />outlined in the attached letter is to provide for an environmental education endowment through the <br />school districts that serve the cities of the WHRC. As the letter indicates, some or all of the $20,000 <br />of reserves could be used for this endowment. <br />Staff Analysis and Alternative Proposal <br />Staff has a concern about spending the full $20,000 of reserves on an endowment. It may be more <br />reasonable to spend some portion of the reserves. <br />The proposal regarding the environmental education endowment has both advantages and <br />disadvantages. The advantages are that the endowment is perpetual and that the WHRC and the <br />cities do not have to be involved in ongoing management of the endowment. The disadvantages are <br />that the cities give up control over how the funds are used; and because several separate endowments <br />would be needed to involve all six school districts, a larg amount of funds would be needed to <br />provide a reasonable endowment amount at each school. <br />An alternative to the educational endowment would be to place some or all of the reserves into an <br />account, the interest from which could be used on an annual basis to assist innovative recycling or <br />environmental projects. The flmds could be provided to residents, students, etc. The investment of <br />the funds could be managed by a city, and the decisions regarding the use of the funds could be made <br />by the WHRC or a separate body set up specifically for that purpose. <br />As the attached lettei indicates, the first step is for the Council to indicate whether they have any <br />interest in using some or all of the reserve flmds for some type of long term environmental <br />endo wment. If the Council is supportive of the concept, the WHRC would move ahead to develop <br />a specific proposal for review and approval by the cities. <br />COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED: <br />Motion to indicate whether the Council supports the concept of using reserves from the WHRC for <br />a long term "endowment" type of funding for recycling/environmental related activities; and if so <br />to indicate what part of the $20,000 of reserves it would consider using for this purpose. <br />1