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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br /> <br /> DATE: March 14, 2016 <br /> ITEM NO: 7 <br />______________________________________________________________________________ <br />Department Approval: Administrator Reviewed: Agenda Section: <br />Name Adam Edwards JML Public Works Director/ <br />Title Public Works Director/City Engineer Parks Director Report <br />______________________________________________________________________________ <br />Item Description: Letter of Support for Hennepin Counties GreenCorps Grant <br />_____________________________________________________________________________ <br />Reference: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/quick-links/minnesota-greencorps#about-8822c040 <br /> <br />Exhibit: Draft letter for support for Hennepin County. <br /> <br />1. Purpose. The purpose of this Council action is to gain approval for a letter of support for <br />Hennepin County’s Green Corps grant application. <br /> <br />2. Background. Hennepin County’s Environment and Energy department has requested Orono <br />to partner with them on a grant application for the GreenCorps Program. MN GreenCorps is a <br />federally funded program that is administered by the MN Pollution Control Agency. The <br />program matches young professionals to a host site for internships in specific environmental <br />areas. The County is looking to secure an Urban Forestry intern. If successful, the MPCA would <br />provide a full time intern for a period of 11 months; the county would provide office space, <br />supervision and mentorship. There would be no cost to the City other than staff time to <br />coordinate the intern’s activities within the City. <br /> <br />3. Scope for Project. The County proposes using the grant to conduct a tree inventory of the <br />County roads running through Orono and the City’s collector roads, as well as inventorying <br />select City nature parks. These inventories would allow the County and City to better assess the <br />threat of Emerald Ash Bore, Dutch Elm Disease, and Oak Wilt which would allow the City to <br />actively manage the health of our natural parks. <br /> <br />4. Recommendation. The Parks Commission recommended support at their March 7th <br />Meeting. I recommend approval of the attached letter of support. <br /> <br />COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED <br />Consider a motion to adopt the attached letter of support for the Hennepin County application for <br />the MN GreenCorps Grant.