Short on cash, MInnesota Zoo puts most projects on hold

At the Minnesota Zoo, a long list of repairs and replacements of mechanical systems and more will have to wait.

That's because the state's bonding bill includes $2.5 million for the Apple Valley zoo for asset preservation, a small fraction of what had been requested for 2009-2010.

Of that, roughly $1.5 million must be used to stem excess water that flows from the zoo during heavy rains, overwhelming a treatment plant in nearby Eagan.

That leaves zoo director Lee Ehmke with about $1 million for repairs needed for 28 other items, including fencing, restrooms, exhibits and buildings for koalas and tigers.

"It's going to mean lean times in terms of the repairs and really sharp prioritization in the upcoming year or so," Ehmke said Wednesday.

Given limited funds, he'll place priorities on addressing safety concerns and on mechanical systems that keep exhibit water heated or filtered, or air temperature at a certain level.

"Much of the asset-preservation needs are hidden and probably won't be noticeable to the visitor if they're not working, but over time they can degrade the experience," Ehmke said. "And obviously, it's more expensive to fix something that's been broken for a long time than to take care of it before it's really a crisis -- which is the whole point of asset-preservation funding."

Sometimes, "it's forgotten in the heat of the battle that the zoo is a state agency," he said.

"There's a lot of disrepair at the zoo," said Rep. Shelley Madore, DFL-Apple Valley.

In House bills, she requested $15 million as a priority for asset preservation, and alternatively, $30 million for total needs.

A lot less than $7.5 million

Gov. Tim Pawlenty requested $7.5 million for the zoo, an amount that Madore had earlier said would mean meeting only the most critical needs, including water-filtration problems, roof repairs, mechanical issues and a building management system.

"We are all just devastated that the Senate went to $2.5 million on that, in the conference committee," she said.

Ehmke said legislators met the needs of the zoo in previous bonding bills.

"It's always difficult to get bad news," he said, "especially given where we thought we were going in the process, which was a minimum of $7.5 million."

The $1.5 million designated for improvements to the water-management system is to stop excess zoo groundwater and surface water from entering the sanitary sewer system.

The real issue, said Tom Colbert, Eagan public works director, is raised by the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, which cares for the metro's wastewater-treatment system. It owns the Seneca Wastewater Treatment System, which has a treatment plant in Eagan. Eagan's flow into that plant exceeds the amount allowed for infiltration and inflow.

Water flow needs stemming

"The city of Eagan is really caught in the middle," Colbert said. "Seneca registers this flow as coming from Eagan. And we have a joint powers agreement with the state of Minnesota to take the wastewater from the zoo, which is located in Apple Valley. The Met Council is making the city of Eagan responsible for correcting this excessive flow coming from the zoo."

The Met Council was to levy a $2.2 million surcharge on Eagan as incentive to help stem the extra water. But a city study found that of the excess infiltration and inflow, about 70 percent is from zoo exhibits.

"The primary way to fix that is to find a way to retain the water and slow it down before it enters the sewer system," Ehmke said, adding that ponds, underground reservoirs or other remedies could be used.

He hopes the solution might cost less than $1.5 million.

"We are looking at having that language amended so we have a little more flexibility with the $2.5 million," Ehmke said, "because that will be all the money we have to deal with our existing physical plant repair and maintenance issues over the next few years."

Joy Powell • 952-882-9017