Shakopee mdewakanton sioux community

In February 2012 the Shakopee reached an agreement on sharing land information with the City of Shakopee, the City of Prior Lake, and Scott County. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was approved between the parties with the goal of reducing conflict in the future regarding land use and other issues which have arisen in the past. The intergovernmental agreement was approved by both cities February 21, 2012, whereas the SMSC Business Council approved it February 10, 2012. Scott County approved it February 28, 2012.

The MOU establishes an Intergovernmental Working Group (IWG) consisting of two members appointed by their respective government which shall meet at least once each three-month quarter to identify and investigate issues of concern to the Governments. The IWG may establish Technical Working Groups of elected, appointed, or retained experts to study and recommend solutions on matters of mutual concern, may receive and review the reports and recommendations of these working groups, and periodically shall develop and recommend solutions to the Governments in keeping with the intentions of the MOU.

The IWG will serve as a forum that the Governments may use for enhancing intergovernmental relations, resolving intergovernmental disputes, and joining in mutually beneficial cooperation in service to their citizens. The IWG may investigate and discuss alternatives to litigation for resolving disputes among the Governments and shall recommend to the Governments such alternatives as may be appropriate.

It is the Governments’ intention that productive and respectful government-to-government relations among them be based upon the following principles:

• Conflicts of jurisdiction that may from time to time arise should be resolved through productive problem solving, collaboration and cooperation that serves to minimize or eliminate intergovernmental dispute and litigation.
• Mutually-agreed upon cooperative agreements, memoranda of understanding, and similar instruments of cooperation may be appropriate means of establishing respective roles and responsibilities in intergovernmental relations and undertakings.
• When shared interests warrant, joint and cooperative efforts should be undertaken in dealings and interactions with other governmental and non-governmental entities.

As part of an agreement with the City of Prior Lake, the SMSC continues to fund a City of Prior Lake police officer position housed on the SMSC reservation. This officer is detailed to serve for two years and works out of an office at the Mdewakanton Emergency Services Fire Station. Since 1997 this police liaison officer has served residents of the SMSC as well as City residents. The SMSC makes a contribution of $380,000 each year to the City of Prior Lake for this and other services.

The SMSC and the City of Prior Lake have worked together on numerous projects over the years including a mutual aid agreement for the two fire departments and ambulance service and the sharing of asphalt maintenance equipment and sewer equipment. Other projects include the installation of warning sirens; $450,000 for lighting at Ryan Park; $25,000 for a permanent skate park; funding for SWAT team ballistic vests and helmets; and more.

The SMSC also provides an Employee Assistance Program, called Networks Employee Services, for employees of the City of Prior Lake. Networks provides free short-term counseling, information, and referral services in chemical dependency, alcoholism, compulsive gambling, family crisis, codependency, and other issues. Networks staff are licensed mental health therapists and counselors.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and the Scott County Board of Commissioners in 2008 approved a four-year intergovernmental agreement in which the SMSC makes annual contributions of $280,000 per year to Scott County. The funds are allocated towards road maintenance, county administration, the Sheriff’s Office, and County Attorney’s Office.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and the Scott County Board of Commissioners in 2008 approved a four-year intergovernmental agreement in which the SMSC makes annual contributions of $280,000 per year to Scott County. The funds are allocated towards road maintenance, county administration, the Sheriff’s Office, and County Attorney’s Office.

While the SMSC is not legally required to pay for improvements to the system of roads and highways that lead to its reservation, it has a history and practice of supporting projects which are mutually beneficial. The county in which a reservation lies is legally responsible for these projects. However, to be a good neighbor and to better meet the needs of members and guests, the SMSC has paid more than $6.6 million for shared road construction projects since 1996 and millions more on Community roads, including $5 million for Dakotah Parkway. In 2008 the SMSC also paid to put in two stoplights on county roads which pass through the Community. The SMSC has also granted more than 50 acres of right of way to other governments for construction of county roads flowing through the area.

An upgrade of County Road 83 was completed in 2010 to increase vehicle capacity as well as pedestrian and vehicle safety. The road was reconstructed to a four-way divided roadway with bituminous trail from County Road 42 to County Road 16. The SMSC paid $4.5 million of the $7 million reconstruction project cost. The remainder of the cost of the project was shared between Scott County and the City of Prior Lake and Shakopee. Including this project, the SMSC has paid more than $11 million for construction of county roads that flow through the reservation in recent years.

In a related project, Scott County and the SMSC reached an agreement on County Road 21 which now extends from County Road 18 to County Road 42. The four-lane divided highway provides a direct link with Highway 169. The SMSC provided easements on approximately 24 acres for roadway and utility purposes for this project.

In addition, the SMSC leased 12 acres to Scott County for 25 years with an option for an additional 25 years for a 545-space Eagle Creek Transit Station or “Park and Ride.” The site is located near Highway 169 and the future County Road 21 extension.

Mdewakanton Emergency Services is a full-time, professional fire and ambulance department staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As an exercise of governmental authority Mdewakanton Emergency Services serves Community members, guests and patrons of the Community, and residents of nearby communities by request through mutual aid agreements. Each month the department responds to an average of 140 calls with 60 medical transports.

Several times a year Mdewakanton Emergency Services conducts trainings to enhance readiness. During several mock crashes over the years, staff from Mdewakanton Emergency Services participated along with the Minnesota State Patrol, Shakopee Police and Fire Departments, Allina, and North Memorial Medical Center’s Air Care helicopter.

Mdewakanton Emergency Services also provides emergency medical training including Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), First Responder, and American Heart Association CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) classes.

The SMSC Mobile Unit can also serve as an Emergency Command Center under the direction of SMSC Emergency Services personnel.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is proud to be an active member of the Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency (SCALE). Representatives from 28 local governments including the SMSC, Scott County, local townships, school districts, and cities in Scott County make up SCALE, which meets monthly to discuss ways to collaborate. The primary purpose of SCALE is to encourage greater efficiencies and leadership in public service through enhanced communication, collaboration of services, and sharing of resources. The SCALE Joint Training Facility for police and fire departments opened in 2008 in Jordan, Minnesota.

The SMSC opened up a new Organics Recycling Facility in the fall of 2011 on trust land off County Road 83. The facility is open to the public. Local haulers transport materials to the facility where they are ground up and mixed together following a science-based recipe that carefully blends carbon, nitrogen, and moisture. The output is then placed on a windrow pad, a designated area which contains the rows, and turned every three days. The materials are then screened and ready for use after about 12 weeks.

In a unique collaboration, the ORF is available for use at no charge to neighboring governments. Shakopee, Prior Lake, and Savage bring their leaves, brush, and other organic materials to the site, saving their governments money and promoting good will among the tribe’s neighbors. Organic waste from school lunches in the Prior Lake Savage School System are also hauled to the site, saving the school system money and teaching the youth about the environmental benefits of composting food and other organic waste.

In late 2008 the SMSC opened Dakotah! Ice Center, a 72,000 square feet facility which contains a second sheet of ice. Dakotah! Ice Center is home ice for the Prior Lake High School girls’ and boys’ hockey teams, as well as the Prior Lake Savage Hockey Association. During the spring and summer seasons, the Ice Center hosts youth and adult tournaments, several Junior ‘A’ tryout camps, and youth camps.

At a ribbon cutting and open house on December 19, 2008, local dignitaries and residents gathered along with SMSC Vice-Chairman Glynn A. Crooks, and SMSC Secretary/Treasurer Keith B. Anderson to dedicate the facility.

City of Prior Lake Mayor Jack Haugen spoke at the event, talking about the way the facility benefits the local area and promotes good will and understanding between the SMSC and Prior Lake residents. “The SMSC truly understands the nature of partnerships. This is a tremendous gift to our community, and it represents the strength of the relationship between the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and the City of Prior Lake. I appreciate all you’ve done for the community and for the City of Prior Lake,” he said.

The Dakotah! Ice Center contains a number of innovative, environmentally friendly features including a 32,648 square foot green roof; a compressor system and heat exchanger to take the waste heat from the ice-resurfacing equipment and redirect it through the concrete in the floor to heat the bleachers; eight skylights coupled with daylight harvesting sensors to reduce energy usage; and 16 solar panels atop the roof to heat water for use in the ice-resurfacing equipment.

This event is part of the city’s annual Lakefront Days celebration. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community co-sponsors the event along with the City of Prior Lake, the Three Rivers Park District, and Cleary Lake Regional Park. The triathlon draws around 300 participants from surrounding areas.

More info about the Lakefront Days Triathlon here-

The SMSC’s library has more than 9,470 items in its collection and is mostly dedicated to Native American materials. The collection includes books on the Dakota, history, biography, geography, government, sociology, anthropology, religion, science, health, literature (fiction, poetry, drama, and journals), art, music, dance, arts and crafts, and education (including curricula). There is also a juvenile section and an extensive audio/video section. Indian newspapers and magazines are also available. Gardening and children’s materials have recently been increased, and adult fiction has also recently been added. Oicimani Media Center is open to researchers, students, and educators by appointment only.

Millions of dollars are pumped into the area’s economy each year as a result of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s successful business enterprises. The SMSC provides much needed employment opportunities for Indian people and thousands of non-Indian people from the surrounding area.

The SMSC is a powerful economic influence in the areas of employment, vendor purchases, construction, and voluntary payments to other governments. For example, more than $171.6 million is made in payments to vendors annually for goods and services. In addition, the annual payroll is $154 million for tribal enterprises and the tribal government, and $24.7 million is spent in annual benefits for employees. Total construction spending since 1990 is more than $738.9 million.

Federal law stipulates that state and local governments must provide certain services to Indian tribes located in their area of jurisdiction. Even so, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community makes voluntary annual payments to city and county governments to cover the cost of services provided by those local jurisdictions to the tribe. The SMSC has voluntarily paid Scott County and other jurisdictions $14.4 million over the last ten years for services even though this is not required by law. Some of the SMSC payments have funded road projects, park improvements, wastewater and sewer fees, property taxes, transit and SCALE studies, emergency sirens, and police and fire protection.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community owns and operates enterprises which provide services both to its members and to the larger community as well as jobs for local residents.

The SMSC Gaming Enterprise provides jobs with good benefits for more than 3,000 employees at its Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, The Buffet, Mystic Steakhouse, Minnehaha Café, Mystic Express, The Coffee Bar, Meadows Grille, Fusion Noodle Bar, Sweet Temptations, Gambler’s Grille, Mystic Deli, Tipi Restaurant, and the Little Six Restaurant.

Dakotah! Sport and Fitness is the area’s premier family fitness center. Thousands of local residents enjoy increased good health by training at Dakotah!’s facilities which include a double gymnasium, two sheets of ice, an indoor pool, an indoor track, rock climbing wall, fitness floor, group fitness facilities, more than 10,000 pounds in free weights, and a bowling alley. Dakotah! also sponsors a 5K Turkey Trot, an indoor triathlon, and the DSF Lakefront Days Triathlon.

Dakotah Meadows RV Park has 122 paved, back-in, pull-through RV sites with electric, water, and sewer hook ups. Dakotah Meadows also has six tipis painted with Dakota designs available for overnight rental during the warmer months. The RV Park features showers, laundry facilities, a pavilion for group gatherings, picnic tables, barbeque grills, a fuel center, and a Self-Serve RV Wash.

Dakotah Meadows Mini Storage features ground level, indoor storage units, both heated and unheated, 24-hour access, and security surveillance. Open air vehicle storage is also available.

Playworks is a one-of-a-kind, world-class facility for children, open to the general public for Summer Camp, birthday parties, PW’s Playtime (drop-off hourly care), Family Play, and group trips. Playworks offers contracted child care to SMSC employees and a Before and After school program that is open to the public.

Playworks LINK Event Center is a 9,000 square foot, full-service banquet facility designed with flexible space to accommodate small and large events, banquets, receptions, meetings, and all manner of group gatherings. South Metro Federal Credit Union is a community-chartered, federal credit union, providing a wide range of financial products and services for everyone living, working, or worshipping in Scott County, Minnesota.

The Meadows at Mystic Lake is an 18-hole championship golf course located next to Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. The award winning course was named one of the Best New Courses in the country in 2006 by Golf Digest; then in 2009 it was named the #10 Best Casino Course by Golf Week Magazine.

Two Shakopee Dakota Convenience Stores provide fuel, car washes, fresh and frozen foods, beverages, and household and automotive items.

Mazopiya, a natural food market focuses on selling clean, organic foods, leaving the chemicals and preservatives out and concentrating on the goodness of locally grown, healthy foods and safe, natural wellness products.

Mdewakanton Wozupi is a 5.5-acre certified organic garden and a 3-acre orchard which offers a 75-member Tribally Supported Agriculture (TSA) program inspired by the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model of farming. TSA shares provide 18 weeks of produce deliveries with many additional resources and opportunities to support healthy living through the growing season. TSA shares are available to Community members, employees, and the general public.