The City of Prior Lake and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community renewed its longstanding intergovernmental aid agreement at the Dec. 10 council meeting.
The city and SMSC have had similar agreements in place since the early 1990s, according to City Manager Jason Wedel, adding that both parties have benefited from “a wonderful working relationship.”
The SMSC does not have its own police department, but the Community and city have worked cooperatively for years in providing fire protection on a mutual aid basis, he said. While the city is legally obligated to provide the same services to SMSC members as other city residents, the Community maintains its own streets, sewer services and parks.
The new agreement raises the SMSC’s contribution to Prior Lake by $200,000 per year, bringing its annual payment to $1.4 million for each of the next three years. Wedel said it represents a small fraction of the benefits received by the city from the Community. Both have worked together on the local water treatment plant, according to Wedel, while the SMSC has also helped to fund park and trail improvements in the city.