Service agreement with Spearfish Trails Coalition sets ownership and maintenance path through 2030

City staff told commissioners the partnership with the Spearfish Trails Coalition is governed by a service agreement that governs the roles and responsibilities for trail development, construction, and subsequent maintenance.

Staff said STC functions as an independent contractor that handles fundraising, design and construction; the city reviews and approves trail design plans and takes over ownership and maintenance after construction. The service agreement’s initial term was described as running "until 2030," and staff said they expect to extend or revise the term as the partnership evolves.

The agreement includes indemnification language intended to hold the city harmless and contains an appendix that defines the geographic scope, trail lengths and basic design standards. Staff indicated that these appendices and the public service agreement are available publicly for review.

Financial and staffing context in the presentation included STC’s $15,000 vision-plan investment, the Lunch Loops’ roughly $250,000 design-and-build total, grant-supported Sandstone Connector work, and STC’s role in securing additional philanthropic funding and coordinating volunteer labor.