HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 04-13-1995Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
April 13, 1995
Page 16
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Bildsoe, Fiemann, Johnson, Priebe, Wahl and
Willegalle; staff Anderson, Bisek, Blank and Pederson
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the April meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council Conference Room.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Fiemann and seconded by Commissioner Willegalle
to approve the minutes of the March meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff Mary Bisek introduced Cindy Anderson and stated that Cindy had recently
received the Minnesota Aquatic Excellence award from the Minnesota Recreation and
Parks Association and the Minnesota Association for Health, Phy. Ed., Recreation and
Dance. The award was presented to Cindy during the annual Minnesota State Aquatics
Conference. Cindy then stated that she was a recreation supervisor and that her areas of
responsibility included supervising a variety of programs including beaches, pools,
adaptive recreation, daycamps, school release day programs, special events like the
Goblin Walk, youth and adult ski trips, swimming lessons during the summer, and soccer
in the fall. She stated that she hires, trains and evaluates approximately 45 staff
throughout the summer months and supervises over 180 volunteer soccer coaches in the
fall.
Some new programs that began last year under Cindy's leadership include Family Day at
Medicine East Beach on Sundays during the summer, a Junior Lifeguard Program which
nuns three days a week during the summer at Parkers Lake and Lifeguard Training. The
Junior Lifeguard program is for kids age 12-15 and teaches them about lifeguarding. It
prepares them to go on to Lifeguard Training, which they can do at age 15. Kids who
successfully complete Lifeguard Training are often hired by the City for lifeguarding at
our beaches and pools. Cindy indicated that Plymouth's lifeguards go through a very
rigorous and thorough training process before they are ever hired. They generally
complete at least 60 hours of training prior to their first day on the job.
Mary announced that the adult summer softball season begins Friday, April 21, and that
registration is down this year.
The summer activities brochure was mailed out in early April and some of the summer
programs are already fill, after only one week of registration. Credit card registration is
PRAC Minutes/April 1995
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on the increase, especially those faxed in. Many residents are taking advantage of that
opportunity.
Special events coming up include Planting Plymouth's Entryways on Saturday, May 6,
for which volunteers are being sought; the Plymouth Historical Society's annual plant
sale on Saturday, May 13, at Parkers Lake Park. That event is being co-sponsored by the
City and will feature master gardeners who will be on hand to answer all your gardening
questions. The third event in May is Arbor Day, scheduled for Wednesday, May 17, at
Plymouth Creek Elementary School. Volunteers are also needed at this event.
Mary stated that staff will soon begin working on `96 budgets and asked PRAC for ideas
they might have on any new programs.
4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Council approved the park enhancements as recommended by PRAC last month,
including the sand volleyball courts and batting cages at Parkers Lake, and the paving of
the hockey rink at Plymouth Creek.
b. Council approved three neighborhood park playground improvements at Mission Hills,
Timber Shores and Schmidt Lake. These projects should be substantially completed by
mid-June. Heather Ponds Park will also be finished this summer.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Private swimming pool update. Classic Lake Aquatics is still anticipating the results of
the feasibility study by sometime in May and will likely attend the PRAC meeting in
June.
b. West Medicine Lake Park update. Director Blank stated that all the necessary permits to
proceed with the park have been requested. The tree clearing process is almost finished,
and the constriction of the road is scheduled to begin sometime in August. Director
Blank indicated that it was necessary to secure easements from a few property owners for
various park purposes and that they were all willing to cooperate.
Unique open spaces update on May 23 bond referendum. Director Blank discussed the
bond referendum scheduled for May 23. He explained that Marlin Sjaarda of the Open
Space Committee and Ginny Black of the Planning Commission are co-chairing a Vote
Yes Committee. They held one meeting already and have another scheduled for April 17.
Director Blank stated that the City is in the negotiating stage with all of the affected
property owners.
d. Playfield/highschool update. Director Blank explained that the highschool project is on
the agenda of the Metropolitan Council for an amendment to the MUSA and the Land
Use Guide Plan. There was some concern that the highschool project might be stopped
by legislation that was introduced to prohibit any MUSA extensions. Apparently the bill
was dropped and this is no longer a concern.
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Commissioner Wahl commented that he had been contacted by a representative from the
Plymouth/Wayzata Girls Softball Association who had concerns about the new
highschool athletic facilities not including a field that would accommodate girls softball.
Director Blank responded that the City Council agreed to move forward with the
playfield portion of the highschool project based on the understanding that our adult
softball leagues would be moved from Zachary Playfield to the new playfield, therefore,
the fields were designed for adults and are regulation size. As an alternative, Director
Blank thought it might be possible to redesign a field at the old highschool site to meet
the needs of girls' softball. Another solution would be to purchase a portable fence that
could be set up whenever the girls are using the field. Commissioner Johnson wondered
if the Girls Softball Association could force the issue by using Title 9 as leverage.
Director Blank didn't think that was too likely, since the girls are not being denied a
place to play. He commented that the Armstrong Highschool girls softball teams use
Zachary fields and have never complained that the fields are too large for them.
Commissioner Wahl asked if it would be okay for PRAC to make a recommendation that
a girls softball field be included at the new highschool? Director Blank said it was all
right to do that. Commissioner Fiemann asked if a recommendation to purchase a
portable fence was also worth considering? Director Blank said that would be okay, too.
e. Study of youth sports facilities update. Director Blank indicated that the youth sports
task force has had one meeting so far and will be conducting interviews with members of
the various athletic associations in the coming weeks to hear their concerns and needs.
Seven groups will make presentations on April 19 and seven more will be heard from on
April 27.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Set date for annual park tour. Several dates were discussed and Wednesday, May 17, was
finally settled on. The park tour will get underway at 4 p.m. Planning Commissioners
and Councilmembers will be invited along with other City staff Supper will be served
on the bus.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
There was no Commission presentation.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Director Blank stated that the Council has been meeting with South Shore Drive residents
regarding the issue of a trail over there. There has been some discussion of closing the road
from both ends at the bridge that crosses Bassett's Creek. The City of Medicine Lake is
against that idea, and Director Blank said it would create more traffic on South Shore Drive
past the South Shore Park.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.