Loading...
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 Page 17 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. PRAC Minutes/April 1995 Page 18 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.