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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 05-08-1997Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting May 8, 1997 Page 17 Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Fiemann, Johnson, Priebe, Thompson, Wahl, Willegalle; staff Abel, Bisek, Blank, and Pederson 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Anderson called the May meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Fiemann and seconded by Commissioner Wahl to approve the minutes of the April meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present. b. Staff. Mary stated that swimming registration began on May 2, and many classes from the first session are already full. The later sessions are filling also. Both pools are available this summer for the first time in several years. In the past, either one pool or the other has been under construction for part of the summer. We are still looking for a few summer seasonal employees. Staff is working on fall programming a little early this year. Articles for the brochure must be ready by mid-June. Mary announced that we are expecting a big fall soccer season, because we will be adding the children from the New Hope fall program. Mary indicated that the boat building project began last week and is going very well. Two wooden boats are being built. Garage where it's being done is near the water tower site on 101 south of 55. Mary encouraged the commissioners to visit the site, if they can, to see firsthand what's taking place. The group gets together every Monday and Wednesday evening from 6-8. Mary indicated that a city guide will be delivered to every resident this summer, and it contains a large, colorful park map. Staff is starting to discuss budgets for next year. We're interested in pursuing a separate brochure to advertise our recreation programs, rather than being included inside the regular City newsletter. Commissioner Fiemann asked when soccer registration would be held. Mary said that it was going on now, and the deadline is July 15. We are expecting about 1,500 kids to sign up. The new high school fields will not be ready for fall use. Wayzata Community Education has asked us to consider taking over their swimming lesson program, offered during the school year. If we do this, we will be running swimming lessons year round. At the present time, we offer swimming lessons only during the summer. c. Others. There were no visitors. PRAC Minutes/May 1997 Page 18 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. West Medicine Lake Park update. Council approved Phase 3 plans and specifications, so we will open bids and award contract for Phase 3 on June 4. This phase is about $75,000 over budget, based on cost estimates. Director Blank said that after we get actual bids, we will make cuts or identify new funding sources. Four picnic shelters are in the plans, but we may cut back to three if necessary to meet the budget. Phase 2 work is complete. Contractor will be done with final paving of the road by June 1. b. Ice arena/Life Time Fitness update. Bill handed out a summer public skating schedule. The arena is scheduled to open May 27, but only the practice rink will be ready at that time. The Olympic rink will open on July 5, with a USA International Hockey Cup Tournament scheduled to begin that day, and conclude on July 9. Figure skating lessons are scheduled to start on June 16. We have 128 kids signed up so far. Registration is going well. A lot of Plymouth people have been skating at New Hope, Minnetonka, etc., and are very excited about our new rink. There will be a figure skating open house on Saturday, June 7, which will offer free skating, facility tours, refreshments and an opportunity to meet the skating coaches and skating director. Bill announced that the full time staff has been hired, and consists of two maintenance workers and one secretary. Ad space has been leased out on the Zamboni's. A five year contract went to Dominos Pizza and a 10 year contract to an Orthopedics group. Thirteen dasher board ads have been sold on three year contracts. There are 15 additional dasher boards remaining to be sold. The first community meeting room has been rented for a seminar to train people on how to use the electronic message center in the arena. All of the high school hockey team practices and games have been scheduled through March of '98. They will be in the arena from 3:30 to 5:45 for practices. The majority of the games are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The Wayzata High School boys and girls hockey teams will play all their home games in our arena. The Armstrong High School boys and girls teams will alternate, with boys having their games at the arena one year and then girls having the arena the next year. Commissioners wanted to know where the open skating times have been advertised. Bill explained that the open skating times have been published in the Sun Sailor newspaper and in the Plymouth recreation brochure. A special flyer was also sent home with all the grade school kids advertising the various skating lessons and the times for open skating. Adult open skating fees are $3, kids are $2, and senior citizens are $2. Commissioner Johnson was curious about how we would handle the different skill levels of the various skaters that could be on the ice at the same time during open skating. Bill said he tried to address this by offering open freestyle skating times just for the skaters that want to practice their routines, jumps, etc. There PRAC Minutes/May 1997 Page 19 will also be a skating guard to keep everything flowing smoothly during open skating, controlling the direction of the skaters, etc. Commissioner Willegalle would like the senior age to be established and advertised, whether it's 55, 60 or 62, etc. He asked for a definition of freestyle skating. Bill explained that the figure skaters come under the title freestyle. Open skating is the recreational skating for the general public, non -figure skaters. Life Time Fitness members can skate for free during open skating times. Commissioner Willegalle feels the senior age should be established at 55 and over. Staff concurred with that recommendation. c. Elm Creek Playfield update. The recent rain is helping the seeded areas and the sod. Contracts have been let for fencing. The permanent building needs to be rebid for a third time. The superintendent has stated that football and soccer teams will not be on the fields this fall. Classes are scheduled to begin at the new high school in September d. Golf course discussion. Nothing new to report. e. East Medicine Regional trail update. Plans and specifications have been reviewed, and Hennepin Parks will be out with bids in late June or early July. They have a meeting set up next week to pursue a revenue bond issue for completing the trail to all the way to Theodore Wirth Park. Trail will run through five or six communities. All affected cities have been invited to attend the meeting. f. Skateboard park update. Director Blank said we expect to hear on the grant by Monday of next week. He hasn't heard if Burnsville's skate park has opened yet. If we get the grant, we will have to proceed to pick a location. There has been some interest in putting the park near Oakwood School or near the new ice arena. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Annual park tour. Thursday, June 12, 4 p.m. We will hold regular June meeting when tour concludes, if necessary. Commissioner Wahl was interested in Cardinal Ridge park project. Mary said the playground will not be under construction until July. Some preliminary trail work has been completed, but more trail work needs to be done. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION The Activity Center committee visited New Brighton, Coon Rapids, and Crystal senior centers. Chair Anderson felt that Crystal had the nicest facility. Next activity center meeting is May 20th. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION PRAC Minutes/May 1997 Page 20 Council decided on the on -road bike lanes along 19th Avenue in Imperial Hills. Speed humps are working for now. A painted crosswalk will be put in at the park entrance. The bike path on Dunkirk will be under construction any day. Music in Plymouth is July 2. The Civic League is holding a Fun Run the Saturday before Music in Plymouth, as a fund raiser to generate money for the event and the orchestra. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.