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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 04-08-1999Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting April 8, 1999 Page 16 Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Willegalle, Priebe, Musliner, Wahl, Fiemann, Thompson; Planning Commissioner Stein; Councilmember Spigner; staff Bisek, Blank and Pederson 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Anderson called the April meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Wahl and seconded by Commissioner Musliner to approve the minutes of the March meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None b. Staff Mary Bisek talked briefly about her vacation to New Zealand and Australia. She said the Great Barrier Reef was spectacular. She explained that Rick Busch had undergone brain surgery on March 26 and that he's doing very well. Staff is a little behind hiring the individual that will be taking his place when he takes over the activity center manager position. She indicated that we're going to have a separate recreation brochure beginning with the August issue of the City newsletter. Mary asked PRAC for ideas for the new brochure. We will be looking at promotional materials for the new activity center/sports dome. Primavera is coming up on May 14-15. We are in the process of doing summer hiring. The summer brochure went out April 1 and registrations begin April 9. Commissioner Fiemann said it's good news that we're breaking away from the regular city newsletter. 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION a. The Council awarded bids for three new playgrounds at Green Oaks, Turtle Lake, and LaCompte. b. Facility rental rates were approved. The Council added the language back in about obscene lyrics and lewd behavior not being permitted. Director Blank said you could have the language in the policy, but if anyone contested it, they probably would win. c. Council approved amending ordinance on having a beach open without lifeguards. We will be consistent now with Hennepin Parks, who has the same policy. We are having trouble recruiting lifeguards and may have to cut back the hours on other beaches because of that. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Comprehensive Plan. There was nothing on the agenda this evening. Fernbrook Lane alignment north of Schmidt Lake Road is being studied. Eight different alignments are being reviewed. This is moving forward reasonably. Our contract with the consultant PRAC Minutes/April 1999 Page 17 allows for only so many meetings. We'll be hitting the park plan hard next month, or the trail plan. This may be the only thing on the agenda for May. b. Activity center/fieldhouse. Director Blank said that printing of the specification books was completed today. Bid date is Tuesday, April 27, at 2 p.m. A general contractor bid will be opened which will include 90% of the project. A second bid will be for the air dome stricture. There are three such contractors. Bid three will be for the astroplay turf. Staff expects the Council to award the bid on May 4. The ground -breaking ceremony will be sometime in May in the late afternoon. Once bids are opened and awarded, a final budget can be adopted. Director Blank explained that the City Charter requires that we must hold a public hearing on the issue of using $3 million of community improvement fiends. Commissioner Thompson asked if the public hearing is just to inform the public. Director Blank said it's necessary to make the public aware that community improvement fiends are being used. Director Blank then opened a discussion on naming the facility and said he had five suggestions, which had been made by staff Director Blank's personal favorite is Plymouth Creek Center. He said he wants something decided, so a banner can be made available for the groundbreaking. Commissioner Thompson suggested the Plymouth Activity and Arts Center. She doesn't like adding Creek to the title, because she believes it makes it too specific to a certain area. Commissioner Wahl doesn't like Plymouth Creek either. Neither did Commissioner Priebe. None of the commissioners liked the name Plymouth Pavilions. Commissioner Musliner liked Commissioner Thompson's suggestion of Plymouth Activity and Arts Center. Commissioner Priebe wanted to know if the facility will be of adequate breadth to have community center in the title. Director Blank said the facility will not encompass all the things that most community center's typically do. Primary uses will be seniors, arts, and miscellaneous activities. Commissioner Willegalle liked Plymouth Activity Center and reminded everyone that it has always been referred to as the Plymouth Activity Center in all written documents and whenever it's been mentioned in the local newspaper. CHAIR ANDERSON THEN MOVED TO CALL THE FACILITY PLYMOUTH ACTIVITY AND ARTS CENTER. COMMISSIONER FIEMANN SECONDED THE MOTION. Commissioner Wahl then agreed with Commissioner Willegalle and said he prefers Activity Center and so does Commissioner Priebe. There was some discussion then on whether or not it needed to be voted on or just a consensus agreement. Chair Anderson decided to withdraw the motion. Commissioner Priebe suggested a show of hands. The consensus agreement was to call it Plymouth Activity Center. COMMISSIONER WAHL MOVED TO NAME THE NEW FACILITY PLYMOUTH ACTIVITY CENTER. CHAIR ANDERSON SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. Commissioner Willegalle asked about a new group's plan for a skateboard park. He wanted to know if this was happening again. Director Blank said the Four Downs Skate Park closed their doors and that they wanted to relocate to Oakwood Park. Director Blank discouraged this due to a shortage of parking. The group was asked to take a look at the rink at Plymouth Creek or to consider the parking lot behind the ice center. They will be the owners/operators of the facility. They want to be operational by this summer. Director Blank said they are writing a proposal for submittal to the city manager. It is PRAC Minutes/April 1999 Page 18 possible that there could be a skate park behind the ice center this summer. Planning Commissioner Stein asked why Four Downs closed. Director Blank said they couldn't overcome their financial difficulties. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Disc golf course proposal. Director Blank said that he first met with Mr. Bork two years ago and said he could put a course in Plymouth Creek Park, but he was informed that it may have to be removed later. From day one, the course was a popular attraction. Mr. Bork did all the work, made the baskets, and kept the course fairway clean. Course has now been removed to make way for the new activity center. Staff is now proposing to move forward with a new course. It would be in the woods and would follow the creek. Mr. Bork would be willing to help with the layout of the course. Mr. Bork would donate the baskets again, help with the installation and also help care for it. We would own the course. The annual operating expenses would be very minimal. Director Blank hasn't been back in that area in awhile, but has noticed that there are some erosion problems that need to be corrected by adding some culverts, and doing some landscaping. Director Blank proposes that we go ahead and reinstall the course. Commissioner Willegalle complimented Mr. Bork on the previous course and felt bad that old course had to be removed. Commissioner Priebe asked what's involved in preparing the property for the new course. Director Blank said it's a big woods with a canopy of large trees and some small underbrush trees. Mr. Bork said a typical fairway is 20 feet wide. Director Blank and Park Superintendent Mark Peterson will go through and choose which small trees need to be removed. Most of the fairways already exist. There are just a few places where some trees would have to come out. Director Blank said we'd add some woodchips to take care of the erosion and to keep it from getting worse. Director Blank said about two dozen or so small trees less than an inch in diameter would have to be removed. COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE MOVED AND COMMISSIONER THOMPSON SECONDED A MOTION TO PROCEED WITH DISC GOLF COURSE WITH MR. BORK PUTTING IN $1,500 WORTH IN BASKETS AND THE CITY WILL BE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE COURSE. MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION None. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Director Blank said there will be an Arbor Day Celebration on May 7 at Birchview Elementary. There is an ice show at the Ice Center May 14-16. Star performer will be professional Olympic caliber skater from Canada. Director Blank said that Councilmember Spigner will be holding a Ward 3 Town Meeting in West Medicine Lake Park using the showmobile. Music in Plymouth is on June 30. Mary Bisek asked if there would be a park tour this year. Director Blank said it could be in May or June. The problem with the June meeting might be that the regular meeting night would need to be devoted to working on the comprehensive plan. The May meeting will definitely be a work session on the comprehensive plan. Director Blank said he could provide maps and commissioners could go on a park tour on their own. Director Blank thinks they should visit northwest Plymouth PRAC Minutes/April 1999 Page 19 and actually see the area that's being planned. It was decided to put it on hold and decide later if a park tour is necessary. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.