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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 09-12-1991Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting September 12, 1991 Page 32 Present: Chair Freels, Commissioners Anderson, Gutzke, Johnson, Waage, Wahl, Watson; staff Bisek, Blank, Busch and Pederson Absent: 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Freels called the September meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council Conference Room. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Wahl and seconded by Commissioner Gutzke to approve the minutes of the July 11 meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. See item 5-b. b. Staff. Rick Busch showed a short videotape of a t -ball game in action that was filmed by a news crew from Channel 11. He then briefly explained his work history with Plymouth Park and Recreation to the new commissioners, which began in January, 1980. He stated that Plymouth has the largest unofficiated adult sports program in the metro area. He schedules all of the 5,000 to 6,000 youth athletic and adult sports games and practices on the Plymouth fields, and he is the liaison to the youth athletic associations. He supervises the instructional programs such as tennis, golf, ice skating, t- ball/softball/baseball, and soccer. He informed the commissioners that over 200 adult softball teams played on Plymouth fields this summer, which consisted of eight teams per field per night. This program produces approximately $80,000 in revenue for the City. Due to budget cuts this year, Rick explained that we chose to reduce the number of field attendants assigned to our parks. Instead of one attendant per park, it was one per two or three parks. So far this has worked out well, but Rick's concern is that a program participant or spectator may get injured some time when no attendant is on duty, which means that the building that houses the phone may not be open. To alleviate this situation, staff is attempting to have phones installed at outside locations at all major athletic complexes. Rick announced that the August employee of the month was Deb Balzer, our golf instructor. She has been working for the Park and Recreation Department for two years, and this past summer, she taught 287 individuals the basics of beginning and advanced golf. Her schedule consisted of Monday through Thursday and Sunday lessons. Mary stated that the September employee of the month was Danielle Roskop, a day camp counselor who has been with the program since its inception three years ago. Day camp consisted of seven, week-long Discovery" sessions from mid-June to the end of July for kids in grades K-6, followed by three, week-long "Explorer" sessions in August for kids in grades K-3. September 1991 PRAC Minutes Page 33 Mary was pleased to say that summer programs went well, with no injuries to anyone, and now staff is busy planning winter's activities. Fall classes begin the week of September 16. 4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION There was nothing to report on this item. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Review of 1992-96 CIP. Director Blank reviewed the 1992-96 parks capital improvement program stating that '92 will be a year of finishing up projects begun late this year, as well as constructing some trails funded with MSA money. The Plymouth Creek Park tennis courts will also be reconsidered in '92. Phase I development of West Medicine Lake City Park has been backed up to '93, with plans to write a federal/state grant to help fund it. This means that Phase II will be postponed until 1994. Also delayed until 1994 is the improvement of the trail on Zachary Lane from County 9 to County 10. This project will be constructed along with the widening of Zachary Lane. Commissioner Waage expressed concern about delaying the trail along Zachary, in light of the residents living in Harrison Hills who addressed the park commission earlier this year. Director Blank indicated he appreciates that concern, but that it would not be economically feasible to go ahead with the trail and then have it all torn up when the City widens Zachary to four lanes in 1994. Commissioner Johnson commented that he supports staff's plan to seek other funding for the development of West Medicine Lake city park. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WAHL TO ACCEPT THE 1992-96 PARKS CIP AS PROPOSED BY STAFF. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. Director Blank informed the commissioners that the Council will be considering some type of community survey when they begin their budget deliberations. Possibilities could include hiring an outside source, or placing a questionnaire in the city newsletter, Plymouth News. Commissioner Wahl asked if HUD money was going to be used to help fund the 10th Avenue park. Director Blank responded that it would be possible to use those funds and PRAC could make that recommendation if they so chose. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER WAHL AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WAAGE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL USE HUD FUNDS TO HELP BUILD THE 10TH AVENUE PARK. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. A resident living north of County 9 and west of 494 attended the PRAC meeting and asked if there were any plans to construct a trail from the area where he lives over to the new Target/Rainbow Foods shopping center. Director Blank responded that the City is pushing the County to upgrade and widen County Road 9 west of 494, at which time the trail would be constructed. Staff suggested that the resident contact the County highway department for more information. September 1991 PRAC Minutes Page 34 b. Review of Field Rental Policy. Director Blank indicated to the Commission that the City has had a policy of charging groups for field rental for tournaments since 1981. This policy has been approved by the City Council, and both youth and adult groups are charged. The reason the policy is being reviewed at this time is because the City Council directed staff to look into it after the Wayzata Youth Soccer Association asked to have their fees waived this past summer. The Council did reduce the fee for this group by half. As part of reviewing the policy, Mary did a survey of other metropolitan communities (Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Fridley and Maple Grove) which revealed that our fees are the highest for running a tournament of this type (soccer tournament requiring 10 fields for three days with a total of 106 games being played). Blaine charged 98 less than Plymouth for running the same tournament. Each community had a different method for charging (some rented fields by the hour, by the day, or charged each person participating a flat rate). Some communities did not have field attendants or lights, and in some cases, lights were part of the overall rental fee. Mary stated that the trend in the metro area and nationally is to charge fees for field use during tournaments. She explained to the Commission that it costs approximately $1,000,000 to build one playfield and about $70,000 to $80,000 to maintain it annually. There are two or three tournaments a year put on by youth associations with several more involving adults. The revenue produced per year is about 10,000 in tournament charges. John Danielson, representing Wayzata -Plymouth Soccer,. stated that running the youth soccer tournament is a very difficult, time consuming job, although it is also very rewarding for the kids involved. However, after subtracting their expenses from their revenue, they made only $100, which was to be used for scholarships. He would prefer that the City drop the charges completely, and if that is not possible, to at least make the charges more in line with the costs. It was also commented that youth sports programs do not make money. Chair Freels commented that the City Council has directed staff to find ways to make money to cover the costs of field maintenance, and he was surprised that they had waived half the fee for this soccer tournament. Libby Fairchild proposed that the athletic associations be asked to do some of the maintenance. Director Blank stated that this could be a consideration. Commissioner Johnson asked Mr. Danielson what the soccer teams had to pay to participate in the league, and he was informed that the fee was 175, which covers things such as insurance, scholarships, uniforms, officials, and the tournament. When asked if the soccer association seeks sponsors for the tournament, Mr. Danielson stated that the businesses are reluctant to give, although they do take out ads in the tournament booklet. September 1991 PRAC Minutes Page 35 Greg Baufield, representing youth football in the Plymouth -Wayzata - Orono -Hopkins -Minnetonka area, spoke out against the $5 field maintenance fee that was enacted by the City Council this past December and went into effect in January. It charges each child participating in youth sports if they live in a community that does not provide facilities, such as Hamel, Corcoran, Medina, etc. His association chose to avoid paying the fee by not playing any of its games in Plymouth, which he explained is very upsetting to the kids' parents, because the majority of the players are from Plymouth. He believes that charging children to play on Plymouth fields is completely out of line, based on the lease agreement the City has with District 284 for the use of Oakwood and Wayzata East Jr. High. He commented further that according to the lease agreement, a committee was to have formed consisting of a representative from PRAC, the Director of the Parks Department, the head of the Wayzata East athletic department, and the Director of Community Education. This committee was to establish certain policies, decide on how the facilities would be used, and discuss things such as this $5 field maintenance fee. He doesn't believe this committee has ever met, and he feels it should. Director Blank confirmed that the committee had never formed. Rick Busch stated that so far in 1991, the City has collected $2,500 in field maintenance fees from the other youth associations, excluding the Wayzata -Plymouth soccer association, which hasn't paid yet, but intends to. Commissioner Watson stated she is against charging the $5 fee, because it seems to be creating very bad feelings toward the City, and doesn't come close to covering the costs to maintain even one field. She agrees that some charges are appropriate, such as field striping, lights, and attendants, but beyond that, she believes the City should be covering the everyday field maintenance expenses. Commissioner Wahl agreed that no field maintenance fees should be charged to youth associations, and he suggested that the City research getting contributions from the other communities that do not provide similar facilities. Chair Freels informed the newest commissioners that the PRAC members in office in 1990 chose not to take a position on field maintenance fees out of concern that even mentioning it would prompt the City Council to act on it. But now that it has been implemented, he too feels it is inappropriate and is in favor of dropping it. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER GUTZKE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WATSON TO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL RESCIND THE $5 FIELD MAINTENANCE FEE. Discussion followed that perhaps the motion should include an effective date. Commissioner Gutzke withdrew the first motion and introduced a second MOTION RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL RESCIND THE $5 FIELD MAINTENANCE FEE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 1992. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WATSON. MOTION CARRIED WITH SIX AYES. COMMISSIONER WAAGE ABSTAINED, BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT PRESENT DURING THE MAIN DISCUSSION. September 1991 PRAC Minutes Page 36 Director Blank said that he would research the lease agreement prior to the October meeting in reference to the committee mentioned by Greg Baufield. Eric's recollection was that the lease agreement referred more to the use of the buildings than it did to the use of fields. There was additional discussion at this point on the charges assessed to youth associations putting on tournaments. Director Blank stated that PRAC needs to decide if they favor no fee, charging a flat rate to use the fields, with extra charges for special services, such as field striping, lights, field attendants, etc. He reminded the commissioners that the youth soccer tournament is the largest tournament held in Plymouth, with the most games being played on the most fields over a relatively short period of time, usually two or three days. If any rain occurs delaying games, the impact on the fields is even greater, and a lot of damage to a soccer field can occur. Commissioner Watson asked if we could charge a damage deposit and Rick stated we do charge adult groups a damage deposit, but so far, we do not charge the youth associations. Director Blank stated that any decision made on tournament charges must cover all youth associations using fields - football, soccer, baseball, softball etc. Currently, soccer/football groups are charged more, because they are using larger areas of turf and more expenses are incurred. Chair Freels suggested tabling this item until the October meeting, and requested that staff compile some information for PRAC on what we currently charge youth groups and what expenses the City incurs when a tournament is run on Plymouth fields. Rick said that he would send each commissioner a copy of our current field rental policy which is updated on an annual basis, usually in January and is presented to the City Council for their approval. 6. NEW BUSINESS There was no new business to discuss. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION Chair Freels asked if any commissioners would be available to attend the October 7 City Council meeting to represent PRAC. Mark Wahl volunteered. Commissioner Anderson was asked to chair the October 10 PRAC meeting, because Chair Freels will be out of town. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Director Blank indicated that work is proceeding on the two new playfields, and that work is expected to begin the week of September 16 on six trail segments located in various parts of the city. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:37 p.m.