HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 02-13-1992Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
February 13, 1992
Page 4
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Waage, Watson, Wahl, Gutzke; staff
Bisek, Blank, Kissinger and Pederson
Absent: Commissioner Johnson
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Council
conference room.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Waage and seconded by Commissioner
Gutzke to approve the minutes of the January meeting as presented. The
motion carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present at this meeting.
b. Staff. Mary thanked the park commissioners for assisting with the
bonfire at the Fire and Ice Festival. She explained that the employee
of the month for February would be presented in March, so that Rick
Busch could make the presentation, since the employee is someone that
he supervises.
C. Others. Residents living north of Plymouth Creek Park in the Parkview
Ridge development were present at the meeting, because they recently
learned of a 12 -car parking lot proposed for the northern boundary of
Plymouth Creek Park to be located south of 38th Avenue at Minnesota
Lane. The residents claim there is too much traffic in this area now,
and they fear that a parking lot will only increase the amount of
traffic. They would prefer to have this area left natural, or to have
some sort of playground installed here. Although they recognize the
need for a parking lot at some point in the future, they would prefer
that it be located farther west on 38th Avenue closer to Plymouth
Boulevard. They stated that their development is fairly new, and they
plan to form a homeowners' association. Once that is done, they would
like to meet with PRAC again to help plan something for this area.
Director Blank explained to the residents that the plan for the future
expansion of Plymouth Creek Park is only a concept plan at this time
and has been in existence since 1982. There are no current plans to
go ahead with the parking lot, and it would only be constructed if the
need is eventually demonstrated. Chair Anderson stated that residents
are notified in advance when park development is scheduled in order
for the city to receive their input.
4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION
Council approved the park facilities fee and rental policy as recommended
by PRAC and the rental policy for Parkers Lake Pavilion.
PRAC Minutes/February 1992
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5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Adopt annual report. A draft copy of the annual report was
distributed to each commissioner at the January meeting for their
review and comment. Commissioners were invited to make suggestions
for additions or corrections prior to the February meeting, so that
approval of the annual report could take place at that meeting. A
MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER WAHL AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER
WAAGE TO APPROVE THE 1991 ANNUAL REPORT AND FORWARD IT TO THE CITY
COUNCIL. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Review 1992 recreation fund budget. Mary distributed copies of the
recreation fund budget to the commissioners and gave them a brief
overview of the tax supported and fee supported programs. She also
explained the kinds of items charged off against each of our programs
such as salaries, materials and supplies, uniforms, rental of private
equipment and/or property, telephones, etc. She indicated that 72% to
81% of the recreation budget goes to pay the salaries of the part-time
employees needed to run the programs. She explained that
approximately 25% of the recreation budget comes from the general
fund, but that the remaining 75% is generated by fees. Commissioners
commented that adult softball appears to bring in more revenue than
any other program. Mary stated that it's been somewhat of a dilemna
trying to decide if its fair to permit adult programs to subsidize
children's programs, and right now the softball program's revenues are
used in this way. Mary explained that although the softball program
does produce high revenue, it could be offset somewhat by field
maintenance being charged against it, which currently isn't being
done. Mary went on to explain how we got involved in offering
recreation programs to the citizens of Wayzata and that Wayzata's city
manager has not yet indicated if they want us to continue this
practice in 1992. In past years, we have contracted with the City of
Wayzata to offer summer swimming lessons, tennis lessons, and to
provide guards for their city beach. In exchange for this service,
they have paid us an administrative fee.
Mary also stated that this year, for the first time, the Wayzata
Community Education Department will be charging us a rental fee of
750 per pool to run our summer swimming program. This additional
cost will have to be recovered by charging higher fees for swimming
lessons.
b. Review city forestry program. Don Kissinger gave a short slide
presentation to the commissioners on identifying Dutch elm disease,
the beetles that carry it, and on the city's reforestation program.
He explained that our city crews do two types of plantings throughout
Plymouth, bare root stock and balled/bur lapped. He stated that his
division is responsible for the care and maintenance of the trees,
shrubs, and other plantings located on all city property, including
the parks and trails. He explained that he works with developers in
designing a landscaping plan, and if any of the trees/shrubbery in
that plan fail to grow, the developer must replace them. The forestry
PRAC Minutes/February 1992
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division will plant several coniferous and deciduous trees in Parkers
Lake Park this spring, which will be located mainly around the
entrance to the tunnel and the fountain area. This is being done as a
way to direct people to the tunnel and away from crossing County Road
6. There are plans also to plant about 70 coniferous trees south of
the Zachary Playfield along County Road 9, which will act as a noise
and sight barrier from the traffic on the road. The forestry division
also includes a weed inspector who inspects about 500 properties per
year, looking for and eliminating noxious weeds. The forestry crew
marked approximately 831 trees this past year suffering from Dutch elm
disease and oak wilt. That number is down from past years. Don feels
this is due in part to there being fewer elm trees, and there was more
plentiful rainfall this year, preventing elm trees from going into a
stressful state, something which the elm beetle can sense.
C. Review goals and objectives from the Comprehensive Plan. This section
of the Comprehensive Plan was sent to the commissioners in their
packet as an information item. Directly Blank did a brief overview of
the goals and objectives section and explained that the entire
Comprehensive Plan was last updated in 1990.
d. Review park and trail comprehensive plans. Director Blank displayed a
map of the park system plan explaining which parks resulted due to
park dedication and which were purchased by the city. The plan showed
existing parks and future parks. Most of the future parks are in the
northwest corner of the city, outside the boundaries of the MUSA line.
Director Blank explained that development in this area will be limited
until sewer is extended. He indicated that the city hopes to purchase
14 acres west of the Zachary Playfield and that once this property is
acquired, park development east of I-494 will be completed as proposed
in the parks portion of the Comprehensive Plan, with the exception of
some homes within the boundaries of West Medicine Lake city park. He
explained that except for a park proposed at the corner of Highway 101
and County Road 24, all of southwest Plymouth is completed too. The
second map on display indicated what the trail system will look like
when it is completed, and the third map was a current rendition of the
parks and trails in place as of February, 1992.
e. Review proposal for city acceptance of Deerwood Glen Outlet A.
Director Blank explained that the city has a public trail easement
over this outlet at this time and we are currently maintaining it.
The outlet abuts Rolling Hills Park and was specified in the Deerwood
Glen development contract to be owned and maintained by the Deerwood
Glen homeowners' association. However, ownership was never legally
transferred to the homeowners' association, and they now think it
makes more sense for the city to own the outlet and to make it an
extension of Rolling Hills Park. Director Blank stated that he
supports this view. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER WAAGE AND
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WAHL TO RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL ACCEPT TITLE
TO OUTLOT A OF DEERWOOD GLEN FOR INCLUSION IN ROLLING HILLS PARK. THE
MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Commissioner Watson asked about the possibility of having a canoe rack
PRAC Minutes/February 1992
Page 7
available at Parkers Lake for residents to rent. Director Blank indicated
that we currently have two racks at Medicine Lake and could probably
relocate one of them to Parkers. This item will be on the March agenda.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Director Blank announced that a commissioners workshop was scheduled
Saturday, February 15, at the Crystal Community Center, and all
commissioners were invited.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.