HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 03-12-1992Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
March 12, 1992
Page 7
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Burk, Gutzke, Johnson, Waage, Wahl,
and Watson; staff Blank, Greupner, Pederson and Peterson, Mayor
Bergman
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the March meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council
Conference Room.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion was made by Commissioner Watson and seconded by Commissioner Wahl
to approve the minutes of the February meeting as presented. The motion
carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present at this meeting.
b. Staff. Karol Greupner, Recreation Supervisor, made a presentation to
the commissioners on the International Folk Arts Celebration coming up
on Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wayzata East Junior
High. She explained that funding for this event came from a grant
provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board through the Minnesota State
Legislature. Other sponsors include Burnet Realty -Plymouth and
Schneider USA. Additional funds will be generated by booth fees
charged to crafters and vendors and the $1 admission fee being charged
to adults and teens. Karol also stated she was looking for
individuals to volunteer for a two or three hour shift to collect
admission fees from visitors attending the event.
The employee of the month for March is Julie Sterud, who has been
working part time for the Park and Recreation Department since the
summer of 1990. She has filled many different positions including
pre-school program aide, youth Have -A -Ball instructor, playground
leader, warming house attendant and Parkers Lake pavilion attendant.
She has also volunteered for special events such as the Fire and Ice
Festival. Julie is currently a freshman at the University of
Minnesota.
Mark Peterson, Superintendent of Parks, made a short presentation on
the park maintenance department. He stated that Plymouth now has 700
acres of park land, 300 of which are maintained; and 60 miles of
trails, of which 30 are maintained in the winter. Park maintenance
crews take care of a total of 20 neighborhood parks, six playfields
which contain a total of 18 softball/baseball fields, 12
soccer/football fields, 10 hockey rinks and 20 pleasure skating rinks.
With the addition of the Bass Lake Playfield, two more ice rinks will
be added to the system. There was some discussion then regarding
dropping two of the lesser used rinks. Commissioner Gutzke wondered
if we took head counts at all of our rinks. Director Blank responded
that we take attendance at the larger rinks where we have warming
houses, but at the small, neighborhood rinks, we rely on the
maintenance crews to inform us if rinks show any signs of skaters.
March 1992 PRAC Minutes
Page 8
Director Blank indicated that the commission should discuss which
rinks to maintain during the 92-93 season at their August or September
meeting. Mark then went on to explain some of the types of
maintenance done by park crews: trail plowing in the winter,
brooming, shaving and flooding ice rinks, summer dragging, mowing, and
painting of lines on playfields, turf renovation, mowing neighborhood
and city parks and other city owned grounds, weed inspections totaling
about 650 per year, tree preservation and reforestation, identifying
and removing diseased trees. He also stated that his division
developed a winter building and rink maintenance manual, a summer
mowing manual, and a driving test designed specifically for
maintenance employees.
c. Others. Mayor Bergman attended the meeting on behalf of Councilmember
Edson, who had another commitment. He indicated that the City Council
would like PRAC to review their long term park development and park
acquisition plans and prioritize needs. He stated that the Council is
concerned about the acquisition of the Forster property since it was
not included in the 1992 CIP. The Mayor went on to suggest that land
acquisition in northwest Plymouth should be studied, perhaps in lieu
of purchasing the Forster property. Director Blank explained that the
Forster property had been included in the adopted 1991 CIP, and at the
time the 1992 CIP was being prepared, staff believed that the Forster
property would have already been in the process of acquisition, making
it unnecessary to list it in the 1992 CIP. Some adjustments have
since been made to the 1992 CIP, and once again, the Forster property
is listed for acquisition. When questioned by Commissioner Gutzke as
to the need for the Forster land, Director Blank responded that it is
the only land left available in northeast Plymouth for park purposes,
and if purchased, could be used for a number of things, including
additional parking for the Zachary Playfield or another
soccer/football field. It could also serve as a buffer from noise and
lights for the homes located west of the playfield.
Mayor Bergman also discussed the city's volunteer program and
indicated that the Council would like PRAC to get more involved in
this project.
4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION
The City Council accepted the 1991 Annual Report of the Park and
Recreation Advisory Commission.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Update on milfoil - Parkers Lake. Director Blank announced that he
has been meeting regularly with the Parkers Lake Homeowners
Association. Milfoil now rings the entire lake, and the DNR has
recommended a new treatment called Sonar. It's a fairly strong
chemical that will destroy milfoil but not other vegetation or fish.
This chemical is quite expensive at $976 a gallon. A public meeting
regarding the proposed use of this chemical is scheduled for Tuesday,
March 24, at 7 p.m., at the Plymouth City Center.
March 1992 PRAC Minutes
Page 9
b. Update on construction protects. As soon as weather permits,
construction will get underway on the three neighborhood park projects
approved in 1991. Crews will start with 10th Avenue park, and from
there go to Shiloh and then Gleanloch. Construction crews will also
get started again at Parkers Lake Playfield and Bass Lake Playfield.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Volunteer program discussion. Director Blank gave a brief overview of
the many volunteers used by the Park and Recreation Department and the
various projects in which they get involved. Approximately 860
individuals volunteered their time with park and recreation programs
in 1991. Some of those programs were: Adopt a Park or Trail, Firearm
Safety, Fire and Ice Festival, Goblin Walk, Junior Lifeguard Program,
Old Fashioned Christmas, Santa letters, soccer coaches, Seniors Care
and Share, gardening program, Water Safety Aide Program, and youth
dance recital. Commissioners suggested that Commissioner Waage meet
with Mayor Bergman to learn more about how the Council sees PRAC
becoming involved in volunteerism.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Commissioner Watson inquired about the status of getting a canoe rack
placed at Parkers Lake. Director Blank indicated that we have two at
Medicine Lake, and only one has been needed there. He stated he would
need a recommendation from the Park Commission to move one to Parkers. A
MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER WATSON AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WAHL
TO TAKE ONE OF THE CANOE RACKS AT MEDICINE LAKE AND PLACE IT AT PARKERS
LAKE FOR THE PURPOSE OF RENTING THE SPACES TO RESIDENTS. The motion
carried with all ayes. Information on how to rent a space will be
available in the May issue of Plymouth News.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Mayor Bergman suggested that the joint meeting with the Council take place
at the April 9 Park Commission meeting at their regular meeting time of 7
p.m. One of the items for discussion may be the sidewalk and trail plan
being prepared by Strgar-Roscoe-Fausch.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.