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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 01-11-2000Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting January 11, 2000 Page 1 Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Fiemann, Musliner; Priebe, Thompson, Wahl, Willegalle; staff Bisek, Blank, Greupner, Pederson 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Anderson called the January meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Council Chambers. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Thompson and seconded by Commissioner Willegalle and Commissioner Priebe to approve the minutes of the December meeting as presented. The motion carried with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present. b. Staff Mary announced that an intern will be starting January 18 and working through May. Her focus will be special events. She also stated that staff is working with a consultant on a redesign of our recreation brochure Plymouth Leisure Times. We're trying to make it more graphically appealing. 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION Director Blank made a presentation to the Council on the Millennium Garden project. The Council adopted the Millennium Garden project as the official Millennium project for the City for the year 2000. Director Blank was directed to hire consultants to begin designing the garden, and to begin fundraising to raise $100,000. Director Blank put together a team of people to begin outlining a fiind raising strategy package. We will encourage every resident of Plymouth to get involved in the buy—a—brick program, which will cost $50 per engraved brick. The constriction of the garden will begin in the fall. The major plantings will take place in May/June, 2001. Director Blank would like one or two members of PRAC to be on the committee. The meetings are held during the day. The key to the success of this is personal contact. A web page will be created for the Millennium garden and all contributors will be listed on the web site. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Comprehensive Plan update. The joint meeting between the Planning Commission and the Council on the parks portion of the comprehensive plan went very well. Most of the suggested language changes have been made. Public hearings have been scheduled for February. After the public hearings, the draft plan will be adopted by the Council and then it's forwarded to the Met Council. The plan should be formally adopted by mid -year. Director Blank is working on an appendix to the plan. Director Blank announced that the Hampton Hills golf course is for sale. We have heard that Elm Creek's partners are experiencing some difficulties in their relationship. We will need to watch this very closely. b. Plymouth Creek Center update. Use of the Fieldhouse is going very well. In the first 7 1/2 weeks, we have taken in $47,000. Our expenses were about $6,000. No gas bill has been received yet, but the annual gas bill estimate is $45,000. Our revenue will be about 150,000. We should net about $75,000 annually on the Fieldhouse, Director Blank estimates. The Fieldhouse was always meant to be self supporting. Any fund balance will go into a reserve fiend. Constriction continues on the activity center. Workers are busy putting up sheetrock. Commissioner Thompson asked why we charge the walkers. Director Blank explained that the theory is everyone who uses it must pay something. Parents who are there with kids playing soccer do not have to pay to walls. Seniors will get to use the activity center free. Walking has generated a lot of money in just the past few days. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Citizen survey on special events. Karol Greupner made a presentation on a city—wide survey she conducted on special events. This was part of her Master's thesis through St. Thomas, which she completed in May of 1999. Karol obtained a Masters of Business Communication degree. Her survey question was "Does the City of Plymouth provide effective special events for its citizens?" Karol explained that the City of Plymouth budgets $84,000 annually to hold eight special events — the Fire & Ice Festival, the Primavera Arts Celebration, the Autumn Arts Fair, the History Fest, Music in Plymouth, Summer Concerts at Parkers Lake, Plymouth on Parade, and Old Fashioned Christmas. These events provide common ground for celebration and are occasions to develop community pride. Six of the eight events were initiated within the last 10 years. Karol studied special events because of the addition of new annual events, to assess community interest, to evaluate park and recreation's efforts, and for justification of the city budget. Karol said that the survey was mailed to 1,320 random Plymouth households, using the utility billing addresses which included homeowners as well as apartment dwellers. The first page of the survey asked specific information about events and the second page asked for demographics. The survey questioned sources of event information, identity of attendees, pattern of attendance, and event components. There was good return of the surveys, with 31% being returned. A typical response rate is about 34%. Some of the significant survey results: residents had preferred sources of information — city newsletter, recreation brochure, and the Sailor newspaper. Least used was the City's website and Cable TV. Of the families that responded, 36% had elementary age children. The longer the event, the higher the attendance. Karol stated that we need to justify the money that is committed to special events. The results of this survey will help toward that goal. It will also help us to enlist community sponsors and volunteers. Karol then displayed a Fire and Ice flyer on the overhead camera. She announced that it will be February 5 weather permitting. There have been a few changes — the most significant is that outside concession/vendors will be providing the food, rather than our volunteers working in the pavilion. We have arrangements whereby they will pay a space fee and give us 15% of their proceeds. The concession stand inside the pavilion will be used as an information booth for the Plymouth Creek Center and the Millennium Garden project. The Civic League will not be selling tickets this year, eliminating the long lines inside the pavilion, which can now be used exclusively as a warming house. We will have dog sled rides in addition to the demos. A local stable will be bringing horses for horseback riding. The Lions Club will not be grilling, but instead will be volunteering. The Fire Department will do its ice rescue demo. We will still have s'mores for sale at the bonfires. Commissioner Thompson asked what floaters do. Karol said they get sent wherever there is a need. Nancy Anderson is overseeing the volunteers. Commissioner Priebe thought it was a good idea to free up the building to be used strictly as a warming house. Director Blank announced that Karol went to night school for seven years to get her Master's degree. This wasn't an easy task. Jokingly, Karol commented that she was a grandmother by the time she graduated. b. Video presentations. Director Blank had two video tapes to show to PRAC, one on spray parks and another on recreation in Minnesota. These were shown during the cake and ice cream reception for Commissioners Priebe and Willegalle at the conclusion of the meeting. c. Review draft of 1999 annual report. The draft copy of the annual report was discussed. Some corrections were redistributed at the meeting. Some of the charts did not show the year 1999. Some suggestions for the 2000 work plan included the comprehensive plan, dog park, golf course, art in the park, and the Millennium Garden. Director Blank said Central Middle School fields will be exclusively for football. Artificial turf will be installed at the new high school stadium field Director Blank said. The soccer community would like the soccer field widened at Central Middle School. The three middle schools want a running track installed there, also. The new Wayzata High School stadium field will be done by fall. Commissioner Priebe asked if Ferndale North was really a highlight? Director Blank said a lot of time was spent on it and although it's not necessarily an exciting highlight, it was a significant event. Commissioner Fiemann suggested putting more emphasis on art in the park in 2000. Director Blank said at issue is how we buy art works. Karol is researching this. d. Rental policies for 2000. Mary presented the fees and policies for 2000. The only change being proposed is to the stage policy which covers both the Parkers Lake stage and the amphitheater. These have been separate policies in the past. The fees have been changed to cover residents, both profit and non—profit and non—residents profit and non—profit. Commissioner Thompson was bothered by resident profit paying more than a non— resident non—profit. Mary said this can be addressed. Commissioner Priebe asked if we would rent to any resident as long as they paid the fee. Mary then discussed the freedom of speech issue. Commissioner Priebe suggested that we make it more clear the difference between a resident and a resident group. Some suggestions were to lower the resident non-profit rate, to define groups better, add organization to non-profit and add individual to resident. Mary restated the fees as she understood them: a resident individual would pay $25 (this would be for a family reunion type event), a resident non— profit group would also pay $25, a resident group for profit (such as a business) would pay $35, a non-resident individual and non—resident non-profit group would pay $50, and a non—resident group for profit would pay $70. CHAIR ANDERSON MOVED TO ACCEPT THE 2000 RENTAL POLICIES AS PRESENTED WITH CHANGES. COMMISSIONER THOMPSON SECONDED. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION None. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Director Blank thanked both Commissioner Priebe and Commissioner Willegalle for their service to the City as members of PRAC. Both have been members for five to six years. Commissioner Willegalle had six years of perfect attendance. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.