HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 11-14-2002Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting
November 14, 2002
Page 39
Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Fiemann, Krahulec, Meyer, Musliner,
Rezabek, Singer, staff Abel, Blank, Evans, and Pederson
1. Call to Order
Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. at the Ice Center.
2. Approval of Minutes
Singer moved and Meyer seconded a motion to approve the October
minutes. The motion carried with all ayes.
3. Visitor Presentations
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff. Evans talked about the Poetry Slam held at the Plymouth Creek
Center. Seven teens and three adults participated, each doing three
different pieces of original poetry. Some members of the audience were
judges. It was a fun, successful evening. Prizes were awarded. The
audience was highly involved, getting to cheer and boo. Poets were
allowed three minutes per poem. A slam master hosted the evening. She
was a former national poetry slam winner. Krahulec asked how we
solicited participants. Evans explained that our staff member Karol
Greupner, who is a member of the Fine Arts Council, sent letters to
schools, posted flyers at the library, and sent a news release to the local
newspaper. Following the event, Caribou Coffee asked the kids to come
and read poetry at their coffee shop. Another new program we're doing
is intergenerational with seniors and teens. We've held our second
Bridging the Gap session, and this one covered politics. A Wayzata
teacher came in to mediate. Between 30 and 40 people were involved.
The Chocolate Sampler was very successful, with 180 participants. Thirty of
those were volunteers. Eight restaurants participated. We will be doing this
event again in 2004, but in the spring. Old Fashioned Christmas is coming
up the first Sunday in December at the Plymouth Creek Playfield, with
most of the event taking place in the Historical Society Building. Also
coming up is New Years Around the World on December 31 st, at the Ice
Center and at LifeTime Fitness, from 6-9 p.m. Staff is working on other
projects including: the winter/spring issue of the brochure, budgets,
annual report, and other housekeeping items. Evans stated that she is
working on the History Fest, and the Yard and Garden Expo, too. Abel
mentioned some hockey tournaments coming up Thanksgiving weekend
and the weekend after Christmas. Evans stated that she was looking at
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some financial information for the recreation department. For 2002 we
needed to generate revenue of $668,000. We've exceeded that already,
and have one quarter to go. This summer we had over 11,000 kids
participate in our programs. Singer asked how the Big Wu concert went.
Evans said it had a decent turnout, but not as many as expected. Blank
said he worked on the sound. Because it was such a windy day, sound did
not travel beyond the edges of the park. Evans said she was amazed at
how long it took to get things set up. There was a lot of high tech
equipment.
4. Report on Past Council Action
a. Accepted donation of glass trophy cases from PSA. The Plymouth Soccer
Association has donated a trophy case for the lower level of the
fieldhouse lobby, which they will use to display trophies and other awards
received by their players, etc.
5. Unfinished Business
a. Millennium Garden update. Blank stated that work on this project has
pretty much wrapped up for the year. We are now focusing on June 15th,
2003, for a grand opening. Blank said that he discovered some nice
bronze statues and other sculptures at the national parks conference at a
very reasonable price. These may be purchased for the garden.
b. 2003-2007 CIP - review possible update to plan. The City Manager has
been working on a city-wide 10 year budget to figure out how to finance
big items, like another water tower, another fire station, etc. Blank said we
have learned that the price of raw land has been going up at 15% per
year. The City Manager is urging Blank to purchase land sooner rather
than later based on this finding. However, there are no landowners right
now willing to sell us any property Blank stated. The City Manager has
given his nod of approval to the parks CIP that staff has been working on.
Blank then reviewed the projects proposed in 2003 and the various
funding sources for those projects. The park replacement fund is meant to
generate funds from interest. We take a certain amount of money from
park dedication and put it in the park replacement fund, he explained.
The l Oth playfield is a large expenditure. Blank stated that Mr. Begin
recently passed away and that Mrs. Begin is interested in their property
becoming a park, but no further discussions with the Begin family have
taken place at this point. Blank explained that the individual who wants
the Bass Lake hockey rink paved has been out soliciting donations and
signatures on a petition. Blank said he is budgeting the entire cost for
paving the rink. Pat Heising and Bob Kohns were present to discuss their
interest in the Bass Lake hockey rink paving. Kohns said he walked around
his neighborhood and discovered that many of his neighbors were very
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excited about this. He stated that paving this rink would help expand the
hockey program, especially for Mites. In the summer the rink sits empty,
but if it was paved, inline skaters could use it during that time to develop
their skills. There are many children who will be able to make use of this
facility. Blank said we have one other paved hockey rink located at
Plymouth Creek Playfield. We'll be able to flood an asphalt rink sooner
than one built from the ground up. The amount of labor to maintain it will
be reduced as well. Abel said a concrete surface would make the rink last
longer in the winter season. Heising said many of the people he spoke to
were not real anxious to contribute money, because of the taxes they
pay, and they feel the City should fund it. Blank said there are 11 hockey
rinks in Plymouth and no one else has requested a paved one at this time.
Rezabek asked about advertisers helping out by advertising on the boards
around the rink. Blank explained that there's a city ordinance prohibiting
this type of advertising in the parks. Blank explained that this is a draft
document. If all goes well, PRAC should adopt this at their December
meeting. Blank said his feeling is that this rink will likely go through. Blank
said a letter would be mailed to the residents surrounding this park to give
them an opportunity to speak to the Commission prior to the formal
approval. Mark Peterson and Blank have been doing research on the dog
park issue. Blank said people are very interested in dog parks. At a recent
parks conference, Blank learned from Ramsey County that there's no
need for a fence at the dog park. In our situation, we will have very tall
grass to act as a barrier. We are going to recommend trying it without a
fence. Blank also learned that the people who take their dogs to dog
parks are very responsible pet owners. It is recommended that we not put
in benches, thus encouraging dog owners to remain standing and
actively playing with their dogs. Blank then talked about the Plymouth
Creek maintenance building and how it is necessary for storing
maintenance equipment for taking care of the Millennium Garden. Blank
discussed the repair of four ball fields. He's been in touch with the Pilgrim
United Methodist Church, and they are excited about the BMX
course/skate park being on their property. Fiemann said the new
skateboard park in the industrial park is very large. He thinks it's going to
be a premium facility. Admission is going to be between $6 and $7. It will
include a climbing wall, meeting rooms, etc. The skate park under the
bridge in Hopkins may be in trouble due to their admission fee. They are
the largest facility in the Twin Cities. Blank said that $115,000 would fund
the BMX/skate park course. The Imperial Hills lighting project will cost
15,000. To finish the Plymouth Creek Center basement will cost $960,000.
Blank said the money is there now, however, if the legislature takes money
away from us, as they are implying, it could come out of this item, leaving
us with $600,000. Blank said we have all the money in the bank right now
to do all the 2003 projects. In 2004, we are proposing trails, land
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acquisition, park replacement, parking lot/trail repair, playground
replacement, replacing the Ridgemount warming house, a small
playground for the amphitheater, parking expansion at Greenwood, and
development of a new neighborhood park. Blank said that by the
December meeting, costs would be identified for a third sheet of ice.
Singer asked how we rank what year we do things. She thinks the
Ridgemount warming house is more important than the Bass Lake hockey
rink paving. Blank said he put the hockey rink in 2003, because the
residents came to him asking for it. Anderson feels that the Ridgemount
building will last another year without a problem. It has only an eight-week
skating season for which it is used. This is the first time it's been included in
a CIP with money assigned to it. Musliner mentioned attending
Shakespeare in the Park and how a playground in the amphitheater may
interfere with the sound. Blank said he's thinking more in terms of a small
pre-school playground and locating it 300-400 feet away from the Hilde
Performance Center stage. The amphitheater playground was an internal
request by our staff, he stated. Discussion continued on whether or not
there's a need for a playground in the amphitheater. REZABEK MOVED TO
WITHDRAW THE $25,000 FOR THE PLAYGROUND. FIEMANN SECONDED.
Blank suggested taking a year to run the performance center and
evaluating the crowds to see if a playground is needed. Rezabek
suggested soliciting comments from the public. Krahulec said his
preference is to leave the money in the CIP for now. Blank said he is very
comfortable taking the money out for 2003 and adding it back in later.
Krahulec asked for clarification of the motion. Fiemann said the funding
would come out now but may go back in next year when reviewing the
CIP in 2003 for the 2004-2008 CIP. MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. When
asked if paving the Bass Lake rink would bring in more requests for similar
rinks, Blank said he doesn't think we will open a Pandora's Box by paving
the Bass Lake hockey rink. Krahulec asked how the Lake Camelot park is
coming along. Blank said it's going well. It's 50 to 60 percent drained.
Blank then continued the capital improvements budget discussion. In
2005, we propose trails, a spray playground, park replacement, new
tennis courts, and parking lot and trail repair. Rezabek thinks we should
build an indoor playground, like the one in Maple Grove. Blank said it's
much less expensive to let Plymouth residents travel to Maple Grove to
use theirs then it would be for us to build one. Singer asked if we are going
to add additional parking when planning the 3rd sheet of ice. Blank said
he could make a case either way for adding parking. Blank said people
walk farther to attend the high school football games than they do to
attend hockey events at the Ice Center. Rezabek asked if there are a
certain number of parking spaces required when you add another
hockey rink. Blank said it's based on the number of spectator seats that
are added. There's a code you have to follow. The final two years of the
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Page 43
2003-2007 CIP are very generic, Blank stated, showing trails, park
replacement, trail and parking lot repair. Staff will be ready for a motion to
approve the parks CIP at the December meeting. Some of the projects
that will need approval early next year include the BMX skate park, the
storage shed at the Plymouth Creek Center, and the dog park. This is so
construction can get underway in the spring of 2003.
b. Update on tobacco policies. Blank said this item was discussed with the
City Council and received mixed reaction. It's on a pending study list for
after the first of the year. The presenter who attended the PRAC meeting
may be asked to come and speak to the Council about it. Study sessions
are always posted on the City's web site. Meyer feels strongly that we
should adopt such a policy. Evans talked with Wayzata schools and their
policy is tobacco free on their property. We should be following that
policy when we schedule things at Elm Creek, because that's located on
school property, Evans said.
6. New Business
a. Ice Center Operations - Bill Abel. Blank introduced Bill and said that he
started working for us about 10 months prior to the Ice Center opening.
Abel stated that we are in our sixth year of operation. He said the Ice
Center is home for the Wayzata and Armstrong high school hockey
programs, the Wayzata and Armstrong youth hockey associations, the
Plymouth Pandas Figure Skating Club, our own learn -to -skate program,
and many adult and private ice rental groups that use the facility during
late night hours. Abel stated that there are an average 18.5 hours of ice
usage daily on rinks A & B, and 26+ hours on the two rinks on an average
weekend day. Most of this is paid events. We book over 6,682 hours a
year. We rank about number two in the state. Braemar is only slightly
better than us, but they have three sheets of ice. We've rented over 3,500
pair of skates and have done over $61,000 in concession sales through the
month of October. We've taken in $22,000 in vending revenue. The learn -
to -skate program has 680 kids in it and brought in $90,000 in revenue. $520
per day is spent on gas and electricity, etc. Abel stated that the Ice
Center uses an indirect refrigeration system with a propane back-up
system. As of the end of October, the Ice Center was operating in the
black. There are funds in reserve for repairs, purchases, etc. About $85,000
a year is set aside to fund these things. Zamboni's cost about $75,000.
Abel stated that we are seeing some decrease in board revenues due to
less advertising. Ice time costs $140 per hour. We have ice year round. The
Ice Center budget is roughly $874,000 per year. Blank said the parking lot
plowing is paid for out of the general fund, but then is reimbursed by the
Ice Center. Blank said if we build the third sheet of ice we hope to get
money from three different sources, one of which would be donated
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funds. The Ice Center is open most nights until 10:30 or 11, weekends until
midnight. The Zamboni advertising banners bring in $2,000 per side per
year. The Domino's Pizza Zamboni revenue may be ending, because new
owners have taken over Domino's and they are reluctant to continue
advertising. It's getting difficult to secure advertisers. Many advertisers
would rather sponsor teams than pay for ads on the boards. Rezabek
stated that he sells advertising, so Blank suggested that he meet with him
and Abel to discuss strategy. Our capacity is 1,000 on Rink A and 200 on
Rink B. This is very adequate, Abel said. The meeting rooms are given out
free to the community. People having birthday parties can use the
meeting rooms for free, but if they wish to skate, they must then pay for
that. LifeTime Fitness members get to skate for free during open skating
time. Blank is negotiating with LifeTime to get some financial assistance for
grounds keeping, etc. Blank said that he thinks we will have to add a third
sheet of ice in the future. We have to be economically viable for 20 years.
Wayzata hockey is going to rent 1,600 hours this year, and they buy
additional time elsewhere. We'd like to have a few more hours of open
skating each week, and the figure skaters are also asking for more time.
7. Commission Presentation
Fiemann said that he and Rezabek are both coaches in the Wayzata hockey
association. He distributed a facts sheet on the association. It is one of the
largest youth associations in the state. There are over 880 boys and girls in the
youth program at all levels (K -12th grade). The girls' program is up 17% from
last year. They have 200 volunteer coaches registered with USA hockey and
Minnesota hockey. They host nine weekend tournaments during the winter,
with many of the teams coming from outside the Plymouth area, bringing
business to many of the local restaurants, hotels, etc. They purchase 2,900
hours of ice at the Plymouth Ice Center and Wayzata Central Middle School,
plus an additional 800 hours elsewhere. Blank thanked Fiemann for his
presentation and said that it was good information to have.
8. Staff Communication
The next meeting will be on December 12.
9. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m., at which time several commissioners
went on a tour of the Ice Center.