HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 04-10-2003MINUTES OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
April 10, 2003
Page 13
Present: Commissioners Anderson, Aamoth, Meyer, Rezabek, Krahulec, Singer;
staff Blank, Pederson
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council
Chambers.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
It was moved by Krahulec and seconded by Rezabek to approve the
minutes of the March meeting. Motion carried, all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
b. Staff. Blank talked about the first day of summer registration. People
started logging on and using rec-connect and touch tone registration at
midnight. In our first 24 hours, we took in $111,000 in registrations. The web
registration and TTR accounted for 78% of those registrations in the first 24
hours. Several classes filled the first day of registration.
Primavera begins tonight at the Plymouth Creek Center and continues
Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. The Yard & Garden Expo is
Saturday, April 26th. The Ice Show is the weekend of May 10th, and the
History Fest is also May l Oth. Blank stated that groups are anxious to get on
the fields. Three Rivers Park District will not be guarding French Park beach
this summer due to financial constraints. Only our West Beach will be
guarded of the three beaches on Medicine Lake.
4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Approved dog park. The City Council approved the dog park. Blank
shared a copy of the brochure, which advertises the dog park. These will
be made available at pet clinics and stores like Petsmart, and at the
police department counter where people come in to get their dog
licenses.
b. Approved funding for garden. Blank stated that additional funding was
needed for the Millennium Garden. He explained that we had raised
240,000 from brick sales and other donations, and had another $200,000-
250,000 of in-kind contributions. Expenditures are expected to slightly
exceed donations, so the Council approved an additional $35,000 to be
PRAC Minutes/April 2003
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taken from the park dedication account. Blank explained that the funds
would be reimbursed eventually, as fund raising continues. Blank
distributed a mock-up of the Millennium Garden invitation and dedication
program. The dedication is Sunday, June 29th, beginning at 2 p.m. We
hope to have members of the MN Orchestra performing, and we'll be
serving refreshments. The program begins at 2:45. A special fanfare was
written for the Music in Plymouth program, which may be performed at
the dedication. The community band will be playing some jazz tunes
during the latter part of the event. Former Mayor Tierney and Mayor
Johnson will both speak during the ceremony.
c. Awarded bid for Oakwood tennis court. Council awarded the bid for the
improvements at the Oakwood tennis courts. It came in under budget.
We're waiting for contracts to be signed and for load limits to be lifted
from the roads. We're also waiting for asphalt plants to reopen. Four tennis
courts and one basketball court are being redone as part of this project.
d. Rolling Hillsplayground. This has a $100,000 budget. Low bid came in at
75,000. That bid was awarded last Tuesday.
e. Pave Bass Lake hockey rink. This was approved to go out for bid, and
we're taking quotes on it now, Blank stated. Six inches of soil will be
removed from the hockey rink. Krahulec asked about the residents'
checks that were collected. Blank said we would start depositing them
soon.
f. Ball field repair. Blank explained that crushed rock is now being spread in
the first phase of this improvement.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. View video from 2002 Gold Medal Awards program. This is the highest
award a parks department can receive. The video being shown is of
Asheville, North Carolina, a community the same size as Plymouth. We
have submitted an entry into this year's competition.
b. Update on 3rd sheet of ice. There will be another study session on this issue
on April 15. Blank expects the study session to begin around 8 p.m. We
have a new update from Kraus Anderson. The project cost estimate went
down to $5,000,000. Blank has a meeting Friday morning with Dave
Sorensen of Wayzata Hockey. When the report he is preparing is finished,
copies will be sent to PRAC. A traffic study on 37th Avenue completed by
the engineering department, parking options, funding, etc., are all
included in the report. We don't expect any action to be taken at next
week's Council meeting. PRAC members are invited to the meeting.
PRAC Minutes/April 2003
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c. Update on skate park/BMX course. Blank and Peterson went to Maple
Plain to look at their BMX course. A Plymouth resident and his son called
Blank recently and said they are BMX racers. They offered to provide input
on this project. Blank said we would build a basic bare bones course. The
League of MN Cities believes that they are going to change their
standard on skate parks to allow platforms to be higher. By the end of
April they should have made a decision. We will wait to hear what they
decide before building the skate park. The church parish council has
approved it, but a district council has to approve it. Singer mentioned that
she thought the BMX course had been nixed by the Council, but Blank
explained that they approved it on a 4-3 vote.
d. Update on Lake Camelot Park. Blank had slides to show that depicted the
progress being made on this park.
e. Update on workhouse building use. Blank explained that staff is working
with Interfaith Outreach and the school district to use the abandoned
women's facility for a teen gathering place. Meyer asked for a recap of
how this building would be used. Blank discussed a few of the options,
including educational classes, retail such as Caribou Coffee, teen
programming, training classes, etc. The key is getting the building free
from the county. The school district would be the primary funding source
for this project. Right now flowers are being grown in this facility that our
parks department uses in our various parks, etc.
Blank then showed a slide presentation on the dog park, explaining the
different views as seen in the slides. He also showed some slides of the work
being done at Lake Camelot Park, including the boardwalk and the trail on
the west shore. This was followed by a few slides of the skate park/BMX
course site. Blank explained that the evergreen trees would be transplanted
to another area on the site. The site will not be fenced. It will be signed with
the same rules and regulations as our skate park on 23rd Avenue. A slide was
shown then of the site of the Plymouth Creek maintenance garage. Some
sumac was cleared, and this is where the garage will go. The final two slides
were a shot of the Millennium Garden and the trail leading to it from 34th
Avenue. Blank described the progress on this project to date. There's a
wedding already scheduled there for June 28th, the day before the official
dedication. Singer wants this garden to be smoke free. She really wants staff
to pursue this. Blank said it hasn't been discussed, but Singer is strongly
encouraging a decision on this. Rezabek said he agrees with Singer, but
wonders about the trail leading to the garden. Singer suggests a certain
smoke-free zone where smoking would be prohibited, like within 50 feet of
PRAC Minutes/April 2003
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the site. Singer also thinks we should have a policy on tobacco use at the
skate parks.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. There was no new business.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Singer attended the City Council study session and discussed the tobacco -
free policy. The necessary votes were received by the Council, and this will
go to another study session on May 27th. The Council may be interested in
some type of policy but not as restrictive as Eden Prairie. They like Golden
Valley's policy, which is smoke-free at all youth athletic events taking place
in their parks. Anderson commented that there's a lot going on with smoking
policies around the country. Meyer suggested that we add the tobacco
policy to next month's agenda.
Rezabek asked about the distance allowed between a private property and
a city trail for the installation of a fence. The city fence ordinance says it can
be six inches from the trail. The trail in question is on the south side of Schmidt
Lake Road. It was suggested that Rezabek talk to someone in engineering.
Blank said he would drive by and take a look at it.
There's nothing new to report on the Begin property, or on the Hollydale Golf
Course. Blank said we do not have any first right of refusal on any golf course
property. Fiemann said Elm Creek has a new clubhouse.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
The next meeting will be held on May 8.
9. ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.