HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 06-12-2003MINUTES OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
June 12, 2003
Page 24
Present: Commissioners Anderson, Aamoth, Fiemann, Meyer, Rezabek, 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 Singer and seconded by Rezabek to approve the minutes
of the May meeting. Motion carried, all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. None were present.
Staff. Blank stated that summer staff training was going on this evening at
the Plymouth Creek Center, and that's why Evans wasn't in attendance.
All summer programs will begin in earnest next week. The Hilde
Performance Center now has a new sound system, Blank said. The
Plymouth Rockers held a concert there last Thursday to kick off the season.
On Sunday, the Minnesota Symphonic Winds performed there with 98
members. They were very impressed with the facility and want to return.
They said it was the nicest facility they had ever used. This evening the
Plymouth Concert Band is performing. Next Tuesday concerts begin at
Parkers Lake, and the first water ski show of the season is Wednesday,
June 18. Blank asked if PRAC had received their invitations to the
Millennium Garden dedication. He discussed the work going on there to
get things ready for the dedication on June 29. In response to a citizen's
request, there will be a special area set aside for groups that want to grill
near the garden and have events like pig roasts. Blank said the invitations
were sent out to approximately 1,000 people, including all those who
donated in-kind services, products, purchased bricks, benches, etc., as
well as city council members, commission members, and other
government officials. Blank discussed the schedule of events that will
occur during the dedication ceremony. He stated that everyone in
attendance will be given a rose.
c. Others. There were no others present.
4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION
There was no past Council action to report.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
PRAC Minutes/June 2003
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a. Millennium Garden update. See above.
b. Tobacco free parks update. Blank stated that the tobacco free youth
organization that made a presentation to PRAC last year made the same
presentation to the Council at a special study session last week. Meyer
was in attendance at the meeting. Blank distributed copies of a memo he
had received from the City Manager following that study session which
summarized the Council's feelings on the issue. They stated that current
policies should be changed from "smoke free" to "tobacco free." Current
and new policies should be consistent with school districts. New
regulations should be aimed at youth activities and gathering spots, not
all park land everywhere. There is some interest on the Council's part in
solving the ice center entrance problem (people gather to smoke right
outside the doors). They agree that the Millennium Garden should be
tobacco free. Other items they brought up included whether or not
smoking would be permitted in private cars in parks, at private rentals of
city facilities, such as the Plymouth Creek Center, and during events like
Music in Plymouth? Blank said the city attorney would draft the actual
ordinance. It will be necessary to hold a public meeting, which has been
scheduled for the August PRAC meeting. Approval of an ordinance by
PRAC would not be needed until September. Singer's concern right now is
for the Millennium Garden and that it's going to open with no policy in
effect yet. Blank said at this time we will go ahead and sign it "tobacco
free." Blank said the list of signs being installed are going in at a faster rate
than the plants. We're having issues with kids on BMX bikes, kids playing in
the fountain, etc. Blank said we are going to ban smoking on the deck of
the Plymouth Creek Center and move the smoking area to the east side
of the building on the plaza area. Meyer said she understands that people
need to have an area where smoking is permitted in the case of private
parties renting the Plymouth Creek Center. Blank assured PRAC that there
would be multiple containers around for disposing of cigarette butts.
Athletic Associations will be asked to post the information on the
proposed tobacco free policy on their websites. Fiemann asked how we
go about advertising the public meeting. Blank said it will be in the local
paper, in the City newsletter, and on the city's website. Fiemann
suggested that we put the Gold Medal video on cable TV. It would be
great PR. Blank said he will talk to our communications department about
that. Blank also showed the commissioners the award we received for
being a finalist. Discussion continued then on the tobacco free issue.
Meyer said it is illegal to smoke in cars on school grounds. But
commissioners were wondering about people smoking in cars in our park
parking lots. Anderson asked why private rentals of city facilities would be
such an issue with the tobacco free policy. Music in Plymouth will also be
an issue. Smoking has been allowed in the past at Music in Plymouth. Due
to the timing of this issue, we won't have anything in effect until next
summer. It will take about eight weeks to do a good broad-based
PRAC Minutes/June 2003
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campaign to get the word out on this proposed ordinance. Singer will not
be at the August meeting. Meyer will not be in attendance either. Blank
said we could postpone it until September, or change the date of the
August meeting. It was the consensus that more people might be able to
attend in September.
c. Gold Medal award update - view video. Blank showed the video we
submitted as part of our application for the gold medal award.
Commissioners were very impressed with the video and thanked Ellie for
her part of the production.
d. Dog park update. The dog park will open on June 14. Everything is ready
to go. We want to get Channel 12 to interview Mark Peterson at the dog
park, Blank said. The park will be open from sunrise to sunset. Fiemann
wanted to make sure that trash barrels would be available at the site.
Aamoth asked if a place had been found for the woman who wants to
continue to exercise her horses at this location or nearby. Blank said he
has a meeting with her next week.
e. Ice Center update. Blank stated that two weeks ago, staff thought the ice
center project was dead, but last week both Providence and Wayzata
hockey met with the mayor and Providence raised their offer to
1,250,000 and Wayzata raised their offer to $625,000. The Mayor has told
them she thinks at that level of contribution the Council will look very
seriously at this issue. Blank said we will now meet the city's wetland
ordinance with a change in the parking area. We will still meet code for
parking, even though we have scaled it back somewhat. We have
reanalyzed the traffic issue and think we can make some improvements
to this also. Blank said we don't want to commit to putting a police officer
out there directing traffic every time there is an event. Blank said it looks
like this item will go to the Council June 24. We've eliminated one of the
parking bays for now to get the cost down. With the additional
contributions from Providence and Wayzata hockey, and a $5 user fee
surcharge, there will be a gap of about $1.3 million, which will come from
park dedication. Blank said we would ask council to authorize hiring an
architect to do a preliminary design on the project along with an
upgraded cost estimate. We need to do written contracts with Wayzata
Hockey and Providence. By September that should all be completed.
Final design and bidding would be in December or January. We would
hope to have the project complete by November 2004. We are in a good
bidding economy right now. We have other money set aside for the
Northwest Greenway and to buy the 10th playfield. Blank said we've
already made our numbers for park dedication for this year. We will
maybe have to be a little more conservative in our 2004 park projects,
Blank said. When we revisit the CIP in November, we'll have a pretty good
idea of where we are. Blank said he will write the report and make the
PRAC Minutes/June 2003
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presentation to the Council. Rezabek talked about the hours being rented
vs. the cost. If we sell 1,000 hours on a third rink, everything works. Blank
thinks we will sell more than that. Rezabek encouraged Blank to make
that part of his presentation to the Council. We will sell more time during
the three summer months than we do during the winter months. Blank said
Abel is turning people away right now who want summer ice hours. Blank
thinks we'll be able to sell up to 2,000 hours. Singer asked about the BMX
park. Blank said we haven't found a suitable site yet. Anderson asked
about the Sports Illustrated award. Blank said they are expected to
announce five states every month in their magazine. Minnesota would be
announced later on in the year. Blank talked about the accident Abel's
son was in. He will have a very long recovery due to extremely serious
injuries. Meyer asked where else park dedication money would go if not to
the ice sheet. Blank said there were a number of projects it could fund.
The third sheet would make our ice center a world class facility. We would
be eligible to host larger tournaments.
6. NEW BUSINESS
There was no new business.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Fiemann commented on all the graffiti at the high school. Rezabek said that
lawns are being vandalized in his neighborhood by people burning words
into people's lawns by using some type of chemicals, perhaps fertilizer.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
The next meeting will be July 10 at the Plymouth Creek Center. Blank will not
be at that meeting. If there is no urgent business, the August meeting may be
cancelled, or a park tour could be held instead. Anderson asked about the
Jazz Festival poster. Blank explained that that event will be held the
Wednesday before the Millennium Garden dedication, as a sort of "prelude"
to the dedication.
9. ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.