HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 11-13-2003MINUTES OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
November 13, 2003
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PRESENT: Anderson, Aamoth, Fiemann, Krahulec, Meyer, Rezabek, Ritchie,
Rodriguez, Singer, Councilmember Slavik; Planning Commissioner Weir;
staff Blank, Evans, and Pederson
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council
Chambers.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Singer moved and Krahulec seconded a motion to approve the October
minutes. Motion carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. No athletic association representatives were
present at the meeting.
b. Staff. Evans talked about the Little Costume Ball on October 17, which
had 170 participants. This is a fun family event, which is growing in
popularity. Another poetry slam was held at the end of October. This
event is open to members of the community. Participants read original
poetry that they write. There were 15 teens participating and four adults.
There were 100 people in the audience. The audience interacts with the
performers. One of the oldest participants is 74. The volunteer
recognition dinner was held Thursday, November 6. There were over 300
volunteers attending, and 76 prizes were given out. The most expensive
prize was a $300 grill donated by Home Depot. The tobacco free policy
was passed by the City Council, with some amendments. Rentals at the
Plymouth Creek Center that were made prior to the policy being passed
won't be affected, but any new rentals will have to adhere to the new
tobacco regulations. The other amendment states that people will be
permitted to smoke in their cars while on park property. Although the
policy was approved by the City Council, it was decided that it would
be voluntary compliance. The next step is how to implement, promote
and get the word out to the community. Meyer said it was the front-
page story in both local newspapers. Staff has heard lots of positive
comments from many people, including a resident of North Dakota.
Evans announced that we did not win the National Gold Medal award.
Denton, TX, was the winner this year in our population category. Evans
feels we will have to submit a couple of additional times before we win.
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Blank said we would put the award on a future Council agenda and
show them the video, which they still have not seen. Singer thanked
everyone who worked so hard on the tobacco policy. Singer suggested
getting the ideas of the medical profession on how best to educate the
community. Evans mentioned the upcoming events, including the Old
Fashioned Christmas on December 7, New Year's Around the World on
December 31St, and Fire and Ice on February 7. Rezabek asked about
concessions this year at Fire and Ice and what might be done to make it
better. It's difficult, Evans said, because so many vendors don't do
business in the winter. The next brochure will be out soon. It will look
entirely different this time, because it's going to have a 4 -color cover.
Rezabek said that a resident asked him why the soccer kids don't get
trophies, and the baseball kids do. Staff explained that the baseball
trophies are being given out by Wayzata Youth Baseball, not Plymouth
Parks and Recreation. Evans said we have 21,000 people participating in
our programs, including attendance at our summer concert series.
c. Others. There were no others.
4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Council passed the tobacco free policy at their last meeting. We will be
installing the signs whenever it's feasible. Singer asked if anything is being
done now to prevent it at the outside entrance to the Ice Center. Blank
said we are announcing it now at the games. Meyer asked about the
policy at the Plymouth Creek Center. Blank said that groups renting that
facility will still be allowed to smoke on the balcony, if the reservation
was made prior to the policy being passed. Any new reservations will be
informed of the new policy. Meyer thinks there will be some resistance to
this from people who rent the Plymouth Creek Center, because many of
those rentals involve food and alcohol. The Council also passed the
recommendation to close some of the pleasure skating rinks.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Update on Ice Center. Blank said that the Council approved the
schematic drawings, a $4.6 million dollar budget, and contracts with
Providence and Wayzata hockey. Blank shared the drawings with PRAC,
which showed the upper and lower level expansion, elevations, and the
changes to the parking lot. Soil tests have been done, and they showed
good soil exists in the area proposed for the expansion. Council asked
that the lobby be enlarged, so the architect is now redoing the plans to
allow for that change. Blank pointed out where the balcony is. He
explained the facilities that will be on both the upper and lower levels. A
nice feature will be windows on the north -facing wall located in various
places, which will give the building a more residential feel. No large
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graphics will be poured into the concrete. Blank is very pleased with the
architect's renderings. There will be a public hearing on the site plan
prior to going before the Planning Commission. A bid package will go
out in January or February. The plan is to break ground in April and have
the expansion finished by next November. Fiemann asked about the size
of the vestibule. He asked if it would be big enough. Blank said he'd take
a look at it.
b. Update on Plymouth Creek Center. The architects are working on this
project. Staff has met with interior designers looking at walls, floors,
ceiling, lights, sound people, etc., to talk about wiring, cable, computers,
and a surround sound system.
c. Update on Reserve neighborhood park. Bids have been awarded for
grading and the playground. Work is also being done on a landscaping
package. We hope to get a fair amount of grading done yet this fall.
d. Update on Vietnam scout dog handler request. Evans and her staff
inquired of other communities, and we posted a question on the NRPA
website regarding war memorials in parks. The answers varied from
community to community. Blank has not come to any conclusion one
way or another. He would be comfortable holding it over for another
month or two. Anderson agreed. Meyer said she did not look closely at
Heritage Park in Wayzata, but she is certain it contains war memorials.
It's a very nice park, she said. Fiemann likes the idea that if we do elect
to go down that road that we not spread them throughout the city, but
keep them in one location. Other commissioners agreed. Singer
wondered if a certain park should be designated for this. Blank said we
have a peace plaque at Parkers that recognizes people who have
sacrificed in the name of peace. The family wants it in West Medicine
Lake Park, because that's where the bench is located. Rezabek asked
about partnering with Wayzata and putting it there. Blank said this family
would only want the memorial if it could be in West Medicine Lake Park.
Blank said we will put this back on the December agenda. Meyer said
she would look further into the Wayzata park and try to talk to someone
who knows more about that. Blank said we would talk to Sonny, the
maintenance person at Wayzata City Hall, because he likely would
have first-hand knowledge about the park in Wayzata.
e. 2004-2008 CIP. Blank discussed the draft of the 2004-2008 CIP. We have
between $8 and $9 million in projects coming up. The Council has
chosen to use park dedication for most of these projects. We don't have
the luxury of adding new things because of that. We had to take a
couple of items out of 2004. Blank pointed out the projects that were
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completed in 2003. Blank said we can easily double the size of the
parking lot at the dog park. It's the hottest thing going right now. The
skate park is out of the plan for now, because we can't find a site for it.
The new city lighting ordinance is putting a wrinkle in the Imperial Hills
lighting project. In the plan for 2004 are replacing tennis courts at
Ridgemount, a new irrigation system, the warming house at Ridgemount,
playground replacement, new trails, land acquisition for the 10th
playfield, and the third sheet of ice. Parking at Greenwood needs more
evaluation. Rodriguez asked how long an irrigation system lasts. Blank
said 20-25 years. The $100,000 shown in 2004 for the irrigation system is
the first installment of 10. In 2005, we are showing new tennis courts, trails,
park replacement, new plaza and walls at Zachary Playfield, and
irrigation system. The parking expansion at Plymouth Creek Center might
preclude the tennis courts in 2005. The spray playground has been
removed from the 2005 plan. Trails last typically 20 years. In 2006, trails,
park replacement, irrigation, parking lot repair, and the new park at
Seven Greens are proposed projects. Seven Greens is at the corner of
Vicksburg and Schmidt Lake Road. The 10th playfield land acquisition,
Plymouth Creek Center lower level, and ice rink expansion are taking our
major resources in 2004, Blank said. Singer is disappointed that we are
losing the skate park. We need to keep it on the radar. She would prefer
this to the spray playground. If we find a site, we might be able to put it
in the 2005 budget, Blank said. The years 2007 and 2008 show new trails,
parking lot and trail repair, park replacement fund transfer and the
irrigation system. Fiemann asked about the land acquisition of the 10th
playfield. Blank said we gave the documents to Mrs. Begin's attorney.
The Ice Center plan will be on the city's website within the next couple
of days. Singer said we need to put some more shade in our parks, due
to the rising skin cancer rate. Blank said that with the last five or six
playgrounds that we have installed, we have put a shelter right in the
middle very close to the playground to provide shade for parents and
tots. For our staff, we do a lot of training on skin cancer, especially our
lifeguards and staff who must work outdoors. A final draft of the CIP will
be on the December agenda, and it will require action at that time.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Review 2004 rental fees and policies. Evans stated that no changes are
proposed to canoe racks, the Parkers Lake Picnic Shelter, the Bass Lake
Playfield or the Showmobile. We are recommending changes to the
Parkers Lake Pavilion in the per hour charge for the school district. That
increase basically covers the building attendants salary. We are
proposing a change to the Parkers Lake stage per hour non-profit fee
from $25 to $30. We are also showing a 10% increase in the fees for
baseball, softball fields etc. The fees for the Hilde Performance Center
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will remain the same. Singer asked about the no-show fee. Evans
explained what it is. Fiemann asked if it's enough money. Evans thought
so, because it doesn't happen that often. Blank said this money goes
back in the general fund to help offset the cost of taxes. It doesn't go
directly to Park and Recreation. For all the policies, we will be adding the
tobacco free wording. For the Millennium Garden, we are increasing
Plymouth resident and non-profit fees from $250 to $300, non-resident
fees would go from $350 to $400, and we are adding a new Plymouth
company fee of $350. For 2004, we already have 15 rentals of the
Millennium Garden. All of the events at the garden have gone well.
Singer asked when the fee increases would begin or go into effect.
Evans said January 1. Evans explained that the Plymouth Creek Center
could be booked out 18 months in advance, so we need to get fees for
2005 and 2006 established for the Millennium Garden and Plymouth
Creek Center well in advance, because of that 18 -month booking
policy. The rest of the 2004 proposed fees could be approved this
evening if PRAC is comfortable with them, Evans said. There are no
proposed changes for the Plymouth Creek Center fees in 2004. Meyer
asked how many people really expect to get a concrete price for a
rental way out in 2005 or 2006. Blank said we guarantee our prices.
When we looked at about eight other communities, we have the
second largest fee. ANDERSON MOVED TO APPROVE THE 2004 FEES AND
POLICIES AS PRESENTED BY STAFF. The tobacco free wording will be
added. Singer questioned the no-show fee and thinks it should be raised.
Krahulec does not agree that someone should pay a no-show fee in
addition to the rental fee. Blank explained that if someone backs out of
a rental, we would refund their rental fee, but charge them a no-show
fee. SINGER MOVED TO AMEND THE MOTION TO INCREASE THE NO-SHOW
FEE TO $25. REZABEK SECONDED THE AMENDED MOTION. Fiemann stated
that he thinks the no-show fee should be the same as the rental hourly
rate. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. Blank said our biggest fee is
from the Wayzata soccer tournament, but we still bring in only about
8,000-$10,000 per year in rentals. Singer asked if we have a rotation
schedule for the fields. Blank said we semi rotate. We evaluate and take
fields out of commission for a season. We generally have one or two
fields that are being repaired every year that are taken out of the
rotation.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
The next meeting is December 11.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
None.
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ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.