HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 01-08-2004MINUTES OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
January 8, 2004
Page 1
PRESENT: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Aamoth, Krahulec, Meyer, Rezabek,
Singer, Ritchie, Rodriguez, staff Blank, Evans, Greupner and Pederson;
Planning Director Hurlburt; Councilmember Slavik
ABSENT: Fiemann
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Krahulec moved and Rezabek seconded a motion to approve the December
minutes. Motion carried with all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. No athletic association representatives were present at
the meeting.
b. Staff. Evans announced the Fire and Ice event coming up on February 7 and
solicited volunteers for the bonfire. She said staff is making changes in the new
year including having some of the park and recreation staff attend PRAC
meetings occasionally. At the first meeting of the year, a draft of the annual
report is typically handed out, Evans said. It has a new look this year, so it's in
very rough form. We wanted to highlight a little more about the programs, as
well as the statistics. We are bit behind schedule because of the changes.
There are many pages of statistics regarding budgets, program attendance,
etc. We're trying to do a better job of focusing on special events in the annual
report and tracking attendance at these events. Evans said PRAC should e—
mail her with any comments. One of the final things that will go in this report will
be a time capsule of some of the highlights that happened 20 years ago.
c. Others. There were no other presentations.
4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Director Blank stated that the Council approved park dedication fees for 2004.
Residential went up from $2,600 per unit to $2,800 per unit, and
commercial/industrial went up as well.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Update on Ice Center. Blank stated we are on track and have another meeting
with consultants and the construction manager. We now have a complete
outline on how the project will be bid. November 14th is still predicted to be first
date for skating on the new ice.
PRAC Minutes/January 2004
Page 2
b. Update on Plymouth Creek Center. Blank said we received 22 bids on the
lower level finishing of the Plymouth Creek Center, the most bids he has ever
opened for any project since he's been here. The estimated construction cost
with alternates was $825,000 according to the project consultant back in
December. The low bid was $601,000, 28% under the estimate. There were
five bidders under $600,000. Lund Martin has been chosen as the contractor. If
the Council awards the bid Tuesday, January 13t",
construction will get started
right away, with a projected completion date of May 1.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Presentation by Anne Hurlburt — city demographics. Blank said the
demographics of Plymouth are changing along with the rest of the world. This
presentation was done at an all—staff workshop back in November. Evans was
a panelist when this presentation was given for city staff. Hurlburt indicated that
she pulled her statistics from the 2000 census. Plymouth has been a very fast
growing community. We have approximately 68,000 residents living in the city
today. Twenty years ago, we only had 50,000. No housing was earmarked for
seniors 10 years ago, when Hurlburt started working for the city. She explained
that minority population is a combination of race and ethnicity. Race is a social
idea, not a biological idea. It's how we see ourselves. During the 1990 census,
there were five racial categories on the census form and respondents could
choose only one; in 2000, there were 63 categories, and respondents could
choose all that applied. The percent of minorities in Plymouth is increasing, but
not as rapidly as in Hennepin County. In Plymouth, 91.36% of the residents
indicated they are white. The biggest increase in minority population in
Minnesota was Hispanic. We doubled our Hispanic population in 10 years. The
overall population of Plymouth went up 29.5% from 1990 to 2000. Plymouth is a
pretty mobile place; 54% said they lived in the same house now as in 1995,
while 46% have moved elsewhere. In Plymouth the median annual income in
1999 for a family was $90,000, higher than the median income in the Twin City
metro area, Hennepin County, and the state. More people in Plymouth have
jobs than in Hennepin County, the Twin City metro area and the state. We have
the highest female labor force participation rates and the highest education
attainment. Slightly more than half of the residents in Plymouth age 25 and over
have at least a bachelor's degree. We do also have some people in poverty,
2.6% of our population, Hurlburt said. The average age in Plymouth in 1990
was 31.9; in 2000, it showed that we are now older at 36.1. Reasons for this
could be lots of new housing marketed toward seniors, birth rates are down,
and housing is more expensive. Percentage wise, the 85 and older age group
showed the biggest increase. We actually saw a decrease in the 25-34 age
category. The number of people with disabilities is highest in the 21-64 age
group category. Community development has a lot more information on the
census available if people want to take a look at it. Krahulec asked if there was
a chart available comparing population by age. Aamoth asked about the labor
force and if there are any numbers indicating if people are working later in their
lives. Hurlburt said she wasn't certain if either of those issues had been
addressed in the census statistics. She said people probably are working
longer. There is a statistic for parents in the labor force with children under six
PRAC Minutes/January 2004
Page 3
years old, but she did not have that information with her. There are more
families in Plymouth with only one parent in the workforce as compared to the
rest of the state. Aamoth said we need to work harder to attract younger
families to Plymouth and to the workforce to maintain the stability of the tax
base here. Singer said she heard on the news that in Minnesota there is a
greater number of young people ages 22-35 moving back home with their
parents — either as a way to save money or they are in between jobs.
b. Update on arts programs and special events — Karol Greupner. Evans
introduced Karol Greupner who is in charge of arts programs, music and
special events. Karol has been with us 15 years full time, but began working for
us back in 1977. Karol said she has been a resident of Plymouth for 28 years.
She stated she is very gratified to live here and blessed to be working in the
park and recreation department. In 1989, she was hired as a staff person doing
recreation programming, ranging from youth craft classes, to adult fitness
programs. Her true loves are the arts and special events, which she is now
mainly responsible for due to the addition of other staff who have taken over
her former job responsibilities. The special events she has developed over the
years are Primavera, the Autumn Arts Fair, Plymouth on Parade and the
Chocolate Sampler. She has expanded the Concerts in the Parks program and
is now working intently on the Fire and Ice Festival, scheduled for Saturday,
February 7. In the fall of 1995 there was a call to the community to attract
residents who were interested in promoting the arts in Plymouth. The Plymouth
Fine Arts Council was eventually formed. They sponsor the Primavera Fine Arts
Show, the Plymouth Community Band, the Community Theater, the Poetry
Slam, and the city art exhibits, both at City Hall and the Plymouth Creek Center.
Karol is the liaison between the city and the Fine Arts Council. In addition to
this, she also supervises dance, music lessons, arts and craft classes for youth
and adults, etc. She also supervises the puppet wagon. This is a summer
program that travels from park to park throughout Plymouth. They perform at
Music in Plymouth and at the summer concerts. This year we will have a new
vehicle called the Fun Mobile which we got from the sewer department. The
vehicle is being refurbished to handle puppet shows and other special events.
Some of the newer aspects of Karol's job have been planning and supervising
events at the new Hilde Center. A new program last summer was Kids
Concerts once a month at Parkers, which have been very well received. Karol
stated that our new community theater group hopes to perform this coming
summer at the Hilde. Along with other staff, Karol is working on guidelines for
displaying public art in the city. An opportunity she is looking forward to is
working with Black Box Theater which will be done at the new theater in the
lower level of the Plymouth Creek Center. This will be available for all age
groups to use. Karol said she is grateful that our city has financed a strong arts
infrastructure, and she strongly believes that the arts are vital to the lifeblood of
our community. Singer asked about the Chocolate Sampler and when it will be
held in 2004. Karol said it would be held this year on May 20th. We decided to
move it to coincide with the seasonal opening of the garden. This fall it was
decided to combine both the art fair and Plymouth on Parade as a dual event
on September 18th.
PRAC Minutes/January 2004
Page 4
c. Discuss 2004 work plan. Director Blank said that each year the Council asks
every board and commission to develop a work plan for the coming year. Blank
prepared a draft list of some items for PRAC to consider: promoting the
Tobacco Free Parks policy, building the Reserve Park; holding a dedication for
Lake Camelot neighborhood park, promoting the use of the Millennium Garden
and implementing policies, combining the art fair and Plymouth on Parade as a
dual event, expanding programming for teens and at the Hilde Performance
Center, conducting the annual park tour and updating the CIP. Blank then
asked for input on other items PRAC would like to consider. Rezabek asked
about adding the BMX skate park to the list. Blank said there is no funding in
the CIP, but we could come up with the money if we could find a place. Blank
said he learned about a month or two ago that Bloomington, Richfield and
Edina went together and built an indoor skate park, located where Richfield and
Edina meet. Blank feels it will be the premier facility in the Twin City area.
Rodriguez asked about expanding programming and advertising for the teen
programs. Blank said we use the brochure, the city website, as well as the
electronic sign at the Ice Center. If we can come up with other ways and means
to do that, we would, he said. Ritchie suggested we consider buying advertising
with the school newspaper. A lot of teens read that, she said. Rezabek said
there is a Thursday packet that goes home with the kids. Evans said marketing
is a struggle for us. We try to get posters up in the parks, etc. Singer said
maybe this is the year we should be promoting and educating regarding our
programs and projects. Evans said one of the advertising pieces we started last
year and hope to expand is advertising on the movie screen at the Mann
Theater Complex.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
Rezabek asked about Fire and Ice concessions. Karol has at least two vendors
lined up, Evans said. One will be working out of the building and someone will be
located outside. What actually happens the day of the event is questionable. Last
year one of the concessionaires failed to show up and never notified us.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Blank said he received a series of letters from people on Nathan Lane regarding a
trail. By March we will start to give a report to PRAC for dealing with trail projects.
Blank announced that Don is leaving the commission after 19 years. He read aloud
a letter to Don from Mayor Johnson. During his tenure Plymouth has grown into a
thriving community. Our citizen surveys show that our parks and trails play an
important role in our high quality of life rating. We have 90 miles of trails
connecting neighborhoods, schools, commercial centers and recreation areas.
Blank then read highlights from 1985 and 1986. In 1985, the budget for the
department was $950,000. In 2004, it is $6.4 million. Also in 1985 the Council
approved the comp plan for Parkers Lake City Park. The first phase construction
budget was $500,000. St. Mary's neighborhood park was developed. Blank stated
that Don is the second longest serving commissioner. Barbara Edwards served for
PRAC Minutes/January 2004
Page 5
22 years. Another member who was on the park commission at that time was
Carol Beach, who founded the Plymouth Soccer Association, one of the largest
associations in Minnesota, Blank said. Other accomplishments Don was involved
with during 1986 included the groundbreaking ceremony at Parkers Lake, the
fitness course at Plymouth Creek Playfield, a $15,000 fishing dock at Bass Lake in
Timber Shores Park and the Green Oaks Park playground. This issue created
quite a stir with the neighborhood. Because it was brand new, suddenly hundred of
kids wanted to play there. It became very noisy for the neighbors. The people who
lived closest to it wanted it moved to the other side of the park, and the residents
living there wanted it to remain where it was. To resolve the matter, the playground
was moved to the dead center of the park. Blank then thanked Don for his years of
service and said what a pleasure it had been to work with him.
9. ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.