HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 06-10-2004MINUTES OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
June 10, 2004
Page 22
PRESENT: Commissioners Davis, Fiemann, Meyer, Rodriguez, Singer; staff Blank,
Pederson; Councilmember Slavik
ABSENT: Aamoth, Krahulec, Rezabek, Ritchie
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Fiemann called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Singer moved and Davis seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the May
meeting as presented. Motion carried, all ayes.
3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS
a. Athletic Associations. No athletic association representatives were present at
the meeting.
b. Staff. Blank announced that all staff were at the Plymouth Creek Center holding
staff training for the summer seasonal staff. The first concert of the season,
scheduled for this evening at the Hilde, was cancelled due to weather, Blank
said. We have a new director of figure skating at the Ice Center. Summer is
underway, beaches have opened, and some programs have started. We're
mowing seven days a week due to rapid grass growth because of all the rain.
The bulk of summer programs begins next week. Our next big event is the 5K
fun run and Music in Plymouth. New this year is a laser light show between the
end of the orchestra and before the fireworks. The police will be running a
behind the scenes emergency operations center, carrying out a series of
training sessions during Music in Plymouth.
c. Others. There were no other presentations.
4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION
a. Rental fees for the ice center were approved as recommended by PRAC, and
the Council awarded bids on the Ridgemount tennis courts, as well as
approving the name for the Reserve Neighborhood Park. Another youth
member has been appointed to the park commission. She will start at the July
meeting.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Update on Plymouth Creek Center. Inspections have been taking place. We
hope to get a certificate of occupancy soon. All furniture has been delivered.
PRAC Minutes/June 2004
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Blank said we should be operational within 10 days. We are planning an open
house prior to a 7 p.m. Council meeting sometime in July.
b. Update on Ice Center. Blank stated that excavating is taking place a foot at a
time to keep side walls from caving in. This project is behind schedule about 5-
10 days due to rain. We are working with LifeTime to make sure things continue
on an even keel. All new sewer lines and water lines are going in and a switch
over from the old to the new needs to take place in a week or so.
c. Update on other capital projects. Blank said that at the Reserve park crews
have poured the concrete slab for the gazebo; they are starting to install the
playground, and all grading has been done. Once the playground is in place,
then crews can start paving and landscaping. All grading was done before the
rains came. At Lions park, playground installation is about half done. Architects
are tweaking the plan for the new warming house at Ridgemount. We are out
for bid on the trail project. The contractor is moving forward with last year's trail
project along
36th Avenue to New Hope near Plymouth Middle School. Singer
asked about the NURP pond at Medicine Lake. Blank said there will be two
ponds located there. They will move into the park area once the swimming
season is over in late August. The park will then be shut down due to heavy
construction. The Regional trail will remain open for the most part. Not quite
half of the parking will be lost Blank said. Singer asked about Mrs. Begin. Blank
said she wasn't feeling well the last time he visited, so he rescheduled for last
week, but she later called and cancelled that meeting. He continues to try and
reschedule with her.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Set fieldhouse rental rates for 2004-05. Blank explained that we need to publish
our rental rates in the next recreation brochure so they need to be set now. The
fieldhouse, like the ice center, is an enterprise fund. All operating expenses are
paid through rentals, and we have to allow for maintenance, repair, and
replacement. That margin is $85,000 a year. Based on the rates we have, we're
comfortable that we're making that $85,000 margin. In our second year of
operation, we added a propane standby system, which shaves 20% off the
natural gas bills. The turf was also replaced last year. We reached into our
reserves to purchase these items. Reserves are $100,000 behind where they
should be, Blank said. It's appropriate at this time to do a rate increase. Busch,
the PCC manager, proposed raising them $15 per hour. Blank thought that was
too much, so he's proposing raising them $9 for primetime and $10 for non -
primetime. The Wayzata Central bubble will only have a half field, and they will
charge $100 per hour. Minnetonka hasn't let us know what their price point will
be. We're substantially under what other communities charge, but Blank said
we're comfortable with our rates. He thinks Minnetonka will be in the $200
range. Singer asked why Blank is proposing $244 instead of $245 per hour.
Busch wants an even dollar amount that can be cut in half. Half of $244 is
122, while half of $245 is $122.50. Singer doesn't feel $9 is enough for a two
PRAC Minutes/June 2004
Page 24
year rate plan. Blank said we'll come back with a report next year, so we don't
have to lock it in for two years. Fiemann wants to see how the Wayzata and
Minnetonka bubbles affect us, so he's concerned about raising fees too much.
Davis said it's implied that we replaced the turf early. He wondered if we
adjusted reserves to cover the next replacement. Blank said we replaced it
early not due to a quality issue, but due to a color issue. The second turf has a
6 year warranty on it. Blank said he thinks it will have a 10 year life cycle. Blank
also said the total cost is $400,000 to replace the turf, but we got it for $90,000.
Blank also said the reserves are earning interest. We were $10,000 over our
margin this year, so Blank thinks we'll go up about $20,000 over our margin by
charging $9 more per hour. Singer thinks we should take the opportunity to
build up our reserves. Singer hasn't heard much talking about the Wayzata
bubble, but she has heard that people love the Plymouth fieldhouse turf.
Rodriquez asked about the quality of the new Wayzata bubble turf. Blank said
the product at the central facility is the same as the product at the high school.
Our field is 60 yards wide, theirs is 50-53 yards wide. SINGER MOVED TO
ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION OF RAISING FIELDHOUSE RATES
TO $244 PER HOUR FOR PRIMETIME AND $210 PER HOUR FOR NON
PRIMETIME FOR ONE YEAR. DAVIS SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED, ALL
AYES.
7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION
None.
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
Blank shared some information regarding the city-wide survey done recently. He
pointed out some of the statistics regarding the recreation portion of the survey.
The last survey was done in 1999, so there are comparisons between this year's
survey and that year's survey. The City started doing surveys in 1982 or 1983 and
trails always came out as being the most wanted recreation amenity. But that has
now changed. Now people are more interested in open space. They feel we finally
have enough trails. Blank said we have ordinances now that indicate where
sidewalks are required. Our staff and the planning staff monitor where trails and
sidewalks need to go in any new development. Fiemann believes that a sidewalk
or trail is needed over by Plymouth Station to get people to the shopping area from
the residential neighborhood west of there. Blank said we are working on the
videotape for the Gold Medal award. Singer has been working on that with Evans.
Channel 9 has volunteered to fly a helicopter over the city for the purpose of taking
some overhead shots for the video. They have cameras mounted underneath the
helicopter. The video has to be in by June 25. The next Park Commission meeting
is July 8, which falls during the holiday week. There was some discussion about
moving the meeting. Blank will not be available on the 15t". If there is no urgent
business, we may cancel the July meeting.
9. ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.