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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 12-08-2005MINUTES OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING December 8, 2005 Page 1 PRESENT: Commissioners Aamoth, Fiemann, Davis, Griwac, Krahulec, Singer; staff Blank, Evans, Pederson ABSENT: Commissioners Rezabek, Mohagen, and Pederson CALL TO ORDER Chair Fiemann called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Singer moved and Davis seconded a motion to approve the November minutes. Motion carried all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present at the meeting. b. Staff. Evans discussed Old Fashioned Christmas, held on Sunday, December 4. Between 300 and 400 people showed up for the event. We are now gearing up for the New Year's Around the World event on December 31 from 6-9 pm at Life Time Fitness and the Ice Center. We still need volunteers. Evans shared a copy of the December issue of the Leisure Times with the commissioners. We're beginning to plan for summer programs. Staff is working on the annual report. We are also working with the communities of Roseville, New Brighton and others researching a public art policy that will meet the needs of each community. Once a draft plan is available, it will be shared with PRAC. Krahulec said that Deephaven is working on a similar policy and he suggested we contact them, too. Evans asked for commissioners to volunteer again for the bonfire supervision at the Fire & Ice Festival. A sign up sheet was passed around. Davis asked about the cancellation of the Sleepless Sleepout. Evans said only five people signed up. Krahulec complimented staff on the Leisure Times and said it's a first rate publication. c. Others. There were no other presentations. 4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION a. Approved facility rental fees and policies for 2006. Rental fees were passed by the Council with no changes or corrections. Blank discussed staff's proposal to offer events at the Hilde that would be run by outside promoters. The Council did not like the idea enough to give it the go ahead for now. The Council does agree that the Hilde is under used and directed staff to find some bigger and better events to hold there. The crowd size that staff is shooting for is somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 people. The budget for events like this PRAC Minutes/December 2005 Page 2 would need to be increased in order to draw groups that would attract a large audience. Aamoth asked what the City Council found objectionable about the idea. Blank said noise — music and crowd noise - as well as traffic issues were the main concerns. We will continue to look for a middle ground event that wouldn't overcome the parking availability and that wouldn't create too much noise to offend anyone, etc. Evans said the Council wants us to be able to do events, so staff will continue to work on this. We would use snow fence to fence off the area to keep non -ticket holders out. Fiemann said he really likes the idea of doing larger musical events at the Hilde. He feels there are a lot of concert groups out there that would be accepted by the community. Blank said we might be able to get something organized by 2007, but it's not likely that anything will occur in 2006. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Plymouth/New Hope Little League Baseball request. Blank re -introduced Brian Johnson, President of the Plymouth/New Hope Little League. He then displayed a schematic of the Zachary Playfield and explained the field layout. The Little League's original request was for three all -grass infields. We have now reached an agreement with them where they will still get three fields, but only two of them will be grass infields, while the third will remain an ag-lime infield. This allows the Armstrong girls' fast pitch team to keep two skinned infields for their use, as well as allowing park and recreation programs continued use of the fields. The new plan meets the Little League's needs, our needs long term, Armstrong's needs long-term, and it meets our maintenance abilities. The estimated cost for the playfield upgrade is approximately 436,000 according to the consultant. The irrigation upgrade comes to 168,000 and the parking upgrade comes to approximately $48,000, making the whole upgrade total $652,000. The City's cost after the Little League's contribution of $250,000 comes to $402,000, which is well within the $455,000 originally budgeted for improvements to Zachary. It makes sense now that the dollars we are using come from the park replacement fund for things above and beyond normal maintenance. Blank said it's a good use of our money to turn this complex into a modern-day youth baseball facility. These changes will last for at least 25 years. Brian Johnson likes the plan. He feels that everyone wins with this deal. Fiemann said the deal breaker for him was being able to accommodate Armstrong girls, and since that's being done, he's on board with the plan. Blank said we have three plans for parking. We can add 24-48 more parking stalls, and he feels it will be an even better parking situation. The parking situation was difficult before, so solving that is also a benefit. Singer asked if this budget includes the parking. Blank said it does. Fiemann asked by what date does the Little League need to have their money raised. Blank said this hasn't been decided yet. We'll spend money on designing in February and March and get a bid package ready to go. We will actually have a written agreement with the Little League that will address the funding and their use of the park. Fiemann asked about a concession stand. Blank said there wouldn't be a building there for a while. We will have sewer and water lines that will run PRAC Minutes/December 2005 Page 3 to a location for a building in the future. A concession building would probably cost about $250,000. We will do all of the maintenance here, just like we do with all of our other playfields, Blank said. This plan is cheaper to do than building the retaining wall. SINGER MOVED TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL AS PRESENTED, AND, FURTHER, THAT THE FINANCIAL PLAN ALSO BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. DAVIS SECONDED. Davis agrees that this is a very good plan. Krahulec is concerned about the lights. Blank explained where the light poles will be located and how moving some will work out. It won't be the greatest lighting situation, but the Little League understands and accepts this. Blank said upgrades to the lighting situation could be addressed at a later date. THE MOTION CARRIED WITH ALL AYES. Brian Johnson was very grateful and thanked everyone for approving the plan. b. Comp Plan update. The council and planning commission have held two joint meetings, both well attended. The Council looked at a lot of demographic housing issues. Three different scenarios of land use guiding will be done. The plan is to have the land use guiding done by June of 2006. During the next meeting on Monday, the public will have their turn to speak up. Evans and Blank have been talking about the bikeway issue. We have installed 8 -foot bike lanes on both sides of Schmidt Lake Road, and this has been a great success. Some time in January or February, we're going to put the word out that we want to hear from bicyclists who bike to work. Fiemann asked about the 10th playfield. Blank said that Councilmember Black is asking the Council to study holding a referendum on this. The park dedication fund was set up to build a park system, not a greenway. There's going to be a cash gap that will have to be addressed. The next logical time for a referendum is next November. We can either do a written mailed ballot mid -year or do one during the next general election. Council will have a work session sometime in January or February. A community survey was done last year, Evans said. Residents are concerned with preserving open space. Preserving open space and maintaining the rural character are the two top interests. Blank's concern is that there is a small number of people living in northwest Plymouth who may be dictating the lifestyle of the 10,000 people that will be living there in the future. Singer mentioned that there is a senior biking club. Blank said that they would be invited to that bike group meeting as well. When people talk about open space, are they talking about the 10th playfield and the Greenway, Fiemann asked? Blank said there's no way to know exactly what they mean. From a park commission perspective, Fiemann knows what strains there are on the playfields, regardless of their use, whether it's soccer, lacrosse, baseball, etc., but he also loves the Northwest Greenway. Eden Prairie passed three of their four referendums and Woodbury passed one as well. Aamoth asked if we stick with open space, does this affect the park dedication fund? Blank said we raised our fees for 2006 to help increase that fund. Blank said we would keep the commission informed as the comp plan progresses. 6. NEW BUSINESS PRAC Minutes/December 2005 Page 4 a. Brainstorm goals for next year. Some goals for next year include the comp plan, a public art policy, park use policies and ordinances. Singer wants to survey our tobacco use policy. Is it working? Blank suggested asking park maintenance if they're picking up less cigarette butts. Evans said we've handed out little business type cards advertising that we're a smoke free organization. Fiemann asked about developing a policy on the use of the Hilde. Blank said we have a policy in place now for community use. Blank said maybe the goal ought to be discussing, at the commission level, what the use of the Hilde should be and how to get bigger events in there. Singer asked if the Commission should be addressing goals for recreation. Evans said we're holding the state conference next year, so that is one of our goals. Something the Commission could look at is our inclusion/adaptive program, Evans said. We partnered with the Thunder Soccer Camp this past summer, and we learned at the last minute that one of the kids that signed up through them had a fatal peanut allergy. We had to do a lot of last minute prep to make sure that all kids attending knew the regulations that no snacks containing peanuts or peanut products are allowed to be brought to the camp. We have a lot of kids attending our programs who have serious allergies, and other medical issues like ADHD. Fiemann asked if one the goals should be an energy audit to help reduce expenses. Blank said we could give PRAC a report on this. Davis said we could see if there is a big change from year to year. We have athletic associations that want to practice under the lights in May. Blank said we don't permit that, as a way to conserve energy. Singer mentioned the Edina Task Force that will be studying the issue of how to schedule their facilities in a fair manner, so that all groups are treated equally, rather than traveling teams getting more use than non -traveling. The Golden Valley park director recently contacted us asking how we handle this. Blank said we don't decide based on skill level, but rather on the number of kids using the facility. Fields are assigned based on the numbers needing the space. Singer mentioned that Paul Bierman is a proponent of the legislature handling this matter. Commissioners agreed that is a very scary thought. Our policy has been that if you have a group consisting of at least 50% Plymouth kids, we'll find a place for your group. Aamoth said this is another reason to add the 10th playfield. Blank said we'd have a list of goals in January for PRAC to review. Fiemann asked about tile at the ice center. The lowest quote is $38,000 Blank said. When we close the books on the construction of the ice center, we'll be about 40,000 over budget. We will be re -carpeting the Center Ice meeting room. In the Blue Line room, we may remove the carpet and install tile, because this room gets a lot of use and wear and tear. Davis asked about commissioner terms ending in January. Blank said the Council is reappointing Ellie, Ron and Seth, so everyone now on the commission will remain. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION None. PRAC Minutes/December 2005 Page 5 STAFF COMMUNICATION None. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:22 pm.