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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Packet 04-11-1996Regular Meeting of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission April 11, 1996, 7 p.m. AGENDA 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Minutes 3. Visitor Presentations a. Athletic Associations b. Staff c. Others 4. Report on Past Council Action a. Awarded grading contract on ice arena b. Adopted 1996 CIP 5. Unfinished Business a. Review ice arena/pool complex b. West Medicine Lake Park update c. Open spaces update d. Playfield/highschool update e. Senior citizen needs analysis update f. Continue golf course discussion - Craig Scherber, owner of Elm Creek, will attend meeting g. Planning for northeast neighborhood park update 6. New Business a. Letter from Pilgrim Lane Elementary School b. C. 7. Commission Presentation 8. Staff Communication 9. Adjourn Next regular meeting- May 9 Minutes of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Meeting March 14, 1996 Page 12 Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Fiemann, Johnson, Thompson, Wahl and Willegalle; staff Bisek, Blank and Pederson; Councilmember Wold Absent: Commissioner Priebe 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Anderson called the March meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Mooney Lake Room. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Commissioner Wahl and seconded by Commissioner Thompson to approve the minutes of the February meeting as presented. Councilmember Wold indicated that in the minutes, members of the Council should be referred to as councilmember rather than councilman. The motion carried with all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present. b. Staff. Mary Bisek announced that this year's Shape Up Challenge held its kick-off meeting on March 14. This program is a fitness "contest' between companies located in Plymouth. Employees "challenge" each other by exercising and earning points for each minute of exercise. She stated that the summer recreation brochure has been sent to the printer and should be delivered to residents on April 1. Planning for the northeast neighborhood park is underway. A letter is being sent to area residents inviting them to the first meeting with the architect, scheduled for April 2. Adult softball registration is still being accepted in leagues where there is space available. Applications are being accepted in the park and recreation department for summer seasonal help in several areas; t -ball, softball and baseball PRAC Minutes/March 1996 Page 13 instructors; lifeguards and swimming instructors; golf and tennis instructors; playground and daycamp leaders; and office clerical help. The recreation department is researching new computer software for registration. One of the things being considered is phone -interactive registration. A new program being offered this summer is the Plymouth Pageant, for ages 10-14. The end product will be a play presented at the History Fest on August 10, about the history of Plymouth. Councilmember Wold mentioned to Mary that there was a Plymouth militia in 1868 that she might want to research for possible inclusion in the play if it's deemed appropriate. c. Others. None were present. 4. PAST COUNCIL ACTION a. Approved annual report and 1996 work plan. Chair Anderson said that the Council approved the 1995 Park Commission annual report and praised it as one of the best they receive each year. They also approved the facility rental fees and policies as recommended by PRAC. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Ice arena/pool complex update. The Planning Commission approved the site plan at their last meeting, along with a conditional use permit, and reguiding and rezoning. There is a small wetland on the site, which has been approved for filling, but the City must now wait a period of 30 days for the public to make comments on that before any work could begin. Bids for site grading will be opened in April. The architect is working with the electrical and mechanical contractors. At the present time, the project is slightly over -budget, so it needs to be trimmed back a little. The contract with Life Time is moving along and is on the March 20 Council agenda. The target date for opening the ice arena is December 9, but Director Blank believes that early January is more realistic. The relocation of the amphitheater is also on the Council agenda for March 20. If this is approved, work on the site could begin as early as the next day. The amphitheater has to be completed by July 2, which is this year's date for Music in Plymouth. b. West Medicine Lake Park update. Director Blank announced that he gets a report once a month informing him that the soils have compressed another PRAC Minutes/March 1996 Page 14 six inches. He also said that the bid package is out for the bridge that will be constructed over Plymouth Creek. c. Open spaces update. Director Blank stated that the Seitzer property has been closed on, and there is an agreement with the Johnson Bros. for their parcel. This leaves the Stewart parcel, which is still for sale at $1.4 million. Mr. Stewart has been informed that the City is no longer interested in his property and that he can sell it to someone else if he chooses. Director Blank indicated that the open space task force will reconvene soon to start looking at how to manage the open space properties. d. Playfield/high school update. Director Blank stated that the committee is Waiting to see some written specifications on the playfields and that they want the project under construction as soon as it's feasible. The athletic fields need to be seeded and sodded this summer, so they have about a year to develop. Adult softball is scheduled to be moved to these fields next April, so that youth baseball programs can be moved to Zachary. e. Senior citizen needs analysis. Director Blank had nothing to report on this item. f. Continue golf course discussion. Director Blank stated that he hasn't had much time to think about golf, but that he would like to invite the three owners to attend the next three PRAC meetings, separately, and get their opinion on what they feel is the best course of action for them. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Request from Armstrong to help fund their baseball stadium. Director Blank explained that Armstrong is in the process of building a new baseball facility at the high school, but they are running out of funds and will need outside assistance if they are to complete this project. They have made a request from the City for $27,000. Director Blank said that there is money in the Parks CIP and that this is a project that deserves our help. A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER WILLEGALLE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON RECOMMENDING THAT COUNCIL AUTHORIZE THE EXPENDITURE OF $27,000 FOR THE ARMSTRONG BASEBALL STADIUM. In the discussion that followed, Councilmember Wold suggested that when Armstrong makes its official request in writing, that they indicate they intend to build a "safe" athletic facility. PRAC agreed with that suggestion, and the motion carried with all ayes. PRAC Minutes/March 1996 Page 15 b. Hennepin County regional trail. Director Blank stated that the City is working with the Park District on a joint project to get a regional trail all along the east and south shore of Medicine Lake that will tie into the Luce Line and eventually into the Theodore Wirth trail. A public meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 18, at Armstrong High School, to get citizen feedback on the proposed trail. The City and the County have jointly hired the consulting firm of Strgar-Roscoe-Fausch to identify problem areas along the proposed trail route and then later to do a feasibility report and cost estimate. The City has allocated $100,000 in the capital improvements budget to this project so far, and Henn. Co. has $1 million available to spend. Director Blank explained that this trail has been in the works for over 15 years now, and the City is trying to gently push the County along in getting this done. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION None. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Director Blank announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the ice arena will probably be scheduled sometime in April. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m. PILGRIM LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 3725 Pilgrim Lm,e Plymoalh, MN 55441 545-1649 March 28, 1996 Eric Blank, Park and Recreation Director City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Boulevard Plymouth, Minnesota 55447 Dear Mr. Blank: This letter is to request financial support from the city of Plymouth to modernize the playground equipment located at Pilgrim Lane Elementary School. The playground equipment and fields are used by the surrounding community during the school year and summer months. The present equipment, purchased and installed with cooperation between the city of Plymouth and this school's Parent Teacher Organization, is in need of replacement within the next few years. The treated wood structures are approximately 13 years old. Inspections have been completed routinely. Several parts and pieces have been replaced or repaired over time by school staff. Please give this request serious consideration as you plan future budget allocations. It is our desire to continue to work cooperatively with the city of Plymouth to serve our Plymouth community. Sincerely, R o lvk(n- Roger O. Evans, Principal c: Thomas D. Bollin, Superintendent of Schools I INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT281 Robbinsdale Area Schools Learning for a lifetime of growing