HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 12-14-20171 Approved Minutes
December 14, 2017
Approved Minutes
Park & Recreation Advisory Commission
Thursday, December 14, 2017
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Merrilee Riley, Commissioners: Dick Burkhardt, Marilyn Sunseri, Michael Swanson,
Tricia DeBleeckere, Aaron Vanderwall
MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF PRESENT: Parks & Recreation Director Diane Evans, Deputy Director Barb Northway, Recreation Manager
Kari Hemp, Office Support Specialist Sarah Josephs
COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES: Councilmember Jim Davis
GUESTS:
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Riley called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion by Commissioner Sunseri, seconded by Commissioner Burkhardt, recommending approval
of the October 12, 2017 Park and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting minutes as written with
changes as mentioned. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried.
3. OPEN FORUM:
Vita Wilson will be joining the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission in 2018 as an At-Large
member. She has lived in Plymouth, near Zachary Lane Elementary School, since 1998 with her
husband and 2 children. Ms. Wilson works as a Realtor and understands that parks and trails are a
vital part to the community and a key concern for homebuyers.
4. PRESENTATIONS (NON-ACTION ITEMS):
4a. Recreation Operations – Kari Hemp
In 2017, the Recreation division served 31,444 participants through 2,141 programs and events.
The Parks & Recreation department was very proud to receive 3 awards from Minnesota Parks &
Recreation Association in 2017. Awards of Excellence were presented for Spotted in Plymouth
Parks, Bark in the Park, and the GIP Management system.
The Sponsorship Program has grown quite a bit over the last few years. By having the option for
local businesses to provide sponsorship dollars to our division we are able to offer many free
events throughout the year as well as have it supplement other programs and events.
Sponsorships start at $500 for a program/activity sponsorship and go up to $6,250 for yearly
sponsors. TCB Bank and Abbott Northwestern Allina Health were Platinum Sponsors in 2017.
Kids Fest continues to grow each year. This year the date was rescheduled due to rain and still saw
a huge turnout of 2,100 people. Staff are looking into new features to add for 2018.
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The Pump Track event was very well attended by over 300 people this fall. Maple Grove Cycling and
3rd Lair were onsite providing demonstrations. Staff are looking to make this an annual event.
A new winter Farmers Market was added this winter. Staff have partnered with Bachman’s in
Plymouth to host the indoor markets in their greenhouse area. The first market on November 5 had
9 vendors and 268 participants present. The market will continue through March.
The division implemented a new group hiring process for summer staff. They held one event and
brought in 16 applicants. This processed saved time for staff and allowed them to find the best fit
for programs.
An all-day playground program was added at Bass Lake Playfield in the summer. The program was
offered Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The first year was very successful and had 75
registrants. Staff are looking into a second site for 2018. The program is open to kids 5 -10 years old
and allows families to register for one week or multiple weeks. Kids are able to play at the park, do
organized activities, crafts, and kid’s choice.
5. NEW BUSINESS (ACTION ITEMS):
5a. 2018 Meeting Schedule (Action)
Chair Riley shared that the meeting schedule is generally to have meetings two months in a row
and then two months off. With many upcoming Open Houses and community meetings on the
calendar for 2018, a recommendation was made to remove the December meeting from the
schedule.
Commissioner Burkhardt suggested changing the meeting hosted at the Plymouth Ice Center from
October to November. They facility would be able to showcase more activity as the hockey seasons
would be further along and High School games would hav e started by then.
Motion by Commissioner Burkhardt, seconded by Commissioner Sunseri, recommending the PRAC
meeting hosted at the PIC be moved from October 11 to November 8. With a vote of 3 ayes and 2
nays, the motion passed.
Motion by Commissioner DeBleeckere, seconded by Commissioner Burkhardt, recommending
PRAC have six meetings in 2018. With no objections, the motion passed.
5b. 2017 Strategic Plan Status (Action)
PRAC is updated on the Strategic Plan twice a year as per the CAPRA accreditation guidelines. At
both the mid-year and end-of-year meetings an updated is provided on large projects and
initiatives scheduled for the year.
The Northwest Greenway Phase 3 project is substantially complete. Crooked Creek Park is still
under construction with the playground installation still needing to be completed. There will be a
spring installation and ribbon cutting.
The renovations at East Medicine Lake Park are moving forward. The first phase of bids were
rejected for coming in well over estimates. The project was combined and rebid. The bids will go
before Council in January to award the contract. The renovation would begin in summer of 2018.
The playgrounds at Imperial Hills Park and Sunrise Parks were replaced in 2017.
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December 14, 2017
The refrigeration conversion at the Plymouth Ice Center is substantially complete. There are a few
changes still being made with the energy management system.
The new Fieldhouse dome is in place. Like the PIC, changes are still being made to adjust heating
and inflation controls.
Motion by Commissioner Burkhardt, seconded by Commissioner Sunseri, recommending the
approval of the 2017 Strategic Plan. With no objection, the motion passed.
6. COMMISSIONER/STAFF UPDATE
Halloween at the Creek was very successful again this year with over 1,000 participants
attending the event. An event this size can create a challenge when staging visitors prior to the
start of the event. Due to cold temperatures, staff creatively found a way to bring everyone in
while still keeping order with check-in.
The Wedding Expo was held on November 4 at the Plymouth Creek Center with 150 people in
attendance.
There were roughly 700 people at Old Fashioned Christmas on December 9 at Plymouth Creek
Park.
A new event is scheduled for Friday, January 19 at the Plymouth Creek Center. This event will
be focused on adults only. After getting feedback from many of the kids events, staff created
an event where adults can play on inflatables, enjoy a comedy show, have pizza and cash bar,
and play arcade video games. Tickets are currently on sale for $25 a person, with a discount to
20 a person if you buy 10 or more tickets.
The pond in the Millennium Gardens is being groomed this winter to offer a small skating rink.
A new event, Skate the Garden, will be held on January 11 from 6-8pm with treats and hot
chocolate.
The City recently accepted a donation of $32,000 from the family of Laddie Miller, who
recently passed away. The funds donated will be used towards the installation of a pergola to
be installed in the Millennium Garden in summer of 2018.
Volunteer Coordinator Jackie Maas recently received the Mary Weiser Leadership Award from
the Minnesota Association of Volunteer Administration.
Staff will begin the process of acquiring the next set of exclusive caterers for events at the
Plymouth Creek Center.
A study session will be held with City Council on February 13 to discuss a potential renovation
to the Plymouth Creek Center.
There will be an Open House for the Meadows Park before our January PRAC meeting, and an
Open House for Green Oaks Park before the February meeting.
The National Sled Hockey organizers have requested to come back to the PIC for their Sled
Classic in 2019. Chair Riley shared how thrilling it was to be a part of the tournament this year.
7. ADJOURNMENT
Motion by Commissioner Burkhardt, seconded by Commissioner Swanson, recommending
adjournment of the Park and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting. With no objection, Chair
Riley adjourned the meeting at 8:00 p.m.