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2008-06-10 Parks and Rec Comm MinutesApproved CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING June 10, 2008 The June 2008 meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, June 10, 2008, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 P.M. The following Commissioners were excused Chair Paul Portz, Michael Toth and Maureen Brackey. The following Commissioners were present: Acting Chair Ray Morris, Larry Craighead, Tom Kraus, and Liz O'Brien. Staff present were: Guy Kullander, Parks Operations and Project Coordinator, Jake Sedlacek, Assistant to the City Administrator, Teresa Gangelhoff, Recreation Programmer, and Nancy Bauer, Recording Secretary. MINUTES: Commissioner Kraus made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Commissioner Craighead. AYES 4 NAYES 0 I'�aTN;7 HIV IfC�7►i 7 Z�Zel;7:��� 11� f �I �F`I17 �I Z�].711 Ms. Gangelhoff reported that this year's Park Celebration was a huge success with good weather, large turnout, a lot of vendors and a lot of donations. There were about 1,500 people at the celebration. Acting Chair Morris commented that it was another job well done. Ms. Gangelhoff reported that Valley Fair is full on Thursday. Safety camp is full and there is a waiting list being taken. Tennis started on Monday, there are 150 kids. Summer Playhouse starts next week. Golf leagues started last week. Youth trips this summer are Valley Fair (June 12"), Minnesota Twins (June 19'), Star Wars exhibit (June 26"), Edina Aquatic Center (July 10"), Cascade Bay (July 17'), Apple Valley Aquatic Park (July 24'), Mendota Heights and West St. Paul Park and Rec Day at the WSP pool (July 31"). There are spots open for the fishing derby. Commissioner Craighead asked if the information was available on the website. Ms. Gangelhoff responded it was at www.mendota-heights.com. Page - 1 6/10/08 Approved DOG PARK Residents Kim Smith, 1783 Lilac Lane, and Jean West, 1833 Eagle Ridge Drive, were in attendance to discuss the dog park. Ms. Smith said she would like to see a gate put up at the Marie Park hockey rink, so the dogs could be off leash to play and socialize with other dogs. The gate would not have to be fancy just something to confine the dogs off lease. Ms. West says she lives across the street from the park and sees others using the park for the same reason. The police informed users that they were in violation with the off leash law. Commissioner Craighead says he has seen people with their dogs in the hockey rink in the park. There were boards used in the past to close off the opening of the hockey rink and asked if they were still around. Mr. Kullander said they were but they were cumbersome to use. Acting Chair Morris asked Mr. Kullander if he looked into the cost of a gate. Mr. Kullander said he did not. He thought Public Works employees could fabricate a light weight, temporary gate. Commissioner Kraus asked if the gate would be removed for hockey season. Mr. Kullander responded that it would be removed. Acting Chair Morris asked if staff saw any down side from staff on making this an off leash park. Mr. Kullander said there could be a maintenance issue. The group that uses it now cleans up after their dogs, but other users may not. Commissioner Morris said there are signs "pick up after your dogs" in City parks. Mr. Kullander said an additional sign could be put up and Public Works could add a trash barrel. There is no playground equipment near the hockey rink. Ms. Smith said they pick up dog waste even if it isn't their dogs waste. Commissioner Craighead said he didn't think it would be an issue. Commissioner Kraus asked if the ordinance would have to be amended. Mr. Sedlacek said the ordinance reads that "dogs should be restrained at all times". If a gate is put in that would be considered restraining the dog. The Police Chief did not have a strong opinion on the issue. Commissioner Craighead asked if it should include other hockey rinks. Mr. Sedlacek said in the test period it should not. Page - 2 6/10/08 Approved Commissioner Craighead asked if this would be a test. Mr. Sedlacek that this is what the Council is thinking of to see what kind of feedback they get from other residents. Commissioner Kraus made a motion that the request be accepted and make a recommendation to the City Council that the Marie Park ice rink be fitted with a temporary gate to be used as a dog park experimentally. Comrissioner O'Brien seconded the motion. AYES 4 NAYS 0 h 1 [��•f i[Il 1►:\►I I7YN� 7 fi;[Q! Mr. Todd Carroll, Landscape Architect, with MnDOT spoke of the Community Roadside Landscaping Partnership Program. It is a community program where MnDOT reimburses the City for landscape material and help design the landscaping along the highway. The costs do not cover labor and equipment. Some cities use volunteers to help plant the plantings. The City needs to maintain the plantings in the future. A lot of communities use this program for an entrance monument. Acting Chair Morris asked if the City started now would it be for this coming fiscal year. Mr. Carroll responded the program is available year round. It the City participated work would probably not start until next spring. The City would have to send a letter to the MnDOT District Engineer. Ms. McDermott has the application information and information is on the website to get started on the project. Commissioner Craighead asked if the materials used to build the monument is from the state funds. Mr. Carroll said the City did not need to do an entrance monument - the funds for a monument sign would come from the City, but MnDOT would help do the design of the monument and planning the location. An entrance monument could be placed on MnDOT right of way. Acting Chair Morris asked the dollar amounts City's use. Mr. Carroll said it varies by City. There is about $150,000 total for each City and eight cities applied last year. Most cities use $9,000 to $10,000. Commissioner Kraus asked if the project could be done in stages and more plantings added over the years. At. Carroll said yes, MnDOT has worked with a City for over 10 years. Commissioner Kraus asked if the City went to MnDOT with ideas. Page - 3 6/I0/08 Approved Mr. Carroll said that MnDOT comes out with a plan of the highway and works with the City to see what the City wants out on the highway. It takes about 2 to 3 meetings. Acting Chair Morris said that it all starts with a letter from the City to MnDOT. Mr. Carroll said yes a letter needs to be sent to the District Engineer in Roseville. Mr. Sedlacek asked if the Highway 110 median was eligible. Mr. Carroll said he wasn't sure because it wasn't a curbed or a raised median. He would check. MnDOT is looking at the back slopes for plantings. Mr. Kullander said a good project to do is the area by the Pilot Knob site, because of the amount of traffic coming over the Mendota Bridge. There could be a monument referring to the historic Pilot Knob restoration efforts and could be integrated with the effort being put in at the Pilot Knob site. Acting Chair Morris said that area could be worked on over time. Mr. Carroll said the program is for any highway within City limits. Acting Chair Morris said the general feeling from the Parks and Recreation Commission is that it is a good idea. Mr. Kullander reported that the reason for the 5 Year Capital Improvement Plan is for a guide for budgeting purposes. City Council declined to recondition a second tennis court last year and wanted to wait to see how the material held up. They did not rule out redoing another court with sport tiles. In the five year plan another tennis court was identified for resurfacing with sport tiles in 2009, Acting Chair Morris said he has received comments that people like playing on the sports tile, it's an improvement and it is holding up good. Mr. Kullander responded that the sport tiles have been in since July of 2007. It should last for up to 15 years, according to the manufacturer. It is cheaper than a total reconstruction. Another project the City Council rejected was the multi use field in the Friendly Marsh Park because the planning was not done for the Mendota Plaza. This is back on the list for 2009 and will depend on future plans for Mendota Plaza. Dodd Road trail and Highway 13 trail is on the 2009 list. Easements are being obtained. Friendly Hills Park and Victoria Highlands Park needs to have the playground equipment rehabilitated. Friendly Hills is the 3rd busiest park in the City and is in the 2009 list. Either park could be done in 2009. Rogers Lake Park equipment has been installed. Page - 4 6/10/08 Approved Acting Chair Morris asked if the graffiti was removed from the skate park. Mr. Kullander responded that as soon as it is taken off it is put back on but Public Works will take care of this recent incident. Mr. Kullander reported that those are the project for 2009. Acting Chair Morris asked which tennis court was in the worst condition Ivy Hill or Friendly Hills, Mr. Kullander responded they are about the same. Both are playable but are not unsafe. They are 35 year old surfaces that have been repaired many times over the years. Commissioner Kraus said he has gotten mixed messages on the sport tiles. Could feedback be gotten from residents on how they like the playing surface? Signs could be put up asking residents to call with their input. Mr. Kullander responded that he did put up signs last year at all the courts asking how they liked the new court, received about 10 calls and seven or eight callers were favorable. Commissioner Kraus said the court hadn't been in for very long and now that it is a year we should solicit some feedback. Mr. Kullander said he would put up a signs asking for feedback. Commissioner Kraus suggested that if a second court is redone in sport tiles a different the should be used. Mr. Kullander said that would also be his recommendation. There are three different surface textures available from the vendor. Commissioner Kraus said it should be put in the budget and get additional feedback. The important thing is to get in the budget. Acting Chair Morris said Valley Park doesn't get a lot play because the court does not look good. There are a lot of retired people and families in the area. It would be fun to put down another sport tile at this court. Commissioner Craighead said in 2008 the tennis courts in Valley Park were talked about and there was a drainage issue with the trail. Mr. Kullander said he went out there after the last two rain events and saw no effect to the court that there used to be. Commissioner Craighead said he saw dirt in the squares of the tiles and the fence was pulled up 2" higher and boards were put under the fence to keep tennis balls from going underneath the fence. The fence should be lowered. Page - 5 6/l0/08 Approved Mr. Kullander said when a fencing crew is working on Hagstrom-King Park he will have them look at that fence. The budget process started today and next month the Parks and Recreation Commission should have a list of projects for the City 2009 budget. Acting Chair Morris responded that the 5 Year Capital Plan will be voted on next month. Mr. Sedlacek reported that the City has hired a back up person to the financial person, who will be doing the financial reports for Par 3 on a regular basis. Part of their salary will come out of Par 3 expenditures. The Par 3 opened on April 16, 2008, of this year. January through March had $4,003.28 in expenditures with no revenue. In April there was $4,239.92 in revenue and $2,268.98 in expenditures. In May the revenue was $22,623.23 with expenditures of $15,940.99. We are at a net revenue over expenditure of $6,925.44. The recreation programs have not been included with the number. That will be close to $2,000, Professional services included attorney fees for contract review, city audit and alcohol server training. Acting Chair Morris said there have been positive comments on the turf conditions. Commissioner Kraus said last years numbers were included in past reports and are not in this report. Mr. Sedlacek they will be included in future reports because the City took over ownership of the course in June of last year. 325 rounds of golf were played in April (982 in April 2007). 2,187 rounds were played in May 2008 (2047 in May 2007). Commissioner Kraus asked if it included park and recreation programs. Mr. Sedlacek responded that it included lessons with a free pass to play. The Greens Committee discussed landscaping, events, promotions and data collection. Anita Patient of the Greens Committee found a landscape designer who will do a master plan for around the clubhouse and a list of things to do in the short term and long term. Construction is underway for the bathrooms, entryways and walkways. These improvements will make the clubhouse more accessible. Work is expected to be done by the end of June. New contracts have been worked out for rubbish and portable toilet services each saves about $50 per month each. Aeration is set to begin this month, the #4 tee will be reseeded and bunker rehab will be done to clean up the bunkers. Page - 6 6/10/08 Approved MENDOTA PLAZA Mr. Sedlacek reported that City Staff met with the developer of the Mendota Plaza today. Dakota County sent a letter to the City asking that the green space around the creek be preserved. The developer has met with Dakota County and has not come to an agreement to preserve the creek. Another public meeting is coming up at the July 22' Planning Commission meeting. The feedback from the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting was appreciated by the City Council and was used when talking with the developer. GOLF OUTING Mr. Sedlacek reported that August 2" worked the best with other Commissioners and Council Members, Commissioner O'Brien asked if the outing would be during the day. Mr. Sedlacek said yes, maybe start at 9:00 in the morning on Saturday. Regular golf fees would apply for people that want to golf. There could be hot dogs and side dishes. We'll plan it for August 2"a 11- There was nothing to report. COMMISSION COMMENTS Mr. Sedlacek reported that a work session is being planned for the Parks and Recreation Commission to talk about field usage for soccer and lacrosse. Teresa should get credit for her work on the the Parks Celebration. Acting Chair Morris invited everyone to go play on the Par 3 and have fun. a 1/�i11 i�i Commissioner O'Brien made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Commissioner Craighead. The meeting adjourned at 7:40 P.M. Page - 7 6/10/08