2015-12-08 Parks and Rec Comm Agenda Packet
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
AGENDA
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Tuesday December 8, 2015 - 6:30 P.M.
City Council Chambers
1. Roll Call
2. Approval of Agenda
3. Approval of the November 10, 2015 Minutes
4. Announcements
5. Pollinator Friendly City
6. MHAA Soccer
7. August & November 2016 Meetings
8. Par 3 Report
9. Winter Warming Houses & Rinks
10. Summer 2016 Programs
11. Review Activity Log
12. Commission Comments
13. Adjourn
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will make every attempt to provide the aids. This may not, however, be possible on
short notice. Please contact City Administration at 651-452-1850.
Meetings can be viewed anytime on-demand at: www.mendota-heights.com.
MH Parks and Recreation Commission 11-10-2015 Page
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING
November 10, 2015
The November meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on
Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve.
Chair Hinderscheid called to order the parks and recreation commission meeting at 6:30 p.m.
The following commissioners were present: Chair Hinderschied, Commissioners: Ira Kipp,
Stephanie Levine, Jack Evans and Michael Toth. Staff present: Recreation Programmer Sloan
Wallgren.
Approval of Agenda
Chair Hinderscheid add the Lebanon Hills Greenway to the agenda.
COMMISSIONER LEVINE MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA;
COMMISSIONER EVANS SECONDED THE MOTION.
AYES 4: NAYS 0
Approval of Minutes from October 13, 2015
COMMISSIONER LEVINE MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE
OCTOBER 13, 2015 MEETING; COMMISSIONER EVANS SECONDED THE MOTION.
AYES 4: NAYS 0
Announcements
Mr. Wallgren congratulated all of the local high school student athletes that were participating
in the various state tournaments.
Park Dedication Fees
Mr. Wallgren explained to the commission that the park dedication fee is currently $2,700 for
residential lots and 10% of the assessed value for new commercial and industrial lots. This fee
was last increased in 2003 from $1,500 to $2,700. A recent survey of other metro cities shows
that the City of Mendota Heights is below the average ($3,911) for park dedication fees of
residential lots. The commission discussed the reason and necessity to increase the park
dedication fees.
COMMISSIONER LEVINE MADE A MOTION FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO
CONSIDER INCREASING THE PARK DEDICATION FEE OF RESIDENTIAL LOTS TO
AT LEAST THE METRO AVERAGE OF $3,911. COMMISSIONER EVANS SECONDED
THE MOTION.
AYES 5: NAYS 0
Pollinator-Friendly City Resolution
Mr. Wallgren explained that the commission should develop a plan of action to become a
Pollinator-Friendly City, before this resolution is brought forward to the city council. The
commission discussed items that they would like to see involved with becoming a Pollinator-
MH Parks and Recreation Commission 11-10-2015 Page
Friendly City. The following list are several things that the city would do to encourage
residents to be pollinator-friendly:
-Have an educational article in the spring issue of the Heights Highlights.
-Work with Green River Greening to plant pollinator-friendly plantings.
-Establish a plant sharing program.
-Work with the Mendota Heights Garden Club to plant some pollinator-friendly plantings.
- Provide information on the city website.
Staff will put together a list of the items along with additional information and bring it back to
the commission in December.
Lebanon Hills Greenway Trail
The commission discussed the three options that the county has recommended for the trail
crossing at Highway 110. The commission feels that a wide tunnel or over pass would be a
safer option than a tunnel.
CHAIR HINDERSCHID MADE A MOTION TO SUPPORT OPTION #2 WHICH IS
LOCATED CLOSER TO DODD ROAD AND WOULD INCLUDE A WIDE TUNNEL OR
OVER PASS. COMMISSIONER LEVINE SECCONDED THE MOTION.
AYES 4: NAYES 0: OBSTAINED 1
Par 3 Report
Mr. Wallgren presented the golf course report for the month of September. The course has had
a great year so far. Net revenue for the year through September was a profit of $38,554. The
golf course will close for the season on November 11th.
Commission Comments
Commissioner Kipp encouraged citizens to participate in the city government activities.
Commissioner Levine expressed her sympathy for Jerry Murphy’s family.
Commissioner Toth encouraged people to keep an eye out for deer and other animals this fall.
Commissioner Evans thought it was a good meeting and thanked everyone.
Chair Hinderscheid congratulated all the local athletes on their success this fall, and send his
sympathy out to the Murphy family.
COMMISSIONER PAPER LEVINE A MOTION TO ADJURN THE MEETING.
COMMISSIONER EVANS SECONED THE MOTION.
AYES 5: NAYS 0
The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Respectfully Submitted by Sloan Wallgren
DATE: December 8, 2015
TO: Parks & Recreation Commission
FROM: Sloan Wallgren, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: Declaring the City of Mendota Heights a Pollinator-Friendly City
Update
At the October Parks and Recreation Commission meeting the commission passed a motion for the city
council to consider becoming a Pollinator-Friendly City. The city council supports the idea for becoming
a Pollinator-Friendly City, but wanted to see a plan of action in place before passing the resolution. At
the November Parks and Recreation meeting the commission discussed several ways in which the city
could support the resolution. The following is a list of the actions steps the commission came up with:
1. The city would make sure that future plantings on city property are pollinator-friendly.
2.The city will include an article in the April 2016 issue of the Heights Highlights to educate the
residents why it is important to be pollinator-friendly and how to be pollinator-friendly.
3.The city will provide links on the city’s website to pollinator-friendly websites, which will include
best practices and a list of pollinator-friendly plants
4. The commission would like to establish a plant sharing program.
5.Work with groups such as the Mendota Heights Garden Club and Green River Greening to plant
pollinator-friendly plants when the opportunity presents itself.
Budget Impacts
There will be not impact to the budget.
Page 1 of 1
DATE: December 8, 2015
TO: Parks and Recreation Commission
FROM: Sloan Wallgren, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: MHAA Soccer
Update
At our September meeting the commission heard from residents in the Kensington neighborhood
that were concerned with the traffic and parking issues that were being caused by the MHAA
soccer program. Staff has been working with MHAA to create a plan that would be acceptable.
The plan is to move the following programs to Mendakota Park. City staff would line the fields
for soccer, and the association would store their pop-up goals in the concession building.
Mendakota Park offers: restrooms, concessions, storage, big playground, picnic shelter, a 150 stall
parking lot, on street parking and has an overflow lot for parking. Mendakota Park should have
enough space to accommodate the needs of MHAA.
Pre-K=96 kids Play Saturday Mornings September 10-October 15
Kindergarten=144 kids Play Saturday Mornings September 10-October 15
1st & 2nd Grade Boys=120 Kids Play Wednesday Nights & Saturday Mornings Aug 8-October 15
1st & 2nd Grade Girls=96 Kids Play Monday Nights & Saturday Mornings Aug 8-October 15
Staff has attached a map of what the facility would look like. This would still allow MHAA
Flagfootball to have space Monday Nights and Saturday afternoons, and would allow for Eco-Lab
to hold their company softball league on Thursday nights through September. MHAA Fall Softball
could still use the fields on Tuesday Nights and Sundays.
Required Action
No formal action is required. If the commission is comfortable with this solution staff will bring it
forward to the city council as a possible recommendation to solve to traffic/parking issues at
Kensington Park.
A1
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B1
C2
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B2
D1
D2
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60 35
45
2
2
.
5
10
0
16
8
Full Field – 60x100
Lined in White
Playground
Fence
Parking Lot
Field E Field A Field B
Field C Field D
Inner Fields – 50x70
Lined in Yellow
Restrooms
Kensington Soccer Complex - Field Assignments
2075
2201
2107
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795
2107
21702170
796
21502150
796
2140
2126
795
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2220
D O D D R D
MENDAKOTA DR
Aerometrics
Mendakota Park
12 Soccer Field Layout
December 4, 2015
City of
Mendota
Heights0150
SCALE IN FEET
Legend
IA Parking
Soccer Field - 22y x 30y
DATE: December 8, 2015
TO: Parks and Recreation Commission
FROM: Sloan Wallgren, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: August & November Meetings in 2016
BACKGROUND
The year 2016 will be an election year in Mendota Heights. State law requires that no public
meetings be held between 6:00p.m. and 8:00p.m. on the date of the elections which are scheduled
as the same dates as out Parks & Recreation Commission meetings in August and November.
Moving the meetings to another date and time is often difficult to coordinate with the local cable
station, and we have to be out of the conference chambers by 9:00p.m. those nights because that
is where all the election officials return to with their equipment and supplies to coordinate the
results.
Staff is recommending that the commission conduct a park tour during the August meeting rather
than hold a meeting at city hall. Staff would also recommend that the November meeting be held
from 8:00pm. to 9:00p.m. or cancelled if there is nothing of importance on the agenda.
REQUIRE ACTION
No action required at this time.
DATE: December 8, 2015
TO: Parks and Recreation Commission
FROM: Sloan Wallgren, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: October Par 3 Update
Update
The golf course closed for business on November 11th. We had a great year in terms of revenue
and programs offered. The clubhouse will be open on Saturday and Sundays from 10:00a.m. to
3:00p.m. beginning January 2nd through February 28th. We will have fat tire bikes and snowshoes
available for rent, the restrooms will be available and we will have snacks and beverages for sale.
Budget
Financial date will be available Tuesday December 8th.