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2016-03-08 Parks and Rec Comm Agenda Packet CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AGENDA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Tuesday March 8, 2016 - 6:30 P.M. City Council Chambers 1. Roll Call 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Approval of the January 12, 2016 Minutes 4. Introductions 5. Announcements 6. Review Commission Responsibilities & Procedures 7. Election of President and Vice President 8. 2015 Park & Rec Report 9. Ice Rink Usage Updates 10. Pollinator Work Plan Update 11. Recreation Update 12. Commission Comments 13. Adjourn Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available at least 120 hours in advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights 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 1-12-2016 Page 1 CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING January 12, 2016 The December meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 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: Stephanie Levine, Jack Evans, Joel Paper, Ira Kipp David Miller and Michael Toth. Staff present: Recreation Programmer Sloan Wallgren. Approval of Agenda COMMISSIONER LEVINE MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA; COMMISSIONER PAPER SECONDED THE MOTION. AYES 6: NAYS 0 Approval of Minutes from December 8, 2015 COMMISSIONER PAPER MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE December 8, 2016 MEETING; COMMISSIONER MILLER SECONDED THE MOTION. AYES 6: NAYS 0 Announcements Mr. Wallgren announced that registration will soon be open for Mendota Heights Youth Athletic Association T-ball, lacrosse, and in-house baseball & softball. Winter Recreation Activities Mr. Wallgren update the commission on all of the winter activities that are taking place such as: hockey, skating lessons, and gymnastics lessons, cross country skiing and fat tire biking. Mendota to Lebanon Hills Greenway Mr. Wallgren updated the commission on the status of the Dakota County Mendota to Lebanon Hills Greenway Regional Trail. The council has expressed their desire of the type of crossing and the location of the crossing. Staff would update the commission when more information becomes available from Dakota County. Election of Chair and Vice-Chair Mr. Wallgren informed the commission that they should start to think about electing a Chair and Vice-Chair at their next meeting. Chair Hinderscheid indicate that he would be happy to serve as Chair again unless another individual was interested. City Wide Tail Plan Staff informed the commission that they would be seeking approval from the council to apply for a grant to help update the City Wide Trail Plan. As part of the grant, a separate study would look at Dodd Road and the opportunities for implementing bike/pedestrian trails near Dodd Road in the future. MH Parks and Recreation Commission 1-12-2016 Page 2 2015 Activity Log Chair Hinderscheid provide the commission with a copy of the activity log from the past year. HE highlighted some of the accomplishments in the past year such as: adding two student representatives to the commission, the new warming house at Marie Park, new tennis court surface at Ivy Hills Park, the canoe rack at Rogers Lake Park, the new hockey boards at Wentworth Park and the Off-Leash Dog Area. Commission Comments Commissioner Miller was glad to see a list of all the things that have gotten accomplished over the last year and was glad to see the plans for the future. Commissioner Levine thanked the council for adopting the Pollinator-Friendly resolution. Commissioner Toth encouraged everyone to be safe out on the ice, and stay off when it is not safe. Commissioner thanked Commissioner Evans for his service and encouraged everyone to get out and use the rinks. Commissioner Evans thanked everyone for the jobs they did, he enjoyed his time on the Parks Commission. He also enjoys living in Mendota Heights and is excited for the future of Mendota Heights. Commissioner Kipp thought it was a good meeting. Chair Hinderscheid thanked Commissioner Evans for being involved with commission. He also thanked Cindy Johnson and Sue Light, who are both Master Gardener and residents of Mendota Heights, for meeting with members of the commission before the meeting. COMMISSIONER PAPER LEVINE A MOTION TO ADJURN THE MEETING. COMMISSIONER EVANS SECONED THE MOTION. AYES 7: NAYS 0 The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m. Respectfully Submitted by Sloan Wallgren Rules of Order – Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission, March 8, 2015 MENDOTA HEIGHTS PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION RULES OF ORDER In accordance with the City of Mendota Heights Ordinance No. 109, “Establishing A Parks and Recreation Commission,” the following rules of order are adopted by the parks and recreation commission to facilitate the performance of its duties and the exercising of its functions as a Commission created by the city council. SECTION 1. MEETING 1.1 – Time. Regular meetings of the commission are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., unless otherwise agreed to and so stated in the agenda. When the regular meeting day falls on a legal holiday, there is no meeting that month unless otherwise noted. 1.2 - Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson or the Secretary. 1.3 – Place. Meetings are held in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1101 Victoria Curve. 1.4 – Public. All meetings and hearings, and all records and minutes are open to the public. 1.5 – Quorum. Four parks and recreation commission members, at the beginning of the meeting, constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. When a quorum is not present, the Chairperson may adjourn the meeting for the purpose of hearing interested parties on items on the agenda. No final or official action is taken at such a meeting. However, the facts and information gathered at such a meeting may be taken as a basis for action at a subsequent meeting at which a quorum is present. 1.6 – Vote. Voting is by voice. Commission members voice votes on each issue are recorded. In the event that any member shall have a financial interest in a matter before the commission, the member shall disclose the interest and refrain from voting upon the matter, and the secretary shall so record in the minutes that no vote was cast by such member. SECTION 2. ORGANIZATION 2.1 – Membership. The number of members of the Parks & Recreation Commission is established by the City Council. Three-year appointments are made by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. Rules of Order – Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission, March 8, 2015 2.2 – Absenteeism. A Commission member with four unexcused absences from regular meetings is dropped from the commission and the Secretary then informs the City Council so that another appointment is made. An absence is excused if the member notifies the Secretary or Chairperson before 4:00 p.m. of the day of the meeting that the member will be unable to attend. Minutes of the meetings will record whether the absent member was excused or not excused. 2.3 – Election of Officers. At the February meeting each year, the commission elects from its membership a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson. If the Chairperson retires from the commission before the next organizational meeting, the Vice-Chairperson becomes Chairperson. If both Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson retire, new officers are elected at the next meeting. If both Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson are absent from a meeting, the commission elects a temporary Chairperson by voice vote. The Secretary to the parks and recreation commission is appointed by the city administrator from the city staff. 2.4 – Tenure of Officers. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson take office immediately following their election and hold office until their successors are elected and assume office. 2.5 – Duties of Officers. The Chairperson, or if absent, the Vice-Chairperson presides at meetings, appoints committees and performs other duties as may be ordered by the commission. The Chairperson conducts meetings so as to keep them moving as rapidly and efficiently as possible and reminds members, witnesses and petitioners to discuss only the subject at hand. The Chairperson is a voting member of the commission. The Secretary is responsible for recording the minutes, keeping records of commission actions, conveying commission recommendations to the city council and providing general administrative and clerical service to the commission. SECTION 3. PUBLIC COMMENT 3.1 – Public Input on Agenda Items. The following procedure is followed when citizens wish to provide input into a parks and recreation commission discussion. a. Staff shall make presentation b. The commission asks questions c. The applicant shall make a presentation Rules of Order – Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission, March 8, 2015 d. The commission asks questions e. The audience is allowed to speak in favor of the request f. The audience is allowed to speak against the request g. The applicant and/or staff responds h. Commission members may ask questions throughout the discussion 3.2 – Public Comment. The parks and recreation commission does not hold public hearings, but may from time to time have public comment. SECTION 4. MISCELLANEOUS 4.1 Amendments. These Rules of Order may be amended with the approval by voice vote by a majority (four) of the members of the parks and recreation commission. 4.1 Adoption. These Rules of Order were duly adopted by the Parks and Recreation Commission of the City of Mendota Heights on the 13th day of April, 2010. Mendota Heights Parks & Recreation Department 1 2015 Annual Report Mendota Heights Parks & Recreation Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Department 2 Mission Statement The mission of Mendota Heights Parks & Recreation Department is to provide facilities, activities, and parklands to enrich the lives of residents and vistitors. Parks and Recreation Commission Members Jack Evans Pat Heinderscheid, Chair Ira Kipp Stephanie Levine Daviv Miller Joel Paper Michael Toth Parks and Recreation Staff Public Works Director......................... John Mazzitello Public Work Superintendent ....................Terry Blum Assistant to the City Administrator...Tammy Schutta Recreation Program Coordinator.......Sloan Wallgren Parks Maintenance Lead........................John Boland Parks Maintenance..............................Cliff Kirschner Parks Maintenance............................... Mike Maczko Mechanic .............................................Nick Courteau Parks and Recreation Commission The Parks and Recreation Commission is a seven member advisory board to the city council on matters relating to parks and recreation including: Plan and develop programs and activities. Develop schedules of hours and fees for the use of recreational trails and park facilities. Study possible government and private foundation grants available for the acquisition and development of park and trail facilities. Develop plans for improvement and betterment of existing facilities. Develop plans for acquisition of additional facilities. Coordinate recreational trail and park activities with other community organizations and groups. Promote public interest and understanding of the city’s parks and trails activities The Parks and Recreation Department also employs 40 part-time seasonal employees. Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Department 3 Parks Department Parks staff annually maintains more than 310 acres of public land. Facilities under the stewardship of the Parks Department included 8 picnic shelters, 1 fishing pier, 12 softball and baseball fields, 3 soccer fields, 1 sand volleyball court, 1 cross country ski trail, 3 hockey rinks, 4 skating rinks, 3 warming houses, 26 miles of trails, 11 playgrounds, 10 tennis courts, 10 basketball courts, an off-leash dog area and a skate park. Mendota Heights Parks • Civic Center • Copperfield Ponds • Friendly Hills Park • Friendly Marsh Park • Hagstrom-King Park • Historic Pilot Knob • Ivy Hills Park • Kensington Park • Market Square Park • Marie Park • Mendakota Park • Rogers Lake Park • Valley Park • Valley View Heights Park • Victoria Highlands Park • Wentworth Park State, Regional and Private Parks • Fort Snelling State Park • Harriet Island-Lilydale Regional Park • Dodge Nature Center • School District 197 • Big Rivers Regional Trail •River to River Greenway Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Department 4 2015 Parks Department Highlights The Parks Department closed a gap in the trail system from Lilydale Road to Wachtler Ave along Hiway 13. A 3 acre temporary Off-Leasd Dog Area was built near Historical Pilot Knog and Acacia Cemetary Parks staff continue to provide support and facilities for many community festivals and events. Park Facilities hosted the following large scale special events: Special Olympics 5K Mendota Heights Parks Celebration Cliff Timm Fishing Derby Numerous Baseball/Softball Tournaments The city installed a new Sport Court tile system to the tennis courts at Ivy Hills Park The Marie Park Warming house was rebuilt, and 4 pickelball courts were striped in the hockey rink. New hockey boards were installed at Wentworth Park. A canoe/kayak rack was built and installed at Rogers Lake Park. Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Department 5 Recreation Department Highlights The Recreation Department’s main objectives are to provide recreation programs, events and activities, en- courage the use of parks and trails, and promote an active lifestyle.  The Recreation Department partnered with Dakota County to offer the Simple Steps Program. The Simple Steps Walking Program is a great way to boost energy, reduce stress and improve your health. Regular physical activity helps prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer and can help you maintain a healthy weight. Programs : in 2015 the Recreation Department offered: 3 Adult Softball Leagues with over 350 participants 20 Youth Tennis Programs with 260 participants 12 Youth Field Trips with 400 participants 12 Playground Programs with 270 participants 13 Youth Programs with 450 participants  New Programs included the Traveling Parks Program and Fishing Fridays. Coordination of field use with the Mendota Heights Athletic Association for over 1,800 youth participants. As well as cordinate field use for St. Thomas Academy, Visitation, St. Joseph and Trinity. During the 2014-2015 winter we had 5,000+ skaters use our three hockey rinks and four pleasure rinks. 22 Free Performances in the Park at Market Square Revenue From Programs=$44,240 Revenue From Facility Rental=$4,100 Total Revenue=$52,950 Program Expenses=$31,930 Seasonal Staffing Wages=$27,200 Total Expenses=$59,130 Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Department 6 Volunteer Efforts—Park Partners Volunteers Helped steward Mendota Heights Parks, Trails and Green Spaces in 2015 through adopting parks and trails, beautifying community spaces and volunteering to clean up liter and debris. Park Volunteers keep Mendota Heights beautiful and a great place to live. Henry Sibley Girl's Tennis Team cleaned up Rogers Lake Park as a fundraiser. The Mendota Heights Mom's Club celebrated Earth Day by cleaning up the parks. Volunteers from St. Thomas Academy helped to groom the cross coutry ski trail at the Par 3. The Mendota Heights Mom's Club annually donates a tree to a park. In 2015 a tree was dontated and planted at Mendakota Park. Volunteer helped to remove buckthorn from Valley Park. A bench was donated by Mr. Roland Flynn in memory of his wife. The bench is located along the bike/pedestrian trail at Lexington Ave & Avanti Drive. Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Department 7 Mendota Heights Par 3 Golf Course The Mendota Heights Par 3 is a self-supporting enterprise. Revenues generated by the course as well as retained earnings pay for all expenses including depreciation, equipment replacement, and capital improvements. The Par 3 is a seasonal facility, generally opening in Mid-April and closing in Mid- November. Mendota Heights Par 3 The Mendota Heights Par 3 had over 10,000 rounds of golf played in 2015.   Over 250 youth participatned in one of our 22 golf lesson programs. The sport of footgolf continued to grow and there were over 4,000 round of footgolf player at the Par 3 this year. In 2015 the golf course purchased new ball washer for the tee boxes. Locals are gathering at the clubhouse to play cribbage and scrabble during the slower months. Total revenue for 2015 was $167,258 and total expenses were $139,742 resulting in a net profit of $27,511. The Golf Course Fund has a year end cash balance of $62,000. The golf course purchased a piece of equipement to verticut the greens. This has helped improve the health and quality of the greens. The golf course offered four golf leagues for adults and five golf leagues for youth. In 2015 there were over 400 participants in our leagues. The golf course hosted over 25 special events. DATE: March 8, 2016 TO: Parks and Recreation Commission FROM: Sloan Wallgren, Recreation Program Coordinator SUBJECT: February Ice Rink Usage BACKGROUND The city of Mendota Heights maintains a warming house, hockey rink and pleasure rink at Friendly Hills Park, Marie Park and Wentworth Park. The city also maintains a pleasure rink at Ivy Hills Park. The warming houses were open 23 days in February. Below are February attendance records from each of the three parks with warming houses: Hockey Pleasure Total Friendly Hills Park 292 37 329 Marie Park 540 76 616 Wentworth Park 249 54 303 Totals 1081 167 1248 DATE: March 8, 2016 TO: Parks and Recreation Commission FROM: Sloan Wallgren, Recreation Program Coordinator SUBJECT: Pollinator Friendly Work Plan Update In January of 2016 the City Council adopted a Pollinator-Friendly Resolution. In the recent issue of the Heights Highlights there was a small article introducing the subject to the residents of Mendota Heights. Staff has been working with two residents of Mendota Heights, whom both are Master Gardeners with the University of Minnesota. Attached is the work plan for 2016-2017. Budget Impact The impact to the city budget will be minimal. Many of the activities will be conducted and organized with volunteers. There will be staff time involved with assisting in some of the activities and attending workshops. Discussion The commission should discuss if they would like to add or remove any information from the attached work plan. Required Action If the commission feels that the work plan is a good starting point to continue our efforts to support being a pollinator-friendly city, a motion should be made to accept the work plan. Work Plan for Pollinator Friendly Activities City of Mendota Heights, MN 1.Mission - Promote pollinator friendly activities and practices through public engagement and education - Partner with U of MN Master Gardeners-Dakota County for expertise and educational materials 2.Potential Short Term Goals (first year) - Master Gardeners to engage public at Mendota Heights annual Park Celebration (June 4, 2016) o Master Gardeners answer questions, provide education/guidance on pollinators, native species, wetlands, and landscape management o Master Gardeners provide materials identifying pollinator types, pesticides/insecticides to avoid, invasive plant lists, etc. o City to promote the Pollinator Designation and activities already completed Pilot Knob Restoration Victoria Road Pilot Project Current Park Management Policy Annual invasive species removal - Victoria Road Showcase/Education day o Master Gardeners to show the native plantings along Victoria, how the area contributes to pollinator habitat, water management, reduced maintenance, and to share possible steps for homeowners - Preserve and protect existing native plantings while identifying opportunities for additional native plantings o City to identify areas within upcoming projects (street, erosion control, streambank stabilization, Park restoration, etc.) o Investigate possibilities with MnDOT of native plantings in conjunction with Highway 110 & 149 projects - Educational workshops for City employees o Introduce best management practices for developed and undeveloped public land o Master Gardeners to present Introductory Workshop on pollinators & practices in late June 2016 o City Staff to attend the University of Minnesota Pollinator Summit in August 2016 - Resident Workshop at City Hall (early 2017) o Master Gardeners to present workshop on sustainable landscaping, pollinator friendly plantings, and native plantings o Offer Blue Thumb Workshop through SWCD of Dakota County 3.Potential Long Term Goals (summer 2017 and beyond) - Develop projects/events between the Master Gardeners and the City o Buckthorn Bash o Native Planting on City Hall grounds o Re-establish native garden at Victoria Highlands Park o Par-3 grounds improvements - Provide articles for each Heights Highlights edition - Incorporate pollinator friendly activities into future capital projects where applicable - Update City Natural Resource Master Plan when appropriate DATE: March 8, 2016 TO: Parks and Recreation Commission FROM: Sloan Wallgren, Recreation Program Coordinator SUBJECT: Recreation Program and Facilities Update RECREATION PROGRAMS Walking Club- In the February issue of the Heights Highlights we asked residents that were interested in a walking club to contact city hall. We received a few calls and will be working with the residents to coordinate a group. If anyone else is interested in a walking group please contact city hall and we will do our best to try and coordinate a group. Scrabble & Cribbage- Now that the golf course in getting ready to open for the season, we will be offering activities out at the clubhouse. Cribbage will be offered on Mondays from 10:00am-Noon March 7th-June 9th. Scrabble will be offered on Wednesdays from 10:00am-Noon from March 9th- June 8th. The fee is $0.50 to participate. The clubhouse has snacks, beverages, cable TV and WIFI for people to enjoy. Summer Music- staff is working with the Village to coordinate musical acts at Market Square Park this summer. If residents have any suggestions for affordable groups they can contact city hall with their suggestions. The city sponsors two acts each summer and the rest of the groups are sponsored by the Village. Market Square Park- The grassy area in the center of the Village Shopping Center is a city park. The owner of the shopping center is responsible for the maintenance of this property. Groups and individuals may rent this space or use it for activities such as: yoga, croquet, church services or any other misc. activities. City Events- If commission would like to add another city sponsored event during the year, we should discuss this item. Examples of some events would be: Winter Fest, Culture Heritage Day, Food Truck Event, Musical Concerts and many more options. The 2016 budget does not have any money allocated for extra special events. We can start planning for 2017, of if there is a need for an event in 2016 donations would be required to help support a bigger event.