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2018-10-09 Parks and Rec Comm MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS, DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING October 9, 2018 The October meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. 1. Call to Order – Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Roll Call – The following Commissioners were present: Commissioners Steve Goldade, Ira Kipp, Bob Klepperich, Stephanie Levine, and Student Representative Matthew Boland. The following Commissioners were absent: Chair Pat Hinderscheid, David Miller, and Vice Chair Nissa Tupper. Staff present: Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence and Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek. 2.a Election of Temporary Chair Motion Klepperich/second Goldade to appoint Commissioner Levine as Temporary Chair. AYES 4: NAYS 0: ABSENT: 3 3. Approval of Agenda Motion Klepperich/second Goldade to approve the agenda as presented. AYES 4: NAYS 0: ABSENT: 3 4.a Approval of Minutes from September 12, 2018 Regular Meeting Motion Klepperich/second Goldade to approve the minutes of the September 12, 2018 Regular Parks and Recreation Commission meeting and the minutes of the September 21, 2018 Special Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. AYES 4: NAYS 0: ABSENT: 3 5. Citizen Comment Period There were no comments 6. Unfinished and New Business 6.a Playground Improvements – Hagstrom King and Wentworth Parks At the last Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting, staff was directed to solicit updated layouts from Landscape Structures and Minnesota Wisconsin Playgrounds based on feedback the Commission received from an Open House at the end of August 2018. Working from materials provided to the Commission prior to the meeting, Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek reviewed the updated layouts received from Landscape Structures. Minnesota Wisconsin Playgrounds was unable to provide the requested updates due to the short notice. However, they did say that the original layout provided to the City at the July or August meeting would be acceptable to their current grant program (application deadline is October 31, 2018). They also requested a set budget for the playgrounds. Mr. Ruzek stated that the setting of a budget would most likely be done during a work session with the City Council. The Landscape Structures update included the addition of a zip-line structure with an increase in price from $102,000 to $158,000. This estimate does not include estimated site work. At Hagstrom-King, staff is proposing to start over with a whole new container and new surfacing material at an estimated additional cost of $25,000. Minnesota Wisconsin Playground had their original layout at Hagstrom-King estimated to be just under $127,000, which did include all of the site work. Using their grant program, that would allow for a reduction of approximately $35,000; equating to an estimated total of $91,823 – which also included a zip-line structure. Commissioner Kipp asked what were the substantial differences in the actual physical facility between the two proposals. Mr. Ruzek provided a general list of differences stating that they were more in style and decoration. Comments were shared on the price of playground equipment being more than what should be spent and the reaction of the City Council. In response to the question on what the next steps were, Mr. Ruzek replied that the Commission could make a recommendation to either stick with the Minnesota Wisconsin Playground layout and apply for the grant program; they could ask staff to present either of the layouts to the City Council; or ask staff to make an effort to schedule a work session in the future. The time crunch would be if the Commission wanted to take advantage of the Minnesota Wisconsin Playground grant. If the Commission was to decide to not pursue the grant, a workshop could be scheduled for sometime in November or December and still be on target to have new structures installed in the spring. Commissioner Goldade asked if they decided to apply for the grant would they be locked into purchasing the Minnesota Wisconsin Playground option or could they return the grant monies and go with Landscape Structures. Mr. Ruzek was unable to provide a definite answer; however, Minnesota Wisconsin Playground does offer this grant annually. Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence stated that if the Commission did want to go through with the grant it would need to be brought to Council next week for approval. Mr. Ruzek confirmed. Chair Levine tried to compare the two options side-by-side and there were some features that were comparable, but there were quite a few that were not. She would not be comfortable recommending one or the other because she did not know enough about the features to know what would be the best deal for the city. The Minnesota Wisconsin Playground option does not incorporate any of the features that came out in the open house (it was submitted prior); however, Landscape Structures incorporates those items but is really expensive. She liked the suggestion of applying for the Minnesota Wisconsin Playground grant if there weren’t obligations on the part of the city; however, their option was not what the community wants. At this time, she would not comfortable making a commitment. She would be comfortable taking the next step – asking the Council for permission to apply for the grant on the condition that the city would not be under any obligation; and then commit to having a work session with the City Council that would go feature by feature with the price list and determine what would be included in the park. She would rather be deliberate than expedient. Ms. Lawrence noted that a decision for the grant would need to be made before October 31, 2018. It could be brought to the Council; however, there may not be enough time to bring it back to the Commission for a decision. Mr. Ruzek confirmed and stated that the city would need to place the order and take possession by December 31, 2018. However, to go to the Council saying this is what the Commission recommends and it’s not the park the community wants, he did not see any reason to waste staff or Minnesota Wisconsin Playground’s time. He stated that there would not be a second iteration from Minnesota Wisconsin Playground for this season’s grant program. Chair Levine, now knowing that there would not be a second iteration from Minnesota Wisconsin Playground, stated that she did not want this park for the community. The community was asked for input, which they provided, and the Commission needs to respect the people who are using the park and their tax dollars. Landscape Structures is closer to what is desired; however, it is too expensive. She suggested that the Commission work with Landscape Structures on an iteration that incorporates the features the community wants but at a lower price tag. After reviewing the features available from Landscape Structures she believed that choices could be made that would provide the experience for the children that the community wants but at a lower cost; for instance, a single zip-line rather than a double, or a two-person see-saw rather than a four-person seesaw, etc. Commissioner Klepperich noted that they were not going to be able to please everyone. The Commission needed to look at what people want and balance it with a budgetary amount; which seemed to him to be around the $125,000 figure. They needed a happy median between satisfying community members, if they can, and staying within a budget. Ms. Lawrence noted that the Commission needed to keep in mind that staff and the Commission is looking to do a park each year and, if that is the case, they would probably want to spend the same amount at each. Mr. Ruzek said that the next item to be reviewed would show the difference between a community park and a neighborhood park. Neighborhood parks are where the playgrounds are and they are designed to serve a certain neighborhood. He questioned if they wanted to provide the same things in a neighborhood park or if there were larger theme parks the Commission would desire. Chair Levine replied that the Commission talked about this and she felt that one of the fun things about a city is that each playground has a theme and, in her opinion, should have its own unique features. She would want to see each park having its own unique characteristic that would make it attractive. Commissioner Goldade stated that he believed the Council should set up a price range that makes sense. Mr. Ruzek replied that he did provide a range to the vendors when he asked for their first iteration; that range being $100,000 each playground with an extra $25,000 for Hagstrom-King to get the zip-line structure added to it. Commissioner Goldade also noted that at the last Commission meeting they decided to have a workshop and the Commission should hold the workshop. In regards to vendors, he loved Landscape Structures design elements; however, he understands that there is a great desire for the grant. He would love to know about that; however, he does not want that to be a gimmick that makes the Commission get a park they don’t want and have equipment they won’t be happy with down the road. He also believed that they should shoot for an install date of April 2019 and get feedback from the vendor – whoever that may be – on their timeline. Discussion and options for a sub-committee; to include members of the Commission, a Councilmember, and people from the community was discussed. Motion Klepperich/Second Goldade to direct staff to schedule a joint workshop with the City Council to discuss the next steps in terms of what is to be done as far as the purchase of playground equipment is concerned AYES 4: NAYS 0: ABSENT 3 Mr. Ruzek then noted that with this recommendation he did not address the Wentworth Park improvements but he believed this motion made that a moot point. It was also noted that Hagstrom-King and Wentworth Park would both move in parallel directions. Commissioner Goldade noted that there are two things going on at Wentworth; it would be nice if they somehow came together. Commissioner Levine noted that there has been talk of a citizen’s committee to raise money for Hagstrom-King. She asked Ms. Lawrence if she had any comments or follow-up on that. Ms. Lawrence replied that this is an item that the City Council would have to give approval for as the funds would be coming through the city. This item is planned to be discussed at an upcoming workshop with Council; a date has not been set but it could be a discussion along side the Parks & Rec improvement plan as well. 5.b City Park System Overview Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek noted that staff was asked to provide some data on the city park system, looking at a potential need for a park in the southwest quadrant of the city. Working from materials provided in the meeting packet, he then provided an explanation of the three types of parks that typically comprise a local park system; Neighborhood Park, Community Park, and Natural Resource Area. Neighborhood Parks in Mendota Heights include Friendly Hills, Hagstrom-King, Ivy Hills, Marie, Valley View Heights, Victoria Highland, and Wentworth. Community Parks include Kensington, Valley, Roger’s Lake, Mendakota, and Sibley Athletic Complex. Natural Resource Areas include Friendly Marsh, Copperfield Ponds, Valley Park, Pilot Knob Preservation, and Dodge Nature Center. Maps showing the location of the various parks within Mendota Heights were shared and it was noted that, based on the city’s draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan, the city currently provides more than enough park acreage for the number of residents. Discussions ensued and questions were asked about the size and location of the various parks, if there were enough children in the area to support a park, and if the city actually had too many parks and maybe some could be taken offline and the land used for other things. Any serious discussions on future park development would need to occur jointly with the City Council. 6. Reports 6.a Par 3 Update Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence shared the Financial Report for the Par 3 Golf Course, noting that the year-to-date revenue total is up from last year’s total by $12,787; after expenditures they are currently showing a profit of $11,616 for the 2018 season so far. The golf course was closed on Monday, September 17, 2018 for aeration of the greens and fall maintenance. Due to a thatch problem on the greens staff will try to start aerating twice a year in the future. The irrigation system is scheduled to be blown out on October 19, 2018. Fall rate and fall hours are now in affect; currently 9:00-5:30 and after October 15, 2018 the hours will be 9:00-5:00. Rates are $9.00 per round per person for golf and $6.00 per round per person for footgolf. It is hoped that the course will remain open through October 2018 but is dependent on the weather. Discussions followed on the condition of the golf course equipment, costs of repairing or replacing said equipment, and other options for funds to pay for those repairs or replacements. 6.b Recreation Update Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence explained that Fall Registration opened on September 1, 2018 and include gymnastics, fall field trip, family fall party, and the superhero masquerade. She then shared the various upcoming activity schedules. The Movie in the Park held at Mendakota on September 22, 2018 was well attended. The movie shown was Moana. The city is currently hiring warming house/rink attendants, rink flooders, and a skating instructor – apply on the city’s website. The Halloween Bonfire is scheduled to take place on October 31, 2018 from 7:00-9:00 pm in the vacant lot behind Mendota Plaza. This year the city will be supplying oak pallets for the bonfire – residents will not be allowed to bring brush to the site. Information on the possibility of creating an Adopt-A-Park Program will be provided at the Commission meeting in November. Staff submitted a proposal to the University of Minnesota Student Community Partnership program to complete a community survey. Updates will be provided. 6.c Commissioner Park Updates Commissioner Goldade had no updates. Commissioner Kipp expressed his appreciation to staff for cleaning out some of the brush at Rogers Lake Park as it made it a much friendlier place for the younger kids. They did a wonderful job. Commissioner Klepperich noted that baseball season is over but he noticed some usage over at the Civic Center Baseball Field. He stated that this field might be a candidate for some sort of refurbishing in the spring – maybe redo the pitcher’s mound, the play area, and get rid of the lips around the infield, etc. He also noticed that the batting cages need some work. He was very impressed at Mendakota as he knows there is soccer there and the turf is holding up very well. Chair Levine stated that work is well underway at Marie Park on the tennis courts and it looks like the both layers are down. She was surprised at the quick process. Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek provided an update on the Wentworth Park Warming House. 7.a Announcements Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence asked if the Rogers Lake Subcommittee had met and, if so, she requested an update. Commissioner Goldade replied that the subcommittee met last Sunday at Rogers Park, they started at the skateboard park and spoke with 3-4 skateboarders and received feedback from them on the improvements that had been made. They did notice a light out in both the upper and lower parking lots. As they continued they encountered a family having senior pictures taken and they looked at the beautiful playground and noted that it was in great shape. They did notice signage of a community member’s property and wondered if others were walking through that property. They noticed that some of the picnic tables at the pavilion needed some help. They were surprised at the amount of garbage; however, it did not deter from the beauty of the park. He made the suggestion to the listeners to pick up after themselves. Student Representative Matthew Boland provided a brief update on the student activities of the water quality studies they do each year. He noted that the lake has gotten cleaner over the last three years and he attributed that to the buffer zones between the residential yards and the lake. Commissioner Goldade concluded by stating that the Chief of Police provided an overview of the Police Calls to the park. There are a wide variety of things the Police Department is called to the park for. It did not seem to him that there was a trend or pattern; however the subcommittee did not do an in-depth review. Chair Levine gave a shout-out to local sports teams if they were interested in doing a fund raiser, they could easily have their friends and neighbors sponsor them to clean up one of the city parks. 7.b Commission Comments Student Representative Matthew Boland commented that it was very beneficial to him to go to Rogers Lake and see and understand the skate park and meet some of the skaters and the condition of the park in general. Commissioner Goldade noted that the skaters they met at the skate park had a group messaging system and they were willing to send out a message; they also shared their appreciation of the work that had been done earlier in the summer; and it was very nice meeting with them. He thanked Ms. Lawrence for the Moana movie showing, it was a wonderful event. He made the recommendation that the city continue to look for partnerships and continue to build on the momentum of the Movie in the Park. He also suggested that maybe having the Movie in the Park immediately after an event could take advantage of the built-in crowd. He also expressed his appreciation to Assistant City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson for applying for the University of Minnesota opportunity to have someone work on the survey project. Commissioner Kipp stated that he had an opportunity last Thursday to attend the Planning Commission meeting, which was about the planned work at Henry Sibley High School for new athletic facilities. There were citizen comments from people who were really not in favor of certain aspects of the project. Everything that was said was done in a civil, kind, and understanding way. They were well organized and he gave them credit for that. In addition, there was a huge turnout of representatives from Henry Sibley High School, particularly students. They did a great job of showing their side of the story. He was very impressed with the proceedings of the evening. The Planning Commission voted 7-0 to move forward with that project and will go to the City Council this coming Tuesday. Chair Levine thanked staff and the crews for everything they do to ensure that she can take her walks and not have barriers. Regarding the playground, she was proud of the Commission and of the city. She knows that when something is done and community input is received – it is not the easiest way of doing things. However, the Commission and the city will end up with a product they can be happy with. She appreciated staffs patience and their willingness to work with the Commissioners – who are not professionals. 8. Adjourn Motion Klepperich/Second Goldade to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 PM AYES 4: NAYS 0: ABSENT 3 Minutes Taken By: C. Darlene Oehlke Independent Contractor