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2019-06-11 Parks and Rec Comm MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS, DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING June 11, 2019 The June meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. 1. Call to Order – Chair Steve Goldade called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Roll Call – The following Commissioners were present: Chair Steve Goldade, Commissioners Pat Hinderscheid, Ira Kipp, Stephanie Meyer, David Miller, and Dan Sherer. Commissioner Bob Klepperich was absent as was Student Representative Matthew Boland . Staff present: Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence, Assistant City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson and Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek. 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Approval of Agenda Item 8 Unfinished Business and all subheadings and Item 9 New Business and all subheadings were switched in the order of presentation. Motion Meyer/second Hinderscheid to approve the agenda as amended. AYES 6: NAYS 0: ABSENT 1 5. Approval of Minutes Motion Hinderscheid/second Miller to approve the minutes of the May 14, 2019 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. AYES 6: NAYS 0: ABSENT 1 Motion Kipp/second Sherer to approve the minutes of the May 23, 2019 Parks and Recreation Commission Work Session meeting. AYES 6: NAYS 0: ABSENT 1 6. Citizen Comment Period (for items not on the agenda) Mr. Matt Steininger, 1733 Lansford Lane, inquired about the possibility of adding a “light summer trail” or small path on the Wachtler easement which is on the northwest side of the Par 3 Golf Course. He had sent a memo to the city and received replies from Chair Goldade and Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek. Commissioner Sherer noted that this seemed like a reasonable proposal and asked Mr. Ruzek to provide an explanation on the purpose of the easement. Mr. Ruzek replied that it appears that the neighboring residents have landscaped the area as part of their properties. His guess was that it was undeveloped road right-of-way; as the intent had been to extend Wachtler Avenue. It is a city easement that has not been vacated to the property owners and is identified on the Dakota County Property Records as public right-of-way. If the city decided to turn this into a trail, the biggest challenge would be getting the residents to remove their landscaping and the other challenge would be funding – grading, surveying, designing, and construction. If the city decided to put in a trail it would be an eight-foot wide bituminous trail. He was unsure of what a ‘light summer trail’ would be. He also noted that this is the second request he has received for this particular trail in the last few weeks. Chair Goldade suggested that the Commission consider this for a future agenda item discussion. Commissioner Miller stated that this may raise a secondary point, that being when the Commission receives ad hoc requests like this, how would the Commission treat them in relation to their long-term capital plan. Specifically, how often is the capital plan reviewed and updated to ensure that it is current and viable. 7. Acknowledgement of Reports 7.a Par 3 Update / 7.b Recreation Update Chair Goldade opened the floor for comments and questions from the Commissioners. Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence noted that she provided the April 2019 Financial Report to each of the commissioners at their seats. Chair Goldade noted that between the annual budget basis, the revenue total and the expenditures total there was an approximate $15,000 or $16,000 difference. He then asked if there was a reserve fund or an expectation that would be made up from? Ms. Lawrence replied that they do have money in reserve, approximately $40,000. That is where that money would come from. When asked, Ms. Lawrence noted that the Bogey with the Red and Blue has been scheduled for Sunday, June 23, 2019. Motion Meyer/second Sherer to acknowledge receipt of the staff reports. AYES 6: NAYS 0: ABSENT 1 9. New Business 9.a Location of Portable Restroom at Hagstrom King Park Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek, explained that the city supplies a portable toilet facility at Hagstrom-King Park. In the past, there has been a single use restroom facility tucked away into a wooded area of the park. Any facility that the city provides needs to be ADA compliant. Therefore, this year the city changed their facilities to the larger ADA compliant portable toilets; this necessitated the locations to also be ADA compliant. For ADA compliance, the portable toilet facility at Hagstrom King Park was moved to the parking lot. Staff has received a call opposed to this location and requested the Commission provide an opinion on a suitable location, or remove the facility altogether. Letters were sent to the residents near the park for suggestions. Commissioner Hinderscheid asked if the facility needed to be on a hard surface. Mr. Ruzek replied in the affirmative. Also, it needs to be accessible by the companies for cleaning ideally staff would not want them driving on the trails. Commissioner Sherer noted that the previous location, in between the playground and the baseball field was ideal. A hard surface would need to be constructed so wheelchairs could have access. Ms. Orapat Sivatanpisit, 600 Hampshire Drive, expressed her appreciation to Mr. Ruzek for inviting her to attend this meeting to provide comment. She has resided in her home for 27 years and the portable facility has always been in the park tucked away into the wooded area. The residents she has spoken to would prefer it to be returned to that area. The current location is immediately in front of her house and she can see it from her dining room window when sitting at the table. To put a fence around it would not improve the view. It would look like there was a dumpster there. Even the thought that it would only be for the summer is not appealing as she appreciates the view to the park and the greenery. She would like the portable toilet to be closer to the baseball field, near the trees. This would be wheelchair accessible, serviceable to the cleaning company, and convenient for the playground and the baseball field. Chair Goldade summarized the five possibilities he heard: • On the path between the parking lot and the playground • On the path to the basketball court • Between the playground and the baseball field, off of the road • Stay in the current parking lot but change the spot in the parking lot • Completely remove the facility Motion Meyer to locate the portable toilet facility north of the T where the playground path meets the path to the basketball court. This motion died for lack of a second. Commissioner Hinderscheid suggested some additional landscaping to camouflage the facility. Commissioner Sherer felt this location would get some resistance from the adjacent residents, it being so close. He suggested it be located down the path towards the playground so the odors are not strong to the playground users. Motion Sherer, second Meyer to locate the portable toilet facility midway on the north/south trail towards the playground. An amendment by Hinderscheid, approval Sherer to use landscaping to minimize the visual detraction. Commissioner Kipp commented that this location would be pretty far from the ballfield. He would prefer to see it located to the north, along the wooded area. It would be less obtrusive and easier to get to from the ballfield, the playground, and the tennis courts. Chair Goldade summarized that Commissioner Kipp would prefer to see a new path north to the woods and place the facility there. Commissioner Kipp confirmed. Chair Goldade call for a vote on the motion on the floor AYES 5: NAYS 1: ABSENT 1 8. Unfinished Business 8.a Community Engagement Update Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence, reminded the Commission of their discussion at the May meeting about the upcoming community engagement effort. Vice-chair Klepperich, Chair Goldade, and she met to prepare for the meeting and determined that it would be best to have the commissioners go in pairs to these meetings. New group assignments were made as follows: • Community Education: Bob Klepperich, Stephanie Meyer • Mom’s Club: Daniel Sherer, David Miller • Rotary Club: Pat Hinderscheid, Steve Goldade • Mendota Heights Senior Living Facility: Ira Kipp, Steve Goldade • Local Students: Matthew Boland, Steve Goldade The model discussion template was included in the Commission packet and additional was information provided. Commissioner Meyer asked if the commission was interested in adding the Somerset and Mendota PTA groups back onto the list. Chair Goldade stated that it may be difficult to get onto their agendas due to the tight timeframe. Ms. Lawrence noted that the check-in sheet for the outreach would be considered public information. It could be considered a data request if someone were to request it. Therefore, the Commission would need to provide a Tennessen Warning or a privacy notice. She requested that the commission discuss and determine if the check-in sheet was necessary or if they wanted to make the check-in sheet voluntary. There would need to be some sort of acknowledgement that the participants were aware of the privacy notice. Commissioner Meyer suggested a check-box by the name indicating that they were aware of and agreed to the privacy notice. Commissioner Hinderscheid suggested adding to the list of question if the groups had ever considered making donations towards park improvements. Ms. Lawrence cautioned that if they were going to ask about donations then they would need to figure out how a donation process would work. 8.b Work Session Date Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence, explained that one of the 2019-2020 draft City Goals and Objectives was to interact with the advisory commissions. Staff recommended a joint work session with the City Council to take place on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, which the City Council approved. Discussion topics include the 2020 Budget and needs for parks improvements, the future of the Off Leash Dog Park, how to obtain Community Feedback, and any necessary changes to the Commission’s Rules of Order. This is the normal Commission meeting date so most, if not all, were available; the exception being Chair Goldade. Commissioner Kipp was unsure of his availability. 8.c Golf Tournament Discussion Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence, noted that when Chair Goldade, Vice- chair Klepperich, and she met to discuss plans for the golf tournament, they discussed possibly waiting until September of 2020 in order to do some additional planning, determine what the purpose of the tournament is, and to find a good suitable day for the event. They are considering a non-school day in September 2020; they recommended it be categorized as an event and not as a tournament so it would be less competitive and get more interest from the community. Commissioner Meyer suggested the event take place earlier in the season to encourage participation throughout the season rather than at the end. The first Friday in May is a non- school day and would be a good date. 9. New Business (continued) 9.b Schedule Second Parks Visit - September Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence reminded the Commission of the tour that was done May 23, 2019, which was very well received. Chair Goldade and Vice-chair Klepperich recommended a second tour be scheduled in late September 2019. The parks to be visited would include Marie Park, Friendly Hills Park, Ivy Hills Park, and Kensington Park. After checking with calendars, it was determined that the next park tour would take place on Wednesday, September 25, with a start time of 4:30 pm 9.c Adjustable Hoops South of 62 Chair Goldade explained that the adjustable basketball hoops at Marie Park have been well received by the community and requested the Commissioners discuss the potential of adding adjustable hoops at a park south of Highway 62. There are five parks south of Highway 62 that have basketball courts. Staff recommended the commission focus on Mendakota Park and Hagstrom King Park as the best options. Mendakota Park currently has two hoops that are not adjustable. After discussion and suggestions, the following motion was made: Motion Hinderscheid/second Miller that the adjustable basketball hoops be added to the Hagstrom King Park along with additional half-court AYES 6: NAYS 0: ABSENT 1 9.d Process for Additions to the Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence, stated that Chair Goldade, Vice-chair Klepperich and she met to discuss the proper process for additions to the agenda. Their recommendation was that if anyone would like to add an addition to the agenda they contact her and Chair Goldade and/or Vice-chair Klepperich before 3:00 pm the day prior to the meeting. She noted that not all requests for agenda items would be included for the following meeting. Determination would be made based on the nature of the item and the timing, the time needed for staff to research the request, and the number of items already on the agenda. Chair Goldade explained that the commissioners typically receive the agenda packets on the Friday before the scheduled meeting. This would allow the commissioners time to review the agenda and suggest any additions or edits by 3:00 pm that Monday before the scheduled meeting. Commissioner Miller asked what the process was for setting the original agenda. Chair Goldade replied that he, Vice-chair Klepperich, and Ms. Lawrence have been meeting to set the agenda approximately two weeks prior. Commissioners could proactively be in communication with him or Vice-chair Klepperich or Ms. Lawrence in regards to getting items on the agenda. This process would only be for after the agenda had already been set. Ms. Lawrence noted that commissioners were also welcome to make any agenda topic suggestions during their Commissioner Comment period. 9.e Parks Celebration Survey Results Chair Goldade commented that the Parks Celebration was fantastic. Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence, noted that the Commission hosted a booth that provided materials, information on Polco, and provided a survey. Everyone took a turn to volunteer at the booth. Staff was very happy with the turnout at the celebration and they estimated approximately 2,000 attendees. Unfortunately, they only received 20 surveys back and not all questions were answered on each survey. The results of the survey were included in the agenda packet. Commissioner Meyer asked for an explanation of what “introduction to games before committing to MHAA teams” meant. The thought was that maybe the city should hold a small introductory camp to a sport for kids who have never participated in it before – a sports sampler possibly. 10. Staff Announcements Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence provided the following announcements: • The City received a grant from the USTA for remodeling the Marie Park tennis courts. A date needs to be set for a ribbon cutting. Staff is looking at June 25th, but the date has not been confirmed yet. • Summer programs started June 10 – camps are off to a good start, numbers are looking really good Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek provided the following announcement: • At the end of March, the city applied for two outdoor recreation grants through the Department of Natural Resources. The city was notified on June 10 that they were not selected for the Hagstrom King improvements; however, the city selected was selected to receive a $180,000 grant for the improvements to Wentworth Park. Mr. Ruzek plans on taking the original Hagstrom proposal to the City Council on June 18 in the hopes that they move ahead with that project. He also intends to have the Wentworth discussions as part of the Joint City Council/Parks and Recreation Commission workshop in July 2019. 11. Student Representative Update N/A 12. Commission Comments and Park Updates Commissioner Ira Kipp: • Was very happy to see the public come to this meeting. He encouraged others to do the same. Commissioner Dan Sherer: • Weather has been fantastic and he loved seeing all of the activities in the parks, on the trails, and in the ballfields. • It’s amazing how much activity Hagstrom King Park gets; every summer it gets busier. This is an indication of how the young families are attracted to the neighborhood. • Friendly Hills – he noticed the pad and bike racks are in, they look great. The park is in good condition. The location of the portable toilet in this park is probably not ideal either. It may be ADA accessible but it is not convenient for the playground or the ballfield. Commissioner Stephanie Meyer • Marie Park in really good shape • Kensington Park is great • She has had a couple of people randomly ask at Marie Park why there are not drinking fountains at the parks. She made the assumption that it is very expensive but was unsure if that was true. Mr. Ruzek replied that it is expensive. Generally one would see drinking fountains in parks where there are plumbed restrooms. There are not water mains running through the parks. Also, winterizing and maintenance needs would be cost prohibitive. Commissioner Pat Hinderscheid • He saw in the parks survey that the improvement that received the most votes was for a splash pad. Last year a splash pad also received the most votes. He requested that this be put on as an agenda item at their next meeting. • Ivy Hills – it is very wet there so they have not been able to get in with the equipment. He also saw someone there last week with their dog off-leash back behind the playground. This dog ran towards a woman who was walking there and the owner was yelling. He just wanted to make a friendly reminder that dogs are supposed to be leashed in the parks. • At the Dog Park someone has tried to generate some shade and hung some kind of sheet or something attached to the picnic table. It is very unsightly and hopefully someone can take a look at that and make a correction. He also asked if anyone had planted trees at the Dog Park or if that was the owners doing that. Mr. Ruzek replied that he was unaware of any tree planting occurring at the Dog Park. • He expressed his appreciation for all of the work done on the Park Celebration. It was a great event. • Congratulations on obtaining the grant. • The bicycle rack at Ivy Hills is very nice to have and it is being used. Commissioner David Miller • Was very pleased to hear about the grant • He asked if grants of that nature cover things like splash pads and requested that this topic be added as an agenda item • The Parks Celebration had a real good turnout and was very well run. He was pleased to see all of the answers to the survey. • Victoria Highlands is in good shape and is getting a lot of use from the Little League. The portable toilet is in a very prominent and usable space. Chair Steve Goldade • Good to hear the news on Wentworth and the warming house • He saw that the tennis court at Wentworth needs a little work and maybe there is an opportunity there to move the tennis court at Wentworth to a pickle ball court • Valley Park is a great park in the middle of the city – 90 acres – it is a great place to go for a walk • He had a chance to visit Pilot Knob Hill and encouraged people to visit. It is close to the Dog Park and has trails with probably one of the most fantastic views of downtown Minneapolis / St. Paul that he has ever seen. There is signage throughout about the wonderful history and encouraged all to go if they are looking for a no-cost outing for the family. • He received an email from a citizen thanking the Commission for the picnic tables at Market Square Park • He received an email about the bike racks and is excited about the amount of positive feedback he has received. • He enjoyed his time at the 5K Race; congratulations to the Mayor and his team for putting on a well organized event – including city staff and the Police Department. • Reminder: June 19th activity – the Teddy Bear Band at Mendakota Park: Bring Your Own Bear. • He noticed flowers by the benches on Lexington Avenue and they look nice • Great things happening in Marie Park – stop and see the new tennis courts. 13. Adjourn Motion Meyer/Second Sherer to adjourn the meeting at 8:11 PM AYES 6: NAYS 0: ABSENT 1 Minutes Taken By: C. Darlene Oehlke Independent Contractor