2019-12-10 Parks and Rec Comm Agenda PacketCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Tuesday, December 10, 2019- 6:30 P.M.
Mendota Heights City Hall—City Council Chambers
AGENDA
1.Call to Order
2.Roll Call
3.Pledge of Allegiance
4.Approval of Agenda
5.Approval of Minutes
a.November 12, 2019 Regular Meeting Minutes
6.Citizen Comment Period (for items not on the agenda)
*See guidelines below
7.Acknowledgement of Reports
a.Par 3 Update
b.Recreation Update
8.Unfinished Business
a.Lego League City Shaper Presentation
b.Playground Capital Improvement Plan
c.Community Engagement Check In
9.New Business
a.2020 Draft Project List
b.Set Meeting Dates for 2020
10.Staff Announcements
11.Student Representative Update
12.Commission Comments and Park Updates
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.
Guidelines for Citizen Comment Period: The Citizen Comments section of the agenda provides an opportunity for the public to address the commission on items
which are not on the agenda. All are welcome to speak.
Comments should be directed to the Chair. Comments will be limited to 5 minutes per person and topic; presentations which are longer than five minutes will need
to be scheduled with the Recreation Program Coordinator to appear on a future Parks and Recreation commission agenda. Comments should not be repetitious.
Citizen comments may not be used to air personal attacks, to air personality grievances, to make political endorsements, or for political campaign purposes.
Commissioners will not enter into a dialogue with citizens, nor will any decisions be made at that presentation.
Questions from the Commission will be for clarification only. Citizen comments will not be used as a time for problem solving or reacting to the comments made,
but rather for hearing the citizen for information only. If appropriate, the Chair may assign staff for follow up to the issues raised.
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS, DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING
November 12, 2019
The November meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on
Tuesday, November 12, 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: Patrick Cotter, Pat Hinderschied, Bob Klepperich, Stephanie Meyer, David
Miller, and Dan Sherer; absent: 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
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
4. Approval of Agenda
Motion Klepperich/second Miller, to approve the agenda AYES 7: NAYS 0
5.a Approval of Minutes from September 10, 2019 Regular Meeting
Motion Hinderscheid/second Miller to approve the minutes of the September 10, 2019 Parks
and Recreation Commission regular meeting. AYES 7: NAYS 0
5.b Approval of Minutes from September 25, 2019 Parks Tour Meeting
Motion Klepperich/second Cotter to approve the minutes of the September 25, 2019 Parks and
Recreation Commission Parks Tour meeting. AYES 7: NAYS 0
6. Citizen Comment Period (for items not on the agenda)
None.
7.Acknow ledgement of Reports
7.a Par 3 Update
The Par 3 Update was provided to the Commission members prior to the meeting. There were
no specific questions or concerns raised about the report.
Recreation Program Coordinator, Meredith Lawrence, briefly reviewed the 2019 September
Financial Report. Staff is very happy with the performance of the Par 3 financially this season
and are looking forward to operations next year and keeping the course functioning financially.
Commissioner Hinderscheid asked about the equipment in the parking lot and what the purpose
was. Ms. Lawrence replied that there is a road project on Dodd Road and the contractor is using
the Par 3 lot for staging.
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Chair Goldade asked if there was a program that was exciting for Ms. Lawrence at the Par 3.
Ms. Lawrence replied that they did do some different programs this year that brought in more
revenue and good community building programming.
Commissioner Hinderscheid asked for an update on the marketing for the course. Ms. Lawrence
replied that they have scaled back on the marketing pretty heavily. Staff has gone to more of a
digital social media marketing platform and are utilizing more of the city publications, although
Groupon is still being utilized. Not all of the financials are available for the end of year, but staff
expects to provide that in the annual report.
7.b Recreation Update
There were no specific questions or concerns raised about the report.
Chair Goldade noted that the city is still looking for skating instructors and warming house
attendants.
7.c Parks Improvement Update
Public Works Director, Ryan Ruzek, noted that the playground improvements were underway at
Hagstrom-King Park Playground and Wentworth Park. There is quite a bit of work left to do at
Hagstrom-King. Wentworth Park is nearing completion. Staff will possibly move in some
boulders and other features in the spring.
Wentworth Park will still be under work with the warming house, parking lot and trails. There will
be future discussions on tennis court improvements.
Mr. Ruzek continued for the Warming House he is looking at possibly getting a 30 x 40-foot
pole-frame construction. He received a second quote. The first company had quoted a cost of
approximately $145,000 - $150,000. The second quote he received was approximately
$210,000. He is waiting for a final response from the attorney on whether the utilities need to be
included in the project. If they are, that would put the city over the state’s threshold of $175,000
requiring competitive bidding. The city would have to have its own blueprints drafted before they
could competitively bid the project.
Staff hopes to have utilities installed around May 2020, and hopefully get the building built in the
spring of 2020.
Chair Goldade asked that the Commission be informed when this goes before the City Council.
Commissioner Hinderscheid asked if there were any solar opportunities at this building. Mr.
Ruzek replied that has not been addressed. It is sitting in a pretty open area, just of the south of
where the building will be located is a hockey rink, so there could be a tree blocking sunlight.
Chair Goldade reminded the public that there is grant money being used to make improvements
at Wentworth.
Motion Meyer/second Cotter to acknowledge the staff reports AYES 7: NAYES 0
8.Unfinished Business
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8.a Parks Tour Review
Chair Goldade noted that the Commission has been purposeful getting out in the parks doing
tours, and seeing what is going on in them. They did one in the spring and wanted to do another
in late fall.
Recreation Program Coordinator Ms. Meredith Lawrence provided a review of what they
discovered on their tours.
Commissioner Hinderscheid noted that at Ivy Hills Park, one of the tennis courts can be
converted for volleyball.
Commissioner Cotter stated how impressed he was with how well the parks are maintained.
Every park they visited was incredibly well maintained; kudos to the staff.
Chair Goldade requested everyone to start thinking about the spring park tour. He also
encouraged the public to let them know which parks they would like the Commission to visit.
8.b Summary of Work Session
Chair Goldade explained that from time-to-time they gather as representatives of the citizens of
Mendota Heights in order to provide feedback to the City Council and the city in regard to
updates and improvements they want to see in the parks. The Commission spent time last week
working on priorities.
Ms. Meredith Lawrence noted that the Commission met last Wednesday, November 5, 2019, to
discuss park improvements for next year, and hopefully for years in the future. In the work
session, no official recommendations were made to the Council; however, they did go through
the priority list that was discussed with the Council at the summer work session. It is hoped that
the Commission could start looking at playground needs and what playground could be next
remodeled.
At the December Commission meeting, staff will be coming back and providing the Commission
with more information. Staff provided the Commission with the playground inspection report that
was completed in May 2018. The Commission was asked to review the inspection report before
the December Commission meeting.
Commissioner Hinderscheid asked for a placeholder to review the Minnesota/Wisconsin
Playground annual grant to take advantage of possible savings.
Chair Goldade noted that this is an exciting time for parks in Mendota Heights due to recent
developments; that is one way the city funds the parks. For instance, the development at
Highway 62 and Dodd Road, as well as others in the city, is the time that the city has to really
make a difference in what they are doing in the parks. That Special Parks Fund, along with the
city budget, are two ways that fund what is improved in the parks.
Chair Goldade continued by stating that some of the exciting work that came out of the work
session was this idea that they want to schedule park updates on an every other year basis;
similar to what is being done at Hagstrom King and Wentworth. Looking at the nine parks that
have playgrounds and putting them on some sort of schedule for updates. So the Commission
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will be looking for input on that and encourages residents to speak to a Commissioner or staff
about ideas.
Also, the idea of addressing annual safety issues and maintenance needs at all of the parks at
any time is a great idea. The city staff is doing a great job of keeping the parks a place where
kids and adults can successfully play and have fun.
8.c 2020 Tennis Court Rehabilitation
Mr. Ruzek noted that as part of the parks tour, they looked at the Wentworth Park tennis court,
which seemed to show some excessive cracking, settlement, and uneven wear of the surface.
The existing chain link fencing looked like it had a number of corrosion issues; the entrance has
the fence over it, which makes the court non-ADA compliant. It is staff’s recommendation that
the city apply for a USTA grant, similar to the Marie Park tennis court, to look at rehabilitating
Wentworth Park tennis courts. If staff can get plans out to bid, they could be looking at late
2020.
In regard to Friendly Hills Tennis Court, the surface looked acceptable so staff’s
recommendation would be to meet about getting a surfacing company out there and get a
couple of assessments and written quotes. It is hoped that both of these tennis courts could be
improved in 2020.
It was suggested that one of these courts should have a pickleball court striped next to the
tennis court; one pickleball court and one tennis court within an existing tennis court frame. Mr.
Ruzek suggested the Commission discuss this. The issue he saw, if they were looking at
Wentworth Park, he was unsure if the city would receive its entire $20,000 if it only has one
tennis court and one pickleball court. The city may have to give up some of those grant funds for
the Wentworth Park improvements.
The improvements at Friendly Hills Tennis Court, he believes that does get used quite a bit by
tennis players. Removing one tennis court may not be the best fit for that location. There is a
paved hockey rink that staff could look at improving at Friendly Hills if it is felt that the Marie
Park configuration does draw or meet the needs of the pickleball users in the city.
Commissioner Hinderscheid asked if the city had every received any feedback on the sport
court at Ivy Hills Park. Mr. Ruzek replied that residents either do not like the sport courts or they
prefer the asphalt. It seems to be a pretty even number of calls for both types of surfaces. The
sport courts are a little softer, so it is easier on the knees and joints; however, the ball reacts
differently.
Commissioner Hinderscheid noted that he met with Ms. Katie Lowe, the Executive Director of
the YMCA, and while there were discussing pickleball, she noted that pickleball was a hugely
popular item at the Y.M.C.A.
Commissioner Sherer asked for clarification on what type of resurfacing they would be
discussing; for cost comparative purposes they would not be talking about just sealing of the
cracks, it would be a full-on resurfacing material and repainting for the Friendly Hills proposal.
Mr. Ruzek replied that at Friendly Hills he was unsure if they could just go ahead with a sand
acrylic filler to fill in some of the low areas, if they need to do any stripping of the existing
surfacing so that they can get a better adhesion with the new product – those are unknowns at
this time.
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Chair Goldade noted that the city currently had four pickleball courts at Marie Park in the hockey
rink; and staff has mentioned a couple of times of adding more pickleball courts to the hockey
rink at Friendly Hills; and he thought he heard Mr. Ruzek say that if they were to do one tennis
court and one pickleball court, the city could possibly lose grant money from the USTA. Mr.
Ruzek noted that he did not believe that the USTA would offer any grant dollars for just
resurfacing at Friendly Hills; he thought it would require a full reconstruction.
Chair Goldade, referencing the information Commissioner Hinderscheid provided that pickleball
is very popular, asked if staff was receiving phone calls for more pickleball courts. Ms. Lawrence
replied that before the Marie pickleball courts were completed she did receive a lot of phone
calls. Now that they are complete, she has not received any; however, based on other cities it
does seem like it is a popular activity and if more courts were available, more people would
play. The city has not had a full season with the Marie pickleball courts, and she would be
curious to see how much they are utilized.
Commissioner Hinderscheid commented that the city has been contacted by someone in the
community about providing pickleball. He encouraged the Commission to go down to Eagan
and see how utilized their courts are. He also believed it to be one of the fastest growing sports
as it is great for seniors. He would strongly advocate for having at least one dedicated pickleball
court.
Commissioner Cotter asked if there had been a discussion about eventually being able to make
the ice rink at Friendly Hills into pickleball so there would not be the issue of trying to combine a
tennis court and a pickleball court. Ms. Lawrence replied that this is something that Mr. Ruzek
has recommended in the past. Staff believes that would be the best option.
Commissioner Miller asked about noise complaints relating to pickleball. Ms. Lawrence replied
that was one of the biggest issues that other cities are having right now with pickleball.
Motion Cotter/second Meyer to recommend moving forward with the full Wentworth Park tennis
court project (applying for a USTA grant) and moving forward with the resurfacing of the
Friendly Hills Tennis Court
Chair Goldade asked for an amendment that they add four pickleball courts at the Friendly Hills
Hockey Rink. It was determined that this be added as a separate motion.
Commissioner Sherer followed up with regard to Friendly Hills, staff looked at the cost of
resurfacing and if it is truly a cost benefit to go ahead with that, otherwise if it is like most
pavement resurfacing it is something that is a band-aid and cracks tend to come back in a
couple of years – in his opinion the $20,000 cost would not be worth it. Mr. Ruzek replied that
staff could actively seek quotes and bring that information back to the Commission in the spring
or early summer and hopefully answer some of these questions.
Chair Goldade summarized the motion as being a full asphalt tennis court replacement at
Wentworth Park and bids on sealing the Friendly Hills tennis courts
AYES 7: NAYES 0
In response to the question of pickleball courts being discussed this evening or being brought
back at a future meeting.
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Motion Hinderscheid/second Miller to ask staff to research the feasibility of developing
dedicated pickleball courts somewhere in Mendota Heights
Commissioner Klepperich stated that this had already been done. Ms. Lawrence noted that staff
did bring a recommendation last spring to do dedicated pickleball courts at Hagstrom-King Park
and that was not brought forward to the Council. Commissioner Hinderscheid stated that he was
not just focusing on Hagstrom King Park.
Chair Goldade asked to keep pickleball on the agenda for December and ask staff to think
about where they might put them, including reviewing the Hagstrom King proposal and more
information on the Friendly Hills Hockey. Commissioner Hinderscheid stated that would be fine.
Chair Goldade stated that he would support keeping it on as an agenda item and if Mr. Ruzek
was not going to be available in December that it be added to the January 2020 meeting. He did
believe that there are people in the city that are interested in it and it would give them a chance
to provide feedback to the Commission. It is cost prohibitive and there are a bunch of negatives;
however, the Commission has changed since they talked about Hagstrom King Park so he
would be supportive of keeping it on the agenda for further discussion.
Commissioner Cotter agreed as he would like to learn a little bit more about what the options
are.
8.d Community Engagement Check In
Chair Goldade noted that the Mom’s Club did meet with their Community Group.
Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence noted that a few of the teams were hitting
roadblocks with some of their community groups. She asked for a check-in on what is an
attainable new deadline to have the information back.
Mendota Heights Senior Living Facility – Patrick Cotter, Steve Goldade
•Plan to meet November 26, 2019, at The Village Commons at 1:00 p.m.
Local Students – Matthew Boland, Steve Goldade
•Chair Goldade has not had a chance to meet with Student Representative Boland
Community Education – Bob Klepperich, Stephanie Meyer
•They were not able to identify a good group to meet with
•They have identified a Neighborhood Watch that they may be able to work with
•There is also a Book Club that could be a possibility to consult
Rotary Club – Pat Hinderscheid, Steve Goldade
•Met with President of the West St. Paul/Mendota Heights Rotary Club
•There are 35-40 members of the Rotary Club; their initiatives include development
community partnerships with other groups, cities, park and recreation projects/programs
•They can raise money for community projects; they raised money for a park in West St.
Paul
•The local Rotary Club can apply for grants from the Rotary District
•The club can also provide volunteers for projects
•Everyone in the club is engaged in the community
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•The President is going to schedule a date for the Commission to make a Parks and
Recreation Presentation
•They meet every Wednesday from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Southview Country Club
•They are currently booked out until January 2020 and they will provide a date sometime
in January
It is the hope of the Commission to have these Community Engagement Meetings finished by
their January 2020 meeting.
9. New Business
9.a Community Engagement Presentation
Commissioners Sherer and Miller presented their findings from the Community Engagement
Session with the Mom’s Club:
•Met with 5-6 members at Commissioner Sherer’s home
•All were residents of Mendota Heights
•Went through the survey questions and had general conversation about the parks
How long have they lived in Mendota Heights?
•3 years to all of their lives
Top reasons for living in the community
•Uniqueness of Mendota Heights having mature trees, open space, large lots
•Attracted to the neighborhood playgrounds and the connectivity provided by the trial
system
Does the family use the playground equipment at the parks?
•Overwhelmingly yes
•Frequently
•Every day in the warm months
What do you like about the parks?
•Green space
•Park shelter
What would you change?
•More swings at the playgrounds as kids will fight over them
•More equipment better suited for older kids – ages 8+
o More climbing structures
o Bigger slides
o Ninja course type of equipment
o More drinking fountains
o More shade – not just trees but maybe small canopies
o Storage bins for regular common-use items to be shared
o Sandboxes or places to dig
o Covered dugouts at the playing fields
o Community pool with water slides
o Misting or spraying for cooling
•Moms with kids of different ages like the amenities/options at Hagstrom-King
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10.Staff Announcements
Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence shared the following announcements:
•The city is in desperate need of seasonal staff; warming house attendance and skating
instructor. Application available on the city’s website and at City Hall
•Orbit Earth – a new event – received a grant from ISD 197 Foundation so this will be a
free event over the winter break (December 30 at 1:30 – 2:30 at Mendota Elementary).
Staff needs to know how many to expect so registration is encouraged
•Other events can be found on the city’s website
11. Student Representative Update
None.
12. Commission Comments and Park Updates
Commissioner Cotter
•Was out at Rogers Lake and two things struck him from the comments this evening
o Sand volleyball is a great activity, the sand is well maintained
o The skate park – conducive to teenagers
Commissioner Sherer
•Hagstrom-King playground installations is progressing
•Basketball courts are being used
•Everything is looking great at the parks
Commissioner Klepperich
•Drove through the parking lot at Mendakota Park today, his truck thermometer said 18
degrees, he did not get out of the truck and there was no one there
•It looked very peaceful and quiet, very clean and nice
•He also drove by Hagstrom-King and they were pouring concrete footings to anchor the
playground equipment
Commissioner Meyer
•Everything great at Marie Park and Kensington Park
•She also went on a little field trip and checked out the playground in a little more detail
for future discussion. She will share pictures at the next meeting
Commissioner Hinderscheid
•There is a picnic table at the Dog Park that has a canopy that provides some shade;
however, he agrees that it could use more shade
•He was very encouraged this summer and fall to see how much the tennis courts at Ivy
Hills Park were used
•Thanked Ms. Lawrence for the favorable results at the Par 3
•Appreciated all of the comments from the Mom’s Club
•Very encouraged by all of the improvements in the pipeline right now
Commissioner Miller
•He believed the work session was very productive and helpful and will reset the direction
of the parks
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•Most of the little league equipment at Victoria Highlands playground has been cleaned
up; there are still some things that probably will sit there all winter – bases and tarps, but
nothing that would be harmful or a big deal
•Victoria Highlands playground and park are in good shape
Chair Goldade
•Excited the new playground equipment is going in at Wentworth Park
•The Valley Park path has been reopened
•Excited for the future agenda items, which include playground updates and more
discussions about pickleball
•Encouraged resident / community involvement and feedback
•Thanked staff for all the preparations made for the work session last week and for the
meeting this evening
13. Adjourn
Motion Cotter/Second Sherer to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 PM
AYES 7: NAYS 0
Minutes Taken By:
C. Darlene Oehlke
Independent Contractor
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DATE: November 12, 2019
TO: Parks & Recreation Commission
FROM: Meredith Lawrence, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: Par 3 Update
Financial Report
An October financial report will be available at the December 10 meeting. Staff will review the
current financial forecast of the Par 3 and answer any questions the commissioners may have.
Equipment Update
Staff has requested $47,000 in the 2020 budget for a new greens mower. This is the last of the
main Par 3 equipment in need of immediate replacement. Staff will be bringing a
recommendation for a new Greens mower to the December 17 City Council meeting.
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DATE: December 10, 2019
TO: Parks & Recreation Commission
FROM: Meredith Lawrence, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: Recreation Update
Winter Break Field Trip Opportunities
The Cities of Mendota Heights, West Saint Paul, and South Saint Paul will be hosting two field
trip opportunities for students over Winter Break. The two opportunities include: bowling and a
movie/conquer ninja warrior and swimming. The field trips will take place on December 26th
and 27th and registration is available on the City’s website.
Superhero Masquerade Recap
The City of Mendota Heights in collaboration with the City of West Saint Paul hosted the
Superhero Masquerade on Sunday, November 17th at the Dakota Lodge in West Saint Paul. A
great time was had by all!
Gymnastics
The City of Mendota Heights and West Saint Paul collaborate to offer youth Gymnastics lessons
at Henry Sibley High School. The first day of the program is December 7.
Orbit Earth
The Orbit Earth Expo is coming to the City of Mendota Heights for an interactive and
entertaining experience for kids. Orb, an inflatable model of Earth teaches youth how
relationships are made between the Earth, Moon and Sun. Kids will be able to manipulate he
models to create eclipses, seasons, moon phases, creation of winds, day/night cycles, rotation
vs. revolution, order of the planets and more. Admission is limited for this event, but the event
is free to the public. This opportunity was funded by the ISD 197 Education Foundation. The
event will take place on December 30 from 1:30-2:30pm at Mendota Elementary.
Skating Lessons
The City of Mendota Heights and West Saint Paul will be offering beginner level skating lessons
at Friendly Hills Park. Classes begin on January 4, 2020. Registration is now open!
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Warming House Update
Staff is busy training warming house staff and preparing the ice for the 2019-2020 ice skating
season. Check the City’s website for up-to-date warming house availability.
Summer Program Planning
Staff is busy planning programs, camps, events and activities for Summer 2020. If the
commissioners have any feedback regarding programs they would like to see, please have them
contact the Recreation Program Coordinator.
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DATE: December 10, 2019
TO: Parks & Recreation Commission
FROM: Ryan Ruzek, P.E., Public Works Director
SUBJECT: First Lego League City Shaper Presentation – Visitation School
INTRODUCTION
The Commission is asked to provide an opportunity for students from Visitation School to
present their First Lego League City Shaper project.
The Visitation team consist of six students (MacKenzie, Lauren, Fiona, Grace, Ruby, and
Cadence) and their coach, Joe Frazier. This year’s theme is City Shapers, the challenge is to
make a civil engineering project. For their project, they are proposing a different version of
Rogers Lake Park. Some of their ideas are a handicapped accessible park, fixing potholes, and
making a path to the swing set. They are also thinking about recreating the boat launch to make
it more accessible and visible, and making a small community center.
Additional information about the challenge:
Every year, FIRST LEGO League releases a Challenge, which is based on a real-world scientific
topic.
Each Challenge has three parts: the Robot Game, the Innovation Project, and the Core Values.
Teams of up to ten children, with at least two adult coaches, participate in the Challenge by
programming an autonomous robot to score points on a themed playing field (Robot Game),
developing a solution to a problem they have identified (Project), all guided by the FIRST Core
Values. Teams may then attend an official tournament, hosted by our FIRST LEGO League
Partners.
Past Challenges have been based on topics such as nanotechnology, climate, quality of life for
the handicapped population, and transportation. By designing our Challenges around such
topics, participants are exposed to potential career paths within a chosen Challenge topic, in
addition to solidifying the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) principles that
naturally come from participating in the program. Team members also learn valuable life and
employment skills which will benefit them no matter which career path they choose.
ACTION REQUIRED
Preside over the presentation and ask questions about the Challenge.
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DATE: December 10, 2019
TO: Parks & Recreation Commission
FROM: Ryan Ruzek, P.E., Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Playground Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Discussion
INTRODUCTION
The Commission is asked to provide feedback on establishing the Playground CIP.
Mendota Heights has 11 parks with playground equipment. The parks with playgrounds, year
built, and costs are:
Park Year Amount
Marie 2005 $38,532
Valley View Heights 2006 $36,014
Ivy Hills 2007 $47,489
Valley 2007 $19,891
Rogers Lake 2008 $54,245
Friendly Hills 2009 $61,619
Victoria Highlands 2009 $50,723
Kensington South 2011 $53,250
Mendakota 2013 $70,541
Hagstrom- King 2019 $163,000
Wentworth 2019 $150,000
The Commission should compare the age of the parks against the provided inspection report to
assist in determining a schedule of playground replacement and the projected year.
A standard for playgrounds has been 15-20 year service life.
ACTION REQUIRED
The Commission should discuss the playgrounds and make a recommendation on improvement
years and if possible, a proposed budget amount.
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DATE: December 10, 2019
TO: Parks & Recreation Commission
FROM: Meredith Lawrence, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: Community Engagement Check In
INTRODUCTION
Earlier this year the Commission decided they wanted to gain insight from residents and local
stakeholders by conducting a new community engagement effort. Below are the groups that
commissioners were going to meet with in the community:
•Community Education: Bob Klepperich, Stephanie Meyer
•Mom’s Club: Daniel Sherer, David Miller
•Rotary Club: Pat Hinderscheid, Steve Goldade
•Mendota Heights Senior Living Facility: Patrick Cotter, Steve Goldade
•Local Students: Matthew Boland, Steve Goldade
Staff is only aware that Commissioners Daniel Sherer and David Miller have met with their
assigned group to complete their survey project. They shared their group’s information at the
November meeting.
ACTION REQUIRED
The Commission should share about their experiences once complete.
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DATE: December 10, 2019
TO: Parks & Recreation Commission
FROM: Meredith Lawrence, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: 2020 Draft Project List
INTRODUCTION
The Commission has, on its own and with the City Council, met to discuss and review the park
project list and priority ranking of project ideas. Included in the packet is the proposed project
list that includes 17 improvements that have been suggested over the past several months and
are based on community engagement feedback, commissioner and council member ideas, and
staff recommendations.
During a work session on July 9, Parks and Recreation Commissioners as well as City Council
members were asked to identify five park improvements, not in any ranked order, that they
would like to see considered. Additionally, if there were items that respondents felt should be
removed, they were able to indicate that as well. The purpose of the exercise was to provide
staff direction regarding improvements to focus on in 2020 and 2021, as well as provide an
estimate of the amount of funds being allocated and spent from the Special Parks Fund.
As a follow-up to the joint work session with the City Council, the Parks and Recreation
Commission met in a work session in November to discuss the priority list and Special Parks
Fund budget. Chair Goldade and Vice Chair Klepperich have asked that the Commission review
the proposed project/priority list and determine four or five projects to direct staff to begin
researching and developing for 2020/2021.
These projects would not be ready for immediate City Council recommendation, but instead
will provide staff direction on which projects to research and bring back to the Commission at a
future meeting.
ACTION REQUIRED
The Commission should determine a project list for staff to begin working on in 2020.
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PRIORITY LIST SUMMARY
Amenity Price Keep Remove
Mendakota Park - Dugouts (4 Fields) $140,000 7
Mendakota Park - Field Lighting $500,000 1 5
Friendly Marsh - Soccer Field $100,000 3
Friendly Marsh - Archery $10,000 3
Market Square Park - Shade Structure $30,000 3 1
Friendly Hills - Tennis Court Resurfacing $80,000 6
Rogers Lake - Restrooms $150,000 4 2
Rogers Lake - Skate Park Expanded Features $50,000 4
Oheyawahe/Pilot Knob Improvements $750,000 Removed by City
Council
Ivy Falls Park Development Market Price 1
Augusta/Lemay Conservation Trails Market Price Removed by City
Council
Playground Improvements $120,000 7
Dedicated Pickle Ball $60,000 3 1
Drinking Fountains Varies 1
Splash Pad
Note: Additional operating costs are
estimated to be $30,000, annually.
$225,000
3 3
Removed by City
Council
Civic Center Park--Field Lighting $50,000 3 1
Par 3 Trail Connection $100,000 5
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SPECIAL PARKS FUND As of 10/30/2019
2018 2019 2020
Beginning Fund Balance 548,000$ $ 759,167 $ 650,466
Park Dedication Fees
Mendota Apartments (Phase I & 2)280,000$ 252,000$
Orchard Heights 64,000$
Condon Court 8,100$
Village Development 168,000$
USTA Grant (Marie Park Tennis Courts)20,000$
DNR Grant 180,000$
Miscelanous (e.g. interest)11,305.00$ 2,500$
Revenue Total: 363,405$ 274,500$ 348,000$
Expenditures
Marie Park Tennis Court 70,196$ 15,578$
Marie Park Basketball Court Expansion 14,700$
Marie Park Hockey Rink Surfacing 11,850$
Wentworth Rink Lights 51,300$
Market Square Park ‐ Picnic Tables 2,136$
Dog Park ‐Table with Shade 6,209$
Bike Racks 3,767$ 12,500$
Pickleball Court Equipment 2,704$
Audit Fee 1,226$ 685$
Hagstrom King Playground Replacement 163,000$
Hagstrom King Basketball Court Expansion 16,050$
Wentworth Park Architect 4,106$
Wentworth Tennis Court Replacement 80,000$
Wentworth Warming House 250,000$
Wentworth Parking Lot 90,000$
Wentworth Playground Replacement 153,375$
Dog Park Feasibility Study 10,000$
Dog Park ‐Small Dog Fencing 6,058$
Ivy Hills Basketball Court Expansion 20,000$
Expenditure Total: 152,238$ 383,201$ 450,000$
Ending Fund Balance 759,167$ 650,466$ 548,466$
Projects Scheduled/In Process
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DATE: December 10, 2019
TO: Parks and Recreation Commission
FROM: Meredith Lawrence, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: Set Meeting Dates for 2020
Background
It has been recommended that we set our 2020 meeting dates.
Below are the proposed meeting dates for the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2020:
•Tuesday, January 7
•Tuesday, February 11
•Tuesday, March 10
•Tuesday, April 14
•Tuesday, May 12
•Tuesday, June 9
•Tuesday, July 14
•Wednesday, August 12 (Due to Primary Election)
•Tuesday, September 8
•Thursday, October 13
•Tuesday, November 10
•Tuesday, December 8
Requested Action
The commission should review the 2020 meeting dates, make any necessary changes and
approve the 2020 Parks and Recreation Meeting Dates.
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