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2002-09-10 Parks and Rec Comm MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES SEPTEMBER 10, 2002 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. The following Commissioners were present: Chair Richard Spicer and Commissioners Larry Craighead, Paul Portz, Raymond Morris, Missie Hickey, and Dave Libra. Commissioner Stan Linnell was excused from the meeting. City Staff present were Parks Project Manager Guy Kullander, Recreation Programmer Teresa Gangelhoff and Administrative Assistant Patrick C. Hollister. Mr. Hollister took the minutes. This meeting was televised by NDCTV and replayed the following Friday at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm. MINUTES Commissioner Moms moved to approve the June 11, 2002 minutes as written. Commissioner Portz seconded the motion. AYES: 6 NAYS: 0 RECREATION PROGRAMMER'S UPDATE Ms. Gangelhoff provided an update of Recreation Activities for Fa112002. On the subject of skating rinks, IVIs. Gangelhoff also commented that she thought that all three existing rinks were sufficiently used to justify their continued operation. Ms. Gangelhoff said that she would recommend against closing any of the skating rinks. Chair Spicer commented that he agreed that the rinks should remain open. Commissioner Craighead also said that he thought that the rinks should remain open. Chair Spicer asked if anyone would like to make a motion recommending that the Council not close the rinks. Commissioner Craighead moved to recommend to Council that they not close the rinks. Commissioner Libra seconded the motion. AYES: NAYS: Commissioner Hickey complimented Ms. Gangelhoff on a good job, especially co - coordinating ten trips. Commissioner Craighead complimented Ms. Gangelhoff on her planned ice cream social activity for seniors on September I Vh r.'� �lcr r'.'c��:71 Y: �'1/:\:7u 1 I►`(!! : [Il lf.`1 �I Commissioner Libra said that the Wentworth warming house was inadequate. Commissioner Libra asked whether or not the Wentworth warming house should have a window. Commissioner Libra moved to recommend that the Wentworth warming house replacement begin this year. Commissioner Moms seconded the motion. Commissioner Libra said that this item had been discussed for the last five or six years and that it was time to do something about it. Commissioner Moms agreed that this idea had been bounced around and that it was time to do it. AYES: 6 NAYS: 0 17�.7:t;Yy►'I�•fDI_\ZN���iitJ�3� /_ ul Commissioner Spicer recommended delaying changes to the 5-year CIP until next year. NATIJRAI. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN Chair Spicer said that the Commission should accept the final report of the Natural Resource Management Plan and follow the priorities of the plan. Mr. Kullander said that the priorities expressed in the plan are not in any specific order. Commissioner Morris moved to recommend that the Council accept the final report. Commissioner Portz seconded the motion. Commissioner Libra asked about the pond in Ivy Hills Park where it appeared that the wildflowers had turned to weeds. Commissioner Libra said that be believed that the report discussed that area. Mr. Kullander said that it was simply a question of continued maintenance of that area. Mr. Kullander added that not all of the "weeds" were truly weeds, that many of them were desirable native grasses. Commissioner Morris said that the nature of prairie restoration dictated that one had to wait long-term to see tangible progress. Commissioner Morris added that the Minneapolis Parks Board had a program to convert to natural plantings, and that the program was not popular with some people. Commissioner Libra said that the report should identify an approach to prairie restoration for Ivy Park, Marie Park, etc., and that he did not see that type of approach in this report. Mr. Kullander said that Ivy Park is mentioned in the report, along with prairie enhancement such as in Copperfield Park. Mr. Kullander said that although it is difficult to maintain on steep slopes, the plan has examples of types of plantings that the City should strive for. Commissioner Morris said that there were other invasive species besides buckthorn and that combating invasive species should be a very high priority. Commissioner Hickey suggested that Dodge Nature Center could be helpful in the education effort. Mr. Kullander said that it was not about dollars for education, just staff Mr. Kullander said that volunteers are hard to come by. Commissioner Morris said that it was important to have someone adept at grant writing. Commissioner Portz said that the report and presentation were excellent. Commissioner Portz said that he was in southern Minnesota over the weekend, and now that his consciousness had been raised about buckthorn, he saw it growing all along the highways. Commissioner Morris said that "kudzu" in the south is even worse than buckthorn in the north. AYES: 6 NAYS: 0 Mr. Kullander informed the Commission that a request to add $10,000 to the 2003 Parks Maintenance Budget for Natural Resources Management Projects had been included in the draft 2003 City Budget under review by the Council. Mr. Kullander also stated that the Council would be holding a budget workshop in November. Commissioner Hickey moved to request an additional $10,000 ($20,000 total) be added to next year's budget with the additional monies to be used for a Natural Resources Enhancement or Restoration Project. (Mr. Kullander advised that locating the project in the Copperfield Pond or Valley Park areas would be viewed as favorable by the DNR for matching funding grants.) Commissioner Morris seconded the motion and offered an amendment to establish the removal of invasive plant species as the number one priority use for the $10,000 line item requested in the 2003 Budget for Natural Resources Management, AYES: 6 NAYS: 0 Mr. Kullander reviewed potential designs of the skate park. Mr. Kullander said that the skateboard park would consist of a course of temporary ramps and jumps that would be removed each winter and re -installed each spring. Mr. Kullander added that winter ice- skating and hockey activities would continue as normal. Mr. Kullander explained that a "Tier One" skateboard park does not have any jumps higher than three feet. Mr. Kullander said that this was important because the City's LMC insurance provider would insist that any skate park with jumps higher than three feet be continually monitored by City Staff. Mr. Kullander said that the Parks Commission has budgeted $24,000 for the year 2003 in the Parks Capital Improvement Plan for construction of the skateboard park next year. The Commission agreed to hold a public information meeting on October 8, 2002 to hear input from neighbors to Friendly Hills Park and all other interested Mendota Heights residents regarding the proposal to install a "Tier One" skateboard park on the paved surface of the skating rink at Friendly Hills Park. The Commission agreed that the informational meeting will take place in the Council Chambers at City Hall and will begin at 6:30 pm. Mr. Hollister said that he would mail notice to all residents within 350' of Friendly Hills Park and put an article about the Informational Meeting in the Heights Highlights. UPDATES Staff provided updates on the following items: • Lexington Avenue Trail • Police Report ADJOURN Motion made to adjourn by Portz and seconded by Libra. AYES: 6 NAYS: 0 The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.