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2020-09-08 Park and Rec Comm MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS, DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING September 8, 2020 The September meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, 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, Bob Klepperich, Stephanie Meyer, and Amy Smith; absent: Commissioners Patrick Cotter and Dan Sherer. 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 Hinderscheid to approve the agenda AYES 5: NAYS 0 5.a Approval of Minutes from August 12, 2020 Regular Meeting Motion Klepperich/second Meyer to approve the minutes of the August 12, 2020 Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting. AYES 5: NAYS 0 6. Citizen Comment Period (for items not on the agenda) None. 7. Acknowledgement of Reports Chair Goldade read the titles of the three updates (Par 3, Recreation, Valley View Oak 3rd Addition, Park Improvement, and Marie Avenue Street Improvements Updates) and polled the Commissioners for questions. 7.a Par 3 Update Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence briefly reviewed the 2020 July Financial Report. She noted a profit showing of $38,067. Chair Goldade commended staff for doing an excellent job this season. 7.b Recreation Update There were no specific questions or concerns raised about the report. 7.c Valley View Oak 3rd Addition Update There were no specific questions or concerns raised about the report. 7.d Parks Improvement Update Chair Goldade commented on the Hagstrom King update, noting that the new basketball court is being heavily used. He noted the delay on the construction of the warming house for Wentworth Park. Commissioner Meyer asked if an extension needs to be applied for through the DNR grant. Ms. Lawrence replied that as long as the construction is completed by the end of 2021, no extension would be needed. Commissioner Klepperich noted that the delay is due to material shortages and the related increase in cost for materials. 7.e Marie Avenue Street Improvements Update Chair Goldade noted that the pond at Marie and Lexington has been drained and it will be excavated and refilled. Motion Klepperich/second Meyer to acknowledge the staff reports. AYES 5: NAYS 0 8. Unfinished Business None. 8.a Skatepark Discussion Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence stated that this item was brought to the City Council the previous week to consider some issues that have occurred at the skateboard park. She provided background information on the creation of the skateboard park and the initial assumptions for maintenance and responsibilities of the users. She stated that the skatepark is a tier one park and provided details on those requirements. She highlighted some of the operational challenges and difficulties including location, wear and tear, upkeep, vandalism, DIY modifications, additions by users, and public safety. She reviewed the options for considerations presented to the Council and reported that the Council asked the Parks and Recreation Commission to form a workgroup/subcommittee to address priority operational issues and create a public awareness strategy and later discuss capital maintenance and improvements for the park. She reviewed the identity of the study group which should include; resident adults and children, Craig Williams (representing DirtyDota), two PRC Commissioners, a representative from public works, a representative from public safety, Ms. Lawrence, and Assistant City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson. She stated that in phase one the workgroup should address operational issues and create a public awareness strategy. Phase two should address the location and aging of the skate park. Phase three should discuss design and funding. She explained that this will be a lengthy process and encouraged the Commission to select members that are passionate about the skatepark for the workgroup/subcommittee. Chair Goldade thanked those in attendance tonight, along with staff, for their passion about this issue. He asked where park rules can be found, noting that the rules apply to all City parks. Ms. Lawrence replied that all City Ordinances are available on the City website. She noted that staff can also provide a written copy at City Hall, for those without access to the City website. Chair Goldade stated that the legal drinking age is 21 and asked what the park rules say about drinking in the parks. Ms. Lawrence stated that canned alcoholic beverages are allowed for those over 21. She commented that glass bottles and kegs are not allowed. Commissioner Smith asked for the number of residents that would be selected for the subcommittee. Ms. Lawrence replied that the subcommittee would have seven members outside of City staff, which would include Craig Williams, the two PRC members, and four residents (adult/children) to be selected by the other members of the subcommittee. Assistant City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson stated that Mr. Williams and City Administrator Mark McNeill discussed the makeup of the subcommittee and determined that seven would be a good number. Commissioner Hinderscheid asked the for group that completed the work on the skate park and whether they would be a good resource to include. Ms. Lawrence replied that Third Lair completed that work through Action Sports. She stated that she would not recommend including a contractor on the subcommittee and would rather a contractor be brought in at the time when potential work is being discussed. Commissioner Hinderscheid asked if someone has to be committed to skateboarding in order to be a part of this. Ms. Lawrence stated that is not a requisite. Chair Goldade asked how residents would be recruited. Ms. Lawrence stated that she has already been contacted by interested residents but noted that her contact information is listed on the City website for others that may be interested. She noted that even though only four residents will be selected for the subcommittee, other users will be allowed to provide input throughout the process. Commissioner Meyer asked if there has been successful programming at the skatepark. Ms. Lawrence confirmed that the City has contracted with Third Lair for programming that has been well attended. Commissioner Hinderscheid stated that in 2018 there was $10,000 in improvements and asked if features were updated as well as maintenance. Ms. Lawrence stated that in 2018 some users completed DIY additions to the skatepark which negated some of the features that were added. Commissioner Meyer and Commissioner Klepperich volunteered to be a part of the subcommittee. Commissioner Hinderscheid stated that he went past the skatepark today and noted that it is exciting to see that the skatepark continues to be heavily used. He asked if the removal of the fencing has been seen as an improvement to the users. Ms. Lawrence replied that the users tend to find it more appealing without the fencing. Ms. Jacobson stated that the fencing was removed because of COVID-19 to allow the users more space for social distancing. She agreed that most skateparks are not fenced and therefore it has been seen as a favorable improvement. Chair Goldade invited Mr. Williams to come forward and share some information about DirtyDota. Craig Williams stated that DirtyDota is a collaborative effort of skaters at the park. He stated that it started as an Instagram account which has been expanded into a website. He stated that they are now working to make it into a favorable force in the community, noting that an incident reporting tool was added to the website and funds were raised to clean up graffiti at the skatepark and other areas of the park. He stated that over the years it seemed that the skatepark was a forgotten space and therefore some of the users took it upon themselves to add things themselves that are considered to be negative by the overall community. He commented on the skateparks in neighboring communities that have updated in recent years. He stated that he would like to do his best to keep the skatepark alive and the culture continuing. Chair Goldade referenced the idea of the users of the skatepark keeping themselves accountable and asked if Mr. Williams believes that is something that is achievable. Mr. Williams recognized that not all users can be held accountable when at full capacity but believed that the messaging could be changed and better directed towards the users. Chair Goldade asked the percentage of the skatepark users that are residents and nonresidents. Mr. Williams stated that he could not accurately estimate that, as he does not ask users where they are from. Commissioner Klepperich commented on an email from Mr. Williams, stating that he was very impressed with the scope and content and could tell from the tone of the material, and that Mr. Williams and DirtyDota are very passionate about what needs to be done both in the short-term and long-term. Commissioner Meyer thanked Mr. Williams for the well thought out email. She encouraged the subcommittee to reach out to Lebanon Hills, as that is a mountain bike trail system that is well maintained by its users and noted that those users hold each other accountable. Chair Goldade asked the definition of child for the subcommittee makeup. Ms. Lawrence replied that the intent was to have middle school/high school aged children. She noted that the subcommittee can make their selections, noting that sometimes it is more dependent on maturity rather than a certain age. Chair Goldade stated that he would find it important to have at least two members under 18. Mr. Williams replied that there are regular users of the skatepark that are children under the age of 18. Motion Meyer/second Hinderscheid to appoint Commissioner Smith and Commissioner Klepperich to the skatepark workgroup/subcommittee. AYES 5: NAYS 0 8.b Pickleball Discussion Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence stated that the Council and Commission discussed this topic at the joint worksession in July with direction for the Commission to review the topic further and provide a recommendation. Chair Goldade reviewed the possible recommendations before the Commission tonight including resurfacing, standalone courts, or delaying the decision. Commissioner Smith asked if the pickleball court compromises the hockey rink in the winter. She also asked if Valley Park was taken out of consideration because of noise. Ms. Lawrence replied that the pickleball court does not compromise the hockey rink. She explained that the Council removed Valley Park from consideration because the Council did not want to see a highly utilized tennis court removed. She explained that the Valley Park sport court would have to be removed in order to install a hardcourt surface. She reviewed the options provided within the staff memorandum and stated that staff would recommend that the Commission recommend that the City Council line the Friendly Hills hockey rink for pickleball to be used for the 2021 spring season. Commissioner Hinderscheid asked if the usage would complement or interfere with softball activity at Mendakota. Ms. Lawrence stated that based on her viewing of Marie Park, the courts are heavily used in the mornings with some families using the courts in the evenings. She stated that the pickleball courts would be used more regionally if they are dedicated courts. Commissioner Hinderscheid received confirmation that users at Marie Park appreciate the hockey courts but also appreciate dedicated courts. Ms. Lawrence noted that the difference would be cost and time, noting that lining the hockey rink could move forward more quickly and at a lower cost. She commented that dedicated courts could result in the Commission not having funds to complete another project. Chair Goldade stated that he would think the infrastructure would be in place at Mendakota because there is a large parking lot available. Commissioner Meyer asked why staff has a preference for Friendly Hills over Wentworth. She stated that perhaps there could be a cost-savings at Wentworth as the parking lot work and resurfacing could be done together. She asked if there have been complaints from the noise at Marie Park. Chair Goldade commented that he has not heard any complaints. He asked the distance from the homes at Friendly Hills and Wentworth. Ms. Lawrence stated that there will be a considerable amount of dollars spent at Wentworth and was unsure that they want to add the additional cost of paving. She noted that Marie and Wentworth are fairly close together, whereas Friendly Hills will bring pickleball to another area of the community. She stated that staff could reach out to neighbors of the parks to determine if there would be any concerns with pickleball. Commissioner Klepperich stated that short-term he would support the lining of the hockey rink and suggested that dedicated courts be reviewed after COVID-19 passes and there are not so many unknowns in terms of funding. Commissioner Smith stated that she would also support that recommendation as there are other improvements that need to be addressed and this is the less costly issue. She agreed with staff reaching out to residents to ensure there are not concerns. She also agreed with the Friendly Hills location as it would bring the amenity to another area of the community. Commissioner Meyer stated that she also supports resurfacing at this time. Commissioner Hinderscheid stated that he visited Valley Park tonight and noted that he did not think noise would be a consideration because of the noise from traffic in that area. He stated that Inver Grove Heights removed tennis courts and replaced them with dedicated pickleball courts and Eagan removed hockey rinks and replaced them with dedicated pickleball courts. He felt that Mendota Heights needs to keep up with the times and noted that while he supports the hockey rink courts, he would also want to see dedicated pickleball courts at Mendakota. He stated that perhaps users could be surveyed to determine if they would desire a hockey rink court or dedicated courts. Chair Goldade commented that moving forward with the hockey rink court would not mean that the Commission could not consider dedicated courts in the future. He noted that it is not an “either-or” option. Commissioner Hinderscheid stated that he would prefer to delay the decision. Commissioner Klepperich stated that in the short-term funding is an issue and commented that there is currently no funding for dedicated courts. He noted that this option would provide pickleball courts as early as next spring. Commissioner Hinderscheid stated that there are funds available in the special parks fund that can be used for park improvements. Commissioner Klepperich noted that the available funds have been allocated and accounted for at this time, as the Council set a balance which the account shall not go below. Chair Goldade commented that he believes the users of the Marie Park pickleball courts would want to see dedicated courts but noted that if funding is explained he believes users would support this option for the short-term. He stated that he would like to continue to discuss dedicated pickleball courts in the future. Motion Meyer/second Klepperich to recommend to the City Council to line the Friendly Hills hockey rink for pickleball to be used for the 2021 spring season, with direction for staff to survey adjacent residents for potential concerns. AYES 5: NAYS 0 8.c Playground Subcommittee Appointment Review Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence stated that on February 11th, the Commission appointed Commissioners Hinderscheid, Smith and Meyer to serve on the Marie Park Playground Subcommittee but that has been delayed due to COVID-19. She stated that staff brought this back to confirm whether those members are still interested in participating on the subcommittee, as some time has passed since the initial creation of the group. Commissioners Hinderscheid, Meyer and Smith confirmed their desire to participate in the subcommittee. Commissioner Hinderscheid asked and received confirmation that Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek will be a part of the subcommittee as well. He asked for details on the pricing. Ms. Lawrence provided details on the RFP process and noted that if a contractor has a sale during that time, the sale price would be eligible. Assistant City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson noted that the previous sale was in 2019 and therefore the City most likely missed that sale but stated that staff could follow up to determine if the contractor would still honor those prices because of COVID-19, or whether there would be another sale. 8.d Field and Facility Use Policy Review Chair Goldade asked if this item could be postponed until October to allow Commissioner Sherer to be present. He confirmed that consensus. 9. Staff Announcements Recreation Program Coordinator Meredith Lawrence shared the following announcements:  Movie night will take place on Saturday night at Mendakota showing the Lion King  MEA break and winter break activities are being planned for children in the community.  Aeration has been completed on the golf course, therefore fall pricing has begun for the course.  Other events can be found on the city’s website 10. Commission Comments and Park Updates Commissioner Smith  Friendly Hills Park has been well used and is looking great. Three dead trees have been removed from the trails.  Market Park also continues to be used with heavy use of the picnic tables. Commissioner Meyer  The pickleball courts at Marie Park continue to be well used.  Staff continues to do a great job maintaining the City parks. Commissioner Hinderscheid  The dog park continues to be well used. There is seating available on the large dog side and perhaps seating and shade could be provided on the small dog side of the park. Commissioner Klepperich  It appears that softball is still continuing at Mendakota. The fields are pristine because of the lesser amount of use.  Commendations to parks and maintenance staff for the great work they are doing. Chair Goldade  He received a request for lining and net for a fifth pickleball court at Marie Park.  Continued patience on Wentworth while construction is delayed on the warming house.  Looking forward to Marie Avenue being completed to allow him to drive past Valley Park. He noted planned basketball court improvements.  The parks and trails continue to be used heavily by the community. 13. Adjourn Motion Klepperich/Second Smith to adjourn the meeting at 7:51 PM AYES 5: NAYS 0 Minutes drafted by: Amanda Staple TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.