1993-03-09 Parks and Rec Comm Minutes (2)CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
MARCH 9, 1993
The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation
Commission was held on Tuesday, March 9, 1993, in the City Hall
Large Conference Room, 1101 Victoria Curve. The meeting was called
to order at 7:05 o'clock P.M. The following members were present:
Katz, Norton, Kleinglass, Spicer, Linnell, Damberg and Libra. Also
present were Administrative Assistant Kevin Batchelder and Civil
Engineer Klayton Eckles.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Commissioner Damberg moved to approve the February 9, 1993
Minutes.
Commissioner Spicer seconded the motion.
AYES: 7
NAYS: 0
REQUEST TO DEDICATE FIELD
The Parks and Recreation Commission discussed the request to
name a field or park in the Mendota Heights park system after
Mr. Richard (Jake) Grauman. Mr. Daniel O'Keefe, 745 Pontiac
Place, on behalf of the Korean War Veteran's Association, had
made a request of the City of Mendota Heights to name a field
or a park after Richard Grauman who was missing in action in
the Korean War. The Commission discussed the need to have a
policy on naming fields and parks in Mendota Heights.
Administrative Assistant Batchelder stated he had contacted
the School District about the possibility of naming the Sibley
Park Varsity baseball field in dedication of Richard Grauman.
Batchelder stated the Sibley Varsity baseball field would be
an appropriate site because the School District encompasses
the community of West St. Paul and Mendota Heights.
Batchelder stated a lot of parents and children would be
visiting the Varsity baseball field in the future and this
would be a quite visible site. Commissioner Kleinglass stated
he believes the request was also coincidental to the 40th
Anniversary of the Korean War and the fact that the Korean War
Veteran's Association is holding their annual convention in
Bloomington in July. Kleinglass stated there was a
possibility that President Clinton would be in town for a
dedication ceremony to inter ten M.I.A.°s at Fort Snelling
National Cemetery.
Mr. O'Keefe introduced LeRoy Noack, Chuck Velin and his
brother, Gary O'Keefe as friends and neighbors of Richard
(Jake) Grauman. Mr. 09Keefe stated all four are Veterans of
the Korean War. Mr. O°Keefe stated the worse possible fate
for a soldier is to be missing and the second worse possible
fate is then to be forgotten. Mr. O'Keefe stated when all of
Richard's friends and neighbors are gone, he will then be
forgotten and that he believes it would be a fine thing for
the City to preserve his memory by naming a field after him.
Mr. O'Keefe stated that Jake sacrificed his life in service of
his Country and that it would be appropriate to dedicate a
field in his honor.
Commissioner Spicer inquired if there was a Mendota Heights in
the 1940's when Jake and his friends went through high school.
Mr. Noack responded that at that time Mendota Heights was a
township and that everyone north of Highway 110 was in what
was considered District 5 schools at that time. Mr. Noack
stated that the choice was to attend South St. Paul or
Humboldt High School and at that time Sibley School was a
junior high. Mr. Noack stated at that time everybody in this
area considered themselves West Siders and it was considered
to be one community.
Mr. Velin stated Jake Grauman is one of two soldiers missing
in action from the Korean War that were from Dakota County.
He stated it would be nice to name a ballfield after Jake
Grauman because he was a recognized athlete in high school and
his desire was to run a sporting goods store after the war.
Mr. Velin stated it would be a good thing for Mendota Heights
and that this dedication ceremony could be tied in with the
National Convention that the Korean War Veteran's Association
is holding in Bloomington this coming July.
Mr. O'Keefe stated the other gentleman missing in action from
Dakota County was from southern Dakota County and the request
is only for Jake Grauman's dedication. Mr. O'Keefe stated
there are still 8,000 soldiers missing in action from the
Korean War.
The Commission inquired if Humboldt High School or the City of
West St. Paul had been approached. Mr. Velin responded they
just feel the dedication for Jake Grauman should be somewhere
in Dakota County and that Mendota Heights has new park
facilities and that Jake's closest friends have resided in
Mendota Heights for many years. The Commission briefly
discussed the need to have a policy to guide their actions on
recommendations for park dedications. Commissioner Spicer
stated these gentlemen must really have been friends to come
back forty years later to get their friend recognized and have
a park dedicated after him. Mr. Velian responded all four of
the gentlemen present tonight were good friends of Jake
Grauman and he was the kind of guy who never said a bad thing
about anybody. He stated that Jake was a true gentlemen and
everybody liked Jake.
Commissioner
Kleinglass moved
that the Parks Commission give
staff some
guidelines on a
policy to adopt
at the April
meeting and
that the Parks Commission
at the
April meeting
should make
a recommendation
that a field be
named for Mr.
Richard (Jake)
Grauman.
Commissioner
Spicer seconded
the motion.
AYES: 7
NAYS: 0
The Commission directed staff to come back with a brief policy
discussing the procedural approach for approving park
dedications and directed staff to pursue with the School
District the Sibley Varsity baseball field as the first
priority for naming a field after Richard (Jake) Grauman and
that the second priority would be a softball field.
Commissioner Norton stated that part of the policy should
include a diversity in the types of contributions made
including historical and civic contributions as well as
military contributions. Commissioner Libra stated this would
be an opportunity to recognize all Korean Veterans and that
this should be a tribute for all missing in action Korean
Veterans.
IVY FALLS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Civil Engineer Klayton Eckles made a presentation on the Ivy
Falls Storm Water Improvement Project for the information of
the Parks Commission. Eckles explained the drainage and
erosion problems in Ivy Falls Creek and described the
improvement project plans. Eckles stated the park area
currently contains a small detention pond with temporary
storage for water during large rain events. He stated this
storage capacity is inadequate and as part of the improvement
project need to be enlarged. Eckles stated a detention pond
concentrates water during major storm events and then slowly
allows the water to drain through a small pipe. He stated
this capacity allows the City to plan for catastrophic ten
year and 100 year storms. He stated currently there is a wet
pond in this area and the detention area fills up during a one
year storm event. He stated the City desires to build its
capacity to handle a ten year storm event so that the water
does not flow over Maple Park Drive.
Eckles explained the City Engineers have planned to excavate
out a small area of the park and build a berm along Maple Park
Drive that would hold the water back and allow the water to
pool in this area. Eckles stated the size of the permanent
water pond area would not change but that the detention area
is being enlarged.
Commissioner Spicer inquired if this detention area would
impact the ballfield or the playground equipment. Eckles
stated no, but it will be close to the play field and the