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1993-05-11 Parks and Rec Comm MinutesThe regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, May 11, 1993 in the City Hall Large Conference Room, 1101 Victoria Curve. The meeting was called to order at 6:40 o°clock P.M. The following members were present: Spicer, Kleinglass, Linnell and Norton. Commissioners Katz and Damberg were excused. Commissioner Libra had notified the Commission he would be late. Also present was Administrative Assistant Kevin Batchelder and Parks Project Manager Guy Kullander. Mr. Jim Kilburg, President of the Fire Relief Association and three members of the Fire Relief Association were in the audience. r Commissioner Norton moved to approve the April 13, 1993, Minutes with corrections. Commissioner Linnell seconded the motion. Vice Chair Spicer introduced this item by stating the Parks and Recreation Commission had been aware, for over a year, that the Fire Relief Association had desired to operate the Mendakota Park Concession Stand. Spicer also stated Mend - Eagan was not interested in doing this on a regular basis. Fire Relief Association President Jim Kilburg stated he had submitted a letter in order to describe what the Fire Relief Association is and what they do for the Fire Department and the City of Mendota Heights. Kilburg stated their major efforts were towards funding of the fire prevention program. Kilburg stated the Fire Relief Association is loosing funding donations, which they have received from the VFW in the past, due to the demise of pull tabs. Commissioner Spicer inquired as to how the money, the Fire Relief Association would make off the concession stands, would go back into the community. Kilburg stated the Fire Relief Association intended to use this money to help fund their fire prevention program. Kilburg stated with the loss of VFW donations the Fire Relief Association is trying to find other avenues to provide funding for their program other than going to City Council and asking for budgetary dollars. Kilburg stated the Fire Relief Association operated the concession stand twice last summer and has been in operation for a week Parks and Recreation Commission May 110 1993 Page 2 this year under a temporary basis approved by the City Council. Kilburg stated the Fire Relief Association intends to operate on a minimum of three nights per week with the possibility of two tournaments a month during the summer. Administrative Assistant Batchelder outlined the agreement which had been provided to the Parks and Recreation Commissions Batchelder stated this agreement was done in cooperation with the Fire Relief Association and through putting together this agreement, the City has come to realize the level of investment and commitment needed to operate a concessions stand. Commissioner Norton inquired if the money was coming out of the Park Fund to pay for the insurance. Batchelder stated the general liability coverage provided by the City already names the members of the Relief Association and no changes to the general liability are necessary as that was already covered. Batchelder stated a Volunteer Extension was taken out on the Worker°s Compensation Insurance and this would provide coverage for all City volunteers including park adopters® commissioners and other volunteers that may be working on behalf of the City for various reasons. Batchelder stated this Volunteer Extension to the Worker's Compensation Insurance costs about $935 a year and he is unsure whether that money was coming from the Special Park Fund. Commissioner Kleinglass inquired about the expenditures of the Fire Relief Association. Kilburg explained that the Fire Prevention Program began in 1985 and is getting bigger and bigger every year. He stated their expenditures include money for school visits, brochures and displays. Kilburg stated they have a Dance Fund which raises approximately $9,000 a year and this is used to help pay insurance, awards, recognition ceremonies, sending of flowers to fire fighter families and to other individuals for special reasons. Kilburg stated they buy their own uniforms and they do not ask the City Council for this money. Kilburg stated, in the past, they have purchased a Cellular phone, computer for the equipment command vehicle, a television set and VCR which they use for training videos, a high pressure washer to clean and test hose and they have purchased Pluggie. Commissioner Kleinglass stated he understood all the fire fighters were volunteers and inquired as to how they are paid. Kilburg responded the Fire Department is paid by the hour for calls and drills and that the City provides money into a pension fund. Kilburg stated that operating the concession stand would allow the Fire Relief Association opportunity to replace the contributions from the VFW that they are no longer able to rely upon. Parks and Recreation Commission May 11, 1993 Page 3 )greement between the Fire Relief Association and the City of 4endota Heights for operation of the Mendakota Park Concession Stand. Commissioner Norton seconded the motion. Batchelder stated there would be slight changes to the agreement, as written tonight, due to his discussions with Don Maddaus, the City's insurance agent, this morning. CONCRETE PADS Parks Project Manager Kullander explained that Parks Leadperson Terry Blum had requested the Commission to authorize the expenditure of $6,000 in order to install concrete pads for bleachers at eight ball fields in the City's neighborhood parks. Kullander stated that at the Parks Commission's direction in April, staff had looked into other surfaces such as gravel and asphalt for bleacher pads. Kullander estimated if the City crews were to dig out these pads and place gravel their time and cost would be roughly the same as contracting for concrete pads. Kullander stated the City would still have to spray the gravel pads and the asphalt pads were not the best on hot summer days as the bleachers can sink into the asphalt. vice Chair Spicer inquired if it was cost efficient to place concrete pads for the bleachers in the neighborhood parks. Kullander stated herbicide can be used instead of building a pad or the park crews could pair up and move the bleachers. Kullander explained this request originated from the fact that one person cannot move the bleachers when he is in the park mowing them. He stated it takes two to three men to move these heavy bleachers. Spicer stated for the 120 days a year that the park crews are mowing grass, it is probably not necessary to build bleacher pads. �ommissioner Linnell stated if it is important to the park loop isudget _;.n.r. ...-... � . lci Jo s..ne one park - - - -ao Parks and Recreation Commission May lle 1993 Page 4 they can budget for one park a year and install these pads when they have time during the Fall or Spring, Spicer requested that the park crews come back to the Parks Commission for discussion of location of bleacher pads and the priority in which they will be built. Commissioner Libra seconded the motion. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 MENDOTA HEIGHTS PAR 3 GOLF COURSE ACQUISITION Administrative Assistant Batchelder stated, at the request of the Parks and Recreation Commission, staff had begun discussions with Mr. Eugene Schway, owner of the Mendota Heights Par 3 Golf Course, regarding acquisition of the Par 3 Golf Course by the City of Mendota Heights. Batchelder stated staff had discussed the current operations at the golf course, the number of rounds per year and a sale price with Mr. Schway who had then provided the City with five years of tax information, operating costs and league schedules for the City°s analysis. Batchelder stated Treasurer Shaughnessy, who points out in his memo, the purchase price offered by Mr. Schway would total approximately $1.8 million and that this works out to be a value of over $100,000 per acre. Batchelder stated Treasurer Shaughnessy's analysis showed that it would appear the revenues could support a City purchase price in the $800,000 to $900,000 range, leaving the City about $900,000 short of the requested purchase price. Batchelder stated if the Parks Commission had serious interest in the purchase of the Mendota Heights Par 3 the first step should be to obtain an Appraisal of Property in order to determine an appropriate value of the property and to begin to balance all of the factors involved with the purchase. vice Chair Spicer inquired about the deferred assessments on the property and wondered if the City should purchase the property do these deferred assessments disappear. Batchelder stated no, and that the City still has to satisfy the bonds. Spicer stated it makes sense for the City to pursue an appraisal of this property due to its potential to be a revenue generator in the future, Batchelder explained if a property appraisal is ordered, the City could then begin to do more detailed analysis, including the price of the land, the proper location for golf course in Mendota Heights, future competition, loss tax opportunity revenues and the budget impact of City operations. He further stated staff could also Parks and Recreation Commission May 11, 1993 Page 5 compare these numbers with other municipal operations. Vice Chair Spicer stated it would be in the City°s interest to plan ahead and after the fifteen year bonds to purchase the golf course retire, then the City would be profiting off of the revenues. n Mendota Heights including the land held by Resurrection Linnell stated it might be more appropriate to llow the Par 3 to develop as single family homes which woulAL rovi a tax base in this area and have a golf course in a ess developable area such as the Resurrection Cemetery •roperty where there is airportnoise. Spicer stated this golf course could possibly provide a long term source of revenue for the City and this might appeal to the Parks Commissioners as the Special Park Fund is relying on cash dedications for subdivisions which are dwindling. Commissioner Linnell inquired about the Friendly Hills school site and wondered if this could ever be used as a golf course on a lease basis from the school district. Batchelder stated whenever the City has inquired if the school district intends to release the land, they say no and that they are going to hold on to it for possible future schools. Commissioner Spicer moved that the City obtain an appraisal to determine the value of the Par 3 Golf Course land and to direct staff to look at alternative sites for golf courses. eights and compare this to the fact that Mendota Heights Par is already an operating business as compared to raw land. ommissioner Libra stated further that the City could compare he cost of improving alternate land costs and the fact that his would be a business buy out. Commissioner Spicer accepted the friendly amendment. Commissioner Libra seconded the motion. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 Parks Project Manager �{ullander stated the City°s Budget for 1993 had included the replacement of four bridges in Wentworth Parks and Recreation Commission Niay 11, 1993 Page 6 aAA d Valley Parks for the amount of $25,000 Co be funded by Referendum or Special Park Fund monies. Kullander stated these bridges keep shifting every year when the ice melts and the rails are getting ricketie and that the asphalt ramps leading up to the bridge are in need of constant repairs Kullander explained the Wentworth bridges are four feet wide and just cover a small span and the City park crews cannot get their equipment over these bridges. Kullander stated it would be easy to place a culvert with a paved trail in these locations and the culvert would have no maintenance and no liability due to weak railings. Kullander stated this would allow the maintenance or emergency vehicles to have access to the park from one location. Kullander stated one of the bridges in Wentworth Park was a bridge that had been moved from Valley Park after a washout. Kullander stated in Valley Park to construct a culvert would be expensive because of the large flow of water in this area and that a bridge would be cheaper. Kullander stated this bridge could be five feet wide due to the fact that vehicle access is not needed in this area. Kullander stated this would be a structural steel bridge with wood planking on concrete footing foundations, Kullander stated, in the future, there are two other bridges which might need replacement, Rogers Lake Park and Friendly Hills Park, and it would be most appropriate to replace those bridges by culverts in the future. Administrative Assistant Batchelder explained this item was not advertised in the Referendum and may not be appropriate to use Referendum funding for this item. Batchelder stated the Referendum funding remaining is earmarked and that this might be more appropriate to come out of the Special Park Fund. Batchelder stated Special Park Funds are intended to provide for capital improvements in parks or for park land purchases. Commissioner Linnell stated he felt this was more of a maintenance item and should be paid for through the General Fund. Linnell stated the City needs to set up a major maintenance fund for the parks, especially if it seems there will be major expenditures every year. Linnell stated as far as specific bridges go, he has visited the Valley Park bridge site and it appears to be in descent shape. Linnell admitted the railings at the Valley Park bridge needed to be fixed or replaced. Kullander stated the City park crews have been replacing the railings and doing patch jobs on these bridges on a continuous Parks and Recreation Commission May 11, 1993 Page 7 basis. Kullander stated the park crews feel that a permanent fix is needed for these bridges. Commissioner Linnell stated he would like to consider having a bridge at Wentworth Park at least in one location instead of a culvert. He stated this bridge could be widened out for motor vehicle access. o 'der future capital improvements Batchelder stated the pecial Park Fund grew by $28,000 last year. Commissioner ibra inquired if other big park maintenance items were coming * due in the near future. Kullander stated no, not really. * stated most maintenance items are covered by the General und Maintenance Budget which includes the warming houses, ockey boards, trail improvements and picnic tableso ullander that the only capital improvements needed in the ear future would be for ADA modifications, which are not ignificant. He stated that the Valley bridge by itself would le $9,000 to $10,000 and he compared this to the cost of the I• ••- at SomersetElementary o Commissioner Kleinglass stated it seems the Parks Commission was of a consensus to do this project but the question was how to pay for it. Commissioner Linnell stated Special Park Funds would be appropriate if this is deemed to be a life safety issue. Commissioner Kleinglass inquired about the Special Park Fund. Batchelder explained the Special Park Fund currently has $391,614 in it and that this is an increase of $28,639 from 1992. Kleinglass stated it seems a lot of people are using the trails and the Maintenance Funds in the Parks Budget is not adequate to pay for one bridge a year. Kleinglass inquired, if in staff°s estimation, is this absolutely necessary to be done in 1993. Kullander stated the patching and reinforcement of the railings on these bridges is a liability concern. Kullander stated we have had the same problem for the last few years, it could cost about $500 to $1,000 this year to fix the railings and next year the frost could heave again and it would need to be done all over. Commissioner Libra inquired about the time frame in completing this project. Kullander responded it would take approximately two months for bidding and the construction process. Commissioner Norton repeated that the Parks Commission would like to see projections for capital improvements. Kullander responded the only large maintenance item, he could think of, is the resurfacing of the tennis courts. He stated resurfacing of the tennis courts had been an annual budget item until 1993. Linnell stated the Americans With Disability Act might require a number of improvements in the City parks. Kullander stated he had done a self evaluation of the park system and that the Referendum had anticipated most of the Parks and Recreation Commission May 11, 1993 Page S The Commission directed staff to look at the City°s Maintenance Budget and to fix what bridges we can this year and to report back at the dune meeting about possible alternatives for fixing the bridges. VERBAL UPDATES Batchelder distributed a roster of the City Council and Commission members. Batchelder stated the City had recently begun a wildflower project at Victoria Highlands Park with the help of a volunteer, Ms. Shari Hanson, of 930 Douglas. Batchelder stated the park crews had burned an area around the Victoria Highlands pond and that Ms. Hanson had cleared the land and planted wildflower seeds. Batchelder stated it was nice to have a volunteer help the City in this fashion. He further stated that burning and seeding may need to be repeated next year. Batchelder stated the City's Police Department has agreed to lock the comfort stations at Mendakota and Kensington Parks. Batchelder stated seven nights a week the Police will be driving through the parks at closing time and locking up these facilities. Batchelder stated Dakota County and the Metropolitan Council were holding a public hearing on May 2Gth at 7:00 P.M. at Wentworth Library to discuss the Dakota County Regional Trail Plan including the acquisition of the Soo Line Railroad for regional trail purposes. Parks Project Manager Kullander stated the County's trail plan includes trails throughout each City and the County and if the County has a trail through your City they usually pay for it. Kullander stated the Pilot Knob trail, which will be constructed in conjunction with the Highway 55 project, may be included on the County plan after discussions with their staff. Kullander stated that previously Lexington Avenue had been considered the north/south County route in this area but its unlikely that the Lexington Avenue trail will be built within the next ten years and that in a few years Lexington Avenue may be turned back to the City. Kullander stated County staff has agreed to consider using Pilot Knob Road instead of Lexington Avenue for the County trail. If this was Parks and Recreation Commission May 11, 1993 Page 9 accepted the County would pay for the trail which the City had included in the highway project. Kullander stated the County may provide approximately $60,000 of funding if the County Board approves this change of trail routings Kullander stated the City then would only have to pay for a connection from the Mendota Bridge to the Pilot Knob Road trail. he parks and trails systems. Commissioner Linnell inquired f the Ivy Falls Project had progressed to the point that andscape plans for the pond in Ivy Falls had been completed. Cullander stated no, but he has had discussions with Engineer ckles and at the time the landscape plan is completed, they ill stake the area and maybe the Parks Commission can tour he area to determine appropriate landscaping in coordination ith the Parks Project manager. There being no further business, the Parks and Recreation Commission adjourned at 8:05 o'clock P.M. Respectfully submitted, Kevin Batchelder Administrative Assistant