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1996-09-10 Parks and Rec Comm Agenda PacketCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AGENDA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION September 10,1996 Large Conference Room I. 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of August 13, 1996 Minutes 4. Winter Programs 5. Updates • NSP Substation • North Kensington Park • Victoria Curve Trail • Cross -Country Ski Trails • Hagstrom King Tennis Courts/5-Year CIP • Parks Budget • Snow Plowing Policy on Trails • Friendly Frills Tot Lot Tree Planting • Celebrate Mendota Heights Parks! • Dodd & HWY 110 • Victoria Curve Trail • Misc. • Parks Report • Police Report 6. Adjourn Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request 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 452-1850 with requests. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES AUGUST 13, 1996 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, August 13, 1996, in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. The meeting was called to order at 6:35 PM. 4' The following members were present: Norton, Spicer, Liberacki5 and Libra. Commissioners Damberg and Meinglass were excused from the meeting. Also present were Engineering Technician Guy Kullander, Recreation Programmer Chris Esser, and Administrative Intern Patrick C. Hollister. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Norton moved to approve the June 11, 1996 Minutes with no corrections. Commissioner Libra seconded the motion. AYES: NAYS: FRIENDLY HILLS TOT LOT TREE PLANTING Ms. Sylvia Nelson appeared before the Parks and Recreation Commission to request improvements to the "Friendly Hills Tot Lot." Ms. Nelson stated that the children of the surrounding neighbors had lost the use of the park for two seasons due to the stockpiling of construction debris and other materials. Ms. Nelson continued that although the contractor had done an excellent job of grading and leveling, the seeding did not take due to excessively rocky ground, minimal topsoil and a lack of rain. Ms. Nelson presented the following "wish list" for the Friendly Hills Tot Lot: 1. Picking up of Rocks, the Addition of Topsoil, and Reseeding this fall 2. A 4'-wide bituminous "Trike-Track" or "Tread Walk" around the perimeter of the park for Tricycles, Strollers, "Big Wheels", etc. 3. Four trees 4. One or two Park Benches and a Picnic Table 5. A half -court basketball pad and backboard on one of the corners [Commissioner Linnell arrived at this point.] Chairman Spicer informed Ms. Nelson that the official position of the City is that this parcel is not a park. Chairman Spicer continued that the City does not want to incur BIKE TRAIL STRIPING AT VALLEY PARK AND CURLEY Mr. Kullander informed the Commission that Council had inquired about the possibility of striping the bike trail in Valley Park. Mr. Kullander continued that the MnDOT literature on the subject recommends against striping bike trails less than 10 feet wide, which is the case with the City's bike trail. Mr. Kullander continued that an alternate possibility would be cutting down trees and excess brush along the bike trails, as necessary, where there is bad visibility. Mr. Kullander added that any safety concerns along the bike trails were really a matter of visibility and poor site distance$, rather than traffic volume. 1.k Mr. Linnell moved to recommend that the Council not paint the trails, but instead brush out a minimum of four feet on both sides of the trail where possible (removing only those trees that are a direct safety hazard) and revisit the issue of striping the trails after the clean -out had been completed. Mr. Libra seconded the motion. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 FIVE-YEAR CIP PLAN Mr. Kullander explained that Council had inquired about the absence of a new tennis court at Hagstrom-King Park in the five-year Capital Improvement Plan recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission, Commissioner Libra stated that the Tennis Courts the City currently has are rather lightly used, and that they are quite expensive to construct. Mr. Kullander informed the Commission that the Barton -Ashman 1985 Park and Recreation Facility Needs Study manual recommends that the City have eight tennis courts. Mr. Kullander added that the City currently has 12 courts with an additional 8 at Sibley High School and 3 at Visitation, for a total of 23 courts. Mr. Kullander added that to his knowledge the city had received no written or oral correspondence from residents asking for a new tennis court. Chairman Spicer asked that Staff relay the following sentiments to the Council: 1. that the City already has more tennis courts than it needs 2. that the City had received no written requests for additional tennis courts 3. that a new tennis court constitutes a "big -ticket" item which is not customarily put in the Parks 5-year CIP 4. and that the Parks Commission was mainly in the business of responding to need [Chairman Spicer excused himself from the meeting at this point.] CELEBRATE MENDOTA HEIGHTS PARKS! Mr. Esser informed the Commission that everything was on schedule for the fifth annual Celebrate Mendota Heights Parks on Saturday August 24. Mr. Esser added that he would like to especially thank volunteers Strom, Weisenburger and Burline. Mr. Esser continued that Commissioner Kleinglass had already volunteered, and that there was still a need for additional volunteers. 4• Commissioner Libra asked why the Celebration would be held in August this year instead of the usual July. Mr. Esser explained that by the time he was hired as Recreation Programmer, he found himself "at the mercy of the Scheduling Book" and that August 24 was the best remaining date. Mr. Esser also expressed his regrets that there would be no softball tournament coinciding with the Celebration this year, which is typically a major draw to the event. Mr. Esser concluded that he is already taking steps to assure that the 1997 Celebration will occur in July, complete with the softball tournament. REVIEW OF SUMMER PROGRAMS Mr. Esser produced a summary of the Summer Programs he received from ISD 197 Community Education, Mr. Esser said that the estimate of 201 total Mendota Heights children participating was probably too high by 40 kids. Commissioner Norton added that even accounting for such an error, the programs still involved more kids than previous years. Mr. Esser added that West Saint Paul planned to pave one of their hockey rinks for off- season Rollerblade hockey and that he and Mr. Kullander would wait until West Saint Paul had one season of experience with this idea, consult them on its feasibility, and contemplate this possibility for Mendota Heights. FIVE YEAR CII' PLAN Commissioner Liberacki asked if the bids for items such as "Porta-Potty" enclosures and bleacher pads should be "lumped together" in a single year in order to save money on volume. Mr. Kullander said that this would be possible. Commissioner Linnell moved that the expenditures for all 10 Aorta -potty enclosures be moved into the 1997 column under Special Park Funded projects and to request that Council consider including this expenditure in the 1997 City Budget. Commissioner Linnell asked if a new field would be possible at Mendota School. Mr. Kullander replied that it would not. Commissioner Linnell directed Staff to ask the Council when it plans to evaluate the possibility of new fields at Friendly Marsh Park, and to tell them that the Parks Commission was awaiting direction from Council on the matter. IVY PARK LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS 9" Mr. Kullander informed the Commission that some plants had apparently been stolen, roots and all, from Ivy Falls Park. Mr. Kullander stated that other plants did not survive the winter. Mr. Kullander added that although the Contractor had replaced the dead plants as guaranteed, he would not replace stolen plants. In a separate item, Mr. Kullander reported that the local Boy Scout volunteers had provided from 15-18 boys working for 7 hours to help improve Ivy Falls Park. Mr. Kullander explained that the Scouts had picked rocks, spread wood chips, installed landscape edging and replaced plantings. The Commission suggested that the Scouts be thanked in the next Heights Hilites and that Chairman Spicer send a thank -you letter to each volunteer on behalf of the Parks and Recreation Commission. UPDATES Updates were provided by Staff on the following items: • NSP Substation • GIS Trail Map • Dodd Road Trail • Summer Basketball • Parks Report • Police Report ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn made by Liberacki and seconded by Libra. AYES: 4 NAYS: 0 The meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM. Respectfttlly Submitted, Pahick C. Hollister TO: Parks and Recreation Commissioners FROM: Chris Esser, Recreation Programmer RE: Fall/Winter Programs DATE: September 42 I am in the early planning process for developing fall and winter programs. Listed below are some confirmed activities and program ideas. Please review: � 1 ■il ".� � �' Y. 11 October 17 -Youth Trip: Bowling and Roller skating October 18 - Youth Trip: Camp Snoopy October 26 - Halloween Bonfire (family) November 2 - Starlab Space Day (family) December - Ice skating Lessons January, February (3 dates) - Ski Trips to Welch Village November -March - Warming Houses (Ivy Hills, Wentworth, Marie, and Friendly Hills Parks) October 26 -Halloween Program (youth) November -Senior Trip (destination?) December - Winter/Holiday Program (youth) January - Cross -Country Skiing Lessons (family) December -February - Adult Basketball (Open Gym, League?) - Adult Volleyball (Open Gym, League?) If you would please take the time, I would like feedback on these ideas. 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