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1999-06-08 Parks and Rec Comm Agenda Packet (2)�An CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA AGENDA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION June 8, 1999 6:30 p.m. -Large Conference Room Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. May 11, 1999 Minutes 4. Sibley High School Playground Equipment Request 5. Updates • Summer Programs Update • Batting Cage at Mendakota Park • Friendly Hills Warming House/Rec Center • Hoffman Homes/Resurrection Cemetery • Parks Report • Police Report (Available Tuesday) 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 ,,,,, fAMendota Heights JOB OPPORTUNITY WITH THE CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS The Parks and Recreation Department at the City of Mendota Heights is currently accepting applications for the position of Sumner Equipment Person. Position Title: Summer Equipment Person Department: Parks and Recreation Compensation: $6.50/hour Hours: Approximately 20 hours per week M-F Summer Park Season: Mid to late June - Mid August, 1999 Position Description: The Summer Equipment Person will be responsible for checking in and out playground and equipment. Keeping the daily log. Taking inventory of playground equipment at the beginning and end of each day. Qualifications: Experience is desired, but is not a necessity. People skills are a must: Some physical labor is required. A high level of organization and reliability is a necessity. Application Procedure: Candidates must submit a completed City application form, a resume, and a cover letter to the City of Mendota Heights no later than Thursday, June 17, 1999, Application Information: Ca11651-452-1850 for an application Applications, resumes and cover letters should be sent to: City of Mendota Heights Attn: Mary L. Hapka 1101 Victoria Curve Mendota Heights, MN 55118 Application Deadline: 4:30 p.m. June 17, 1999. The City of Mendota Heights is an AA/EEO employer. Dated: June 3, 1999 1101 Victoria Curve • Mendota Heights, MN • 55118 (651) 452-1S50 • F.�� 452-S940 Parks Report for May 1999 Submitted by Terry Blum 1. Daily trash pickup, drag and chalk ballfields and soccer fields 2. Cut grass and trim, cut pedways 3. Pull irrigation lines at City Hall and old Fire Hall site 4. Replace dead shrubs under park signs where needed 5. Install sleeves under pedway at Mendakota for future trouble spots 6. Install back flow preventor at Fire Hall for sprinkle system 7. Sweep up dead grass at Ivy Falls and Mendakota CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS MEMO June 4, 1999 TO: Parks and Recreation Commission FROM: Mary L. Hapka, Recreation Programmer SUBJECT: Summer programs update Summer is here and the recreation department is at full speed. The adult softball leagues consist of Men's and Women's D League and Men's over 30. Unfortunately there was not enough interest in the Men's C league which typically plays on Monday evenings. Upon contacting the Men's C league managers from the 1998 season, it appears that many of the teams were not available on Monday evenings, at least two teams decided to play in other cities and the remainder of the teams either could not get enough players or just plainly decided not to play this season. The weather this season has been less than cooperative with the Tuesday night leagues already having two rainouts and Men's over 30 having one. Due to a shortage of fields some of the makeup games will be held on Friday and Sunday evenings. The soccer and ball fields are greatly utilized during the weekday evenings by several organizations in addition to the Mendota Heights Adult Softball League. These groups include the following; Mendota Heights Athletic Association, Visitation Catholic Association, Sibley Area Fastpitch, St. Thomas Academy, St. Joseph's Catholic School, Sibley Area Sting, Bethel Baptist Church and Ecolab Employee's Club. All fields have been coordinated for use by the these groups by this department and are primarily being used for practice and games during the weekdays with club tournaments being held on almost every weekend during the months of May, June and July. Other recreation programs offered this summer include Performances In The Park, The Imagination Station, Youth Day Trips, Summer Golf Leagues and Safety Camp, The Performances In The Park will be held on Wednesday evenings at either Rogers Lake Park Pavilion or Mendakota Park. As there appeared to be a great turnout for these (y` programs in 1998, two more performances have been added for this season bringing the �S grand total to six. (Please see attached for performance schedule) The Imagination Station is a new program. The Imagination Station is a traveling variety show that will be making appearances at both Wentworth and Mendakota Parks this summer. The shows are free of charge and will include; choreographed performances, puppet shows, songs and dances. The performances last approximately thirty minutes and are designed to entertain families with young children. The popular Youth Day Trips will run once a week from June -August. The trips consist of trips to water parks, a theater presentation, a trip to the beach and the zoo, exploration of Crystal Caves and much more. The women's and junior golf leagues are receiving good response with the women's league starting the week of May 24 and Juniors starting in June. Golf lessons have also received a favorable response and will be offered throughout the summer months. Last but not least the traditional Safety Camp is being offered this year and will be held at Kaposia Park in South St. Paul (my old stomping grounds). This program is a safety awareness program designed for children entering 3rd and 4th grade in the fall of 1999. The program is held in August and the registrations have already been streaming in at a good pace. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES MAY 11, 1999 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, May 11, 1999, in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. The meeting was called to order at 6:40 p.m. The following Commissioners were present: Liberacki, Libra, Craighead, Connelly, Linnell. Excused from the meeting were Chair Spicer and Commissioner Damberg. City Staff present were Parks Project Manager Guy Kullander, Recreation Programmer Mary Hapka and Administrative Assistant Patrick C. Hollister. Mr. Hollister took the minutes. MINUTES Commissioner Libra moved to approve the April 13, 1999 minutes with no revisions. Commissioner Craighead seconded the motion. AYES: 4 NAYS: 0 ABS: 1 (Connelly) INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME TO COMMISSIONER CONNELLY Mr. Hollister introduced newly appointed Parks and Recreation Commissioner Connelly to the Commission. The Commissioners welcomed Commissioner Connelly to the Parks and Recreation Commission, PLAY EQUIPMENT SAFETY ISSUES Mr. Kullander recommended to the Commission that an expert should be hired to evaluate the safety of the City's various playground equipment. Mr. Kullander said that the maintenance of the play equipment could come out of the General Fund. Mr. Kullander continued that Terry Blum of the Parks Department has noticed broken linkages and other repairs needed for playground equipment, but that no one on City Staff was truly qualified to evaluate the condition of the City's playground equipment. Mr. Kullander said that the playground equipment manufacturers only guarantee the equipment for five years, and that the City's insurance would have to pay after that if someone were to get hurt on the equipment. Mr. Kullander said that fortunately in the years he has worked for Mendota Heights, the City has never received any claim from any injury on any of the City's play equipment. Commissioner Connelly suggested that rather than pay an expert to assess the condition of the City's play equipment, the City could probably get the same expertise for free by putting out a request for proposals to replace unsafe equipment. Commissioner Connelly continued that the City could put the cost of assessing the condition of the equipment on the vendors by requiring them to submit such an assessment as part of their proposal. Commissioner Connelly suggested that the City could prioritize by fixing first what is either in the worst condition, is used the most, or both. Mr. Kullander suggested that it would be possible to set up a schedule to fix one park per year. Commissioner Libra moved to recommend that City Staff audit the condition of the City's playground equipment using whatever information it had available and to prioritize those parks or pieces of equipment which should be fixed first. Commissioner Libra further moved to recommend that the Council authorize up to $12,000 per year starting in the year 2000 out of the General Fund for the repair or replacement of unsafe playground equipment for the next several years until all unsafe conditions had been eliminated. Commissioner Liberacki seconded the motion. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN REVISION Mr. Kullander reported that upon closer examination the current Special Parks Fund balance was only about D300,000, not $400,000 as previously thought. Commissioner Libra moved to recommend that the Parks and Recreation Commission adopt the position that the balance of the Special Parks Fund should be maintained at a minimum of $300,000 per year barring any exceptional circumstances or opportunities. Commissioner Craighead seconded the motion. AYES: NAYS: Mr. Kullander presented a request from Terry Blum of the Parks Department that the Parks Commission consider the possibility of converting the indoor toilet facility at Kensington Park into storage space. Mr. Kullander said that the toilet facility has never been used by the public, has poor visibility and is susceptible to vandalism. Mr. Kullander added that the toilet facility was redundant and unnecessary and that the Parks Department considered the space to be more useful for storage. Commissioner Connelly moved to recommend that the North Kensington toilet facility be converted into storage space. Commissioner Craighead seconded the motion. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 Mr. Kullander said that the money allocated from the Special Parks Fund for the cross- country ski program at Par 3 golf course last winter was never spent due to the uncooperative weather and mechanical problems with the snowmobile. Mr. Kullander recommended that some of the money allocated for skiing be used instead for grills in the parks. Commissioner Libra moved to recommend that the money allocated for the cross-country ski program at Par 3 golf course be used for, grills in the parks. Commissioner Craighead seconded the motion. AYES: NAYS: Commissioner Liberacki moved to recommend that the City Council budget from the General Fund for the following improvements in 2000 and 2001: 1. Warming House Replacement at Wentworth Park 2. Board Replacement at Marie Park 3. Paving of Wentworth Rink 4. Paving of Marie Rink Commissioner Liberacki said that his recommendation was for appropriation from the General Fund rather than the Special Parks Fund because the above work could be considered maintenance and because future contributions to the Special Parks Fund are diminishing. Commissioner Liberacki further moved to recommend that the Council contribute $20,000 to $25,000 per year from the General Fund to the Special Parks Fund to keep the fund healthy Commissioner Connelly seconded the motion. AYES: NAYS: PARK DEDICATION FEE INCREASE At. Hollister reminded the Commission that they had asked him to revisit the issue of raising the park dedication fees for developers from $750 per lot to $900 per lot. Mr. Hollister said that the last time the Parks Commission had recommended this increase to the Council, the Council had decided not to raise the fees. Mr. Hollister presented the previous fee increase proposal once again to the Commission. Commissioner Libra moved to recommend once again to the Council that they increase the park dedication fee from $750 per lot to $900 per lot and make the other previously proposed revisions, as long as the City Attorney was confident that the changes would not constitute "double taxation." Commissioner Connelly seconded the motion. AYES: NAYS: UPDATES Staff provided updates on the following items: • Civic Center Ballfield Improvements • Batting Cage at Mendakota Park • Friendly Hills Warming House/Rec Center • Hoffman Homes/Resurrection Cemetery • Parks Report • Police Report ADJOURN Motion made to adjourn by Linnell and seconded by Connelly. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Respectfidly Submitted, Patrick C. Hollister CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS MEMO June 4, 1999 TO: Parks and Recreation Commission FROM: Patrick C. Hollister, Administrative Assistant SUBJECT: Request for Neighborhood Playground Equipment Discussion Staff has received the attached letter from Susan Farley and Mary Waldvogel requesting that the City consider installing playground equipment on the northwest corner of Sibley High School property. Such an installation would require an appropriation of money from the Special Parks Fund which is currently somewhat depleted or another source and an arrangement with Independent School District 9197. Mary Waldvogel will be present at the June 8, 1999 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission to discuss this request. Given the current state of the Special Parks Fund, the Commission may wish to suggest that the neighborhood could engage in some type of fund-raiser to pay for the equipment, assuming that City could work out a deal with the School District to place the equipment on school grounds. Ms. Waldvogel plans to bring some examples of possible playground equipment and cost estimates. Action Required Discuss the playground equipment idea with Ms. Waldvogel. If the Commission thinks that this idea is worth pursuing, the Commission may direct Staff to discuss the idea with the School District and report back to the Commission with a more definitive cost estimate as well as considerations of safety and other logistical concerns. June 2, 1999 Mr. Richard Spicer Parks Commissioner City of Mendota Heights 1101 Victoria Curve Mendota Heights, Minnesota 55118 Dear Mr. Spicer: READ As residents of Mendota Heights, we would like to bring to your attention the need for a neighborhood park with playground equipment. We live in the Sibley Heights development which is just west of Sibley High School and bordering Warrior Drive. On the cul-de-sac of High Ridge Circle alone there are 27 children under the age of ten. The neighborhood is very active and there is not a playground within walking distance. A petition has been compiled to support a playground at Sibley High School from neighbors of Sibley High School and other families who use the facilities. We are suggesting the northwest corner of Sibley; west of the track and adjacent to Mendota Heights Trail to be the location for a children's playground. We are requesting that this be placed on the agenda for the upcoming June 801 Parks Commission meeting to discuss it with your commission. Thank you for your consideration. We will contact you the first week of June in regards to your meeting June 8. Best regards, Susan Farley 686-8230 Playground Equipment N For Area Surrounding E Sibley Senior High School 5 city of June 3, 1999 „ _ 1 - 500 Mendota Heights it it to it io _ __ =__:___-_---= _- _ __--- _-- --- _ �d_'s❑ ram`- `�i�_o=P_-4='=, Lj li to to pO::31 _ - 11 � o t it it ____ ____ ___ ________________� __; IJI� r� 4 I it r ^ ' - 7- 11 r _ p C7 d __------, ---o it ❑ ca it —" - -^ ------ - - - - -- ------------------------ ----- -- --------------------------------- - - CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS MEMO June 4, 1999 TO: Parks and Recreation Commission FROM: Mary L. Hapka, Recreation Programmer SUBJECT: Summer programs update Summer is here and the recreation department is at full speed. The adult softball leagues consist of Men's and Women's D League and Men's over 30, Unfortunately there was not enough interest in the Men's C league which typically plays on Monday evenings. Upon contacting the Men's C league managers from the 1998 season, it appears that many of the teams were not available on Monday evenings, at least two teams decided to play in other cities and the remainder of the teams either could not get enough players or just plainly decided not to play this season. The weather this season has been less than cooperative with the Tuesday night leagues already having two rainouts and Men's over 30 having one. Due to a shortage of fields some of the makeup games will be held on Friday and Sunday evenings. The soccer and ball fields are greatly utilized during the weekday evenings by several organizations m addition to the Mendota Heights Adult Softball League. These groups include the following; Mendota Heights Athletic Association, Visitation Catholic Association, Sibley Area Fastpitch, St. Thomas Academy, St. Joseph's Catholic School, Sibley Area Sting, Bethel Baptist Church and Ecolab Employee's Club. All fields have been coordinated for use by the these groups by this department and are primarily being used for practice and games during the weekdays with club tournaments being held on almost every weekend during the months of May, June and July. Other recreation programs offered this summer include Performances In The Park, The Imagination Station, Youth Day Trips, Summer Golf Leagues and Safety Camp. The Performances In The Park will be held on Wednesday evenings at either Rogers Lake Park Pavilion or Mendakota Park. As there appeared to be a great turnout for these programs in 1998, two more performances have been added for this season bringing the grand total to six. (Please see attached for performance schedule) The Imagination Station is anew program. The Imagination Station is a traveling variety show that will be making appearances at both Wentworth and Mendakota Parks this summer. The shows are free of charge and will include; choreographed performances, puppet shows, songs and dances. The performances last approximately thirty minutes and are designed to entertain families with young children. The popular Youth Day Trips will run once a week from June -August. The trips consist of trips to water parks, a theater presentation, a trip to the beach and the zoo, exploration of Crystal Caves and much more. The women's and junior golf leagues are receiving good response with the women's league starting the week of May 24 and Juniors starting in June. Golf lessons have also received a favorable response and will be offered throughout the summer months. Last but not least the traditional Safety Camp is being offered this year and will be held at Kaposia Park in South St. Paul (my old stomping grounds). This program is a safety awareness program designed for children entering 3rd and 4th grade in the fall of 1999. The program is held in August and the registrations have already been streaming in at a good pace. U June 2, 1999 Mr. Richard Spicer Parks Commissioner City of Mendota Heights 1101 Victoria Curve Mendota Heights, Minnesota 55118 Deaz Mr. Spicer: As residents of Mendota Heights, we would like to bring to your attention the need for a neighborhood park with playground equipment. We live in the Sibley Heights development which is just west of Sibley High School and bordering Warrior Drive. On the cul-de-sac of High Ridge Circle alone there are 27 children under the age of ten. The neighborhood is very active and there is not a playground within walking distance. A petition has been compiled to support a playground at Sibley High School from neighbors of Sibley High School and other families who use the facilities. We are suggesting the northwest comer of Sibley, west of the track and adjacent to Mendota Heights Trail to be the location for a children's playground. We aze requesting that this be placed on Al agenda for the upcoming Tune 8th Parks Commission meeting to discuss it with your commission. Thank you for your consideration. We will contact you the first week of June in regards to your meeting June 8. Best regards, �I'' Susan Farley 686-8230 CITY OF MEND OTA HEIGHTS MEMORANDUM TO: Guy Kullander, Parks Project Manager FROM: Mary L. Hapka, Recreation Programmer RE: Permanent Pitching Mound, Civic Center Ball Field Report DATE: June 30. 1999 To date, concerns and complaints regarding the Council's designation of the Civic Center ball field as a "baseball only" field have not arisen. The Civic Center ball field has primarily been occupied by the Mendota Heights Athletic Association (note attached Civic Center usage calendars) during the 1999 spring/summer season. In past years the Civic Center Ball field had been used by the Men's Over 30 Adult Softball League on Thursday evenings and as a rainout makeup softball field for all adult leagues. The loss of the Civic Center field would have posed a field shortage for the scheduling of the Men's Over 30 league if it had contained the usual ten teams as it had in past seasons. Aware of the need for more softball fields I did contact the facility manager at Sibley High School. I was advised that all softball fields were being used and that I would not be able to reserve needed fields on Thursdays evenings on a regular basis throughout the entire softball season. As luck would have it The Men's Over 30 league for the 1999 season consists of only nine teams instead of the usual ten. Thus, I was able to schedule all Men's Over 30 double headers at the Mendakota all fields with one bye per week without any conflicts. The nine team league seemed to work well for the Men's Over 30 as it eliminated the need for teams to be rushing to and from Mendakota and Civic Center fields for their double headers. If the Civic Center Pitching Mound becomes a permanent structure the recreation department will continue the nine team only league structure for the Men's Over 30 League for the summer 2000 season. More than nine teams will cause field scheduling conflicts as there would be an anticipated field shortage. Of course concerns may arise if a tenth team wishes to participate in the 2000 season. To date, the need for the Civic Center ball field for the rescheduling of rainout makeup games has not imposed conflicts as rainouts so far this season have been worked into the regular evening softball schedules at the Mendakota ball fields. c CO x.p 0 N T O W C57' cl)I QI 0 Q C CD CCD Q v N N d7CD "I O) W CD CD i Q v I i I � I C� N Cal �v c C _ N j� y , 01 IN _ -- - N �%' O W m a v CO .p C Qi N v � c Q I ; I Q I � c Q ;v I � I Cfl N cn N ELM N c- Nx < Q v. N C� a � L< i W Rl o .� r-+ con Q SU I CITY OF MENDA HEIGHTS MEMORANDUMM TO: Mayor, City Council, and City Admin FROM: Mary L. Hapka, Recreation Programmer SUBJECT: Friendly Hills Summer Program -Liability Questions Discussion Mr. Scott Miller of the Mendota Heights Athletic Association has submitted a request to the city that the Friendly Hills Park warming house be kept open during summer hours and that the city should staff an attendant at the warming house. It was recommended that this warming house attendant would oversee the checkout and return of equipment as well as handle any accidents or emergency situations. Kevin M. Balfanz, a Loss Control Consultant, with Berkley Risk Services did inspect the Friendly Hills location on Thursday, May 26. Mr. Balfanz inspected the site as well as assessed and reviewed the potential liabilities associated with holding the program at the Friendly Hills site. Mr. Balfanz suggested the title of this position should be "Equipment Manager" rather than a title of attendant or supervisor. Thus, eliminating the suggestion that the city is employing something other than a person to check in and out equipment. Mr. Balfanz also feels signage would be important. Signage would include a notice to parents advising the city is not providing supervision by placing an employee at the Friendly Hills site. Also a sign indicating the rules applying to the use of equipment would be posted. Mr. Balfanz also indicated the importance keeping a daily log. The log would include information such as; person's name checking in/out equipment, date, time and what piece of equipment was used. Upon discussion of injury or accident Mr. Balfanz felt it important that the employee be equipped with a cell phone, a first aid kit, and some basic first aid knowledge. Mr. Balfanz found no compelling reasons why the city should be concerned about offering this open sandlot program to the residents of Mendota Heights. The City of Mendota Heights will be receiving a complete liability evaluation from Mr. Balfanz. A copy of this evaluation will be available for review by Council on June 1. Action Required � This item has been placed on the agenda for discussion by the Council.