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Historic Pilot Knob TF Mtg Min 3.4.2020CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA HISTORIC PILOT KNOB TASK FORCE MEETING MARCH 4, 2020 The meeting of the Historic Pilot Knob Task Force was held on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, at Mendota Heights City Hall. 1. Convene The meeting was convened at 1:30 PM by City Administrator Mark McNeill. 2. Roll Call/Introductions Those in attendance introduced themselves, and their connection to HPK. Task Force Members in attendance: Dale Bachmeier, Autumn Hubbell, Gail Lewellan, Al Singer, and Chris Soutter. Juanita Espinosa arrived at 1:47 PM Others in Attendance: Wiley Buck (Great River Greening), Liz Petschel (City Councilor), Ryan Ruzek (Public Works Director), Krista Spreiter (Natural Resources Technician), Mark McNeill (City Administrator) Guests Present: Linda Brown (PKPA) 3. New Business a. History of Land preservation/Restoration Efforts—Ms. Lewellan spoke about how this site, and the Mendota Heights area, is sacred land for the Dakota peoples. She recounted how efforts to develop the land into residential townhomes in 2002 brought into focus a need to preserve the location. Ms. Petschel said that, as a member of the Airport Relations Commission at the time, that group looked at how air traffic would impact development at the site. b. Task Force Overview and Operating Procedures—Mr. McNeill spoke of the Task Force, and how it differed from the other three advisory commissions currently serving the City. He noted that members of the Task Force didn’t need to be residents of the City, and served for indefinite terms. The Task Force would stay in operation until its tasks were met, or until the City Council chose to disband it. He said that advisory commission generally follow Roberts Rules of Order, A Chair and Vice Chair for the Task Force should be selected at the next meeting. Meetings are open to the public. The Task Force should make recommendations to the City Council. He said that the City provides maintenance for the site, as it is a city park. It also has an $11,000 allocation in the 2020 budget to address natural resources needs at HPK. He said that the City Council outlined the following outcomes that it would like to see from the Task Force: • Establishment of short and long term goals for the entire 112 acres. • A Capital Improvements Plan • A Natural Resources Plan • Increased Educational Programming c. Review of 2019 Oheyawahe/Pilot Knob Historic Landscape Plan—Ms. Soutter spoke of the Landscaping Plan which had been created by the consulting firm SRF. She noted that the document is still a draft, as it has not yet been adopted by the City Council. She said that because of its volume, the draft plan was hard to navigate, and so she distributed an index for the document which she had drafted. Ms. Lewellan said that the Task Force should review the plan, and make a recommendation to the City Council. Ms. Soutter agreed, and said that the plan should be for the entire 112 acres, and not just the 25 acre historic section. There was discussion of a need to rearrange the 7 Council Stones, as those are out of order in their placement. Mr. Bachmeier said that Acacia Cemetery could assist in correcting the placement, once the proper order is established. There was also discussion of maintenance on the two medicine wheels which are on the site. d. Plan Elements Update—Mr. Singer and Mr. McNeill gave an update on the status of the residential property which was currently for sale, located at 2085 Valencour Circle. They reported that a preliminary environmental review had been completed, and that a tentative purchase price had been identified, and that the City Council was expected to give further consideration at its meeting to be held later that evening. Mr. Bachmeier asked about the purchase price. Mr. McNeill responded that the asking price had been $339,900, but that the current real estate market left pricing in a state of flux. Mr. Ruzek and Ms. Spreiter then presented on the Natural Resources Plan. They noted that Great River Greening has been managing 17 acres of HPK’s natural resources since 2006. Mr. Buck said that challenges had been encountered with invasive species, particularly Canada goldenrod. He noted that conservation haying has been successful, but that controlled burns have been difficult due to smoke problems, and that Canada goldenrod had surged in some area as a result. He said that there is a need to embrace woody species, embrace pollinator-friendly plantings, and use best practices when employing controlled burns. He said that the use of animals, such as grazing horses and goats, were also beneficial. Mr. Ruzek noted possible sources of funding for support of the rusty patch bumblebee. Mr. Singer said that the plan should be updated. There was discussion of trees on the site. Ms. Petschel asked what the overall goal was—is it to restore the oak savanna? Ms. Spreiter said that a more realistic goal was perhaps a mix, with planted trees, and volunteer species. The participants concurred with a need to plant more trees. Ms. Petschel asked about a need for a buffer between the site and Acacia Cemetery. Mr. Bachmeier said that here is not one now, but it could be discussed. He also said that the Cemetery does not currently have a Natural Resources Plan of its own. Ms. Lewellan said that this topic should be revisited and discussed at a future meeting of the Task Force. There was discussion of signage at the site. Ms. Brown displayed a 24x36 inch metal sign which had been fabricated, and would help to identify the location as a “sacred site”. Ms. Lewellan asked that the Task Force recommend to the City Council that the sign be accepted as a donation, and that the City have the sign mounted on a wooden post, and be placed near to the parking lot at HPK. The Task Force also discussed the need for a sign to more broadly identify the site, such as a Mendota Heights park sign. That could be placed at the intersection of Pilot Knob Road and Acacia Boulevard. Motion by Lewellan, second by Singer, to recommend to the City Council to accept the metal sign as a donation from the Pilot Knob Preservation Association, and have it placed by the City near the HPK parking lot; further, that the City Council direct the City’s Public Works Department to manufacture a wooden parks-type sign, and have that placed at the intersection of Pilot knob Road and Acacia Boulevard. Motion carried 6-0. Ms. Petschel said that she would ask to have the requested action added to the City Council agenda, for a meeting which was to happen later that evening. e. Other Updates—Ms. Hubbell reported that the Big Rivers Regional trail was adjacent to the site, and that it experiences approximately 150,000 visitors annually. The trail head is planned for improvements, and that the trail will ultimately connect from Burnsville to St. Paul. It was recommended that the informal “goat trail” connection from the trail into the HPK site not be improved at this time. Mr. Singer said that the park boundaries were “a mess” at the present time, and that efforts were underway to better identify and correct them. He said that any time a state park boundary is changed, the action needs to be approved by the Legislature. He said that the trail corridor is a state-wide asset, and he felt that that would enhance an application for state bonding in the next Legislative bonding cycle. He said that the old Sibley Memorial Highway is also a part of this corridor. He felt that the Task Force had to be aware of both City and County planning processes. f. Needed Information and Next Steps—Mr. Singer recommended that the Task Force take a tour of the site. It was recommended that that take place at the May meeting. Topics for the next meeting were determined to be: • Election of Chair, and Vice Chair • Big picture cultural corridor and grants • Other grant possibilities • Update on the purchase of the Valencour property • Update on Signage • Discussion of how to reach out to indigenous peoples for their input on the site • Mound management and stewardship needs • Update on the correct placement of the Council Stones. 4. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 3:38 pm. Minutes Taken By: Mark McNeill City Administrator City of Mendota Heights