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2022-11-09 Parks and Rec Comm MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS, DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING NOVEMBER 9, 2022 The November meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. 1. Call to Order – Chair Bob Klepperich called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Roll Call – The following Commissioners were present: Chair Bob Klepperich, Jaffrey Blanks, Patrick Cotter, Stephanie Meyer, Michelle Muller, Dan Sherer and Amy Smith; absent: none. Student Representative: Meg Murphy. Staff present: Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence, Recreation Coordinator Matt Colwell, and Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek. 3. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 4. Approval of Agenda Motion Meyer/second Blanks, to approve the agenda AYES 7: NAYS 0 5.a Approval of Minutes from October 19, 2022 Regular Meeting Motion Blanks/second Smith to approve the minutes of the October 19, 2022 Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting. Further discussion: Commissioner Sherer noted on page six, it was mentioned by MHAA Soccer In-House Director that soccer has a large budget that supplements other MHAA sports. He clarified that is not exactly the case as each sport acts independently within its own budget. Chair Klepperich stated that is a statement that was made at the meeting and therefore that cannot be corrected, but an additional statement could be made at this meeting that will also be a part of the record. AYES 7: NAYS 0 Commissioner Sherer clarified that MHAA has multiple sports and each works independently within its budget. He stated that one sport does not subsidize another. 6. Citizen Comment Period (for items not on the agenda) None. 7. Acknowledgement of Reports Chair Klepperich read the titles of the three updates (Par 3, Recreation, and Park Improvement Updates) and polled the Commissioners for questions. 7.a Par 3 Update Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence briefly reviewed the 2022 September Financial Report. She reviewed the round report and course report, noting that they plan to close the course the following day. She stated that they are still awaiting delivery of the equipment that was ordered earlier this year. Commissioner Meyer commented that she was happy to see the revenue. She asked if the equipment was funded through the course funds or City budget. Ms. Lawrence stated that the course has had a few healthy years and three of the four pieces of equipment were funded through the course budget. She stated that the proposed 2023 projects for the course are proposed to be funded through the course. Commissioner Sherer asked if the clubhouse is heated and asked if there have been discussions about winter programing or alternative use during that season. Recreation Coordinator Matt Colwell replied that the clubhouse is heated, and they are planning to offer some winter programing in that space this year. 7.b Recreation Update Recreation Coordinator Matt Colwell highlighted winter break field trip opportunities being offered in partnership with other communities. He highlighted other upcoming programing opportunities and provided a review of recent events such as the Trick-or-Teeing event. Chair Klepperich asked for an update on the planning for Frozen Fun Fest. Mr. Colwell stated that they are holding a final marketing meeting this week for the event. Commissioner Muller commented that her kids enjoyed the playground park camp that was offered this past summer and would love to see that continue in 2023. 7.c Parks Improvement Update Parks and Recreation Manager Meredeith Lawrence provided an update on the progress of park improvement projects and planning for proposed 2023 projects. Commissioner Smith asked if an independent firm would be working on the skate park project rather than a skate park vendor. Ms. Lawrence stated that an engineering firm would be doing work related to soil borings and a topographical survey because the location at Rogers Lake has not had work done recently. Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek stated that staff proposes a team to work on this including an engineering firm and skate park professional to assist with the project. Commissioner Smith asked if the skate park professional would be tied to a company. Ms. Lawrence confirmed that they are tied to a design company. Commissioner Muller asked if these services would come out of the budget for that project. Ms. Lawrence confirmed that those services would be funded through the project budget, noting that the Council authorized an additional $75,000 for the project. Therefore, the total project budget could be up to $300,000. Commissioner Muller asked the cost for the consultants. Mr. Ruzek replied that the engineering consultant would have a cost of about $31,000 and skate park consultant is about $9,000 for a total of about $40,000 for the consultant services. Commissioner Muller asked what changed that requires the consulting services. Mr. Ruzek replied that this would have always been part of the process. He stated that they would not rip up and laydown more pavement without doing the investigative work to ensure it will last. Ms. Lawrence stated that this time there are dedicated funds for the project, noting that she would like to have a proposal for the project ready to go before the Council in March to move forward with construction. Commissioner Cotter commented that he is pleased to see that all of the projects made it through the preliminary budget process as this is a great slate of projects. He asked if $100,000 would be sufficient for the warming house. Mr. Ruzek replied that they have scaled down to a warming house similar to the other warming houses at City parks. He stated that the last bid for a similar style warming house was $55,000, so $100,000 should be sufficient. Commissioner Cotter asked the likelihood that the project would be completed in 2023. Mr. Ruzek replied that there would not be any special materials and therefore he didn’t foresee any supply chain issues. He noted that the last three quotes received in 2018 were from local vendors who would be likely to bid the project again. Commissioner Cotter referenced the dugouts and asked if there is pressure that could be put on to ensure this could be completed before the baseball season as this project was awarded last spring. Ms. Lawrence confirmed that the project was awarded in April but there were supply chain issues that caused delays. She noted that because they are late in the season, the concrete work could not be completed once it gets too cold. She confirmed that staff will be placing pressure on the contractor. Mr. Ruzek replied that this work could be done in the daytime which would still allow evening play on the field. Commissioner Meyer asked if there was information about the private pickleball business that will be opening. Mr. Ruzek replied that he could provide that information at the December meeting, noting that there will be a private membership club in an industrial area that will offer pickleball, a fitness center, and other offerings. Commissioner Sherer asked if there is anything that could be differently with contracts to ensure projects are completed. Mr. Ruzek replied that their fear in doing that would be that contractors would not bid on the work or would provide a much higher cost because of the uncertainties in the market. Commissioner Sherer asked if it would help to do prebid exploration with contractors to determine availability. Mr. Ruzek replied that the City has great relationships with the contractors, but they are very busy and are not fighting for work. Commissioner Sherer commented that the finished product at Mendakota looks great. Chair Klepperich asked for two Commission members to serve on the committee for the skate park. Ms. Lawrence replied that Commissioner Blanks has volunteered and although they do not need two members, another member could join if interested. Commissioner Muller volunteered to serve on the skate park committee as well. Motion Meyer/second Cotter to acknowledge the staff reports. AYES 7: NAYS 0 8. New Business 8.a SALVO Soccer Presentation Chair Klepperich stated that he and Commissioner Blanks thought it would be a good idea to continue hearing presentations from MHAA sports and believed that it would be helpful to reach out to SALVO to find out more about them as well. Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence stated that representatives from SALVO are present tonight to provide information to the Commission. Peter Rivard, SALVO Technical Director, introduced the members present tonight. He explained how SALVO was created by merging different local soccer clubs. He reviewed the mission, vision, and values of the organization as well as the unique things about their program. He stated that their guarantee is that your child would have a place to play. He stated that SALVO is a nonprofit with a volunteer Board, noting that MHAA has a place on that Board. He explained the differences about soccer in the state compared to other sports. He explained the “Powered by SALVO Soccer Club Program” which offers support to the athletic association. He stated that from their position the City of Mendota Heights does a good job and staff is great to work with. He stated that they were asked what could be done and stated that they could use more fields. He noted that there could be a change to their priority status but recognized that would be a larger policy discussion. He also provided an idea for an opportunity to perhaps utilize school district fields/green space within Mendota Heights but noted that those sites would need improvement and maintenance. He provided statistics on the involvement of Mendota Heights residents in their club. He commented that there are many private schools in this area and therefore families travel to go to school here and want to play their sports here as well. Commissioner Cotter commented that essentially SALVO provides support to the community of Mendota Heights and provides the opportunity for traveling teams. He asked if the partnership seems to be working well. Mr. Rivard commented that they were diligent to not make many changes the first year as it was already a successful program. He noted that after that first year they were able to determine if there were things that could be tweaked to make the program better or more efficient. Commissioner Cotter recognized that Woodbury is a much larger community and asked if the program in Mendota Heights would still be comparable. Mr. Rivard commented that the fall program is similar to the Woodbury program. He stated that the spring portion is different from some of the other communities. He noted that the Woodbury spring program was similar about 10 years ago and has grown since that time. He went back to the issue of fields, noting that the MHAA soccer program is utilizing district fields because there is not availability in Mendota Heights parks. He noted that they did utilize Kensington before but that was not a good experience for adjacent residents because of the lack of parking and they do not want to disrupt residents. Commissioner Smith commented that she is involved with SALVO. She stated that the team she is involved with is comprised of at least 80 percent Mendota Heights and West St. Paul residents and the majority of the time they are using fields in West St. Paul and Rosemount. She commented that people from Mendota Heights are not playing in their backyards. Mr. Rivard commented that in the spring/summer season SALVO has half a field based on the city’s field allocation. He commented that in the fall they were at Kensington. He asked what Commissioner Smith would propose for the spring. Commissioner Smith acknowledged that in the spring SALVO is going up against lacrosse, which is only a boy’s sport, which means all the fields are being used by boys. Mr. Rivard commented that would go back to his reference to changing the priority status of SALVO because they would then be on even footing with lacrosse for those teams. Commissioner Smith commented that SALVO should be at the same status as MHAA. Mr. Rivard commented that there has to be give and take as they only have half of a field in the spring, and they are giving up that space to allow others to use in order to maximize the resources available. Commissioner Sherer commented that there are soccer fields at Kensington, Friendly Hills and Mendakota along with the school district fields. He asked if there is a reason the 197 fields are not used. Lisa Wolf, SALVO Director, commented that it is their understanding that the district uses those fields for baseball in the summer and the soccer fields overlap with an outfield, so they are allocated to baseball. Ms. Lawrence provided background information noting that the City has two dedicated soccer fields at Kensington Park. She stated that in 2017 lacrosse was not using the City fields as much because it was not that popular and therefore SALVO had a lot of access to that facility. She stated that this spring at Kensington, lacrosse had priority and used one of the full fields for lacrosse and used a half field for younger children to use for lacrosse which left half of a field for soccer. She stated that there is one field available at Mendakota which SALVO had access to in the spring, summer, and fall. She stated that in the fall they line the Friendly Hills baseball field at the park for soccer. She acknowledged that it is a difficult field for soccer because there is no irrigation at the park and significant grade changes. She stated that the City has no say in school district usage as the district administration allocates that usage. She stated that if there were an interest in more soccer use at this time, it would happen by changing priority, which would impact MHAA lacrosse. She stated that staff has been looking to determine if there is baseball space that could be repurposed in the fall but the spacing would be tight. Commissioner Cotter stated that he appreciates that SALVO attempts to work with the school district, which could be different than the City trying to work with the district. He noted that the community program almost exclusively used district fields and perhaps that same partnership could be utilized in all seasons. Mr. Rivard commented that they work in other communities where there are cooperative agreements between the municipality and the school district which opens things up. He stated that they do not have any beef with lacrosse having something they do not. He stated that Ms. Lawrence is good to work with and perhaps those relationships could be leveraged all the way around by her. He agreed that the school fields sit quiet and believed there would be value in exploring that collectively. He stated that with the school district there are discussions that need to occur related to watering and mowing. He stated that having access without upkeep is not of much value to them. Ms. Lawrence stated that SALVO has done a great job in trying to optimize the available resources in Mendota Heights, noting that SALVO has purchased soccer goals that were donated to the City and can be used by anyone in order to have access to Friendly Hills to use in the fall. He stated that staff can have conversations about a cooperative agreement. She noted that there was a use agreement related to Sibley Park, but the agreement was not being followed. She stated that the City only has so many resources and therefore this continues to be a discussion with all user groups. She stated that they attempt to utilize those resources as best they can. Commissioner Blanks stated that from an equity standpoint he feels that soccer should have more opportunity. Commissioner Muller referenced the merge of programing noting that she had three children that participated at the community level and did not go further. She commented that there is a learning curve in the new process with registering on the website and following the emails. She noted that it would be helpful to have some education for parents on how the navigate through the system. Commissioner Sherer commented that he also has children aged one to ten, three of which participated in the MHAA/SALVO program. He stated that the things that concerns him is that at 11/12 the MHAA program ends, and the choice needs to be made whether to transition to travel. He commented that the other MHAA sports programs offer traveling options at an affordable price. He noted the recent shift to club sports which prices many families out. He stated that for fall travel the price would be $750 for one child. He noted that the winter session had a cost of $1,400. He asked how the pricing reached this level and whether there is anything offered by the club to keep things affordable. Ms. Wolf commented that as a nonprofit organization they are proud that 75 percent of every dollar spent goes towards direct costs. She stated that they also offer financial aid for all of their programs, noting over $100,000 in financial aid offered this year. She stated that they look for those funding opportunities outside of the funds paid by other families. Commissioner Sherer asked the guidelines for scholarships and whether that is made known to families. He noted that many families look at the cost and do not proceed further. Ms. Wolf commented that the financial aid is an open application that is income-based. She recognized that a family’s situation this year may be different than what was shown on their tax return the previous year. She stated that in addition to financial aid, they work with families individually offering payment plans and other options. Commissioner Smith noted that there are other fundraising opportunities families can participate in to raise funds for the program. Chair Klepperich stated that he has two grandchildren in the SALVO program that have done well and thanked the representatives for their presentation tonight. 8.b Appointment to Valley View Heights Playground Subcommittee Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence stated that a subcommittee was used for the Marie Park playground RFP, and it is recommended to follow the same process for Valley View Heights. She stated that the process allows residents to be involved and provide input. She noted that up to three members of the Commission can participate in the subcommittee and reviewed the responsibilities. Commissioners Blanks and Sherer volunteered. Chair Klepperich stated that perhaps Student Representative Murphy would also like to be involved. She agreed to participate. 9. Unfinished Business 9.a 2023 Fee Schedule Recommendation Chair Klepperich commented that in a recent workshop, the City Council decided that there would be no significant increases in fees for 2023. He noted that in this proposal, there would be a $1 increase per round for the Par 3 and elimination of the senior golf pass for the course. Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence stated that staff is asking for a recommendation on the fee schedule which will go bef ore the City Council in December. She provided background information on the fee schedule and proposed changes. Commissioner Sherer stated that he would also recommend that the Council consider a waiver for MHAA tournament fees not to exceed $498. Chair Klepperich stated that would not be part of the process tonight and would need to follow the same waiver process that was followed this year. Ms. Lawrence confirmed that the waiver process is not included in the fee schedule. Commissioner Meyer asked if the senior pass would perhaps be more successful if a golf cart were included or whether the recommendation would still be to eliminate the pass. Ms. Lawrence stated that a golf cart is currently $10 per use and therefore a pass fee would need to be raised in cost if the cart were going to be included. She noted that the four people that purchased senior passes brought their own pull carts and walked. Commissioner Blanks commented that the initial intent was to encourage seniors to be active and move. Ms. Lawrence stated that the course is heavily used by seniors, and many were not interested as they prefer to purchase the ten round passes. Commissioner Cotter noted that this senior pass was tried for two years and four people used it, with a preference for the ten-round pass. He commented that the budget continues to improve, and the number of rounds remains consistent for the course. Commissioner Sherer referenced the canoe rack rentals and received confirmation that Mendota Heights residents still receive priority. Motion Cotter/second Blanks to recommend approval of the 2023 fee schedule as proposed by staff. AYES 7: NAYS 0 9.b Community Engagement Outreach Update Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence commented that there have been six months for engagement and therefore this would be the time to provide updates in order for staff to compile the results prior to the workplan worksession. The Commissioner provided an update on the user groups that they have met with and have not met with. Commissioner Meyer commented that while this information can be used for future planning, she would find value in continuing these discussions with user groups in the future. Commissioner Blanks agreed that the intention would be to continue these sessions, but the desire was to sum up these meetings to prepare for the worksession. 9.c Park and Recreation Strategic Planning Update Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence stated that the goals for 2022 have been accomplished. She stated that they would use the feedback to set out the goals for 2023 which will also be discussed at the December 1st worksession. 10. Staff Announcements Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence shared the following announcements: • The Bike and Ped Plan was accepted by the City Council at its last meeting • Golf Course will close the following day • Warming house staff, skating instructors and rink flooders are needed • Other events can be found on the City’s website 11. Student Representative Update Student Representative Murphy commented that it has been great to see the engagement in the community and presentations from sports associations and clubs. She looks forward to helping on the playground subcommittee. 12. Commission Comments and Park Updates Ms. Lawrence noted that pickleball nets will be removed the following day. She noted that opening of the warming houses is not yet known as that will depend on the quality of the ice. She noted that staff is watching the weather and will begin flooding once they believe it will be successful. Commissioner Smith • No report Commissioner Cotter • Thanked SALVO and their approach, temperament, and presentation. He asked how Mendota Heights can continue to compete for open space and costs when much smaller than other communities. He agreed with the concept of continuing to partner with the school district and other communities. He stated that his children participate in SALVO, and he wants to see it succeed. • Pleased to see preliminary approval for the major park projects for 2023 • Hopeful that the Wentworth warming house comes to fruition in 2023 Commissioner Blanks • Mendakota and Valley parks are great and highly utilized • Would like to see adjustable basketball hoops at Mendakota Commissioner Muller • Thanked SALVO and Chair Klepperich and Commission Blanks for inviting the user groups to make presentations • Kensington continues to be quiet • Rogers Lake is always beautiful this time of year • Congratulations to the newly elected positions in Mendota Heights • Thanked Officer Raberge for an incident he handled well with Mendota Heights youth Commissioner Meyer • Marie Park is always active Commissioner Sherer • People have been enjoying Market Square with the warmer temperatures • Hagstrom King attracts local residents along with others • His son’s travel basketball team had an outdoor practice last week with the warmer temperatures • Thanked SALVO for the presentation Chair Klepperich • Thanked SALVO for their presentations and efforts in making their program successful • Attended the Council meeting the previous week at which many residents spoke about an opportunity to create a senior center, in partnership with two other communities, on the previous Y site. • Acknowledged the long hours of staff working to support the election the previous day and commended their efforts 13. Adjourn Motion Blanks/Second Cotter to adjourn the meeting at 8:11 PM AYES 7: NAYS 0 Minutes drafted by: Amanda Staple TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.