1988-06-14 Joint Council-Parks Comm minutesPage No. 2346
June 14, 1988
CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY
STATE OF MINNESOTA
Minutes of the Joint Meeting
Held Tuesday, June 14, 1988
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the joint meeting of
the Mendota Heights City Council and the Parks Commission was
held on Tuesday morning, June 14, 1988, at 7:00 A.M., in the
City Hall Council Chambers, 750 South Plaza Drive, Mendota
Heights, Minnesota. The following members were present:
Mayor Mertensotto, Councilmembers Blesener, Cummins, and
Witt. Councilmember Hartmann had notified the Council that
he would be absent. Members from the Parks Commission
present were: Damberg, Huber, Stein, Lachenmayer, Katz.
Commissioners Leffert and Owens were absent. Also present
was City Administrator Kevin Frazell.
LONG-RANGE Mayor Mertensotto called the meeting to
PARK PLAN order at 7:05 A.M. to continue discussion
IMPROVEMENTS regarding long-range plans for park
improvements. There was extensive
discussion about the pros and cons of
doing a community survey to determine why
the previous bond referendum failed, and
more importantly, what type of bond
referendum the voters might be likely to
support in the future. It was finally
agreed that a subcommittee of Bev
Lachenmayer, John Huber, Liz Witt and Jann
Blesener should work with city staff to
come up with a proposed survey, and survey
methodology. Councilmember Cummins
volunteered to run the survey past of the
marketing people at his company, to get
their reactions as to whether the
questions being asked would elicit valid
responses.
There was also discussion about the park
land in the southeast area of the City,
and whether the City should attempt to
acquire park land in addition to that
contemplated to be dedicated by the Centex
development under Sketch Plan A. The same
subcommittee of Bev Lachenmayer, John
Huber, Liz Witt and Jann Blesener was
suggested to meet with developers Dick
Putnam and Tom Boyce, to explore what
alternatives might be available.
Page No. 2347
June 14, 1988
CURLEY VALLEY There was a discussion about the
VIEW TOT LOT Commission's previous recommendation that
IMPROVEMENTS the City expend funds to upgrade the
single family lot in Curley's Valley View
addition, which the neighborhood proposes
for a community tot lot. Councilmember
Witt expressed her extreme opposition to
the proposal, indicating that she did not
think the City should get into the
business of operating small neighborhood
tot lots. As an alternative, she
suggested that the property be sold to
the neighborhood association for a
minimal cost, and that they be
responsible for developing and
maintaining the property.
ADJOURN
ATTEST:
Other Parks Commissioners and Council
members felt that the property should
remain public, because it is often
difficult for private associations to
keep up the effort of maintenance. There
was concern that it would ultimately
become an eyesore, and that other people
in the community riding by the bike trail
would not realize it was a private
development, so that it would be used for
public enjoyment anyway.
There was finally a general concensus
that the City would offer to put $4-
$5,000 into a tot lot structure on the
land, with the understanding that the
neighborhood association would be
responsible for maintaining the property
and labor. It would however, remain in
public ownership.
There being no further business, the
meeting was declared adjourned by Mayor
Mertensotto at 8:15 A.M.
Charles E. Mertensotto
Mayor
/411
Kevin D. razell
City Administrator