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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 09-27-04APPROVED Members Present: Leslie Defries, Mike Eliason, Mark Jacobs, Eric Johnson, Phil Sterner Members Absent: None Staff Present: Dan Schultz, Director of Parks and Recreation and Sonja Honl, Recording Secretary Student Volunteer: Philip Harris Others Present: None CALL TO ORDER: Jacobs called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: Sterner requested two additions to the Director’s Report: Twin Puddles Park, and the letter that was mailed to residents who live near parks regarding vandalism in the parks. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER 27, 2004: MOTION by Johnson to approve the September 27, 2004 meeting agenda as amended. SECOND by Sterner. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Motion passed. 3. APPROVAL OF THE AUGUST 23, 2004 MINUTES: MOTION by Sterner to approve the minutes of August 23, 2004. SECOND by Eliason. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Motion passed. 4. AUDIENCE INPUT: None. 5. DISCUSSION (Response to Audience Input): None. 6. OLD BUSINESS: a. Athletic Complex – Schultz reviewed suitable sites for an athletic complex on the 2020 land use plan map. Schultz has talked with representatives from the University of Minnesota/UMORE Park, Flint Hills Resources and a mining company as well as private landowners regarding the possibility of locating an athletic complex on their land. After discussion with the owners of the various properties, Flint Hills Resources and the mining company had the most feasible sites and were willing to meet with staff to discuss the possibility of locating an athletic complex on their property. Schultz felt we should begin negotiations with these two companies, as none of the private landowners were interested in selling at this time. The Flint Hills Resources site is 57 acres and the mining company site is 20 acres. Co. Road 38 splits the sites. Together, they equal 77 acres, which falls within the requirements for an athletic complex as identified in the Parks Master Plan. There was discussion regarding the pros and cons of other possible sites. Schultz explained that Flint Hills Resources needs to keep a buffer of land around their facility, so much of the land that appears to be open is unavailable. The University of Minnesota also owns a large portion of land which isn’t available at this time. There was discussion regarding the possibility of a 20-30 year lease of land, but there’s concern that the lease could be broken or that when the lease is up, we might be left without facilities. It would be preferable to own the property. If we build the complex one time without having to move it, it’s much more cost effective. Schultz will continue to pursue all land possibilities for future facility needs, but felt that we should focus on beginning negotiations with Flint Hills Resources and the mining company. The Commission agreed that staff should move forward with the negotiations. There was no motion on this item. NEW BUSINESS a. Soccer Kickboard – A student has approached staff regarding building a soccer kickboard in a Jaycee Park for an Eagle Scout project. There are currently no kickboards in our city parks. Staff didn’t see a discrete location at Jaycee Park for the kickboard and didn’t feel this would be a good location for it. Staff looked at several other parks that might be suitable. Erickson Park was considered, but it didn’t have a lot of space for a kickboard. Connemara Park seemed to offer the best location because it has two wooded areas that might work. Schultz reviewed maps of these areas. One location is a wooded area along the eastern border where the kickboard could be tucked in, but there was concern with the boundary line of the soccer field being too close to the tree line. There’s also a wooded area south of the parking lot where the kickboard would not be so visible. The Commission was concerned about noise issues for residents whose backyards back up to the trees and also about those using the kickboard having to climb fences and go onto private property to retrieve balls. Eliason suggested a third location at Connemara Park, down the hill behind the backstop near the old retaining pond that’s been filled in. The kickboard wouldn’t be visible, and we’d just need to put some turf there. Eliason also suggested that the student might be able to work with the high school to repair one of their kickboards. Another option would be locating it on the south side of the school’s sports dome, but timing for completion of the Eagle Scout project could be an issue here. Sterner suggested Winds Park, but because of the size of the kickboard (10’ x 22’), Schultz was looking for a location where it would blend into the topography as much as possible. Johnson suggested the area near the railroad tracks and playground at Bloomfield Park. This location already has a fence in place and might be a more suitable site. The second part of the request was for funding by the city. Per Schultz, if a project like this is suggested and it’s something we’re looking into, the city usually participates in the funding. In this case, we have no plans to install kickboards at our parks. Staff will talk with the high school and continue to work with the student to try to come up with a better location. If a suitable location is found, this item will be brought back to the Commission. b. 2005 Park Improvement Projects – Schultz reviewed five projects that will be taken on next year: Park Signs, Brockway Park, Meadows of Bloomfield Park, replacing the Camfield Park Sun Shelter (scheduled replacement due to age of structure), and the Birch Park Climbing Wall. These are the projects that are in the budget for 2005. Schultz was including this item as an update to let the Commission know the projects that we’ll be working on next year. The Park Signs, Brockway Park, Meadows of Bloomfield Park and Birch Park Climbing Wall projects are being carried over from 2004. Jacobs asked a tangential question about what had come out of the facilities task force discussions and if the facilities that were being looked at would be bonding issues. Per Schultz, those facilities could be bond issues and they would most likely not be paid for out of park improvement funds. Johnson asked if the city has funds to purchase the athletic complex land, or if that purchase requires a bond referendum or funds from other sources. Per Schultz, that’s something that will be negotiated and is currently being looked at. Funds could come from prededication of land for land that they will be developing in the future, grants, etc. There’s also the possibility of having a bond referendum. We’ll be looking into a number of opportunities for funding that are available. Eliason asked if there was a possibility of adding another basketball hoop near the tennis court at Bloomfield Park. Thirty to 40+ kids have to wait in line at times to play basketball. Schultz will look into this as well as adding another court at the Family Resource Center Park. Sterner asked if he could discuss Twin Puddles Park at this time. People have expressed interest in a playground for siblings of those who are playing soccer there. Per Eliason, at the time the old playground equipment at Winds Park was torn down, a letter was mailed to neighborhood residents regarding interest in a new playground and no one responded. Schultz said our plan would be to remove scheduled activity from the fields and not use that park for organized sports as there isn’t adequate parking. c. 2005 Fees and Fee Policy – Schultz included a copy of the fee schedule that was approved last year. Jacobs asked if there had been any complaints. Per Schultz, there were none. This is the annual review of fees for items such as parks dedication, field rentals, community center and arena rentals, etc. We have been receiving a number of requests for free use of all rooms in our facility. Johnson questioned free use of rooms. Schultz explained that there are times when the city has used rooms for no charge for city events, and there are times when organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce have partnered with the city for events and there was no charge. Johnson asked Schultz to provide the Commission with the fee changes that were made from 2003 to 2004. Schultz will get this information and we’ll also look at what other cities are doing. Johnson also requested data showing the rate of occupancy of rooms before and after the rate increases. Schultz can provide the number of hours per year the rooms are used. Sterner asked for information on what capacity is rented, what groups are renting, how many city groups are renting, and if there was any drop-off after the fee increase. Harris stated that to get an idea of any trends, you need as much data as possible and should go back as far as possible. Going back only two years wouldn’t give as accurate a picture. Jacobs said that last year when the Commission reviewed the parks dedication fees, the information we had seemed limited. Per Schultz, the information that we were provided with was based on land sales in the previous six months, and there may not have been many sales during that timeframe. Some cities use fair market property value. Schultz will bring this information back to the next meeting. Schultz also discussed current field use. Staff will be looking closely at how we prioritize field use, making sure we’re not over-booking fields, and at our policies on field usage so fields are kept in good shape. d. Director’s Report – The Parks Improvement Fund Balance as of August 31, 2004 is $726,660.14. We just received the first half of the parks dedication for the Brockway development in the amount of $380,000, which puts our balance over $1,000,000. The second half of their payment will be received in the spring. Community Center Parking – Each year we are experiencing more and more high school students parking in the Community Center parking lot. There are typically 70 to 80 students per day parking there. Dangerous driving habits, trash, and giving up a large portion of the parking lot for high school parking are some of the issues that need to be addressed. Charging the students a fee to park in the Community Center lot or not allowing them to park there at all were suggested solutions to the problem. Schultz did recently check the High School parking lot and noted approximately 60 to 70 available spots. Parks and Recreation Staff are planning to meet with representatives from Rosemount High School to discuss the need for students to park at the Community Center. Park Vandalism – Schultz and Police Chief Kalstabakken sent a letter to residents who live near city parks asking them to be on the look out for suspicious activity at the parks. There has been an increase in vandalism ranging from graffiti on playground equipment and the band shell to burning of port a potties. Residents were asked to call the Police Department to report suspicious activity they see during the day, or to call the Police Department dispatch center if they see suspicious activity in the evening. Skate Park Update – The skate park’s move to Schwarz pond was completed in August. The installation of a fence around the equipment was also completed. The skate park has been very busy and we have had few problems. “No Skateboard” signs have been installed in the Community Center. Staff will be meeting with skate park users to discuss future improvements to the park. 8. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Sterner to adjourn the meeting. SECOND by Eliason. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:49 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Sonja Honl, Recording Secretary