HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 06-26-06APPROVED
Members Present: Jason Eisold, Mark Jacobs, Eric Johnson, Kelly Sampo
Members Absent: Mike Eliason
Staff Present: Dan Schultz, Director of Parks and Recreation and Sonja Honl, Recording Secretary
Student Volunteer: None
Others Present: Mayor Bill Droste and Council Members Mike Baxter, Mark Debettignies, Kim Shoe-Corrigan and Phillip Sterner; Sandra Knight of Dakota Rev/RAAA; Julie Marquardt - RAAA..
1. CALL TO ORDER: Johnson called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m.
2. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: Additional information for Old Business 6.a.
3. APPROVAL OF THE MAY 22, 2006 AND JUNE 5, 2006 MEETING MINUTES:
Change heading of June 5, 2006 minutes from “Regular Meeting” to “Special Meeting”. MOTION by Jacobs to approve the minutes of the May 22 and June 5 meetings. SECOND by Sampo. Ayes:
4 Nays: 0 Motion passed.
4. AUDIENCE INPUT: None.
5. DISCUSSION (Response to Audience Input): None.
6. OLD BUSINESS:
a. Outdoor Recreation Complex – Schultz reviewed the background information on this item and provided a list of meetings from September 15, 2003 to the present where this issue was discussed.
The purpose of the joint meeting with Council and the Commission was to come away with a shared vision for the athletic complex, a plan for site selection and pursuing land acquisition,
a shared work plan and timeline, a cost estimate and validation, and to come up with a message to share with the community. Johnson reviewed a power point presentation he had put together
based on information from the special meetings held during the last few months. The presentation included information on why this facility is needed, the benefits to the community,
several options for funding and completion of the athletic complex, and the pros and cons of each option. There was discussion on whether a referendum would be possible with the debt
the city already carries, and what the cost would be per household. Johnson asked Schultz to provide figures on the amount of tax that was added per household from Eden Prairie’s recent
referendum. Partnerships with Dakota County Technical College (DCTC), UMORE, Flint Hills Resources, etc. were suggested by the Council. Per Schultz, over the last few years we have
had discussions with each these groups regarding the need for land and the discussions have not resulted in any land prospects. Staff has also talked with land owners west of Hwy.
52, and many were not interested in selling. Since those discussions, the land owners have received offers from developers to purchase their land. After further discussion, it was
agreed that securing the land would be the first step in the process. Once the land is secured, we can pursue partnerships with local businesses and sponsorship opportunities to raise
the funds necessary to build the complex. Mayor Droste also suggested the following: paving of the road to Erickson Park, adding lights to the two fields at Erickson Park that are
not currently lit, talking further with DCTC regarding partnering with them in some way, aggressively looking at purchasing land (looking at sites off of Akron Avenue and farther east),
and then meeting again in August for an update.
Checking with other cities and townships regarding partnering opportunities was also suggested. The
upcoming survey of residents was also discussed as being a tool to gauge public support for an athletic complex. All agreed that focusing on acquiring the land was the most important
issue at this time.
Sandra Knight, Dakota Rev and RAAA representative, handed out information and gave a brief presentation on a soccer complex in Cedar Valley, IA where she recently attended a tournament.
The land for the complex was donated by John Deere, and there were ongoing sponsorship opportunities to raise funds for additional facilities and improvements. Julie Marquardt stated
that RAAA is willing to share the message, and suggested that one way to do this would be to pass out information during the Leprechaun Days parade. The RAAA board and parents are
willing to do whatever is needed, they just want to know what’s going to happen next and what to tell people.
b. Bloomfield Park Shelter Building – This item was being brought back because the City Council had questions regarding the cost and need for the shelter. Schultz provided background
information on this item: the 2005 CIP budget for the project was $250,000, and the Commission has been discussing the shelter for the last few months. The shelter was to be similar
to the Jaycee Park and Central Park shelters. Both of these parks have hockey rinks with lights, and the shelter is used by hockey teams during the winter. Bloomfield Park would have
similar facilities and use to Jaycee and Central Parks, which is why a similar shelter building design had been chosen for that park. Schultz reviewed the building program developed
by the Parks and Recreation Commission and designed by the architect which came in at $350,000. Extra costs that increased the price of the shelter included soil corrections, increased
construction costs, and extra costs for windows, the size of the building and the building materials. Schultz also provided information on 2005 use at both Jaycee and Central Park
shelters: Central Park shelter was used 148 days and Jaycee Park shelter was used 103 days. It was also mentioned that the Jaycee Park shelter and bathrooms are kept locked unless
the building is rented, and participants at sports events use portable toilets. The possibility of having the outside doors to the bathrooms open during the hours when the park is
open was discussed. Schultz explained that they are kept locked to prevent vandalism.
The usage figures provided by Schultz, the community/meeting room at the new fire station and duplication of facilities, and the fact that funds will be needed for facilities at the
proposed athletic complex, were all discussed. Building one or several sun shelters instead of an enclosed shelter, using portable toilets, and renting two trailers to be used as warming
houses in the winter were suggested as cost effective options. Schultz mentioned that Hastings recently built a shelter for approximately $125,000, and he will contact the MRPA for
examples of facilities within the $250,000 price range that have been built in other cities during the past year. Schultz will bring this information back to the next meeting. Schultz
will also contact our architect again regarding a building design that would be within the amount budgeted. Schultz thought that we could build a facility that would meet the needs
of those using the park.
7. NEW BUSINESS:
a. 2007 CIP Budget – Schultz included a draft of the 2007 CIP Budget in the Commission packet. He will discuss neighborhood park NI next month as far as the amount budgeted and the
fact that based on the current development, this park may not be built next year. Other Items of discussion will include where the park will be located, what kind of park it will be,
prices of land east of 52, and construction costs. Brockway Park may not be built this year as the development is moving slower than planned and there is no road to access the park,
no parking lot, and no water or electricity. Schultz will be meeting with the contractor regarding their timeline. Schultz also would like the Commission to consider adding funds
for the following: a parks master plan update, painting the
arena ceiling, the carry over of funds for the development of Brockway Park and the carry over of funds for adding the observation deck at Meadows Park. This item was an update only,
and no action was required.
b. Brockway Park Professional Services – There is $400,000 in the 2006 CIP budget for Brockway Park construction. Requests for quotes were recently sent out. We asked for quotes for
four services, Phases I – IV as listed on the Executive Summary. We received 10 bids, and of those, SRF was the low bid for the park design. Schultz provided a spread sheet of the
cost breakdown by bidder for each phase as well as the total bid. Schultz recommended awarding the bid for professional services for development of Brockway Park to SRF. Johnson asked
that SRF run their numbers again to that they were at the $400,000 budgeted amount, instead of $430,000. MOTION by Jacobs to spend $24,092 to hire SRF Consultants to provide the professional
services for phases I – IV for Brockway Park. SECOND by Eisold. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Motion passed. Schultz clarified that they will be updating the cost estimate as it may be more
than the amount budgeted two years ago.
c. Director’s Report – The Park Improvement Fund Balance as of May 31, 2006 was $1,696,533.57. Parks Dedication Fees of $6,000 were received. Interest for the month was $5,771.43,
and there were expenditures of $36,522.79 for the final grade and seeding at Meadows Park.
Meadows Park – The park was seeded a few weeks ago and the grass is filling in nicely.
Portable Toilets Destroyed – The portable toilets at Schwarz Pond Park were burned down again over the weekend and we will not be replacing them. We will be talking to the Police
Department about this and looking at other options. This park is more isolated than others, which contributes to the problem. The portable toilets have been burned four times in the
last year.
Electrical Updates – The first phase of the electrical improvements at Central Park have been completed. These improvements will provide additional outlets for Leprechaun Days vendors
and for the Halloween event.
Summer Ice – The summer ice is back in. Rosemount, Apple Valley, Hastings, Lakeville and Eastview have been holding camps and clinics that have made this one of the busiest summer
sessions ever.
Skate Park Event – A BMX bike event took place at the skate park/BMX area on Friday, June 23, 2006, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event was coordinated by a group of students from
the area and other stops included the cities of Mound and Bloomington. Approximately 30 people attended the event.
Jacobs asked if there could be discussion at the next meeting regarding the intent of park improvement funds and possible outside revenue sources such as naming rights, signage, etc.
8. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION by Sampo to adjourn the meeting. SECOND by Jacobs. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 10:36 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Sonja Honl,
Recording Secretary