HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 07-24-06APPROVED
Members Present: Jason Eisold, Mike Eliason, Eric Johnson,
Members Absent: Mark Jacobs, Kelly Sampo
Staff Present: Dan Schultz, Director of Parks and Recreation and Sonja Honl, Recording Secretary
Student Volunteer: Jonathan Nutzmann
Others Present: None
1. CALL TO ORDER: Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
2. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: None
3. APPROVAL OF THE JUNE 17, 2006 SPECIAL MEETING AND JUNE 26, 2006 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES: MOTION by Eisold to approve the minutes of the
June 17, 2006 Special Meeting and the June 26, 2006 Regular Meeting. SECOND by Eliason.
Ayes: 3 Nays: 0 Motion passed.
4. AUDIENCE INPUT: None.
5. DISCUSSION (Response to Audience Input): None.
6. OLD BUSINESS:
a. Bloomfield Park Shelter Building – Schultz checked with other MRPA cities regarding whether they had built any park shelters recently. The only response was from Maple Grove, and
the cost of the shelter they built was much higher than our budgeted amount. The City of Hastings built a park shelter in 2005 for $125,000, and Schultz provided color copies of this
shelter for the Commission to review. The Commission liked the design of the Hastings shelter and the building materials that were used. Schultz will ask Jack Anderson of JAE Architects
to bring back a building program with this design that is approximately 10 feet larger than Hasting’s shelter, with the shelter overhang increased proportionally. Schultz also spoke
to Anderson regarding revised cost estimates for the building design he originally submitted. Per Schultz, Anderson felt that a shelter similar to the one at Central Park could be
built for approximately $256,000 ($244,000 plus 5% contingency). The shelter changes Anderson made to bring down the cost included: removing the brick fascia, changing the ceiling
to gypsum board with a sprayed finish, removing two windows, and removing the indoor or outdoor drinking fountains. Schultz asked the Commission to keep in mind that we still have to
bid out the project and the bids could come in under what has been estimated. He also suggested that we could ask for bids on the design with and without these items. Johnson asked
if the shelter could be completed by winter. Per Schultz, that should be possible. Schultz will also check to see whether the civil work could be done by our staff to keep costs down.
b. Outdoor Recreation Complex – Schultz contacted several landowners east of Hwy. 52
to find out what land is selling for and if any land is available for sale. Schultz reviewed a
map of the various sections available and provided information on who owns them. One
of the landowners, Pine Bend Developers, would be willing to sell their land for between $30,000 - $50,000 per acre. Another land owner also had land for sale for $35,000 per acre.
Schultz left messages for several other landowners but has not heard back from them yet. Some of the landowners he spoke with were cautious in their response and wanted to know what
the City was going to do with the land. The City Administrator recently met with Great River Energy and is also planning to meet with representatives from Flint Hills Resources in
the near
future. At this time, Pine Bend Development seemed to be the most willing to discuss the sale of their land. Schultz will keep the Commission, Council and other city staff updated
on any further discussions. He should be receiving more information from the City Administrator this week and will forward it to the Commissioners. Schultz also provided information
regarding the $13.3 million referendum recently passed by the City of Eden Prairie. Based on the total valuation of housing in Eden Prairie, the referendum added $25 to the taxes for
a $200,000 home for 20 years. A comparable bond for the City of Rosemount would be $2.5 million, with added taxes of $100 per household.
Per Schultz, we will have another meeting with the City Council and have more information regarding land options at that time. He might like the Commission to meet again before meeting
with the Council. Schultz will see what information is received in the next week or two, then he will bring back more information and updates, and we can discuss our options.
c. 2007 CIP Budget – Schultz reviewed eight items to be included in the CIP budget for 2007. The items are: master planning for a new neighborhood park, possibly N-1; funds for purchasing
land and developing an outdoor recreation complex; funds for updating the parks master plan; funds for painting the ceiling in the arena (this was in the budget for 2006 but was delayed
due to repairs that needed to be done on the ice arena); carrying over funds for the completion of Brockway Park; funds for the construction of a parking lot for the disc golf course
(this will be completed as soon as Bronze Parkway, the road providing access to the golf course, is completed); and funds for miscellaneous, minor park improvements that may be necessary
during the year. Per Schultz, we will discuss these items each month until the final budget is approved. Schultz asked for a recommendation from the Commission to include the eight
listed items in the 2007 CIP budget.
Discussion followed regarding improvements to Erickson Park. The Mayor had suggested paving the road to Erickson Park and adding lights to two fields there. Paving the road was not
a priority and lighting the fields at Erickson Park would not provide enough additional field use to make up for the expense, but Schultz wanted to talk more about improvements that
could be made to Erickson Park and the possibility of including these improvements in a referendum. The Commission agreed that if the road is used by other residents, parks improvement
funds shouldn’t be used for paving it, and that the cost to add lights to the fields would outweigh the few additional games that would be added. Johnson asked that the lighting improvements
be added to the 2007 CIP budget and addressed in the spring. The Commission asked if it was the Mayor’s intention to pave the road only, not including curb and gutter. They asked
if there was some way to pave the road to include parking spots along it. Parking along the road is a problem when there are a tournaments, with everyone stopping at their field.
Schultz will get an estimate on the cost for adding lights to Erickson Park and bring that information to next month’s Commission meeting.
MOTION by Eisold to recommend that the City Council include the eight proposed items in the 2007 CIP budget. SECOND by Eliason. Ayes: 3 Nays: 0 Motion passed.
7. NEW BUSINESS:
a. Director’s Report – The park improvement fund balance as of June 30, 2006 was $1,676,697.87. No parks dedication fees were received. Interest for the month was $9,308.61, and there
were expenditures of $29,144.31 for the trees, seeding and volley ball posts for Meadows Park.
Meadows Park – The grass is filling in nicely, we have had groups picking rocks, and the park should be ready for spring use.
Leprechaun Days – Leprechaun Days started on July 21 and runs through July 31. Schultz reviewed a variety of events taking place during the week. Participation was high for the Run
for the Gold that was held on July 22.
McMenomy Woods – The McMenomy family has informed the City that they are willing to sell approximately 70 acres known as McMenomy Woods to the City of Rosemount. This area is identified
as future park C-3 in the Parks, Trails and Open Space Master Plan.
Parks Dedication – The City Council approved increasing the residential parks dedication fees from $75,000 per acre to $85,000 per acre and adding the new business park rate. This
item was pulled from the City Council meeting agenda and went to a work session because the Council was concerned with the increase in the residential fees that was recommended by the
Commission (from $75,000 to $100,000). They also were concerned about the increase to commercial and industrial fees, and that the increase in fees might deter businesses from locating
in Rosemount. Schultz told the Council that he would bring this item back in December and look at possibly increasing the residential parks dedication fee to $100,000 for 2007.
Request for an Outdoor Rink at Shannon Park – Mayor Droste received a letter from a resident regarding the need for an outdoor rink at Shannon Park. He forwarded the letter to Schultz
for discussion by the Parks and Recreation Commission. According to the letter, Evermoor residents do not have close accessibility to outdoor ice and roller hockey. The resident suggested
that the southwest corner of the field at Shannon Park would be a perfect location for an ice rink. The Commission discussed the possibility of putting a rink at Shannon Park and thought
that the northwest corner would be a good location for it. Adding the rink could increase congestion at the park and a small shelter with storage might also be needed. The Commission
agreed to discuss this further, and Schultz will bring pricing information to the August Commission meeting.
8. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION by Eliason to adjourn the meeting. SECOND by Eisold. Ayes: 3 Nays: 0 Motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Sonja Honl,
Recording Secretary