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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PARK COMMISSION <br /> Monday,March 6,2017 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> The estimated cost for the project is $59,000,with nine acres of hilltop clearing, or$38,000 with 4.5 acres <br /> of hilltop clearing. Both proposals contain ongoing maintenance of the prairie land. Edwards noted the <br /> City currently spends about$3,000 on Lurton Park for annual vegetative maintenance and management. <br /> Edwards stated the bigger ticket items of this project could be funded entirely from the Park Dedication <br /> Fund. Some of the smaller items, such as signs,trail clearing, and gates,could be funded from the Parks <br /> Operations and Maintenance budget,with the remaining portions coming from the Park Fund. <br /> The Park Commission should review the draft information signs as well as the improvement project plans <br /> and then make a motion recommending approval of one of the options to the City Council. <br /> Bryce Johnson stated the Park Commission needs to make sure they are not creating a fuzzy area between <br /> capital improvement and maintenance. Johnson stated in his view,to the extent the area is actually being <br /> cleared and redone, along with the signs and bench,the park could be called out as a capital improvement. <br /> Johnson stated in his view clearing the trail might be more maintenance but the signs and a bench would <br /> be a capital improvement. <br /> Meyers stated clearing around the parking lot and trails would be work that could be done by Sentence to <br /> Serve and that professionals will do the land clearing. Meyers stated the Public Works Director could <br /> determine if it is legitimate capital improvement. <br /> Bryce Johnson asked what the 20 percent contingency would be. <br /> Edwards indicated it is a standard engineering tool that is used in determining a price and that 10 percent <br /> is administrative and 10 percent is unexpected items, such as bids that come in higher than expected. <br /> Meyers noted the Park Commission discussed the two plans at their work session and at that time the <br /> commissioners felt that the$37,000 was a more reasonable approach. Meyers noted the Park <br /> Commission will also be taking on Big Island and the golf course so there might be other capital <br /> improvement items coming up. <br /> Brenda Johnson asked if the funds for those two parks used to come out of the Park Dedication Fund. <br /> Edwards stated maintenance of Big Island comes out of the regular park operation and budget. Edwards <br /> indicated he would need to see where some of those funds came from for projects such as the shoreland <br /> restoration. The annual maintenance, such as mowing and the putting in and taking out of the docks has <br /> been a budget item for the parks operational budget. <br /> Bryce Johnson stated the purchase of the docks came out of the Park Dedication Fund. <br /> Brenda Johnson stated given that Saga Hill is a big park, it seems that if the Park Commission is going to <br /> improve Saga Hill,they should do everything they want to do since coming back later is harder. Johnson <br /> stated if there really is so much interest in Big Island,there should be some donations coming in. <br /> Meyers suggested keeping Big Island as a separate piece from Saga Hill. Meyers stated to his <br /> understanding the Park Commission had agreed on Option 1,which was the $38,000 amount. <br /> Page 6 of 11 <br />