07-01-2019 Park Commission Packet

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, May 6, 2019 6:30 o'clock p.m. STAFF REPORTS 2. PUBLIC WORKS PARKS UPDATE Edwards reported on the following activities of the Public Works Department: • Port -a -Pots and garbage cans have been placed at all parks. • Spring inspections have begun of all parks and are nearly completed. • One additional round of snow and ice removal was done on the trails. No major trail projects are planned for this year. • The golf course is now open for the season. Since opening, some irrigation repairs have been done, a new water softener was installed, and some flushing of the drain system was performed. • The City Council did award the drainage cart path project for the golf course. • A baby swing was installed at Antoine Park. • Big Island Park was inspected. Some dock repairs need to be performed and a dock modification to get the docks in and out easier. • Biweekly maintenance work will be commencing next week at the parks. • Gravel for the parking lot at French Creek was installed. • Tree removal was performed at Saga Hill. • The ice rink was removed at Crystal Bay and removal of the existing split rail fence is scheduled due to its deteriorating condition. • Closed the winter access points and opened the summer access points around Orono. Performed dock repairs at the Loma Linda access due to damage caused from a snowmobiler. An insurance claim has been submitted. • The sunshades were installed at Lurton Park and some fence repairs are scheduled. Prairie Restoration performed its 5 -year burn of the prairie. Last year they performed a close mow, which does not work as well as the burn, but does not cause a lot of soot. • Tree removal was performed at French Creek. Edwards indicated he did meet with the Girl Scout who is interested in completing the memorial garden project at Lurton Park. Work on that project is expected to start in the near future. A meeting was also held with the Boy Scout who will be constructing a screen around the port -a -pot and some trail work. Johnson asked when the projects are anticipated to be complete. Edwards stated he expects the Girl Scout project to be completed by early summer and that he is not sure when the Boy Scout will be commencing his work. The surveying for the Bederwood sports field project has been completed and a design is underway. The draft design is expected to be completed in the next week and a half. The grant applications for the Big Island project and East Long Lake Road will be submitted to the DNR and grant awards are expected by the end of June/early July. The City Council approved the cooperative agreement for the Dakota Trail connection. Three Rivers Park District is the lead designer on that and they hope to have 60 percent of the design to all the partners by the end of July. Each of the three partners (Hennepin County, the City of Orono, and Three Rivers) Page 2 of 7