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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />April 10, 2023 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 2 of 8 <br /> <br /> <br />PARKS REPORT <br /> <br />15. APPROVAL OF HACKBERRY MASTER PLAN DESIGN SERVICES <br /> <br />Park Director Lemons, reported the Parks Commission has had Hackberry Park on the radar for a while. <br />In 2016 the house at 140 Hackberry Hill which sits in the middle of the park was purchased by the City <br />and the residents given a lifetime estate. The house was just vacated in December, 2022. The Park <br />Commission would like to go ahead and start this Master Plan process. Staff is proposing engaging <br />Bolton and Menk to do the Master Plan. Design would take place over the next few years and then <br />construction in 2025. Over the next month and a half, you'll see the Police Department using it for <br />training, you'll see the Fire Department and I believe the final burn is scheduled for May 23. <br /> <br />Seals pointed out the City should give plenty of notice about the burn to persons living in the <br />neighborhood. She also said she has had feedback from some residents near the park with ideas for <br />enhancements and concerns about parking and the roads around the park. She asked about plans to get <br />broad feedback from the residents. <br /> <br />Lemons said the point of the Master Plan would be to get some concepts of what the City can do with the <br />park. The Park Commission is actively communicating with users of the park and will communicate with <br />neighbors as well. He said once we have that framework for what we would like to see done there, that <br />gives us an opportunity then to engage the public and really refine that plan. Design would happen in next <br />year, 2024, so we have some time to receive that feedback. <br /> <br />City Administrator Edwards said the road network around the park is not in terrible condition but is <br />starting to creep up on our radar for work. Drainage has been identified as another issue. Part of the <br />reason wanting to do this Master Plan is looking at all those different things that are out there that we <br />would need to incorporate into any kind of project we would do at that park. And that helps us inform and <br />helps the Parks Commission be able to do even more of that public outreach. There are years where we <br />have not been able to use the two T-ball outfields for the majority of the summer season, because they just <br />get soggy and stay soggy. There's been years where we couldn't even mow. <br /> <br />Benson said within 1,000 feet or so of the park there are at least 100 homes. She recommended listening <br />first, saying the Park Commission could conduct listening sessions to go into the Master Plan stage with <br />more information from the public. That costs nothing and it's not going to likely take a lot of time. And it <br />also it fosters a lot of good trust and will within the community, she said. <br /> <br />Seals said Park Commission members had asked her to recommend that public engagement should be <br />step one and she would also suggest doing it a Park Commission meeting or workshop. <br /> <br />Edwards said the City has been talking to the residents and the Orono Baseball Association and the Orono <br />Football Association for a year. It's not like we don't know, one, what's wrong, what the issues are at the <br />park, nor what the potential future needs are at the park. He added that a couple of Parks Commission <br />members have focused for a couple of years on reaching out and having those meetings. We can put that