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Minutes <br />Park Commission Special Meeting <br />Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 6:00 PM <br />City Council Chambers 2780 Kelley Parkway, Orono, MN 55356 <br /> <br /> <br />Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />Chair Roath called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. <br /> <br />ROLL CALL <br />The Orono Park Commission members present: Chair Brian Roath, Commissioners Kim Carswell, Mollie <br />Reynolds, Michael Huddy, and Jacob Selseth. Commissioners Absent: Janie Delaney and Gordy Stofer. <br /> <br />Staff present: City Administrator/Engineer Adam Edwards and Park Superintendent Joe Ruthenberg (left <br />at 6:25 p.m.) <br /> <br />APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA <br /> <br />Reynolds moved, Selseth seconded, to approve the agenda for the Park Commission meeting as <br />submitted. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. <br /> <br />APPROVAL OF MINUTES <br /> <br />1. August 5, 2025, Park Commission meeting minutes <br /> <br />Carswell moved, Huddy seconded, to approve the minutes of the August 5, 2025, Park Commission <br />meeting as submitted. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. <br /> <br />PUBLIC COMMENT <br /> <br />Jay Nygard, 1386 Rest Point Road, provided comments. <br /> <br />STAFF REPORT <br /> <br />2. Hackberry Park Revitalization Project Design Update <br /> <br />Staff gave an update on the history of the development of Hackberry Park and the generation of proposals <br />for a revitalization project design that included a design committee and community engagement. If <br />funding comes together, it is estimated that the project could be scheduled for 2026. <br /> <br />Commissioners asked about the grading involved in the recommended plan and indicated Park <br />Commission sub-committee members were not yet completely comfortable with the plan as proposed. <br />Concerns include tree removal and speed on Willow Drive. Commissioners asked about parking and tree <br />health and removal, and drainage. They emphasized they would like the opportunity to give feedback to <br />the City Council prior to final action. They said the current plan feels backwards in that it went to the City <br />Council before the Park Commission. They requested that the item come back to the Park Commission <br />during the 60 percent design review phase. The Youth Sports grant deadline is Sept 30, which in part <br />drove the pace of the proposal. It was pointed out that survey feedback was to protect what is there and <br />include the playground, ballfields, and sliding hill with space for quiet use and a multi-purpose field. <br />Youth ballfields were given a lesser priority in the survey. Commissioners asked about how specific it is <br />necessary to be in the grant application, as the uses and age groups to be served need to be included. The <br />grant application will focus on having two baseball fields and a multi-purpose field, not parking or other <br />uses. <br /> <br />3