Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-07-2018 Park Commission Minutes MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,May 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. ROLL CALL The Orono Park Commission met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: Chair Rick Meyers, Commissioners Jan Berg, Bryce Johnson, Brian Roath, and Julie Ruegemer. Representing Staff were Public Works Director/City Engineer Adam Edwards, and Recorder Jackie Young. City Council Member Victoria Seals was present. Commissioner Brenda Johnson arrived at 6:47 p.m. Acting Chair Berg called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. JANUARY 2,2018,PARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 2. MARCH 13,2018,PARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Berg moved,Roath seconded, to approve the minutes of the January 2, 2018,Park Commission meeting as submitted,and the minutes of the March 13,2018,Park Commission meeting as submitted. VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPORTS 6. CASCO POINT PARK PLANTING PROPOSED UPDATE—JULIE RUEGEMER Ruegemer reported Casco Point residents John and Amy Miller had approached her regarding the possibility of them planting various native plants at the Casco Point Park. Ruegemer stated she and Chair Meyers met with them at the park a couple of months ago and since that time the Millers have developed and submitted a planting plan for the park. Ruegemer stated they also requested that some type of path be mowed through the grass and that the plan is to keep the area as natural as possible, with some plantings along the path. Meyers stated there should be minimal maintenance required of the planting areas. Bryce Johnson asked whether the Millers said anything about needing to prepare the soil. Meyers indicated there will be minimal disruption to the area and that they are looking at digging out a few areas along the path. Meyers asked whether the Millers will be purchasing all the plants. Ruegemer indicated they will be. Meyers stated that perhaps the City could supply some bags of soil that could be used. Edwards noted the City also has a supply of compost and that the Public Works Department could deliver a load of compost down to the park. Meyers suggested the Millers be told that. Page 1 of 6 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,May 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. The Park Commission took no formal action on this item. (Commissioner Ruegemer left the meeting at 6:47 p.m.) CHAIRMAN'S REPORT 3. CHAIRMAN'S UPDATE—RICK MEYERS Meyers reported work has commenced on the deck at the Orono Golf Course and that the early feedback from the patrons of the golf course is that they are excited to have a deck off of the clubhouse. Meyers stated the City will also be seeking a bid for the firepit in the near future. Roath asked whether the City received a bid for expanding the parking lot at the golf course. Edwards indicated they have not. Meyers stated the lower parking lot would be the easiest to expand since that is the flattest area. Meyers stated the goal is to try to contain the parking on the site to one location as much as possible. STAFF REPORTS 4. PUBLIC WORKS PARKS UPDATE—ADAM EDWARDS Edwards reported the Public Works Department has performed 217 odd jobs have been completed at the various parks since March,with the following work having been performed in the last couple of months: Trails and Parking Lots: The snow was cleared on the trails and parking lots over the winter. The Willow trail rehab punch list still needs to be completed by the contractor this spring. Big Island: The City has procured a mower for the Island and approved the Big Island Master Plan. The docks will be installed once the weather improves and Staff has been negotiating boat sharing with the City of Long Lake. Rehab on the visitor center will be commencing with the help of volunteers and sign replacements will be erected. Edwards noted there were some issues over the winter with motorized vehicles traversing the Island and that the Master Plan calls for placement of large boulders to deter vehicles. Orono Golf Course: Seasonal hiring is underway for the golf course. Tree trimming and removal has been completed, with the basement sealing project underway. Buckthorn removal was completed with the assistance of Sentence to Serve, irrigation repairs have been made, and a garden was planted by volunteers. Pending work includes the deck installation, drainage improvements, and soliciting fire pit quotes. Saga Hills: Trees have been trimmed and spot seeding was performed by Prairie Restoration. Pending work includes the placement of the entry boulders and the sitting stone, additional plantings, and erection of trail signs. Lurton Off Leash Dog Park: The City has solicited trail proposals, which will be before the City Council for approval at the May 14 meeting. In addition, the Public Works Department placed temporary Page 2 of 6 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,May 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. wood chips down in some areas and the prairie has been mowed. Pending work includes the installation of the shade sales and the placement of extra picnic tables. Edwards noted the Community Management Plan is currently being reviewed by Orono's neighboring agency. Edwards reported the City's grant for the Navarre sports court was approved and that the City will be receiving$10,000 towards those improvements. Edwards stated that item will be brought before the City Council at their May 14 meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT Marsha Hanson, 1280 Lyman, stated she talked a couple of times with the City about the condition of their road due to the deep potholes. Hanson stated she thought Lyman was slated to be repaired in 2019. Meyers noted this is a Park Commission meeting and that she should speak with the City Council. Edwards stated the 2019 roads plan was tabled at the last City Council meeting to give the council members an opportunity to drive the different roads to observe their condition. That item will be on the agenda for the May 29 meeting. Hanson commented she loves the Orono Golf Course and that she loves living in Orono. 5. PLAN FOR LAKE ACCESS MARKING—ADAM EDWARDS Edwards noted last fall the Park Commission heard from the residents on Carman Bay about the lake access in their neighborhood. Since that time the City has procured six 4 x 4 cedar posts with some arrows pointing inward towards the access. Two of the signs will be installed by the entrance,two signs will be installed midway down the access point, and two signs will be installed down by the lake. In addition a sign listing the dock rules will be erected. Last year signs were erected at the lake access of Casco Point. Meyers asked if this will be the City's standard marker that will be used at other lake access points. Edwards indicated it is. 7. BEDERWOOD PARK PLANNING UPDATE Victoria Seals, City Council Member, reported some potential ideas have been mapped out for Bederwood Park. Commissioner Williams has spoken with the Orono Baseball Association about how they have historically used the park and their future desires for the park. The Baseball Association has indicated they would like a batting cage at the park. Seals stated she has noticed that people are using the park more than they have in the past. Seals stated she is also on the Orono-Westonka Thunder Board and that she has met with their operations committee about their field space needs. Seals stated they were super excited to hear that the City is willing to work with them on using the ballfield. Seals stated in speaking with the neighbors,they Page 3 of 6 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, May 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. indicated they are not super excited about lights but that they are fine with them using the park during the day. Seals stated the one thing the soccer program did ask for was if one field could be artificial turf, which would require less maintenance. Seals commented Bederwood Park is a really nice location for them since they have combined with Westonka and that they are willing to partner with the City in any way the City deems appropriate. Meyers noted Commissioner Roath is working on a new grant application and that perhaps the City could obtain a grant for the artificial turf. Edwards stated this park is an ideal candidate for the grant and that the City has two or three different sports organizations the City can partner with. Meyers suggested Commissioner Roath obtain a bid for artificial turf and then look into the grant. Roath reported he met with Commissioner Williams a couple of weeks ago and that the Orono Baseball Association and the Orono-Westonka Thunder Association are two of their main partners in the new grant application. Roath indicated they will also be reaching out to the lacrosse and football teams to see if they would be interested in partnering with the City. Roath noted he is also interested in meeting with the DNR about the parking to see whether they would be interested in partnering with the City on the parking lot. Edwards indicated he has reached out to the DNR and that the local representative indicated that the DNR would endorse any grants the City pursues. In addition, the representative indicated they would partner if the City is interested in just regraveling the parking lot and could possibly donate a couple thousand dollars Roath stated they will continue to reach out to some of these other organizations to get their input and that they would also like to reach out to Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Calliston. Roath asked whether Staff could arrange the meeting. Edwards stated typically they will speak with her staff first about a possible meeting and then elected official to elected official. 8. BIG ISLAND PARK UPDATE Edwards reported the Big Island Master Plan as presented to the Park Commission at their last meeting has been approved and adopted by the City Council. Bolton and Menk are now seeking opportunities for grants and that they will be looking at grants similar to Navarre. The other option is to inquire of the State Historical Society to see whether funding can be done to conduct a Level I archeological survey on the Island and perhaps install some interpretative signage. The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District has reviewed the master plan. The Watershed Board was not willing to give a formal endorsement of the plan, but they did provide feedback to the City. Given the easements over the park, as more formal plans are developed for any of the improvements, they will need to be submitted to the Watershed District. Page 4 of 6 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,May 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. Berg asked whether the City will need to obtain permits from the MCWD. Edwards stated that will be necessary depending on the project. The MCWD is also planning to go out there to review the riprap and plantings in the near future. Council Member Seals thanked Adam Edwards for his hard work on the Big Island Master Plan and that the plan provides a real clear direction on where the City wants to go. Seals commented it is likely Big Island will be discussed quite a bit in the upcoming year as grants are being pursued. The Park Commission took no formal action on this item. COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS 9. COMMISSIONERS' UPDATES Lurton Park Bryce Johnson stated he spent Sunday afternoon at the dog park and walked around and noticed a few items. Johnson reported six cars were at the park, none of which had permits, and there were also a couple of people who brought dogs that they had just adopted to the park and were not aware of the rules. Johnson stated the park has been getting a lot of use even with the mud earlier this spring and that in his view the gravel trails are a real necessity. Overall the comments from the people at the park were generally positive. Johnson stated there were also many small dogs in the large dog area, which apparently is fairly common according to one of the large dog owners. Johnson stated the City will need to do something about the mud in the area where people enter. At this time the pavers look okay but they will likely get muddy again. Johnson asked what the latest count is on the permits and whether some sort of sign should be created about how to obtain a permit. Edwards stated a few weeks ago the count was over 400 but that he does not have the latest number at this time. Meyers commented it might be necessary to shut the park down for a couple of weeks to take care of the mud situation. Edwards noted the City has received a quote for the trails that will be taken before the City Council at its May 14 meeting. Assuming the City Council approves the quote, the project will need to be fit into the contractor's schedule. Edwards noted the Park Commission has approximately $20,000 worth of gravel to place on the trails. Saga Hill Bryce Johnson reported he and Chair Meyers also walked Saga Hill on Sunday and that they were very impressed with the cleanup of the trees and the parking lot. Johnson stated he would strongly encourage Page 5 of 6 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday,May 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. everyone on the Park Commission to walk around Saga Hill. Johnson stated in his view the park could use some additional signs and perhaps a bench in the Big Woods area. Edwards stated the City does have a Boy Scout who is interested in constructing some land bridges for Saga Hill near the entrance and that they have also had two Boy Scouts and a Girl Scout inquiring about possible Eagle Scout projects. Lurton Park Berg asked what the plan is for the pavers. Meyers noted the Park Commission had talked at a work session about having a separate area for the pavers apart from where people walk but that he is not sure what the final decision was. Edwards stated he does not recall what the formal action was of the Park Commission. Bryce Johnson stated the idea of installing pavers where people walk was not practical and that the portion where the memorial pavers are should be a separate area. Johnson stated the Orono seal should also be redone and repositioned in the center area of the new paver area. Meyers suggested the contractor be approached about relocating and leveling the pavers. Meyers reported Kyle Hoffman with Corner of Kindness approached him about holding a gathering of people who have adopted dogs through their agency at Lurton Park. Meyers stated they would need to know the approximate number of people who would be attending, and that once that is figured out, he would need to speak with Staff to see whether the event can be accommodated. Meyers noted they would also need a special event permit and parking accommodations. Miscellaneous Edwards noted the City received two quotes for the Navarre sports court and that he will be bringing those quotes to the May 14 City Council meeting. Berg asked how she should handle people fishing at the beaches. Edwards stated with any type of enforcement issues, the police should be contacted. ADJOURNMENT Bryce Johnson moved,Berg seconded,to adjourn the Orono Park Commission meeting at 7:45 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. ATTEST: ". ; , f, �� S Rick Meyers, hair Page 6 of 6