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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-07-2019 Park Commission Minutes MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,January 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: Acting Chair Brian Roath, Commissioners Jan Berg, Rick Carter, Bryce Johnson, and Julie Ruegemer. Representing Staff were Public Works Director/City Engineer Adam Edwards and Recorder Jackie Young. Mayor Dennis Walsh was present. Acting Chair Roath called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. NOVEMBER 5,2018,PARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Carter moved,Ruegemer seconded,to approve the minutes of the November 5,2018,Park Commission meeting as submitted.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. PUBLIC COMMENT None CHAIRMAN'S REPORT 2. 2019 PARK COMMISSION GOALS AND SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS Roath suggested the Park commission start with their interests first,which will help form the subcommittees and then the subcommittees could determine their goals for the year. Edwards stated one thing to take into consideration as the committees are created is that there are four seats that are up for reappointment in March,which consists of Rick Meyers,Natalie Williams,Brenda Johnson, and Jan Berg. Natalie Williams has indicated she does not want to be reappointed and Rick Meyers and Jan Berg have indicated they would like to stay on the Park Commission. Two or three applications have been submitted. The applications will go to the City Council the second meeting in February. The last time the City Council conducted interviews at their work session and then appointed the candidates at their regular meeting. The new term would then begin the 1St of March. Carter asked whether Beth Davis is interested in filling one of the spots. Edwards indicated he has not heard from her at this point. The following is the proposed subcommittees/working groups for 2019, along with suggested committee members: Subcommittees/Work Group Purpose Committee Members Bederwood Sports field Special steering committee to improve Brian Roath Bederwood Park with a sports field and associated amenities. East Long Lake Trail Special steering committee for master plan Jan Berg, Julie development and design guidance. Ruegemer, Brian Roath Page 1 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,January 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. Ice Rink Special steering committee to determine Rick Meyers policy and plan for the provision of ice rinks within city parks. Big Island Standing committee for planning and Rick Carter executing improvements at the park as Julie Ruegemer well as being the liaison with other Jan Berg interested groups. Holiday Tree Lighting Special steering committee to develop a Brian Roath Ceremony plan for an annual holiday tree lighting Rick Meyers ceremony Trails Standing committee to explore Rick Carter opportunities for improvements and Beth Davis additions to trails throughout the community Seven Nations Standing committee to explore the park's cultural history and develop an improvement plan for the park. Increase Community Outreach Standing committee to improve park Julie Ruegemer communication with the public and Natalie Williams involve volunteers within the parks. Opportunities for Outside Standing committee to identify and apply Brian Roath Funding for outside funding to support city parks Julie Ruegemer and trails. Golf Course Standing committee for planning and Brian Roath executing improvements at the park as Rick Meyers well as being a liaison with other interested groups. Roath noted Bederwood Park, East Long Lake Trail and Big Island are must haves since those committees are involved in ongoing endeavors. Roath stated he sees the rest of the subcommittees up for debate. Roath noted new to the city is the ice rink at Crystal Bay Park this year. At the last meeting the Park Commission talked about the need to reassess whether the City should continue with the ice rink based on experiences this year. The Park Commission is looking at a good amount of investment in the rink in 2019 if it is decided to continue with that and they should determine what the City's plan is for both of the City's ice rinks. Edwards stated if the City is going to have ice rinks,the question is what standards the City should construct and maintain them to. The subcommittee could explore that and bring back recommendations. Roath recommended the holiday tree lighting ceremony be expanded to say community events held at the golf course so it could encompass the holiday tree lighting ceremony as well as other events. The trails subcommittee looks at the City's network of trails and possible future connections. There were some questions raised at a tour of the parks about whether a subcommittee is necessary for Seven Nations Park. Page 2 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,January 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. Edwards noted the subcommittees listed from trails on down are existing committees and were instituted by the Park Commission when it was recommissioned in 2014. Roath stated the next one is community outreach,which would include articles in the newsletter, partnering with community organizations, reaching out to various groups, and the adopt-a-park program. Opportunities for outside funding is learning about various grants. The last subcommittee is the golf course and the subcommittee should look at the long-term vision for that. Berg stated the Park Commission also discussed expanding use at the golf course. Roath asked what focuses the Park Commission is interested in. Carter stated as it relates to trails, when the Comprehensive Plan section was done,the trail projects were prioritized. Carter stated in his view someone should look at that list and compare it to the list before the Park Commission. The connection from Dakota to County Road 15 and then County Road 15 south was probably at the top. If that group is responsible to do that, Carter indicated he is fine with being on the committee. Berg noted the East Long Lake Trail also encompasses Summit Beach,which will be upgraded in connection with the trail. Roath stated the Park Commission made some progress last year in defining a loose vision for the trail system in relation to the Comprehensive Plan and asked whether there is anything more to do with the trails. Carter noted there is a list of trails included within the Comprehensive Plan and that he would like to revisit that to see how the lists compare. Edwards stated the committee worked on the trail section of the Comprehensive Plan this past year. Johnson commented there are quite a few things included on the list, and the upper portion contains more things that have evolved, with the bottom part of the chart being more general things that were implemented when the Park Commission started back up in 2014. Johnson asked whether there needs to be a separate focus on funding with the opportunities for outside funding. Roath stated that is probably redundant. Johnson stated as it relates to the golf course,the Park Commission is looking at doing a number of different events and projects. Johnson asked whether there should be one focus and one committee instead of an events committee. Johnson noted he did receive a phone call from Rick Meyers and he was excited about improvements at Summit Beach. Berg stated they are looking at perhaps adding some playground equipment and other amenities to make it more in spirit with the trail. Berg stated she also is not sure whether the name will stay the same and that they are looking at having the trail and the beach the same name. Page 3 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,January 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. Ruegemer stated Seven Nations could be taken off as a focus park for 2019 and that she would be willing to be the lead commissioner on that park. Ruegemer stated in her view there does not need to be a big focus on it this year and that it could be removed from the focus list. Ruegemer also suggested combining the golf course and events committees. Roath asked whether the Park Commission is okay with moving the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony Committee under the Golf Course,eliminating the Opportunities for Outside Funding Committee, and moving Summit Beach under East Long Lake Trail. It was the consensus of the Park Commission that they would be okay with eliminating the Opportunities for Outside Funding Committee and moving Summit Beach under the East Long Lake Trail Committee. Johnson stated if more events are added to the golf course, they may want to have a separate committee for that. Berg noted they are also looking at an Easter egg hunt and Octoberfest,and if additional events are held there, it might be better to have a separate committee. Roath stated he agrees those are two separate things, but that he likes one golf course committee,which would include operations of the golf course and special events; and as needed, as special events come up, the committee could ask for additional volunteers. Johnson stated in his view the list should have the Lurton Dog Park on it since the park is filled quite a bit of the time and there are still some things that need to be done. Johnson commented it would be nice to hold some kind of event there. Since the dog park is important to so many people in the City,the Park Commission should keep an eye on it. It was the consensus of the Park Commission to add the Lurton Dog Park to the list and to remove Seven Nations. Edwards asked whether the Park Commission would rather have an events committee instead of simply placing events under the golf course. Roath stated they could add a community events group,which would encompass any event at any park. Edwards commented there seems to be more interest in having these types of events and that it does take a lot of coordination early on. Berg indicated she is in agreement with that. Roath stated increased community outreach is important but that he does not know if it is more of a role of the Park Commission than a subcommittee. Ruegemer stated it is important and that she would be happy to work on that. Ruegemer stated she does not know it needs to be listed as a focus since it is more ongoing. Johnson commented holding events is certainly one way of increasing outreach. Page 4 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,January 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. Roath stated it perhaps should be community events and outreach. Berg stated that is one possibility. Ruegemer noted the Park Commission discussed a couple of years ago the North Arm trail going from County Road 51 to the Lakeview Legacy Park. A study was done and a plan was developed but then it got put on the back burner due to other things going on. Ruegemer stated when the residents lost Lakeview,they lost a huge recreational space in that part of the City. The City received approximately $250,000 in park fees and that it would make sense to make that park more accessible. Currently it is only accessible to the nearby residents but the road is too busy to walk on. The proposed trail was rock and gravel trail and would only be for walking and not biking. Ruegemer stated she would like to make that more of a priority. Carter stated it might have been one of the top priorities in the Comprehensive Plan. Edwards stated the Comprehensive Plan lists it as priority number five. Carter stated one of the duties of the trails committee should be to review that list and make sure the list is in the right order as it relates to priorities. Johnson stated originally when that trail was brought up, it was perceived to be a safety issue. To a lot of the people who would like to visit that park,the park has been an attractive nuisance since they are walking on a road that is not meant to be walked on. Johnson stated in his view it would be good to have some sort of survey done of the people in the area and that there is a historic and a safety basis for the trail. The other issue would be to make sure that the people who would be affected by the trail could be brought into the discussion. Carter stated in his view it could be part of the trails subcommittee. Roath asked what is happening currently with Big Island. Carter stated there is a Big Island Committee and that their biggest activity right now is to create interpretive panels for the visitor center. The committee identified eight panels detailing the history of Big Island, such as the history of the Native Americans on the Island,the park,the glacial impacts, and the game farm. Carter indicated he is meeting Friday with representatives with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District on how to create a floral and fauna panel and that he is hoping by spring the inside of the building will be painted and the interpretive panels will be installed. Carter commented he hopes there will be some additional improvements, such as a bathroom. Roath noted there is a separate committee for that and asked whether there needs to be a separate committee for that under the Park Commission. Carter stated the Big Island Committee falls under a different organization and that he could be the Park Commission liaison to that committee and that they do not need to have a separate subcommittee. Berg asked whether the 501(3)(c)has been set up yet. Mayor Walsh indicated it has been done. Page 5 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,January 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. Berg commented it is probably not necessary,then, for her and Julie to be on the subcommittee. Edwards indicated he will remove the Big Island subcommittee and will put Rick Carter down as the liaison. Roath stated there is work to be done at Bederwood and that a subcommittee is needed for that as well as East Long Lake. Work on East Long Lake is a 2020 project but there will be a lot of planning and grant requests that will occur in 2019. Edwards reported grants are being put together for Big Island and East Long Lake Trail. The grants are good for 24 months and are being put together based on the master plan that was approved last year. The Bederwood grant was approved. Edwards stated he will be taking an engineering proposal to the City Council at the end of January, and if that is approved,the Bederwood committee will need to get together to discuss the plan. Roath asked whether there should be a subcommittee for ice rinks. Edwards stated Rick Meyers is interested in doing that. Berg asked whether both of the rinks will be included in that. Edwards indicated they will be. Edwards stated the Public Works Department has not been able to get good ice to freeze on the rink so far due to the weather. Roath noted there is an open spot on Bederwood since Natalie is not staying on the Park Commission and that he can be removed from East Long Lake Trail. Roath asked whether Jan and Julie would like to stay on the East Long Lake Trail subcommittee. Johnson stated what he has heard from Rick Meyers is that he is interested in being on the East Long Lake Trail subcommittee as well. Johnson commented he is happy to stay on the Lurton Dog Park subcommittee along with Rick Meyers. Ruegemer stated she is also willing to help out with Lurton. Roath indicated he will leave Beth on there for now and that they can verify whether she is still interested. Roath noted currently on the Trails subcommittee is Rick Carter, Chair;Julie Ruegemer; Bryce Johnson; and Beth Davis. Roath stated he will be the chair for Bederwood,Jan can be the chair on East Long Lake, and the ice rinks will be Rick Meyers. Roath stated the vacancy on the ice rinks subcommittee can be filled by one of the new commissioners. Jan and Julie indicated they would be interested in serving on the Events subcommittee and that they can act as co-chairs. Roath stated there should probably be a third person on that subcommittee. Page 6 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,January 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. Roath indicated he will stay on the Golf Course subcommittee with Rick Meyers. Berg stated if additional help is needed for the various events,they will reach out to the Park Commission. Bryce stated he will chair the dog park subcommittee. Ruegemer stated she will be the lead for Seven Nations. Park Assignments for 2019: Park Lead Commissioner Antoine Park Brian Roath Bederwood Park Brian Roath Casco Point Park Julie Ruegemer Casco Point Rink Rick Meyers Casco Point Beach Jan Berg Crystal Bay Playground Julie Ruegemer French Creek Preserve Rick Meyers , Hackberry Julie Ruegemer Highwood Nature Trail Julie Ruegemer Livingston Tower Rick Meyers Lowry Woods Julie Ruegemer Lurton Park Bryce Johnson, Rick Meyers Lydiard Beach Jan Berg Navarre Playground Julie Ruegemer Saga Hill Bryce Johnson Sandy Beach Jan Berg Seven Nations Park Julie Ruegemer Summit Beach Jan Berg Golf Course Brian Roath, Rick Meyers Big Island Rick Carter, Liaison Roath suggested the Park Commission revisit the park assignments after the new commissioners come on board. Roath noted there are some goals listed for 2019, and that he would recommend they discuss those at their February work shop. Johnson indicated he likely will not be in attendance. Carter suggested he send some suggestions. Edwards stated the goals can be adjusted through the year and that the new commissioners will need some guidance as well. Edwards indicated he will send out an updated list. Page 7 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,January 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. STAFF REPORTS 3. PUBLIC WORKS PARKS UPDATE—ADAM EDWARDS Edwards reported the Public Works Department has performed the following work: • Parking lot snow and ice removal, equipment maintenance • Snow and ice removal on trails • Holiday event setup/cleanup at the golf course as well as equipment maintenance • Ice rink construction at Crystal Bay and stump and tree removal • Casco Ice Rink was prepped for ice • Opened winter access gates, closed summer access gates,repaired Stubbs Bay dock • Hackberry Park—tree removal in playground • Lurton Park—parking lot snow and ice removal. Pending is construction of a porta-pot surround The following work is pending: • Christmas tree collections,parking lot snow and ice removal, snow and ice removal in general, tree trimming and removal • Trails—snow and ice removal • Orono Golf Course—tree maintenance, seasonal employee recruitment • Crystal Bay—flooding/ice maintenance • Casco Ice Rink—ice maintenance/restoration • Casco Point access sign replacement • Hackberry—remove old wooden benches, install new basketball backboards • Saga Hills—placement of a sitting boulder,tree removal Edwards reported the City did receive a portion of the Bederwood grant they had applied for and that Staff will be looking to get approval for a detailed design/engineering plan in the spring and hopefully later in the summer break ground on the project. A grant application is in the process of being completed for Big Island and East Long Lake Trail. The majority of the grants being applied for are DNR grants. In 2018, 523 passes were sold for Lurton Dog Park,which consisted of 206 residents and 337 nonresident. So far in 2019 there have been 102 passes sold so far,which is down slightly from 2018. Roath stated since the City did not receive all of the grant money requested for Bederwood,part of the committee's role will be to decide what projects the money should be spent on. Edwards stated they will need to survey and design the soccer field and that he will be obtaining a proposal from Bolton&Menk for that work. Once that is received, he will need to receive permission from the City Council to go ahead with that plan. SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPORTS None Page 8 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,January 7,2018 6:30 o'clock p.m. 4. COMMISSIONERS' UPDATES None ADJOURNMENT Johnson moved,Berg seconded,to adjourn the Orono Park Commission meeting at 7:22 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. ATTEST: is oa ,Acting Chair Page 9 of 9