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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-03-2021 Park Commission PacketAGENDA City of Orono Park Commission Meeting for Monday, May3rd, 2021, 6:00 PM Orono Council Chambers, 2780 Kelley Parkway, Orono, MN 55356 952-249-4600 / www.ci.orono.mn.us Audience Members: Please sign in for the public record if you wish to address the Park Commission. The sign in sheet is in the lobby. The Park Commission is an advisory body to the City Council. If action is taken on any items on this agenda, it will be scheduled for an upcoming City Council meeting. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA CALL TO ORDER. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. 1. February 1st, 2021 Park Commission Meeting Minutes. PUBLIC COMMENT. PRESENTATION CHAIRMAN’s REPORT. 2. Park Chairman’s Update. STAFF REPORTS. 3. Parks Superintendent Update. 4. City Administrator/ Engineer Update SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPORTS. 5. Community Events Schedule for 2021. 6. Golf Course Business Plan Update. COMMISSIONERS REPORT. 7. Commissioner Updates. ADJOURNMENT. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 1 of 13 CALL TO ORDER Chair Roath called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Chair Roath led the Commissioners and those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL The Orono Park Commission met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: Chairman Brian Roath, Commissioners Rick Carter, Casey Hudson , Vanessa Keller, Jennifer Klaahsen and Taylor Stephens. Commissioners Janice Berg and Jennifer Klaahsen were absent. Representing Staff was Adam Edwards. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. November 5, 2020 Park Commission Meeting Minutes Carter moved, Hudson seconded, to approve the September 9, 2020 Park Commission Meeting Minutes. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. 2. THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT UPDATE ON THE DIAMOND LAKE REGIONAL TRAIL MASTERPLAN Edwards said the Three Rivers Park District is joining them virtually to provide an update on the Diamond Lake Regional Trail Masterplan. Those who have been on the Parks Commission for the past year will recall they met in a work session format early last year and briefed the City Council shortly after that. Today they have Marjorie from the Three Rivers Park Commission. Marjorie Beard is one of the Commissioners for Three Rivers Park Board, represents the residents of Orono and is very glad to be at the meeting tonight. They have been working on the Diamond Lake Regional Trail for over a year and are excited to come back and give some updates. She turned it over to Stephan Shurson and Danny McCullough, who are the co-project managers. Mr. Shurson said as mentioned this is a Masterplan project for Diamond Lake Regional Trail and the trail is designed to go from the south in Wayzata and all the way up to the Dayton and Rogers area, it is about 20 miles long. Like most regional trails, they are paved, separated from traffic, and this is a Masterplan project so it is not an imminent construction project but more of a long-term planning project they endeavored this year. One of the primary goals of this particular project is to create more of a destination type of trail – they are not just trying to be as scenic as possible, they want to connect to the area’s natural resources and try to connect people with nature. He showed a few examples on screen of what the typical trails look like and the use of boardwalks running through wetlands or along the edge of the lakes and separated crossings where they need them. In terms of where they are in the process, about a year ago MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 2 of 13 Three Rivers Park Commission was before the Orono City Council and developed potential routes through the area for the project. They took those potential routes forward to public engagement over the summer and he noted with COVID that really changed things a lot. Most of the public engagement relied on their website which had a web map where people could place comments; they had about 550 comments on their web map and around 70-80 general comments, as well. Mr. Shurson noted the website was the focus for public engagement and they did a lot of different things to get people to the website to comment. In December Three Rivers met with City Staff and reviewed their analysis of those particular routes as well as the comments; tonight they bring those forward to the Park Commission to hopefully get their concurrence on a recommended preferred route for the Diamond Lake Regional Trail. Subsequently Three Rivers will attend the City Council meeting to get their approval and later in the year they would begin drafting of the Masterplan. He turned the floor over to Stewart Crosby. Mr. Crosby noted this is information that the Commission has all had a chance to review and he would run through it quickly. The way they worked this analysis was by dividing all of the potential route segments or alignments into sub-segments, numbered and lettered those, then went through a fairly detailed analysis and looked at a number of different components including the length of each of these sub-segments, whether or not they touch private or public property, whether they used right-of-way, if they had impacts to natural landscapes, wetlands, steep slopes, etcetera. They also looked at utilities and adjacent parks. On screen he noted a high-level summary of some of those route analyses. He said with the connection in Orono a couple of things stick out: on the East side of Long Lake there is the brand new trail that Three Rivers is very excited to have incorporated into this trail Masterplan. Mr. Crosby noted it is a beautiful segment going around the east side of Long Lake and that is a keystone to this portion of the trail. They are also looking for a connection to Orono City Park on the southeast side of Long Lake as a potential trailhead. One of the big questions is whether or not to use the Luce Line State Trail or connect through Wayzata Country Club on old Long Lake Road. The other thing to consider is the new trail along County Road 112 and the connection that already makes that heads into Long Lake. There are a lot of different options, they weighed them and looked at them pretty heavily as they put together the recommended route. On the north, Mr. Crosby noted that Spring Hill Road has two different options: west on O8 or east on O7, and that has been determined by which direction they are planning to head in Medina. As the Commissioners will see, they recommend heading west along 08 toward Tamarack Boulevard. He showed the connection into Wayzata on screen and noted the starting point will be in downtown Wayzata with the Dakota Rail Trail and they have been working with the City of Wayzata on getting connections. W2, Wayzata Boulevard would go over Highway 12 and 394 and cut up through the Country Club, going up Ferndale Drive North and connecting to the Luce Line. Mr. Crosby said they have had conversations with the DNR and they are interested or excited about the potential for having the regional trail on the Luce Line Corridor. On the southeast corner of Orono, those are the two alternatives Three Rivers is looking at. Mr. Shurson showed the northern route on screen and noted a listing of the comments they received (about 46 in Orono) and noted the blue represents positive comments, red represents negative comments, and yellow are neutral/benign comments. In general the comments on Spring Hill Road were not so much about the route itself but concern about the crossing of Highway 6, which Three Rivers is concerned about as well. Both commenters suggested a grade separated crossing there. He thinks that is somewhat feasible on the west side, and the east side will be more problematic in that regard. Regarding the O6] section, the commenter thought it was beautiful and thought it was a great idea to transform the old road into a trail. There were mixed comments on the O2 segment; people that lived in that area had some concerns about loss of privacy and potential loss of some trees and vegetation, even though it is in the existing at Old Long Lake Road and positive comments were the beauty and scenery. He said there were MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 3 of 13 no comments on the section along 112; he noted a few comments along the Luce Line, the majority of people wanted to see that left unpaved. Along W2 and Wayzata Boulevard there were positive comments about the scenery and greenery along Old Long Lake Road through the golf course, but they were outweighed by comments concerning safety being next to a golf course and the congestion and activity around the Country Club’s entrance. W4 and W3 had a few comments that people did like the directness between the Luce Line and the Dakota Rail; there were a lot of negative comments on the southern part of Ferndale with it being as narrow and heavily landscaped and a steeper section of the route, as well. It was all positive comments, people appreciated that it was wider, safer, and also had more direct connections to the downtown area with shops and businesses. Roath noted Three Rivers started talking about O8 and O7 up on Spring Hill Road and about the negative comments, mostly about the safety of crossing County Road 6 which is the situation for both of those segments. When considering one direction or the other direction, those negative comments are really the same for each path and asked if that is correct or if there were other negative comments related to going west or going east, but not both. Mr. Shurson replied the comments were sort of equally negative in concern about the crossing. They had a conversation and meeting with the operations manager at Spring Hill Golf Course and they had some concerns about the location where they had access points into the golf course or the maintenance site up on Tamarack. They talked through those concerns and are confident they can alleviate those particular concerns. The comments up in Medina there are a lot there, and their decisions from the recommended route in Medina will have to decide whether they go east or west on Spring Hill, and then the crossing of Highway 6 will, if that answers the question. Mr. Crosby continued the presentation and asked Edwards if they have the recommended route on the slide. Edwards replied this presentation only had the seven slides on it. Mr. Crosby asked to share his screen and said noted this helps them out after going through that analysis and public comments. What they see here is the recommended route through Orono and Wayzata and he wants to talk through it briefly. The recommended route starts in Wayzata and goes up Berry Ave to Wayzata Boulevard and heads north on Ferndale Avenue. Then it heads west on the Luce Line State Trail until it gets to Old Long Lake Road. At that point, the idea is to follow Old Long Lake Road through Wood-Rill Scientific and Natural Area and head north on East Long Lake Road where they will connect to the park along Long Lake and utilize the new trail that goes along the east shore of Long Lake. As it heads up toward Spring Hill, the recommended route is to go west over to Tamarack and the Masterplan will identify an underpass or grade separated crossing on County Road 6 because this is such a challenging crossing already. Adding a pedestrian and a trail crossing in there, Three Rivers feels will require a grade separation. Mr. Crosby pointed out Three Rivers feels it is very important to have another connection, a local connection on Old Long Lake Road that will connect to the County Road 112 trail as it heads into Long Lake. The Commissioners will see that as a dash-line because, and they will have to discuss this further, as Three Rivers is calling that a possible partnership trail with the City that could be developed as a portion of the Masterplan here. That is a really key and important connection because it provides opportunities for people and users on the new trail that goes along County Road 112 from Long Lake and also from the eastern part to access the trail. It also creates these mini loops, once this trail is in place, for the Diamond Lake regional trail; they have the opportunity for these small loops that go through Wood Hill and along the Luce Line, but also along the Luce Line along the local trails over to Long Lake MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 4 of 13 and on the new trail. They end up with these small neighborhood loops which Three Rivers thinks would be a real benefit for the community as they are looking to get a small bit of exercise or access the regional trail there. The recommendation is shown on screen. Carter asked if they can trace the route from south to north on the map and in rough segments explain briefly that it is a new off-road trail, or an on-road trail, or a trail that is there and will be re-used, paved, or unpaved. It is so segmented it would be nice to get that big picture. Mr. Crosby noted if they start down in Wayzata, this is Berry Avenue and is most likely (although they have not confirmed yet with Wayzata) going to be an off-road trail that would be sort of a blended facility looking at utilizing sidewalk and trail behind the curb. As they head up to Wayzata Boulevard, likely on the middle school side of the road, it would be an off-road trail there and heading up Ferndale Road, again an off-road trail with the exception of the bridge that they recognize is not set right now for a 10 foot wide pedestrian trail to go across that. There are existing sidewalks and the way the Masterplan would be written in this area is that they would work with MNDOT to make sure that bridge is either improved or replaced, make sure there is a facility wide enough to accommodate the trail which is at least a 10 foot wide trail on one side or the other. In the meantime, they would need to use the existing sidewalks or possibly look at whether that bridge deck could be modified to get a wider pedestrian facility in there and maybe narrower road lanes for cars. In any event they would be looking at off-road trail up Ferndale and utilize the Luce Line trail in its current condition. The long term vision would be to potentially get that paved, but as Mr. Shurson mentioned, they did hear in public comments that people like that gravel trail, and the DNR also told Three Rivers at this point they do not have any plans to pave that. It is likely that section of the trail would stay in its current condition as gravel. When they get to Old Long Lake Road, they propose an off-road trail that would be within the road right-of-way but would be separated from the road until it gets up to East Long Lake. He showed some pictures on screen, which as the Commissioners know, is a very tight, 30 foot right-of-way that goes from Old Long Lake Road down to the park on East Long Lake Road. Three Rivers sees this as one of the major pinch points in this area and ideally they would be able to purchase some additional property or right-of-way to put a trail adjacent to the roadway. It is possible in the interim it may have to be an on road facility striped with “sharrows” or “shared roadway” in that context. Going back to the map, Mr. Crosby noted they are all familiar with the new trail that goes along the east side of Long Lake – that would be an independent trail – and then along Spring Hill Road, it would also be an independent trail separated from the road either by a curb or most likely a little bit of a shoulder until it gets up to the County Road 6 crossing. Carter noted everything is paved other than the possibility of leaving Luce Line unpaved. Mr. Crosby said that is correct. Roath asked Edwards if there was a discussion about a possibility of going on the west side of Wood-Rill boundary north and then connecting to the East Long Lake Trail in that southeast part of the lake. Edwards replied early on, they had talked about trying to explore the parcel at the corner, 900 Old Long Lake Road that reverted to the DNR, and there was an existing driveway and a trail system through there. He does not think that is feasible from his recent discussions from the DNR of allowing a bicycle trail through that piece of land, unless Three Rivers has some other information. He noted he spoke with the DNR about three weeks ago and they said no, they would not even entertain it. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5 of 13 Mr. Shurson noted Edwards is absolutely right, they did have conversations with the State DNR and as that property was being converted to state property they looked to see if they could negotiate the possibility of an easement through there to allow a trail to connect as described. The DNR pretty adamantly said that the bylaws for this particular SNA prohibits any kind of paved trail and this new acquisition would inherit those same bylaws. They looked in more detail to see how feasible it was from a physical standpoint; the grades are such that it would require a lot of grading, a lot of retaining walls especially down by the lake and would really destroy the whole nature of the lot. He noted from a physical and legal standpoint it is not possible, but Three Rivers did explore it. Hudson asked if all goes well, what would be the projected completion date. Mr. McCullough said as mentioned earlier, this is a Masterplan so once the plan is completed, then it becomes eligible for funding. However, this is such a long-term project and vision that it could be 10, 15, 20 years before a trail like this gets constructed. What is likely to happen in the future is that logical segments are constructed when opportunities arise and when it makes sense. He clarified that building a 21 mile-long trail through 7 communities is likely not going to happen in one project. They could be looking at logical segments getting completed that may piece one regional trail to another or a state trail to a regional trail, a regional park to a regional trail; places where development is happening, road reconstruction is taking place, that is typically how Three Rivers puts these together. He noted regarding timing, they are probably 10-20 years out in terms of construction. Stephens asked if they went through the preferred route from south to north, it would be W1, W4, O1, O2, O6, and O8. Mr. Crosby said that is correct, it would W1, W4, O1, O2, O6, and O8. Stephens asked if they can explain the optional route a bit better; they wanted to do it in addition to create neighborhood loops. Mr. Crosby noted O5 is a challenging section because there is not a lot of room in there but Three Rivers sees that as a key connector between the existing trail that goes along Highway 112 and connecting up to what will be the regional trail. If they can get this little piece (noted onscreen) constructed, they have the opportunity - as there is already an existing trail along Highway 112 - to create these little loops using the regional trail that would go through the Wood-Rill SNA, the O3 which is on the Luce Line, and the City’s current trail that goes along the roadway; that is one loop. The other loop is the new trail they have going into town and along the backside of the highway that connects up with Park and the Luce Line. He noted there would be these two loop systems that would be possible by making this one little connection as part of the trail plan. Mr. Shurson noted the next step in the process would be to meet with the City Council and go through a similar presentation and get their approval on the preferred route. He does not know what the agenda calls for but it could be some sort of motion towards recommended preferred route to go forward to the City Council, and that would be Three Rivers’ desire. Carter would be comfortable with that and asked Three Rivers to email the Commissioners that one slide after the meeting so they have a record of what they say they like. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 6 of 13 Carter moved, Stephens seconded, to recommend the Three Rivers recommended preferred route for the Diamond Lake Regional Trail to the City Council. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. Mr. Shurson thanked the Commission and noted Edwards should have the presentation. Edwards will forward the presentation out to the members and make sure it is in the minutes. Hudson asked when they would vote or make a recommendation on the optional trails. Edwards clarified as Three Rivers said, this is just a Masterplan before asking for funding, and as any segments started to get to a point where it looked like they would receive funding, those projects would come back to the City and go through for trails and ultimately the City Council for committing any dollars to them. Hudson asked if that would be the same for the trailhead, Summit Beach, and things of that nature. Edwards replied yes, as each of those got to the point where they are actually putting a specific project together. This Masterplan could take 20 years to get from Orono up to Dayton, but there may be some segments within the next 3-4 years. One opportunity for Orono may be what Three Rivers has as O2 on the presentation, which is Old Long Lake Road; Edwards noted they have to do a road project there within the next five years. At that point, the City may reach out to Three Rivers to let them know they will be doing a road project and find out if they have some funding to do the trail project and it could be done as one project. He noted the O5 connecter they keep talking about: if the Commissioners go drive that section, it is a hugely challenging piece and they looked at trying to do something when they did the 112 project which included that corner. The only way to get through there is there is a storm water pond and perhaps putting a boardwalk across one half of that. Although it is a really short segment, it may end up being a very costly one when they figure out how to actually do it because of the drain that is there. Roath asked if the Old Long Lake Road reconstruction goes all the way through O5. Edwards answered it goes just past, and the actual intersection coming around was part of the 112 project. He noted the O5 project may cost as much as all the rest of O2 there. Hudson asked if that is right where the creek comes out of the lake and where is the cemetery on this map. Edwards pointed out the cemetery onscreen and noted another little oddity if anyone ever wonders why they moved the boundary of the City south right there just to include that cemetery. Everything around it is Long Lake except the cemetery. Roath noted there is an existing trail on O1. Edwards replied that is the Luce Line. Roath meant to say O4. Edwards answered yes, O4 is the new trail the City built as part of the 112 project and that trail continues on the north side of 112 all the way through to Otten Brothers. That will continue when they do phase 3 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 7 of 13 to the intersection with Old Crystal Bay, thereby joining with the Independence Trail that runs north/south. Hudson said when they met with Three Rivers about 6 months ago they were talking about initially starting south and working north, so some of Orono and Wayzata may get done first. Edwards remembers that as well and thinks there were some opportunities with other projects, particularly in Wayzata and also Orono that may make that happen. He said the other thing is that provides a quick connection between the Dakota on the south side of the project in Wayzata up to the Luce Line if nothing else. 3. PARK COMMISSION GOALS UPDATE Roath said in front of them is the goals sheet that he took from the Commissioners last conversation and captured. The purpose of this agenda item is to get their eyes on the goals and get any feedback and also to start thinking about the milestones. Some of those are in here and with others he took some liberties and added in italics. He noted none of this is in stone right now but he wanted to share with everyone what the intentions and aspirations are for 2021. He ran down the goals and those who are on deck for the sub-committees can chime in on milestones and timelines; this is a document that will evolve over the year. Roath will take Summit Beach since Berg and Klaahsen are not present; they want to formalize a vision document for the park including playground equipment and possible swim platform and consider making a grant request to help fund the playground equipment. Klaahsen’s update today told them she is trying to understand the costs for the playground equipment. Roath has asked Berg and Klaahsen to work together on finishing what this vision document is and depending on the costs, it may be something they try to move forward this year or may have to wait on. Regarding Lurton Park, Roath said they talked about establishing the weekly maintenance checklist, determine how to handle the overflow parking situation, and add signage to support that. They will host the Lurton Dog Days in June 2021 (tentatively June 19, 2021) alongside Friends of the Dog Park Group, and finally develop a list of future upgrades. Regarding community events at the parks, Roath put together all four of the events for this year and slotted when the planning should be completed. They have the Lurton Park Dog Days in June, so they would probably start in April to get participants - they could reach out to Julie Ruegemer and Bryce Johnson to see if they have anything from the last time they did this two years ago or find some notes. Edwards will go through some old emails. Roath said that might be a good place to start. Stephens said it would be nice to know as he was not in attendance. Hudson was not at the event, either, but noted it was rather simple with a food truck, a small dog adoption event, and members of the Lurton family were in attendance. Roath said the last event was more of a dedication and presentation of the “bone,” he does not think they need a presentation but it is more of a reason for people to come out that day and talk dog stuff. Hudson noted they could look at the previous event and talk about what worked and what did not. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 8 of 13 Roath said regarding the pet adoption, they can also reach out to Chuck & Don’s. He said they can just build community around that park as it is so awesome and well-used. The other events include the Tree Lighting set for December 4, 2021 and Berg is on point to get the committee going. Roath noted they do not have a set date for the Big Island opening, but knows that Carter has talked about August. Carter thinks that is pretty close and they should start calling it a Grand Opening as the Mayor is looking forward to doing a ground-breaking event and Carter would rather do something later in the year when it looks a little more polished even if it is not completely done. Roath asked if he is working with a committee. Carter is sure the Board will want to be involved and he thinks they have enough people and he will report back. Roath suggested Carter pick a date with the committee. He noted he did not know who to put on point with Lurton. Stephens or Hudson said Roath can put his name down. Roath has set a date for the Bederwood Grand Opening on May 22, 2021. Hopefully by then or soon after it will be ready for play. He will work with Councilmember Seals to try and figure out what to do there. He hopes they can get someone from the Minnesota United out and go from there. Roath asked Carter to elaborate on Lakeview Legacy. Carter said it is kind of the pilot at gathering community input and he does not know the timing of the trail, when they will be able to get together with people, or do it digitally. For now he would just put July/August and he and Stephens can talk more and update as they go. He said he would add a goal about getting the Three Rivers Masterplan approved which is likely going to happen semi-automatically; that puts Orono in the queue to have things start to happen over time and he thinks they should take credit for their role. Roath asked if he has it right on the document about the mountain bike. Carter replied yes and on item 4 he would add the toilet and the shelter. He met the designer of the concept for interpretive panels with Bryce Johnson, a former Commissioner on Saturday. They hiked the Island and he thinks Bryce is very excited and connected to a number of resources, so it should not be long before they have something at a meeting to look at. He noted they still need to raise $15,000 so if anyone has money burning a hole in their pocket; they could either tell people they are making the trail extension possible, or the interpretive signage. Roath said there are no more opportunities to buy sitting stones. Carter said technically they could put in sitting stones or picnic tables, he just really wants to get the $15,000 to do the other stuff first. He thinks they have enough stones and if they did not get any more, they can always use more tables. If anyone is interested in knowing more about donations, just connect them with Carter and he is happy to help. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 9 of 13 Edwards elaborated on the $15,000: if they get a donation and it can go for something that was listed in the DNR grant, then it really becomes $30,000 because there is $15,000 of unmatched DNR grant. It is a great opportunity. He said the install on toilet 2 and shelter 4 change orders have been approved by the Council so they are in the project for this summer. Roath continued on to the Golf Course and noted they developed a business plan for the golf course including five year goals, ten year vision, and that trickles down into the plan for this year and next year. They have started that process, Jason Goehring, Stephens, and Roath have written five year goals and will next involved Edwards and others for input. The Commission moved on to Hackberry Park and Hudson shared the goal with the park is to create a comprehensive plan about the overhaul of the park once the house becomes available to the City. He noted there is some unused area up in the old hockey rink that is just a divot in the ground right now – he thinks Orono Baseball is interested and they have a specific age gap in their children that could use the park. He thinks it was T-Ball and one level above and may be interested in adding some funds in if some of their goals get accomplished. Hudson noted they wanted to address some of the safety, for example, backstops right up against the road, there is also a basketball court that needs a little bit of help. Coming up with a Masterplan and having that in place so when they have an opportunity they can hit the ground running and be ready. Roath said in regards to wordsmithing, he struggles with Masterplan, vision, comprehensive document, etcetera, and asked if this is a Masterplan they are putting together. Edwards clarified it is probably more of a concept or sketch plan. Roath continued on to Crystal Bay. Hudson stated Crystal Bay is pretty much the same, they are trying to come up with a long range concept for the park and how they can showcase Orono with the use of the Dakota Trail and the traffic they are seeing on it. He said they want to find a better use for much of the park that is open and does not have a current use. General improvements – adding some playground equipment to try and broaden the age range of children able to use the park, and identifying and incorporating the ideas of some of the key members such as the daycare/preschool, the old Hill school, perhaps Three Rivers with the Dakota Trail. He said they are trying to gauge the use of the post office and what they want to keep, what they want to change and how they can improve the park. Roath split that into two goals, one is a longer term vision document or concept and the other is looking at playground equipment and if there is a near-term need for a change there. Hudson replied both of those goals are reasonable and can be accomplished this year. He wants to talk with Klaahsen after she updates them on some of the other playground equipment for Summit Beach and they can possibly use the same vendor or get some discounts for additional equipment. Roath said Bederwood is the last one on the list and they have two small goals for the year. One is related to finishing up the big project, partnering with the soccer club to request some grant money for equipment, and the second is to throw a party. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 10 of 13 Carter noted the bike group actually uses the park now for their training and very carefully ride around everything but not on fields. If the Commission wants to engage them, they would like to use the adjacent part of the park land. Perhaps they could help celebrate. Roath asked regarding the grant request if he should reach out to the soccer club. Edwards clarified they need goals; the same for the LaCrosse club, if they wanted to. He reached out to the Hennepin County Youth Sports Authority today because they have not yet posted their 2021 schedule and the first one is due in March. He noticed on their website that last year they took all their spring grant applications and rolled them in to their November process. Edwards has not heard back from them and does not know if they will do two as they have done in past years or if there is a COVID version where they only do one round of applications. Roath asked if Edwards has an understanding with the soccer club needs. Edwards replied yes, he generally does. Roath asked if he had Rachelle’s contact for LaCrosse as well. Edwards said yes, and those equipment grants are not nearly as detailed or intensive as the facilities grant, it is just a sort form and is pretty easy. Hudson has an idea for the grand opening and stated when he was younger they opened a soccer park in Minnetonka and did a skills contest for the varsity teams and the kids loved it, the community loved it. He knows they do it sometimes at the beginning of pro seasons, and it is something to get engagement and also have fun. Roath said that is a great idea. He noted at the last meeting they also talked about some ideas for winter park activities which is what Klaahsen’s email was about today. He thinks they all had some good ideas but does not know if they are committed to doing that this year or not. Stephens noted it is already February and they are hitting March so there is not much winter left. Roath assumes they will table that until next year and wanted to confirm that with everyone. Hudson said it would be pretty rushed. There could be a medallion idea, he thinks it is wonderful and would like to see more cross-country skiing at the golf course. Perhaps they can tie those in to the other goals. Roath said good, and they have a document. 4. PARK COMMISSION ASSIGNMENTS UPDATE Roath noted Edwards sent the park assignments out and they still have a couple of vacancies. He asked if anyone had the chance to look at it and make any changes. Carter does not have any changes and asked if Roath can explain the two that are vacant. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 11 of 13 Edwards said years ago when they first created the assignments concept and had Commissioners assigned to each park, at that time the Commission also had five focus areas that were not specific to a park. He noted these are the two that still remain after that time; one was park signage and perhaps they do not need this anymore as they have a standard for park signage and in the past Bryce Johnson was really into establishing and getting the sign program set up. They also had community outreach and how they could get more things in the newsletters, and other things. They are both vacant and he put the note in there as to whether they still need those. Roath does not think they need park signage, but there is always the opportunity to increase community outreach. It really depends on if someone wants to grab it and run with it or not. Hudson knows there is a vacancy on the donation garden and he volunteered to fill that. He stated there is not going on there and that it is unique but at some point he would like to work with Carter and Long Lake to perhaps do that trail extension they briefly talked about a few times. Keller asked what the donation garden is. Hudson said at the Fire Department in Long Lake there is a small plot of land that became a donation garden where they grow vegetables throughout the summer and then donate them to local food shelfs. The property has been brought up a few times because there is a property on either side that is for sale and at once time there was talk about someone purchasing all three and making it a small development. He does not know that went over so well, so the Council cemented in the donation garden as an actual park and it fell under the Park Commission’s jurisdiction. It also butts up to Holbrooke which is a Long Lake park and they have spoken with a member of the Long Lake City Council as they have a trail that dead- ends around the hockey rink that is just class five gravel. Perhaps they could connect that so people can access either one. Carter agrees with Roath and does not think they need a park signage. Stephens also agrees. Carter is not sure about the community outreach; they have it as a specific goal under trails and he does not know if there are other places they need it. Roath clarified it was essentially establishing the relationship with the newspaper writer and giving her updates throughout the year and encouraging her to write more about Orono parks and so forth. Carter asked who used to do that. Roath said Julie Ruegemer held it for a while and said that is something he can take, as well. Edwards said at one point that committee was getting more things in the newsletter and writing articles for the Pioneer, those were the same people who wrote the adopt-a-park program and the donation program. It was kind of project based so other than the newspaper articles which anybody could do, especially if it has to do with one of the other committees, Big Island, Golf Course, or whatever. His recommendation is they have not seen a lot of activity out of those two over the last year or so and there may not be a need for them anymore. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 12 of 13 Roath agreed. PUBLIC WORKS UPDATE Edwards updated the Parks Commission and noted it is a quiet time of the year. Right now, some of the highlights include: they picked up regional trail maintenance so they are maintaining Three Rivers’ trails in Orono and got a new piece of equipment to do it so they are doing the Dakota as well as the other parts of the Independence trail. He noted they have always done the trail in front of the school as it is like a sidewalk but had not done the others. The Golf Course has still been busy; they did the holiday decorations, putting them up and taking them down, they have done a couple rounds of dead tree removals and trimming out there and worked with Sentence To Serve which is a Hennepin County Corrections Department initiative for labor to do some of that and it has worked out well. Edwards said February is when they start recruiting seasonal employees for the next golf season so Jason Goehring has already started that. In the meantime all of the golf course equipment that maintains the fairways and greens is rotated through annual maintenance. One trouble point this winter is the establishment of the ice rink at Casco Point Rink – they have yet to get it to a skateable surface as the cycles of warm weather have been hugely detrimental and they have some upset residents out there. It is sometimes hard to explain to people why the lake is frozen solid but they cannot get an ice rink on the ground to freeze and it has to do with how deep the frost is in to the ground. If the ground is not frozen solid for a good foot or so underneath, the water just dissipates and they end up with holes all over. Edwards said Goehring wants to look at doing some improvements out there this summer, perhaps bringing in some clay and trying to compact it and see if they can get a better sub-swale in there to make it work better. In the engineering world, Edwards said Big Island is still happening with lots of work there. The initial trail work was completed before the freeze so mid-to-late November that work was done. They did get bonding bill money and he has been working on the grant application with the State and as Carter mentioned the sign concept plan is underway and was approved by the City Council. Hopefully they will be set for construction this summer as soon as they can get the contractor back out to the island. As previously mentioned the second toilet, the shelter, and the sign program have all been approved and back into the plan. Things that are still pending are additional trail work that they could use the bonding money for, and the actual signs once they have the concept put together. Edwards is also working with Three Rivers on the Dakota Trail connection; they completed 90% design review before the holidays and they are looking to get that out for bid in February and March. That is a connection from Navarre Park up to the Dakota Trail on the west side of CR 19; it is a pretty pricey segment of trail because of the terrain and they are in a 3-way agreement between the City of Orono, Three Rivers Park District, and Hennepin County on cost-sharing that equally between the three and getting it done. Three Rivers has been leading the design effort and hopefully they will have some good news. He noted they have been trying to get it built for about five years and luckily there is some grant money that Three Rivers has that the timeline is running out on and they are anxious to get it done this year. Edwards said they have been soliciting quotes for the dock and swim platforms for the beaches. Roath asked the timing on the construction of the Dakota Trail connection. Edwards said this summer. It will be a challenge for those who live in Navarre as it will probably result in a several week closure of at least one lane of County Road 19. Hennepin County is also about to close down Tanager Bridge for that reconstruction. Roath noted they do not have a discussion on Summit Beach playground discussion. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION Monday, February 1, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 13 of 13 Edwards said they were going to take that off. Roath asked if they need to make a motion. Edwards replied no. COMMUNITY EVENTS SCHEDULE FOR 2021 Roath said they already covered most of the event schedule for 2021 and they have four events starting with Bederwood Grand Opening on May 22; Lurton Dog Days on June 19; Carter will decide when in August to do the Big Island Grand Opening; and the Tree Lighting will be December 4. PARK COMMISSIONER UPDATES Roath said the only follow up from the last meeting was they talked about somehow getting word out that they are looking for alternates and if they can post it in the newsletter that would be good. Otherwise, as Edwards has said, the best recruiting is through the Commissioners themselves. If anyone has neighbors or friends who are Orono residents that would like to participate, are easy to work with, have a great strategic mind, and are passionate about the City of Orono, they would be happy to have them here. There were no other Commissioner updates. ADJOURNMENT Carter moved, Keller seconded, to adjourn the Orono Park Commission meeting at 7:15 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ATTEST: _________________________________________ Brian Roath, Park Commission City of Orono The Park Commission advises the City Council on matters of maintenance and use of park facilities, preservation of natural resources and promotion of environmental awareness MISSION STATEMENT The City of Orono will provide effective guidance through public policy established from citizen involvement, by empowering staff to implement best practices to prepare Orono for any challenges of the future and by ensuring a positive customer experience, superior municipal services and provide a safe community for the residents, businesses and customers to live, work and play in. Fr o m C i t y C o d e Members. The park commission is composed of seven members, who serve staggered three-year terms. The director of public services and one council member shall be members of the commission ex officio and without vote and are in addition to the seven-member commission (Code Section 22-32) VISION STATEMENT To be the residential community of choice and remain widely recognized for its preservation of natural rural beauty, quality of life, and recreational assets. Powers & Duties. The park commission shall be only an advisory body to the City Council. The commission shall study and consider the continuing needs of the city for parks and recreation areas and facilities of all kinds, including but not limited to problems involving public use of Lake Minnetonka and other lakes in the city, and portions of its shorelines. The commission shall report to the council. (Code Section 22-33) CITY OF ORONO GOALS To provide consistent high levels of customer service to our residents and balance the enforcement of city codes To maintain sustainable funding for infrastructure while maintaining a stable tax levy To create a culture of continuous improvement by providing efficient and reliable government services To adopt best practices into city processes to ensure the high quality services are provided in an ever -changing environment 2021 Focus Parks / Function Purpose Committee Members Goals Timeline / Milestones (PC-Park Commission Lead; S-Staff Lead; CC-City Council, V-volunteers) Summit Beach Special steering committee for masterplan Jan Berg * Jennifer Klaahsen 1. Finalize a “vision document” for the park, including playground equipment and possibly a swim platform. 2. Consider making a grant request to help fund playground equipment and determine timing based on available funding. Spring 2021 –Present to City Council and Parks Commission for input and funding approval (PC, S) Nov 2021 –Playground grant due to HC (PC,S) Lurton Park Standing Committee to explore opportunities for improvements at the park Taylor Stephens Casey Conrad Hudson 1. Maintenance. Establish a weekly maintenance checklist. 2. Determine how to handle overflow parking situation. Add signage to support. 3. Host Lurton Dog Days in June 2021. 4. Establish a Friends of the Dog Park group. 5. Develop list of future upgrades April-May 2021-Develop Maintenance checklist (PC) June 19– Annual Lurton Dog Park event Community Events at Parks Special steering committee to develop a plan for an annual holiday tree lighting ceremony and other events at City Parks Brian (Bederwood) Rick (Big Island) Jan (Tree Lighting)* Special steering committee to develop a plan for an annual holiday tree lighting ceremony and other events at City Parks Goals for this subcommittee are: 1. Draft a schedule of annual community events held at Orono parks, hosted by the Commission/City Council. The plan should propose a budget for each event. 2. Create a fundraising structure for the Tree Lighting and other possible future events. Create documents explaining the program. Feb 2021- Annual schedule of events complete (PC) Apr 2021- Bederwood Sports Field Grant Opening Plan Complete (PC) May 2021-Bederwood Sports Field Grant Opening (PC) Jul 2021- Big Island Ground Breaking Plan Complete (PC) Aug 2021-Big Island Ground Breaking (PC) Oct 2021- Holiday Tree Lighting Plan Complete (PC) Dec 2021- Holiday Tree lighting Event (PC) Trails Standing Committee to explore opportunities for improvements and additions to trials throughout the community. Rick Carter * Taylor Stephens 1. Lakeview Legacy: Community input, track comp plan 2. Explore mountain biking in Lowry or Bederwood ___– get community input re: Lakeview Legacy (PC) April/May– re-engage Orono high school biking team Big Island Special steering committee for masterplan development and design guidance of the Bid Island Improvement Projects. Rick Carter * 1. Complete installation of features procured/started in 2020. 2. Design and install interpretive sign. 3. Complete trail extension project 4. Install toilet #2 5. Host a grand opening Aug 7th – Big Island Grand Opening Golf Course Standing committee for Golf Course Initiatives Brian Roath* 1. Develop business plan for OGC, including 5 year goals and 10 year vision Feb 2021 – Determine long-term goals. Engage CC, PC, and staff in process Mar/Apr 2021 – Plan short-term goals. Engage all stakeholders in process Hackberry Park Master plan Special steering committee for masterplan development Brian Roath Casey Conrad Hudson 1. Create “vision” for the park. (Timing and specifics for the park will remain unknown) Fall 2021 Crystal Bay Park Master Plan Special steering committee for masterplan development Casey Conrad Hudson Vanessa Keller 1. Complete a draft of a long-range master plan for the park. 2. Determine the need for a near-term replacement of playground equipment. Consider requesting grant funding. Feb 2021 – Identify key stakeholders Apr 2021 – Determine process. Share process with neighbors. Sep 2021 – Complete draft of master plan Nov 2021 –Playground grant due to HC (PC,S) Bederwood Standing committee for project Brian Roath* 1. Partner with Orono/Westonka soccer club to request grant for soccer equipment 2. Grand opening event April 2021 –Sports grant due to HC (PC,S) May 2021-Bederwood Sports Field Grant Opening (PC) Cancelled. Issue/Question/ or Guidance needed. Completed As of February 5, 2021 Park Lead Commissioner 2021 Focus / Activity / Initiative Antoine Park Jennifer Klaahsen Bederwood Park Brian Roath Big Island Rick Carter Casco Point Park Jan Berg Casco Point Rink Jennifer Klaahsen Casco Point Beach Jan Berg Crystal Bay Playground Casey Conrad Hudson, Vanessa Keller French Creek Preserve Jennifer Klaahsen Hackberry Park Casey Conrad Hudson, Brian Roath Highwood Nature Trail Jennifer Klaahsen Golf Course Brian Roath Livingston Tower Taylor Stephens Lowry Woods Rick Carter Lurton Park Taylor Stephens, Casey Conrad Hudson Lydiard Beach Jan Berg Navarre Playground Taylor Stephens Pleasant View Rick Carter Saga Hill Brian Roath Sandy Beach Jennifer Klaahsen Seven Nations Park Vanessa Keller Summit Beach Jan Berg, Jennifer Klaahsen Donation Garden Casey Conrad Hudson Trails Trail Lead Commissioner 2021 Focus / Activity / Initiative East Long Lake Trail Rick Carter, Taylor Stephens Wayzata Blvd Trail Willow Drive Trail Brown Road Trail County Road 6 Trail Lake Access Points Site Lead Commissioner 2021 Focus / Activity / Initiative All Jennifer Klaahsen, Jan Berg Review, Establish standards.