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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-07-2022 Park Commission Minutes MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 7,2022 6:00 o'clock p.m. ROLL CALL The Orono Park Commission met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: Chair Brian Roath, Commissioners Janice Berg, Rick Carter, Gordy Stofer(departed at 7:04 p.m.),Kjersti Duval, and Cameron Porter. Taylor Stephens was absent. Representing Staff was Adam Edwards, City Administrator/Engineer and Joshua Lemons,Park and Golf Course Superintendent. Chair Roath called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. APRIL 1,2022 PARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Carter moved,Porter seconded,to approve the minutes of the April 1,2022 Park Commission meeting as submitted.VOTE: Ayes 6,Nays 0. PUBLIC COMMENT Raquel Williamson spoke about an email she sent with concerns about Lurton Dog Park. She is not an Orono resident but lives in Maple Plain and utilizes the park. Many things have been happening there that are of concern. Chair Roath shared the email with Commissioner Stephens who is assigned to that park. Ms. Williamson shared her concerns noting it is getting incredibly busy, almost to a safety concern as many people without permits are utilizing the park. Some people are not cleaning up after their pets,there have been break-ins of vehicles, people trying to take other peoples' dogs, and parking is all over. She spoke about people without permits, if dogs are vaccinated, and dogs in heat. Ms. Williamson has been going to the dog park for three years and it has been a blessing. She is appreciative of the City and the Lurton Family but noted if there is something they can do to make the park better that would be awesome. Ms. Williamson is willing to volunteer time to do data entry, and noted the"honor system"is not working anymore. She suggested something like a pool permit where one fobs in and fobs out. She also stated the price for a permit is quite low and she would be willing to pay more money for a safer park. Ms. Williamson said if she can help out in any way she would like to. Porter asked Ms. Williamson if there was enough parking and everyone had a permit, is the inside of the park large enough to support the amount of people utilizing it right now. Ms. Williamson feels that it is because people scatter out so much. PRESENTATION CHAIRMAN'S REPORT 1. LURTON DOG PARK DISCUSSION Chair Roath met with Ms. Williamson in September and he went out to Lurton Dog Park with another gentleman who reached out with ideas. He has talked to Commissioner Stephens about the root problem Page 1 of 5 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 7,2022 6:00 o'clock p.m. at the park which is parking and when it is busy people park up and down Highway 112 which is a concern. Chair Roath suggested increasing parking fees and asked Park and Golf Course Superintendent Lemons what his plans are. Lemons is looking at other parks in the surrounding areas and where they are at with annual passes.He will make the case when he presents fee schedule changes to be in-line with other communities. Chair Roath stated currently it is $25/year for Orono residents and$40/year for non-residents.He noted in the beginning the City intentionally did not have a lot of enforcement of those permits and utilized the on- your-honor type of approach. They are at a point now with Ms. Williamson voicing a common opinion that those who pay for parking at the dog park cannot find adequate parking. Long-term, Chair Roath thinks they need to talk about expanding the parking lot. He proposed raising the price of permits in the ballpark of$15,not to earn money for Orono,but to save up for a parking lot expansion in the future. Regarding enforcement, City Code says if one has a parking violation(including at the dog park),that is a misdemeanor. Staff is looking at the Code to look at an administrative fee rather than a misdemeanor. When that happens,Chair Roath thinks it will be easier to enforce. Porter asked Lemons when looking at neighboring parks if he would also look at how they are enforcing or offering access to dog parks.A parking pass versus an entry to the park feels like two different things. If they utilized an RFID tag people would have access to the park rather than just parking at the park. Carter thinks a fob would be a no-brainer because no one would park there if they cannot enter the park. Edwards clarified the Chief of Police is asking the City to look at the administrative fee as he does not feel comfortable sending police officers to the dog park regarding a misdemeanor. Duval asked about verifying vaccination status of dogs. Lemons replied in the permitting process people are agreeing that their dog is vaccinated. Carter asked if they can specify those numbers as approximate while Lemons does his research. Chair Roath agreed. Roath moved, Carter seconded,to recommend a fee change for Lurton Dog Park to approximately $25 to $40 for residents and from $40 to $55 for non-residents. Porter would like to earmark that money for improvements such as RFID to help solve the problem of people utilizing the park without a pass. Edwards noted dog fees are collected and put into the Lurton Park fund. Duval does not know about charging more to everyone because of the bad actors and asked about a significant fee is one is violating the park policies and perhaps allowing for reporting to happen. The Commissioners discussed signage and communication with the public through the website and Friends of Lurton Park Facebook page. Page 2 of 5 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 7,2022 6:00 o'clock p.m. VOTE: A es6,Nayss 0. Y 2. SUMMIT BEACH MASTER PLAN Chair Roath shared history of the project including surveys and recent open houses to receive feedback from the public. Taking those results,the Committee put together a draft Master Plan proposal which was presented at the last Work Session and the third open house on October 13, 2022.He shared that they received great feedback on the Master Plan and will now move the plan forward to City Council on November 14,2022. Carter moved,Porter seconded,to recommend approval of the Summit Beach Master Plan to the City Council.VOTE: Ayes 6,Nays 0. 3. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN(CIP) Chair Roath noted the Commissioners are here representing the citizens of Orono and will make some recommendations regarding the parks within the City. He would like to focus on the next three years and from the discussion tonight, Edwards and Lemons can put together their recommendations for the CIP. He shared about possible golf course plans and the reviewing of the feasibility of pickleball courts, an ice rink, expanding parking, adding a fire pit, and a shelter. The Commissioners discussed golf course open houses,receiving feedback from the public on plans, looking at a second option other than the golf course, cross country ski trails,kitchen remodel,and budget. Chair Roath noted the Commissioners discussed Lurton Dog Park earlier, including expanding parking and looking at fees. The Commissioners discussed the timing of the parking lot expansion project at Lurton Park, looking to put in on the 2024 schedule. Chair Roath shared about Hackberry Park,noting the Commission hears from the sports associations how much they need additional fields, and for the fields to drain better in the spring. Edwards stated the City went through the drainage infrastructure, cleared it and did some repairs.Until they do something with the grades of the fields,there is not a long-term solution. The Commissioners recommend spending the money in 2023 to do the planning and engineering work with construction beginning in 2024-2025. Commissioner Carter shared about Lowry Woods, stating the goal is to provide public legal access from the Luce Line into the park using signage, fencing, and other low-cost options. Chair Roath spoke about Antoine Park and a recent listening session held by the City. It is a tight-knit community and they asked the Commission to put a picnic table, shelter, or gathering point to enhance the feel of the neighborhood. Page 3 of 5 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 7,2022 6:00 o'clock p.m. Regarding trails, Commissioner Carter heard from Minnesota Off-Road Cycling Association about what it would take to have a mountain biking park within the City. The recommendation was to have a strong grassroots volunteer organization.At some point there may be a site that involves ownership of the City and at that time the item will be brought back to the Park Commission. It is still a priority but there is no point in budgeting anything right now. The Commissioners discussed trail projects and maintenance throughout the City, including a trail on County Road 19 as one of the goals. Roath moved,Berg seconded, to send the recommendations in the Capital Improvement Plan to Staff and City Council.VOTE: Ayes 6,Nays 0. 4. ORONO PARKS LEGACY Duval updated the Commission and gave history on the Orono Parks Legacy which is the evolution of Big Island Legacy,the 501c3 formed by citizens to support the work at Big Island Park and was an overwhelming success. The Big Island Legacy Board changed its name to the Orono Parks Legacy and adopted a new mission.Next steps are to engage with the City and hear from the public about what role Orono Parks Legacy is best suited to play. She shared the mission,vision, and preliminary questions including raising capital, public engagement and awareness, and community events and activities. Goals for 2023 are to grow the board, study models for partnership between non-profits and park systems, establish best practices, and secure resources to operate in a professional manner. STAFF REPORTS 5. PARKS UPDATE. Lemons updated the Commission noting the golf course is now closed and workers have been winterizing parks,removing docks and swim platforms, inspecting trails, closing Big Island, preparing skating rinks, getting ready for the tree lighting event, and performing playground inspections. 6. PROJECTS UPDATE. Edwards shared about Big Island improvements, Crystal Bay Playground improvements, Lake Access Point markings, golf course drainage improvements, and the feasibility study for pickleball and the ice rink. COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS Chair Roath asked to add a meeting on December 5, 2022. Roath moved,Duval seconded,to add a Park Commission meeting on December 5, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. Berg is soliciting donations for the Holiday Tree Lighting Event. She shared about food and the need for sponsors and volunteers for the event. ADJOURNMENT Page 4 of 5 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 7,2022 6:00 o'clock p.m. Roath moved,Carter seconded,to adjourn the Orono Park Commission meeting at 7:43 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. ATTEST: 41(76 Brian Roath, Chair Page 5 of 5