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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-07-2023 Park Commission Meeting MinutesMINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION August 7, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 1 of 3 ROLL CALL The Orono Park Commission met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: Chair Brain Roath, Commissioners Michael Huddy, Janice Berg, Cameron Porter; Commissioner Gordy Stofer (arrived at 6:08 p.m.) and Sandy Rasmussen, alternate commissioner. Representing Staff was Josh Lemons, Parks Director. Chair Roath called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Huddy moved, Berg seconded, to approve the agenda as presented. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1.MAY 1, 2023 PARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Porter moved, Huddy seconded, to approve the minutes of the May 1, 2023 Park Commission meeting as submitted. VOTE: Ayes 4, Nays 0, Abstention 1 (Roath). PUBLIC COMMENT Ms. Janie Delaney, 1315 Woodhill Ave., gave an update on the donation garden behind the Long Lake Fire Station. Last week there were a group of 40 kids from a community education summer program that helped on a very hot day, she said. Delaney listed the produce that has been grown and donated so far plus items that are not yet ready for harvest. This year they also planted a full 40 by four-foot bed of pollinators which have attracted bees and Monarch butterflies which laid many eggs that turned into caterpillars. The group has been hatching those in a little screen box and releasing them. Last year ended with almost 2.5 tons of produce grown and Given to WeCAN, Westonka Interfaith, the senior center and given away at church community dinners as well as by volunteers who also deliver Meals on Wheels. She said they actually have a waiting list for volunteers at this time with 10 to 12 regular volunteers. Donors include the Lake Minnetonka Garden Club. some family foundations, memorial donations and items donated through Minnesota Green. Gordy Stofer arrived at 6:08 p.m. PRESENTATION STAFF REPORT 2.HACKBERRY MASTER PLAN CONCEPT Park Director Lemons said Hackberry Park has been on the CIP for several years waiting for the full property to become available. The City took occupancy of the house on the property recently and had it demolished. There are several known issues with the park including drainage, he said. During rainy years there will be standing water on the ballfield making it almost unusable. There is an old skating rink and two T-ball fields, an existing playground and a basketball court. There is also a lack of parking. There have been two listening sessions at Hackberry Park and the public feedback has been shared with Bolton and Menck which created a couple of different concepts for the City, Lemons said. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION August 7, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 2 of 3 Roath pointed out the park also has a popular sliding hill. He said one option has been identified as the top choice, although it is still just a concept, and will be shared with the neighborhood at a meeting the last week in August. It includes a soccer field and ballfield. The playground would remain. The concept provides for drainage and parking completely off of Willow. Lemons said they have some general cost estimates for the project but since it is just a concept, formal costs won’t be calculated until there is actually a design. There is $250,000 for the project in the CIP which assumes a 50 percent grant. Rasmussen noted baseball and softball fields are different and urged that the availability of fields in the community be considered with a balance in girls and boys sports. The fields at Hackberry will be smaller than those at some of the other parks like Bederwood because they are used by the younger age programs. Roath said the next version of the plan will come back to the Parks Commission in a few months. Huddy pointed out that lacrosse is also becoming more popular. Lemons said the same field can be used for soccer, lacrosse and touch football. That field in the plan would take the place of one of the ballfields. The concept also provides for a small shed for storage. Rasmussen said she would like to see a planning process that would evaluate the success of parks. If the goal was to have a certain number of participant hours in a park the process should look at participant hours and the age groups involved so the City could know how many hours of active engagement that the Parks support for various age groups and compare to previous years. That way, over time, the City could become more sophisticated in balancing the budget and the needs of constituents, she said. 3. PARKS DEPARTMENT UPDATE Lemons said last Saturday a group of young people from Calvary Memorial Church volunteered for a couple of hours weeding large flowerbeds and that the City would plan to recognize the church’s youth group in some way. He said the Golf Course has had a couple of food trucks this summer. Interest is growing but the trucks have waived their minimum food purchase amounts to help the program get going. The minimums impact the food truck choices that are available, he said. The large pole at the golf course will be the new tree that will be used for the Christmas tree lighting event. It is a flagpole but in the winter it will be able to be used as an artificial tree and wrapped with lights. The park staff is pressure washing and inspecting playground equipment and raising tree canopies to let in sunlight and airflow to reduce mold in shaded areas. The golf course this year has been dealing with insects such as cut worms and white grubs that do a lot of damage to turf grasses, he said. He added the Golf Course is doing fantastic. For the first time in its history the course had a $100,000 month in sales in June and followed it up with $105,000 in July. He said irrigation is a supplement and not meant to water every part of the golf course. A celebration is planned next summer for the 100th anniversary. The beaches have not been having any issues. Buoys and swim platforms are holding up. Commissioners asked for an update on Lurton Park. MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION August 7, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 3 of 3 Lemons said use is still high but parking pass sales are down so the police are doing patrols more regularly. Security cameras have been installed. There have been some break-ins so the park has an increased presence from the police department. The police can impose an administrative fee for parking violations but the cost can be applied to the parking pass. About 200 to 300 fewer passes have been issued this year than last year at the same time. Commissioners remarked that for a time this spring and summer people were cautioned against using dog parks and having their pets near one another due to dog flu. Lemons said that could also be a factor in the lower sale of parking passes this year. He said the City took on the program for dealing with invasive species this year and that has gone well. Crews have been out fixing some wash-outs on the trails. CHAIR REPORT None. COMMISSIONER’S REPORTS None. ADJOURNMENT Berg moved, Rasmussen seconded, to adjourn the Orono Park Commission meeting at 6:54 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 6 Nays 0. ATTEST: _________________________________________ Brian Roath, Chair