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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-06-2023 Park Commission Meeting Minutes • MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 6, 2023 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 Michael Huddy,Janice Berg, Rick Carter,Kjersti Duval, Cameron Porter and Sandy Rasmussen, alternate. Representing Staff was Park Director Josh Lemons. Chair Roath called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.,followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Porter moved,Huddy seconded,to approve the agenda as proposed.VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. MINUTES 1. AUGUST 7, 2023 PARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Duval moved,Berg seconded, to approve the minutes of the August 7,2023 Park Commission meeting as submitted.VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. PUBLIC COMMENTS None STAFF REPORTS 2. ADOPT-A-PARK PROGRAM Park Director Lemons talked about a plan to determine the needs of the parks and which parks need an adopter. Staff is in the process of creating documents that can be distributed and are aesthetically pleasing. Commissioners on the subcommittee suggested also making it possible to adopt spots like a flower bed or an activity site rather than a whole park. Rasmussen asked about ideas for outreach. Lemons mentioned the website,newsletter and utility bills as well as the brochure that is being developed. 3. PICKLEBALL AT THE DONATION GARDEN Lemons reported the City recently had a well-attended open house where four possible lay-outs for pickleball at the Donation Garden site were presented. He said there are two questions—can they introduce pickleball and can it be done without disrupting the Donation Garden. He walked the Commission through the various proposals. Layout A would be for six courts with the Donation Garden remaining in place plus a community garden. Bolton and Menk developed another design, Layout B, with 12 pickleball courts,more parking and completely moving the Donation Garden. In Concept C there would be nine courts with a portion of the Donation Garden remaining. Layout D has 9 pickleball courts, a little smaller parking lot and the Donation Garden remaining at it is. He said the commission would look at the proposals in more depth in January with cost estimates, and in February they would be looking for a recommendation from the Park Commission to go to the City Council. Lemons said they are still going Page 1 of 5 3 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 6,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. through the data from the open house. There were a range of comments from wanting the maximum number of courts to wanting the most possible while not impacting the Donation Garden to wanting to add nothing more to the area besides the Garden. Carter asked about data on pickleball needs. Rasmussen highlighted the number of courts and usage from neighboring community and said no community has as many courts as needed but it does come down to costs. She noted that the costs can vary widely depending on amenities added, such as lights. She said what they are hearing from pickleball players is more courts are needed rather than amenities. She urged the commission to involve the pickleball community in the decisions as even something like court color is important to players. Duval said she likes the options and the pairing but wanted to make sure the logistics of access to the Donation Garden is considered. Roath pointed out that the Donation Garden is also important to the community. He opened up the discussion to public comments. Janie Delaney, 1315 Woodhill Ave., said she thought pickleball and the garden are a good combination but was concerned about all the new hardcover and how run-off might affect the garden. She said she has visited other communities like Victoria to see their courts and noted outdoor courts generally close down for the winter. She also said wind fences might be needed because the site can by windy. She asked about fundraising for the project. Lemons said it is early in the planning process but that Bolton and Menk thought they would be able to create enough of a holding pond to deal with any run-off. Rasmussen said the pickleball players have formed a West Lakes Pickleball Club that could include fundraising and she has been looking at possible funding sources. She suggested the project start with a pledging process and when enough money is pledged,move forward. Lemons said they would continue to study grants and other funding sources. Jack Reily, 2130 Shadywood Road, said he supports the project, noting that there are pluses and minuses to each proposal. He said he thought 12 courts was going too far but that the City should settle on nine. He said he felt it was incumbent on the City to come out of the January work session with a proposal and costs so the pickleball community can get to work. He also said it would be important to the consider the needs of the Donations Garden so there would not be opposition from those interests going into fundraising. 4. 2024 PARKS COMMISSION MEETING CALENDAR Lemons said the calendar for 2024 had been tweaked from previous years. The draft calls for four quarterly meetings in February, May, August and November plus two work sessions in January and June. Porter said the work session in June would be the last work session of the year and with the need to talk about CIPs it may be necessary to add another work session in October. Page 2 of 5 4 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 6, 2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Lemons said if meetings are added the commission should commit to the schedule,not add and decide to drop later. Commissioners agreed an October work session would be needed and asked to have one added for Oct. 7, 2024 5. 2024 PARKS DRAFT CIP Lemons said much of the CIP is driven by goals set at the beginning of the year. It includes the Hackberry Park Masterplan with a focus in 2024 on the design phase. The City has applied for a youth sports grant for the park but it is not known if the application will be successful. Construction is slated for 2025-26. Rasmussen asked about the increase in projected costs for Hackberry since the last time the commission looked at the CIP. Lemons cited changes in layout for the multi-use field plus irrigation and drainage. He said irrigation is key for sports fields. Funding could impact the timing and scope of the project. Community sports organizations may be asked to donate or apply for grants for items that are important to them. If the money is not there it may be necessary to wait a year or two,he said. Another item in the CIP is the draft proposal for pickleball at the Donation Garden site, Lemons said. There are still a lot of variables with the options being considered. The Lurton Park Parking Lot is a definite need, he said, as there is not enough parking for the dog park. They are hoping to gain 10 to 15 parking spaces which would almost double available parking. This would get more vehicles off the shoulder along Highway 12 which is dangerous,he said. The park has an endowment and also parking passes are sold. The Golf Course has become an enterprise fund so it is funding itself,Lemons said, but they are looking at purchasing two walk mowers for the greens which should eliminate wear on the greens from the riding mower. Rasmussen asked about the enterprise fund and a financial reserve for the golf course if there is a down year. She said the Parks Commission does not see the total picture of City funding for parks and would consider that an education item. 6. PARKS DEPARTMENT UPDATE Lemons said it was a great year for the Parks Department. The Golf Course is closed but had almost 16,000 rounds played in 2023, an increase of about 1,000 rounds from the previous year. Rounds have been trending up since COVID but play does not support the concern that golf courses were just doing better because of COVID. He said one factor in the increase was the junior leagues and events. Although they don't bring in as much per round, youth play is important for the future of the sport, according to Lemons. Leagues were successful. The mixed league has been maxed out in participation. In addition to the rounds,they are seeing a more diverse crowd coming into the golf course, he said. Food options are still limited but they are trying to listen to customers. Finding enough staff continues to be a problem although the employees they have are great. Page 3 of 5 5 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 6,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. The drought this year was tough for all the parks,he said,but they are beginning to catch up with the fall rains. They have started planting more drought tolerant grasses mixed in with existing turf. The Tree Lighting will be Saturday, Dec. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. They will be asking for Park Commissioners and others in the community to volunteer. This will be the fourth annual tree lighting event. Berg noted the sponsorship program that was put in place this year to find sponsorships for the tree lighting and other events. She asked that it be sent out to the Commission so that everyone is familiar with it. Lemons said the goal would be to promote the program, not solicit specific dollar amounts. Rasmussen asked about the process of soliciting donations and any policies about naming rights or other recognition. Berg said the sponsorshipprogram is for events so that would be totallydifferent.P g Porter said how to recognize donations is something that needs to be considered. Penny Saiki, 2874 Casco Point Road, asked about the need to purchase two walking mowers for greens at $10,000 each and having them depreciate at the same rate. Lemons said to have one walk mower out at a time is unrealistic. The goal is to get finished and get off the greens as early as possible in the day before golfing begins. SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPORT 7. X-COUNTRY SKIING AT ORONO ORCHARDS GOLF COURSE Carter reported for the trail subcommittee that a group of interested parties had met at the golf course to come up with a course that would work for the high school cross country team and the public. He said he is confident they will get something going this year. He said it would be possible for the public to use the course while the team is practicing. Rasmussen suggested the tree lighting would be a good time to raise public awareness on the X-country course. CHAIR REPORT 8. CHAIR'S UPDATES Roath said they had covered a lot that evening and he looked forward to continuing to work with subcommittees leading up to the January work session. He said he had recently been invited to talk to his nephew's Boy Scout troop about community responsibility and reminded everyone that the next day was an election day in some parts of the community. COMMISSIONER REPORTS Page 4 of 5 6 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION November 6,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. 9. COMMISSIONERS' UPDATES Carter said there had been another successful summer at Big Island Park. Docks and bathrooms had been used appropriately. Use of the shelter could be increased. Duval said it was a wonderful summer at Lurton Park despite the stresses with parking. Porter said he appreciates what has been done with the trees at Crystal Bay Park. ADJOURNMENT , Carter moved,Berg seconded, to adjourn the Orono Park Commission meeting at 7:30 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. ATTEST: Brian Roath, Chair Page 5 of 5 7 AGENDA ITEM Item No.: 2 Date: February 6, 2024 Title: Pickleball Masterplan 1 t'4k�sHOR� Presenter: Josh Lemons Section:Staff Report Parks & Golf Superintendent L Purpose: The purpose of the action item is to seek a recommendation from the Park Commission to adopt the Pickleball Masterplan. 2. Background: In 2021, a number of residents requested that the Park Commission explore the possibilities of adding pickleball into the Orono parks system. The Park Commission formed a sub-committee to explore ideal locations where outdoor pickleball could be introduced while meeting some basic requirements. An earlyproposed location was at the Orono P p Golf Course. After further consideration, the Park Commission decided toexplore e plore alternative locations. Within the last year, the sub-committee and staff have proposed that pickleball be added to the property behind Fire Station#1. This site also hosts The Donation Garden. The property behind the fire station is ideal in that it will not displace other activities, it is far enough away from residential areas, and it will provide ample room for courts and parking. 3. Summary: The goal of the design is to focus on the basic minimum requirements set by staff and the Parks Commission. The Parks Commission is recommending nine courts, fencing, sufficient parking, and minimal to no disturbance of The Donation Garden. The design should generally follow the concept drawing. The desire is a cost-conscious approach with a focus on core pickleball amenities. Additional amenities can be reviewed at a later phase if requested. 4. Funding: Funding of the project will be dependent on donations, grants, and some city funds if available. 5. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends adopting the Pickleball Masterplan and moving to design. During the design phase, there will likely be opportunities for additional input on specific design elements. 6. Park Commission Action Requested: Motion to Recommend Adoption of Pickleball Masterplan Exhibits 2024-01-29 Donation Garden Concept 8 •:•:•-•'''••••••-'—',-•-••••,•-!-.r ' 1,•i;;.• , -..... ,/ „ , , n\ ..., 7. -,.,[,,,,_. T_______ ..._,,, /r-- )._,ij \ ,, , \ , z. . . . ............. ,:„...:.„.... ,. . , r , ... . moltii, ,/ /.7,-./ 77}JJ}JJJ i: . / 1/.,.-.../'.'''':•••-,:T:.:;••': / / / 7/ i ''' ® i '/ rir V //1/ 7 ( ,1 :/ 'cu ( lam\{! i U Ni w�u` , . •. ....„..,....••,-: / 1,:. • -,,,:,': ::-.-T-1--- tn I- ra :":-.-:,,,i1,!...':-. X.,._(II)---,.-.• -...,,Itli' .-P / ,....) ' ) • . .3r '''' ( .(1,---- _ 12* ---- ____y i \ ,Lfizi •-...— -......\‘' _ —— _ _ t SZ ro., 'a. 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' \-"11-''''-'-''''- .'-:'''''''' N • i z 4•- ..(ri. .,,,,,-, • ..:,,,, . — ,t QO. ,1 X 1 6 t p 1 s :.....„/\.11,,, ,LL JLICU_.„0:ECUC______ .,_,_.\.:*.,4:.1,:,.,..;;.,,,,,,,,;..,.\_.r.:: ,,,......'i,:-, -•',:,./.."'::,.'.,11:., t b a cu r 1 • H'•'-'.--''' .::-.1: . - ''‘'Iot):w:_____ .------ ' co l I c o \ x 0 • (� �, 1 a ri ,� l'''r e u. .�[ a�E U.,r.4s� ,� ` iuf3 3� .3x'r 1 •' O +T 't"s €sees � "- cfi r 'F Willow D r N ' .` 0 �.} � ,>,_ d °,tr .agar • / �' r� w` 'y.Y d:' ,.` - s AGENDA ITEM Item No.: 3 Date: February 6, 2024 Title: Golf Course Pavilion 4 SHORE Presenter: Josh Lemons Section:Staff Report Parks & Golf Superintendent 1. Purpose: The purpose of the action item is to seek a recommendation from the Park Commission to approve the building of a pavilion at the Orono Orchard Golf Course 2. Background: The Park Commission and staff developed a golf course masterplan in 2017 which included items such as a deck for the clubhouse, a fire pit, and a pavilion. These items were viewed as a way to increase enjoyment for the customers of the golf course, and also for the golf course to use as a year-round park. In the recent pickleball proposal at the golf course, the pavilion and fire pit were reintroduced into that plan. This plan has since been removed but the desire for a pavilion and other amenities is still present. 3. Summary: The Orono Lions approached the city with a request to partner on a project to build a pavilion at the golf course in time for the 100-year anniversary celebrations at the course. The Lions have proposed building a pavilion that would maintain similar characteristics to the clubhouse, thus keeping with the aesthetics of the surrounding area. The Lions have proposed building a simple 24' x 40'pavilion to be placed on the left side of the#3 fairway, close to the parking lot. The Lions will submit a building permit for the project and look to have the project completed by early June,just before the 100-year anniversary celebrations. The purpose of the pavilion is that it can serve as a meeting place for golfers, private events, and general park use. The need for this amenity has been apparent for quite some time and it would be a welcomed addition to the golf course. 4. Funding: This project would be funded through donations and city funds. 5. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the project. The pavilion will allow for more opportunities such as corporate and private events at the golf course, golf course customer use, and year-round park use for activities such as the Tree Lighting Event. This is also a great opportunity to partner with a charitable organization in Orono to make improvements to the community. 6. Park Commission Action Requested: Motion to Recommend Approval of Golf Course Pavilion Project Exhibits 24-1-26 A I Exterior Renderings.pdf 24-1-26 A2 Floor Plan.pdf 10 r r �� �ttrn ` x > !' N'V/ 2 (0 Sdsd 4X N U1W = , £ M� o % 0 Y2 F. t o � u mmo oVoa � c. U 0 4, F, '' _ w l.L a rfi'` .,, f e x • _1 o .`r 4 cq 0 ::" C] °C o �' fx O „f:i'.:. I - i A ' :re . ■ 1) 4r 1,, ? „: i''fiti 1 ''. ,i `'' _ £x' ! vt":::,,i,,,_-,,,,,,tyz„;,,,ts,„ , _. ,,, ., iii. .. • •ram... ?R� ..„, ...... ,..,,..... .,....„ . .._v,,, . : ., . ,.,,._, , ,,,iri, ,.„.. _ PPP,,,, ',,!.. I •;. 4.--• - -.h-43.-,:a.:-.,--. i. .' -#. . 1.44. :. ,, ,_..to . ,. r, ..% .. ,‘ • 4 f. . _, .. , .,. ,. , , - , • imi , • , , • --, „,„....„,. 4 , ,..A4 .;'i'', ,h,a,i -'. :•:: • ,, all s QV 06N 43 CINI cv HY ! L m U ot Ul t 'r� :n Qi� oO '� 7 a C' a (m- o ) "' U CIL ILI z = o oo 0 0 U o o - „a-tz o 0 o a -I q A. El X CA = U O o O z z ce o2 p iL AC = 00 0 : o IF AGENDA ITEM ..o A . 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