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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-01-2017 Park Commission Minutes M 1 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 1,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. ROLL CALL The Orono Park Commission met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: Chair Rick Meyers, Commissioners Jan Berg, Brenda Johnson, Bryce Johnson, Beth Meyers, Brian Roath,Julie Ruegemer, and Natalie Williams. Alternative Rich Carter was present. Representing Staff were Public Works Director/City Engineer Adam Edwards, and Recorder Jackie Young. Council Member Victoria Seals and Mayor Walsh were present. Chair Meyers called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. MARCH 6,2017,PARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Berg moved,Ruegemer seconded,to approve the minutes of the Orono Park Commission meeting as submitted. VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. PUBLIC COMMENT None CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Meyers stated he has provided the list of parks that the park commissioners signed up for to Adam Edwards so it can be finalized. STAFF REPORTS 2. SAGA HILLS PARK IMPROVEMENT PLAN UPDATE Edwards stated since the last Park Commission meeting,the improvement plan proceeded forwarded to the City Council,who authorized Staff to solicit quotes for the project. The low bid from Minnesota Native Landscapes was approved in the amount of$19,597.50 to perform the tree clearing and revegetation of 4.5 acres of hilltop. The contractor is waiting for the area to dry out so they can begin work. Edwards reported he has also been working with Sentence to Serve to perform clearing along the trails and that the Public Works Department will be installing the signs once the trails are completed. Roath asked if the cost is approximately half of what was anticipated. Edwards indicated originally $26,000 was allocated for this portion and it came in at$19,597, but there are some contingency items that will be completed that are not included in that amount. Bryce Johnson asked if the cost for the benches is $620. Edwards stated they are using the Nature Park benches without the back that are cheaper than the other benches. Edwards indicated they are similar to what was installed at French Creek and are estimated at Page 1 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 1,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. $310 apiece. The benches installed at the active parks were approximately $700 apiece,which does not include the concrete pad. Meyers noted the benches do not need to be purchased immediately and that the Park Commission could discuss that at a later time. Bryce Johnson stated he submitted a draft to the City Clerk today regarding the coming improvements to Saga Park for the City newsletter. Johnson requested Adam review that to ensure all the information is correct. Edwards stated the improvements will be done sometime this summer and that work will likely begin the end of May, early June. 3. NORTH ARM TRAIL FEASIBILITY STUDY Edwards noted last year the Park Commission requested a feasibility study be completed for a possible trail connection from West Branch Road to the Lakeville Legacy Park along the south side of North Arm Drive. The study has been completed and the cost of trail construction is estimated to be around $79,650. The trail would be approximately one-half mile in length and four feet wide consisting of aggregate. Edwards stated he would recommend the trail be incorporated into the capital improvement plan if the Park Commission would like to complete the trail in the near future. Otherwise the trail could be added to the Comprehensive Plan Update. Meyers noted the Park Commission initially discussed the trees hanging over the road resulting in poor visibility and that they should be cut back. It was felt that something more could be done in that area to help pedestrians walk down to the park, which resulted in the feasibility study. Meyers stated the cutting back of the trees has improved the visibility considerably. Bryce Johnson stated in his view, given the narrowness of the road,the speed of the vehicles, and more pedestrians walking in the area, a trail would add some safety for the pedestrians. Johnson noted this is probably the only place in Orono where a trail would be located along a Native American trail. Johnson stated the Shakopee Greenfield Trail goes along that spot. Given the history, the Park Commission could perhaps explore some funding from the Native American people. Johnson indicated the goal is to keep the trail more natural. Johnson stated he understands a few neighbors have raised a concern about losing their privacy with the trail, but that in his view that will not be the case since it will be a walking path. Johnson stated the Park Commission could also replace some of the trees that would need to be removed even though they are volunteer trees. Johnson stated it is his belief there would be a lot of support from the residents in the Loma Linda area and the Forest Lake area. Meyers stated a public hearing on the trail would probably be appropriate prior to going forward with the trail. Bryce Johnson stated he would like to know how much dirt would be moved and how many trees would need to be removed prior to the public hearing. Page 2 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 1,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. Edwards noted the feasibility study is estimating 650 cubic yards of dirt would need to be moved. A tree survey was not completed since it is normally done during the design stage. Edwards stated most of those trees could be removed since they are mainly scrub trees, which would reduce screening for the people who live on the east side of the road temporarily until other trees are planted. Meyers asked if the culverts are included in the excavation fee. Edwards indicated the road and drainage issues will need to be addressed at some point and were not included in the feasibility study. The culverts that go underneath the road would not necessarily be impacted unless a culvert extension is required. The drainage issues would be handled under the Stormwater Fund. Ruegemer asked if any Native American grants have been looked into. Brenda Johnson indicated she called the History Center and was told there may be a grant available to investigate the history of the area if the Park Commission is interested. Johnson stated to her knowledge there is also a state office that might have some money available but they have not been contacted yet. Ruegemer stated Hennepin County may also have a grant available for a trail. Meyers requested Brenda continue to explore the Native American grant and Brian explore the Hennepin County grant. (Ruegemer left the meeting at 6:52 p.m. Alternate Beth Meyers served as Julie's replacement) Roath asked if there is a future expansion possibility to the north all the way to County Road 19. Meyers indicated it would be difficult to add a trail since the road is fairly narrow and the City does not have a trail easement in that area. Brenda Johnson noted a future trail is listed on Hennepin County's Bikes and Trails Plans. Roath asked if there is a lot of pedestrian traffic along West Branch all the way to County Road 19. Meyers stated the Legacy Park near the Lakeville development is starting to become more popular and that there is a group of people planning a gazebo and some other improvements that will attract more people. Bryce Johnson stated some of the residents had the impression that the area was being prepped for a trail and that they were concerned about the impacts. Johnson stated he would like to get a feel for how much of an impact the trail would have prior to moving forward on the trail. Edwards stated the Public Works Department was working with Bolton & Menk on the feasibility study and that they cut down some trees to provide better visibility, which may have given the residents that impression. Edwards indicated he can have someone from Bolton & Menk attend the next work session. Meyers stated at the next work session the Park Commission can discuss the various grants and meet with Bolton & Menk. Page 3 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 1,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. 4. SPORTS FIELD USE Edwards stated the Orono Youth Football Association has requested use of space at Hackberry Park during the fall of 2017 for their flag football program. The Orono Thunder Soccer Club has also expressed an interest in using some Orono park space for practices. Edwards noted the City does not have a formal policy for reserving park space for athletics and that construction at the school will eliminate some of the practice fields for the short term. Edwards requested the Park Commission discuss the Orono Youth Football Association's request as well as the concept of sports teams using park space for practice. Hackberry and Bederwood Parks have had sports teams use them in the past and that Crystal Bay Park is also a possibility. Edwards stated in his view none of the city parks are sufficient for high school use but that they have been used in the past for younger teams. Williams stated there is also a flat space at Antoine Park that could be used. Edwards noted available parking would also need to be taken into consideration. Edwards stated the advantage to allowing this is that people will be using the parks,but the negative is the impact on the immediate neighborhood if there is a lot of traffic and congestion being created. Edwards noted use of the parks for practice would result in people dropping their kids off rather than people staying for a game. Roath stated the amount of use,the impact on the neighborhood, and the parking needs to be taken into consideration. Roath stated on the surface the proposal from the Orono Youth Football Association appears to be fine and would increase the possibility of obtaining grants if the City can demonstrate they are partnering with other groups. Roath stated in his view Hackberry Park would be good for practice and that he does not have a problem with it. Brenda Johnson stated the Park Commission could also perhaps explore whether there are nearby cities that Orono can partner with for practice sessions. Johnson stated parking is an issue as well as impacts to the neighborhood and that those may need to be dealt with at some point but that she is in favor of partnering with the Orono Youth Football Association. Berg stated she likes the idea since it increases use of the parks and keeps the youth in the community but that they have to ensure the use is not imposing on the neighborhood. Bryce Johnson stated Bederwood is underutilized and that the residents in the area understand they are active parks. Johnson stated he can understand the issue about the impact to the neighborhood but that in his view the parks should be used. Beth Meyers stated she is in favor of the request. Williams indicated she also feels it is a good idea. Meyers noted no PA system would be used,no lights would be installed, and that it would be a temporary thing. Meyers stated perhaps an ending time could be imposed to help limit the impact on the neighborhood. Williams noted these sports are not year-round either. Page 4 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 1,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. Edwards stated the specific request from the Orono Youth Football Association is for Tuesday and Thursday nights from August 22 through September 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The association does not need any goal posts and they will do the line marking. The age of the players are second and third graders. Meyers asked if the fee is $20 a time for a total of$240. Edwards indicated that is what Mr. Streich suggested. Council Member Seals suggested the Park Commission develop a fee and registration process for use of the city parks. Seals stated in her view Bederwood Park is a perfect spot for practice sessions since it has a big parking lot and that it would help increase usage of the parks, which has gone down. Seals stated the Park Commission could designate Bederwood just for soccer. Edwards stated he will put together a registration process to bring forward to the City Council with a standard fee. Berg moved,Bryce Johnson seconded,to approve the Orono Youth Football Association's request to use Hackberry Park for the fall of 2017 per their letter. VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. Edwards stated other teams might approach the City with similar requests and that a broader reservation system should perhaps be developed. Bryce Johnson suggested a subcommittee be formed to look at that. It was the consensus of the Park Commission to form a subcommittee to look into other sports using city parks and then discuss it at the next work session. Brian,Natalie and Beth volunteered to be on subcommittee. SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPORTS 5. ADOPT-A-PARK SIGNS Edwards noted Commissioner Ruegemer had suggested the Park Commission discuss whether adopt-a-park signs be installed at the parks. These signs would be similar to adopt-a-highway signs. Meyers stated in his view this is a good idea and that Orono already has three parks that have been adopted. Meyers stated his only concerns are the location of the signs and the size of the sign. Edwards indicated he went online to look at signs and that he has created an 18" x 12"mockup sign that could be installed at the parks that have been adopted and also at the parks that have not been adopted. Edwards indicated a decal could be placed in the area where it says name here. Meyers recommended some form of recognition be done at the end of the year for the people who have volunteered to adopt a park, which would also help generate some publicity for the parks. Edwards noted the signs are relatively inexpensive and would come out of the Parks Operating Budget. Page 5 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 1,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. Williams asked whether the Park Commission should attempt to get businesses involved in adopting a park. Edwards stated the City's existing adopt-a-park policy does not prohibit businesses or organizations from adopting a park. Meyers stated signup for the program is available on the City's website. Roath stated he likes the concept of the adopt-a-park program and that it is a good way to engage the community. Roath stated the question is whether someone can sign up for the program and then never do anything. Roath stated recognition of someone's efforts is one way to encourage participation and that the mockup sign looks great. Roath stated he has received one inquiry from a family to adopt Luton Park and that in his view there is interest out there to adopt a park. Bryce Johnson noted the volunteers would also work with the Park Commissioner assigned to that park, which would help ensure the volunteers are doing appropriate work at the parks. Meyers stated there probably should be some guidelines about tool usage and vegetation removal. Brenda Johnson commented more than one family could adopt a park depending on what the needs of the park are. Johnson stated there are businesses who actually encourage their employees to do community service and that this could perhaps be some form of friendly competition among local businesses. Johnson stated the volunteers would need to coordinate with Adam or the Park Commission to make sure the people have some idea of what is expected of them. Berg stated the Park Commission has not really worked at disseminating the adopt-a-park program and that in her view both businesses and residents could be a part of the program. Berg stated the Park Commission should set some guidelines on what the volunteers should and should not do and that the Park Commissioner assigned to that park should be in contact with the volunteers and guide them. Beth Meyers stated from a personal standpoint she asked about the adopt-a-park program and that she would have liked more direction on what should be done. Meyers noted the City of Wayzata has designated dates for buckthorn removal, flower planting, etc. Williams agreed it would be a good idea to have one day to plant flowers, etc.,that could be published in the local newspaper. Meyers stated he would like the program to involve more than just trash pickup and that he would like the volunteers to accomplish something that is more meaningful. Meyers suggested the Park Commission come up with some things for the volunteers to do at each of the parks. Edwards stated a rough estimate for a sign is$50. Meyers stated the nature parks would be a good place for the signs but that he is not sure there is much to do at the more active parks. Mayor Walsh stated another option would be to accept financial contributions to help fund cleanup. Page 6 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 1,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. Meyers suggested purchasing two or three signs where there are already volunteers. Meyers stated he could also do an interview with one of the local papers on Lurton Park and the Orono Thunder, which would be free publicity for the program. Meyers suggested the adopt-a-park program be included on the City's Facebook page and send out information on the program via an email blast. It was the consensus of the Park Commission to order adopt-a-park signs for Navarre Park, Highwood Park, and Lurton Park. 6. LURTON PARK GRAND OPENING UPDATE Williams stated she is going to do a personal invitation to everyone who has purchased a permit to the park. Williams stated it would basically be a save-the-date postcard. Meyers noted Julie has the following vendors lined up for June 17: Westonka Animal Hospital, Chuck & Don's Pet Food Store, Corner of Kindness Rescue, and a real estate agency that will be handing out free water bottles. Meyers stated he spoke to the police chief about the event and parking. Parking on the street will be allowed during the event and that they are looking into renting some tents. Williams noted the grand opening will take place from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday,June 17. Edwards stated 209 permits have been issued as of today and that the money received for the permits goes into the General Fund. 7. HENNEPIN COUNTY SPORTS GRANT UPDATE Roath stated he has started researching the Hennepin County sports grant and that there are two grant tiers available. One grant is for equipment and one grant is for actual facilities. Roath indicated he has obtained a lot of information about what has been granted in the past and that Orono High School has benefited from the grants as well as the soccer association. The equipment grant is given out twice a year and the facilities grant is given out once a year. The deadline for the spring equipment grant has already past and the next deadline is November for both types of grants. Roath suggested the Park Commission pursue one or both grants and that the Park Commission has some time to decide whether they would like to partner with an organization on the grant. Meyers stated he was thinking about updating the City's sports courts and that in his view the City could really use three of them. Meyers stated Spring Park and Tonka Bay both have a nice sports court. Roath stated since the facility grant involves more money, it is likely Hennepin County would be looking for the City to partner with someone. Roath stated in his view the City could put together two or three grants together. Edwards noted the City received an $8,700 equipment grant last year for infield grooming equipment and that they partnered with the Orono Softball Association on that grant. The City also received a$5,000 grant from the Twins for fencing repairs at Bederwood Park. Edwards noted every year over$2 million is awarded. Page 7 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 1,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. Meyers stated the City would be ready to move this year on the three basketball courts at Crystal Bay, Hackberry and Navarre Park, but not necessarily on the soccer. It was the consensus of the Park Commission to pursue the grants. 8. INFORMATION SIGN UPDATE Bryce Johnson reported the Saga Hill signs will be submitted to the printer for actual production in the near future and that a draft sign has been submitted to the Park Commissioners for Lurton. Johnson stated he does have the finished version of the historical sign for Lurton and that those should be done in time for the grand opening. In addition, material has been compiled for the Highwood sign. Edwards indicated the Public Works Department has three or four frames for the signs and that they can erect them as soon as they are ready. Meyers commented the historical/informational signs are a good way to promote the parks and provides a historical perspective on the parks. 9. COMMISSIONERS' UPDATES Brenda Johnson asked if regular mowing is done at Seven Nations. Johnson noted it is difficult to walk due to the thistles. Edwards stated to his knowledge mowing is only done around the trail and parking area. Brenda Johnson stated they should come up with a way to prevent thistles from flowering and spreading their seeds. Meyers stated a planting plan needs to be done for French Creek Park so it can be reviewed by the Metropolitan Council. Edwards indicated he has talked to them and that they are fine with the improvements but that a plan needs to be put together. Johnson suggested placing the Park Commissioners' names on the website for the park they are responsible for. 10. NEW BUSINESS Williams noted she has been asked by some residents about how they go about putting in a request for a garbage can on the looped trail. Williams stated a number of residents walk their dogs and that they would like somewhere to dispose of the dog droppings. Williams stated it could possibly be located by the baseball field. Edwards stated one trail belongs to Three Rivers, and a portion of the trail along County Road 6 is maintained by the school and a portion by the City. Edwards indicated he will look to see where one can be located. Page 8 of 9 MINUTES OF THE ORONO PARK COMMISSION MEETING Monday,May 1,2017 6:30 o'clock p.m. Berg stated Lydiard Beach should also have a garbage can. Edwards stated garbage cans are placed at the parks but that it is more difficult to place them along trails since Randy's Sanitation has to have a way to empty them. Meyers suggested a small garbage be used rather than a larger one. Roath asked whether there will be a meeting in July. Edwards stated the Park Commission could meet on July 5 since July 3 is a holiday. ADJOURNMENT Berg moved,Brenda Johnson seconded,to adjourn the Orono Park Commission meeting at 8:03 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 7,Nays 0. ATTEST: Rick Meyers, Chai Page 9 of 9