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09/07/1989 - Advisory Parks & Recreation Commission MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION EAGAN, MINNESOTA SEPTEMBER 7, 1989 A regular meeting of the Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission was called to order at 7:40 P.M. on Thursday,September 7, 1989 with the following Commission Members present: Shawn Hunter, Dick Carroll, Michele Swanson, George Kubik, Ted Billy, Sandy Masin, and Jack Johnson. Staff present included Ken Vraa, Director of Parks and Recreation, Steve Sullivan, Landscape Architect/Parks Planner; Dorothy Peterson, Recreation Supervisor II; John VonDeLinde, Parks Superintendent; Paula Nowariak, Recreation Supervisor; Jon Oyanagi, Recreation Supervisor and Cherryl Mesko, Secretary. MINUTES FROM AUGUST 3, 1989 Page 9, Paragraph 2 should be changed to read "Mr. Kubik commented that Wayne's resignation speaks very highly of his integrity in that his resignation is based on his feeling of potential conflict of interest...". Shawn Hunter moved, Michele Swanson seconded with all members voting in favor to accept the minutes of August 3, 1989 as amended. CONSENT AGENDA Ted Billy moved, Sandy Masin seconded with all members voting in favor to recommend to the City Council approval of the following: 1. PHILLIPS 66 - PHILLIPS 66 1ST ADDITION (REPLAT). That this proposal be subject to a cash parkland dedication and that this proposal be responsible for an 8 foot trail along the north side of Duckwood Drive or a cash trail dedication dependent upon the City's policy at the time of final plat. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS There were no development proposals for the Commission to review. PARK SYSTEM PLAN TIME LINE The Commission had requested that the process should begin to bring the current Parks Systems Plan up To date reflecting the changes that will be taking place over the next several years. Director Vraa provided the Commission members with a draft of the proposed process of rewriting and updating the Parks Systems Plan document. ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 7, 1989 MEETING PAGE 2 Mr. Vraa explained that the first step in working on this process would be to define the needs of the park study, i.e. what sections need to be updated and what information is needed to define the needs of the '90's. He suggested that perhaps some portions of the current plan may not need to be updated such as the ponds and lakes sections due to the amount of work that has already been done in that respect. Step 2 would be to define the plan process. The Commission should decide what kind of citizen input is needed and they may need to consider the timing for bringing the public into this process. Step 3 would provide for the development and review of Scope of Services and Request for Proposal. This basically would mean identifying what the consultant would do in this update process. It would be important to identify which components are to be done by staff or other resources which could be used to reduce costs, or possibly make the plan more meaningful. Step 4 would provide for sending out the Request for Proposal, setting up a pre-proposal conference and receiving proposals from interested consultants. Step 5 would be the interview process. Step 6 would be negotiating the final contract and hiring a consultant followed by the beginning of the update process. Mr. Vraa explained that staff had provided an initial draft or "first look" at a scope of services which was done to help define the work process and the product that updating would provide. Ken explained that he had contacted other communities and found that Eden Prairie had just updated theirs and Lakeville was in the process of doing the same. Mr. Vraa noted that the first priority would be to review the community profile, characteristics and background information with the objectives being to understand, review and identify parks and recreation needs. The second priority would be to inventory the parks system with staff playing a big role in the handling of this process. The third task would be to ascertain the general public perspective and assessment on parks and recreation needs now and for the future. The fourth task involves updating parks and recreation standards. It is important to ensure Eagan's park standards can project the needs of the community's population and the City's ability to meet those needs. Task five involves reviewing and updating City policies and critical issues. Task six involving the review of ponds and lakes and task seven involveing the review of the trails systems plan may not be applicable because of the work that has been done on those issues to date. Task eight covers the priorities for acquisition and development as defined by the Commission and staff and task nine is the formulation of the CIP which identifies the dollar amount for the work that needs to be done. ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 7, 1989 MEETING PAGE 3 In discussing the time table for this project, Mr. Vraa suggested that in fall, 1989 the review and refinement of system needs could be accomplished. Spring, 1990 could see the R.F.P. completion and Scope of Services. August- September, 1990 could provide for the R.F.P. and response/consultant selection. October-November, 1990 could see the implementation with July, 1991 being the completion of the systems plan update. George Kubik commented that the process outline and time table was very well thought out. Shawn Hunter commented that the scope of services was laid out sequentially and asked if the consultant would provide deliverables to the Commission? Mr. Vraa responded that the consultant brings findings to the Commission and then the appropriate attachments are drafted and prepared based on information provided. Mr. Hunter further commented that he agreed with not covering the ponds and lakes portion in the update due to the extensive work that has been completed by the Water Quality update but asked about the trails system plan. Mr. Vraa commented that the existing trails plan was in good shape. The ultimate question is, where should the dollars be spent. With the trail plan being fairly current, perhaps there would not be a need to do a review of this area Ted Billy commented on the needs as defined by staff and Commission but questioned at what point, if any, will public input be taken. Mr. Vraa responded that the consultant should solicit input from the public in addition to what staff and Commission has defined. George Kubik focused on task 5 regarding review and update of city policies and critical issues. He asked that relationships with other government bodies be added under this function. Jack Johnson asked that under task 4 educational needs within parks be added regarding updating parks and recreation standards. Shawn Hunter, noting that #'s I and 2 have been substantially completed, requested that the consultant be asked to review what has been done rather than re-do the work. George Kubik asked that a system which would include providing graphics, etc. be developed from the consultant to the city which can be used by staff at a later date. Sandy Masin suggested adding a special meeting to discuss many of these issues further because of the magnitude of them. Ken Vraa explained that there is no action required at this time but the Commission should prepare for a fall meeting with the Council to bring them up to date. It would be important for the Commission to have all the information in order before meeting with the Council. Shawn Hunter asked what the initial cost would be for a consultant. Mr. Vraa responded it could be in the neighborhood of $38,000. George Kubik commented that the Commission consensus seems to be to proceed with the time frame as outlined. ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 7, 1989 MEETING PAGE 4 NATURAL RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT REPORT John VonDeLinde explained the reason for bringing the Natural Resources and Management issue before the Commission again was to have this Commission determine how it would structure itself in overseeing the water quality, natural resources issue. The survey enclosed in the packet which was done by Cathy Dybiek did not find a clear pattern in how this issue is resolved in other cities. As the survey results show, some cities have formed a separate commission, some have formed a hybrid commission covering all phases and some provide no coverage for this issue. Burnsville, for example, has added natural resources to the Commission and adopted a mission statement to cover the resource issue. Cottage Grove has had a commission covering this issue for 30 years and Maple Grove is the only commission with a policy setting system. Sandy Masin asked if the Commission could get a copy of Burnsville's mission statement for review. Shawn Hunter commented that the survey has good guidelines of areas to cover but sees some cross-over into the Planning Commission. He suggested that' the committee have a participant from Planning. George Kubik stated he felt it was necessary to identify the areas of involvement by this committee before making any recommendations. He suggested a special meeting to accomplish this. John VonDeLinde suggested that staff could look at each commission and staff to see what kind of interaction would be necessary by each of those groups before the special meeting is held. Ken Vraa noted that draft job descriptions could be done for the special meeting to get an idea of what types of responsibilities would be required by specific groups or individuals. Sandy Masin suggested scheduling a meeting that would cover both the Natural Resources and Parks System Plan update. After further discussion it was decided to schedule a special meeting on Saturday, September 30, 1989 at Trapp Farm Park shelter building at 9:00 A.M. TENNIS COURT UPDATE Steve Sullivan explained that the primary construction work for the 11 tennis courts at Northview Park are substantially complete. The work left to complete includes fine grade, turf establishment and color coating. The project is 71% complete at this point and should be done within the next two weeks. Bur Oaks Park was to be graded and seeded as agreed to by Harstad, however some changes were made without authorization. Essentially, the tennis court pad was lowered and the seeding was not done but will be done this fall. SUMMER PROGRAM REPORT Dorothy Peterson noted that summer is the busiest time for recreation programs. Traditionally September is the month when staff reviews the summer activities and shares them with the Commission. This year Paula Nowariak and ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 7, 1989 MEETING PAGE 5 Jon Oyanagi prepared a video presentation for the Commission to see some of the activities that took place over the summer months. Paula Nowariak explained that the video would run approximately 20 minutes and would cover some of the fun activities that Eagan children participated in over the summer. Some of the events that were recorded included the Summer in the Park finale, Hawaiian Beach Party at Trapp Farm Park where the kids enjoyed face painting, beach volleyball, a limbo contest, crafts, and lots of food and music. Paula stated that this summer there were 32 staff members; 16 returned from last year and 16 were new. This year it was necessary to have a floater staff person to cover sick calls and parks that had large numbers on specific days. Just as a comparison Paula noted that in 1986 there were 8 parks participating in Summer in the Park with 440 participants. In 1989 the number of parks increased to 11 and the number of participants increased to 841. The Eaganettes program was again a very successful one with 88 Eaganettes performing on stage at the same time during the recital with over 300 parents and family watching. The program takes 7 weeks to prepare and the work is done completely by the 4 instructors including choreography, costumes, decorations and teaching the kids how to do the dances. The field trips were very successful again this year with 252 attending the Chutes and Ladders trip, 182 to the zoo, 180 to Circus, 150 to Shakopee pool, 238 to Skateville, and 220 to the Hawaiian Beach Party. There was some concern about kids attending Summer in the Park programs but not participating in the trips. It is not known. for sure but the possibility exists that some people may not be able to afford the trips based on the numbers of children in their family. George Kubik suggested some thought be given to adjusting the fees for larger family size. Michele Swanson commented that she felt the concern was related more to the possibility of the children getting lost than not being able to afford to participate. George Kubik asked Paula what the most unusual program was this summer. She commented that perhaps the Fitness and Fun program that is 1/2 hour long could qualify because there were 4 criers in one class which made for some interesting days. Paula also commented that she and Bonnie Blood visited every site every day to keep in regular contact with the summer staff. She also commented on the new registration procedure that was started this summer which was very successful. Jon Oyanagi continued with the video showing some of the activities at Camp Creative which covered creative writing, mime, and music videos. The kids met for 2i hours but with all the ideas that came up the program could have very easily have been extended. ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 7, 1989 MEETING PAGE 6 The softball season this summer had 174 teams participating Monday through Friday at both Rahn Athletic and Northview Athletic sites. Jon also started editing footage of the softball games and had it appear on the cable network as "This Week in Softball". The 3-man basketball program fielded 5 teams, the Discover Eagan Walking Club had 19 participants (2 earned 50 mile awards and 1 earned 100 mile award), two skateboarding events had 25 participants, and the groundwork was started for a horseshoe pitching program. This year there were 6 people who participated each Tuesday. Perhaps next year there will be enough interest to begin a league. Michele Swanson congratulated staff on doing a wonderful job in running such excellent programs. Dick Carroll commented on the great amount of activity that occurs in the parks during the summer. George Kubik thanked Dorothy for coordinating such successful programs for the City of Eagan. WARNING HOUSE ALTERNATIVES Ken Vraa reminded the Commission that in 1988/89 a portable warming house was placed at Well Site Park to accommodate the open skate area. It was found that this particular shelter was not large enough to accommodate the numbers of pleasure skaters using the park so staff has been looking at alternatives. One possibility would be to build a structure similar to the Carnelian building but that may not be cost effective at this site. Any other building steers away from the consistent style the Commission has recommended for the parks. An option that may be considered would be to build a 22 x 16 garage type building to facilitate the group size that will be using it. By adding a hip roof and shingle with a wood look, windows and a double door it could be made to resemble some of the existing park shelter buildings at a cost of approximately $4800- 5000. Insulation, wiring, etc. would need to be done after the building is erected bringing the final cost to approximately $8,000. Ken asked the Commission to consider the option of continuing with the portable trailer unit, building the approximate $8,000 building as presented or building a $30,000 building similar to the Carnelian building which would be consistent with all other park shelter buildings. George Kubik commented that he would like to see a standardized plan and asked if staff sees this happening in another park. Shawn Hunter stated that if a building consistent with other shelter buildings is installed it could be used for multiple purposes. Dorothy Peterson noted that all the park shelter buildings need to be used for multiple purposes. George Kubik felt that the $30,000 cost was very high for providing a building at this location. Shawn Hunter reiterated that if there is going to be a permanent building placed at this location he would prefer that it be consistent with other park buildings. Ted Billy commented that $8,000 would not break the budget and that if there is a need to move the building at a later date it can be done without a great deal money lost in the process. George Kubik suggested adding $500 to the $8,000 figure to ensure the building would be of good design and quality in an attempt to keep the building as consistent as possible with other buildings. ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 7, 1989 MEETING PAGE 7 After further discussion, George Kubik moved, Ted Billy seconded to authorize the expenditure of up to $8,500 for the design and construction of a 16 x 22 building to be placed at Well Site Park; the building to be as closely designed to existing shelter buildings as is possible. Six members voted for and one member voted against the motion, with the motion being carried. PARKS UPDATE Steve Sullivan explained that Contract 89-19 for parking lot lighting at Ohmann and Thomas Lake Park as well as Contract 89-20 for Bridle Ridge hockey rink lighting is out for bid. The bids are due on September 23 with the anticipated completion of the work scheduled for this fall. Steve explained that the deed for the Willmus property has been recorded and that a neighborhood park is being planned for this site John VonDeLinde updated the Commission on playground construction. Cedar Pond has been removed and replaced, Kettle Park has been installed, Pilot Knob School equipment has been expanded as a joint project with the school district, Northview Park will have new equipment adjacent to the tennis courts. Bridle Ridge, Slaters Acres and O'Leary playground equipment has yet to be delivered so that it can be installed. HAPPENINGS George Kubik commented on the use of summer youth and adult restitution workers in getting work done, RFP for Blackhawk, landscape policy and the resurgence of horseshoes. Sandy Masin asked if there had been a neighborhood meeting regarding Blackhawk Park pavilion. Ken Vraa commented that the neighbors had expressed their concerns regarding trees being removed and parking but final design has not been done at this point to warrant a meeting. The access issue needs to be resolved with Leo Murphy and it is hoped that this will occur soon. Next year when other buildings will be under construction it would make more sense to incorporate building construction plans at that time. George Kubik commented on the positive way in which private contributors have come forward to provide scoreboards for the various softball fields. He also was pleased to see the renewal with Dakota, Inc. for building maintenance. John VonDeLinde noted that this is the 3rd year this is being done and it has been a very positive program that has been very successful. Ken Vraa reminded the Commission of the picnic scheduled for Friday September 22 at Thomas Lake Park. Festivities begin at 6:30 P.M. George Kubik thanked the maintenance staff for their equipment demonstration prior to the Commission meeting. It was an excellent presentation and enjoyed by everyone. Mr. Vraa commented that the maintenance staff does an excellent job and they are obviously proud of the job they do. ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 7, 1989 MEETING PAGE 8 With no further business to conduct, Michele Swanson moved, Dick Carroll seconded with all members voting in favor to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 P.M. SECRETAR D E