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04/18/2005 - Advisory Parks & Recreation CommissionApproved May 16, 2005 ADVISORY PARKS COMMISSION EAGAN, MINNESOTA MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF APRIL 18, 2005 A regular meeting of the Advisory Parks Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. on April 18, 2005 with the following Commission Members present: Joe Bari, Margo Danner, Terry Davis, Mark Filipi, Duane Hansen, Muhammad Lodhi, Elizabeth Perry Dorothy Peterson and Richard Pletcher. Member Belfiori was not present. Staff included Jeff Asfahl, Supervisor of Recreation; Paul Olson, Supervisor of Parks; Eric Macbeth, Water Resources; Gregg Hove, City Forester; C.J. Lilly, City Landscape Architect; Paula Nowariak, Recreation Supervisor and Lori Kimball, Recording Secretary. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Davis moved, Member Filipi seconded; with all present members voting in favor to accept the agenda as amended, moving the Volunteer Recognition to occur after Approval of the Minutes. All attending members voted to approve the agenda as amended. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF March 14, 2005 Minutes from the March 14 omitted a "second' for a motion on page 12, The Steeplechase Development and on page 15, Nature's Point Development. Since Nature's Point was approved, Member Peterson asked that the alternatives on page 16 be deleted. Member Peterson moved and Member Perry seconded with all present members voting in favor to approve the March 14th minutes as amended. PRESENTATIONS Eric Macbeth thanked Eagan Citizens, Jack Krech and Rich Kelley, for volunteering their time. Macbeth presented plaques recognizing the residents for 10 years of lake monitoring. Jack Krech was recognized for 10 years of monitoring Hay Lake. Rich Kelley, who was not present, was recognized for 10 years of monitoring Blackhawk Lake. Chair Davis thanked the men for such a long commitment to the City. VISITORS TO BE HEARD There were no visitors to be heard. SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE AND DEPARTMENT HAPPENINGS Parks Superintendent Parks, Paul Olson, updated the commission about the Parks Division. • The closing on the Caponi property took place in late March and the City now owns 30 acres of prime open space. The Caponi Art Park Board (CAP) will have ownership of the remaining 30 acres. Funding for the 30 acres of City property was derived from several sources; 1. City of Eagan/ Park Site Fund = $720,000 2. Dakota County/Open Space Grant = $850,000 Advisory Parks Commission Minutes of Regular Meeting of April 18, 2005 Page 2 3. DNR/Natural and Scenic Grant = $200,000 4. DNR/Remediation Grant = $300,000 5. TPL/DNR/ Metro Corridors Grant = 191 1,000 Total for City 30 acres = $2,261,000 ($75,400 @ acre) • The Park System Plan had a low number of people attend the 20/20 Vision meeting in March; however, the people attending were appreciated for the active discussion and ideas. The City Council, Chair Davis and Member Peterson will receive a draft form of the Parks System Plan at a workshop on April 26`h at 5:30. They will also be discussing the Water Management Plan and CIP's. • The spring brings many calls from groups and individuals wanting to volunteer for community service projects. The most pressing need is for a "spring cleaning "of park areas, i.e.; trash and litter pick up and removal. The City will provide bags and also pick up and remove what is collecting. Arrangements can be made by contacting Paul Graham, Park Operations Supervisor at 651-675-5300. Please specify which park you are interested in. We are very flexible with days, times and locations-every little bit helps! • This year's bi-annual, Eagan tree sale will be held Saturday April 30 at the Maintenance Facility on Coachman Road. The success of pre-sale ordering resulted in using a lottery system. Most materials have already been sold however "extras" are sold on first come basis, generally later in the morning. All materials are bare root stock-there is no warranty once it leaves the site. • The 2005 Arbor Day celebration is scheduled for Saturday May 14, beginning around 9:00 AM, at the Lexington-Diffley Fields. The planting will take place along the new public road located on the north side of the park near the water reservoir. Groups or individuals wanting to participate, including APrC members, can call Gregg Hove, Supervisor of Forestry, at 651-756-5300 for further information. • The soccer fields at Quarry, Bridle Ridge and Mueller Farm Parks will be rested and reseeded this spring. The turf has become worn and thin from on-going use. Thresher Fields will be the alternate site. • The program of making rental space available for canoes has been expanded to new locations. Racks will be located at Blackhawk, Thomas and Bur Oaks parks. The resident cost for the season, May to October, is $40. The renter must provide their own cable and lock. Slots can be reserved by calling 651-675-5500. • Recently a number of permanent benches have been burned and graffiti has been spray painted on building walls, play equipment and parking lots. Staff has been in contact with the Police Department and is also exploring other means of protecting the community investment in its park system. Residents who are witness to vandalism occurring, or are suspicious of activity in a park, are encouraged to contact the PD immediately so vandals can be caught in the act - you can remain anonymous. Olson said 9-1-1 is an appropriate number to report vandalism that may be in progress. Damage can be reported to the Park Maintenance Department at 651-675-5300. • Again this year, the Forestry Division will conduct the popular resident Buckthorn removal program. Residents and neighborhood groups can volunteer to take part in the program and remove Buckthorn from private property by a following few simple steps; 1. Contact the City Tree Inspector to arrange for a site visit to verify the presence of Buckthorn 2. Schedule a day to remove the Buckthorn, alerting the City 3. City staff will pickup the buckthorn piles from a predetermined location-generally a front boulevard accessible to a truck. The pickups take place only on Mondays. For further information or to schedule a site visit residents can contact the Tree Inspector at 651-675-5300. The Tree Inspector will be available as of April Advisory Parks Commission Minutes of Regular Meeting of April 18, 2005 Page 3 Recreation Jeff Asfahl, Superintendent of Recreation, shared highlights of the recreation department. • May 7 from 8:30 - 2:00 a plant sale sponsored by the Eagan Garden Club will be held at Holz Farm. This is also the day of the Friends of the Farm Annual Cleanup day. • On May 22°d from 11-5 the Friends of the Farm will hold its Annual Spring Festival. Pony Rides, Petting Zoo and hayrides will be offered. • The Eagan Art Festival will be held on June 25 and 26 on festival grounds at Central Park. There will be over 100 artisans, a variety of food, entertainment and children's art activities. • The Fourth of July planning committee has been busy scheduling events for the community. A carnival will take place from July 1-4; July 3 a Street Dance, featuring the Killer Hayseeds, will be held from 7:30 till 11:30. July 4 will bring a Classic Car show, Band shell entertainment and Fireworks at dusk. • Spring and summer league association play is early this year because the fields are open and available. Use is modestly tapering off. Cooperation between EAA, EVAA and our office has been excellent. Communi , Center • Superintendent Asfahl shared that the Community Center reported 37 birthday parties at the Blast for the Month of March. • On April 2nd the third Mothers of Multiples sale was held in the gymnasium. It's a popular event that brought over 1000 people into the building. • April 7 - April 20`h, we are asking members to fill out a member satisfaction survey to give us their feedback. This is our first effort with surveying our fitness members. RECREATION REPORT Superintendent Asfahl introduced Paula Nowariak, Recreation Supervisor, who presented the recreation report for the Winter Quarter. Paula discussed highlights of the winter season; giving a power point presentation and sharing photos of winter P&R activities. Adult Sports • Winter Sports Leagues had 141 teams participating in basketball, boot hockey, broomball and volleyball with over 1,200 participants for the season. Digging Lips from the Men's Volleyball league took the Championship of the MRPA Men's C Volleyball State Tournament in March. • Summer softball currently has 201 teams registered, spring basketball is full with 8 teams, and Volleyball has 7 teams in both the Women's league and Co-ed Beginning league. • "Two-Game Tune-up" for adult softball teams is being held on Saturday, April 23 at Northview Athletic Fields. Community Events • Snow Daze - People were in a daze on Saturday, February 5 at Trapp Farm Park. Though there was no snow for tubing, participants were still able to enjoy the dog sled rides and ice fishing. They also received a coupon to visit the tubing hill in the future at no charge. • Daddy's Little Sweetheart Dance - Forty little girls and their daddy's got all dressed up for an elegant evening in the Oaks of the Eagan Community Center to pre-celebrate the Valentine's holiday. Photos, dancing, cookie decorating and picture frame crafts were the main highlights for the very successful first-time event. • Holz Farm - Old Fashioned Holiday: This great annual event provided in partnership with the Friends of the Farm. Music was provided by the "Moen-Weeds", cookie baking and sampling, tree trimming activities, complimentary hot cocoa, a bonfire, and there was a surprise visit by Santa. • Family Skating Extravaganza: The weather was spectacular and the event was a success. Much enthusiasm was shared, hoping this event can become a great tradition. Advisory Parks Commission Minutes of Regular Meeting of April 18, 2005 Page 4 • Eagan Fun Run - Saturday, May 21 - This year Commons on Marice is helping sponsor the event by coordinating booths of local organizations with tips and health services, entertainment and an additional mailing for the event. Preschool • Classes- The winter session ran from January 3-March 11. Classes are offered at Bridle Ridge, Goat Hill, Rahn, Skyhill and the Community Center. There were 292 children signed up in 25 different class sections. • Preschool Dance - Preschool Dance was offered at the Community Center this past winter. The class was a huge success; the children were thrilled to perform each week in the performance studio like real ballerinas do! • Musical Wednesdays - Musical Wednesdays was offered and went out with a "bang" at the last class. Parents came to watch the progress that their budding stars made on instruments, rhythm and conducting! • Children's Museum Field Trip - In February, 56 children with parent chaperones rode a bus to the Children's Museum in St. Paul. The children and parents had a great time riding the bus and touring the museum together Seniors • Santa Visit - The Eagan Seniors hosted another successful event on Saturday, December 4. More than 50 kids along with their families visited with Santa in the Lone Oak Room for a photo and cookies. Santa also took a few minutes to visit with a preschool program during the same time. The Eagan Seniors had a great time and plan to host the event again in 2005. • 2d Annual Antique Assessment Show on Saturday, April 23 in the Lone Oak Room. This event is open to everyone! • Parks and Recreation is hosting the 2nd Anniversary Party for the Lone Oak Room on Tuesday, May 17 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm in the Lone Oak Room. This year the whole family is invited for a couple hours of games, fun and entertainment in a picnic-like setting. Teens • Bring the Noise - Over 400 people, mostly youth, attended or were involved in performing for this event. Over $1300 was raised for Kids N Kinship. • The Oasis/Special Activities -Club Oasis for Middle School dance has an average of 70 youth attending. Our most recent Bring the Noise this February presented "Cryptic" and over 85, 17+ youth attended. Second season of Dodge ball continues to be a huge hit over 100 middle and high school students are registered. We opened in the fall of 2003; the attendance from that date through the end of December 2004 our total attendance was approximately 3000. For the first three months of 2005 our attendance is already over 1000. This is in large part due to our special events, and does not include the youth registered for dodge ball. We continue to reach out to the schools with weekly e-mails and lunch time visits where possible. • Eagan Teen Advisory Board (E-TAB) - The board has been spending time with professionals in the industry obtaining guidance and support for developing their business plan for a coffee / beverage bar addition to the teen center. They have participated in a teen focus group for the Park Master Plan 20/20 process and have been busy distributing surveys to gain feedback from their peers on the teen center, coffee bar concept and insights for the 20/20 plan. 145 surveys have already been collected. Winter Facilities Trapp Farm was open a total of 20 Y2 days. • Total attendance was 2,768. Over 1200 less than last year when it was open for 39 days. Skating Sites • There were six Class A and 2 Class B skating sites that were staffed and maintained for the winter skating season. All sites were opened by December 28. Advisory Parks Commission Minutes of Regular Meeting of April 18, 2005 Page 5 • Attendance- Total approximate attendance was 12, 611 visitors. Depending on the location, the A sites were open from 31-45 days with total attendance of approximately 12,096. The B sites were open for 31 days with a total attendance of approximately 515. Weather • Sites had to close early on some of those days due to the crazy weather. There were three days that the rinks were closed due to dangerous wind chills and one day that sites were closed because of a snow storm. The month of February began by closing for 6 days due to warm temperatures. • The maintenance crew should be commended for recovering the rinks more than once during this season. Youth and Family • Adapted Basketball - Youth ages six to thirteen participated in an eight week basketball program, adapted for youth with disabilities. More than 23 kids played hard, developed basketball skills, and cheered on their teammates throughout the program. • Preschool Gymnastics-In cooperation with ISD 196 Community Education, this program began in February. It is held on Monday-Wednesday mornings at the ECC. Due to popular demand, a spring session was also added. • The Blast and Open Gym (BOG) Days - 5 Buck BOG Days continued over the winter and spring breaks. Participation was steady. The biggest attendance day was 40. A 5 Buck BOG Day is a supervised play day for ages 6 - 12. Recreation Leaders supervise the play in a fun and active afternoon of dodge ball, sports, games, and play in the Blast. 3 Buck BOG Days are also held on various days off from school. The 3 Buck days are not supervised. Trips A trip to Sesame Street Live was a big hit for a group of preschoolers and their parents. This trip was jointly offered with Rosemount and Inver Grove Parks & Recreation Departments Spring Break trips were very popular this year for the first time in more than 3 years. Eagan partnered with Farmington and Rosemount Parks & Recreation Department to offer 3 events. Grand Rios Water Park, Richardson Nature Center/Chuck E. Cheese and a Kids Activity Day at the Rosemount Community Center were enjoyed by over 200 kids. Youth Development -96 students registered for our winter quarters after school recreate programs at Glacier and Pilot Knob. Eagan Parks and Recreation program offerings included; basketball, floor hockey/basketball combo, sketching with the art house, sewing and homework help. We are entering our last quarter/session at both of these schools this spring. What's Coming Up • Check out the Discover Brochure for a huge listing of golf and tennis programs for youth to adult, including the new adapted and pee wee tennis programs • A new summer program called "Recess". Including 7 neighborhood sites, 8 weeks of programming and 8 fieldtrips. Discovering our self and our place in this community. Nowariak concluded saying, the P&R staff are very excited for spring and summer. Residents are encouraged to Come Out and Play in Eagan! CONSENT AGENDA Chair Davis moved, Member Peterson and Member Pletcher seconded with all present members voting to approve the Consent Agenda; 2005 Arbor Day Proclamation and the Lake Appreciation Month Proclamation. Advisory Parks Commission Minutes of Regular Meeting of April 18, 2005 Page 6 DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS There were no items to review under Development Proposals. OLD BUSINESS NATURE'S POINT Olson said no action will be taken this evening regarding Nature's Point. The proposal was denied by the Planning Committee and the developer will be resubmitting the proposal. This proposal will be on the May 16th agenda. NEW BUSINESS There were no items for the APrC to review under New Business WATER RESOURCES UPDATE Macbeth reminded the viewing audience that it is now a statewide law that phosphorous-free fertilizer must be used on lawns. The exception to this is if a soil test proves that a resident's lawn needs phosphorous. Macbeth was invited to represent Eagan's Water Resource successes at a conference in Chicago late this month. The subject Macbeth will be speaking on is "Managing Long-term Lake Quality in an Urban Setting". Jim Storland will be attending meetings regarding "Shallow Lakes", which describes most lakes in Eagan. Chair Davis asked Macbeth about clean water legislation that member Bari had brought to the commission's attention earlier in the meeting. Macbeth said it is a federal requirement for all states to inventory their lakes. The legislation Member Bari asked about is only in the proposal state, primarily deciding who will do what and how it will be paid for. As of now, the implication for the City of Eagan is unknown. Member Bari said his understanding is that $38 will be taxed per household; totally $38 million to clean up the water. Member Pletcher asked if the federal law has been enacted. Macbeth responded that this is a long standing provision of the Clean Water Act that was passed in the 1970's. Chair Davis asked Macbeth to let him know what the implication would be to the City. Macbeth said he will be gathering more information and bring it back to the APrC next month. OTHER BUSINESS AND REPORTS Member Davis asked Olson to further discuss the 20/20 Vision meeting this past week. Olson informed the viewers of April 11th stakeholders meeting. The group represents the users of the park facilities throughout Eagan and has been constantly meeting with the consultant, helping to determine goals and identify priorities. The summary of the consultant's study will be presented to the City Council at next month's workshop. Scheduled completion is now the 3id week of June rather than May, due to schedule conflicts. Discussion focused on the various groups solicited to participate in the meetings such as schools, senior citizens and teens. Member Peterson said there was less participation by youth athletic groups than anticipated. Asfahl and Bechner reached out several times to the sports groups but there was not as much response as the consultant had wished for. Advisory Parks Commission Minutes of Regular Meeting of April 18, 2005 Page 7 ROUND TABLE Member Perry reminded everyone of several P&R activities that are coming up • The Antique Assessment will be held on April 23 at the ECC. • On May 7, rain or shine, a Tennis Block Party will be held at Northview Park. This event is sponsored by the USTA and is for people wishing to learn tennis or people who already play. The telephone number for more information is 888-502-PLAY. • The Eagan Fun Run will be held on May 21. A 2 mile run, 5 mile run, Fitness Walk and Ducky Dash will be held. Check in is at 7:00 a.m. Registration is available through Parks and Recreation. Evenings in Central Park will begin on June 15th with a car show at 6:30 followed by the Rockin' Hollywoods at 7:00. Five other evenings are scheduled through the rest of the summer. A reminder that the Teen Center offers Ultimate Frisbee on Thursdays from 3:30 till 5:00 and Dodge ball on Wednesdays from 4-5:30. Both of these activities are on a drop in basis and are $3 each time. Club Oasis, middle school dance, is always held on the first Friday of each month. Bring the Noise for middle school and up on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month. These two events are also $3 each and require a school I.D. Chair Davis and Member Danner asked for clarification of dates regarding the Park System Plan. Olson confirmed there are no May dates for meetings and the consultant will not be here in the month of May. The APrC and City Council Workshop will be held on June 13, the next stakeholders meeting will be held on June 14, June 20 will be the APrC meeting to determine to adopt the new Park System Plan and the final report will be given to the City Council on June 21St Responding to Member Peterson, Member Perry said the NE Eagan Study was not yet complete. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to conduct, Member Peterson moved to close, Member Perry seconded with all members voting in favor to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m. _.__ I! as b(v Secretary Date