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11/17/2008 - Advisory Parks & Recreation Commission Approved as amended January 14, 2009 ADVISORY PARKS COMMISSION EAGAN. MINNESOTA MINUTES OF REC ULAR MEETING OF NOVEMBER 17, 2008 A regular meeting of the Advisory Parks Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. on November 17, 2008 with the following Commission Members present: Thor Anderson, Bruce Goff, Laurie Halverson, Duane Hansen, Dorothy Peterson and Ryan Zipf and Jennifer Dahlquist. Staff included Director Juli Seydell Johnson; Superintendent of Operations, Cherryl Mesko; Superintendent of Parks, Paul Olson; Parks Maintenance Supervisor, Steve Taylor; Tree Inspector, Kyle Gill. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Member Anderson moved, Member Dahlquist seconded, with all present members voting in favor to approve the agenda as presented. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF OCTOBER 20, 2008 Member Halverson pointed out that her last name is misspelled, not on the attendance sheet but throughout the minutes. It should be Halverson not Halvorson. Member Hansen moved, Member Peterson seconded, with all present members voting in favor to approve the minutes of October 20, 2008 as amended. VISITORS TO BE HEARD There were no visitors to be heard. DIRECTOR'S DEPARTMENT UPDATE Director Johnson began with the article from Business Week Magazine that named Eagan as the best place in Minnesota to raise children. One of the things they specifically sighted was the availability of parks, trails and activities for families. Other items noted by Director Johnson included the Community Garage Sale set for the end of January, the hiring of seasonal staff for outdoor rinks and tubing hill and the completion of the new sun shelter at Patrick Eagan Park. If the weather holds out work will begin on a small observation deck located by the old parking lot. At the ECC, The Blast and Preschool Open Gym continue to be popular destinations and proposals are due by November 25 for the catering and the alcoholic provider contracts used at the Eagan Community Center. The Wescott Library is still at the civic arena and will be there until the end of the year. Director Johnson reminded the public that after a snowfall the boulevard trails are being plowed by City staff this winter, so they will be secondary to plowing the streets. In the past a contractor would start almost as soon as the snow stopped but as a budget saving measure the City opted to discontinue contractual plowing and have the work done in house as resources permit. This service change will result in delayed trail clearing after a snow fall. Director Johnson concluded that another budget saving measure for the City was to close the warming houses at Carnelian and Ridgecliff Parks. The ice will still be maintained and available for use, but the shelter building will not be open. CONSENT AGENDA There were no Consent Agenda items for the Commission to review. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS There were no Development Proposals for the Commission to review. OLD BUSINESS Advisory Parks Commission November 17, 2008 Page 2 There were no Old Business items for the Commission to review. NEW BUSINESS Review of Additional Fees and Charges Director Johnson noted that in May the Commission reviewed department fees and charges and made recommendations to the City Council for approval in December. In the meantime there has been additional review of two of the fees that were earlier recommended by the Commission. The first one is the field lighting fee. This is the fee to turn on the lights used specifically by baseball, softball, youth association or any other users. The fees approved in May represented a $2 increase per hour from 2008. After notifying all the youth associations it was discovered that EAA Travel Baseball had not been paying that fee. They are concerned about the large increase that they would pay and have been in touch with staff numerous times since the fee notification. Staff recommended the Commission consider a two step fee increase for EAA Travel Baseball. This would be 50% of the actual fee charged for the 2009 season and then the full fee for 2010, which would give them a chance to adjust to the increase in fees. Director Johnson continued that the second fee being revisited is the Band Shell fees. The fees were initiated in 2006 based on research done of other communities expecting there would be a lot of use of the Band Shell. There has actually been only one rental in that 3 year period. After a recent follow up survey of other like facilities in the area it was found that our fees were somewhat higher and therefore staff is recommending a new fee structure to hopefully get more use of that facility. Superintendent Olson briefly talked about the light fees, noting that the City has reached a position where it needs to look at the actual cost of providing these services. The electric provider is increasing rates by 7% next year, which has a big impact on the budget. Staff has been working with the youth associations to slowly evolve into a pay as you go user fee system. Olson presented detailed figures based on past use. Member Belfiori asked what's the cost differential when we switch over to the newer lights at Northview. Olson responded the cost is expected to be between 30-40% less than what we have paid in the past. The fixtures currently at Goat Hill Field one have been there for 20+ years. Member Peterson asked if there's a plan to replace them. Olson responded they are on the park site fund list to be replaced in the future. Member Peterson commented that EAA has not completed its budget process yet so the light fee could be incorporated into their budget for next summer. Member Halverson expressed that the phase in seemed fair and that City staff were creative in their solution. Member Peterson suggested that they pay the full fee, because they have not been paying for lights for a number of years. Member Zipf asked if it was only baseball that has not been paying the lighting fee. Director Johnson responded that softball was only paying it for tournaments, because their evening games do not require lights. Football does play evening games that would require lights. EAA Travel Baseball was paying for tournaments, but not for their regular league games during the season. Member Zipf asked if the phased in fee would only benefit EAA Travel Baseball or would this benefit all the users. Director Johnson responded the way it is presented here it says anyone who hasn't been charged the fee in the past several years would be able to phase in the fee over a two year period; in effect that would be EAA Travel Baseball only. Member Zipf was under the assumption that everyone was getting the benefit of the phase in. With further discussion it was determined that the lightening fee will stay the same as what was originally proposed and recommended to the Council in May. Member Zipf moved, Member Hansen seconded, with all present members voting to recommend the City Council approve the revised Band Shell fees to be included in the 2009 Fees and Charges schedule. OTHER BUSINESS AND REPORTS Superintendent Olson introduced Parks Maintenance Supervisor, Steve Taylor who presented a PowerPoint presentation highlighting some of the projects conducted by the parks maintenance staff during 2008. Projects that have been done this year included installing benches and a fire pit at Moonshine Retreat Center, the completion of the buildings at Thresher Fields and the overlook deck, a new scoreboard was installed at Goat Hill and a new signboard at City Hall. Twelve new park signs have been installed throughout the parks. A sun shelter was installed at Patrick Eagan Park, and a new Advisory Parks Commission November 17, 2008 Page 3 handicapped ramp was built at the Art House. The deck at Carlson Lake was replaced and new outdoor exercise equipment installed at the Eagan Community Center. The old fireplace at Trapp Farm Park pavilion was closed up and a new fire pit installed nearby. Playgrounds were replaced at Carlson Lake, Holz Farm, and George Ohmann. Tree Inspector, Kyle Gill gave a brief PowerPoint presentation giving an update on the Shade Tree Disease Program describing the control of Oak Wilt, Dutch Elm Disease and the Buckthorn removal assistance program concluding that the City has marked and managed 552 diseased trees this year. COMMUNICATIONS There were no Communications items for the Commission to review. ROUND TABLE There was no discussion during the Round Table. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to conduct, Member Zipf moved, Member Hansen seconded with all members voting in favor to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m. CZ3 . /0 . Secretary Date