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01/06/1983 - Advisory Parks & Recreation CommissionBEA BLOMQUIST MAYOR THOMAS EGAN JAMES A. SMITH JERRY THOMAS THEODORE WACHTER COUNCO. MEMBERS January 21, 1983 Ms Joanne Alt 1758 Bluebill Circle Eagan, MN 55122 cc: Roger Martin, Chairperson CITY OF EAGAN 37f5 PIL_Ot KNOB ROAD 4'V\L P.O. BOX 21199 EAGAN, MINNESOTA Y` i PHONE 454-8100 Dear Joanne: On behalf of the members of the Advisory Parks and Recreation Commission and staff of the Department of Parks and Recreation, congratulations and welcome as the newest member of the Commission. To help familiarize you with some of the recent activities of the commission, I've taken the liberty of sending you minutes from the last several meetings for your review. As you are aware, the commission has been deeply involved with the development of a Comprehensive Parks System Plan. This effort has been in progress since April of last year and is now in the later phases. While there is much yet to be done, the commission has already accomplished a great deal. When the study is ultimately completed, the document will be a "working blueprint" for the overall development of the City's park system for the next five to ten years. I will try to have a folder prepared by the next meeting of the commission on the section completed to this time. If after you have had an opportunity to review these materials or at any time during your term as a commission member, you have questions, please feel free to contact me. As to the next meeting; the commission meets the first Thursday of the month. The next meeting is set for February 3, 1983 at 7:00 P.M. at the Eagan City Hall. You will receive a packet of information before each commission meeting containing the tentative agenda and any support material. If you haven't received this by Tuesday evening prior to the meeting, please advise me on Wednesday. Again, welcome to the Commission. Y, Ke Director Par s and Recreation City of Eagan THE LONE OAK TREE THE SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. THOMAS HEDGES CITY ADMINISTRATOR EUGENE VAN OVERBEKE CITY CLERK MEVO TO: ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION FROM: KEN VRAA, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION RE: (1) SYSTEM PLAN SPECIAL MEETING (2) RAHN PARK GRANT The Agenda for the 20th is as follows: cc: City Council The current issue as it In summary; this budget legislature funded. No January 17, 1983 Attached is the draft of the Trails Plan to be discussed at the special meeting of January 20th at 7 :00 P.M. Please insert this into your System Plan binder. Your thorough reading of this section of the plan will facilitate. the meeting. Because this is a "draft" please feel free to markup your copy or make any corrections, etc. 1) Trails a. Bikeway review b. Possible trail corridors c. Snowmobile d. Horse 2) Ponds Lakes; hand out and review of meeting with Barr Engineering on remainder of work for this section. 3) Site section for parks a) 3 for design b) 10 for analysis and comment 4) Acquisition sites for future parks Other issues relevant to the System Plan may also be discussed, but these are the major issues that need to be in some detail at this meeting. Also enclosed with the packet is the graphic that was omitted in section "H please place this in the appropriate space as identified. Rahn Park: Staff from the Parks and Recreation Grants Section; State of Minnesota has been contacted relevant to the status of the Rahn Park grant. The grant was submitted to the L.C.M.R. (review agency) which recommended approval of the application to the legislature for funding. However, the last special session in December eliminated all funds for this and other grants. Therefore, even though the grant has been approved for funding, there are no funds. The brief note does not allow me to go into the complexities of the funding process for the grant, but the possibility of the City still obtaining funding for the project appears to be a possibility if not yet this year; perhaps 1984. session of the legislature will be dealing with this prepares the next State budget. the grant has been approved but there are no funds in Funds may be appropriated in this session of the for the next biennium. If so the grant would be further review of the grant would be necessary. MEMO TO: ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION FROM: KEN VPAA, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION RE: SPECIAL MEETING JANUARY 20, 1983 cc: Tom Hedges, City Administrator January 11, 1983 Please mark your calendars January 20, 1983 at 7:00 P.M. at the offices of the Eagan City Hall for a special Advisory Commission meeting of the parks System Plan. The meeting will deal with specific issues as it relates to trails, special use facilities, and park site selection for design and analysis by the Systems Plan Consultant. Agenda information will be submitted to you at the earliest opportunity prior to the meeting for your review. It is anticipated the trails draft section will be ready by Monday, January 17th. ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION REGULAR. MEETING EAGAN, MINNESOTA CITY HALL JANUARY 6, 1983 7:00 P.M. 1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. ADOPT AGENDA AND APPROVE MINUTES FROM SPECIAL MEETING OF DECEMBER 15, 1982 3. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS None 4. OLD BUSINESS 5. NEW BUSINESS 6. OTHER BUSINESS /REPORTS 7. ADJOURNMENT TENTATIVE AGENDA (1) 1st Draft Gifts Book (2) Report Composted Sludge (3) Parks System Plan Update (1) 1982 Review of Objectives (2) Directors Report on Winter Programs MEMO TO: ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION FROM: KEN VRAA, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION RE: JANUARY 6, 1983 REGULAR MEETING Members will no doubt recognize the name change from committee to commission. This change is a result of the recodification process the City has now completed and the necessity to be uniform with that and other codes. The first order of business for the commission will be the approval of the agenda and the minutes of the special meeting of December 15, 1982. There are no development proposals for the commission to review at this time. However, dependent upon the action of a developer, yet this week, one item may be presented informally, or deferred until the next regular meeting. With the assistance of the department's volunteer intern Michelle Meyers, a final draft copy of a "Gifts Book" has been pieced together. Please keep in mind this is a first draft and revisions will probably be required. The "Gift Book" is an idea from other communities and tailored to Eagan. The idea is to set forth many of the parks systems needs in a booklet for distribution to the community. It's hoped that individuals or community groups might recognize the needs of the system and be willing to help in its growth and development. Staff will appreciate the commissions review and comments as well as suggestions for improvement. Staff has done a preliminary review on the topic of "Composted Sludge." A separate report is included in the packet. This item will be updated at the meeting for commission review. System Plan Consultant Tim Erkkila will be at the regular meeting. There are a number of items on Ponds Lakes, Trails, Classification, as well as admini- strative housekeeping items Tim and I would like to address. While we do not plan an indepth session as at other meetings; we do hope to cover a number of topics in regards to the study. There are several items under "Other Business and Reports" the director would like to review with the commission. The chairperson suggested a brief over- view of 1982 commission accomplishments and success in reaching its objectives would be appropriate. Suggestions on commission activities to receive attention in 1983 will also be discussed. A brief information report on winter programming, condition of the outdoor skating rinks and problems facing the department regarding trails usage will also be presented. One final note, the City Council will make its appointments to the commission at the January 18th council meeting. Therefore, the commission will have its organization meeting in February for selection of its officers, etc. MEMO TO: ADVISORY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE FROM: KEN VRAA, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION RE: COMPOSTED SLUDGE January 1983 At a recent meeting of the Advisory Parks and Recreation Committee it was suggested that one of the major problems involving many of the existing park sites is a lack of good turf and top soil. Generally, a good turf stand is not possible without good top soil and the necessary nutrients to sustain a healthy stand of grass. The suggestion therefore was made to inquire about the use of waste sludge, which might be available from the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission, for use as a means of developing suitable top soil. Staff has made a preliminary inquiry to the waste control commission about the use of sludge on park site locations as a means of improving or develop- ing top soil materials. Staff was informed that there are basically two types of material currently being distributed; sludge and composted material. The "composted material" is sludge i.e. waste from the treatment plant, which has been combined with wood chips or other similar material and allowed to begin the decomposition process. This process involves mixing the sludge with compost, which is then allowed to heat up and break down for a period of about three weeks. This material is then turned over and mixed and allowed to sit for a second three week period. After this time period the material is ready for distribution. Apparently, the highest and best use has been in instances in which grading of an area has been completed and soil preparation preparatory to seeding is commencing. The composted material is spread, mixed with existing soil and then the seeding operation is begun. Generally, one -half inch of compost material is spread uniformly throughout the site as a means of enhancing top soil and subsequently seed growth. This approach has been used success- fully by golf courses and other institutions. Two other applications are also permissable and have shown some success. One such application would be the spreading of the compost and sludge material prior to final grading. With the final grading and preparation of the soil for seeding the composted material becomes thoroughly mixed with the existing soil throughout the site. Apparently, this has not worked out as successfully because more sludge material is required and the uniformity of application is not as consistent. The third and final method of application would be for top dressing purposes. There have been few areas in which this has been applied and has proved to be only midly successful. There is some reluctance to use this co- composted material for top dressing as the material is not screened prior to application. Consequently, large pieces approximately 1" to 11/2" in size, of wood chips or bark which have not been fully decomposed is spread on the site. This material then becomes a problem in later operations such as mowing, etc. Staff has inquired whether an intensive amount of aerafication followed by top dressing of composted sludge, and this then followed by an intensified dragging operation may prove to be successful? It was suggested that this may have some success, but may not be acceptable to some because as before several large undecomposed wood chips may remain on the park site. These January 1983 Page 2 wood chips would either have to be picked up or allowed to decompose further. Staff has not been able to determine the volume of material that may remain if such a procedure is followed. The M.P.C.A. provides the material which is loaded and trucked to the community's site for free. If sufficient material can be contracted for, they will also spread the material on the site. Generally, sites need to be larger than ten acres to be considered "large sites" for this purpose. In regards to any potential odor problem, staff was informed that the de- composed material has only a slight odor which may last from 3 to 4 days. Staff feel there is sufficient potential to proceed with additional study of the use of composted material for top soil. Staff would like to review with the committee what has been learned, and to get some direction on this issue. Roger Martin 454-8921 (h) 456 .4654 (w) 12 -83 4435 Oak Chase Road Eagan, MN 55123 Carolyn Thurston 454 -5843 12 -85 4454 Oak Chase Way Eagan, MN 55123 Richard Carroll 4485 Oak Chase Lane Eagan, MN 55123 George Kubik 3053 Pine Ridge Dr. Eagan, MN 55121 Douglas McNeely 2060 Shale Lane Eagan, MN 55122 Mike Fedde 1662 Norwood Dr. Eagan, MN 55122 Sandra Masin 1795 Carnelian Lane Eagan, MN 55122 Joanne Alt 1758 Bluebill Cir. Eagan, MN 55122 Sandy Bertz 452 -5062 550 Atlantic Hills Dr. Eagan, MN 55123 452 -7597 452-3887 (h) 725 -3592 (w) 452-3475 (h) 452 -2966 (h) 733 -6206 (w) 452 -3411 (h) 452-6745 (h) 370 1769 (w) William C. Jackson 452 -9291 (h) 853 -2068 (w) 12 -84 1790 Karis Way Eagan, MN 55122 July 20, 1983 ADVISORY PARKS RECREATION COMMISSION MEMBERS EAGAN TELEPHONE TERM EXPIRES 12 -84 12 -85 12 -85 12 -83 12 -83 12 -85 12 -84