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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 10/05/2020APPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020 7:00 P.M. COMMUNITY CENTER Cambria Room PRNR COMMISSION MEMBERS: Larry Link, Chair; Patrice Erickson, Vice Chair; Cecilia Cervantes, Kim Harris, Tom Poul, Ken Ross, Shanti Shah, Kirk Spresser STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Jake Freeland, John Hartle, Jessica Hovde, Garen McDowell, Ishan Nadkarni, Tommy Pan, Tanay Salunke CITY STAFF: Jay Lotthammer, Parks and Recreation Director Lori Brink, Recreation Manager Matt Bourne, Parks and Natural Resources Manager Valerie Verley, Community Center Manager Jasmine Ellingson, Aquatic Supervisor Megan Munoz, Fitness Supervisor RECORDING SECRETARY: Jodie Fenske I. INTRODUCTIONS Chair Link called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Roll call was taken. Commission Member Poul and Student Representative McDowell were absent. Vice Chair Erickson, Commission Members Cervantes and Ross, and Student Representative Nadkarni participated via conference or video call. All Staff Members were present. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion: Spresser moved, seconded by Shah, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried 7-0. III. APPROVAL OF PRNR MINUTES Ross indicated a correction on page 1, Section I. Introductions, that he participated via teleconference. Motion: Spresser moved, seconded by Cervantes, to approve the September 14, 2020 minutes as amended. Motion carried 7-0. IV. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION V. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October 5, 2020 Page 2 VI. NEW BUSINESS VII. OLD BUSINESS A. COVID-19 PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES UPDATE Verley, Brink, and Bourne provided updates on their respective areas since the last reports provided at the September 14 PRNR Commission meeting. Verley reported eighty-five new memberships were signed at the Community Center in September. Overall memberships remain just under 1,200 compared to 3,800 at the same time last year. Communication will be sent to members this week giving them the option to continue their membership at a discount of 75% of the regular monthly fee or continue to suspend until the end of the year. A new virtual membership option offering live classes streamed from home and a catalog of classes on demand for $15 per month will be available in the next few weeks. Verley stated Staff is researching different platforms to determine what is the most affordable, user-friendly, and dependable platform. Spresser shared a recent poor experience with Zoom due to poor bandwidth as more users joined the meeting. Typically, Fall into Fitness is a busy, one-day event held to showcase the Community Center and offer a once-a-year waiver of the $29 membership enrollment fee. To be more user friendly and still hold the event in a socially distanced manner, Fall into Fitness will run for a whole week from Monday, October 12 through Sunday, October 18. In consideration of the pandemic and current economic conditions, the membership fee will be waived for any new members joining during that week. Bourne stated Parks and Natural Resources staff members are busy completing fall projects and beginning the EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) survey. He plans to keep employees working outside as long as possible. Planning has begun to keep employees working safely indoors throughout the winter. Small group pods will be created to break staff members into teams, with each team reporting to a different building. Spresser shared his theory that the City’s trails will be very busy this winter. He urged planning ahead so trails can be groomed quickly. Bourne agreed and stated Staff is looking into adding ski and snowshoe trails and possibly an additional sledding hill. Spresser also suggested offering more options for community members to keep busy throughout the winter to avoid mental health issues. Link suggested outdoor boot camp classes or extreme sport options. Verley mentioned outdoor walking classes on different trails and areas throughout the City will be offered. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October 5, 2020 Page 3 Brink stated staff members are planning winter recreation and programming by considering the number of facilities, equipment, and talent the City has to offer. Rather than one big winter event as in the past, Staff is planning events over several weekends. She asked the student representatives to brainstorm ideas for winter fun for teens and share them with her via email or at the November Commission meeting. Finishing touches are being made to the latest round of programming which will run November through December 20. Information will be published electronically, and registration will begin next week. Shortly thereafter, winter break programming at the Community Center will be available. Brink stated the rolling registration of two months at a time has been working well and will continue. Lotthammer stated the Senior Center building remains closed; however, Staff is still providing support and services to the community’s senior members. He added staff members department-wide are keeping busy albeit differently than their traditional roles. VIII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. PARKS AND RECREATION EXPERIENCES Commission members and staff shared recent parks and recreation personal experiences. Spresser noted crowds at Riley Lake Park have thinned drastically since Labor Day; however, lots of people are still using the sand volleyball courts. Lotthammer and Link both noted Staring Lake Park still appears busy. B. RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER 1. Fall Programs and Events. Brink provided an update on fall programs including Movies in the Park, a shredding event at the Senior Center, and Halloween-related family activities. The final night of Movies in the Park was held on Friday, October 2, with a showing of the original Jurassic Park movie. Although the evening was cold, eighty people attended the event and were prepared with warm clothing and blankets. A free shredding event will be held at the Senior Center from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 8 as one of the City’s fall recycling initiatives. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October 5, 2020 Page 4 The annual Floating Pumpkin Patch event will be held on Friday, October 9 in the recreational pool at the Community Center. This event sold out shortly after it was announced. The Great Pumpkin Path event will be held the following Friday, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Riley Lake Park. Registered households will pick up pumpkins from Marshall’s Farm Market prior to the event, decorate or carve them, and drop them off at the Riley-Jacques Farmstead. Participants will then visit the park during preregistered staggered timeslots to view all the pumpkins. Additional activities will include art stations, a scavenger hunt, and awards. The Not-So-Scary Nature Trail event has been extended to two nights this year. The educational event will be held at the Outdoor Center from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. each night on October 23 and 24. Staggered start times will allow for physical distancing. Participants will walk the lantern-lit trail and learn about bats, owls, snakes, and eagles while collecting a Halloween treat at each station. The Boo Drive-Thru event will be held on Saturday, October 31, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Miller Park. Event sponsors are providing candy and trinkets. Non-expired, non-perishable food donations for PROP will be collected. After Halloween, on Saturday, November 7, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., the Pumpkin Roll-Down event will be held at Staring Lake Park. Preregistered participants will bring their own hollowed-out pumpkins and roll them down the sledding hill amongst obstacles. Environmentally friendly composting of the pumpkins will be performed after the event. C. COMMUNITY CENTER MANAGER D. PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER E. PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR 1. 2020 PRNR Work Plan. Lotthammer stated the November 2 meeting is scheduled to be held in the City Center Heritage Rooms. Due to the proximity to Election Day and a nominal number of topics needing discussion, the November meeting may be skipped and combined with the December meeting. Lotthammer will provide an update to Commission members and student representatives. Spresser inquired about plans for post-COVID. Lotthammer responded he has created, and staff is helping compile, a document outlining plans for the next year. Discussions include which procedures adopted during COVID PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October 5, 2020 Page 5 will be kept afterwards. He projects people will come back to the Community Center and recreation programming in incremental stages, so plans are being made how to ramp up. Current participation numbers are a good testament that the community trusts City facilities, events, and programs to be run safely since staff has been thoughtful thus far and provided good examples throughout COVID. Lotthammer plans to ask for Citywide staff input and will then send the document to Commission members for review. IX. PETITIONS, REQUESTS, AND COMMUNICATION A. FITNESS OVERVIEW Verley introduced Fitness Supervisor Megan Munoz, who provided a brief background of her employment history since being hired at the Community Center in 2011. Munoz provided a virtual tour of the fitness floor through PowerPoint slides. She described how the equipment layout has been modified for limited capacity due to COVID restrictions. Safety measures established include a sanitation station, equipment being distanced, “not available for use” signage, and masks being required when patrons are not exercising. Enhanced cleaning procedures include a cleaning checklist performed every shift, and equipment and high-touch areas wiped down frequently by members and staff. Capacities in the fitness studios have been adjusted and distancing requirements of seven to twelve feet apart are marked on the floor with stickers. Other safety measures include masks must be worn until classes begin, latecomers and re-entry are not allowed, and participants must wipe down equipment before and after use. Outdoor classes are offered as frequently as possible. Classes are held outside the Community Center building and only members can attend. Class reservations are made by a reservation system via a mobile app or online schedule. Reservations may be made up to one week ahead, confirmation emails are sent, waitlists are established, and a no-show policy has been established. Fitness in the Parks, a successful free outdoor fitness option, was offered for the sixth year. Previously offered at different parks, this year all classes were only offered at the Staring Lake amphitheater. The program was featured on WCCO and Community Center Manager Verley was interviewed. If weather cooperates, the outdoor classes will be offered into October. Munoz described programs and partnerships including Bunny Yoga with the Rabbit Rescue of Minnesota and POUND for PROP during which food donations for PROP were accepted. Walk with Ease is a program developed this year by Munoz who applied for and received a grant through the Minnesota Department of Health and the Arthritis Foundation. This evidence-based, six-week program was PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October 5, 2020 Page 6 designed for people with arthritis but has proven beneficial to all participants. The program will be held each week at different Eden Prairie parks and will run September 21 through October 31. The classes are free for participants due to the grant. Munoz will collect data and report the findings to the Minnesota Department of Health. She stated the offering will meet the needs of people that previous programming may not have reached. Munoz stated Les Mills United, a special release of Les Mills formats, will be offered on October 10, as an alternative to Fall into Fitness. In addition, virtual fitness classes will be available through livestreaming and on-demand in the next few weeks. This virtual-only membership option will be offered as another way to entice suspended members to keep their memberships active. Chair Link suggested offering some type of outdoor competition to fulfill the social and goal-achieving needs of members. Munoz responded staff is currently considering a virtual marathon or 5K race. Verley thanked Munoz for being an amazing instructor and staff member and commended her creativity, especially during recent COVID-related initiatives. B. AQUATICS OVERVIEW Verley introduced Aquatics Supervisor Jasmine Ellingson who provided a PowerPoint presentation on COVID effects on the aquatics area. As soon as COVID restrictions went into effect, Staff needed to determine how to open City beaches safely and successfully with the guidance of the DNR (Department of Natural Resources), the Minnesota Health Department, the CDC (Center for Disease Control), and surrounding aquatics groups in the metropolitan area. Ellingson commended the aquatics’s phenomenal staff for being one of the only beaches in the metropolitan area to open as early as the City’s beaches did. For safety reasons, one point of entry was created at each of the City’s beaches located at Riley Lake Park and Round Lake Park. To make the six-foot rule more fun for patrons and to engage participants and younger students, staff connected two hula hoops together. Each beach had a check-in station at which a head lifeguard reviewed COVID policies, performed health screenings, provided sanitizer product, and answered questions before users were admitted. A capacity at each beach needed to be enforced at seventy-five people. Staff developed a check-in/check-out system for patrons by announcing openings via megaphone. Large orange plastic cones were used to safely separate parties on the beach. These new procedures were implemented to keep staff and patrons safe so the beaches could remain open. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October 5, 2020 Page 7 Swimming lessons started in July following American Red Cross, Minnesota Health Department, and CDC guidelines. The biggest change to provide lessons safely was to make class sizes approximately 50 percent smaller. A new teaching style was created with parents being required to be in the water with their child, an instructor physically demonstrating skills in the water, and another instructor outside the water verbally communicating the skills. Parents were asked for feedback almost daily. The new teaching style allowed parents to learn the role of instructor and to see their child’s progression the entire time. Instructors underwent extensive training to learn this new teaching technique and a new way to communicate with students. Ellingson again commended Staff for being creative and adaptable. Pool rentals began on June 8. The Foxjets swim team ran practices eight hours per day. In addition to following Minnesota Department of Health and CDC guidelines, Staff also needed to incorporate USA Swimming and Minnesota Swimming guidelines. A COVID preparedness plan was developed by staff members outlining policies. Each swim group created and signed their own COVID preparedness plans as well. Health screenings were performed by each user group prior to being allowed in the Community Center. A new rental support position was created to provide extensive cleaning and sanitizing before and after each rental group. No COVID cases were reported through rentals or staff. Due to American Red Cross restrictions, staff training for lifeguard and WSI (water safety instructor) positions could not be held until the end of July. Beach trainings were held with several adjustments. All trainings were performed by being socially distant and each staff member was consulted about his or her comfort level with real life saving. Lifeguard training resulted in ten new lifeguards being hired and WSI training resulted in sixteen new swim instructors being hired this summer. The addition of these employees allows for continued programming as more staff is needed during COVID to perform jobs safely. Ellingson stated even with all these obstacles, the summer was still considered a success. Staff adapted to the obstacles, performed their job duties safely, and provided important feedback and input. Verley commended Ellingson’s leadership, creativity, and problem-solving efforts. Cervantes also commended staff for their critical thinking, and ability to adapt and enforce safety guidelines. X. NEXT MEETING The next PRNR Commission meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, November 2, at 7 p.m. in the City Center Heritage Rooms. XI. ADJOURNMENT PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES October 5, 2020 Page 8 Motion: Spresser moved, seconded by Shah, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 7-0. Chair Link adjourned the meeting at 8:40 p.m.