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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 07/06/2020APPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 7:00 P.M. CITY CENTER Heritage Rooms PRNR COMMISSION MEMBERS: Larry Link, Chair; Patrice Erickson, Vice Chair; Cecilia Cervantes, Kim Harris, Andrew McGlasson, Tom Poul, Ken Ross, Shanti Shah, Kirk Spresser CITY STAFF: Jay Lotthammer, Parks and Recreation Director Lori Brink, Recreation Manager Matt Bourne, Parks and Natural Resources Manager Valerie Verley, Community Center Manager RECORDING SECRETARY: Jodie Fenske I. INTRODUCTIONS Vice Chair Erickson called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. Roll call was taken. Chair Link was absent. All Staff Members were present. Vice Chair Erickson and Commission Member Cervantes participated via conference call. All Commission Members and Staff introduced themselves and provided a brief background. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion: Spresser moved, seconded by McGlasson, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried 8-0. III. APPROVAL OF PRNR MINUTES Motion: McGlasson moved, seconded by Ross, to approve the June 1, 2020 minutes as presented. Motion carried 8-0. IV. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION Lotthammer reported no new PRNR topics were discussed at the most recent Council meeting on June 16, which was the first in-person Council meeting since virtual meetings started on April 21, 2020. At the next in-person Council meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, Lotthammer expects Council to discuss at least one PRNR related topic and to accept donations. V. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES July 6, 2020 Page 2 VI. PETITIONS, REQUESTS, AND COMMUNICATION VII. NEW BUSINESS VIII. OLD BUSINESS A. COVID-19 PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES UPDATE Lotthammer asked Parks and Natural Resources Manager Bourne, Recreation Manager Brink, and Community Center Manager Verley to provide updates on their respective divisions since they last did so at the June 1 PRNR Commission meeting. Bourne stated the Parks Maintenance division has been the least impacted by COVID-19. Preventive maintenance, mowing, etc. still need to be done and contracts for construction projects are in place and being completed. The focus has been on performing routine maintenance while keeping staff separated, i.e., one person per vehicle at a time. Since athletics will be starting soon, Staff has been preparing soccer and baseball fields. Preventive maintenance of playground equipment and hard-court surfaces has been performed to keep users safe. Spresser inquired if Staff has been able to get ahead on any projects. Bourne responded some projects originally scheduled for late July/August were moved up and completed earlier, such as aerification, irrigation maintenance, and fertilizer application. Harris inquired when people can start using the fields again. Bourne responded the fields have remained open for casual play. Youth athletic associations have recently been allowed to hold practices and clinics. Inter-City games will begin next week and games against other cities will begin at the end of July. Lotthammer reported all associations were required to submit a COVID plan. He noted all plans were thoroughly completed and the associations are following through and taking the plans seriously. Brink explained how Staff redesigned and scaled back summer programming based on what could be offered safely. Community members and parents were invited to take part in a survey. Staff then rebuilt programs based on the survey results. Registration for these summer programs began in late June, with most of the programs starting next week. Full-day youth programs in the parks have been canceled and replaced with morning or afternoon camps at five sites throughout the City. None of the camps are full at this time. Sports programs have been greatly reduced and condensed. Group and private tennis lessons are popular, as well as other classes that can be held outside such as archery, karate, and parent-child preschool soccer. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES July 6, 2020 Page 3 Art Center programming consists of a few small youth classes, parent-child classes, and some adult offerings. Classes will be held only in the main area where social distancing can take place. The Outdoor Center will offer a small number of programs and most will be held outdoors. Fishing classes are popular, and the piers will be closed to the public during class times. The learning garden will be used for parent-child gardening classes, butterfly tagging, etc. The community is actively using the Outdoor Center area trails, play structure, and fishing pier. Adult softball and sand volleyball leagues started this week with new protocols and safety measures. The outdoor concert series is starting this week with blocks/sections in which people can sit at the Staring Lake Amphitheater. Concerts will be held Thursday, Friday, and Sunday nights, as well as Tuesday mornings for kids. Concessions will not be served. Ushers will efficiently assist people in finding seats and moving them out afterward. Movies in the park will take place on Friday nights in August if the concert series goes well. PeopleFest will be primarily virtual this year. The online platform will allow viewers to “visit” booths and “see” featured artists. One in-person event will take place on Friday, July 31, at 7 p.m. The Native Pride Arts group will perform drumming and dancing at the Staring Lake Amphitheater. The Human Rights and Diversity Commission is drafting a land acknowledgement for that evening to kick off PeopleFest. The annual Arts in the Park event is typically 30-40 artists at Purgatory Creek Park with live music, kids’ activities, food, and drinks. This year’s event, on Saturday, August 22, will be more of an art market with 20 artists spread out significantly and no additional food or entertainment vendors. Ross inquired if any decisions have been made about fall events. Brink responded no decisions have been made yet but Staff city-wide are currently working on what September-October may look like. Brink also stated she estimates the Senior Center will remain closed for the timebeing in consideration of the health of the City’s older adults. Verley reported on significant changes at the Community Center since her last update on June 1, which is the same day the facility re-opened. Phase 3 of the Governor’s Stay Safe order allows the Community Center to operate the main fitness area at 25% capacity and the aquatics area at 50% capacity. Fitness classes were incorporated a week after re-opening and Fitness in the Parks is also currently being held. The lap pool was first offered to the Foxjets youth swim club but has since been opened for lap swim by preregistration only. Locker rooms are open and only every third locker is available for use to keep users separated. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES July 6, 2020 Page 4 Rink 2 recently opened, and Rink 1 will open this Thursday, at which time all three rinks will be available. Youth have previously been allowed on the ice and now adult offerings are available as well. Preregistration is required for lap swimming (one swimmer per lane) and a half- hour gap is built in between reservations. Lap swim times have booked quickly and frequently. Since water fitness classes have been added, they have become some of the most attended classes available. Open swim was added recently and open skate will be offered at the end of the week. Swim lessons and open gym will begin on July 13. Amenities have been brought back slowly and strategically. Staff calculated approximately 70 members would bring the fitness area to 25% capacity. Users check in with an app on an iPad at the front desk so Staff can track capacity. Headcounts and extra controls need to be in place to keep everyone safe. The number of visits to the fitness area are at approximately 20-25% compared with 2019. Concessions and childcare are not available yet. Email communication with members occurs weekly. Members were not charged for June dues as a goodwill gesture since March dues were collected and then the facility needed to close mid-March. Active members were not charged July dues. Verley asked for Commission input on charging for August dues. Three scenarios are currently being considered: 1) charge full membership for August, knowing some members will cancel; 2) charge 50% of normal dues; or 3) not charge for August but start charging in September. Spresser suggested charging in full for August but offering members an option to suspend for free rather than canceling, considering it is difficult to get a member back once they leave. He suggested making an announcement the facility is open with precautions and at a limited capacity with almost all amenities and charge only 75% of the normal dues. Harris suggested waiting until September to charge since decisions about schools opening will not be made until the end of July. Poul suggested charging a nominal suspension fee. Lotthammer thanked the Commission for their input and stated the next step is for he and Verley to meet with the City’s Finance Manager and City Manager this week to consider options and input provided tonight. A decision for August dues needs to be made soon since memberships need to be set up for auto debit in the system by mid-July. Ross inquired if the two latest announcements by the Minnesota Health Commissioner strongly suggesting masks be worn indoors would present a challenge at the Community Center. Verley stated the City is not mandating members or staff wear masks unless they move beyond the plexiglass shields or PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES July 6, 2020 Page 5 cannot socially distance. In those cases, masks are mandated. Additional outdoor fitness classes are being added and will be publicized. Spresser inquired what the protocol is if a user or employee of the Community Center contracts COVID. Verley responded the fitness and pool areas are currently open to members only. Staff would be able to track the day and time the COVID- positive member was in the facility and contact other members there at the same time. If a hockey or swim athlete or coach tested positive, Staff would assist the team in contacting others on the team. If an employee tested positive, Staff would contact anyone who checked in during the COVID-positive employee’s shift. Verley has been in touch with the manager of the Williston Fitness Center in order to brainstorm and share ideas. She also participates in calls with 25-30 other municipality community centers in the metro area. Lotthammer stated it takes more staff hours to manage the facility at 20-25% capacity than operating normally, due to phone calls, emails, and in-person questions. Even though the information is provided on signage, in emails, and online, it is an unsure and changing environment. Ross inquired if childcare could be opened in a safe manner if schools do not reopen in the fall. Suggestions included scheduling childcare times or using the dome or other outdoor areas for youth classes in September/October. IX. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. PARKS AND RECREATION EXPERIENCES Staff and Commission members shared recent parks and recreation related experiences. Erickson stated she has seen lots of people in the parks. Lotthammer added the parks and other outdoor areas are experiencing record use. Cervantes said the virtual July 4 Hometown Celebration video was very well done. She commended Lotthammer and other Staff who put it together as she found it positive and cheerful. Lotthammer commended Brink’s chalk art idea and confirmed its success. Spresser has visited Riley Lake Park several times recently and stated the new changing rooms and umbrellas over the picnic areas are great. Only one time did he notice a line of people waiting to use the new changing rooms. He was happy to see park users social distancing. McGlasson appreciates the City’s bike paths and sees lots of people taking advantage of them. Ross stated the “Let’s Go Fishing” program has been canceled for the season, but staff continues to be trained. Poul observed softball and baseball games taking place at Miller Park. He was surprised to see spectators close together and not many wearing masks. Erickson advised the Conservation PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES July 6, 2020 Page 6 Commission recently changed its name to the Sustainability Commission. Shah inquired about the City’s process for acquiring new park land. Lotthammer responded the City considers the newly built Cedar Hills Park its last new neighborhood park. At this stage of the City’s development, there are no plans for taking or purchasing land for parks. Lotthammer invited anyone with questions to contact him. Spresser commended PRNR staff on their reaction and efforts in these unprecedented times. Lotthammer stated Staff has felt support from the Commission, Council, and community. He also commended PRNR staff and other City department heads for coming together to make City-wide decisions. B. RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER 1. Virtual July 4th Recap. Brink reported Staff received over 100 entries in the chalk art contest. Management from Castle Ridge Senior Living requested City Staff assist residents in creating chalk art. One winner was chosen from each of the six categories. Red’s Savoy Pizza proactively contacted the City to donate pizzas as prizes and two firetrucks delivered pizzas to the winners. C. COMMUNITY CENTER MANAGER D. PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER 1. Park Projects. Bourne presented a PowerPoint presentation explaining updates to park projects. Playground equipment replacements are underway at Crestwood and Franlo Parks. The equipment at Crestwood Park has been completely installed. Drain tiles and wood fiber mulch will be laid soon and the playground should open in the next few weeks. The installation crew is now working on installing the new playground equipment at Franlo Park and it should be open shortly after Crestwood Park. Asphalt work and green area improvements have been made at the Miller Park Field 11 plaza and parking lot. A permanent shade structure will be installed over the picnic tables on the concrete pad. The parking lot will also be completed in the near future. Upgrades to Round Lake Stadium included the addition of concrete in front of the dugouts, along the walkways, and around home plate. Rubber surfacing will be installed after the concrete has cured. Additional fencing in front of the dugouts was installed for safety reasons. The cost of these improvements was split in thirds and paid for by the City, Eden Prairie School District, and the Eden Prairie Baseball Association. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES July 6, 2020 Page 7 Hard court resurfacing was completed at Creekwood and Rice Marsh Lake Parks. The courts at both parks will be color coded, lined, and opened in the next few weeks. A new sidewalk was installed along Anderson Lakes Parkway from Carmody Drive down to the trail, at the request of residents in the neighborhood on the north side of Anderson Lakes Parkway for a safer route to Oak Point Elementary School. Staff considered a bridge improvement or replacement, but it was deemed too costly. This new sidewalk provides a safe alternative. The columbarium has been installed at Pleasant Hill Cemetery and the first interment took place on Thursday, July 2. Ten niches in the columbarium have already been sold. Riley Lake Park changing rooms have been enlarged and benches were added. Cost savings were experienced as the work was performed by in- house Staff. Riley Creek Conservation Area Trail Connection was completed to make a connection to the nature trails on the west side of the creek. This project has been on hold for years until the Riley-Purgatory-Bluff Creek Watershed District work was completed. Bourne stated he has received positive feedback, especially from residents on the east side of the creek. E. PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR 1. 2020 PRNR Work Plan. Lotthammer stated the remaining months of the 2020 work plan are still being developed and invited all Commission members to contact him with ideas or suggestions. He also provided a copy of the 2019 Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation Annual Report. X. NEXT MEETING The next PRNR Meeting will be held on Monday, August 3, at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Rooms at City Center. XI. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Spresser moved, seconded by Shah, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 8-0. Vice Chair Erickson adjourned the meeting at 8:54 p.m.