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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 09/13/2021APPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION and SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 7:00 P.M. MAINTENANCE FACILITY Training Room, 15150 Technology Drive PRNR COMMISSION MEMBERS: Patrice Erickson, Chair; Cecilia Cervantes, Vice Chair; Kim Harris, Swati Kumar, Tom Poul, Ken Ross, Shanti Shah, Kirk Spresser, Ashley Young PRNR STUDENTS: Arie Cohen, Evan Lembke, Aditi Nadkarni, Joey Schommer, Kamal Yusuf, Maria Zeien SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION Aaron Poock, Chair; Priya Senthilkumaar, Vice MEMBERS: Chair; Jeanne DeSanctis, Debjyoti Dwivedy, Emily Eddy-Theis, Cindy Hoffman, Daniel Katzenberger, Jeff Nobleza SUSTAINABILITY STUDENTS: Julia Harris, Anna Maristela, Muthu Meenakshisundaram, Abi Rajasekaran, Augie Stukenborg, Amoligha Timma CITY STAFF: Jay Lotthammer, Parks and Recreation Director Lori Brink, Recreation Manager Matt Bourne, Parks and Natural Resources Manager Valerie Verley, Community Center Manager Jennifer Hassebroek, Sustainability Coordinator Lauren Stufft, Forestry Technician RECORDING SECRETARY: Jodie Fenske An optional Maintenance Building tour was offered at 6:30 p.m. PRNR Student Commission members met with Parks and Recreation Director Lotthammer at 6:30 p.m. PRNR Chair Erickson called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Community Center Manager Val Verley and Forestry Technician Lauren Stufft were absent. PRNR Commission Members Kumar, Ross, and Spresser were absent. PRNR Student Commission Members Aditi Nadkarni and Kamal Yusuf were absent. Sustainability Commission Members Senthilkumar, Dwivedy, Eddy-Theis, and Nobleza were absent. All Sustainability Student Commission members were present. I. INTRODUCTIONS All Staff, Commission members and Student representatives introduced themselves. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 13, 2021 Page 2 II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion: Shah moved, seconded by Cervantes, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried 10-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion: Poul moved, seconded by Young, to approve the July 12, 2021 PRNR Commission minutes as presented. Motion carried 6-0. Motion: Katzenberger moved, seconded by DeSanctis, to approve the August 10, 2021 Sustainability Commission minutes as presented. Motion carried 4-0. IV. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION Lotthammer reported on several actions recently taken by the City Council. A. DONATIONS Council adopted a Resolution accepting a donation in the amount of $1,000 from the International School of Minnesota to go toward the two-week PeopleFest! celebration. Council adopted a Resolution accepting a contribution in the amount of $1,000 for Arts in the Park from Xcel Energy ($500) and International School of Minnesota ($500). Council adopted a Resolution accepting a donation in the amount of $500 from the International School of Minnesota to go towards the Arbor Day event. Council adopted a Resolution accepting a donation in the amount of $500 from Presbyterian Homes/Flagstone Senior Living ($200) for the shredding truck event at the Senior Center and from Spark ($300) to go towards Senior Center transportation. Council adopted a Resolution accepting a donation of $5,000 from the Eden Prairie Crime Prevention Fund that was donated from Comcast to go towards Safety Camp. B. AGREEMENT WITH WSB FOR NESBITT PRESERVE SPLASH PAD Council authorized entering into a Professional Services Agreement with WSB for design services for the Nesbitt Preserve Park splash pad. The addition of a splash pad adjacent to the play area at Nesbitt Preserve Park has been planned in the Capital Improvement Plan for several years and will be installed in Spring 2022. Entering into this agreement allows for preliminary design and survey work. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 13, 2021 Page 3 Staff has worked with WSB on many other projects and recommends moving forward with this portion of the project. C. AGREEMENT WITH ISG FOR RILEY LAKE PARK PLAY AREA Council approved the Standard Agreement for Professional Services with ISG, Inc. for construction administration services for improvements to the Riley Lake Park playground. D. MRPA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR BOO DRIVE-THRU The Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) presented their Award of Excellence for the City’s 2020 Boo Drive Thru event. When it became certain the annual Halloween on the Mall event would not be possible during the pandemic of 2020, department staff designed a new way for the community to celebrate Halloween and for families to have a unique, fun, and safe experience together. The Boo Drive Thru was held at Miller Park during the afternoon of October 31 and featured a number of in-car activities around the park as well as a trick-or-treating zone where local businesses and organizations set up drive-by booths and delivered treats to participants through their car window. Many local businesses and nonprofit organizations came forward immediately when asked to participate. E. MRPA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR VIRTUAL MEMBERSHIP The City was also presented with MRPA’s Award of Excellence for the Community Center virtual membership. The planning phase of the virtual membership concept occurred in September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rigorous process included research, meetings with vendors, testing technical platforms, collaborating with IT, and soliciting fitness instructors’ input. The project had a tight timeframe due to hundreds of members coming off suspension on November 1. The second statewide shut down went into effect a couple of weeks after the program “went live.” It immediately drew more users to the site because they no longer had a facility to go to but could remain connected with the classes and instructors they had come to know and love. The virtual membership became the Community Center’s only means of delivering programming or producing revenue during the second statewide shut down. The virtual membership has continued post-pandemic and Community Center staff now have the ability to connect with members anywhere they have internet access. Offerings still include live-streaming classes and a catalog of on-demand classes that are continually updated. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 13, 2021 Page 4 F. RESOLUTION SUPPORTING EAGLE LAKE AND BRYANT LAKE TRAILS Council adopted a Resolution supporting the Three Rivers Park District’s Eagle Lake and Bryant Lake Regional Trails – Draft Master Plan. Parks and Natural Resources Manager Bourne participated in the technical overview of the plan. The portion of the trail within Eden Prairie is completely within Bryant Lake Park. Staff members have reviewed the plan and recommend supporting the project. G. HEALTHY TREE GRANT – AUTHORIZE SIGNATURE Council authorized Parks and Recreation Director Lotthammer to sign a Grant Agreement with Hennepin County for the Healthy Tree Canopy Grant which was recently awarded to the City. Staff submitted the grant application to help fund many of the City’s EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) management plan activities. V. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION VI. PETITIONS, REQUESTS, AND COMMUNICATION VII. NEW BUSINESS A. CLIMATE ACTION PLAN The City’s Sustainability Coordinator, Jennifer Hassebroek, explained the Climate Action Plan was passed in March 2020. The main goal of the plan is to eliminate communitywide emissions to net zero by the year 2050. She presented a PowerPoint display and provided a breakdown of current emissions and plans to achieve net zero by 2050. Hassebroek displayed a graph depicting actual emissions from 2005 through 2020 versus expected emissions if nothing changes until 2050 and how emissions would grow as the city grows. Since 2007, emissions have been reduced by twenty percent due to using more efficient equipment for electricity use and the electricity in homes is cleaner than ever before. Commercial and industrial properties are some of the biggest emitters in the City. A graph of electricity and natural gas emissions from those sectors indicated electricity emissions have dropped forty-eight percent from 2007 due to more efficient equipment and Xcel energy becoming increasingly cleaner due to renewable energy and other technologies. Natural gas emissions have stayed relatively flat as there is currently no way to produce renewable natural gas. Therefore, the City is researching additional electrification strategies in City buildings to promote more use of electricity and less use of natural gas. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 13, 2021 Page 5 Hassebroek displayed a graph detailing residential electricity and natural gas emissions which are showing the same trends as commercial use: electricity emissions are declining while natural gas emissions are heading upward as the City grows. The impact of Xcel changing how their electricity is generated has a massive impact on Citywide emissions and how quickly overall greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced. Currently, approximately forty percent of Xcel’s electricity comes from renewable or carbon-free resources. They are aiming for sixty percent by 2027, eighty percent by 2030, and ultimately one hundred percent carbon-free by 2050. Transportation and travel are other large greenhouse gas emitters in the City. Vehicle miles traveled per capita have stayed flat over the past five years. As vehicles have become more efficient and get better gas mileage, and more hybrid and electric vehicles have been added, emissions have shown a slight decrease over time. Hassebroek’s final slide in the Climate Action Plan presentation displayed a waste emissions graph indicating they have remained relatively flat and are a very small fraction of total emissions in the City. She explained the emissions can be lowered by reducing what goes into landfills by reusing and composting. B. SUSTAINABILITY BEST PRACTICES Hassebroek displayed another PowerPoint presentation to assist in providing information to the group regarding sustainability best practices in which the City participates. Encouragement actions include a Home Energy Squad visit and the Residential Action and Recognition program. Both programs encourage residents to take impactful actions. Regulatory actions are taken to influence public policy across the State. City staff have submitted comments to Xcel Energy’s Upper Midwest Integrated Resource Plan and provided comments and support to encourage the State legislature to change multi-family building codes to make them net zero sooner. The City also sent a letter of support to Clean Cars Minnesota to encourage low emissions standards for cars and to encourage making more electric vehicles available. Fleet upgrades at the City include a few plug-in electric vehicles and a variety of hybrid vehicles in the past few years. A fully electric Tesla was purchased for police fleet service in July 2021. Electric vehicles for police cruisers are being considered since they reduce life cycle emissions of the vehicle by eighty-one percent over a standard Dodge Charger. In addition, the lifecycle costs (to buy, own, use, and maintain a vehicle) initially indicated a $2,000 savings over the life PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 13, 2021 Page 6 of the electric vehicle versus a Dodge Charger. However, the actual cost could be over $10,000 over the life of the vehicle depending on gas prices. Public and City-use electric vehicle charging stations have been installed within the City. Hassebroek displayed a chart illustrating the City of Eden Prairie remains in fourth place since 2019 with other cities in the metro area regarding household electric vehicle registrations. Approximately 2.4 percent of Eden Prairie households currently own an electric vehicle. Charging stations were installed this summer at Staring Lake Park and Riley Lake Park. These are in addition to the existing Community Center and City Center stations which were installed years ago. A solar garden is being built on top of the Community Center building. Once the project is completed, residents will sign up and purchase a subscription to the solar garden for up to one hundred twenty percent of their household use. Utility bills will be paid by residents as usual; however, they will include a credit for the production of the solar garden. Over three hundred fifty households have signed up for one hundred fifty available registrations. Additional solar gardens are being considered within the City to meet the demand. Erickson inquired and Hassebroek responded the largest and best rooftops of City-owned facilities are already being used for solar energy. Potential future plans could include ground mounts on unused land parcels and landfill areas. A closed landfill across from the Flying Cloud Airport, located on land owned by the State, could be developed for solar use as part of a long-term project. The State recently performed a study of all closed landfills across Minnesota and evaluated them on area, size, proximity, interconnections, etc. The Eden Prairie landfill was ranked highest in the State for solar development. Organics recycling will be available to all City residents as of November 1. Interested parties will sign up through their waste hauler and organics will be collected at residences for composting. The City is developing a rebate program for residents who participate in organics recycling. A few Sustainability Commission members, who are also master recyclers, will be hosting an online workshop explaining organics recycling and composting. The event will be held on October 11 at 6:30 p.m. Sign-up is available through the Sustainable Eden Prairie section of the City’s website. The virtual workshop will also be recorded for interested parties to view later. A number of curbside and drop-off recycling events have been held, in addition to the annual recycling Drop-Off Day each June. These programs are held separately to help control long lines, and all events will continue in future. The City’s yard waste site is open for resident use. Fall 2021 will be the site’s first full fall operation. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 13, 2021 Page 7 Hassebroek displayed a graph illustrating Eden Prairie recycling rates compared to other cities in Hennepin County. Rates are based on pounds per household per year and the City performs well. The City offers an irrigation rebate program for residents who install a smart controller on their irrigation system. Approximately one hundred participants each year each receive a $175 rebate on their utility bill. The City Council encourages residents to participate in the Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. This past year, Eden Prairie received fourteenth place in the United States in its population category. A residential landscape rebate program is available for residents who install raingardens, pollinator projects, etc. Eighty percent of the cost of the landscape project, up to a $2,000 maximum, is made available through a grant. Hassebroek concluded her presentation by explaining education and outreach programs, including website updates, events, online workshops, which offer constant communication with residents. VIII. OLD BUSINESS IX. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR B. RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER 1. Public Art Installations. Brink presented PowerPoint slides of the City’s most recent public art installations over the summer and provided background on each exhibit. She began her presentation with the rotating art series which brings new public art to the community each year. “Birdscapes” at the Outdoor Center is a sculpture installation of five geese representing five different Minnesota habitats. “River Rapids” is a ground mural designed along the walking path at Staring Lake, from the park building to the playground. “First Person Plural (We)” at Purgatory Creek Park consists of eight-foot by eight-foot portraits of immigrants from various parts of the world currently residing in Eden Prairie. Harris inquired and Brink responded most rotating installations such as these stay up for approximately one year. Brink continued her presentation displaying slides and describing permanent public art installations within the City. These installations include the four Preserve Boulevard sculptures based on native grasses, the PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 13, 2021 Page 8 “Biodiversity and Belonging” mosaic installed outside the Staring Lake Park building, and the Minnesota River Vista Outlook mural. The Community Center is home to public art including the soaring eagle at the entrance, quilt block mosaic tiles near the entrance to the hockey rinks, and a donated bronze sculpture displayed at the entrance to the fitness center. A mural on the walls of the seating area in the aquatics center depicts water in different forms. The aquatics center donor wall consists of unique tiles stamped with donor names. The aquatics center is also home to a memorial mosaic piece in memory of Sydney Gallagher. Brink displayed slides illustrating weather-resistant wraps on City athletic storage and utility boxes. With grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Eden Prairie Community Foundation, the wraps serve as a canvas for artwork. Purgatory Creek Park is home to the Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial, at which sculptures are displayed as a tribute to all service men and women who have served or given their lives for our country. Brink also displayed pictures and described the artwork on the bridge piers as part of the South West Light Rail Transit project. Artists are currently being commissioned for art installations at the junction of Technology Drive and Prairie Center Drive, as part of a development agreement with Elevate Apartments. C. COMMUNITY CENTER MANAGER D. PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER 1. Urban Forestry Management Plan. Parks and Natural Resources Manager Bourne presented a draft of the City’s new Urban Forestry Management Plan for input from both commissions. He explained the plan includes a history of the management of trees in the City, current issues being faced, and needs into the future to address now to ensure the maintenance of a healthy urban forest. The first part of the plan describes the benefits of trees and why it is important to spend time and money to maintain the urban forest and why residents should continue to take care of trees on their private property. Some of the benefits include reducing storm water, helping combat the urban heat island effect, extending the life of streets, increasing home values, assisting with fighting crime, keeping residents healthier, creating jobs, sequestering carbon, and providing habitat for animals. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 13, 2021 Page 9 The plan also includes a history of the City’s urban forest and the City’s participation in the Tree City USA program, which is further described in Section 2 below. Eden Prairie was one of the first cities in the metro area to create a tree preservation ordinance as part of new development in the City. Eden Prairie was also one of the first cities to create a shade tree pest ordinance, originally managing Oak Wilt and Dutch Elm Disease and most recently, Emerald Ash Borer. Bourne explained a main goal of the management plan is how to diversify the urban forest so no more than five percent of any tree type is from the same genus in order to mitigate potential damages from current and future invasive species. Other goals to ensure long-term survival of trees include quality of planting stock, proper planting practices, planting locations, and planting in best use ways. Bourne invited input from all members from both Commissions as the plan is finalized in the coming months. 2. Sterling Tree USA Award. Tree City USA is a national recognition program founded in 1976 by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the United States Forest Service to bring awareness to communities about the value of trees, and the efforts their local government makes to plant and preserve trees. Participation in the program also gives cities resources for urban forest management. Eden Prairie has been a Tree City USA member since 1981. Participating for over thirty years, Eden Prairie is among the oldest members in Minnesota. In 2021, the City received the prestigious Sterling Award for its ten-year participation in their growth program. Eden Prairie is one of only six cities in the state to receive the award and the first since 2005. E. PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR 1. PRNR Work Plan. Lotthammer shared the updated 2021 work plan, noting topics will be added as the year progresses. Lotthammer invited Commission members to contact him with additional topics for October and future meetings. October PRNR topics will revolve around Community Center operations. An optional tour of the Community Center will be provided. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 13, 2021 Page 10 X. NEXT MEETINGS The next PRNR Commission meeting will be held on Monday, October 4 at 7 p.m., in the Cambria Room at the Community Center. The next Sustainability Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 12 at 7 p.m., in the Heritage Rooms at City Center. XI. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Shah moved, seconded by Young, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 10-0. Chair Erickson adjourned the meeting at 8:28 p.m.