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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 01/03/2023 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP & OPEN PODIUM TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2023 CITY CENTER 5:00 – 6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOMS 6:30 – 7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Ron Case, Council Members Kathy Nelson, Mark Freiberg, PG Narayanan, and Lisa Toomey CITY STAFF: City Manager Rick Getschow, Police Chief Matthew Sackett, Fire Chief Scott Gerber, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Julie Klima, Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, Administrative Services/HR Director Alecia Rose, Communications Manager Joyce Lorenz, City Attorney Maggie Neuville, and Recorder Kelsey Engelen Workshop - Heritage Rooms I and II (5:30) I. COMMISSION WORK PLANS City Manager Getschow began by explaining the presence of the six Commissions at the first three Council Workshops of the year, providing them an opportunity to outline their accomplishments from the past year and touch on future projects and goals. Getschow introduced the chairs of the two Commissions in attendance, Rod Fisher, chair of Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC); and Patrice Erickson, chair of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission (PRNRC) who could not make it due to the Snow Event taking place. A. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION Parks and Recreation Director, and PRNRC Liaison Jay Lotthammer, opened by calling attention to the great work of the long-time Chair Patrice Erickson, and Vice Chair Cecelia Cervantes, and noted the positive impact and solid attendance of the other members. He also praised the work of the seven student representatives, specifically noting that a few individuals had a very high level of participation, and the desire to continue encouraging their involvement and perspectives. Lotthammer first discussed the Commission’s analysis of the Eden Prairie Cemetery, assisting staff with operating procedures and the recommendation to Council to accept and take on the cemetery. At least every other year, Lotthammer stated, they explain the history of the Deer Management Program to Commissioners before entering a new contract with the USDA. City Council Workshop Minutes January 3, 2023 Page 2 Lotthammer noted the program has prompted little reaction from the public, stating that it is not the controversial topic it was fifteen years ago due to increased education on the program’s purpose and outcomes. Lotthammer pointed out that much of what is done in the commission is educate commissioners on how and why things are done so that when their input and ideas are required, they have the background needed to assist and provide educated contributions. The design and selection of equipment for playground replacement has been another regular roll of the PRNRC. Lotthammer explained the process of bringing in vendors to present concepts and engaging with commission members to provide feedback in order to narrow down and ultimately select a unique design curated to each park. Lotthammer explained that most equipment can last 15 to 16 years before being replaced and the City typically replaces playground equipment in two parks each year. In 2022, the playground equipment was replaced at Wyndham Knoll Park and Prairie East Park Lotthammer expressed the Commission’s pride in the work they do and listed the Reader’s Choice Awards received for the Eden Prairie Community Center for Best Recreation Center, and Round Lake Splash Pad for Best Outdoor Waterpark/Splash Pad. The PRNRC occasionally holds joint meetings with other commissions, and Lotthammer specifically called out the work done in conjunction with HPC along with Facilities Department and Parks and Natural Resources Division to provide a detailed look at recent and upcoming efforts at each historic property to draw attention to any specific goals or funding that may be needed. Lotthammer moved on to discuss the ongoing project with the historical Flying Red Horse. Lotthammer stated that an architect has been hired and plans are being built for what the base looks like as well as the surrounding groundcover, bench scenario, site location and other architectural details. Acquisition of the land could take place this June, with the hopes that the sign will be restored, and work could start as early as June or during this construction season. Discussion ensued regarding the placement, design, and location of the Flying Red Horse. Lotthammer touted the success of community pop-up events that brought programs to large numbers of community members. These events focused on access and outreach and partnered with the Police and Fire Departments. Many of the PRNRC’s accomplishments overlap with that of the Parks and Recreation Department which are highlighted and documented in the department’s Annual Report. City Council Workshop Minutes January 3, 2023 Page 3 To build understanding and educate on policies, procedures, and fees, the Commission toured the remodeled Senior Center and received a presentation from City Senior Center staff on how the facility runs and the activities and programming of which staff is very proud. PRNRC also went over shade tree pest control and the responsibilities of the Forestry staff to bring the commissioners up to speed on the major impacts from emerald ash borer. Lotthammer talked about the Commission’s visit to the Eden Prairie Outdoor Center, again aligning with the emphasis of building an understanding of the many aspects of the Parks and Recreation Department. Between the historic building and the wide range of activities and programs within the grounds, there was a lot to learn about the Outdoor Center. Every year the Parks Department likes to organize a Bus Tour for the PRNRC to visit many different locations across the city. This year’s tour highlighted public art installations and the amenities at each location. With a huge number of potential stops, emphasis was placed on upcoming, ongoing, and recently completed projects. Next, Lotthammer touched on various presentations from knowledgeable staff that offered specific understanding of internal operations. A presentation on Staring Lake Park detailed the large park’s abundance of amenities, the programming that takes place, and the intentional facility design. A presentation on Parks and Facility Rentals provided context and understanding of use, costs, and future developments. An in-depth presentation on the Community Center provided information on fees, charges, and membership updates and the progression of bouncing back from Covid. It also provided an opportunity for feedback from Commissioners regarding policies of the facility. Lotthammer discussed the various ways in which PRNRC members were able to influence the aesthetics and layout of the Round Lake Park Building, and ultimately recommend to Council to move forward with the project when they felt satisfied with the architect’s design. The final PRNRC meeting of the year entailed hearing from theater and community band representatives. Lotthammer applauded what great ambassadors volunteer in the community band and praised their inclusiveness and pride in their group. Case thanked Lotthammer and the PRNRC for everything they do and noted the heighted visibility of the commission based on programs and physical locations. B. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION Rod Fisher himself as the Chair of the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC), this being his first term on a City Commission. Fisher explained the mission statement of the HPC as the stewardship and preservation of what we see as our heritage and history. City Council Workshop Minutes January 3, 2023 Page 4 Fisher discussed the Commission’s members, noting the strengths of new and seasoned commissioners including Paul Thorp and Bob Bowes who are also members of the Eden Prairie Historical Society, Beth Novak-Krebs who has been an excellent City Staff Liaison, and the positive involvement of the student members. Fisher began overviewing HPC’s accomplishments in 2022 by mentioning Bob Bowes’ attendance at the Preserve MN Conference, and HPC’s participation in joint meeting with the Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Commission to discuss the historic properties managed by the City. The Commission also had joint meetings with the Eden Prairie Historical Society, participated in City events like the City-wide Open House, and provided tours of the Dorenkemper House during the Harvest to Halloween event. The Commission worked on several projects in 2022 that Fisher went on to summarize. HPC reviewed and recommended approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for exterior work at the Birchwood Cabin at Camp Eden Wood. Fisher noted the ongoing work at Camp Eden Wood to maintain the functionality of the site. Fisher mentioned the collaboration and the Historical Society and the City’s IT staff on improving the user-friendliness of the heritage preservation website and exploring the use of social media to increase public education and involvement. This will be an ongoing project in 2023 as well. Fisher also touched on developing a space to host oral histories. Next, Fisher drew attention to the projects that specifically work with diversity in Eden Prairie’s history. Fisher showed excitement for a shared interest in the Commission for reaching beyond the settlers who came to the area in the 1850s-1870s. He explained that the focus on pre-settlement, native history is inherently difficult due to lack of artifacts and known history, but that the Dakota Indians lived in the area for centuries before European settlers. HPC has been working to research and explore ideas for projects that will incorporate more native history and diversity into the story of Eden Prairie. Fisher briefly mentioned HPC’s discussion of options for design of the Flying Red Horse site, as this was already discussed during PRNRC’s presentation. To wrap up HPC’s 2022 projects, Fisher discussed a project called Reflections which HPC has launched. The project focuses on the 1968 Comprehensive Plan which was the first major urban plan for the city. While individuals are still around who participated in the building of the plan, the goal is to interview those individuals in order to understand how the plan shaped the City. Moving into HPC’s 2023 Work Plan, Fisher outlined the year’s goals relating to the Reflections project. The commission will complete interviews for the project, transcribe and edit the interviews, and add them to the Eden Prairie Has Tales to Tell webpage. City Council Workshop Minutes January 3, 2023 Page 5 Fisher stated that HPC plans to partner with Parks and Recreation on organizing a Farmer’s Market near the Dorenkemper House. Mayor Case asked if there are additional plans or visions for the future regarding the Dorenkemper House. Discussion ensued about the wide- ranging possibilities for the future of the site and use of the historic building. In a creative effort to engage student commissioners who only serve one-year terms, Fisher discussed the plan to have the students review SHPO’s Statewide Training Manual and report back to the Commission. Fisher went on to mention that HPC will continue to pursue local designation for the old depot site which has very few artifacts remaining of the original depot. Another item on the 2023 agenda for HPC is working with City staff to preserve and index the perhaps 200 years of cemetery records held by the Historical Society and make those records available to the public. Lastly, Fisher touched on participation in 2023 in joint meetings with other commissions, especially PRNRC, and the Historical Society, and participate in the Citywide Open House and the Harvest to Halloween events as they have done in the past. Mayor Case thanked Fisher and the rest of the Commission for their work and concluded the meeting. Open Podium - Council Chamber (6:30) II. OPEN PODIUM III. ADJOURNMENT