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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRNR Commission - 08/04/2025AGENDA PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2025 7:00 p.m. Eden Prairie Community Center, Cambria Room 16700 Valley View Road PRNR COMMISSION MEMBERS: Patrice Erickson, Chair; Pedro Curry, Vice Chair; Cecilia Cervantes, Duane Hookom, Annie Klodd, Jennifer Meyer, Kirk Spresser, Shanti Shah, Sana Elassar, Lisa Nichols, Giridhar Kuppili PRNR STUDENT REPRES.: N/A CITY STAFF: Amy Markle, Parks & Recreation Director Jana Graczyk, Recreation Services Manager Matt Bourne, Parks & Natural Resources Manager Gamiel Hall, Community Center Manager Nick Remmes, Aquatics Supervisor RECORDING SECRETARY: Sarah Resemius I. APPROVAL OF AGENDA II. APPROVAL OF PRNR MINUTES – June 2, 2025 III. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION IV. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION V. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATION VI. NEW BUSINESS VII. OLD BUSINESS VIII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION & STAFF A. City Manager/Parks and Recreation Director 1. New Commissioner and Student Orientation B. Recreation Services Manager 1. N/A C. Community Center Manager 1. Aquatics Overview and Tour D. Parks and Natural Resources Manager 1. Homeward Hills Playground Renovation E. Parks & Recreation Experiences Share your experiences of past events, park/building visits, news articles, etc. IX. NEXT MEETING PRNR: September 8, Heritage Rooms at City Center, TBD X. ADJOURNMENT PRNR Commission Purpose Statement: PRNR COMMISSION PURPOSE STATEMENT Act in an advisory capacity to the City on matters of leisure services, recreation programming, and development and use of parks and recreation facilities supported by the general public. • Enlist the support of organizations and individuals in providing City parks and recreation facilities and activities. • Provide input to staff in the promotion of awareness and use of recreation facilities and activities by community organizations and individuals. • Provide input to staff on park plans including the site development and facility modifications and/or improvement program. • Provide input to staff on park and recreation facility use. • Provide input to staff on leisure programs and activities. • Provide input to staff to ensure the inventory, preservation, and management of natural resources. • UNAPPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2025 6:30 P.M. Tour of Maintenance Facility (optional) 7:00 P.M. Eden Prairie Maintenance Facility 15150 Technology Drive, EP PRNR COMMISSION MEMBERS: Patrice Erickson, Chair; Pedro Curry, Vice Chair; Cecilia Cervantes, Duane Hookom, Annie Klodd, Jennifer Meyer, Kirk Spresser, Shanti Shah, Sana Elassar, Lisa Nichols, Giridhar Kuppili CITY STAFF: Amy Markle, Parks & Recreation Director Lori Brink, Recreation Manager Matt Bourne, Parks & Natural Resources Manager Gamiel Hall, Community Center Manager RECORDING SECRETARY: Sarah Resemius Parks & Recreation Director Markle introduced Gamiel Hall, the new Community Center Manager. Chair Erickson called the meeting to order at 7:03 PM. Commissioner Elassar was absent. I. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion: Commissioner Cervantes moved, seconded by Commissioner Klodd, to approve the agenda with no amendments. Motion carried 6-0. II. APPROVAL OF PRNR MINUTES – April 7, 2025 Motion: Commissioner Spresser moved, seconded by Commissioner Hookom, to approve the April 7, 2025 Commission Minutes. Motion carried 6-0. III. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION Director Markle reported on City Council action for May, and stated that the City Council has been busy. The City Council issued a proclamation that May 2025 was Senior Awareness Month. Eden Prairie’s Senior Council from the Senior Center accepted the proclamation. The City Council approved a trail sidewalk on Valley View Road. Additionally, there was an agreement with a contractor to install a fence at the playground at Miller Park. After the installation, the playground will be completely fenced in. At Carmel Park, we have a court rehabilitation project including 2 tennis courts and 1 basketball court. The Friends of Eden Prairie Parks presented to the City Council, highlighting the growth in volunteers and work they have been doing related to invasive species pulls. The City Council also did a work session on e-bikes. More people have been using them, so we want to work with our bike vendors to ensure the e-bikes are used safely. For example, keeping to safe speeds and ensuring that riders are 15 years old or older. We will be continuing to monitor e-bike usage this summer and report back to the City Council in the fall. Parks & Recreation will be placing signage on e-bike use at key junctures in our public trail system. We will be working with Public Safety to table at events, educate, and spread information. We did our Community Bike Day out at the preserve. We had a change order for Miller Park, to make sure that we have enough funds to pay for the ponds adjacent to the courts. We also were awarded a contract for plantings for an erosion control project show that we are hopeful to show at our parks tour next month. Commissioner Spresser inquired what the rules of the road are for e-bikes. Director Markle responded that the same rules that apply to regular bikes apply to e-bikes. The use of helmets, notifying people that bike or e-bike users are passing on a given side, and using controlled speeds are all strongly recommended. Commissioner Spresser asked if the rule regulating motorized vehicles applies to e-bikes. Parks & Natural Resources Manager Bourne answered that the rule does not apply to e-bikes. Director Markle shared that we have been seeing an increase in moto- bikes, which are motorized and do not have pedals. They are neither an e-bike nor a motorcycle. These moto-bikes are subject to the rule regulating motorized vehicles. There has been coverage in the media, including the Star Tribune, talking about this. IV. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION N/A V. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATION N/A VI. NEW BUSINESS N/A VII. OLD BUSINESS N/A I. REPORTS OF COMMISSION & STAFF A. City Manager/Parks and Recreation Director 1. Quality of Life 2024 Survey Results • City Manager Rick Getschow presented the results from Eden Prairie’s 2024 Quality of Life Survey. • Percentages listed in the survey results denote the percentage or residents who responded “excellent” or “good”. Survey Methodology • The survey includes a third party’s information and research. It is the third party’s survey methodology used in Eden Prairie. We pay approximately $30,000 every 2 years for this information. Other surveys are conducted throughout the year, but they are not statistically significant. Our 2-year budget process begins with our survey process. This survey pertains to our 2026-2027 budget. This survey was mailed out after the election in 2024. Citizens were surveyed from December 2024 through January 2025. • The survey was mailed out to a randomly selected group of households. • We received 483 responses, with a 19% overall response rate. • The non-probability, open-participation survey received 842 responses. • Total responses: 1,325 (1,168 in 2023). • It is the 10th time conducting the Eden Prairie Quality of Life Survey. • Previous iterations occurred in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023. • 95% confidence interval with a +/-3% margin of error. • Commissioner Spresser asked if the demographics of the survey reflect Eden Prairie’s changing demographics. Getschow responded that the results do reflect this, and that the results are weighted by demographic points including income, race, and age. Key Findings • Eden Prairie is a highly desirable place to live • Data that supports: 9/10 survey respondents gave excellent or good ratings to: • Overall quality of life in Eden Prairie • Eden Prairie as a place to live • Your neighborhood as a place to live • Eden Prairie as a place to raise children • Eden Prairie as a place to work • 8/10 survey respondents gave excellent or good ratings to: • Plan to remain in Eden Prairie for the next 5 years • Would recommend conducting business in Eden Prairie • Would recommend visiting Eden Prairie • We received 7/10 survey results on visiting Eden Prairie. However, we are not aiming to specifically become a visitor destination. • Safety • Your neighborhood: 95% • Parks and open space: 92% • Paths or walking trails: 91% • Eden Prairie Center mall: 89% • Retail parking lots: 87% • Top Features of Eden Prairie • What one thing do you like most, if anything, about living in Eden Prairie? (This question was open-ended). • Top results: • Parks and trails/recreation centers • Convenient location, proximity to jobs/friends/family • Open spaces and nature/wildlife, quiet/peaceful • Residents praise the quality and availability of City services • Minnesota cities do really well compared to national survey results. • Safety Services in Eden Prairie • Fire services: 97% • Hennepin Healthcare EMS (ambulance) Response Time: 95% • Police services: 94% • Out of all cities surveyed, Eden Prairie was 3rd highest. • Crime prevention: 89% • Emergency management: 89% • Non-Safety Related City Services • Park maintenance: 93% • Water and sewer services: 90% • Trail maintenance: 90% • Recreation centers and facilities: 88% • Recreation services (programs, classes): 88% • Preservation of natural areas: 88% • City streets as a whole: 87% • Commissioner Spresser asked if the increase in our city streets metric is related to any specific action the City has taken. City Manager Getschow responded that we are doing $5-7 million of street repair per year, and we feel this shows. • Commissioner Klodd expressed that they are surprised that the results related to natural areas and recreation centers are as low as they are. Getschow responded that residents may not have experienced other cities for comparison. Commissioner Spresser and Commissioner Nichols expressed that a lack of awareness may contribute to the fact that the scores are not higher. Getschow stated that there is a trend that statistically based on the survey results, the longer residents have lived in Eden Prairie the higher they rate it. • Customer Service in Eden Prairie • Residents report positive interactions with City employees. • Courtesy: 93% • Knowledge: 92% • Responsiveness: 91% • Overall customer service: 89% • Follow-up (got back to you or took action): 85% • Sustainability in Eden Prairie • Our sustainability commission spent a significant amount of time going over these survey results. • Many questions on these surveys are meant to broadly target any city; however, the sustainability questions were specifically targeted at residents of Eden Prairie. • Residents continue to list the availability of shopping and dining as an area they would like to see further development. • Other areas for improvement include traffic issues such as congestion, signal timing, and speeding. • City Manager Getschow expressed that some of the concern surrounding traffic may pertain to state highways, rather than local roads. Commissioner Spresser asked if the intersection of 4 and 5 is considered a state highway. Getschow responded that they are considered a state highway and a county road, respectively; and, that there is a potential plan for development where 5 will be elevated above 4 to reduce congestion. • Familiarity with Eden Prairie Events (How familiar are you with each of the following events in Eden Prairie?) • 4th of July Hometown Celebration: 86% • Staring Lake Summer Concert Series: 85% • Arts in the Park: 83% • Movies in the Park: 75% • Eden Prairie Night to Unite: 71% • Community theater productions: 69% • Citywide Open House: 58% • PeopleFest!: 54% • Harvest to Halloween at the Barn: 53% • Use of Parks and Rec Amenities (Responses reflect percent of respondents who used the amenity at least once in the last 12 months) • Large community parks: 91% • Smaller neighborhood parks: 88% • Community Center: 67% • Staring Lake Amphitheatre: 54% • Richard T. Anderson Conservation Area: 41% • Outdoor Center: 40% • Art Center: 21% • Senior Center: 21% • Staring Lake Observatory: 17% Comparisons • Survey results can be compared to previous Eden Prairie results, or other locations around the state • Highs and Lows • Out of the data points included in the survey: • 80 received higher ratings (75% or more excellent or good) • 20 received mid ratings (50-74% excellent or good) • 2 received lower ratings (50% or less excellent or good) • Highest Scoring Survey Items • Overall Quality of City • Governance • Feelings of Safety • Safety Services • Parks and Recreation • Natural Environment • Lowest Scoring Survey Items • Sense of community • Assessing services • Opportunities for residents to provide input into City decision-making • Traffic signal timing • Value of City services considering the property taxes you pay • Availability of affordable quality mental health care • Ease of travel by public transportation in Eden Prairie • Availability of affordable quality housing • Affordable housing is one of the lowest-rated questions, going from 60% 10 years ago to 40% this year. • Comparisons to National, Regional, and State Benchmarks • Areas where Eden Prairie Exceeds Benchmarks in All Comparison Groups • Cleanliness of Eden Prairie • Overall appearance of Eden Prairie • Public places where people want to spend time • Preservation of natural areas such as open space, parklands and wetlands • Availability of paths and walking trails • Fitness opportunities • Recreational opportunities • Recreation centers or facilities • Senior programs and services • Ease of public parking • Street repair • City planning services • Police services • Crime prevention • Areas where Eden Prairie Scores Much Greater than Benchmark • Overall ease of getting to the places that you usually have to visit • Overall opportunities for education and enrichment • Ease of public parking • Street repair • City planning services • Preservation of natural areas such as open space, parklands and wetlands • Street repair • Senior programs and services • National Benchmarks: Areas where Eden Prairie Scored in Top 10 • Compared to 300+ High-Performing Jurisdictions, Eden Prairie ranked: • #2 in city planning services • #3 in police services • #4 in street sweeping on City streets • #4 in preservation of natural areas such as open space, parklands and wetlands • #5 in overall ease of getting to the places you usually have to visit • #5 in ease of public parking • #6 in overall quality of Eden Prairie services • #9 in overall opportunities for education and enrichment • #10 in overall customer service Trends Over Time • City Manager Getschow stated Eden Prairie’s trends have been relatively stable over time. • Upward Trending • Ease of travel by public transportation • Police services • Crime prevention • Street repair • City streets as a whole • Streets in your neighborhood • Feelings of safety in Eden Prairie Center mall • Downward Trending • Eden Prairie as a place to work • Eden Prairie as a place to visit • Overall ease of getting to the places you usually have to visit • Public places where people want to spend time • Opportunities for residents to provide input into City decision-making • Availability of affordable quality health care • Availability of preventative health services • Assessing services Where Residents Go for Information • The main method is word of mouth with 8 in 10 respondents • 7 in 10 respondents use our website Differences in Opinion Based on Demographics and Geography • Residents rating Eden Prairie more positively tended to: • Live in Eden Prairie longer (5 years or more) • Commissioner Spresser stated that there may be some bias in this question, as people who do not enjoy living in Eden Prairie are more likely to move. • Commissioner Klodd asked if there is more Eden Prairie can do to welcome newer residents. • Commissioner Hookom asked if there is a welcome packet of information available for new residents. City Manager Getschow shared that there is. • Be older (except for problems such as more likely to consider traffic speeding, stop sign violations, and identity theft) • Did not have children in their households • Commissioner Spresser stated that school survey results are lower than they were 10 years ago, and that this may be impacting the satisfaction of residents with children with Eden Prairie. • Live in detached housing • Be homeowners • Have higher incomes • Identify as non-Hispanic white • Commissioner Nichols asked who we are trying to attract to Eden Prairie, including more diverse residents. City Manager Getschow responded that the survey is related to budgeting and operational process, not long-range planning and population. Residents were more familiar and engaged in community tended to: • Live in Eden Prairie longer • Be older • Have children in their households • Live in detached housing • Be homeowners • Have higher income • Identify as non-Hispanic white Summary of Conclusions • Eden Prairie continues to be a highly desirable place to live • Residents praise the quality and value of City services • Residents report positive interactions with City employees • Residents rank items related to Eden Prairie’s natural environment as top features of the City • Residents continue to list the availability of activities as a top area of improvement for the City • Commissioner Spresser asked what things the City would like to work on in the future. City Manager Getschow responded that we would like to maintain services, with reasonable increases in taxes and levies. Getschow added that the uphill battle on affordable housing is their top priority. Getschow stated that the best ways to build affordable housing are multi-unit developments and subsidized housing. Commissioner Nichols asked if there are any plans to cut the City budget. Getschow responded that there are not. Commissioner Cervantes asked what the plan is for the defunct JCPenney’s building. Getschow responded that it will be a mix of hotel, multi-family, commercial, and retail space. 2. Staffing Update - Markle • Director Markle informed the Commissioners that Gamiel Hall is our new Community Center Manager. Andrea, who had a position at the Community Center where she focused on the front end and customer experience, took a promotion at the City of Minnetonka to a Community Center Manager. We then promoted Josh Rockey, who has experience at the Community Center, into Andrea’s former position. As stated at the last meeting, Recreation Manager Lori Brink is retiring at the end of the summer. We have hired a new Recreation Program Manager, who comes from the YMCA and will be at our July Commission tour. • Commissioner Spresser asked Gamiel Hall what their background is and why they chose their new job with Eden Prairie. Gamiel responded that they are from Eden Prairie, and spent a lot of time in the parks, as well as working at the Community Center. 3. July Parks Tour • Next month, we are not going to have our traditional meeting. We will be having a bus tour instead the first Monday of July. One destination we will be visiting is Homeward Hills Park, as we are developing a new playground there. We would like to get feedback and input from Commissioners. We would also like to take the Commissioners to the Richard T. Anderson conservation area, where we have an ongoing 2-phase project. The project pertains to a considerable erosion problem there. We have put a lot of resources into stabilizing where the erosion is the worst. It turned out great. We will be working with a company to do some plantings to further stabilize the land around the stairs. LCCMR awarded $1.5 million in funds for another stabilization project at the Richard T. Anderson conservation area, pending a special session. This will likely take the most time, as we will be soliciting feedback from Commissioners. We have some prairie and woods that we are trying to protect at that location. Cedar Hills may be an additional stop. 4. Park Maintenance – Bourne • Parks & Natural Resources Manager Bourne presented on park maintenance in Eden Prairie. • Park Maintenance Divisions • Park Maintenance is performed in all of the following areas: • Park maintenance 52 parks and special use areas • 2 beaches and 5 fishing piers • 52 baseball/softball fields • 48 soccer/lacrosse/football fields • 35 tennis courts • 28 pickleball courts • 13 sand volleyball courts • 23 basketball courts • 33 play structures • Manager Bourne shared that play structures are replaced every 15-20 years, sometimes more frequently if the play structure sees heavy use. We track how much money we are spending on maintenance. • 225 miles of trails/sidewalks • Pothole patching and seal coating is done in- house. Many other trail maintenance functions are contracted out, especially when there are larger projects (such as Franlo Road trail this summer). • Formal flower gardens • Located at Purgatory Creek Park • Commissioner Nichols asked if there has been a push towards perennials or native species. Bourne responded that we try to minimize the amount of annuals. We obtain all annuals from a local farm. • 3 community garden sites • We sold out all of the plots in the community garden this year. Every year, there is high demand. • Skate park • 5 off-leash dog parks • 23 shade/picnic shelters • Pleasant Hill and Eden Prairie cemeteries • We have operated Pleasant Hill Cemetery for quite a while, and acquired Eden Prairie Cemetery in 2022. • 13 conservation areas • Most of these locations include trails and/or boardwalks. • Riley Creek conservation area is one of the few remaining big woods in Minnesota. We have some oak savannah that we are trying to restore. • Winter Facilities • 9 skating rinks • 9 hockey rinks • Staring Lake sledding hill • Our crew does maintenance such as fence repairs, replacing benches in the player dugouts, soccer goals and nets, irrigation systems, pesticide applications, etc. • We are lucky to have a very diverse talent pool on our maintenance crew (i.e., woodworking skills, irrigation repair, etc.). • Commissioner Spresser asked how many staff are on the maintenance team. Bourne responded that there are 16 year-round employees, and 14-20 summer/seasonal employees. • Eden Prairie utilizes prison labor 2 days per week in the summer. • Payment goes to the State of Minnesota. • Prisoners additionally receive an hourly rate. • Commissioner Nichols asked if prisoners enjoy the work. Manager Bourne responded that incarcerated workers do enjoy the work, including getting out into the parks. • Commissioner Cervantes asked if a supervisor from the state is present. Bourne responded that there is. • Manager Bourne stated that we are interested in utilizing a second group of incarcerated individuals in the following year. • We do all of our trash and recycling collection in the parks. We have 140 trash and recycling receptacles throughout the parks. Many of these need to be changed daily. Some are changed once to twice per week. • Winter Work • Snow removal from trails, parking lots and rinks • Diseased tree removal • Commissioner Klodd expressed curiosity as to whether there are any updates related to geese at Round Lake Beach. Bourne stated that this beach will be swim at your own risk, with no lifeguards present. We will still test the beach every week. Our goose contractor is starting in the next few weeks. Commissioner Klodd asked if there is weed removal on the beach. Manager Bourne stated that there is, and it has recently been completed for the year. Commissioner Spresser asked how residents can find out if the beach is open. Bourne stated that methods of outreach include signage at the beach, as well as social media posts. • Director Markle stated that maintenance works alongside police and fire to prepare and respond to emergency events, including severe weather. We have been doing training for these incidents. Work in response to emergency incidents include clearing roadways for firetrucks and ambulances. • Commissioner Nichols asked if climate change-related drought summers and no-snow winters resulting from climate change affect the City budget and practices. Manager Bourne responded that this is something the City is actively working on, including what types of trees are being planted and many other practices. For example, the City is evaluating whether the amount of water we use on ice skating rinks is reasonable. • Park Construction • The Park Construction Supervisor oversees re-doing playgrounds, tennis courts, and trails, etc. • Forestry and Natural Resources • The Forestry and Natural Resources Supervisor oversees diseased tree programs, tall grass and weed programs, and invasive species control. B. Recreation Services Manager 1. N/A C. Community Center Manager 1. N/A D. Parks and Natural Resources Manager 1. Parks Maintenance and Natural Resources Overview E. Parks & Recreation Experiences Chair Erickson stated that the banquet was well-done, and thanked staff including Sara for their hard work. Commissioner Nichols stated that they are beginning with a personal trainer at the Community Center. Commissioner Hookom shared that they attended the bike day at the preserve on June 1st. Hookom shared that there was a large turnout for the event, and that there were 50 bikes that were distributed for free. Director Markle shared that there will be a ribbon- cutting for the Eden Prairie red horse on June 17th at 4 PM. Markle also shared that Miller Courts (including tennis, pickleball, and basketball) will be open for use the week of June 9th. Chair Erickson asked if Fitness in the Park is starting soon. Director Markle answered that it is starting on June 7th at 8:30 at Staring Lake. Markle provided information on the Pride event on Saturday, June 21st. Classes will be offered, including Zumba. Brink stated that we will have our Minnesota Jazz Festival on the Prairie. There will be 5 of the top (big band/jazz) bands from throughout the state will be playing, ending with the Eden Prairie community band, called Jazz on the Prairie. Chair Erickson asked how many trees we sold at our Arbor Day tree sale. Bourne responded that we sold every single one of the 450 trees available. Last year, the amount distributed was 350. Commissioner Nichols stated that the information available helped them to select the tree(s) best suited for their space. VIII. NEXT MEETING PRNR: July 7, Parks Tour, meet at City Center IX. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Commissioner Spresser moved, seconded by Commissioner Hookom, to adjourn. Motion carried 6-0.