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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 08/02/2010 APPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY,AUGUST 2, 2010 8:00 P.M., CITY CENTER Heritage Rooms 1 & 2 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Geri Napuck, Chair; Tom Bierman, Larry Link, Lee Elliott-S toering, and Derek Gunderson COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Hutch Coburn and Joan Oko COMMISSION STAFF PRESENT: Jay Lotthammer, Director of Parks and Recreation Services; Stu Fox, Manager of Natural Resources; and Carol Pelzel, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Chair Napuck at 8:25 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Bierman asked that an item under Old Business be added on the status of the Hennepin County owned Goodrich-Ramus Barn located on Pioneer Trail. Elliott-S toering asked for discussion on the Twin City Tree Trust Program. Fox suggested this be discussed at the September meeting to allow staff to present photographs of some of the projects worked on. Link asked if the June meeting minutes have been approved. Lotthammer said they were not included in the agenda but will be placed on the September agenda for approval. Motion: Link moved, seconded by Gunderson, to approve the agenda as amended. The motion carried, 5-0. III. APPROVAL OF PRNR NOTES —JULY 12, 2010 Motion: Elliott-Stoering moved, seconded by Bierman, to approve the notes from the July 12, 2010 meeting which was the Commission's bus tour. The motion carried 4-0-1 with Link abstaining because of absence from that meeting. IV. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION A. TRAIL CONNECTIONS CONSTRUCTION Lotthammer reported a resolution was passed by this Commission and forwarded to the City Council asking the Council to reconsider their decision to not construct the Staring Lake and PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES August 2, 2010 Page 2 Rice Marsh Lake trail connections. After discussion, the Council unanimously passed a motion to move forward with the Staring Lake and Rice Marsh Lake Trail connections. The Staring Lake trail should be completed sometime this fall. With regard to the Rice Marsh Lake Trail, staff did ask for a resolution from the City Council to work on MnDOT property. Staff anticipates this project going out for bid early winter with the project being started in early spring with completion in early summer. Bierman questioned if there is any referendum money remaining for trails. Lotthammer responded after these two trail projects are completed there may be $200,000 remaining. Bierman asked what is preventing them from spending that money today. Lotthammer said they need to wait to see what these two projects will cost before determining how much money will remain. B. PROPOSED FEES Lotthammer reported the Council did approve the proposed fees as presented. There were very few questions and the Council was comfortable with the fees as proposed. C. FLYING CLOUD FIELDS PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENTS Lotthammer stated the HTPO design construction plans and bidding documents are ready to go. They are waiting to execute the contract with HTPO until the lease is actually signed. D. CONTRIBUTIONS/DONATIONS Lotthammer reported the following donations were accepted by the City Council: 1. $400 from the Miller Garvin family for the Miller Park barrier free play area. 2. $70,000 from the Eden Prairie Softball Association and $50,000 from the Eden Prairie Baseball Association for improvements to Miller Park baseball and softball fields. This is a match to grant funds received through the Hennepin Youth Sports Program. These funds will be used to install covered players benches, replace scoreboards and to add a hitting/pitching practice area at Miller Park. 3. $2,637 from the Friends of Birch Island Woods to assist with funding of forestry supplies. 4. $2,000 from the Friends of Eden Prairie Art Center to assist with funding Art Center equipment. Lotthammer said the donations received are an example of why Eden Prairie was selected as the Number 1 City by Money Magazine. This is a great representation of the various groups that are involved in the City. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES August 2, 2010 Page 3 Bierman questioned how much money remains from the referendum money for improvements to Flying Cloud fields. Lotthammer said there is $1.2 million available. Bierman asked if the bids for those fields came in at$1 million could they use the remaining funds for an all purpose field at Flying Cloud. Fox said he did not believe a turf field could be constructed for$200,000. Lotthammer explained staff feels it may be difficult to do the Flying Cloud project for$1.2 million. They may have to look at a similar scenario as Miller Park and ask for funds from the Baseball Association. There is a considerable amount of area that has to be graded. The $1.2 million will allow them to build a barebones project. If they go to the next level the Baseball Association will have to contribute. Lotthammer said staff has been talking about converting more of the turf fields at Miller Park to sand base and they could look at having one of those fields be a synthetic turf field. Gunderson said from his experience the turf fields get displaced and carried away. Lotthammer said staff is analyzing those types of fields and he is not sure they have the money to construct such a field. Bierman explained there was a time when the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers would do this type of work at no cost and he suggested they look into this to get some of the work done for nothing. V. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION Fox reported there has been no development activity generating park dedication fees other than the Randy's, Bobby and Steve's Auto World at Single Tree and Prairie Center Drive. That project will generate approximately $12,000. VI. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS VII. OLD BUSINESS A. MAC LEASE UPDATE Lotthammer reported the City Council approved the MAC Lease pending modifications by staff. If those modifications are substantial, the lease would be brought back to the City Council for approval. The City Manager has been meeting with MAC to discuss some language provisions in the Hold Harmless section of the lease. Lotthammer said the City Manager has been out of town and once he is back in town the lease should be finalized. Gunderson said he read in the newspaper that Council Member Duckstad voted against the lease and he asked why. Lotthammer explained Duckstad felt it was too risky to enter into a lease for such a short-term, three years. MAC said they have a 20-year plan and there is nothing in that plan that calls for development in that area. Lotthammer said they hope to have groundbreaking in April or May. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES August 2, 2010 Page 4 B. GOODRICH-RAMUS BARN Lotthammer explained Hennepin County is accepting bids for the purchase of the Goodrich- Ramus Barn with bids being accepted on August 31. Fox explained the minimum bid is $60,000 for the purchase of the barn and land and $10,000 to move the barn. The site is zoned residential and is one acre in size. There is no sewer and water on the site. Fox said the barn is to be maintained according to State Historical Preservation Guidelines. If the barn is moved it should be done in a manner worthy of preserving it because of its unique character. Bierman asked if negotiations are continuing on the Riley Lake property. Lotthammer responded Hennepin County is still negotiating with the property owner and once they acquire the property they will give it to the City. VIII. NEW BUSINESS A. WATER QUALITY Lotthammer reported he has invited Leslie Stovring, City Environmental Coordinator, to the September meeting to discuss water quality of the various lakes in the City. Lotthammer briefly reviewed the table included in the agenda material showing the disc readings for five area lakes. Stovring will discuss this in more detail at their September meeting. IX. REPORTS OF STAFF A. COMMUNITY CENTER MANAGER B. RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER FYI: Fall Brochure—mailed FYI: Park in Movies FYI: International Festival—August 15 C. PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER 1. Park Boundga Update Fox explained approximately five years ago the City used tree inspectors to mark diseased elm trees. At that time they found residents who had encroached on City property. Letters were mailed to every property owner whose property abutted City owned land telling them if they were doing improvements to their property they needed to find the property survey. The City has since hired seasonal employees to survey this property and have discovered some property pins were not at some of the locations. Fox presented to the Commission a map showing the various properties that have encroached on City property. This year the City hired two seasonal employees for four months. They have been working on this project for two and one-half years and since that time they have identified PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES August 2, 2010 Page 5 property owners in the northwest corner of the City who have encroached on City property. Fox reviewed the areas of the City that have been inspected. He explained that this project is very labor intensive and is a long-term project. Once they find a violation they send a letter to the property owner indicating the violation. The individual is given 30 to 45 days to remove the encroachment and if they do not comply the information is turned over to the Police Department for prosecution. Bierman asked if people have offered to purchase the land they have encroached on. Fox responded park land should never be up for sale. Park land is acquired through dedication during development and some park land has been purchased with bond referendum money. Also, park land is acquired with Federal and State grants and through tax forfeitures. It would not be fair to other taxpayers who have supported these purchases through referendums, etc. Bierman suggested the City look at adopting an ordinance requiring property owners who put their property up for sale and if it abuts City property they must have their property staked out. Fox said this is something the City has looked at but the City Attorney had concerns with putting this in an ordinance when they are not requiring other property owners to provide that information. Fox said they need to define City property. A lot of people don't even know they abut City property. Bierman suggested they notify the people whose property abuts City property. Fox responded they have sent letters to every property owner who abuts City property telling them they are in the process of surveying the property. D. PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER 1. 2010 PRNR Work Plan 2. Money Maizazine's Best Places to Live Lotthammer reported Eden Prairie was ranked number 1 on Money Magazine's 2010 list of the 100 best places to live in America. One of the things they have heard from a lot of people is that all of the media coverage mentioned something about the City's park trails, open space and activities for its residents. This item has generated a considerable amount of media attention. Napuck said this is an incredible recognition and honor and the City's parks system is a major part of the recognition. Elliott-Stoering said considering the number of cities in the nation this is an incredible honor. X. NEXT MEETING The next regular meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission is Monday, September 13 in the Heritage Rooms. PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES August 2, 2010 Page 6 X. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Bierman moved, seconded by Gunderson, to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.