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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 04/01/2013 APPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY,APRIL 1, 2013 7:00 P.M.—HOMEWARD HILLS PARK BARN 12000 Silverward Drive COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Hutch Coburn, Chair; Michael Belaen, Matthew Kraft, Debra McBride and Leonard Pesheck COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT: Derek Gunderson, Larry Link, Maria Helena Moreno and Geri Napuck STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT: Roseann Awad and Vy Nguyen COMMISSION STAFF PRESENT: Jay Lotthammer, Parks & Recreation Director Stu Fox, Parks and Natural Resources Manager Wendy Sevenich, Community Center Manager Valerie Verley, Recreation Supervisor Carol Pelzel, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chair Coburn called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Coburn welcomed the new members and asked the Commission members to introduce themselves. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion: Pesheck moved, seconded by McBride, to approve the agenda as presented. The motion carried 5-0. III. APPROVAL OF PRNR MINUTES —March 4, 2013 Due to not having a quorum of members who attended the March meeting present, this item was held over to the May meeting. IV. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION Lotthammer reported staff presented the Council with an update on the aquatic facilities at their workshop. He will provide the Commission with an update later in the meeting. V. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION Fox reported the Planning Commission reviewed a variance for signs and a group home which will be going from seven residents to nine residents. Neither of these variances affects the parks program. Fox explained the Booster Club is planning to do a video board sign at the stadium but the proposed sign does not meet City Code so they will be required to apply for a variance. Almost half of the sign will be an LED screen. PARKS,RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 1, 2013 Page 2 Lotthammer explained Fox attends the Planning Commission meetings as liaison for the Parks Department and he will report back to this Commission on items that impact parks. Lotthammer said he attends the City Council meetings and will review with the Commission City Council items that are specific to Parks and Recreation and also on budget items. VI. PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND COMMUNICATIONS A. YOUTH ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS AND FIELD USE Lotthammer introduced Valerie Verley, Recreation Supervisor, explaining the main focus of her job is on adult athletics. She has done some great things since her time with the City including bringing the athletic programs into the 20th century. Verley has developed a working relationship with the various Associations that has helped when leadership in the Associations change. Verley explained there are 16 Associations in Eden Prairie and there are six outdoor athletics in total that occupy the fields in Eden Prairie in the spring. To start the season a pre-planning meeting is held with the six groups. The scheduling process for the fields is reviewed at these meetings. Verley reviewed the master calendar for the various tournaments, clinics and camps. Fox pointed out the City has a field use priority policy for the order in which an organization can use the fields. Verley stated the youth associations are non-profit groups that serve Eden Prairie and they receive priority usage over other youth organizations and groups. They are not pushing anyone off the fields but do make sure they accommodate the youth groups. Coburn asked if the new fields at Flying Cloud would be used this spring. Verley said baseball would utilize two fields in the spring and two fields would be used for lacrosse. Lacrosse has the need for additional fields and their number of participants continues to grow. Pesheck asked how they schedule practice fields. Verley explained soccer has inventory sheets and their schedulers take care of scheduling fields for soccer. The baseball and softball associations tell City staff when practices are and on which field along with games. She said the tentative date to get on the fields is April 29. Fox explained they try and earmark the highest quality fields for traveling teams and tournaments. The lower level participants use the fields that aren't as nice while the upper level teams use the nicer fields. Verley said staff provides the associations with an electronic and hard copy of a resource manual. This manual lists contacts, City services, how to promote their association and scheduling. It is a great educational tool for the various associations. Lotthammer presented a brief overview of the Hennepin County Youth Sports grant that the City has been a recipient of. The City has had success almost every year in receiving grant funds for sports and recreation activities. Ten thousand dollars of those funds has been earmarked for equipment. Verley explained the fast pitch association had the need for a Gator for lining and grading the fields. They were successful in getting a$10,000 grant for this piece of equipment as was the baseball association. The Gators assists the associations in maintaining the fields. Verley also explained dugout covers at Franlo Park were obtained through grant funds as was turf for the batting cages at Staring Lake Park. Lotthammer said PARKS,RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 1, 2013 Page 3 City staff does help the associations in applying for the various grants. Some of those grants require a matching grant from the associations. The City has not had to fund any of this equipment. Belaen asked if the associations contribute anything for the use of the City's fields. Verley responded league play is free of charge. Tournaments are charged $100 per day per field and $50 for camps and clinics. If they do not charge for the camps or clinics there is no charge for the organization using the fields. Belaen asked if the relationship between the associations and the City is unique. Lotthammer said it really isn't. Some cities over the last few years have begun charging the associations a per participant fee. Coburn asked if once something is installed or implemented on City property does the City maintain those items. Fox responded even though the association put up matching dollars for the grants, the property becomes City property. VII. OLD BUSINESS A. AQUATICS FACILITY UPGRADE Lotthammer explained the City Council wanted feedback from the community on the proposed aquatics facility upgrade. A town hall meeting was held in March at the Community Center. Staff received feedback from residents with four or five people opposed to the project while the majority of comments were favorable. A couple people wanted a hot tub to be included in the project. Lotthammer said staff also utilized a software program allowing residents to go online to express their thoughts and ideas and they have received some feedback from that tool. The City Council has asked staff to present to them the proposed financing for this project including what the projected bond payments and rates would be. This information will be presented to the Council at their April 16 workshop. Staff is working with the City's Financial Advisors and Finance Manager on a couple scenarios. All of the information presented will be estimates. Lotthammer said this Commission did recommend proceeding with the concept and to use HGA as the design architect. The City Council will decide if staff should come back with a recommendation to enter into a contract with HGA. It will take five to six months to complete a design. Staff would like to be in a position to bid out this project in January or February with options and possibly doing some pieces of the project in phases. Pesheck questioned if this facility would be able to pay for itself once it is up and running. Lotthammer said from an operating cost standpoint projections show once the facility is up and running they would break even or potentially make some money. Down the road there could be the potential of the annual operating fund contributing toward the debt service for the facility. Due to the low interest rates this is a good time to bond for such a facility. Lotthammer said staff will have more information to present to the Commission regarding this project in May. Coburn asked if one of the scenarios includes a major investment to upgrade the facility since it is 30 years old. Lotthammer responded they are only one to two years away from needing a PARKS,RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 1, 2013 Page 4 new roof and mechanical system. Even if they don't move forward with this proposal these things will have to be done. VIII. NEW BUSINESS A. HOMEWARD HILLS TOUR AND USE SCHEDULE Lotthammer explained that about one year ago new furniture was purchased for the Homeward Hills Barn and all of the furniture can be reconfigured for whatever use is needed. Fox presented a brief history of how the facility was obtained and developed. Sevenich explained this facility is utilized for a variety of things. In the summer there is high usage for camps and different activities. The facility can be rented for one-half day or a full day. Sevenich said the rates for the rental of this barn were increased to match the Riley Lake and Purgatory Creek facilities. IX. REPORTS OF STAFF A. RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER FYI: Nature Rocks, Outdoor Center Monthly Open Houses FYI: Animal Open House, Outdoor Center, April 13 FYI: Art Center Open House, April 28 FYI: Mother/Son All Star Evening, May 4 B. PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER FYI: Park Clean-Up Day, April 20 FYI: Arbor Day Walk, April 27 C. COMMUNITY CENTER MANAGER D. PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR 1. Annual Report Lotthammer explained the Department's annual report helps staff compile some good records. This report is also provided to the City Council and is sent to those individuals that have made contributions and/or donations to the Parks Department. Lotthammer said the report is also a great tool for new staff. McBride asked how staff determines the number of volunteer hours. Sevenich responded some of the hours are based on an average while others are actual hours. For the average they track the number of volunteers and multiply that by the number of hours the event occurs. 2. City Survey PARKS,RECREATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 1, 2013 Page 5 Lotthammer explained the information included in the Commissioner's agenda material on the City survey was edited by staff to only include those items that related to the Parks Department. The survey had lots of other questions besides those relating to parks. Lotthammer said the survey is distributed to 400 randomly selected people and staff is looking at the data and matching it up with previous years' comments. In the next couple of months staff will build a comparison from previous years. Belaen asked if the ratings from residents had changed after the City was rated No. 1 in Money Magazine. Lotthammer said they did not. In 2010 there was criticism about School District boundaries and water quality was also a concern. In prior years there were concerns regarding a couple of the City's lakes. Lotthammer said it will be interesting to see the trends and how survey responses have changed. This will also give them an opportunity to look at things they know they need to address and help them determine programming for various activities. Lotthammer explained the entire City survey can be found on the City's website. 3. 2013 PRNR Work Plan Lotthammer reported on Tuesday, May 7, there will be a City Council workshop that will include an LRT presentation. Multiple Commissions have been invited to this workshop along with representatives from Hennepin County to update the Council and Commissions on where this project is at. They are getting close to determining the location of the station and line. Lotthammer said the Parks Commission is invited to attend this workshop. Eventually they may have to make some recommendations on the alignment impact, etc. Lotthammer stated a reporter wants to do an article on what this Commission has done. He said if he had to pick a project it would be Round Lake. X. NEXT MEETING Next PRNR meeting —Monday, May 6, 7 p.m., Maintenance Facility, 15150 Technology Drive. FYI: Board & Commission Banquet, May 15, 6 p.m., Garden Room. XI. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Motion was made by Pesheck, seconded by Belaen, to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.