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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity and School Facility Use Advisory Committee - 04/08/2009 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CITY AND SCHOOL FACILITY USE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY,APRIL 8, 2009 7:00 PM,Art Center 7650 Equitable Drive COMMITTEE MEMBERS: John Estall (Chair), Geri Napuck (Vice Chair) Jon Duckstad, Denise Byers, Tori Hill, Steve Mosow STAFF: Jeanne Zetah, Director of Community Ed Services Jay Lotthammer, Director of Parks and Recreation Laurie Obiazor, Manager of Recreation Services Mike Grant, High School Activities Director Lyndell Frey, Recreation Coordinator Cheryl Bridge, Facilities Coordinator Jill Johnson, High School Activities Coordinator Heidi Wojahn, Recording Secretary GUEST: Lindsey Scott, Art Center Coordinator I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Estall called the meeting to order at 7:09 pm. Obiazor and Johnson were absent. Committee members and staff introduced themselves. Estall and Napuck agreed to serve as Chair and Vice Chair respectively. Appointments approved by informal consent. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Duckstad moved, seconded by Mosow, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Mosow moved, seconded by Duckstad, to approve the October 29, 2008 minutes. Motion carried 4-0-1, with Napuck abstaining. IV. ITEMS OF BUSINESS A. Art Center Update - Scott Scott gave a brief overview of her background. She previously worked with the Bloomington Art Center and ArtiCulture. She has a bachelor's degree in fine arts with an emphasis on studio arts and is finishing up her master's degree in arts administration. She has been in the role of Art Center Coordinator since July. City and School Facility Use Advisory Committee Minutes April 8, 2009 Page 2 Scott reviewed the history and mission of the Art Center as well as building improvements which include, but are not limited to, sealing concrete flooring; installing pottery wheels (four of which are adaptive), kilns, and shelving; and adding a second restroom and sink. Plans call for the center to have a glass- blowing studio, a pottery studio, two standard classrooms for painting and drawing, and a multipurpose room for jewelry and glass fusing. The building needs to be equipped with art supplies and office equipment, too. Scott summarized spring/summer programming noting the first class began last evening. The membership program began in January and currently has 25 members300 members is the target membership. Membership rates are $30 individual/$45 family. Friends of the Eden Prairie Art Center will host a fundraising event on April 16th, 6:30 pm, in the Garden Room at City Center during which there will be music, food, art, and an auction. The grand opening is set for May 26th beginning at 4:30 pm. Most activities will take place in the parking lot; there will also be tours and art demos. Hill arrived at 7:25 pm. B. 2008 Facility Use Charges Frey explained in an effort to share facilities between the City and schools, these entities came up with a way to do so without constantly charging one another. While there are fees for some building areas (i.e. Community Center pool and ice arenas), there are primarily charges only for direct costs incurred such as park or building attendants. 1. City Spaces Used by the School District The biggest change is due to construction of the ice rinks and Community Center. All home hockey games were scheduled after January lst. The girls' team won state resulting in extra ice time which, in turn,resulted in an increase in fees. A reduction in fees is reflected by the fact the Community Center pool can no longer be used for swim meets due to depth reasons. School staff is now cleaning the team room in the Community Center locker area. Grant explained not all fees come out of his Director of Student Activities budget. Rather than incur the expense of building and maintaining facilities and compete with City facilities, the State allows school districts to take funds from the lease levy. The State manages and approves this budget which does not require voter approval like a referendum does. It fits under the umbrella of replacement and maintenance type expenses (rather than teachers and textbooks) and is not part of the $10 million reduction they're facing in the next year. City and School Facility Use Advisory Committee Minutes April 8, 2009 Page 3 2. School District Spaces Used by the City Grant stated the Activity Center isn't seeing a lot of use by the City. The auditorium, not be confused with the Performing Arts Center, has a higher rate of usage for community band and theater. In general, facility use is being maximized. Bridge said Frey makes good use of filling the school gym facilities with adult athletics which are no longer held in any of the elementary buildings. The City used the Computer Lab when their facility was under construction, and Scott held some fundraising events at the high school explaining charges in those areas. There was a significant drop in Oak Point Pool charges due to a reduction in open swim hours. 3. Any changes in future charges? Frey stated any increase in fees the City charges is expected to be nominal. Grant said any fee increases on the school end for next year should be decided in early May,but they try not to impact their primary users too much. A sliding scale from outside for-profit groups to in-City youth groups is used for renting facilities at EPHS. He estimates facilities are used 90% of the time by Eden Prairie groups. C. Update on Summer Field Use and Projects—Frey/Grant Grant reported there are no field construction projects scheduled. They are full in the summer with lacrosse and soccer using up all available space. The turf fields are booked solid, as well. The sod grass fields are improving in quality because lacrosse was moved to turf. The tracks at CMS and EPHS will be resurfaced early this summer and should be completed before Relay for Life in July. Frey added CMS is available to the Baseball Association after 6 pm to honor conference dates for in-house teams. Grant explained Quidditch is a popular intramural sport at the high school. The biggest project affecting the City is the expansion of Pioneer Trail impacting park facilities on both sides of the road. The walking path on the south side is where the future road will be resulting in outfield loss in the smaller fields; two football fields will also be lost. Summer camps will be moved to other facilities, and Miller Park fields 12 & 13 will be lit in time for fall. Construction starts this month,but access into Flying Cloud will still be available in the evenings. On the north side fields will be shortened, designated as youth fields, and reversed so home plate is opposite from where it is now. There will be reconstruction of the soccer and youth baseball/softball fields at Forest Hills this spring. Lotthammer explained the tennis courts at Round Lake are scheduled for resurfacing and retiling this summer and will be done by the first day of school practice in August. Costs were expected to be around $500,000 for this project,but actual is far less at$276,000. The City and district will split the cost 50150. City and School Facility Use Advisory Committee Minutes April 8, 2009 Page 4 D. Update on District Facilities Planning Process —Zetah Space is being carefully scrutinized and assessed as a part of this process. The goal is to be as efficient as possible in using space wisely. A report will be issued by year-end, and any leasing or new construction will be determined as a result. E. Grand Opening News Lotthammer distributed postcards announcing multiple grand openings. This is a cost-saving measure, and organizations affiliated with these openings shared their mailing lists with the Communications Division for distribution purposes. The City is partnering with other organizations and aligning the concert series with the openings. 1. Miller Park Barrier Free Play Area—June 16, 5:30-7:30 pm Teddy bear band will provide entertainment. 2. Round Lake Stadium—May 2, 11:30 am Activities include: pancake breakfast 8-11:30 am prior to grand opening, national anthem performance by the winner of Eden Prairie's version of American Idol, first pitch ceremony, homerun derby, mini wooden bat giveaway, and autograph session in dugout. 3. Staring Lake Amphitheatre—June 14, 1:30 pm 4. Art Center—May 26, 4:30-7:30 pm F. Telescope Update—Lotthammer The telescope is currently being stored at the Outdoor Center. It looks like a home water heater on a base and is designed for looking into deep space. The design for the structure to house the telescope came in at over$100,000 and sealed bids are due back April 16''. Donations were received from two individuals. If the bids come back at or under these donations, it will go before City Council on April 21st to award the contract. The structure itself will be the size of a small garage. The roof must pivot with no mechanical help; it will be moveable by one person manually. Parking and electrical are already in place. The goal is to have it up and running by fall. It may be available for some rentals but will mainly be used for interpretive programs and possibly school programs. Zetah said star-naming opportunities came to mind and suggested opening it up to birthday parties. City and School Facility Use Advisory Committee Minutes April 8, 2009 Page 5 VI. OTHER Zetah mentioned the Annual Partnership Breakfast for community ed is taking place April 24th. The event is free. Hill noted entries for the essay contest are due April loth The contest is open to adults as well as students; winners will receive cash prizes. Mosow shared a copy of the Arts and Culture Commission's 2009 work plan adopted this past February. Plans include a fall art crawl among other things. Bridge announced auditions for the summer musical "Peter Pan" will be held Tuesday and Wednesday at CMS. Mosow inquired if, with the current state of the economy, there was a way to package activities for those who opt to vacation at home. Lotthammer agreed people want these types of experiences without having to travel. While most are bracing for the economic downturn, Parks & Recreation is seeing more participation than they have in the past. On the first day of registration in 2007, there were 600 registrations. That number increased to 1,000 in 2008 and 1,600 in 2009. These programs are being viewed as a great value. The Community Center currently has 1800 members—well above expectations—people are realizing they can live without certain amenities such as a towel service, sauna, and salon. Birthday parties at the Community Center are an extremely popular option, sometimes with 6 parties scheduled in a single day. The Art Center and Outdoor Center serve as promising locations for birthday parties, too. Community ed registrations for youth programs have likewise increased as have early registrations,but Zetah noted a decline in adult registrations. V. DISCUSSION OF ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING A. Next Meeting Date 1. October 12, 2009 @ EPHS Activity Classroom 232 or Staring Lake Outdoor Center 2. Discussion Items for the Next Meeting *Telescope *Pioneer Trail Construction Update *City Budget Update *Fees/Charges *School Budget Report *Flying Cloud Field Expansion VII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Mosow moved, seconded by Duckstad, to adjourn. Motion carried 6-0. Chair Estall adjourned the meeting at 8:32 pm.