HomeMy WebLinkAbout5-6-24 PARC and CEC Joint Meeting Agenda PacketCITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Joint Meeting
Parks & Recreation Commission Community Engagement Commission City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue
AGENDA May 6, 2024 at 6:30 P.M.
A. CALL TO ORDER:
B.ROLL CALL:Jeff Yager_____ Mike Bradbury_____ Eric Brenton_____Bob Haight_____ Tom Faust_____ Randi Lundell_____ Erin Williams_____
Cooley-Kistler____ Ebbesen____ Lindstrom____Stockford____Wang_____Leighton_____King____
COUNCIL LIAISON:
James Wassenberg _______
Melanie Leehy ________
STAFF PRESENT: Kelly Nelson____ Elke van der Werff ______
C.PRESENTATION:
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:1. March 18, 2024 – Parks and Recreation Meeting Minutes - Joint Meeting - Community EngagementCommission 2.April 3, 2024 – Parks and Recreation Meeting Minutes - Joint Meeting - City Council Workshop
E.AGENDA:
1.Spring Together 2024 Event2.Ice Cream Social 2024 Event
F.INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENT
G. ADJOURNMENT:
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CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Joint Meeting
Parks & Recreation Commission Community Engagement Commission City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue MINUTES March 18, 2024 at 6:30 P.M.
A. CALL TO ORDER: 6:33 PM
B. ROLL CALL:
Jeff Yager__X___ Mike Bradbury__X___ Eric Brenton__X___ Bob Haight__X___ Tom Faust_____ Randi Lundell___X__ Erin Williams_____
Cooley-Kistler__X__ Ebbesen__X__ Lindstrom____Stockford__X__Wang__X___Leighton__X___ COUNCIL LIAISON: James Wassenberg ___X____ Melanie Leehy ___X____ STAFF PRESENT: Kelly Nelson___X___ _ Elke van der Werff ___X___ _ C. PRESENTATION: N/A
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. December 4, 2023 - Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting
2. February 5, 2024 – Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting Haight motions to approve the Park minutes; approved 4-0 (Yager arrived after roll call) E. AGENDA:
1. Spring Together 2024 Event
City Staff, Nelson, shares that 272 pieces of ice cream were handed out in 2023 at a cost of
just over $1,200. The event was held from 4:00 to 6:00 PM last year. Commissioners discuss and then ultimately decide to hold this year’s event from 3:00 to 5:00 instead, with Commissioner Haight saying he thinks that is good.
Nelson would like to gather feedback from kids, in particular, about what amenity they would like to see added at Curtiss Field in the future. Council Liaison, Leehy, suggests reaching out to the U of M and the MN State Fair to invite
them to the event.
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Bradbury asks if we still want to have name tags for attendees, which identify the neighborhood each live in, and have a map of the City at the event.
Nelson shares that they will reach out to St. Paul Fire, Ramsey County Sheriff and Big Bell Ice Cream. She adds that it was really helpful that Commissioners Stockford and Cooley-Kistler visited apartments in 2023 to help hand out flyers and invite residents to Spring Together. Staff person van der Werff says that she took flyers to some of the businesses last year, including some at Falcon Crossing. Bradbury asks if commissioners should bring yard games.
Nelson says she will update commissioners on what the City has available, but appreciates how Bradbury brought a four-square game last year, which was popular.
Yager thinks we should have a poster to display the renovation progress at Community Park at the event.
Commissioners discuss the tables we will need, including one for City commissions, one to check in and receive a ticket for ice cream at, and another to promote summer programming and gather feedback for a future Curtiss Field amenity. Stockford thinks we should give the U of M a table for their use. Commissioners discuss the shape that Spring Together has taken and Ebbeson shares that it used to be a smaller potluck event. Bradbury likes what the event has become, says that perfect weather certainly helped in 2023, and wonders if we should also promote National Night Out at Spring Together.
Nelson reminds the commissioners that they discussed purchasing signage to help promote Spring Together similar to what is done for Ice Cream Social. Leehy asks if we would have one sign at City Hall and another at Curtiss Field, similar to Ice Cream Social.
Stockford says it might be worthwhile to ask the Lions if they would have a display-board type of sign that they were willing to loan. Ebbeson says that we could ask the Lions first if we could borrow a sign from them and then research places to purchase from as a backup option. Lundell says that we could ask the U of M print shop on Como because they also provide print services for others. Nelson asks if commissioners would like to have a second joint meeting to tie up any loose
ends regarding Spring Together. Commissioners vote to have separate Parks and Recreation and Community Engagement Commission meetings in April, if needed, and then have a joint meeting on Monday, May 6. Haight feels free ice cream for all is the most important.
Stockford says the commissions should establish a cap for the ice cream total.
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Ebbeson suggests a cap of $1,500 for ice cream and then says the City Administrator can
determine whether to increase it by a particular number of pieces or cost, depending on how much event time remains. Commissioners are in support of doing this. Nelson says the City could also purchase individual bags of chips to hand out, along with bottles of water. Ebbeson will research whether Old Dutch would be willing to sell to us at cost. If not, Staff will shop at Sam’s Club or Costco. Bradbury thinks it would be nice to add live music and asks what other commissioners think.
Haight thinks music would be very good. Brenton and Yager will work on the live music component. Staff will create a sign-up form
for all ages to sign up; music must be family-friendly and clean. Nelson and van der Werff share that they discussed creating a sign-up sheet for
commissioners. It would be four timeslots of one hour each. If someone wants to do more than one shift or they can’t do one entire shift, that’s okay, but it allows commissioners to enjoy the event as residents as well, and not have to volunteer the entire time. Ebbeson says she’s jumping ahead to the Ice Cream Social, but wonders about inviting the dancers. She volunteers to reach out to the dance studio so they have the date earlier than they did last year. Commissioners discuss having the band take a break to help direct attention to the dance performance(s).
Bradbury wonders if having an emcee would help. Cooley-Kistler thinks the Mayor would make a good emcee.
CEC Commissioner Cooley-Kistler motions to adjourn the CEC from the remainder of the meeting at 8:09 PM. Motion carried 5-0. F. INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENT 1. Update on 2024 Summer Programming Staff liaison, Nelson, shares that she’s currently trying to hire summer rec staff. Summer
programming had to be determined before the renovation timeline at Community Park was updated to reflect that demolition likely won’t begin before August now. So, summer programming was moved to Curtiss Field this summer and will be an open gym concept in the park, where kids and families can come play various sports/games for free. Bradbury says that if the City cannot hire anyone, maybe commissioners would be willing to volunteer.
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Nelson says that she will be attending a meeting on Thursday of this week to learn more about a grant opportunity with The Good Neighbor Fund. Perhaps that would be an option to help pay
staff, expand the free programming offered, and allow the City to purchase a volleyball net and soccer goals at Curtiss. She will update the commission at their next meeting.
2. Community Park Update
Nelson says she will have a meeting on Wednesday of this week with HCM Architects and will know at the end of the week whether a Parks and Recreation meeting will be needed in April,
depending upon whether any time-sensitive decisions have to be made concerning Community Park. Nelson shares that the latest timeline shows demolition would likely begin in August, with construction starting just after Labor Day, but the timeline is fluid and could be delayed.
Haight asks how the renovation and Community Park will affect the community gardens.
Nelson thinks the disruption will be minimal. The parking lot won’t be altered in any way until the very end, after the new building is in, sometime in 2025. And, the gardens are not moving. Likely, disruption will come towards the end of the season if water has to be turned off at any point. Staff says the City would look for another water source at that point. G. ADJOURNMENT: 8:35 P.M. Haight motions to adjourn the meeting;
Approved 5-0
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CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Joint Meeting of the Parks & Recreation Commission
and City Council Workshop
City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue MINUTES April 3, 2024 at 6:30 P.M. A. CALL TO ORDER: 6:35 P.M.
B. ROLL CALL: Jeff Yager____X__ Mike Bradbury__X*___ Eric Brenton__X___ Erin Williams__X___ Tom Faust__X___ Randi Lundell__X___ Bob Haight____ (Bradbury arrived after roll call) COUNCIL LIAISON:
James Wassenberg ___X___ STAFF PRESENT: Kelly Nelson___X____ Jack Linehan ___X__ 1. Community Park Renovation – Interior / Exterior Finishes
Haley Koesters of HCM Architects presents proposed exterior and interior material selections
for the new Community Park building. For the exterior, two brick selections are shown, one
just slightly darker than the other. In addition, two Hardie Board panels in blue tones are
shown as examples.
The design team slightly prefers the lighter brick and darker paint as well as the darker shingle
example for their recommendations. Councilmembers and Commissioners agree.
For the interior, Koesters says that in the Flex Room, they recommend a rubber flooring
material that will be durable against ice skates (combined with rubber mats) and have the
appearance of concrete, but resist cracking over time.
Koesters says that a decision still needs to be made for flooring in the Community Room,
depending on the overall look and use of the room, whether it is carpeted or the vinyl flooring
extends in there. Gustafson, Leehy and Wassenberg prefer carpet tiles, as do Parks and Rec
Commissioners.
Koesters says another area to gain feedback from is a feature wall in the lobby. Designers
included a mockup of a wooden slat wall.
Linehan says that, in speaking to Valerie Castile and the Castile family, they have clay hearts
that were created by Philando’s former students. Linehan says they’d like to include some of
the clay hearts on this wall.
Leehy volunteers to look at the clay hearts that the City would like to incorporate in the new
park building.
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Koesters says the hearts could be hung on the slatted wall that the designers presented for the
lobby’s feature wall.
Koesters continues walking the commission and council through material selections, including
wall colors, wall tile and ceiling materials. She says that you could either do concrete or epoxy
floors in the mechanical room.
Leehy says that the good thing about epoxy is that it absorbs water better than concrete.
Mielke shows Koesters a photo and asks what flooring material Roseville used in their building.
Koester says it looks like a tinted concrete floor, which is more expensive.
Mielke says this is looking like a high-end event space rather than a parks and rec building.
Koesters says she thinks it’s yoga by morning, Zumba by afternoon and Grandma’s 75th
birthday party by evening. It’s both.
Wassenberg is a big fan of carpet tiles.
Leehy likes carpet but does think of ADA compliance too when determining the flooring
material. Carpeting is easier to stand on for long periods of time.
Commissioner Williams asks about the padding underneath the carpet.
Koesters says that thicker pads tend to cause carpets to degrade faster.
Leehy adds that more pad holds onto more mold as well.
Koester says all of these materials are low VEOC.
Lundell also likes the carpet tiles and thinks it would help the way sound bounces.
Koester says either ceiling option has acoustic benefits.
Brenton says that a carpeted room helps acoustics for speaking events.
Williams has a question about lighting. Is there a way to diffuse the light?
Koester says that the lighting that is shown would be in the form of multiple lights, which are
downlights.
Wassenberg says that he likes the cove lighting shown.
Leehy says we should consider the longevity of the light.
Lundell says that even with perimeter lighting, we would still need some sort of lighting in the
center as well.
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Williams sees the wall in the Community Room wall having a projector, TV or rotating art.
Linehan says a key point to renting the room will likely always be AV.
Leehy says to be mindful of technology changing over time when considering AV equipment in
the Community Room.
Lundell likes the idea of mixing in some wood elements along with white walls.
The commission and council look closely at the materials and further discuss them.
Linehan brings up the subject of geothermal. He met with geothermal experts and they
discussed whether it would be a good fit. Yes, it would be a good fit. It would reduce electric
use by one-third. At current pricing, we would never recover the investment though because
electricity, even when reduced by 1/3, still costs more than natural gas. The benefit is moving
away from natural gas. Linehan says they discussed the possibility of installing solar panels on
the roof of a future outdoor picnic structure as well.
Koesters says their engineer will do a bit of modeling to determine costs, longevity, etc.
Lundell thinks it would be very forward-thinking to include geothermal and solar.
Williams asks about the investment cost difference.
Leehy wants to ask the question in another way. If you never pay it back (the cost of the
geothermal technology), does it eventually become more expensive?
Linehan says it’s important to be strategic; there are grant opportunities out there.
Yager mentions doing a canopy over the parking lot.
Linehan says the canopy idea came up on the geothermal call as well, but the cost of it was
much higher…approximately $1.5 million.
Faust says he thinks residents would support the effort to do geothermal.
Linehan says there are a lot of pros to it. But, are you doing it for a cost-savings or because it’s
the right thing to do?
D.ADJOURNMENT OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION: 7:59 PM
Commissioners Bradbury and
Lundell motion to adjourn; Approved 6-0
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Final Task List for Spring Ahead 2024
Status
City event flags
Confirm music equipment
Onsite handwash station
Recycling/food scrap bins (3 of each, 10 bags
each) – Borrow from Roseville PW
Kelly requested on 3/19/24 and
confirmed for pickup on 5/16.
Back-up location in event of inclement
weather
St. Paul Fire/ RCSO presence at event Kelly requested on 3/19/24
City Council & Commission members formally
invited to event
Flyers/promotion sent to business owners,
apartment complexes
Follow-up with ice cream truck/ confirm there
is nothing else that they need from us
Deposit paid.
Purchase bottled water, individual chips &
napkins
Set up Tent
Bring the following from Community Park
Building:
-Tables/chairs
-Yard games (2)
-Chalk/Hula Hoops
-Other sports equipment (confirm with
Mike)
Set up summer programming table
Name tags for Council/Commission members
Set up table advertising any commission
vacancies
Collect public input for amenity added to
Curtiss Field Park
Reserve Big Bell Ice Cream Truck Kelly reserved on 3/19/24
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PW ordered.
Done
Expenses Vendor/Artist Budgeted Actual
Ice and chips from Costco 75.00
Napkins and tablecloths - Dollar Tree 30.00
Big Bell Ice Cream Truck Deposit 30 39.00
Big Bell Ice Cream Truck Invoice 1500
Name Badges from Staples 40 8.37
Sharpie Markers from Staples 15
Bottled Water - Target 25
Handwashing Station - On Site 150
Stickers from Amazon 9.99
Bubbles from Amazon 40
Banner for gazebo to pre-promote event 75 85.22
*SEE TAB 2 FOR ADD 'L CHECKLIST
EXPENSE ITEMS
TOTAL
EXPENSE 1,914.99 132.59
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2023 Ice Cream Social Summary
In 2022, the City handed out 360 pieces of ice cream.
In 2023, the City purchased 649 pieces of ice cream (only about 20 popsicles
remained).
Expenses Vendor/Artist Budgeted Actual
Tablecloths from Dollar Tree 25.00 0
Temporary Food License 60.00 $60.00
369 pcs Ice Cream Treats Costco 241.26 $241.26
Addtl Ice Cream and Candy Walmart 200.00 $101.23
Banner for Park Purchase StickersandBanners.com 100 67.33 Bleach Strips and Freezer
Thermometer Amazon 300 15.00
Name Badges from Staples 40 19.78
Ice from Costco 15 5.00 Handwashing Station Rentals 300
Portable Bathroom Rentals 600 The Finn Band 500 500.00 Date Stickers for Banners Signarama 50 50.00 Carnival Prizes and Tablecloths Amazon 200 221.30 Dum Dum suckers 200 ct. Cub 13 10.73 Bleach
Backup Bottled Water (if Sheriff
ran out; not needed) TOTAL EXPENSE $2,619.26 1,291.63
RESOURCE FAIR PARTICPANTS
Ramsey County Master Gardeners
Saint Anthony Park Healthy Seniors
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Gibbs Farm
Como Park Block Nurse
Bell Museum
The Falcon Heights Church
City of Falcon Heights (2 tables)
League of Women Voters
Be SMART
The Good Acre
Falcon Heights-Lauderdale Lions Club
Ramsey County Sheriff's Office
Saint Paul Fire Department
Ramsey County Environmental Health
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ICS 2024
TASK Person
Responsible
Date Needed SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS DATE COMPLETED
Contact Resource Fair
Organizations
May-June
Save the Date- Social Media &
Newsletter
May
Posters June
Contact/Reserve Band Kelly June Done
Reserve Bouncy Castle June Have not done this in years N/A
Work with CEC on outreach to
apartments
June
Order craft/activity supplies- Face
painting, rocks, brushes, jellybeans,
hand tattoos, etc.
June
Confirm/order porta potties, hand
washing stations
Colin June
Banner at Community Park June
Contact Saint Paul Fire
Department/Ramsey County Sheriff
Kelly June 3/19/24
Schedule staff & volunteers July
Order Ice Cream products & Bottled
water
July- before temp food license
Temporary Food License Kelly July
Order hand sanitizers – resource fair
area, ice cream area
Talk to Colin about freezer in park
building
Set up the tent – rent any others? July 17 or morning of
Confirm organizations @ resource
fair
July
Make table signs & directory for
resource fair
July Still need to make signs
Prep craft/activity supplies July
Inform Public Works of supplies
needed/set up at Community Park
July Set up tables, garbage/recycling
locations
Trash/recycling set up near ice
cream
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Pick up ice cream/water
Prep Name tag supplies for
volunteers, attendees
July
Reserve Recycling / Scrap Food
Containers w/ Roseville PW
Kelly April Done on 3/19/24.
Confirmed for pickup
on 7/17 and dropped
off on 7/22.
Create volunteer sign-up July
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