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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-4-24 PARC Agenda PacketCITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Parks & Recreation Commission City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue AGENDA November 4, 2024 at 6:30 P.M. A. CALL TO ORDER: B.ROLL CALL:Mike Bradbury_____ Eric Brenton_____ Tom Faust_____Bob Haight_____ Wesley Goldberg_____ Erin Williams_____ COUNCIL LIAISON: James Wassenberg _______ STAFF PRESENT: Kelly Nelson____ C.PRESENTATION: D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1.October 7, 2024 – Parks and Recreation Regular Meeting Minutes E.AGENDA: 1.Recap Fall Event2.Begin Setting 2025 PARC Goals F.INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENT G. ADJOURNMENT: 1 BLANK PAGE  2 CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Regular Meeting of the Parks & Recreation Commission City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue MINUTES October 7, 2024 at 6:30 P.M. A. CALL TO ORDER: 6:35 PM B. ROLL CALL: Mike Bradbury__X___ Eric Brenton__X___Tom Faust__X__ Bob Haight__X___ Wesley Goldberg__X___ Erin Williams_____ COUNCIL LIAISON: James Wassenberg ___X____ STAFF PRESENT: Kelly Nelson___X___ _ C. PRESENTATION: N/A D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. August 5, 2024 – Parks and Recreation Regular Meeting Minutes Haight motions to approve the Park minutes; approved 5-0 E. AGENDA: 1. Fall Event Planning Nelson updates the commission about what has been planned so far for the City’s fall event on October 26. The City’s 75th Anniversary will be celebrated from 1:00 to 2:00 in the Council Chambers with cake, coffee and conversation. In addition, NineNorth is helping put together a video featuring past mayors to discusses successes and challenges the City has faced. The fall event will begin afterwards outdoors and go from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. We will have live music, three inflatables, a food truck and pumpkin decorating. Nelson wants to give commissioners a chance to make any further suggestions now since they did not have a commission meeting in September. Goldberg shares that they are planning a fall event at work and says two easy things to incorporate are pumpkin bowling and a pumpkin ring toss with hula hoops. Haight asks what will happen if it rains during the event. Nelson says they could cancel the inflatables to get a credit to be used another time and then move music and pumpkin painting indoors. Wassenberg asks if attendees will wear costumes. The commissioners will evaluate after this first year in order to make suggestions and improvements. 3 2. Fall and Winter Activities Discussion Nelson updates the commission on a meeting they had with Gibbs Farm. Gibbs does not have any fall/winter activities right now that the City could promote and pay a percentage of the enrollment fee for, but this could easily be accomplished in the summer with a promo code. That would allow staff to track how successful participation levels were with Falcon Heights residents. Commissioners then continue discussions surrounding free family fun nights at City Hall this winter. Bradbury suggests a tree lighting event as a kickoff. Brenton suggests holding the first family fun night in January after the holidays. Haight asks if Bell Museum offers any winter events. Commissioners discuss possible activities. One suggestion is a holiday movie night. The commissioners then discuss ice skating. Nelson shares that the City is willing to rent a warming house again this year and staff it if the commission is in support of doing that. Commissioners agree that it would be nice to try it again and evaluate usage again after last year resulted in just seven days of skating due to unseasonably warm weather. Wassenberg asks if the warming house could be located closer to the rink. Brenton asks if we can purchase a liner to help extend the skating season. Wassenberg says that it can be any white liner or tarp so that it’s affordable. Bradbury asks about adding a pleasure rink at Curtiss since it would be the only lighted rink for skating (there is a pleasure rink at the Grove but there are no lights there). Information/Announcement 1. Community Park Update Nelson shares that the City Council has decided to move forward with a prefabricated picnic shelter and a bathroom/concession building for Community Park. The exact prefabricated structures have not been selected yet but will likely be ordered as soon as possible, as the lead time might be 12 months. Nelson also updated commissioners on progress at Curtiss Field. The Parks Commission had identified its top three most important improvements to make at a previous meeting, which were drinking water, push button/timed lighting and a sidewalk added to close the loop from the parking lot to the park trail for walkers/bikers. While Public Works prices out lighting, adding drinking water is at a standstill. This is mainly to wait and see what pricing comes in at for a prefabricated bathroom structure at Community Park 4 to know if there is a possibility to budget for a smaller, prefabricated restroom with drinking water at Curtiss Field in the coming years. Public Works just completed the installation of the sidewalk last week! G. ADJOURNMENT: 7:45 P.M. Haight motions to adjourn the meeting; Approved 5-0 5 BLANK PAGE  6 Item Fall Event Recap Description The City held its first-annual fall event on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at City Hall and tied it in with the City’s 75th Anniversary. Staff would like to discuss the event with the commission to better understand areas that went well and those that could be made better before next year’s event. Budget Impact Approx. $2,000 Attachment(s) Action(s) Requested Staff recommends that commissioners share any ideas they have for improving the event. Meeting Date November 4, 2024, Agenda Item E1 Attachment Submitted By Kelly Nelson, Administrative Services Director/Deputy Clerk 7 BLANK PAGE  8 Item 2025 PARC Goals/Priorities Description Using the 2024 goals as a starting point, the Parks Commission should now discuss which goals were accomplished during the year, which goals remain a focus, and begin forming their 2025 goals. Budget Impact N/A Attachment(s) 2024 Parks and Recreation Goals Action(s) Requested Staff recommends reviewing the goals established in 2024 to then determine their goals and priorities for 2025. Meeting Date November 4, 2024 Agenda Item E2 Attachment 2024 PARC Goals Submitted By Kelly Nelson, Administrative Services Director/Deputy Clerk 9 1. Develop a small-scale event 2. Maintain attendance and momentum for Spring Ahead 3. Expand the areas and people we currently reach to promote events and the City to; improve signage 4. To have regular meetings of the PARC, having quorum at least every quarter. 5. Maintain PARC event / agenda calendar 6. Make an ice-skating decision for 2025 for all locations 7. Analyze changes to programming implemented 8. Study and recommend amenities and improvements for Curtiss Field 9. Study and recommend amenities and improvements for Grove Park 2024 10