HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.5.25 Park & Rec Minutes1 | Page
CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Regular Meeting of the Parks & Recreation Commission
City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue MINUTES May 5, 2025 at 6:30 P.M.
A. CALL TO ORDER: 6:32 PM
B. ROLL CALL: Mike Bradbury__X___ Eric Brenton__X___Tom Faust__X__ Bob Haight__X___ Wesley Goldberg_____ Erin Williams__X___
COUNCIL LIAISON: James Wassenberg __X__ STAFF PRESENT: Kelly Nelson__X__
C. PRESENTATION: N/A D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. April 7, 2025 – Parks and Recreation Meeting Minutes – Joint Meeting – Community Engagement Commission Bradbury motions to approve the Park minutes; approved 5-0 E. AGENDA:
1. Community Park Playground Color Scheme Discussion
Nelson shares a color chart and examples of color schemes from Northland Recreation. Parks commissioners discuss which ones they favor for the playground equipment at Community Park.
Sunny Days is identified as a favorite, and commissioners discuss what they like/dislike about it. They are interested in seeing a different color roof and/or seeing where the color orange can be added in.
Williams says to keep touch surfaces light to avoid getting hot in the sun. Nelson takes their feedback and will request updated renderings for the next commission meeting so that a final decision can be made.
2. Update Community Garden Rules and Regulations Nelson shares the existing community garden rules and regulations, which have not been modified in many years. Commissioner Haight had expressed an interest in helping to spearhead
updating the rules to be more brief and also brought the idea of creating a garden committee before the commission. Brenton favors the one-sheet format for rules and doing a FAQs page as well.
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Haight shares that he would volunteer to serve on the garden committee.
Bradbury asks if the committee would be disciplinary or advisory. Wassenberg suggests the committee notify city staff of issues vs. act as enforcement. Williams asks if there is a secondary space to add garden plots and then asks if one area should follow existing conditions and if a second area has different terms. Commissioners have discussed the idea of having two different sets of rules for two separate garden spaces so that a future garden may not allow existing gardeners first rite of refusal but move to a lottery system, for example.
Brenton suggests having up to five garden committee members.
Bradbury wonders if one community liaison is more appropriate. Haight will volunteer to be the liaison but would need a generic email account.
Nelson would then notify gardeners that there is a garden liaison. Haight will flesh out the idea of having a committee. Brenton suggests posting the “Please do not…” section. Bradbury says the liaison can explain why woody plants are not allowed, for example.
3. Programming Discussion – Scholarship Update and City Events
Nelson shares that the scholarship reimbursement program is up and running, with qualifying households receiving $25 from the city as reimbursement for signing up for many surrounding recreational options. So far, the reimbursement requests have been extremely low (one). Bradbury has seen the scholarship reimbursement in the newsletter but suggests moving it so that it’s next to the rec class information. Brenton suggests asking surrounding communities what their most popular activities are specifically for a 6-to-8-week timeframe. Williams suggests putting a flyer up at Spring Together to inform attendees of the scholarship reimbursement program.
Information/Announcement
G. ADJOURNMENT: 8:26 P.M. Haight motions to adjourn the meeting; Approved 5-0