10-06-2016 Parks & Rec Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION October 5, 2016 update the garden and create a safer environment for pedestrians. Chair Miller stated number 6, the powerline trail, could be held off as a result of the Centerville Road project. Chair Miller noted he thought the informational signs were important. Chair Miller asked where the Commission thought pickleball courts fit into the list. Ray noted pickleball is a popular sport. Schletty asked if it would be more of a fad or a long term increase. Horwath pointed out the sport is popular among older adults and with that age group increasing the sport would most likely continue to increase as well. Horwath asked if the courts could be made dual purpose for pickleball and tennis, like other cities. The Recreation Supervisor mentioned that many older adults don’t want a dual purpose court, because they don’t want the hassle of changing the net. The Director also mentioned many older adults don’t want to chase after their balls and would in fact like a fenced in court made just for pickleball. Schletty thought the pickleball courts should be higher on the prioritization list. Ray mentioned this could be an item the City could ask the Little Canada Recreation Association to sponsor. He also noted it could be another Canadian Days tournament game. Horwath suggested adding Kubb to the tournament games as well. Chair Miller suggested moving the dog park and flag pole projects up on the list as well. Chair Miller asked the City Administrator what year the pickleball courts were in the budget. The City Administrator stated they were planned for 2018. The City Administrator asked for clarification on the Gervais Mill Park Garden Plans. Chair Miller explained the observation deck would be postponed, but the drinking fountain would stay in the plan. Horwath agreed keeping the drinking fountain as part of the first priority was important. The Director questioned repurposing the middle school skating rink as a dog park in the summer months. He thought it would create a demand that couldn’t be served during the winter months. The Director stated he would inquire about this further at the Parks and Recreation Conference later this month. Ray noted the City of Lauderdale has a skating rink that serves as a dog park during the summer. The Director explained the Park Land Acquisition Fund should also be examined as a funding source for some of these projects. The City Administrator noted there didn’t seem to be many more Park Land Acquisition needs and the City could prepare a study to examine future uses of the fund. Horwath questioned the priority of number ten, renovating the Spooner Park Lower Shelter. He noted the cost seemed relatively high for a project that wouldn’t receive nearly as much revenue in return. Schletty thought it would be a good idea to break the project into smaller parts. Chair Miller noted it was a long term goal and could possibly be improved slowly beginning with cosmetic updates. The Director explained this item wasn’t