02-10-2021 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY 10, 2021 engagement on future enhancements to Pioneer Park. He stated that the RCP team gave a presentation at the December 16, 2020, City Council workshop and has now submitted their final report to the City. The final report is separated into three documents on each of the focus areas, Youth Engagement, Focus Groups & Interviews, and a community survey. Miller stated that she read the report and thought it was excellent work with very good survey feedback. Torkelson and Fischer agreed that it provided a lot of great information. Fischer stated that one of the common comments was residents wanting more lighting along trails and sidewalks, and wondered about past discussions on why there is not much lighting in these areas. The Parks & Rec/Community Services Manager explained that in the past, the parks closed at dusk so there was no reason to have lights at that point, but stated that the parks are now open until 10:00pm so lighting would now make sense. He noted that lights can give people be a false sense of security, when lighting is actually intended to help people see the path and what is ahead of them. Keis reported that a gathering space has also generated a significant level of interest. The Parks & Recreation/Community Services Manager added that there would be several options for additional programming if a year round multi -use facility was available. Torkelson inquired about the current 2-story building in the center of the softball fields and what it can be used for or how it can be modified to allow for additional uses. Parks & Recreation/Community Services Manager Shearen explained that the second floor is not handicapped accessible, and the size of the facility is not conducive to most programming efforts. It is also difficult to rent the upstairs of the current building because vehicles are not allowed on the trails, and it is difficult for users to transport equipment and supplies the long distance from the parking lot. Fischer stated that he can understand how a new multi -use building in Pioneer Park could be utilized, but we need to figure out where to put additional parking and be considerate to the residents nearby. The Parks & Recreation/Community Services Manager stated that existing parking is sufficient for most uses, and preliminary analysis indicates that there are opportunities to expand both parking lots. He explained that having multi -function fields would also increase usage, which may impact parking demand. Fischer stated that the soccer fields are built on terrible soils, so the fields get destroyed after rain. He noted there was no discussion in the report about changing the field to turf. The Parks & Rec/Community Services Manager stated he would love to have a turf field, but they are very expensive. Fischer suggested that maybe there should be discussion about whether Pioneer Park is a park or an athletic complex, and maybe it can be some of both. The Parks & Rec/Community Services Manager stated staff is recommending a joint workshop on March 10 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission to discuss priorities. The City Administrator stated that identifying the top priorities prior to issuing an RFP for any design services. 3