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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-04-2020 Park Board Minutes Approved March 4, 2020 Page 1 CITY OF LINO LAKES Park Board Minutes DATE: March 4, 2020 TIME STARTED: 6:30 PM TIME ENDED: 8:10 PM MEMBERS PRESENT: Andrew Levi, John Nordlund, Richard Jensen, Clark Gooder, and Abby Haworth (Council Member Tony Cavegn joined for part of the meeting). MEMBERS ABSENT: Pat Huelman STAFF PRESENT: Rick DeGardner (Public Services Director) & Kellie Schmidt (Public Services Administrative Assistant) 1. Call to Order and Roll Call The March 4, 2020 City of Lino Lakes Park Board Meeting was called to order by Andrew Levi, Vice Chair. 2. Pledge of Allegiance All meeting attendees stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. Setting Agenda There was a change to the agenda. Park Updates, agenda item #7 A –C, would be discussed prior to agenda item #6, Review Parks & Trail Improvement Fund. 4. Approval of Minutes Abby Haworth MOTIONED to approve the November 4, 2019 Park Board Minutes, Richard Jensen supported the MOTION. The November 4, 2019 Park Board Minutes were approved as is with no changes. 5. Open Mike There was no one present for Open Mike. Open Mike was closed. But reopened at 7pm when Teresa O’Connell came to the meeting requesting to address the Park Board with some concerns she had heard from residents while canvasing for Council Office. The concerns she heard were: 1. She noticed speed limits seem to go up near parks. That is concerning given that there are children and families around. 2. A woman in the Country Lakes Parks area wondered why there was no play structure put in. Approved March 4, 2020 Page 2 3. Resident in the development at Main & Sunset stated that there was supposed to be a park put in and that was one of the selling points of the house. Inquired why there is still no park. 4. Century Farms resident stated she wanted the City to put in a dog park. 5. Woman stated that she was against the Recreation Complex at Fire Station 2. She doesn’t believe that the complex would benefit anyone in Lino and only those in Centerville and Hugo would use it as those are the closer people. Rick DeGardner, Director of Public Services, addressed each of the concerns that O’Connell brought up on behalf of the residents she heard from while canvasing during the election. He urged her to tell these residents to come to a Park Board Meeting or a City Council Meeting and voice their concerns and get some answer that they are looking for and to let the City know what they as residents would like in their community. 6. Park Update: A. Woods Edge Park Rick DeGardner, Director of Public Services, updated the Park Board on Woods Edge Park. He stated that City Council approved a contract with Northland Recreation Inc. to provide the design and equipment for the park project via Sourcewell (formerly NJPA). He stated that this agreement fulfills the competitive solicitation and contract process required for governmental agencies. He continue that we have contracted $75,000 with Northland Recreation (whom we worked with in the past) for the design and supply of the playground equipment, concrete for in-ground footings, wear mates, and provision of a certified playground installer. Funding is from the Dedicated Park Fund. He continued that the only thing holding this project up is the relatively small space and the leaf shape design. Everything is so compacted and with the safe zones there isn’t a lot of wiggle room for the project so they are having the container surveyed to make sure that all playground equipment still has adequate safety zones. Once everything is verified we will move ahead with a May installation by the Parks Department. Once playground is installed we will look into signage and park benches. There is potential for some additional funds to be left over. The funding for this project all came from the Woods Edge Development just to the north of the park so we may have some extra dollars and can look into additional enhancements. He reiterated to the Park Board that all funds for this project were out of the Dedicated Parks Fund so there is no tax or general fund impact for the development for this park. Clark Gooder, Park Board Member, asked DeGardner if any grading would need to be done and if we had received any feedback from the residents. DeGardner responded that the drain tile and such has already been completed and residents in the area are ready for this park. He stated that as soon as road restriction are lifted they will start work. B. 12th Avenue Trail Update Rick DeGardner, Director of Public Services, updated the Park Board on the 12th Avenue Approved March 4, 2020 Page 3 trail which is the trail gap along the east side of 12th Avenue which was originally discussed with City Council during the November 7, 2016 work session. Due to the call to action by residents that stated that the gap creates an unsafe situation and hinders pedestrian access to Brandywood Park, the City Council approved the completion of the 12th Avenue Trail. Plans and specs have been finalized for the project. The City is currently in the process of obtaining quotes and anticipate brining a recommendation to the City Council in April. Since it appears property/easement acquisition will not be necessary, the City expects this project to be completed in 2020. Andrew Levi, Park Board Member, asked Rick what money was coming from the Park Dedicated Park Fund, what development was it from. DeGardner stated that the funds were “undesignated” and available for use. Richard Jensen, Park Board Member, asked DeGardner where the state aid came from. DeGardner stated that annually the city receives state aid dollars for road improvements. It’s a very specific purpose and very regimented. C. Apollo Trail Update: Rick DeGardner, Director of Public Services, gave an update on the Apollo Trail segment. He stated that the final design process was interrupted due to the discovery of obsolete signal components. A feasibility study was conducted and it was determined that some electronic modification to the signals, relocating of some loop detectors, and concrete work with a median/accessibility ramps are required and stated that the project is currently out for bids. Currently $115,000 allocated for this project. The trail is on the north side so you stay away from the gas station entrance and exit. So that is the link. Apollo Drive trail will extend to get you to the four way stop to Lilac at Apollo. There still be a gap. There is a cemetery along Lilac Street with plots close to the existing roadway. DeGardner then stated that he knows there has been some talk from Park Board Members that if the rest of the trail will not be completed anytime soon, if it still makes sense to construct the segment they are currently looking to put in. It would be $100,000 to just put in that segment. He stated that the original intent with the Park Board was to do the segment when the thought was the rest would be done in 3-5 years, however with the cemetery information and a few other things pushing the rest of the trail completion out, perhaps it wouldn’t make sense to do this project at this time. 7. Review Parks & Trail Improvement Fund: Rick DeGardner, Director of Public Services, provided the Park Board with an updated summary sheet for the Park and Trail Improvement Fund. He stated that there is currently $162,000 undesignated. He stated that staff recommends the Park Board provide a Approved March 4, 2020 Page 4 recommendation to designate specific projects for City Council consideration. DeGardner provided an Existing Park Assets Worksheet and Existing Playground Equipment Inventory for the Park Board to review. The Council adopted the Park & Trail Improvement Plan and has designated $90,000 a year to go into this fund with the intent that the Park Board would work on updating 1 park a year. Staff is currently recommending Lino Park playground structure replacement. Andrew Levi, Park Boar Vice Chair, addressed the Recreation Complex. If City Council decides the Recreation Complex should be a priority then we will make it a priority, however it doesn’t seem like we will be able to do it/finish it for a few years while all of these other Parks and Trails deteriorate. He stated he thought that it would be hard to support both and setting aside the money for that wouldn’t help the issues in the parks now. He stated he is not against the Recreation Complex but stated the money they have now they need to plug away at the playgrounds that need replacing now. Looking at the needs that everything fills he thought a Recreation Complex would be nice but doesn’t fulfill a critical and the critical need is to fix what we have that needs replacing. Clark Gooder, Park Board Member, agreed. City Council Member Tony Cavegn asked the Park Board Members to clarify if what they were saying is that they would like to redirect the $375,000 out of the Recreation Complex fund and use it toward something else. Levi stated he wasn’t stating that he wanted to take the money out of the fund but just not allocate anything from the $90,000 the Park Board receive to the Recreation Complex. He would like to see more money put into the Recreation Complex to complete the project but that the Recreation Complex funds and where it comes from just needs to be separate from the funds they receive for park improvements. Abby Haworth, Park Board Member, asked when Lilac trail would be done, when would the road be done. DeGardner stated that it isn’t even on the radar. It would likely be 10+ years before Lilac is reconstructed. Park Board questioned if it would make sense to put in part of the trail if there is no plan to finish Apollo anytime soon. What would be the public benefit of the segment is done if not connected/finished? Park Board stated that they are recommending to City Council to not do the Apollo Drive Trail segment. DeGardner informed the Park Board that by cutting Apollo Drive this will add $105,000 to the Undesignated Fund Balance. DeGardner then confirmed that with the Park Board that they wanted to move forward with recommending the replacement of Lino Park and that it would leave $172,000. Approved March 4, 2020 Page 5 The Park Board Members have the assignment of going out and looking at the neighborhood parks prior to the next meeting so they can come back and discuss which need replacement and create a plan for spending the money and replacement. 8. New Business: There was no new business. 9. Old Business: There was no old business. 10. Next Scheduled Park Board Meeting Wednesday, April 1, 2020 11. Adjourn Richard Jenson made a MOTION to adjourn, Clark Gooder supported the MOTION. All in favor MOTION carried. Meeting was adjourned. Submitted by, Kellie Schmidt Administrative Assistant Lino Lakes Public Services