HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-04-19 Parks Commission Minutes
City of Lake Elmo Parks Commission Minutes
April 19, 2021
Members Present: Commissioners- Weeks, Ames, Schumacher, Nightingale, Hoelscher,
Kastler, and Rivera
Staff Present: City Planner- Prchal, Public Works Director- Powers
The meeting was called to order by Weeks at 6:30 PM.
Approval of Agenda
Agenda was unanimously approved as presented 7-0.
Approval of Minutes
Weeks motioned to approve the February 17th, 2021 Parks Commission Minutes, Ames
provided a second; discussion. Unanimously passed with the discussed typo correction 7-0.
The March 2021 Meeting was cancelled.
Public Comments
Ann Bucheck at 2301 Legion Ave: This spring one of the trees fell over in Legion Ave Park and
is now floating in the standing water. You can access this park from Legion Lane and
recommend the Parks Commission view the park in its current state. Thank you.
Mike Zeno – Lions Park Volleyball Court Courtesy Rules Discussion.
Mike Zeno at 4860 Jerome Ave N – Mr. Zeno is requesting the Parks Commission consider a
courtesy rules sign for the volleyball courts at Lions Park. Residents in the area provided
a list of courtesy rules for commission review at a later date. They would also like to see
lights and another volleyball court constructed.
Discussion followed regarding the current lights by the court, requirement of a new sign and sign
placement, court usage, court locations, reservations, common courtesy rules, and
possibly adding courts to the CIP for future consideration.
Ames motioned to have staff look into verbiage for a sign, Rivera provided a second.
(Discussion: Hoelscher would like to see it follow park policy. Kastler recommends the
rules be more specific to volleyball. Not parking on the grass is already a park
regulation.) Unanimously passed 7-0.
Sunfish Lake Park
Ami Voeltz-Schakel at 9905 Tapestry Rd, Park Usage Community Group Representative for
Sunfish Lake Park, provided a presentation on user experience, concerns, and solutions
focusing on safety and clarifying user confusion.
Matt Orest at 7650 31st St N: Activity at the park has grown. Trails are bi-directional and users
are allowed to use all trails. (Orest went into detail about the safety issues and proposed
trail changes. Discussion followed inquiring about cost, number of days the work would
take to complete, volunteer opportunity, and if the Landtrust required removing trails to
be able to add trails.) Voeltz-Schakel recommended designated hiking and skiing trails in
the winter.
Mary Frick at 2773 Lisbon Ave N: Dogs running off leash is an ongoing safety concern. (Frick
commented on the groups concerns and incidents with the dogs.) The city ordinance for a
dog running at large is stated as a misdemeanor, which is up to a $1000 fine or 90 days in
jail. We suggest placing doggie bag holders with lease law signs in the park. (Discussion
about the Sherriff’s Department having no reports of hikers bitten in the park in the last 5
years and the need to make a report of any incidents.)
Voeltz-Schakel: Last thought is to update all the signage to reflect user guidelines for winter and
summer, and noting that we would love to see the option of having sandwich signs and
post signs.
Weeks questioned the conditions set in the contract with the Landtrust about the trails. (The
Commission discussed the contract, trail maintenance, signs, and bringing a discussion to
the Landtrust regarding potential trail changes.)
Public comments were heard by Tony Manzara located at 5050 Kirkwood, Mary Frick at 2773
Lisbon Ave N, Tim Wegner of Rosemont, Ann Bucheck at 2301 Legion Ave, Peter
Sullivan at 1050 Tapestry Bend, Mike Zeno at 4860 Jerome Ave N, Susan Dunn at
11018 upper 333rd St N, and Trina Joyce of Minneapolis regarding the Landtrust
contract, thanking Ami for bringing people together for a respectful discussion,
ordinance, sign budget, trail location and measurements, who should be responsible for
trail cost and how much, Mr. Wegner volunteering, questions on when users were
allowed to be on the same trail and when bikers started being allowed in the park,
importance of proper signage, trail erosion and maintenance, any reported accidents,
welcoming the new parks commission members and thanking them for their service, the
importance of the park continuing to be a nature preserve, and the consensus that trails
should not be muti-user trails for the safety of everyone.
Ames mentioned that the commission is only a recommending body and the City Council has
final vote.
Weeks motioned for Ames to be liaison to the group, Hoelscher provided a second;
unanimously approved 7-0.
Ames motioned to recommend designated user trails to improve safety and minimize conflict to
the City Council, Schumacher provided a second; discussion. Commission felt the motion
was premature - motion withdrawn.
Kastler motioned for the group to continue to work with Ames and focus in on the concepts
provided, Ames seconded; Ames amended the motion to direct city staff to research
the groups presented topics that will allow the commission to address safety
concerns, Schumacher provided a second; Commission would like to see something
solid before presenting it to Council and the Landtrust. Unanimously approved 7-0.
Communications
a) May 6th APWA member’s community service day. Powers found a few things that could
be done.
b) County Deer Hunt. County completed a fly over and it met the threshold for a hunt. Dan
MacSwain from Washington County is getting his material together to see if any cities
want to complete a join hunt. The presentation would be this calendar year, most likely
August in preparation for the fall deer hunt.
c) Bee Keeping in Sunfish has been approved and the hives are set up.
d) Schumacher and Hoelscher have been selected to serve on the CIP committee.
e) Concession stands are now open.
Meeting adjourned at 8:44 PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Rebecca McGuire, Deputy Clerk