HomeMy WebLinkAboutDraft Park Commission Minutes June 8 2016 Special CIP MeetingMINUTES
City of Lake Elmo Park Commission
2017-2021 CIP Special Meeting
June 8, 2016
Members Present: Chair Weis, Commissioners Frick, Zeno, Ames, Nelson, Steele
Members Absent: Neuenfeldt, Hartley, Silvernale
Others Present: Mayor Pearson, City Administrator Handt, City Planner Becker, Resident Paul Miller
The meeting was called to order by Chair Weis at 6:30 PM.
2017-2021 Capital Improvement Plan
Administrator Handt explained that the Parks Commission was to make recommendations for the Parks’ 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Plan. She explained that a list of very rough cost estimates
for eight possible Parks and Recreation CIP projects was provided in the packet based off of direction that was provided to Staff from the last Parks Commission meeting held May 16,
2016. The Commission was to assign what projects they would like seen on the 2017-2021 CIP, which years those projects should be accomplished, and the projects’ priority rankings. The
Park Dedication Fund at this time was expected to have a balance of $770,000 by year end ($640,000 if the proposed Tablyn Park Project is approved and completed in 2016), with only
about $107,000 still expected to be collected from an upcoming development project.
Commissioner Ames wanted clarification on how the CIP was going to be communicated to Council. Administrator Handt explained that the proposed CIP, after approved by the Parks Commission,
would first go to Finance Committee and then to Council for final approval. It was clarified that Finance Committee does have the power to make recommendations against the CIP as approved
by the Parks Commission, and there was concern how the Finance Committee would communicate logic behind any projects they rejected and if the Parks Commission-recommended CIP would
be communicated to Council along with the Finance Committee’s recommendations. Mayor Pearson clarified that the goal was that Council understood both the Parks Commission’s and Finance
Committee’s recommendations. Administrator Handt added that a desired project not approved for a specific year will remain on the CIP as pending in order to keep track of it. It was
also discussed that if changes to the CIP were desired, a public hearing was required.
Demontreville Park Improvements
Mr. Paul Miller, a resident of 50th Street in Lake Elmo and active member with Mahtomedi Baseball Association, was at the meeting to discuss desired improvements to Demontreville Park.
He requested that the field be re-graded, adding lime to prevent weeds and backstops to
the field. A partnership was suggested between the City and a school district to help cover initial costs and maintenance.
Motion by Weis, seconded by Steele to recommend approval of PR-003 as amended. The Parks Commission voted and recommended that $75,000 of the Parks and Recreation fund be dedicated toward
an upgrade of the current baseball field to include backstops, grading, adding lime and appropriate fencing and toward a second ballfield in 2017 and that $35,000 be dedicated toward
a new pavilion in 2018. They ranked the priority of this project as 2 (Very Important). Motion passed 6-0.
Manning Trail Updates
Handt explained that a new Manning Trail will be installed along Manning Trail near Oak Land Junior High in conjunction with the new roadway as part of the city/county’s efforts to connect
trails. There was discussion about what formula was utilized to determine our share of the costs; further information was needed.
The Parks Commission voted and recommended that $13,200 of the Parks and Recreation fund be dedicated toward Manning Trail Updates in 2017. The priority ranking of this project was determined
to be 2 (Very Important).
50th Street Trail
This project was on a previous Parks and Recreation CIP, but there was thought that there was not enough right-of-way in the proposed area of the trail. Motion by Steele, seconded by
Nelson to recommend removal of this project from the 2017-2021 CIP. The Parks Commission removed this item from the CIP, waiting on further information. Motion passed 6-0.
Lions Park Renovations
Commissioner Zeno wanted to be sure that the tennis and volleyball court and play center be replaced elsewhere in the City if or when they are taken down. Commissioner Ames asked that
demolition of the arts center not come out of the Parks Budget and that there be a marker for the 45th parallel.
Motion by Ames, seconded by Steele to recommend approval of PR-004 with the addition of a marker of the 45th parallel. The Parks Commission voted and recommended that $150,000 of the
Parks and Recreation Fund be dedicated towards Lions Park improvements included on the upcoming RFP. This project was determined to be ranked as 1 (Critical). Motion passed 6-0.
Pebble Park Improvement
Phase 1 of this park’s improvements were completed in 2016. Phase 2 improvements would include paving the parking area, adding a bathroom (specifics to be determined), and a volleyball
court.
Motion by Steele, seconded by Ames to recommend the approval of PR-005 as amended. The Parks Commission voted and recommended that $55,738 of the Parks and Recreation Fund be dedicated
toward a two-court volleyball court and paved parking area in 2017 and that $80,000 of the Fund be dedicated toward restrooms and lighting/security features in 2018. The ranking of
this project was assigned a priority ranking of 3 (Important). Motion passed 6-0.
Reid Park Improvements
Desired improvements to Reid Park included a mountain biking trail, restrooms, tot lot, demolition of the basketball court, outdoor gym stations, bleacher seats, and extending the fence.
Motion by Weis, seconded by Nelson to recommend approval of PR-006 as amended. The Parks Commission voted and recommended that $50,000 to construct mountain biking trails be procured
from grants in 2018 and that $134,250 be dedicated from the Parks Fund for other above-described improvements in 2019. A priority ranking of 3 (Important) was assigned to this project.
Motion passed 6-0.
Sunfish Lake Park
It was determined that the park was in need of benches, a parking lot area near the Fire Station on Jamaca Avenue or at least delineation of a permitted parking area, paving of the main
parking lot, and ADA standard trails in Area 2.
Motion by Weis, seconded by Stele to recommend approval of PR-007 as amended. The Parks Commission voted and recommended that $2000 be procured in donations for the desired benches and
that $28,136 be dedicated from the Parks Fund in 2017 and that $148,873 be dedicated from the Parks Fund in 2019 for the additionally desired improvements. The project was determined
to be ranked 3 (Important). Motion passed 6-0.
Lake Elmo Regional Trail
There are two phases to this regional east-west trail project, the first phase connects it to the existing Oakdale trail at Stillwater Blvd, travels through Tablyn Park to Lake Elmo
Park Reserve, passes through LEPR and provides an exit point to Sunfish Lake Park, and continues down to Highway 5; the second phase connects Lake Elmo to Stillwater Senior High.
Motion by Steele, seconded by Ames to recommend PR-009. The Parks Commission voted and recommended that in 2020, $620,487 from grants and donations be put toward this project and $206,829
be dedicated from the Parks and Recreation Fund; in 2021, $574,000 from grants
and donations and $191,400 from the Park Fund are to go towards this project. A ranking of 3 (Important) was assigned to this project. Motion passed 6-0.
Motion by Steele, seconded by Ames to recommend $25,000 for a pickelball court at a park. Motion passed 6-0.
Motion by Steele, seconded by Frick to recommend the Parks 2017-2021 CIP as amended. Motion passed 6-0.
Meeting adjourned at 9:27 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Emily Becker, City Planner