08-27-2009 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Parks and Recreation and Forestry Commission Meeting Minutes August 27, 2009 1. Call to Order at 6:32 PM Roll Call: Arel, Kroeger, Kunz, Palm, Long, Peterson Staff Present: DeBar 2. Approval of minutes from the July 23, 2009 meeting. Motion to approve minutes by Long, 2nd by Kroeger. Motion Passed 6-0. 3. Public Input - Citizens are encouraged to speak to the Parks and Recreation and Forestry Commissioners on issues of concern. No residents present. 4. Irondale Baseball League: Joel Swanson, and Craig Weinmann from Irondale Baseball League (IBL) Board. Looking for resolution that first priority for reservation for all Mounds View fields be given to IBL rather than Shoreview Area Baseball (SAB). Parents and coaches are becoming increasingly frustrated with having to play on fields outside of community even for “home field” advantage at playoff games. Example given that Shoreview had reserved Greenfield Park, but only had a few players practicing when IBL had to play at Columbia Heights for playoff game. Shoreview has more baseball fields, according to their city website, 17 fields. Shoreview and other neighboring cities give first priority to their in-house teams before opening up to other neighboring leagues. IBL is growing and they are looking at hosting some tournaments. Also considering starting growing to older teams such as Legion and/or VFW Baseball. According to their observations, SAB has reserved Greenfield Park, but has not used it on nights that it has been reserved. Included packet of letters from parents expressing their concerns. No other city has equal rights for other leagues to reserve fields. Looking for first right of field reservation. What is the goal for PRF for city parks and fields? If the goal is for them to be used, and the fields are being reserved, but not being used when they could be used, how can PRF resolve that? (Aukee present) Response from Pat Prindle, MVCC/YMCA via email. MVCC have followed the event scheduling and costs according to the city’s field use requirements. It encourages contact to MVCC if the field will not be needed by either organization in order to be used by the other league. According to IBL this has not seemed to happen. SAB has paid for everything they reserved whether it has used it or not. In the past MVCC has offered Greenfield for two nights per week, leaving it open for SAB the other two nights of the week. IBL is able to reserve beginning in January, but only two nights per week. SAB is able to then reserve the other two nights March 1st. IBL needs more days per week. IBL willing to move a practice if SAB needs for rescheduled game. Grades 8/9: Use Greenfield or Edgewood MS. 7th: Use Silverview if possible. 3/ 4 Plays at Hillview and Groveland because can’t in at Lambert as it is used by SAB. Have had to use City Hall t-ball field. IBL expects to have three teams next year and would be able to use Greenfield 4 nights per week for a game. Next year could use Greenfield 4-nights per week, Silverview both fields 4-nights per week for grades 5-7. Have used Hillview, City Hall, Silverview and Groveland for grades 3-4.