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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-16-2023 PRF Minutes PARKS AND RECREATION AND FORESTRY COMMISSION 6:30 P.M. I NOVEMBER 16 2023 I MOUNDS VIEW CITY HALL MEETING MINUTES MOUNDS VIEW 1. CALL TO ORDER@ 6:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL: Commissioners: Anderson, Arel, Lillemo, Lundberg, Palm, Mills, Wake Wiesner Staff: Peterson I Thomas 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion to approve by Wake Wiesner, second by Arel. Motion passes 4-0 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion to approve by Wake Wisner, second by Anderson. Motion passes 4-0 October 26, 2023 5. PUBLIC INPUT David Wood @ 2501 Sherwood Road spoke on urban agriculture. Wood started a Mounds View garden club, predominant communication is on social media- garden club is interested in exchanging garden information and interested in a community garden. Seems to be 50/50 interest on vegetables vs flowers. 6. STAFF REPORTS A. Parks and Recreation — Lundberg present at 6:38, Lillemo present at 6:38. 1. Introduction of Maddie Margo — Recreation Coordinator. Maddie started end of August-Welcome Maddie! Reported a successful fall with youth sports programs, fall youth soccer league specifically had over 80 participants. Also offered youth soccer, flag football, basketball and t-ball league, youth dance and family music, adult leagues and partnerships including volleyball, corn hole, and boot hockey. Huge turn out at fall festival- over 1100 participants- it was very well advertised on social media. Looking ahead to winter: Santa is coming on Dec. 2nd to the community center. Job posting for warming house attendants- hoping to hire about 10 or as many as needed. Skating lessons are coming back- with adult classes too! Plans to add a youth dungeons and dragons program and day out of school programs and field trips. Hoping for a Valentine's day bingo event and St Patrick's day community celebrations. Next summer: North metro adult sports league- kickball tournament and ultimate frisbee tournaments. Hoping to add more (pickleball and volleyball). Considering expanding explore more daycamp program- increasing capacity to have more kids and restructuring staffing model to adhere more to child development levels in curriculum. Hoping to offer a leader in training program (12-14 year old group- learning leadership skills). Considering pausing the explore park programs to use staff resources to better support the youth at the community center in explore more program. Also thinking about a mobile recreation program (rec-on-the-go)- bringing recreation programs out to the community (apartments or parks). Hoping to move into a staffing model where younger staff can learn from more experienced staff. Festival in the park committee is donating $750 for scholarships for summer explore more program. B. Public Works — Don This time of the year the focus in the parks is a lot of leaf management. The arborist is continuing to work with residents and the contractor on diseased trees. The city continues to send out the letters to residents notifying of diseased trees- the first part of the letters were the diseased ash trees and now the diseased oak tree residents are getting letters. There are no grants to help homeowners pay, but the city finance department can help set up a payment plan or the homeowner can elect to have it put on their taxes if they need help paying. 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Sustainability— Start to review the Commissions role: What does sustainability mean for the commission. If the commission focuses more on environmental sustainability and not necessarily economic sustainability-does it become more of a climate action plan. A sustainability plan and a climate action plan are similar but not the same. A climate action plan would be focused on things like community gardens, storm water run offs. A sustainability plan has to look bigger- looking into economic development. A climate action plan may spring board the city council to expanding the broader thought of economic development. The commission has to choose which way to go. Years ago, the city had a "green task force" that ensured green spaces were left in the city- this would sort of be bringing this green task force idea back. Staff will put together a template of a climate action plan with the focus on protecting green space and present to the commission; commission will dissect the plan presented. 8. NEW BUSINESS A. Discuss need for meeting in December. Lillemo made a motion to cancel December 2023 meeting, second by Arel. Motion passes 6-0. B. Review and Approve 2024 Meeting Calendar. Motion by Arel to accept calendar as printed with keeping 4th Thursdays of the month, with exceptions of moving October's meeting to 10/17, and November's meeting to 11/21. Second by Lillemo. Motion passes 6-0. 9. COMMISSIONER REPORTS Lillemo: received outreach from community organization that does juggling and stilts and fire juggling and wants to use park facilities to provide education on juggling-the organization wants room space to warm everyone up before they go outside to learn their arts. Mills: Next tribute park is November 28th meeting. Lundberg: would like to coordinate volunteerism through the parks/city (adopt a park program or something else). Would like to take advantage of the large interest in volunteering right now. Lundberg and Lillemo: Thanks to resident Tim Wood for taking it upon himself to clean the parks. 10. REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS / OTHER BUSINESS 11. Next Regular Commission Meeting: January 25th, 2024 at 6:30pm. 12. ADJOURNMENT 7:26 p.m.