HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2025/05/22PARKS AND RECREATION AND FORESTRY COMMISSION
7:00 P.M. I MAY 22, 2025 1 MOUNDS VIEW CITY HALL
MEETING MINUTES MOUNDS VFEW
1. CALL TO ORDER at 7:00 PM
2. ROLL CALL: Commissioners: Arel, Bankston, Bosneag II, Lundberg, Palm, Mills, Wake Wiesner Staff:
Peterson I Szurek I Thomas
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Motion to approve by Palm, 2nd by Wake Wiesner. Motion passed 7-0
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES -April 24th, 2025: Motion to approve by Wake Wiesner, 2nd by Lundberg.
Passed 7-0
5. PUBLIC INPUT
Citizens may speak to issues not on tonight's agenda. Before speaking, please give your full name and
address. Please limit your comments to three minutes. No residents present.
6. STAFF REPORTS
A. Parks and Recreation — Thomas: See attached report. MVCC fully staffed for the summer! Summer
hours begin Tuesday, May 27th with limited hours due to summer opportunities. Explore More program
is 125% of last year's enrollment. Rec on the Go park visits have 153 kids registered between MV and
AH. Lower enrollment for Senior trips, but stye will have a few more park programs in the summer.
Youth league enrollment down 15% from 2024. Meals on Wheels coming to MVCC from 9 am to 1 PM
through MV ISD Community Ed. Getting some more request for park rentals for cricket at Silverview
Park. Looking at alternatives for what they need at the park for the outfield to save the grass. Not
renting the parks for July 4th due to past issues. Ice cream social July 12th, 1-3 PM, Penny Carnival at
Festival in the Park Kickoff August 15th after the parade.
B. Public Works — Szurek — See attached report. Splash pad will open tomorrow! It passed the County
inspection. New tree inspector, Bradley Holt, started May 20th!
7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. National Fitness Campaign — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mn- Peterson: City Council approved the
project. It will be located behind City Hall. It has to be up and running by September 15th. We need an
artist approved by BCBS to submit designs for the back wall that we can approve with coordination
with BCBS. BCBS has recommendations of artists, but could we get ideas from a local artist? We can,
but BCBS has to approve them since they are paying for it.
B. Zip line was taken down 4-15-2025- Szurek
1. leaving the zip line as is -not functioning
2. put the zip line back making it function
3. remove the entire zip line feature and place in storage, installing at another park in the
future
4. remove and reinstall at either City Hall Park or Silverview park.
Discussion: Lundberg is between 2 & 3. Put it backup until we find anew place to put it.
Bosneag is between 3 & 4, but wants to make sure it won't need to be moved again when we revamp
Silverview Park in 2030ish? On the Park Tour we looked at a possible location at Silverview, but it would
be moved according to the future WSB plan, if it's even salvageable by then (2030). Bankston asked if we
can sell it to another community? Most likely not. We can store it, but not sure about reinstall
capabilities depending on how long we store; from code changes and manufacture recommendations.
Palm & Arel prefer to move it to Silverview so it is in use and not in storage. Peterson hopes we could get
it reinstalled by the fall. Getting replacement swings for Hodges could take more time. Could leave room
to bring the dinosaurs back. Need a "Name the Dinosaur" at the Festival in the Park. Mills concerned
about the email that said, "the most obnoxious thing ... was the loud piercing squeals and screams
because these kids are having the best time they've ever had in their life." Are we removing joy from a
park? Or are we moving an element? Motion by Palm to keep it down until we can move it to
Silverview Park. 2nd by Bosneag. Lundberg wants to keep it up until it can be moved. Szurek says we
can get a week window of when the contractor can move it. So we can keep it up until the week of the
move. How do we pay for it? When we get bids, we don't need to have the decision come back, and it can
go straight to the Council to approve and decide the funding. Wake Wiesner says more people are using
it appropriately and would like to see it stay up until it is moved. Motion failed 4-3. Motion by Mills to
put it back and not move it. Motion fails for lack of a second. We could put up a sign to ask for quiet
hours and respect the neighbors. Motion by Arel, 2nd by Lundberg to put it back up at Hodges until it
can be moved to Silverview. If we put it up and the Council chooses not to fund the move, then it will
come back to the Commission. Motion Passed 5-2. Look into putting up a "quiet" sign. Staff will get bids
and bring it to the City Council for approval and invite the Commission. We should put it back on social
media and get notification to the neighbors.
8. NEW BUSINESS
A. Annual Park Tour 5:30PM starting at Woodcrest - Comments/Conversation/ Results. Parks toured:
Woodcrest, Silverview and City Hall.
1. Woodcrest: has a lot of nature opportunities. Like the future plan to make this a natural play space,
but sad the playground is gone. How can we get some interactive signage about what is there:
birds, trees, sights and sounds?
2. Silverview: Great to have signage that explains what work is being done there. We didn't
understand all of the invasive species elements that are going on there, so we need patience to
educate the public as well, knowing it takes time to understand all of the aspects of what is going
on. We need to update the signage/QR code link with new information as it arises. It was a busy
park! MVCC has a lot of opportunities provided for coordinated activities by the MVCC and just
folks coming out to be there. Lots of people on the trail and can walk with more visibility and safety.
Ask Andy Thomas to see if he can get a representative to come educate us about cricket.
3. City Hall: Also busy. Parking lot will be awesome -to begin after July 4th. People need to
understand there is a process to getting the splashed up and running, and it's not just flipping a
switch to turn it on -there are inspections required each year. Andy Thomas had cell phone tracking
and said we had 37K visits by 19K visitors in the past year.
9. COMMISSIONER REPORTS: Palm: Reading Trail? Gaga Ball pit? and Park video? Reading Trail will be
at City Hall during the ice cream social and penny carnival. Gaga Ball pit will be ordered and installed at
Groveland using park dedication funds. Park video with Nine North is still on the list. Gender neutral
bathrooms at City Hall and some other park buildings. If you want a paver for the Tribute Park, order by
June 15th.
10. REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS / OTHER BUSINESS:
11. Next Regular Commission Meeting: June 25112025
1. Review the of the (Draft) Park Master Plan: Formal approval on July 14th by City Council.
Possibly taking proceeds from marijuana dispensary and putting it towards the Park Dedication
Fund. City Council will also need to look at bonds and levies for future park improvements.
12. ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Palm to adjourn at 8:27 PM. Second by Bankston.