PK PACKET 12012025 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Parks and Environmental Commission Regular Meeting Minutes September 8, 2025 Page 3 1 2 Finance Director Maloney reviewed a PowerPoint titled Parks Capital Improvement Plan & 3 Financial Overview. She presented the Planning & Budgeting for Parks & Environmental 4 Operations and Capital Improvements, 2026 Budget Calendar, including the Park 5 Improvement Fund, PEC items, and overall park and Environmental Spending. 6 7 Chair Fee asked about the 2025 Park Improvements and the Future Requests and Costs. She 8 asked if the fund requests would be included in the levy for 2026. She asked which requests 9 would be moving forward. Ms. Morello stated the preliminary levy is getting set for 10 September 9, 2025, and the City Council will determine if any of the additional items go into 11 the budget or not. The prioritizations suggested by the PEC will be submitted to the City 12 Council for consideration. Ms. Maloney stated the parks’ levy at this time is an increase over 13 last year’s levy. The General Fund is meant to be one year of spending. The Capital Funds are 14 meant to have a levy that gradually accounts for costs, so it stays stable over the years. They 15 can accumulate a fund balance, which allows for larger projects in the future. If there is an 16 excess General Fund balance, the Council decides what the priorities are. The Park Fund is a 17 Capital Fund. 18 19 Commissioner Synhavsky asked if the spending this year will be like 2026. Ms. Maloney 20 stated this is the plan at this time, and she is still meeting with departments about plans and 21 prioritizing needs. 22 B.23 Dog Park Exploration. 24 25 Assistant Manager Morello reviewed the topic of exploring the feasibility of a dog park in St. 26 Anthony Village, which was an agenda item at the Parks & Environmental Commission 27 meetings in the Fall of 2022 and Winter of 2024, and had been discussed historically as far 28 back as 2014. It was also discussed at the Parks Summit in March of this year, which included 29 attendees from both Commissions, the City Council, the School District, the Sports Boosters, 30 and the Staff. While a dog park has been the subject of public interest, the geographic 31 restraints and development of the City, as well as anticipated staff demand, are challenges that 32 impact the feasibility of establishing a dog park within the City. This meeting will build upon 33 previous discussions in response to the community's desire for a dog park. As part of the Parks 34 and Environmental Commission 2025 Work Plan, the Commission is being asked to identify 35 the best location for a dog park with the least adverse impacts. 36 37 The Dog Park has not been implemented in the past due to Space Availability, Geographic 38 Boundaries, Cost, and Staffing. Ms. Morello provided the Best Practices Summary: 39 40 Size – Recommended minimum size for dog parks varies considerably among cities, but is 41 generally between ½ acre and one acre. 42 43 Buffer from Residential – A few cities provide definitive distances from residences, varying 44 from 50 to 200 feet. All strive to minimize conflicts and include guidelines: making sure noise 45 and activity levels are no more than those of other park uses, the importance of screening or 46 visual buffers, and having minimal impact on residences.