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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPK PACKET 11132000CITY OF ST. ANTHONY PARKS COMMISSION AGENDA November 13, 2000 7:00 PM Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER. II. ROLL CALL. III. APPROVE SEPTEMBER 11, 2000 PARKS COMMISSION MINUTES. IV. DISCUSS CENTRAL PARK REDEVELOPMENT ITEMS. Augie Wong from BRW, Inc. will be present. In addition, we will discuss our presentation to the School Board and City Council at their September 26, 2000 joint meeting. V. DISCUSS SILVER POINT PARK SKATING ACTIVITIES. VI. REPORTS. A. Community Services. B. School Board. C. Sports Boosters. VII. OTHER BUSINESS. A. Discuss Parks Commissioners' terms ending December 31, 2000. VII. ADJOURNMENT. PARKS COMMISSION (3 year terms - appointed by Council) Name Date Term Ends George Wagner 12/31/00 Colleen Hallada 12/31/00 Jan Jenson 12/31/00 Doug Koehntop 12/31/01 Carol Jindra 12/31/01 Julie Gebhardt 12/31/02 Daniel Ganley 12/31/02 I CITY OF ST. ANTHONY 2 PARKS COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 3 September 11, 2000 4 7:00 p.m. 5 I. CALL TO ORDER. 6 Chair Jindra called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. and welcomed everyone in attendance. 7 H. ROLL CALL. s Present: Chair Carol Jindra, Commissioners Julie Gebhardt, Colleen 9 Hallada, Doug Koehntop (arrived 7:20 p.m.). 10 I1 Absent: Dan Ganley, Jan Jenson, George Wagner. 12 13 Also Present: Public Works Director Jay Hartman, Representative from Commu- 14 nity Services Diane Skrivseth; School Board Representative 15 Denise Dunn (arrived 8:45 p.m), Representative from Sports 16 Boosters George Zurbey, City Council Liaison Brian Thuesen. 17 18 III. APPROVE AUGUST 14, 2000 PARKS COMMISSION MINUTES. 9 Motion by Gebhardt, second by Hallada, to approve the August 14, 2000 Parks Commission 20 Meeting Minutes with the following change: 21 Page 4, Line 6, change "August" to "September" 22 Motion carried unanimously. 23 IV. DISCUSS CENTRAL PARK REDEVELOPMENT ITEMS and PRESENTATION TO 24 THE SCHOOL BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2000. 25 Bob Kost, BRW, asked Chair Jindra about the comments that were received from the residents at 26 VillageFest. Jindra noted that many interesting comments were obtained at VillageFest however, 27 the comment cards have since been misplaced, and Staff is continuing to search for them. Jindra 28 relayed some of the comments that she specifically remembered to Mr. Kost. 29 Mr. Kost stated that in terms of making a presentation to the City Council, it would be beneficial 30 to have some of the comments available. Jindra mentioned that the wading pool was a concern 31 with some residents, as far as having it too deep as a safety concern. The depth of the pool was 32 discussed, and Mr. Hartman mentioned that the pool is regulated by an agency, yet is unattended 33 as far as a lifeguard. It was decided amongst the Commissioners to have the same depth as the 34 pool was prior to the renovation. '5 Jindra inquired if the bids for the pavilion can be separated from the bid of the entire park in A order to obtain the type of pavilion for which the Commission is searching. Mr. Kost said that 37 as the final design is developed, the pavilion could be modified. Jindra mentioned that other Parks Commission Meeting Minutes September 11, 2000 Page 2 1 cities have contracted with architects that have designed pavilions that are attractive and would 2 fit the city's needs. Mr. Kost noted that if the Commission wished for a specific pavilion design, 3 it would be workable. However, he wants to make those modifications prior to the bid process. 4 He further stated that if the pavilion design began to increase in cost with the modifications, then 5 the project could be separated from the rest of the Park and could be bid on at a later time. 6 In response to a question from Jindra, Mr. Kost said the problem the Commission ran into at 7 Water Tower Park was that the City shopped outside of the contractor and asked for certain 8 manufacturers or companies. However, if the contractor does not have a specific contract with 9 those companies or manufacturers, and if one of those defaults, then the Contractor doesn't have 10 the resources available to enforce the contract with those companies or manufacturers. 11 The turf at the Parks and the fields was discussed, and Jindra noted that eventually, the Commis - 12 sion will need to talk to the City Council about either increasing the Public Works Department in 13 order to assist in maintaining the turf, or hire a separate maintenance organization to maintain the 14 turf s of the fields. In short, the Commission would be interested in having one organization 15 maintain the entire Central Park. 6 Koehntop noted that he would like for the Sports Boosters to look into a maintenance plan for the 17 Park and the fields. Jindra asked for this issue to be presented during the Sports Boosters report. 18 Mr. Kost continued with his report on the Park, and noted that he and Angie Wong, BRW, would 19 be present at the Board meeting to assist the Park with the Central Park presentation. 20 The joint meeting with the Council will be on September 26, 2000 at 6:00 p.m., with the City 21 Council meeting following thereafter. 22 Mr. Kost presented a Central ParkImplementation Plan for the Commissioners to review and 23 went over some of the key issues to present to the Council. Additionally, he reviewed the light - 24 ing that is currently proposed for the fields. Potential lighting and the types of poles used for the 25 lights were discussed. Zurbey stated that if there will be changes to the dollars for the budget 26 presented earlier, that the Commission should be made aware of those changes immediately and 27 prior to the meeting with the Council. Mr. Kost noted that all of the figures presented at recent 28 handouts are current figures and those numbers were reviewed with Mr. Kost and the Commis - 29 sion. 30 City Council Liaison Brian Thuesen noted that all of the figures needed to be accounted for prior 31 the presentation to the City Council. Mr. Kost said that current figures will be presented and it 32 will be made clear that the budget has varied from month to month since the beginning of the 33 project because the plans have continued to change, so any prior documents received by any of A the City Councilmembers should be ignored and only up-to-date figures considered. Parks Commission Meeting Minutes September 11, 2000 Page 3 1 Jindra noted to Mr. Kost that the VillageFest celebration is typically held on the blacktop parking 2 lot, and spills over into the green area of Central Park. She inquired if Central Park would be 3 available at all for VillageFest next year. Mr. Kost noted that Central Park would be closed dur- 4 ing that time, but it could be possible for the project to work around a celebration in the parking 5 lot. It might be a necessity to relocate the VillageFest celebration for the year 2001, but that is - 6 sue would be revisited as the Park's plans are finalized. 7 Discussion ensued about the grading that is planned for the Park and the drainage issues once the 8 grading is completed. Mr. Kost felt confident that the grading plan he has in mind will be less 9 expensive than hauling away the extra dirt, and will in actuality benefit the portions of the Park 10 that are not currently draining well. 11 Mr. Hartman distributed to the Commissioners the most recent list of construction costs which 12 was dated July 12, 2000. However, the aggressive skate park cost was still listed on those fig - 13 ures, and Mr. Hartman asked Augie Wong to revise the list of July 12 to delete the skate park and 14 any associated lighting. Mr. Wong stated that he would revise the list to accurately reflect all 15 costs. 6 Mr. Kost reviewed for the Commission possibilities for surfacing of the playground area. Mr. 17 Kost suggested that a lighter surface, such as brown, tan or yellow is used because of the heat 18 that is generated by a darker surface. Additionally, he suggested that more trees be planted in 19 that area to assist in alleviating the heat that could be absorbed by the play surface. 20 Gebhardt said that she would consider eliminating the play area of the Park because of the 21 significant cost of the equipment. Brian Thuesen noted that the area would be used and the 22 question would have to be asked if the play equipment would be an important feature of the Park, 23 particularly for use in conjunction with the wading pool. 24 Gebhardt stated that she felt the pool area and shelter needed to be re -done, but she was unsure 25 about the play area. Mr. Kost pointed out that the play area has been in the plans for several 26 years and it would be advisable to contact the neighbors in the area of the play equipment and 27 find out their feelings before considering eliminating any play areas. 28 Jindra noted that she has heard from many residents that they are excited about the play areas. 29 Hartman stated that he remembered the Commission had planned on presenting the entire plan all 30 at once, and if phasing needed to be implemented, then the Commission could have a back up 31 plan in that respect. Mr. Kost noted that at that time, the Commission would need to come to an 32 agreement about a backup plan. 33 Mr. Kost suggested to the Commission to ask the Council what the limit is for the Park budget, 34 and then, if need be, to return and come up with a different phasing plan. Parks Commission Meeting Minutes September 11, 2000 Page 4 I Thuesen suggested that he would prefer, as a Councilmember, to receive the highest figure for 2 the project first so that he could explore other options at that time if necessary, and approve the 3 project if it is within the realm of the Council. 4 Jindra stated that from the School's prospective, the Commission is not planning on changing the 5 stadium. She mentioned that the Commission would need to present to the Council the benefits 6 that the changes to the Park will have for the School. 7 Hartman suggested that the project should be shown as how it is divided between the School and 8 the City, and those figures should be made available. However, he will discuss this with City 9 Manager Michael Morrison and decide the best way to present the project and the associated 10 costs. I 1 Diane Skrivseth inquired of Briah Thiiesen if he felt that the Council and the School Board were 12 communicating well and on a positive basis. Thuesen noted that, personally, he has felt that the 13 communication and ambiance between the Council and the School Board has been of a positive 14 nature; however, he made it clear that he was only able to speak for himself and would not 15 answer for the other Councilmembers. 16 Jindra thanked Mr. Kost and Mr. Wong for their attendance and input at the Commission's meet - 17 ing. They agreed to meet at 5:00 p.m. on September 26 to review the proposal for Central Park 18 prior to the joint meeting. Mr. Kost and Mr. Wong mentioned that they would need to depart 19 that meeting by 7:00 p.m. 20 Jindra asked the Commission to discuss the new skateboard park. Gebhardt and Thuesen both 21 mentioned that they have heard positive comments about the park and that the kids in the com- 22 munity seemed to really enjoy the park. 23 Mr. Hartman said that park has been busy since the inception, and that there was some problems 24 with parking to begin with. Most of those problems have been alleviated. 25 Additionally, Mr. Hartman noted that the signs for the park have been made, and Koehntop pro - 26 moted staying with the current language for the signs and not to light the skateboard park until it 27 was determined lights were needed. 28 Mr. Hartman said that there is a legal opinion coming from the League of Minnesota Cities and 29 from the manufacturer and installer of the equipment stating that it is a Tier 1 park. It has come 30 to his attention that bikes are not allowed on a Tier 1 skatepark because of a safety issue. Bikes 31 are much faster and the park is not monitored. .,2 Thuesen thought that it would be a good idea to clearly state that only rollerblades and skate - 33 boards are allowed. Parks Commission Meeting Minutes September 11, 2000 Page 5 1 Additionally, Mr. Hartman noted that there would be benches placed around the outside of the 2 skateboard park for spectators. 3 Jindra thought it would be a good idea to invite the police to a Parks Commission meeting and 4 review security measures for the surrounding parks. Thuesen agreed and believed that the Police 5 already patrol those areas, but it would be a positive way to review current and future procedures. 6 It was decided to post the signs that Mr. Hartman had made up and presented and if further issues 7 needed to be added, they could be added to the signs at that time. 8 Jindra mentioned that she had been in contact with a company that would come to the City and 9 plan a type of grand opening and have prizes and hoopla for the new skateboard park. Different 10 weekends in September were discussed to have this event, as well as a weekday evening. 1 t Monday, September 25, 2000 at 6:00 p.m. was determined to be the date to have the grand 12 opening event for the skateboard park, depending on the availability of the company that will 13 host the festivities. Jindra will check with the company and if they are available, then the event 14 will be held on September 25, 2000. 15 Jindra invited comments from the Commissioners about an article she had written for a local 16 newsletter. The Commissioners offered comments and suggestions. 17 It was discussed that Sports Boosters might have some funds left over at the end of the year and 18 in that respect, it was decided that Mr. Hartman would make a formal written request to the 19 Sports Boosters for specific allocation of some of those funds. 20 V. REPORTS 21 A. Communes Services. 22 Diane Skrivseth reported on the shuffleboard question. She had been asked by the Commission 23 to research the possibility of having shuffleboard at the Parks. She was not able to find anyone 24 who had any knowledge of the sport, and called five stores, plus some local Target, Kmart, etc. 25 stores, who did not carry the equipment. 26 Mr. Hartman noted that he had seen that equipment and it was possible to obtain the equipment. 27 Jindra noted that this issue will be tabled until a later date. 28 B. School Board 29 Denise Dunn reported that the bleachers were installed before the first home game. Additionally, 30 Barry Kenzie presented an overview of possible financial scenarios and the Board is reviewing 21 all options. 32 C. Sports Boosters. Parks Commission Meeting Minutes September 11, 2000 Page 6 1 George Zurbey reported that at the last meeting it was discussed about closing the Stonehouse. 2 He believes that information came from people who are in contact with the City Council. The 3 president of Sports Boosters was asked to give a presentation about where the funds are going 4 from the Sports Boosters. His concern is that the Parks Commission is looking for funds from 5 the Sports Boosters, and if the Stonehouse were closed, then funds would not be available. 6 Thuesen noted that he is not aware of any discussions that the Stonehouse would be closing. He 7 elaborated more on his thoughts relating to this issue. 8 Zurbey relayed to the Commission the different projects that Sports Boosters is involved in con - 9 tributing funds. 10 Zurbey also noted that typically there are extra funds available at the end of the year and by law, 1 I those funds must be allocated by the end of the year, and Sports Boosters would take written re - 12 quests. Mr. Hartman will go through a list and provide a written request to the Sports Boosters. 13 Zurbey noted that aerating the football field was discussed at an earlier time, and gave Mr. 14 Hartman the name of a person to call to get that accomplished. 15 Jindra questioned why the aerating would be done if the field would be torn up for the redevel- 16 opment of Central Park. That issue was discussed. 17 Jindra mentioned that the Hennepin County Regional Parks Association would like to attend a Is Parks Commission Meeting to discuss the Salvation Army property. It was decided to have the 19 Hennepin County Regional Parks Association at a meeting in November. 20 Jindra suggested that the shelter and lighting at Silver Point Park should be a key issue at next 21 month's meeting. 22 Gebhardt went back to the issue of shuffleboard, and noted that the cost of the equipment is 23 placed at nearly $10,000 on the cost sheet distributed by BRW. It was decided to leave the shuf- 24 fleboard on the cost estimate for the time being, and will be further evaluated after the meeting 25 with the Council. 26 Zurbey said there is some property on the West Side of Herbergers that looks like it would be a 27 good size for a soccer field. He said the property has been sitting there for a long time, and he 28 wondered who is the owner of the property. It was discussed that there is a possibility that the 29 City could lease that property. Jindra asked if Mr. Hartman could find out who owned the prop - 30 erty and if there were any options available. 31 VII. OTHER BUSINESS. 32 None. Parks Commission Meeting Minutes September 11, 2000 Page 7 i VIII. ADJOURNMENT. 2 Motion by Hallada, second by Gebhardt, to adjourn the meeting at 9:34 p.m. 3 Respectfully submitted, 4 Sue Selseth 5 Timesaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.