PR 06/14/1976 - 31212�
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SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
JUNE 14, 1976
MEMBERS PRESENT: Bob Peterson, Dave Har.ris, Leonard Moore, Jan Seeger
Harvey Wagar
MEMBERS ABSENT; None
OTHERS PRESENT: Jerrold Boardman - City Planner
Robert Divine - Citizen
Kathy Dlvine - Citizen
Ed Dunn, Chamber of Commerce
Chairperson Bob Peterson called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. It was the
conse:tsus of the Commission to set a recess time of 9:30 p.m.
APPROVl�L OF AGENDA.
The �o*pmission agreed to only discuss the two items on the agenda:
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�.., 1. REVIEW FLOW CHART FOR COr1PREHENSIVE PARK PLAN
� 2. DISCUSSION ON PROJECT COMMITTEES
REVIEW FLOW CHART FOR COMPIZEHENSIVE PARK PLAN
This special Parks & Recreation Commi.ssion meeting was called by Bob Peterson
at the recommendation of Jerrold Boardman, to go through the Parks & Recreatior.
Comprehensive Park Plan Flow Chart and to look at the possibilities of establishing
some neighborhoad project committees. Mr. Boardman stated that on the flow chart,
they are looking aL a possible time period of the Comprehensive Park Plan of 12/20/76
for the City Council. He said this had been revised somewhat after finding out that
the Parks & Recreation Comm.ission had already set up a project committee for the
overview of recreaiionai needs. The Commission will Zook at the recreational programs
suggested by this project committee and see how these programs relate to the citizen's
needs. He said tl:at the staff did an analysis of what they thought were feasible
recreation neighbor�►oods and came up with 13 neighborhoods. They would like to
set up some project commit�ees in each one of the 13 neighborhoods. These project
cotmnittees would analyze recreational €acilities within their neighborhoods and
indicate what they woul� liice grovided for recreation in each neighborhood. He
said that this would tie in very well with the project commi.ttee the Commission
has set up for recreation. hapefully, this project committee can be put together
in a couple of weeks so infarmation can be given to the over��ie�a project committtee
and then they can come up with some ideas around the end of September or October.
He said he thinks the Commission has set a time period of the end of October for
^� input from the overview committ�e. He woul.d recommend that the Commission move
that time period up to the end of September to meet the December date for the
City Council.
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SPECIAL FARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING, JUNE 14, 1976 Page 2
Some of the Commission members felt this might be a problem because of vacations,
etc., during the summer months.
Mr. Peterson also felt that it would be vexy difficult to move the October date
up and get the type of job done that the Co�nission really wants.
Mr. Boardman stated that they may have to set the same date for the Neighborhood
Project Committees. He had anticipated the Neighborhood Project Committees'
formulation and ideas prior to the time the Commission comes in with the over-
view committee, but they should probably be brought in at the same time.
Mr. Peterson stated that tonight the Commission is acting on:
If the Commission wants to create these Neighborhood Project Committees;
we have to determine the scope of the project committees; and
ho�+r they are going to be formulated.
Mr. $oardman explained the solid and dotted lines on the map. The solid lines
represent neighborhoods...the dotted lines represent areas within that neighbor-
hood and should be represented as part of the neighborhood. The dotted lines
are indicated that way because of the different characteristics of the neighbor-
hood as well as the different facilities and service areas.
Mr. Boardman explained the Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Plan Flow Chart to
the Commission indicating the Parks & Recreation function, the Project Com�ittee
function, public input, and the City Staff function. Through this process, the
City Staff will.be putting input into various stages of the Comprehensive P.lan
and bringing things in at various times for the Park & Recreation Cou�ission'"s
Review.
DIS�USSION ON PROJECT COMMITTEES
Mr. Boardman reviewed the purpose and scope for the Neighborhood Project Committees
that he.had prepared for the meeting.
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Mr. Harris expressed concern about the probability of the Commission finding
:S-9 people per committee (approximately 117) people to serve on project committees.
Ms. Seeger asked the question of whether at any time all the project committees
could meet at the same time with the Parks & Recreation Commission. She felt it
would be of great value for the different neighborhoods to meet to discuss.
Mr. Peterson stated that according to the ordinance, all the project co�ittees
that are created report to the Parks & Recreation Commission so if the Commission
feels that at some point in time they wanted to have a meeting of every neighbor-
hood commitee it is well within the scope of this Commission, but it wauld be the
Co�nission's determination as to what it wanCs ta do.
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SPECIAL PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSIO:
MEETING
14, 1976
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Mr. Boardman suggested that the Parks & Recreation Cammission may want to hold
a meeting initially to give each Neighborhood Froj ct Committee the same direction
and may want to monitor that direction to see how t is going.
Mr. Peterson stated that the reports from the Neig i�orhood Project Committees
should be written up and back to the Commission an to the Recreation Project
Cflmmittee no later than October 1. He said the Co ission needs to have time
to digest it and do something about it, and the Re reation Project Committee
wants to look at it and see how it fits in with th ir evaluation.
Mr. Boardman stated he felt alot of it would depen
Commission gets from the project committees. If t
on the project committees and things run smoothly,
problem. But, he added, if the Commission runs in
committees, the Commission may have to look at a l
the time period of February for going to the City
to put together a capital improvements program to
on what kind of reaction the
e Commission gets good response
the �ctober 1 date will be no
o problems with the project
ter date. He �elt that with
ouncil, it still allows time
o into the next budget year.
Mr. Peterson personally felt that the Neighborhood Project Committe�'s reports
should be done a month ahead of the Recreation Co ittee to give the Recreation
Committee a ehance to use that in their report bef re it comes to.the Commission.
He felt that the Commission must have that one mon h lag in between the target
dates for the two different groups.
Mr. Moore asked Mr. Boardman the question that sin e there are only five
Cornmission members and 13 neighborhood areas, how ould the Commission formulate
the project committees for those areas with which he commission members are �ot
acquainted.
Mr. Boardman stated that the main thing in these a
chairperson within each neighborhood. The chairpe
like for his committee. Also, Mr. Boardman said h
about the project committees asking for some respo
Recreation Commission or to the Staff. He also st
could help.
as is to first locate a
on may have people he would
would advertise in the paper
e to either the Parks &
ed that maybe the City Council
Mr. Harris had the suggestion that maybe the Commi sion co.uld take a look at
the 4verview Committee and in the selection of tha committee, ask the members
for some suggestions as to people who live in thei areas.
Mr. Boardman stated that other mecnbers of other c
areas could maybe supply some names, too.
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ion who live in certain
SPECIAL PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING, JUNE 14, 1976 Page 4 ��
Mr. Peterson stated that from a procedural standpoint what the Commission should
do is stay with the agenda. Since the Rlow Chart has been reviewed, the Commission
is now aware of what the Flow Chart is to accomplish, and the Commission has talked
about scxne dates, then the Commission should start picking some dates and work back
or els� decide that it is going to have 13 Neighborhood Project Committees. If
the Commission decides that it is going to do that, it should go to the rTeighbor-
hood Project Committee sheet as given for reviewal and either adopt or make any
additions to it as far as scope for the project committees and then the Commission
can go back to the Flow Chart and set dates. He fe:.t that before the Commission
starts worrying about people, it should decide it it is really going to need them.
Mr. Harris stated he felt the only way the thing is going to get off the ground
is to work from a cammittee of one. The Parks & Recreation Commission chairperson
or the Parks & Recreation Commission should select one chairperson from each area
and 1 et each chairperson select his own people. The Conunission could give a hand
by offering its suggestions if it knows any people.
Mr. Peterson stated that the Commission should be responsible for getting the
chairpersons for the Neighborhood Project Committees; and the Administration,
the Commission, and the Staff be responsible for at least one orientation session
with these chairpersons. He feels this is a must if the project is going to get
underway. At the orientation meeting, the chairpersons would get the scope of
thei'r,xesponsibilities.as defined by the Commission. But, he added, for the
Cou�ission to pick 7-9 people for each area,it would take until October to just �
get that job done. �
MOTION by Dave Harris, seconded by Jan Seeger, that the Commission will have
13 Neighborhood Project Committees and that the Commission will try to select
one chairperson from each neighborhood project area. Upon a voice vote, all
voting aye, the motioa carried unanimously.
Mr. Moore stated he didn't feel that the Commission should determine who the
chairperson for each project committee should be. He felt the project committees
should pick their own chairpersons.
Mr. Peterson pointed out that the way the ordinances are set up, he is sure that
if this Coma►ission establishes project cou�ittees that it has the responsibility
ta see that they are chaired and moving. The ordinance was first written that
every project coma►ittee had to have a commission member act as a chairperson and
it was only after a considerable amount of debate with the City Council that the
ordinance was changed to read that the commissions may appoint a chairperson or
a commission member can serve if they so desire. At this point in time, he
doesn't think our ordinance is really set up to allow the Commission to create
projecC co�ittees without appointing a chairperson for them.
Mr. Peterson again stated that the Commission should decide what they want for
scope.
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SPECIAL PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETINGz JUN� 14 L1976
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Mr. Harris stated that the Commission s�ould make he scope as general as
possible and very basic; for instance, what do the e people have in their parks,
what would they like to see, and what would they w nt to change in terms o�
the program.
Mr. Boardman stated that it should not be so gener 1 that the Commission would
have the problem of not getting enough information to get the program together.
The three areas he listed for scope were made main y on the basis of what he
felt was needed in order to put together a good pl n and to get those people
thinking.
Ms. Seeger asked if these people would be given a�ost figure so they could
determine the type of facility they could afford t put in.
Mr. Harris answered by saying that he didn't think they should be told how many
dollars. He stated that these people should just ome up with as many ideas as
they want.and that the Parks & Recreation Co�issi n would then set the priorities.
Ms. Seeger felt this was a mistake. She said she elt the decision should be
based upon money, amount of time the facilit; woul be used, how many are going
to use it, the ages of the people in the neighborh od, anc� how long will they be
able to play tennis or baseball. �
Mr. Peterson suggested that the Cammission delete '�Keeping in �ind the cost/
benefit factor." in Item ��3 under Scope.
Mr, Boardman stated that it was put in that way be�ause he wanted the people to
think realistically.
Mr. Wagar stated his concern about the year-to-yea budget. He said Che
Commission can make all kinds of comprehensive pla s and get them down in black
and white, but it is wasting its time without a fi ancing system--eith er bonding,
capital improvements project, etc.
Mr. Boardman stated that once the Commission has a plan or set program showing
a definite need in the community and what areas ar lacking or not lacking,
there is always the possibility vf Federal funding �here is the possibility
of a bonding issue, but it is not popular in Fridl y and probably will never be.
MOTION by Harvey Wagar, seconded by Leonard Moore, that the Commission accept
the "Scope" as listed except that in Item l the wo d"existing" be inserted to
read as follows:
1. Evaluate present facilities for recreatin services to the
neighborhood. {Keeping in mind existing pace available on
park property.)
2. Evaluate possible changes in usage of pre�ent 'facilities, keeping in mind
maximum use of space available.
3. Establish realistic priority listing of a ditional recreation needs for
the neighborhood, keeping in mind the cos /benefit factor.
Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, the motion carr�ed unanimously.
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SPECIAL PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING, JUNE 14, 1976 Page 6 ,�•, �
Mr-. Boardman stated that the Neighborhood Project Committees will be dealing
mainly with their own neighborhood and the mini-parks within their areas. Tho�e
parks that have been designated as city-wide parks or regional parks will not
come under the jurisdiction of the Neighborhood Project Committees. The th�ee
parks that would not be considered are Locke Park, North Park, and Islands of
Peace.
Each Co�ission member volunteered to take certain areas and try to find chair-
persons for those areas. They are as follows:
Recreation Neighborhood Areas
Harvey Wagar - 2, 6, 10, 13
Leonard Moore - l, 3, 7
Dave Harris - 4, 7, 8, 12
Bob Peterson - 5, 9
Jan Seeger - 11 (will also submit names to the Commissian
• members €or other areas)
MOTION by Dave Harris, seconded by Harvey Wagar, that the Commission will
recommend that, the Neighborhood Project Committees be no more or no less than
5-9 members depending upon how large or small the areas are. Upon a voice vote,
all voting aye, the motion carried u•nanimously.
Mr. Petersan asked Mr: Boardman to malce sure that an article is run in the paper �
so that any interested citizens may respond to Gity Hall. ��
Mr. Boardman also volunteered his time to hold an orientation session for the
13 chairpersons.
ED DUNN'S PROPOSAL
Mr. Ed Dunn,Chamber of Commerce, sat in on the Parks & Recreation Commission
meeting for a short time to .cite a problem he has and for which he needs advice.
He stated that in January a group of people from the Fridley 4�ers advised the
�City that it needed a bandshell. A package was hurriedly put together because
the deadline for state fu�ds was February 1. On June l, the City received a
letter from the Minnesota American Revolution Sicentennial Commission and they
granted $5,000. This is not enough for a bandshell. Since then, there has
been one fund .raiser which did not bring in much money, and the poxtable band-
shell idea was scrapped. He stated that if the Parks & Recreation Commission
would like to consider a proposal for land or something where a matching grant
kind of thing could be done, the $S,OOO could be obtained and put into escrow
or something. He said the $5,000 is pretty well designated for a ba�dshell as
a bicentennial project. If the designacion could be changed and the $5,000
could be kept, then it would go wherever it is needed--possib2y to the Parks
S� Recreation Commission. He said he has also been contacted by several companies
wha have an interest in the bicentennial and, because of the grant, are willing
to assist in s�e areas.
SPECIAL PARKS
RECREATI.ON COMMISSION MEETING
14, 1976 Page 7
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Mr. Peterson suggested that Mr. Dunn contact a man amed Clark Theilmann who
speaks for several associations (hockey, softball, tc.). They have put
together some money and a lot of people have donate free labor to put up a
building in Madsen Park. Mr. Theilmann contacted Mr. Peterson to see how the
Commission felt about this building accomplishing t e purpose of both a warming
house and a place for storage. This would certainl be a bicentennial project;
and, if it could be changed somewhat, there could b a pretty good city bui-lding
and the associat�ons in town could have their stora e facilities all in the
same building.
Mr. Harris stated that he had talked to several me ers of the Lion's Club and
he felt they would be in favor of supporting a proj ct of that type.
Other suggestions mentioned were the new bikeway sy tem and that the nature
study people are always looking for help.
Mr. Dunn stated that if the Commission has any furt er ideas that they call him
at the office.
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Mr. Peterson asked that further discussion of Dunn' proposal be put on the
agenda for the June 28, 1976, meeting.
ADJOURNMENT: �
MOTION bp Dave Harris, seconded by Harvey Wagar, to adjourn the meeting at
9:27 p.m. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, the m tion carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted
G�.G�.�
Lyn e Sa�a
Recording Secretary
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