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PR 12/12/1979 - 31252� i� �� PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION " . MEETING � DECEMBER 12, 1979 CALL TO ORI?ER : - Chairperson Barbara Hughes called the December 12, 1979, Parks & Recreation Co�mission meeting to order at 7:33 p.m. , R�LL CALL • �` Members Present; Ba�bara Hughes, Jan Seeger, Setty Mech, Dave Kondrick, Dick Young Members Absent: None Others Present: Charles Boudreau, Parks & Recreation Director Connie McMillion, Pr.ogram Supervisor Jerrold Boardman, City Planner ^ APPROV�L OF NOVEMBER 14, 1979, PARKS & RECRE�TION CO�SSION MINUTES: /"� MOTIO;r' by Mr. Kondrick, seconded by.Ms. Mech, to approve the November 14, 1979, Parks & Recreation Cou�issio� minutes as written. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Ghairperson Hughes declared the motion carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: The following items were added to the agenda; "Coamnunication - Springbrook Nature Center Foundatioiz" - Item G under Director's Repart z "Winter Pl.ayground Program" - Item B under New Business Ms. Aughes declared the agenda approved as amended. I. DIRECTOR'S REPORT: A. 198� Meetzng Dates - Mr. Boudreau stated the Commission m�mbers had xeceived a copy of the , meeting dates for 1980. He stated the:Commission members should make a motion to receive these as the official meeting dates for 1980. MOTI�N by Ms. Seeger, seconded by Mr. Kondrick, to receive the "1980 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Dates". Upon a�voice vote, all voting aye, Chairperson Hughes declared the motion carried unanimousl.y. PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 12, 1979 - PAGE 2 B. Proposed Property Development - 69th & University: Mr. Boudreau stated he would give the Commissioners a brief report on the status of the Szars Property at 69th and University. Twenty-one acres were purchased with LAWCON monies, and they now rank seeond for another $20Q,000 for the developme�t of that property. Mr. Boudreau stated he had been to the FYSA meeting, and the FYSA has whole- heartedly endorsed the deuelopment of the property with a donation of $5,000. He had also just presented this plan to the VFW, asking them for $50,000, and he would not know for another month what.their final vote would be. Mr. Boudreau stated that in his presentation, he starts out by showing a map o£ where the land is located. He states one reason this parcel of land was pfcked was because it ties in with the Rice Creek West Trail System proposed by Anoka County, which will come from the Chain of Lakes down,along Rice Creek, through Lock Park, tYirough the land they wish to develop, across the tracks, and on south to connect with the Minneapolis Bikeway/Walkway System. Another is the,central location and access availability to all residents. ___ �_ _. M�. Boudreau stated this total parcel of land was about 40 acres. The City pur- chased 21 acres, and the County purchased the remainder. The City purchased this land with LAWCON funds. The City had to match the LAWCON monies of $63,000. The $63,000 came from easement monies from NSP, because N5P is putting up an additional power line across the park area. The City will use the remainder of the easement monies as a match for the seco�d $200,000 grant they should have in April or June. Mr. Boudreau showed the Co�ission members a map of the proposed Fridley Community Park. Ha stated he felt it was a well conceived plan. Along with this total package is a recreation center that would have an indoor swimming pool, a double-sized gymnasium, arts and crafts rooms, etc.--a total community center to service not only.the residents of Fridley, but also some of the surraunding co�unities. Mr. Boudreau stated they have City Council's permission that if any group or individual wants to donate $50,Q00, that group or individual can attach its name to one of the six ball fields, � Mr. Boudreau stated he had little negative response from the two groups he had given this presentation to. The question of vandalism was raised, arid he hoped that the vandalism would be less, although there really was not that much vandalism in Fridley. Mr. Kondrick asked what Mr.. Boudreau anticipated in increased m aintenance cost. Mr. Boudreau stated that he did not think there would be an increase in maintenance cost. �i '� I �� a � PARKS & RECREATION COP'IlvLCSSION MEETING DECEMBER 12 1979 - PAGE 3 C. Status Report - North Park Nature Center Facility: Mr. Boudreau stated that the City Council did authorize the advertisement for bids for construction of the nature'center building. He stated that Mr. Boardman had met again this week wit� the architzct, and Mr. Bbardman may want to bring the Commission up'to date on this inf ormation. Mr. Boardman stated they are finalizing the building design now. The architect is putting together the spec drawings which should be done by December 18. They will be going out to contractors probably the first of the year and are looking at opening bids around February�20. They feel they will. get the best type of bids during the winter. They are anticipating the actual building cost to be around $325-335,000. Mr. Boudreau stated that, along with this, he would also cover Item G- Springbrook Nature C�enter Foundation. He stated that the Commission members had a letter dated November 29 from Vern Moen, Chairman of the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation, which outlined the accomplishments ta.-date as set out in their original plan. They have decided that they have completed their original plan for the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation and will become a support group for the Nature Genter by means of being friends of the Nature Center and in attempting to fulfill some program activities. They have also chosen not to renew the five-year lease on that parcel of property. Mr. Boudreau stated .the only action he felt the Commission needed to do at this � time was to receive the letter. The City Council wauld be receiving this letter at their regular meeting on December 17. MOTION by Ms. Seeger, seconded by Mr. Young, to receive a letter dated November 29, 1979, from Vern Moen, Chairman, Springbrook Nature Center Foundation, to Mayor William Nee, Upon a voice,vote, all voting aye, Chairperson Hughes declared the motion carried unanimously. D. Status Report - Comprehensive Plan: Mr. Boardman stated the City Council has tabled the Comprehensive Plan at this time. He stated they are going to press the'City Council at their next meeting to send the Plan out to the surrounding communities. . Mr. Boudreau stated that Virgil Herrick had raised a legal question about some of the rezoning that was included in the Comprehensive Plan. There are legal questians that need to be resolved.. Mr. Boardman stat�d there was still a six-month hearing process they had to go through with adjacent communities. They t3i1:1 be reco�ending that the City Council go ahead and start the process by sending out the Plan to the other communities; and then they will work out the details with Mr. Herrick durin� this period of time. n PARKS & RECREATI�N CON�fISSION MEETING, DECEMBER 12, 1979 - PAGE 4 � E. Status Report - Critical Areas Plan: Mr. Boardman stated that.the�Critical Areas Plan was approved by �ity Council to be submitted to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board. That had been done. Ae �tated there is now a process where the Minnesota EnvixoruaentaL Quality Board reviews the plan, the Metropolitan Council reviews it, and they either approve it or make comments for the City Council to change the. plan. F. Communication - Independent School District 14: Mr. Boudreau stated that the Commission members received this information in their packet, It told the complete story of where the City was r�ght now. with the School District. He stated the City Council did vote to appoint two City Council members to try and resolve the F.E.S.T, issue and the use of school facilities. These two Council members are Bob Barnette and ' Cheryl°'Moses. He stated that, as far as he knew, these people had not yet met. Mr. Boudreau stated his only reaction to the communication received €r� the School District was that they took the complete year's vandalism and blamed it on the F.E.S.T. program. He felt some very unfair comments were made by the writer of the documentation that went to the School Board, and he would have hoped that this writer would have had the "clout" (the term used in the documentation) to at least sign his/her.name. n Mr. Young stated that,-as a junior high teacher and having a Masters Degree in Jr. High education, he would like to get some recommendations from School District 14 of just what they felt were appropriate activities for junior high children. Having worked with that age level for ten years, he found fault with what they had said. MO'�ION by Ms. Seeger, seconded by Ms, Mech, to receive the communications from the School District 14 regarding the F.E.S.T. program. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Chairperson Hughes declared the motion carried unanimously. The Commissioners raised their concern about Councilman Barnette being apgointed to the committee to resolve the F�E.S.T. issue because of a passibl� conflict of interest since he was a teacher in School District 14. II. CHAIRPERSON`S REPORT: Ms. Hughes stated she had nothing to report at this time. III. NEW BUSINESS: A. Personal Philosophy - Connie McMillion: Ms. McMillion stated she would first like to give the Commissioners a brief ^ description of her background. � � Ph�K5 �: �RE�REATION COT1riISSIUP� Tus�TIt�G, DECEM3ER 12, 197R - PA�E 5 n in pain; sa shs transferred to recre�tional thera�y, Even thou�h sh� was at�le to help people and do good things for them, she faund out recreatiorial therapy was boring anc; mor;otonous. 50, she broadened in4o ti1� field of recreation. � � Aifier graduation r.rom the Ii of M, she spent a lo;.c�f time running camps during the summers. She stated that as a child, she had grewn up in the YMCE1 and so she felt �he had the be��, ch�.�nce of starting her caree.r in the YMCA. She startecl at the Minneapolis Y�CA, HiawatY►a Branch, and the Urban West Central Brancli, which are i.n South Minneagclis in the inner city area. She was in- volved ii� parent/child and family programming, athletic leagues, the Church Athletic �iss�ciation, and things like that. She was also involvec� with infor- mal education---crafts and arts. Then she decide-�' to le�ve Minneapol.is and went to Muscatine, Iowa. She went trom a no-facility YMCA to a ful� facility YMCA with a residence. She al�so worked with p�?.son reform and �,ras, (a work release) officer. ris . P-icMilli�n stated that afL-er two years in A1�scat3.ne , she �iecided she was at a deadend with the YMCA and was not aele to Ue us crnative as she would like because of the YMCA's financial problerns. She wanted to get into something different, and she felt muiYicipal was where it was at, so she came to Fridley. Ms. McMillion stated she f.elt l;er. phi.I�sophy was a little bit different because of her YMCA Christian orienta.tion and she h�d.?�rc��3ght a lot of that ir�to the Fra_dley program.s. __ _. __.__ _ _._..___------�....__ ris. PricAZi.l.lion stated tliat one of thE things she r.e�zlly feels recreation iaeeds is a definitE set-�own phil�sophy, Or�e of t�.e t:�ings she tr.ought r.ecreation should do is enrich the quali.ty of life by providing consi:ructive and creative leisure ogportunities for people of all �gas, races, relig�.ar.s, arid s;�cia'1 class backgrounds . She thought a �i.4y, YMGA, �r anyone i.i�volved in recreational programming has to have a lat of different outlets. Ms. McMil.lion stated that recreati.on �as to contribute to the physica.l health and development, social adjustrnent, and emotionai wellbeing of a person. Sne felt one �•�ay she had helped nurture that a littl.e bit ��re in Fridley was throu�;h the fitr.ess program. Ms. Mc.1i11Ion �tated that ,:ec:r.eation has to pro�,�ide leadership in preserving and improvin� :;he rhysical environment Ly setting <^:,s�.de open space, developin� a network of green areas, a.nd joining in ch.e tot�A1 ef�ort to procact both land and water resources. Ms. Mcriillion stated she felt recreation has to contribute to the econo�i.c health of the cor,mlunity by �xovicling r_ecded facilities and programs that stre��gthen coYr.munity Iife and neigh�iorhood �t.,bili*_y, thus n�ak�ng it more attractive for residents and people coming in tram outside the conununity. M� . McNiillion stated slie Leels Fridley has ane c�f �:he bESt parks �ystems she h�.�•seen in all the places sne has worked. and travel.ed, because all those ��i L-:�in the department work as u ream artd co=nplement on;a another .. She though t PARKS &�RE�REATION COMMISSION MEETING, DECEMBER 12, 1979 - PAGE 6 ''1 Fridley was becoming one of the most recognized recreation departments in the metropolitan area and the state. Ms. McMillion stated that one of the other things she felt she has brought to Fridley in the line of building community life and neighborhuod stability is family programming. She is looking at things like family fitness programs, famil-y outings, family crafts, and family movies. Ms. McMillion stated another section of her philosophy would be to enrich the social integration and unity of th e community by providing the opportunity for neighborhood residents of different social or ethnic backgrounds to work and plan together to meet common needs. This goes along with the idea of cooperative progranwning. Maybe the City of Fridley should serve as the c ore with other agencies using them and cooperating with them. Along the same lines, the neigYiborhood programs can help neighborhood stability and help to get people more involved in getting to know their neighbor.s. She feels they need to get more involved in neighborhood activities. Ms. McMillion stated she felt recreation can have a very strong influeace on reducticn of antisocial and delinquent behavior by offering constructive forms of leisure activity, healthy group associations, and desirable social values. Ms. McMillion stated that recreation should meet the special needs of the dif€erent minority groups, especially the poor and senior..citizens, by '"� providing recreational facilities and programs, cultural programs, job training programs, and youth counseling programs. She stated that right now the senior citizens ara one of her big responsibilities and she is really involved with them. Ms. McMillion stated that at the heart of any organized recreation servi.ce, it should provide a challenge and be a happy time. It should be fun and creative and really make people feel they are expanding their horizons. As a result, recreation can have a real impact on a person's health. Ms. McMillion stated st►e would like to talk a little about leadership. She felt leadership is the whole basis of any recreational program. A facility should only supplement the program; the program should never be dependent on a facility. One thing she feels is important in any principle of leader- ship is to have a very sound philosophy of recreation. Another thing that has to be ingrained in those with leadership potential is dedication to the principle of involvement, Training is very important. She stated effec�ive leadership depends upon the leader's insight into a person and a person's behavior. A leader has to be able to relate to individual differences in people and recognize differences in situations. A leader also has�to have a good organizational structure for effective operation. Ms. McMillion stated one of the last things she wanted to mention was the values education. One thing she has seen in Fridley is a very strong athletic association. , One exciting thing that is coming around is that it is more important for children to be involved in � r „-� PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING, DECEMBER 12, 1979 - PAGE 7 � learning to have fun learning the game, learning cooperation and team sportsmanship, than learning the skills. Some children are just never good in a sport, but they should still be involved in a group activity. If you are going to be involved in pzogramming for children or adults om the sports level or informal education level,_it is very important that you have � different levels the children or adults can go through. She felt this needed to be done with more of the activities. Mr. Kondrick stated that he approved and shared Ms. McMillion's concern for family philosophy and the need'for more activities for the entire family. Ms. Hughes thanked Ms. McMillion for sharing her philosophy with the Com�ission. ' She stated that this was proving to be very worthwhile. It was helping the , Commission members get better acquainted with Staff and gave the Co�ission•.a better idea of what is going on. B. Winter Playground Program- Mr. Young expressed his concern about the $S registration fee for the 3-day , Winter Playground Program versus the $8 for the entire Summer P].ayground Program. • He stated it may be financially very hard at this time of year for families with several children. He suggested that possibly they should consider a family rate. Ms. McMillion stated that the idea of a family rate was an excellent one. /1 - She stated that one of the.reasons the cainter playground was more expensive was because it was at one location with many activities planned. More children are involved in the summer program to cover the cost while there are fewer children in the winter program to cover the cost. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION by Ms. Seeger, seconded by Ms. Mech, to adjourn the meeting. Upon a voice vote, all voting.aye, Chairperson Barbara Hughes declared the December 12, 1979, Parks & Recreation Co�ission meeting adjourned at 9:49 p.m. � � � Respectfully sub itted, �GL_..� Lynn Saba Recording Secretary �, .