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PR 10/19/1981 - 31273� .-. CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 19, 1981 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Kondrick called the October 19, 1981, Parks & Recreation Corr�nnission meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. ' ROLL CALL: Members Present: Dave Kondrick, Barbara Hughes, Jan Seeger, Dick Young, Dan Allen Members Absent: None Others Present: Charles Boudreau, Parks & Recreation Director Terry Merriman, 7�1 Rice Creek Terrace Jim Hinrichs, 7355 Hayes St. N.E. APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 21, 1981, PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES: MOTION BY MR. YOUNG, SECONDED BY MR. ALLEN, TO APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER 21, 1981, PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTE5 AS WRITTEN. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: The following items were added to the agenda under "New Business": B. Update on Rice Creek Trail and Biking Trail C. Date of Meetings D. Mowing of South Side of Locke Park E. Use of Flanery Park MOTION BY MS. HUGHES, SECONDED BY MR. YOUNG, TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 1. DIRECTOR'S REPORT � A. Nature Center Grand O�ening Dr. Boudreau stated that Mr. St. Clair had reported that there were approximately 1,000-1,200 people at the grand opening on October 10, PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING, OCTOBER 19, 1981 PAGE 2 L� �. Dr. Boudreau thanks to Mr. were planted. what started stated he f��t the day went very well, He stated that Allen's energy and others, approximately 400 shrubs He felt they will now see the programming grow, from out as an idea, into what is now the nature center. Springbrook Nature Center Foundation Donation Dr. Boudreau stated the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation sponsored a"sneak preview" the Friday evening before the grand opening. Vern Moen gave a brief history of the nature center and brought everyone up to date on the grand opening. The Foundation also presented the Mayor with a check for $19,000. This money is the fulfillment of the obligation the Foundation made to pay for the kell wall and the additional room space. The Foundation said they did raise $31-32,000 and have plans to assist the nature center directly with additional equipment and other things that will be needed in the future. Dr. Boudreau stated he felt this was a very nice gesture on the part of the Foundation. MOTION BY MS. HUGHES, SECONDED BY MR. YOUNG, TO EXPRESS THE PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION'S TXANKS AND SUPPORT TO THE SPRINGBROOK NATURE CENTER FOUNDATION FOR ITS EFFORTS IN COMPLETING THE NATURE CENTER BUILDING AND FOR ITS OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. N.R.P.A. Congress - Oct. 25-29 Dr. Boudreau stated the National Recreation & Park Association will be having its convention beginning Oct. 25 at the Minneapolis Auditorium. He stated that if any of the Commission members were interested in attending any part of the convention, he would be happy to make the arrangements for them to attend. D. Fridley Teacher Strike Dr. Boudreau stated they have experienced very few difficulties with the strike, although they are not allowed to continue any activities dealing with the pool or the weight room. He stated the teachers are picketing the elementary schools where the City holds their after- school recreation programs. He stated he and his staff decided that since they were independent of the school teachers and were doing nothing but using the public school facilities, they would try and continue their programs as scheduled. He stated that unless the Corr�iiission members had any strong feelsing one way or the ot�er, they will continue to run the programs for the duration of the strike. Mr. Young stated that he did not think the City was providing any services that are in conflict with what the teachers provide. If he was a Fridley teacher, he would not be opposed to the City's programming. � .-. �-. PARKS & RECREATION CONINiISSION MEETING, OCTOBER 19, 1981 PAGE 3 E. Recreation Building Status Dr. Boudreau stated that the City Council did approve the hiring of an architect to help design the functional layout of the facility based on the Commission's recommendations based on the project committee's recommendations. The architectural firm, Dicky Kodet, is in the process of coming up with schematic drawings and concept drawings of the layout of the facility which will include 3 gymnasiums, a swimming pool, a multi-purpose area room, a mwlti-purpose auditorium, arts & crafts room, senior citizens room, office space, running track, and kitchenette. Also as part of the commitment, Dicky Kodet has been asked to render a model of this facility. He stated Dicky Kodet will complete their work around the first or second week in November and will make a complete presentation on what they have come up with. He stated he would like to have a meeting jointly with City Council, the Parks & Recreation Commission, and the project committee members. He felt that the project committee members had put a lot of work into this concept and deserved to be invited. Dr. Boudreau stated the City Council went on record stating they would ^ go for a referendum vote in the early part of 1982 but have not set a date. 2. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT Chairperson Kondrick had nothing to report at this time. 3. NEW BUSINESS: A. Date of Meetings Ms. Seeger stated she has problems in trying to make the Comnission meeting on Monday evening because of classes. She stated Tuesdays or Wednesdays were the best days for her. After discussing different days, the Commission members agreed to change their meeting date from Monday night to the first Tuesday of every month, However, they decided not to meet on the first Tuesday of November, since it was only two weeks away. They agreed that their November meeting would be the one in which they meet with the City Council, tbe architectural firm, and the project committee on the recreation building. .-� B. 1981 Basketball and Volleyball Fees - Dr. Boudreau stated they have increased the basketball and volleyball fees by about $20 per team in each sport f rom last year, primarily because of the higher refereeing costs. The new fees are as follows: � PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION I�EETING, OCTOBER 19, 1981 PAGE 4 C� Couples fun volleyball Men's fun basketball Men's volleybal7 Men's basketball (open - $45 (increase of $15) - $180 - $140 league) - $240/season Dr, Boudreau stated the roster and player cards must be in by Nov. 18, and games will start shortly after that. Mr. Kirk has a managers' meeting scheduled for Nov. 5. Dr. Boudreau stated there is a$100 eligibility fee for each team for three out of the four sports. They do not require it for couple's fun volleyball. MOTION BY MR, ALLEN� SECONDED BY MS. HUGHES, TO APPROVE THE 1981 BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL FEES WITH AN INCREASE OF APPROX. $20. UPON A VDICE VOTE,ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Update on Rice Creek Trail & Bikin,c�Trail �. Ms. Hughes stated the County had gone into the Creek bed to begin making some surveys. The next thing the neighbors knew, the County was cutting down trees and brush for the hiking trail, including the bike trail, which was supposed to be up on 69th. After the neighbors complained bitter]y that the "understood agreement that was not written down" was being violated, the County apparently agreed to get it written down. The bike trail will go in on 69th and the hiking trail will go in down below. Dave Torkelson was described by the residents in th�t area as having been abusive -- sending people in to do things that had not been agreed upon either by the citizens' committee or the County. Dr. Boudreau stated he did see a resolution from the County last week stating that the bike trail is to be located on the road on 69th with a stoplight at 69th. Ms. Hughes stated they should monitor what goes on there because it is in the City of Fridley, and the City and the Commission ought to know where that bike trail is going. If possible, she would like Dr. Boudreau to keep informed on what is going on. Dr. Boudreau stated he would meet with John Flora, Public Works Director, who is the "liaison"with the County. D. Mowin� of South Side of Locke Park � Mr. Terry Merriman stated he lives adjacent to Locke Park on the south side of Rice Creek so he is familiar with what is happening in the park. The issue he wanted to bring up is the mowing that the City has done on .-� � PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEE7ING, OCTOBER 19, 1981 PAGE 5 the south side for at least the last seven years. Last spring, when he realized t�e mowing was not going to be done, he had called Dr. Boudreau and Mr. Dave Torkelson, Director of Anoka County Parks & Recreation Department. Apparently, Anoka County feels they want to leave the area unmowed in order to provide a more natural area for the hiking trail that will be going in along there. He stated Mr. Torkelson also gave him figures of the high cost of mowing and the number of man hours it takes to mow it. Mr..Merriman stated he lives there so he knows how badly the area needs mowing. He is not in the minority; there are other people who would also like to see it mowed, He stated that Mr. Torkelson felt the area was not being used at all. Mr. Merriman stated the area is being used alot by kids and families, especial7y by little children who are not allowed to go into the creek valley or cross to the other side of the creek. He stated he was at the meeting to say that he would like to see the City continue to mow that area. Dr. Boudreau stated that the City did come in once or twice this year and mow about six tractor cuts up to the power lines. Mr. Merriman asked if there existed a master plan for Locke Park. It would be nice to have a master plan so people would know what is going on. He stated the County did plant three rows of pine trees, but there are very few left. Now new shrubs have been planted in there. Mr. Young stated he teaches with a man who also lives along the Creek. This man had told him early this fall that this area was not being maintained and that the kids were using it. The mosquitoes had been bad because it had not been mowed, and the weeds were an eyesore. Ms. Seeger stated that she thought that when the Commission passed the agreement, they had also asked for a master plan. Ms. Hughes agreed. Dr. Boudreau stated he did not believe there was any master plan on paper. He did know the County had planted the three rows of pine saplings. He did know there was a plan to have a nature trail system. He felt when they had talked about maintaining the park, they were referring to the park proper. The area Mr. Merriman is referring to has no picnic tables and is nothing but an open area under the power lines which is an NSP easement. Traditionally, the City has gone in there and mowed, The County had said there was nothing in that area and they wanted the trail system to b2 as natural as possible, so they were not going to mow it. Although after hearing from Mr. Merriman and another resident in the area, he stated the City did go in and ^ mow the six tractor cuts. � Mr. Young asked if it was possible that the City had traditional]y mowed the area because it adjoined private property, and so came under the City's weed ordinance as a public nuisance? PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING, OCTOBER 19, 1981 PAGE 6 Ms. Hughes stated the question gets down to whether it would be inter- preted that way in the future. If the City is going to let the County pay for the maintenance of Locke Park, then she did not think the City should be mowing that area out of the goodness of its heart. They should really look at that area in terms of what it should be used for. She thought the Commission should request a master plan for the park, if they had not done so before, se they know what the County plans to do in the park next year. Ms. Seeger stated she would also like to see a development plan. Mr. Young asked Dr. Boudreau how he and Curt Dahlberg felt the County had handled the maintenance this year in Locke Park. Dr. Boudreau stated that in the major park area, the County had put in new picnic tables. He felt the County had maintained the area beyond what the City had done as far as trash collection and keeping tables and equipment in good repair. He stated he did no� know how the reservation system had worked out. Ms. Hughes stated that maybe the Cor�nission should ask the County to ^ send the Commission a report due in November on how the County felt things went this year in the park. - MOTION BY MR. YOUNG, SECONDED BY MS. SEEGER� TO REQUEST THE ANOKA COUNTY PARK5 & RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO SUBMIT TO THE CITY OF FRIDLEY AND PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSIDN, BY THEIR NOVEMBER MEETING, A WRITTEN REPORT ON OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE DURING THE PAST YEAR IN LOCKE PARK--I.E., PROPOSED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR THE COMING YEAR, ESTIMATES OF PARK U5AGE, RESERVATIONS SYSTEM, POLICE REPORTS, ETC. Ms. Hughes stated what when they refer to Locke Park, they should consider all parts of the park, whether it is the Creek, the high intensity area, or the open area. They also should ask the city weed inspector how he would treat this open area. If there is a master plan saying this open area is to be left wild, and then the City's weed inspector says those weeds have to be mowed, the Commission members and the County should know this. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIINOUSLY. Mr. Kondrick thanked Mr. Merriman for coming to the meeting. E. Use of Flanery Park Mr. Jim Hinrichs stated he lives in Fridley and his children attend � school in Spring Lake Park. He stated that in his area, he does not feel they get good representation and help at Flanery Park. He stated � PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETIIVG, OCTOBER 19, 1981 PAGE 7 he is coaching soccer for the Blaine/Spring Lake Park Athletic Assoc. which is funded through the Spring Lake Park Schools. He stated the problem is that there is no designated playing area for soccer at Flanery Park. In order to practice soccer, he has to transport the kids to Terrace Park. He either has to get all the parents to deliver the kids, or he has to pick them up and take them. Mr. Hinrichs stated he called the City in early October/late Sept. and asked if someone would put in stripes for practice so they would not have to go out of their neighborhood to practice. He was told it would be impossible, because the City did not want to open the park up to organized sports. If Flanery is his park, why does he have to take the kids out of their neighborhood to coach them and give them practices under decent circumstances? He had no idea what striping cost, but he did not think he had made an unreasonable request. He would like to have a good explanation of why people in his area always have to go beggin� to get assistance. Dr. Boudreau stated that Mr. Hinrichs had called and talked to both Mr. Kirk and himself. As opposed to the cost of painting the stripes, which is expensive, they had explained to Mr. Hinrichs that it was the � desire of the Commission and the staff to try and remove organized� 8cti�vities fror� the neighborhood parks and keep them for neighborhood use. He stated that Mr. Hinrichs had first requested football field markings and then requested soccer field markings. He was told there is no approved soccer or football area at Flanery Park. Dr. Boudreau stated that once they put lines on a field, they have essentially said the field is a football/soccer area; and if someone is injured, the City is liable for that injury because the City has desig- nated it as an ap}�roved activity area. Dr. Boudreau state that F1r �� �Hinrich had asked if he could mark the area himself, and this request . was �denied beacuse of the precedent it may set for future park devel- opr.�ents and uses. Dr. Boudreau stated he had told Mr. Hinrichs that Madsen Park and Locke Park are marked out for soccer. Dr. Boudreau stated it is the philosophy of the Department and the Commission that, for practice, they are more interested in participation than the highly competitive thing. For learning the basic skills for soccer, he did not see w�ere the lines were that valuable. He stated he did lend Mr. Hinrichs cones for marking the soccer field. Dr. Boudreau stated that if they do allow each neighborhood to decide, such as Mr. Hinrichs has suggested, what is best for that neighborhood .� park, where do they draw the line? n ^ PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETIIVG, OCTOBER 19, 1981 PAGE 8 Ms. Hughes stated she could sympathize with Mr. Hinrichs, but she did not like the idea of making a permanent soccer field at Flanery, because it is not in the plan or budgeted. Mr. Young stated the City has also faced this same problem with the Fridley Hockey Association as far as the availability of space. No matter where you live in Fridley, you have to transport kids in order to participate in activities. He stated that in the Comprehensive Plan, which the Comnission had a{�proved, as Dr. Boudreau has stated, it was designated that certain parks would be used for certain things, and that is the reason for the new community park--to get the organized sports out of the neighborhood parks. Dr. Boudreau stated that Flanery Park is just not a suitable area for football and/or soccer. Mr. Allen stated he is a strong believer of local participation in a park, but more than the liability, he was concerned about at what poTat do they not provide financial services to users of a park for th�ir own particular activity? If they provide a soccer field, and then someone comes in and wants an archery range, do �hey provide that also? He agreed there has to be a limit, and he did not know if there was a com- '1 promise to this kind of situation. Ms. Hughes stated that at this point, she did not see enough reason to over-rule Staff on this issue. Mr. Kondrick stated he certainly sympathized with Mr. Hinrichs, and hoped Mr. Hinrichs understood what they were saying. He stated the Comnission is concerned about people in all areas of Fridley, and Mr. Hinrich's area is not a forgotten area. He thanked Mr. Hinrichs for coming to the meeting. Mr. Hinrichs requested a copy of the meeting's minutes when they are available. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION BY MS. HUGHES, SECONDED BY 1�. YOUNG, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE OCTOBER 19, 1981, PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING ADJOURNED AT 10:15 P.M. Respectfully submitted, ��'�,2 .c.�+�tic.. ynn�e Sa a ' Recording Secretary �