PR 06/20/1983 - 31288�
CITY OF FRIDLEY
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
MEETING
JUNE 20, 1983
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairperson Kondrick called the June 20, 1983, Parks & Recreation Comnission
meeting to order at 7:38 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Memb r re s P esent: Dave Kondrick, Mary Schreiner, Jan Seeger, Dan Allen
Members Absent: Dick Young
Others Present: Charles Boudreau, Parks & Recreation Director
Jack Kirk, Recreation Supervisor
Jill Marlow, 6525 Main St. N.E.
Jerrie Matson, 6560 - 2nd St. N.E.
r� APPROVAL�OF MAY 16 1983 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES:
MOTION BY l�t. ALLEN, SECONDED BY ALS. SCHREINER, TO APPROVE THE MAY 36, Z983,
p,9RKS 6 RECRSATION COMINZSSION MINUTES AS WRITTEN.
UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAZRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED TXE MOTION
CARRIED UNANII�lOUSLY.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
The following items were added to the agenda:
"E.E.I. for 1983" - Item d under "Director's Report"
"Metropolitan Airports Conmission Meeting" - Item a under "Other Business
Chairperson Kondrick declared the agenda approved as amended.
1. DIRECTOR'S REPORT:
a. 1984 Budget Material - Capital Improvements
Dr. Boudreau stated that he will be going ta the City �ounc�l on
Monday, June 27, to discuss the 1984 budget. H� stated they are not
talking dolia�-s and cents at this point. If the Commission members
had ae�y suggestions or ideas for capitai improvement projects, he
^ would like them to let him know by Friday, June 24.
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PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING, JUNE 20, 1983 PAGE 2
b.
c.
Conmunity Park Complex Grand Opening
Dr. Boudreau stated that on Oct. 7-8. they are going to have a
grand opening of the Cortmunity Park in conjunction with the grand
opening of the new Center City Plaza project. He asked the Com-
mission members to mark these dates on their calendars.
Or. Boudreau stated the Community Park is coming along
The lights should be here in about a week or two. The
almost completed to the point where they need another
the woodwork.
Surtuner Programs
quite well.
building is
contractor for
Dr. Boudreau stated the summer programs have begun. They average 30
children per playground program and about 15-18 in Tiny Tots in the
different locations. The programs have been going very well for the
first two weeks.
Mr. Kirk stated they had a problem in getting the summer program brochures
out this time. They went with an independent hand delivery service,
and it was the worst delivery they have had in six years. Many house-
holds were missed. They still got a pretty good number of people signed
up for the summer programning, even though they do not know how many �
people were missed.
d. E.E.I. (Economic Equivalency Index) for 1982
Mr. Kirk stated the Conmission members had a copy of the 1982 Recreation
Program Report. As the Comnission members will note on the totals page
for 1977-1982, the number of activities went up a little bit from last
year. They have had approximately the same number of participants as
1981. The revenue is the most since 1977 at a88,219. Their expenses
are down from 1981. The E.E.I., the value of recreation service to the
community, was up a little bit again. With the expenses being down
and the E.E.I. up, the cost benefit ratio is also down again at .149.
He stated that is the figure they try to pay close attention to.
Mr. Kirk stated the report was for the Comnission members' information.
It gives a listing of the activities, the numbers of participants for
each activity, and the E.E.I, for each of those activities.
e. General Ice Skating Area at Jay Park
Dr. Boudreau stated Ms. Jill Marlow and Ms. Jerrie Matson were at the
meeting to remind the Commission about the sheet of general ice the City
agreed to put at Jay Park. He stated he has informed Ms. Marlow and
Ms. Matson that this is on the Parks & Recreation Department's work
schedule, and the preparation work for the rink will probably be done in ^
Aug. or Sept. ,
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PARKS � RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING JUNE 20 1983 PAGE 3
Dr. Boudreau stated the Commission also has to come up with some
criteria for the location of ice areas within the City of Fridley.
The City Council has requested that information, and the Commission
should address it, probably at the next meeting.
Mr. Kondrick stated the discussion of criteria for the location of ice
areas in the City should be put on the July agenda.
2. NEW BUSINESS:
a. Request fram City Band and Request from Northeast Chamber
Or. Boudreau stated the Conmission members had a copy of a letter from
Ross Larson of the Fridley City Band and a copy of a ietter from
Betty Scott of the Northeast Chamber Ensemble. The City Band is
requesting funds from the City in the amount of a500, and the Northeast
Chamber is requesting funds from the City in the amount of $700 to be
used to purchase music for the orchestra's library.
Ms. Schreiner stated it was her understanding that when the City Council
made the decision to cut funding for other non-profit organizations,
this is what started the whole thing. She asked if the City Council had
changed its mind regarding funding.
Or. Boudreau stated that, to his knowledge, the City Council h�s not
changed its mind.
Ms. Schreiner stated
these two particular
receiving funding.
it seemed to her inconsistent to give funding to
groups if the non-profit organizations will not be
MOTION BY 1�LS. SCHREINER SECONDED BY lllt. ALLEN TO RECONMEND TO CITY
COUNCIL THAT TNE FUNDING R£�JtJEST`S BY BOTH THE FRIDLEY CITY BAND AND THE
NORfiilEAST �CF7A!lBER ENSEl�lBLE BE DENIED.
Ms. Seeger stated she objected to the motion. She felt both the City
Band and the Northeast Chamber contribute a very fine part to the City's
recreation. It is something she wanted to see continue in the City of
Fridley. She does not play baseball or participate in some of the other
activities, but she does enjoy music as a recreation, and she felt this
was a contribution the City Band and the Chamber give as a recreation to
thi s comnuni ty.
Ms. Seeger stated she did not feel these were organizations only bene-
fitting themselves. 7fiey are benefitijng her and the cammunity. She
stated written music is very expensive. She also felt a lot of the members
of these groups encourage young people to reaiize they can take their
musi� and use it after they become adults. She felt the groups contribute
culturally and provide a nice touch to something she can watch and listen to.
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING JUNE 20 1983 PAGE 4
Mr. Allen stated he had very mixed emotions about this. He stated he
could appreciate what Ms. Seeger was saying, but the question wasn't
so much how much the City Band and Northeast contribute to the comnunity,
but the fact that other organizations also contribute to the community
and are not receiving any funding either. That was the main thrust of
the argument before and why the Commission made the recomnendation they
did last year.
Ms. Seeger stated she thought it was a shame to say that the recreation
of the community is a non-needed part. She thought it was a very
important part of a healthy canmunity. She did not feel she had to
apologize for this type of thing in her comnunity. It is worth it and
it keeps the carmunity healthy. Minneapolis has shown the comnunities
leadership in many of these areas without ever having to apologize about
it, even in depression times. Recreation is something that is needed;
it is like air, and a cortmunity doesn't get better by throwing out the
good things.
Mr. Allen stated he did not fee] that was the issue at all. He agreed
that recreation is very important to a ca►munity, but he felt the point
was that there are other things offered through recreation and in almost
every case people have to pay for those services. Here are two organi-
zations that are really being paid to do what they are doing.
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Ms. Seeger stated the City provides help for other recreationa] programs
such as fields for the softball programs and hockey ice for the hockey
programs. These are at great expense to the City.
Ms. Schreiner stated the City has offered to assist the City Band and
the Northeast Chart�ber at City expense with such things as moving chairs
and helping them set up and take down for concerts. She thought it was
the Comnission's feeling before that if anyone wants to participate in a
program, either as a tiny tot or an adult, whether educational or
recreational, you have to pay to participate in that program. These
people are not paying anything. If they contributed and divided their
contributions on a quarterly basis, it would be much less than people
have to pay to participate in other programs. Also, a lot of these
people are not living or working in Fridley--about 60% of them live
elsewhere. It seemed that if each member would pay �30/yr., for example,
it should cover their expenses.
Mr. Kondrick stated he also could understand what Ms. Seeger was saying.
Good music is essential in a good community; but when they start talking
about volunteerism and sharing and contributing, he felt it a little
annoying that these groups were asking for funding. Thirty dollars a
year Nas pretty cheap, and he did not know what else you could be in for
that cheap a rate. He stated music is fun,but there are some priorities.
If a person is not eating or doesn't have a place to live, then possibly
music should take second place. �
� PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING JUNE 20 1983 PAGE 5
Mr. Kondrick stated he felt the Comnission's original decision was
right. He still believed the City of Fridley will have good music.
Maybe when the economic situations change, if they do. the Comnission
might want to reconsider this, but for now he saw no reason to change
their decision.
UPON A VOICE VOTE, KONDRICK, SCHREINER, ALLEN VOTING AYE� SEEGER VOTING
AiAY, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED TNE PlOTION CARRZED.
b. Discussion - Meadowlands Park
Dr. Boudreau stated there was a neighbor to the park who had planned to
be at this meeting to discuss how the Meadowlands Park could be improved.
It is kind of an L-shaped park that is always flooded with water. He
stated the suggestion was made to dig out and put in a large pond that
would hold water up to a certain point, but this would be quite expensive.
He stated he wou7d see if this person could attend the next Comnission
meeting to discuss this problem.
3. OLD BUSINESS:
a. Policy Manual Discussion
� Dr. Boudreau stated the Comnission members had the final typed copy of
the "6000 - Program" prepared by Mr. Allen that was reviewed at the 7ast
meeting.
4. OTHER BUSINESS:
a. Metropolitan Ai.rports Comnission Meeting
Ms. Seeger stated a Fridley resident, Lee Ann Sporre, asked her to
announce to the Comnission that the Metropolitan Airports Commission
was officially meeting on June 28, 1983, at 7:30 p.m, in the Spring
Lake Park High School. She stated the meeting has to do with the Janes
Field site. She stated that as concerned citizens, they should know
as much as possible about this as they will have to deal with it as far
--- as the noise near Fridley's park areas. The basic concern Ms. Sporre
wanted the Commission to be aware of was the quietude of the City's
parks, as the parks would be in direct line of that airport.
b. Letter Suspending P]ayer from the Fridley Softball League
Mr. Kirk stated he had written a letter to an individual player sus-
pending him for one year from the Fridley Softball League because of a
bat tossing incident in a softball game.on May 26 which injured an empire.
Mr. Kondrick stated he concurred with the action taken by Mr. Kirk and
� applauded him for taking this stand.
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PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING, JUNE 20, 1983 PAGE 6 �
MOTIDN BY MR. ALLEN� SECONDED BY MS. S�EGBR� TO CONCUR WITH STAFF�S
XANDLING OF TXIS BAT TBROWING INCIDENT. DUE TO T6E a1VSPORTS!►IANLIKE
CONDUCT DEMONSTRATED BY TI�IS PLAYER, ZT WAS THE LEAST TAAT COULD BE DONE.
UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CXAIRPERS01�1 KO�NDRICK DECLARED TNE
XOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
ADJOURNMENT:
MOTIDN BY MS. SCHREINER, SECONDED BY I�t. ALLEN, TO ADJDURN TXE MEETING. UPON
A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED TXE JUNE 20� 1983,
PARKS 6 RECREATION COMMISSIQN PlEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:Q6 P.M.
Respectfully subm'tted,
��
yn Sa a
Recording Secretary
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