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09/09/1996 - 00008084CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING - SEPTEMBER 9, 1996 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Kondrick called the September 9, 1996 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present Members Absent: Others Present Dave Kondrick Sue Price Marcy Sibell Dick Young Tim Solberg 7ack Kirk, Director of Recreation & Natural Resources Dave Lindquist, Park Supervisor APPROVAL OF AUGUST 12, 1996 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES. MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Price to approve the minutes of the August 12, 1996 meeting of the Parks & Recreation Commission as written. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. APPROVAL OF PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 1996. MOTION by Ms. Price, seconded by Ms. Sibell to approve the agenda as submitted. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 1. STAFF REPORT a. Program Update Mr. Kirk presented the Program Update highlighting the department activities during the past month. He called the Commissioners' attention to the picnic shelter rentals being processed by staffthis year, primarily for Moore Lake and Commons. Most weekends at Moore Lake have been completely booked with reservation requests. Ms. Price asked if the Recreation Department ever rotated the nights on which certain program were held. Mr. Kirk stated that some of the activity nights are scheduled with the availability of facilities and availability of instructors as determining factors. Mr. Young asked if the Commission could have a report on the Playground program that was run in conjunction with the Salvation Army. Mr. Kirk stated he would provide that information at a future meeting. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting - September 9, 1996 Page 2 b. Park Maintenance Report Mr. Lindquist stated that the big project staff has been working on in August has been the installation of warning tracks at the ball fields at Community Park These should be finished within the ne�t week. Mr. Lindquist also reported on the status of the playground equipment installations at Springbrook, Summit Square, 7ay, Logan, Terrace and Harris Lake Parks. A maintenance crew has been constructing the timber borders and putting in the sand base at each site. The City is working with a contractor who is putting in the safety surfacing ne�t to the transfer modules of the play equipment. Mr. Lindquist stated that the maintenance staffhas also been replacing some worn out fencing at some ofthe ball fields in the park system. Ms. Sibell stated she would like to compliment the Maintenance workers on the appearance of our city parks. She thought they looked particularly good this year. c. Interpretive Specialist Appointment Mr. Kirk reported that the City has hired Eric Hahn to be the new Interpretive Specialist at Springbrook Nature Center. Eric has a teaching degree, which should be very beneficial to the Environmental Education Curriculum we work with the elementary schools on. He previously worked at the Minnesota Zoo and with the Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board. d. Canada Goose Management Program Mr. Kirk reported that in 1996 the University of Minnesota Department of Fisheries and Wildlife removed 55 Canada Geese from Moore Lake Park The program costs slightly more now because communities must pay for the processing of the meat for the food shelves. The management program does keep the number of geese at the beach area down during the prime summer months. e. Innsbruck Park Water Control Structure The City has reconstructed the water control structure at the North Innsbruck Park The structure is between the two ponds in the park, and keeps a constant water level in the western-most pond. The spill-over at the control structure fills the pond to the east. The structure had not been functioning over the past couple of years and allowed too little of water in the one pond and too much water in the other. The improvement should keep both ponds at a proper level in the future. f. Playground Equipment Installations As reported in the Park Maintenance report, the Maintenance workers have been putting in the borders and sand bases at the new playground sites. One of the playground installers is approximately one month behind schedule on the new installations. The Commission discussed the possibility of a Penalty Clause in the future for installations that fall behind schedule. All six sites are scheduled to be completed yet this fall. g. Senior Program Assistant Position The Senior Center has advertised to fill the vacant part-time position of Senior Program Assistant. The Assistant coordinates the Handyworks (formerly Chore Services) and the Senior Companion Programs. The position will be housed at the Senior Center offices, and the individual will work appro�mately 20 hours per week The position is expected to be filled in the ne�t couple of weeks. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting - September 9, 1996 Page 3 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Skating Locations, 1996-'97 Staffpresented a recommendation for skating locations and warming houses for the 1996-'97 skating season. Mr. Kirk stated that the Commission did address this issue at the March 4, 1996 meeting and a copy of the minutes pertaining to this item is included in each Commission member's agenda packet. The changes recommended for this year are to add back the previously closed warming houses at Stevenson, Hayes and Madsen; and to add general rinks at the Moore Lake and Commons hockey sites. Upon acceptance of this recommendation the City would be providing the following facilities: Briardale Park ................................1 general rink Commons Park ...............................1 general rink, 2 hockey rinks & warming house Creekridge Park .............................. l general rink Flanery Park ..................................1 general rink, 1 hockey rink & warming house Hayes Elementary ...........................1 general rink, 1 hockey rink & warming house Logan Park ..................................1 general rink Madsen Park ..................................1 general rink, 1 hockey rink & warming house Moore Lake Park ............................ l general rink, 1 hockey rink & warming house Ruth Circle Park ............................. l general rink, 1 hockey rink & warming house Stevenson Elementary ....................1 general rink, 1 hockey rink & warming house Summit Square Park ......................1 general rink MOTION by Mr. Young, seconded by Mr. Solberg to approve the skating locations as recommended by staff. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. b. Meadowlands Park Tennis Courts Mr. Kondrick stated that the Commission had looked at the Meadowlands tennis court tonight at the pre- meeting tour. Options for the court would be a) repair of the tennis court, b) relocation of the court on the site, or c) removal of the court. All of these options were discussed by the Commission. Mr. Kondrick suggested that we do some type of survey of the area to determine the interest in keeping the tennis court in the park. The Commission members discussed the concerns of putting significant money into repair of the court at a location where the soil conditions will cause rapid deterioration of any hard surface area. The Commission recommended that staff notify the neighborhood of the City's intent to remove the court and the reasons for the removal. Also, staff should seek feedback from the neighborhood on the other improvements made in the recent past at the park. Mr. Kirk pointed out that should the City decide to remove the tennis courts from the park, the City will still be providing tennis courts at a ratio better than the suggested facility standards for tennis courts provided by the National Recreation and Park Association. The national standard is one court per 2,000 population. With the 22 City courts and the 16 on School District property, the city provides appro�mately 1 court for every 778 people in this community. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting - September 9, 1996 Page 4 3. OLD BUSINESS a. Community Park -- Accessibility Path Mr. Kirk reported that the recent improvements at Community Park provide good access to the park building and the four main fields, however, the two westerly-most fields do not have an accessibility path to them. Mr. Kirk showed the Commission members a sketch of how the access path could be laid out, and how a plaza/picnic area could be built adjacent to the park building. An 8' wide path from the park building to fields #5 &#6 (John Gargaro Fields) would provide handicap access and also be used by Park service vehicles to reach those two fields. A plaza area would eliminate one of the two berms (between fields #2 &#3) which not only would provide a nice area for players and spectators, but would eliminate some of the water problems on those fields caused by water draining offthe berm on to the infield. The Commission members were generally in favor of continuing work on a plaza area access path at the Community Park They would like to see more detailed information at a future meeting. MOTION by Ms. Sibell, seconded by Ms. Price to adjourn the meeting at 8:22 p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE SEPTEMBER 9, 1996 MEETING ADJOURNED.