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12/02/1996 - 00007968CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING - DECEMBER 2, 1996 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Kondrick called the December 2, 1996 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Dave Kondrick Dick Young Marcy Sibell Tim Solberg Members Absent: Sue Price Others Present: 7ack Kirk, Director of Recreation & Natural Resources Paul Lawrence, Public Works Superintendent Rod Hustad, Sylvan Hills Park Neighborhood Resident Perry Bergman, Sylvan Hills Park Neighborhood Resident Doug McNurlin, Sylvan Hills Park Neighborhood Resident Marsha Chizek, Sylvan Hills Park Neighborhood Resident Susan Field, Sylvan Hills Park Neighborhood Resident Paulette Reid, Sylvan Hills Park Neighborhood Resident Karen Coppicus, Sylvan Hills Park Neighborhood Resident APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 4, 1996 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES. MOTION by Ms. Sibell, seconded by Mr. Young to approve the minutes of the November 4, 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 DECEMBER 2, 1996. MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Sibell to approve the agenda with New Business Item 2a. being moved to the top of the agenda to accommodate our guests in attendance. 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 department activities over the past month. Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting - December 2, 1996 Page 2 b. Park Maintenance Report Mr. Lawrence presented the commission with a written Park Maintenance Update and stated that, for the most part, Maintenance personnel have been busy preparing the ice skating facilities. c. West Moore Lake Sand Dunes Park Mr. Kirk stated that he wanted the commission to know that staff has had some discussion about needed repairs at the West Moore Lake Sand Dunes Park and would be putting an estimate together for the needed improvements. This estimate will be brought to the commission at a future meeting. If the commission would like to discuss additional changes or alternative uses of that particular park area, they may want to give it some thought prior to the item appearing on a future agenda. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Sylvan Park Area Request for Skating Facility Mr. Kirk stated he had received calls from several residents of the Sylvan Park area who are concerned and disappointed that the City is not going to have a skating rink at the park this winter. Councilmember Billings has also received several calls on this issue. A group of residents representing this area are present this evening to address the commission. Susan Field, 161 Sylvan Lane N.E., stated they were very disappointed that their area did not have a rink and that no one informed them that a citizen's committee was studying this issue. She said they fee that the Sylvan Hills area is in a separate pocket and somewhat isolated from the other skating rink locations. They feel that there are a disproportionate number of rinks to the east of University Avenue in this city. Ms. Fields stated that they have circulated a petition to show support for reinstating a rink at Sylvan Hills Park, and there are 168 signatures on the petition being presented tonight. There are over 125 children in the immediate area of the park She further stated that the nearest rink to her is Commons Park which is appro�mately 1 mile away and takes at least 4 minutes travel time to get there. The Hayes and Stevenson rinks are both more than 1 mile away and takes 4-5 minutes travel time to get to Hayes, and 6- 7 minutes travel time to get to Stevenson. The time involved to get to the rinks is often just not acceptable for a family outing. Ms. Field stated that the people of the area support a rink at Sylvan and would like a simple, unboarded, general skating area. Mr. Rod Hustad, 260 Sylvan Lane N.E., stated that there are many children who have recently moved into the area. He said he was sure that the residents of the area would assist with shoveling and sweeping of a rink. Ms. Karen Coppicus, 256 Mercury Drive N.E., said she has lived in the Sylvan area for 15 years and her children have skated at the rink located in the park She said she was offended that the rink was removed without the residents of the area being notified. She said she thinks the park is great, and the City has continued to make some nice improvements at the park She would like to see the City reconsider the decision on a rink at Sylvan Hills Park. Mr. Doug McNurlin, 250 Sylvan Lane N.E., stated that the Sylvan Park area does not have easy access to any other skating locations. He believes that a rink at Sylvan would be a real asset to the area and that Parks & Recreation Commission Meetin� - December 2, 1996 Pa�e 3 it definitely would get used. Ms. Paulette Reid, 101 Sylvan Drive N.E., stated she felt that the Sylvan Park area is a safe area for the children and that a rink would be a real benefit to the neighborhood. Mr. Kondrick stated that the decision on where to locate rinks is a very difficult one for the commission. City staff keeps record of usage each year, and those statistics contribute to the decision making process. The City also has a limited amount of dollars available for a skating program, and the decision on locations is an attempt to get the "most bang for the buck". If limited staff is available to maintain the rinks, it is only responsible of the City to establish the number of rinks that can be maintained properly and safely. He further stated that it would be very difficult to add a rink this year. The area would be looked at again ne�t year as planning for the skating program takes place. Mr. Kirk stated that he can understand the concern of the Sylvan Park area over not having a rink within walking distance, but he wanted to assure them that the same situation affects better than half the population in our community. With limited Park Maintenance workers available to maintain rinks City staff and the Parks & Recreation Commission looked carefully at the community to determine where to strategically locate rinks that will service all areas of the city. Although rinks are not in every neighborhood, all residents are within minutes (by car) of a skating facility. Mr. Kirk stated that a citizen's committee was formed last winter to determine standards for a city of our size in terms of providing skating facilities to the residents. We now have standards that we try to achieve. Those being one general rink for every 3,600 population, one hockey rink for every 5,000 in population, and one warming house for every 4,700 people. The 1996 skating/hockey rink facilities being provided by the City of Fridley exceed these standards. The committee also felt that 5-8 minutes travel time by car to a supervised skating facility was a reasonable time-frame. The committee felt that when dollars were an issue, the City should provide more centralized, supervised, skating facilities in the community rather than a larger number of unsupervised skating facilities spread throughout the neighborhood parks. Mr. Kirk further stated that staff and the commission knew that not all areas of the city would have a rink within walking distance, but they tried very hard to place rinks where they could be within a reasonable travel time from all areas of the community. Ms. Reid asked if the City had ever considered cutting back the frequency on some of the maintenance work (i.e., shoveling and flooding) at certain rinks so more areas could be added. Mr. Kirk said the City has the responsibility to take care of the rinks, and relaxing the maintenance standards would not be acceptable and may even put the City at risk in case of an injury at a lesser maintained facility. Mr. Lawrence agreed that all skating facilities need to be maintained to the same degree and given the same amount of care. Mr. McNurlin said that a skating rink at Sylvan Park would help alleviate what he thought was an obvious skating facility shortage in the central part of the city. It would attract people from the Hyde Park and Jay Park areas also. Ms. Coppicus stated she could understand budget constraints. She would like to know what it costs to establish and maintain a skating rink Mr. Lawrence responded that a rink like Sylvan would cost Parks & Recreation Commission Meetin� - December 2, 1996 Pa�e 4 appro�mately $3,000 for maintenance workers to install and maintain. Mr. Kirk stated that it costs approximately $4,000 additional to place a temporary warming house and supervisor at a skating rink site. Mr. Kondrick stated that he wanted the Sylvan Park area to know that their concerns have been heard, and that he appreciated their attendance at the meeting and sharing their point of view. The issue will be passed along to the City Council through the Parks & Recreation Commission Minutes. The demographics of this area will be looked at as the commission determines skating locations for ne�t year. Mr. Kondrick thanked the residents of Sylvan Park for participating in the meeting and complimented them on how well they stated their case for a rink. b. Ice Rink Reservation Policy Mr. Kirk presented a recommended Ice Rink Reservation Policy which would allow groups to reserve ice time at Commons Park The Reservation Policy would essentially allow groups to reserve a 1-1/2 hour time block at Commons Park for $10. This effects only the hockey rinks. Times to be reserved would be when a warming house attendant is on duty. One of the hockey rinks at Commons would always be left open for open hockey so that groups could not essentially take over the whole facility. Mr. Kirk stated that this is the same type of procedure that is used for reserving softball, baseball, and soccer fields in the community. Mr. Kondrick stated he thought that $10 was too little for reserving a facility of this nature, and would recommend at least a$15 charge for a 1-1/2 hour time-frame. Mr. Solberg asked if the Hockey Association would have to pay this reservation fee for hockey facilities. Mr. Kirk stated the City would still reserve time for the hockey association without a fee being charged. MOTION by Mr. Young, seconded by Mr. Solberg, to accept the Ice Rink Reservation Policy with a$15 per 1- 1/2 hour time-frame charge and a statement in the Reservation Policy pointing to the fact that the reservation was made weather permitting, and if the rink was not available due to weather conditions the group reserving the rink would receive a complete refund. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 3. OLD BUSINESS a. Park Service Area Study Mr. Kirk presented a draft of the Park Service Area Study for the commission to review. Mr. Kirk said that he would like the commission to look at each of the 40 park service areas and recommend an action plan for maintaining or improving service. Mr. Kondrick suggested that the commission plan on working on the first of the park service areas at the 7anuary meeting. Mr. Kirk stated that he would like to complete the action plan on the park study during the first several meetings of 1997. Once completed, the document should serve as a helpful planning tool as the City Parks & Recreation Commission Meetin� - December 2, 1996 Pa�e 5 looks at the future of the park and recreation system. Mr. Kirk also stated that he felt the City is in very good shape as far as provision of park and recreation facilities. He thought it would be difficult to say that we are not servicing all areas of the city. Although some areas have more limitations than others, most residents have parks and/or trails within walking distance of their homes and all residents are just minutes away (by car) from many recreation opportunities. Mr. Kondrick asked the commission members to be prepared to review the park areas at the January meeting. b. Fee Waiver/Scholarship Guidelines Mr. Kirk presented the revised version of the Fee Waiver/Scholarship guidelines that were discussed at the November meeting. Mr. Young suggested that the second letter to participants in the program include a sentence that lets them know that even if they pay back the scholarship program for violating the guidelines, they essentially remain on probation for one year. MOTION by Ms. Sibell, seconded by Mr. Young to approve the revised guidelines for the Fee Waiver/Scholarship Program. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. MOTION by Mr. Young, seconded by Ms. Sibell to adjourn the meeting at 9:23 p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE DECEMBER 2, 1996 MEETING ADJOURNED.