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09/12/2005 - 00028791CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING —SEPTEMBER 12, 2005 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Kondrick called the September 12, 2005 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting to order at 6:06 p. m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Dave Kondrick, Marcy Sibell, Tim Solberg, Dolores Varichak Others Present: Jack Kirk, Director of Parks and Recreation Dr. William Burns, City Manager Scott Lund, Mayor Robert Barnette, Councilmember-At-Large Steven Billings, Councilmember Ward 1 Richard Wolfe, Councilmember Ward 2 Ann Bolkcom, Councilmember Ward 3 Siah St. Clair, Springbrook Nature Center Director Malcolm Mitchell, Springbrook Nature Center Foundation Donna Bahls, Springbrook Nature Center Foundation Jim Kordiak, Anoka County Commissioner John VonDeLinde, Anoka County Parks and Recreation Director Karen Blaska, Anoka County Parks Department Judy Jones, 6735 Channel Road, Fridley Jerry Bahls, 7514 Alden Way, Fridley APPROVAL OF AUGUST 1, 2005 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES MOTION by Ms. Sibell, seconded by Mr. Solberg, to approve the minutes of the August 1, 2005 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. APPROVAL OF PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER 12, 2005 MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Varichak, to approve the agenda for the September 12, 2005 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 2 1. STAFF REPORT a. Program Update Mr. Kirk stated that many of the summer activities ended during the last month and we have started registration for fall programs. Some of the fall programs actually got underway in the past week. Mr. Kirk also stated that a program update was included in the agenda packet for the information of the Commission members. The update identifies some of the activities completed since the last Commission meeting. Mr. Kirk stated that some of the activities over the past month included a healthy living series program at the Senior Center, the Men's Class D regional softball tournament at Community Park, the Nickel Jamboree at Commons Park, the closing of our beach for the year and the end to the summer playground and nature camps. b. Park Maintenance Report Mr. Kondrick stated that Mr. Lindquist, Public Works Parks Division Supervisor is not at the meeting this evening, but has provided a written report of park maintenance activity during the past month. c. Commission Member Resignation — Edward McDonald Mr. Kirk stated that he was informed by Commission member Ed McDonald that he has moved out of Fridley. Since living in the community is a requirement for Commission membership, Mr. McDonald is resigning. The City Council makes appointments to fill the Commission vacancies. d. Farr Lake Trail Mr. Kirk stated that on Wednesday September 7t" he received a call from a resident who lives near our Farr Lake Park. She was very concerned about the condition of the asphalt path in the park. She had tried to bicycle on the path and found it nearly impossible in certain locations. She said she met another lady who was walking on the path and that lady told her she had fallen in one of the rough areas. After hearing her concerns, Mr. Kirk went to the site with Dave Lindquist (Park Supervisor) and walked the path. The asphalt is in very poor condition at several places along that trail. Growing tree roots have caused the asphalt to move and break up. I have to say that the trail is really not safe right now for even people who are walking. Mr. Kirk further stated that we have been aware of the poor trail condition for several years and had the replacement scheduled for 2002. With the budget concerns, none of the capital improvement projects were completed that year and the project was "put on hold." In the revised 5-year Parks CIP, we have $50,000 budgeted for replacing the Farr Lake Park path in 2008. The asphalt would be completely removed and a crushed limestone walking path installed. Our Public Works department installed signs this past spring that alerted park users to the poor condition of the trail. The signs read something along the lines of "Trail in poor condition. Walking traffic only. No rollerblades, skateboards or bicycles allowed." Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 3 Mr. Kirk further stated that after staff discussion and consulting with City Manager Bill Burns about the poor condition of the path, we all agreed that something needed to be done to alleviate the current safety hazard. Our Public Works Department will be going in to the park and removing the old asphalt path. Once that is removed, they will be putting down approximately 4" of gravel to create a new path. The work on this park/ trail should be completed in the next month. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Springbrook Nature Center — SPRING Project Mr. Kondrick stated they were gathered this evening for a brief review of how the City of Fridley has a chance to spend approximately $5 million on the building for the Springbrook Nature Center and fixing up the area. The City can get the money if they can come up with a reasonable financial plan and if someone can raise the $2.5 million in matching funds. The City, of course, is not under any obligation to come up with $2.5 million; that will be up to some other individuals to raise the money. How that is going to be raised, who is going to be doing the raising, and how the job is going to be accomplished will be discussed later. Mr. Kirk stated that they had a presentation earlier this summer from the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation about some ideas they had for what they called at the time, "Springbrook Gateway Project." They talked about it at the Parks and Recreation Commission level and felt that if they were going to move forward on this project (which was ultimately going to affect a City of Fridley park), they would like to see it be a joint-planning effort. They put together a joint planning committee consisting of Dave Kondrick from the Parks and Recreation Commission, Malcolm Mitchell and Donna Bahls from the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation, Siah St. Clair and himself. They have been meeting regularly since June. They have been going over a lot of details that are going to be needed for this particular project: a site, a building, and a business plan. The following subcommittees have been formed: a fundraising committee that has been working on how they are going to go about the fundraising for this project; a business plan subcommittee; and a site plan subcommittee. Mr. Kirk further stated that they talked about the bonding bill earlier in the summer. The following is a quick review of some of the dates they are dealing with. The initial application was due on June 15. The next date rapidly approaching is a more detailed application, which is set for September 30. Once that is in, they still have time to make revisions. They need to get the materials in, but they have until November 1, 2005 to get revisions in. By December 31 there should be a Senate committee site visit to the Springbrook Nature Center. In January or February 2006, they are looking at the Senate/House committee presentations at the capitol for this project. By May 31, 2006, they should have some type of funding decision by the Legislature. Mr. Kirk further stated that a fundraising committee has been formed. They have been looking at the funding for the $2.5 million match. An informational meeting will be held this Wednesday evening. He stated that as many as 130 people have been invited. It will take place at Barna, Guzy & Steffan offices. The official fundraising kickoff is set for May of 2006 to coincide with a decision by the legislature. They hope the fundraising will be completed by May 2007. There are volunteers helping who were instrumental in raising funds for the Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 4 $8 million Emma B. Howe YMCA facility in Coon Rapids. They are very interested in the Springbrook project. They are Bennie Loro (former YMCA director) and Joan Qaude (former YMCA president). Kevin Fox is a professional fundraiser and he is working with the City, as well as Jim Malkowski, who has helped raised significant dollars for different facilities and projects and who is a Nature Center consultant. Mr. Kirk further stated that the key dates for construction were in the initial applications. If all things went well, if the project was rewarded bonding money by the legislature, and the fundraising all falls into place within the timeframe expected, the bid process and hiring of an architect would take place in the fall of 2007. Construction would start in the spring of 2008 with an expected completion date in the spring of 2009. There would be some type of grand opening celebration in the fall of 2009. Mr. Kirk further stated that tonight they want to present the revised building and site plan. These are concepts and not anything detailed until the project gets the go-ahead. They just want to make sure the space is identified, and that if this project moves forward, these are the ideas or concepts that would be included. Mr. Kirk further stated that they want to talk about a business plan, i.e. how the revenue would come in that would support the operation of a larger building. With increases in programming, there are going to be increased costs. The main reason they are presenting this is they still have several weeks before the final application, and they would like input from the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission to see whether they are on the right track in case there is something that should be modified or changed. Mr. Kirk further stated that regarding the site planning process, they realized when they got together in June that they had drawings that were several years old, (maybe four or five). Even at the time those were put together, the site drawing and building drawings were concepts that people were not real happy as to how the site and building were laid out. Therefore, they felt that if they were going to put in something with a final application to the State, they needed to get some updated conceptual drawings completed. There were several architectural firms that were interviewed; and Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik and Associates was contracted by the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation. The Foundation is paying entirely for the $15,100 conceptual drawings. Ana Nelson and Holly Reed from Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik are present, and they are going to discuss the site plans and conceptual drawings. Ms. Ana Nelson, of Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik, talked about how they came about the overall concept. One of the things was to create a learning space and gathering place close to nature and the environment. The parking lot has been expanded to accommodate more parking spots. They also have integrated rainwater gardens. They would like to try and use pervious materials if they can. From the parking lot, there is a welcome sign, which will contain information about the Nature Center. As you come from the welcoming area, you will get a first glance of the pavilion, which will be used for social gatherings and events. You will see a water feature and then see the main entrance to the expanded building. There is an outdoor amphitheater and a new trail with an information kiosk. From the celebration plaza, there are gathering rooms to be used for educational space, interactive space, as well Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 5 as passive recreational. The three different areas to be identified are prairies, forests, and wetlands — showing a display of the different microclimates and showing the different environments. They also have berming landscape, which will impact from 85t" Avenue. It will also be an opportunity to display Minnesota geological stones such as St. Cloud granite, fossils in Minneapolis, etc. From that you will also have what is being called "Circle of Friends" gathering place meant to be for a cultural space as well as meditation. From that you will see the maintenance facility. Also coming out from the building there could be renewal green technology. Ms. Holly Reed, of Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik, talked about the rain gardens. The rainwater running off the parking lot will have most of the pollutants filtered out before going to the streams or wetland. It is a great opportunity to show the public what they can do in their own yards and how easy it is to show them what kind of plants they can put in their own yard and the impact it can have on their community. She showed the permeable parking lot and showed blowup shots of the surface and how, by using the green, they have 40 percent more open space that contributes to treating that storm water runoff. Ms. Reed showed a design they have done for the information kiosk. She stated that within the area there are going to be benches, bike racks, and a drinking fountain. This is a place that people can stop, rest, and just orient themselves as to what is going on within the park. Internally the sign is constructed of steel and then covered with wood veneer on the outside, which is a way to counteract vandalism which has been a concern of the park. Ms. Nelson stated regarding the building, they tried to concentrate on the support services in the corner of the building and that would involve social space and teaching space. As you come from the main entrance you will see the gift shop and refreshments area. From that area, you will enter what might be the wetland exhibit and that would be a place displaying the different types of wetlands in Minnesota and how in the northern wetlands they cultivate wild rice. There will be a wind tower (wind turban) for the facility. There will also be an opportunity to use some recyclable materials. There is exhibit space that can be known as the environment and educate people with a big interactive map about the watershed space, the water bodies, and how to protect them and improve their water quality. There will also be a conservation space showing the different green technology systems. There will be information displayed about the tornado that struck the Springbrook Nature Center. There will be a reflection reading area. The indoor amphitheater will be a new state-of-the-art room with completely open view to the natural settings but it will also accommodate performances and any kind of conference events. Immediately from the main entrance there is the animal lab. More restroom and classroom area is included. The kitchen and the administrative space will stay in the existing area which will be expanded to accommodate that square footage. The second floor is shown in the lower corner of the plan. If possible, they would like to have an elevator. There could be a proclamation wall displayed with donors that contribute to the Nature Center. They will try and maximize the light with a lot of windows. Ms. Reed stated the outdoor amphitheater will serve as a connector to various spaces. The celebration plaza will run to the building as well as the pavilion. Even though the Nature Center has plenty of grown trees, it might be necessary to incorporate other structures, perhaps an arbor or some sort of tension fabrics that can be taken in and out fairly easy. The Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 6 celebration plaza will contain curvilinear inscribed walls that will have various heights. There is also a water feature. She talked about some of the recyclable materials. Ms. Nelson talked about the three different environments and how they would be developed. The wetland outdoor room is meant to be an educational display of that microclimate. Various plants will be displayed. There will also be the opportunity to have animal sculptures that would come with that microclimate. She showed a picture of a big turtle that kids can climb on, learn about the animals and be excited. It is an opportunity to provide information to visitors but also maybe they can make it interactive with the different sculptures of the creatures hidden in the park. In the cultural gathering space, they used it as meditation space. There will be a middle area to meditate, share some of the cultural background, and there will be signage about the different cultures at the Nature Center. There will also be, as an interactive feature, a sundial incorporated into the design. Mr. St. Clair, Director of Springbrook Nature Center, stated the bike trail on 85t" Avenue is actually going in this winter and will be completed next summer. Councilmember Bolkcom asked if people riding on the 85t" Avenue bike path can ride through the park. Mr. St. Clair stated they are trying to say no biking in the park. Councilmember Bolkcom asked what is going to prevent them from riding into the park. Mr. St. Clair stated that the most they can do is put barriers up like other parks have. Councilmember Bolkcom asked if she would be stopped is she was running on the path. Mr. St. Clair stated probably not as there are a lot of joggers. Councilmember Bolkcom said that at one time they were talking about bringing a bike path through. Councilmember Wolfe asked about making the park more useful and letting people ride their bikes or jog. He thought perhaps more people would use the park. Mr. St. Clair stated the bike paths and type of pedestrian paths they have are not compatible. They learned that two years ago when they had a bike-a-thon and allowed them to use one of the trails. The bikers did not like the trail because there were too many curves in them and it is not really the type of traffic a pedestrian wants when walking into a natural area like that. They talked about putting a cross-country ski trail around the perimeter of the park. Councilmember Barnette stated that when the building was built around 1980, the State of Minnesota who provided the money gave a very specific use of the building-- for recreational use only. He remembers it very specifically because he had asked John Weaver who was then on the Council, if a golf course went in, could they use that building as a clubhouse and the answer was, yes, because that was recreational use only. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 7 Now with the changes being made to the building, would weddings, birthday parties, social gatherings, business meetings, etc., meet the standards that the State gave the initial $50,000 in the first place to build that building? Mr. St. Clair stated other nature centers are doing exactly the same thing. Councilmember Barnette asked whether they got their money from the State to build their building. Mr. St. Clair replied many of them do, yes. Mr. Kirk stated he believed that is something they need to look at. Councilmember Wolfe made the comment regarding the gift shop. It sounded like the Nature Center was becoming more like a business. He commented it looked like according to the drawings the maintenance was going to quadruple. Councilmember Billings asked if they could check with Community Development and make sure the pavers for the parking lot meet with the City Code since it requires hard surfaces for parking so the fluids cannot actually get into the ground. They do not want to build something only to have to tell every other business in town that they cannot do the same thing. Maybe they need to change the Code to allow it. Mr. Kirk stated the next part they want to get into is the business plan process. Before they could move ahead, they had to make certain assumptions and expectations. When they looked at the business plan, they looked at two approaches: one was a minimal growth plan and that was one that they felt was going to show some growth but it is also something that can be sustained well into the future. They felt that a minimum growth plan was something that was going to be conservative, was going to be on a cautious approach, and was not going to show them large numbers of revenue. It was not going to show them large numbers of rentals or anything of that nature because they wanted to make it something that was going to grow slowly. Then there is the preferred growth plan. That is where they would really like to see it grow but, quite honestly, it is going to take some fortunate turns with the revenue stream in order for them to grow at a faster rate. So what they are going to show them tonight is the minimum growth plan, how they arrived at it, and some of the assumptions and expectations that were involved with it. Mr. Kirk stated that for the purposes of this business plan, they were looking at a 3 percent annual growth rate and that is really carried through in both the revenues and expenditures. If they are going to have rentals, they need to somehow address the beer and wine policy at the Nature Center. They are making an assumption that something will take place that will allow receptions to take place at the facility. They had to make an assumption during the construction timeframe that they are going to continue with programming. Some of it may have to be located to an alternate site because the particular Nature Center site that they were using in the past is going to be under construction. They want their revenues stream to be consistent so they may need to move some things off site. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 8 Mr. Kirk stated there is a reserve fund. He spoke to the City finance people, and the numbers they have been using for interest has been 2.5 percent. They also assume they are going to continue with the environmental education curriculum through the partnership they have with District 14. They will be putting in the plan for a store concession operation. They plan on opening that sometime towards the end of the first year. In the third year of the business plan, they are showing a profit from the concession operation. The first year of the business plan is the year before the center would be built, before it would be open. The second year of the business plan is the first year that the building is open. They also have been working with the Springbrook Foundation. The Springbrook Foundation is going to provide some direct dollars towards the operation and this business plan. The first year will start out at $12,000 and will increase each year by $3,000. By the sixth year of the business plan, the Springbrook Foundation will be putting in $27,000. Mr. Kirk stated what they did with the business plan was to look at their revenue and their expenditures. The revenue (they have a number of categories), are very similar and most of them are the same categories that are in the City budget. They looked at each individual year for the six years of the business plan. The levy is the one passed with the referendum last year. They have assumed a 3 percent increase in the levy just as they have assumed a 3 percent increase of most expenditures throughout this business plan. They have had some receptions out there with the existing facility, but not to the extent that they feel this particular new facility will provide. For both the party rentals and business organizations rentals they are showing very modest numbers in the first year. Store and concessions, once again, the third year, 2010 is the first year they would show any net profit. They think there is some real potential there. In the minimum growth plan, they are not showing any revenue for exhibits or partnerships. For exhibits, there are traveling exhibits that nature centers can pay for or rent, and then when people come in, they can have that set up in a separate room and people would pay an extra amount of money to go see that particular exhibit. Although it is not showing it in the minimal growth plan; they likely will put something in the preferred growth plan for exhibits. They are looking at developing partnerships at different events or for different items out at the Nature Center, which would develop revenue. They do not have any arranged at this point and so have not put any dollars in there in the minimum growth plan. Contributions are strictly money boxes, it is not a real high amount, but they think they should be able to bring in some revenues. The interest shown in the revenue is from earnings on the reserve fund. Councilmember Billings asked with the things like day camp, special events, school programs, and Saturday programs, how much of the growth would be there if they did nothing. Mr. Kirk stated they would likely see the 3 percent go up but, in terms of growing without additional staff and without additional facilities, they probably would not see it. Councilmember Billings commented that is one thing not listed in the plan--the day camps, special events, and school programs. They cannot see what those numbers are right now. Mr. Kirk stated they can provide those. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 9 Councilmember Barnette asked if the bulk of the school programs were from School District 14. Mr. St. Clair stated a little over 50 percent came from District 14. Councilmember Barnette asked where the rest came from. Mr. St. Clair stated schools from all over, including public and private schools. Councilmember Barnette commented that one-third of students in the City of Fridley go to schools outside of the Fridley School District--Districts 11, 13, and 16. He asked why they were not tapping those schools for contributions. Mr. St. Clair stated the Fridley schools are paying Springbrook because they are teaching the kids. The environmental education program is a significant portion of their science curriculum. It would be very difficult to be able to follow the same curriculum throughout the all of the school districts in our city without additional staffing. Councilmember Barnette stated what if they wanted it in District 13? Mr. St. Clair stated they actually are doing programs at those schools. Councilmember Barnette asked if the school district is paying them for it. Mr. St. Clair replied yes. Mr. Kirk next talked about the expenditure portion of the business plan for the six-years. The account descriptions are put in the same format as the City budget; they followed the same accounts and the same guidelines that they use for the current City budget. For each of the years, they come up with an operating budget and then the next item is a transfer to or from the reserve fund. During the first year of operation in the new building, they are showing a slight amount being tapped out of the reserve fund. In the first year of operations, they have acknowledged they are going to need additional custodial help. That is the primary increase in the part-time employee expenditures. There is $1,219 that they would have to draw out of the reserve fund. The first year of the business plan, $26,000 would go into the reserve, the second year they would tap into it for $1,200, the third year they would be back into a positive flow of $10,000 going into that reserve fund, then it goes up to $20,000 and $26,000. Then in the sixth year, $30,000 would be put into that reserve fund. The balance at the end of each year is reflected in the bottom line of this expense. The reserve fund was put aside in case they needed a new furnace, new tables and chairs, or any other items needed to be replaced at the Nature Center. The reserve fund did not exist in 2004. Mr. Kirk said each year there are noteworthy changes in the plan with respect to what they are seeing in terms of revenues or expenditures. The main change for the first year (a year before they opened) would be the Foundation putting in the $12,000. During the second year, there would be a number of changes. They would add a half-time custodian and they are Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 10 looking at building supplies being up 56 percent. They are not sure what the insurance would actually be until they have the building, but they have tripled it to make sure there is enough. They estimated a 50 percent increase in utilities. They have representatives of the planning committee going to the Green Institute and talking with the people there about energy-saving amenities and energy-saving processes you can use in a new building. They have been told that they could likely reduce costs from what is being paid today. They put in increases for program supplies and security costs. They did increase the numbers of programs and rentals that they included in the revenue increase for that first year and then they went with the Springbrook Foundation going up $3,000 -- from $12,000 to $15,000. As of 2003, they had a total of 604 programs that were operated; and he thought calculating out the new programs would be approximately 40 and there would also be some rentals included. So when they are talking about adding, they are not talking about doubling the programs in this minimum plan, they are saying they are going to add about 40 programs just in that first year. In 2010, they are adding a few more programs. They are looking at some additional rentals. They are hoping to run another special event and a couple more nature camps. This the first year they will be showing a profit beyond what it would cost them for the inventory for staffing for a store, the Foundation's contribution would be up to $18,000, and there would be a few more hours added for program staff. In 2011, there would be a little more from programs, increased revenues, and the contribution from the Springbrook Foundation would be $21,000. In 2012, they are still building this base for the store, and the Foundation amount would go up. In the final year, the only significant noteworthy change in this minimum growth plan was the Foundation increase up to $27,000. Mr. Kirk said they talked about a preferred plan. They do not have details on that yet. The following are goals that they have, key points that they want to include in a preferred plan. They want to get to the point where they are making full utilization of the facility and programming at a level that they actually were at ten years ago. They had more programs with additional staff ten years ago in 1995. They have had one full-time position reduced at the Nature Center but they are looking at increasing the hours available for the public, looking at formal program participation being up, and an increase in visitors with a new facility and new exhibits. Hoping to double that would be in their preferred plan. So, when they are saying they would like to increase staff, they would like to see one full-time interpretative specialist. Regarding revenue increases, they would like to see that by the end of the business plan, it would be double from where it is today. Mr. Kirk said the fundraising professionals also told them that when you embark on a capital campaign, you can expect that a good share of the contributors will make long-term commitments to help with your operation to the tune of 10 percent. They want to be even more conservative than that. This is new territory, so they do not know if that will happen. In a best case scenario, they would like to see the Foundation providing a sizable contribution which could add to the regular yearly operation of the Nature Center which then would allow them to reach this preferred goal and do some of these other things in terms of programming and extras. They want to see that revenue is coming before they embark on expanding. Dr. Burns, City Manager, asked if they were planning to borrow any of the money for the capital improvements. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 11 Mr. Kirk stated they do not at this point. All the money for the capital would come from State bonding money and the matching dollars. Based on this business plan, they should not only be able to cover those operating costs, but also put dollars into the reserve fund. It was pretty clear that they needed the reserve fund to make sure they took care of future needs. Mr. Kondrick stated they feel this is a real minimalistic approach and is a way for the City of Fridley to realize that a$5 million gain has been established and also ways to even manage that building. It is also a way to make some money at it, to pay for itself, pay for staffing and, more importantly, increase the educational opportunities, not only for the children and families in our city but also in the surrounding communities as well. Councilmember Barnette stated regarding the budget, the members of the Council are very specific in saying that this money has to be set aside. He also asked about the figure of 180,000 as number of visitors each year. That is 500 a day. Mr. St.Clair stated he did not believe it until he had a college-student group come out and cover all the different entrances of the park where people were walking in. This was at all different times of the day and times of the year and they multiplied that all out. Mr. Kondrick stated they see growth that will pay for this building. Councilmember Billings commented there is $50,000 to $60,000 of what he would call new revenue as a result of this project. They have also shown around $40,000 of new expenses that are directly related to new revenues but not necessarily maintenance and similar items. So even if they did not attract more birthday parties, more Saturday programs, more school programs, and more business organizations, then $45,000 of the expenses go away and about $50,000 of the income goes away. Now some of that income, however, you can still get with a new facility even if you kept the existing staff. He thinks this is a reasonable improvement plan. He does not think it is overly aggressive. At the same time, he would like to see a worse case scenario. What would be the minimal amount of new weddings, etc., that they would have to attract without increasing staff. With all due respect to the Foundation, the other question is what happens if the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation goes away for whatever reason. As a City council member, he believes he has to see those numbers. What do they do if the Foundation is not there in 2015? Councilmember Bolkcom asked if they could see the numbers for 2003 through 2005 so they could compare. Mr. Kirk stated they really want to know if they are on the right track. From the comments he heard there are still some things Council members want in terms of information, and they need to get that to them. Councilmember Barnette commented the agreement they had with everyone was that the operations and maintenance would be set aside. Mr. Kirk stated that the last direction he heard on this was that the City Council wanted to see a business plan of how this will work and how the numbers will support the operation. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 12 Councilmember Wolfe expressed his concern about their requests being heard. Mr. Kondrick acknowledged they have received a lot of good questions and this is a reasonable, minimalistic plan and he wants them to know everything so they can be comfortable with it. b. Proposed Off-Leash Pet Exercise Area at Locke Park — Anoka County Parks Department Mr. Kirk stated that the topic of an off-leash pet exercise area was discussed by the Parks and Recreation Commission at the June 2004 meeting with Anoka County Commissioner Jim Kordiak. It was a concept that he was exploring, but there was not a specific location that had been identified to create such a facility. It was the type of facility that he felt would be of value to this general area of the Anoka County park system. Mr. Kirk stated that in the past couple of months he had the opportunity to talk with Anoka County Parks and Recreation Director John VonDeLinde about pet exercise areas and they looked at a couple of specific locations within Locke Park. Before anyone goes to much further with any specific planning for a pet exercise area, he suggested that the County delegation attend the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to discuss this concept and the possible location of an off-leash pet exercise area at Locke Park. Mr. Kordiak stated that he has long had an interest in creating an off-leash dog park in Anoka County. There is currently not a dog park in Anoka County. There are dog parks in most other metropolitan counties. There are four dog parks in Minneapolis alone. He further stated that he believes there is a need for this type of facility. About 30 percent of all your Fridley homeowners have dogs or about 5000 households have a dog. Once outside there own property, none of them have an opportunity to take their dog off the leash and let the pet run and exercise. Mr. Kordiak stated that in his mind, he feels an off-leash park is good for dogs and its good for people. The dog owners socialize at the same time their pets are exercising and socializing. Mr. Kordiak stated that he is not a dog owner, but after knocking on doors and talking with area residents, there is really an interest in this type of facility. He really believes that an off- leash dog park would get used. Mr. Kordiak stated that the area being looked at right now for an off-leash dog park is on the very east end of Locke County park in Fridley. It is located just to the east of picnic and playground area in the park. The area is located under the big power lines that run through Locke Park. The area is also located adjacent to the large parking lot and immediately off of the regional trail that runs through the park. The area is about one and one-half acres of land that would work very well for a dog park. Mr. Kordiak further stated that if he could work out the details with the City of Fridley, he could have the dog park amenities in the ground before the snow flies. It is not a difficult or expensive project and the County would like to move ahead. With our agreement on Locke Park, he would like the support of the City of Fridley so they can move ahead with the dog park. He would like to see this as the first dog park in the County. He further stated that this Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 13 will not be the only dog park in the County, because we will have more of them as time passes. Mr. Kordiak stated that he met recently with Fridley Parks and Recreation Commission Chairperson Dave Kondrick to look at the proposed site and discuss the proposed facility. Chairperson Kondrick had a number of questions related to the project that he has referred to County Parks Director John VonDeLinde. Mr. VonDeLinde stated that Mr. Kondrick had posed some very good questions and he would like to provide some answers. The entire dog park area would be surrounded by a four foot high chain link fence. There would be a gate on both the north and south entrances to this area. The off-leash area would include benches, picnic tables, waste containers and regulatory signage at the site. Water would be accessible at the restrooms and it is possible that a water source would be moved to the pet area at a later time. He further stated that we know there is adequate parking on the site with a large lot. Their analysis indicates that even when a large event is taking place at the nearby picnic shelter, there would be adequate parking to service the dog park. Mr. VonDeLinde further stated that operation would be spring through fall months for sure, with an understanding that winter use may also be a possibility. The plan is to only allow licensed pets in the facility. The County park rangers will be stopping and doing periodic visits to the dog park. County staff would do the clean up as needed at the site including the waste containers. The signage will ask the pet owners to do their part in picking up the site and helping to keep it clean. The County will provide "doggie waste" bags at the site. The County does not anticipate charging a fee at this time. He further stated that they have been asking for input on the proposed site and they have received ten phone calls. Eight of the respondents were in favor of the dog park and two were against it at that location. One of the callers was concerned about the impact on bird nesting habitat at that site. Mr. Solberg asked if liability was an issue with the dog parks and what happens if there is an overly aggressive animal that is brought to the park. Mr. VonDeLinde stated that they don't anticipate having a park ranger on site at all times, so they would handle some of this through educating the community and dog park users. There will be signage at the site with all the dog park rules and it will clearly state that aggressive animals are not permitted. There will be self policing and we would expect that other users will help us keep this a safe facility. The liability for the dog would still fall upon the owner of the animal. The County would not expect liability problems unless they were aware of a specific problem and did not correct it. Mr. Solberg asked if the County was going to cover all the costs for the fencing, benches and other improvements at the dog park. Mr. VonDeLinde stated that Anoka County Parks would be covering all cost associated with the dog park. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 14 Mr. Kordiak stated that they see these costs as very manageable. They manage a huge system of park land with many amenities provided and this would be one more opportunity they would like to provide. Mr. Kondrick asked if they were confident that a four-foot high chain link would be sufficient or should a higher fence be considered? Mr. VonDeLinde stated that from the research they have done on the best practices for dog parks, a four foot fence should work. He further stated that they will take another look at this. Mr. Kondrick stated he was talking to a man recently about the proposed dog park and the man was concerned about illnesses that dogs might transfer from one to the other. Mr. VonDeLinde stated that the dog park will allow licensed pets only and the signs will clearly state this. Licensed dogs are required to be up-to-date on their shots. Ms. Judy Jones stated that she is a Fridley resident, she bikes through Locke Park nearly every day and she is the person who called the County offices about a concern with the proposed dog park location impacting bluebird nesting habitat. She further stated that she has been a Fridley resident for twenty-five years and a Springbrook Nature Center volunteer for the past eight years. She has been monitoring bluebird houses in the trail area of Locke Park for several years now. There are twelve nesting boxes in the park - five on the east side of the park in the area of the proposed dog park. That area happens to be the most productive area for the birds, because it is a more open area. These birdhouses would not co-exist easily with a dog park. Ms. Jones further stated that she doesn't disagree that an exercise area for dogs is a good idea, but she would like to see it located in a different place. As she rides through Locke Park, she has been looking for alternate places for a dog park and she thinks the area by garden plots would work very well. There are some trees there that would provide shade for the dogs and their owners. Ms. Jones further stated that she is asking that you not put the dog exercise area in that location and that you see the bigger picture, which to her, ultimately means that our environment supports us and not our pets. She thanked the Commission and the County representatives for listening to her. Mr. Jerry Bahl stated that he is a Fridley resident and current president of the Audubon chapter of Minneapolis. The Audubon chapter has dealt with dog parks to some extent in the past. They are not necessarily opposed to the dog parks, but they don't want to negatively impact the bird areas. Mr. Bahl further stated that if you go ahead with the dog park, please keep our concerns in mind. Mr. Kordiak stated that they are not trying to negatively impact the bird populations. It does point out competing interests and they face that constantly in the County park system. There are often trade-offs in whatever amenities they provide in the parks. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 15 Mr. VonDeLinde stated that the County park system of 10,000 acres is a natural resource based system and they are continuing a very aggressive program of restoring many natural areas. He asked if there were some modifications they could make to their plan for the dog park or some mitigating measures they could take to lessen the impact on the bird area. Maybe there are some things they could do to the design so the bird houses would not be so impacted.He offered to meet Ms. Jones and Mr. Bahl on the site to discuss some more specifics of how this could be worked out. Mr. Bahl stated that he would be willing to do that and appreciated the opportunity to work with the County on this. Ms Jones stated that she would be willing to meet with them as well. Mr. Solberg stated that it seems as if there are some opportunities here to compromise and still allow the dog park to be located in the east part of Locke Park. He appreciated everyone being open-minded and looking for some solutions to the issues. Mr. Kondrick stated that he believes both of these interests can co-exist. There are some options to moving the location of the dog park slightly and that can be worked out on site. MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Sibell to support the concept of a dog exercise area in the eastern part of Locke Park., as proposed by the Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. c. Request to use Commons Park for Kite Flying Event — MN Kite Flying Society Mr. Kirk stated that he has received a request from Brad Klages and the Minnesota Kite Society to use Commons Park on Sunday, October 9 for a kite flying event. They have used Commons Park for the past several years to conduct this event and the site has worked out very well. Staff has recommended that the group rent the activities building at the park, so they have a central staging area and available restroom facilities. Mr. Kirk further stated that he has received a check for the rental and a clean-up deposit for the event. He would recommend approval of the request from the Minnesota Kite Society to hold it's "One Sky One World" kite flying event on Sunday, October gt" MOTION by Ms. Varichak, seconded by Mr. Solberg, to approve the request by the Minnesota Kite Society to use Commons Park for a kite flying event on October gt" UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — September 12, 2005 Paqe 16 d. Parks and Recreation Department — Mission Statement Mr. Kirk stated that at a recent Department meeting, the staff of the Parks and Recreation Department completed writing of a mission statement. There was some great discussion and participation of staff in coming up with the wording for the mission statement. The mission statement is something that staff should be able to measure up against the work that we are doing day to day. It is how we see our role in providing services to this community. Mr. Kirk stated that he would like some input from the Commission on this new mission statement. Is it something you support and would be willing to endorse? Mr. Kirk stated the mission statement as developed by the staff of the Parks and Recreation Department is as follows: "We provide safe teisure and educationat opportunities for att ages through programs, facitities, open spaces, and services responding to the needs of residents and enhancing the quatity of tife in our community." Ms. Sibell stated that the only thing she would question was the part about responding to the needs of residents. If you have an individual standing at your front counter saying I have this need and you need to provide a program for me, it may not be something that everyone might agree with. Mr. Kirk stated that the staff looked at this as the collective needs of the community. We would respond to the needs of the residents as a whole, recognizing there may be some individual needs or wishes that cannot be met. Mr. Solberg stated that he thought it was a nice mission statement and one he could support. MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Sibell to support and endorse the mission statement of the Parks and Recreation Department as developed by staff. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 3. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Sibell to adjourn the September 12, 2005 meeting at 8:55 p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE SEPTEMBER 12, 2005 MEETING ADJOURNED.