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10/02/2006 - 00028868CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING — OCTOBER 2, 2006 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Kondrick called the October 2, 2006 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting to order at 7:02 p. m. ROLL CALL: Members Present Others Present Dave Kondrick, Marcy Sibell, Tim Solberg, Dolores Varichak, Mike Heintz Jack Kirk, Director of Parks and Recreation Dave Lindquist, Parks Supervisor APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2006 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Sibell, to approve the minutes of the September 11, 2006 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. APPROVAL OF PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA FOR OCTOBER 2, 2006 MOTION by Ms. Sibell, seconded by Mr. Solberg, to approve the agenda for the October 2, 2006 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 1. STAFF REPORT a. Program Update Mr. Kirk stated that since the last Commission meeting on September 11, 2006, many of the fall programs have started. The after school activities for the elementary students, the ZONE for the middle school students and the environmental education curriculum with the Fridley school students are among the activities started this month. Our fall softball program finished for the season last week and the four person football league is underway. The senior programs are back in full swing after a number of the activities take a couple months off for the summer. The nature center staff is busy planning for the pumpkin night, to be held on Saturday October 21 St Mr. Kirk further stated that staff is in the process of planning the winter recreation activities. Information on the winter activities will be in the winter program brochure which should be mailed out to all residents in early November. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — October 2, 2006 Paqe 2 Mr. Kondrick stated that he was listening to WCCO radio last week and he heard Mike Lynch, the meteorologist, talk about how he was going to be out at Springbrook Nature Center that evening to do a program on stars. Mr. Kirk stated that the Star Watch program with Mike Lynch was last Thursday evening and 39 people participated. b. Park Maintenance Report Mr. Lindquist stated that during the past month, the park maintenance crew finished restoring the turf areas around the new basketball and tennis courts that were installed at Creekridge and Briardale parks. They have also spent a lot of their time mowing all of the park areas. Mr. Lindquist stated that they have also started removing the old asphalt path at Farr Lake Park and will be replacing it with a gravel base and woodchip trail. Mr. Lindquist further stated that he lined up a contractor to do oak wilt separation barriers in an area of the Springbrook Nature Center. That is the best method to fight the large oak wilt infection site. The infected trees will need to be taken down this winter. Mr. Lindquist stated that we have made some irrigation repairs at Commons Park and relocated some of the irrigation system at Creekridge and Briardale. They have already started to blow out the irrigation systems in some of the parks and the week of October 23rd they have a big compressor rented to take care of the bulk of the irrigation lines. Mr. Lindquist stated that they had some vandalism that needed repair at the Commons field press box and graffiti that needed to be removed from playground equipment. c. Pumpkin Night In The Park Mr. Kirk stated that the annual Pumpkin Night in the Park is going to be held on Saturday, October 21St at Springbrook Nature Center. This is a great family event and we normally draw very large crowds. The event includes a trail walk featuring hundreds of carved pumpkins, a dance with a DJ, bon fires, bingo and treats. The activities start at 6 p.m. and continue until 10 p.m. Ms. Varichak asked who carves the hundred of pumpkins. Mr. Kirk stated that school groups, scouts, church groups, community organizations and many volunteers do the carving. Mr. Kirk invited the Commission members to attend the event. d. Lights on After School Mr. Kirk stated that the Lights on After School is actually a nationwide happening that is designed to call attention to the importance of after school programs for children, families and the community. We have co-sponsored a Lights on After School event with Fridley Public Schools for the past five or so years. This year we are actually having two events, one at Hayes Elementary and the other at Stevenson Elementary. The events will be on Friday, Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — October 2, 2006 Paqe 3 October 13 from 3:45 p.m. until 5:15.p.m. There will be entertainment, games and treats at each location. Mr. Kirk further stated that the after school hours are a real critical time for school age children. Those that are unsupervised during this time are at a much greater risk for problem behavior and trouble. The Fridley Recreation programs are a great way for children to be safe and for them to have fun during the after school hours. Mr. Kirk invited the Commission members to attend the Lights on After School celebrations. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. 2006 — 2007 Skating Rink Locations Mr. Kirk stated that staff is recommending the same skating locations as last year for the hockey and general skating rinks this winter. There would be one supervised warming house at Commons Park, which is what we have provided for the past three winters. Commons Park has two hockey rinks, the skating oval and the sliding hill in one area, so providing a warming house there affects a variety of park users. The general rink locations being suggested by staff would be Briardale Park, Commons Park, Creekridge Park, Flanery Park, Hackmann Park, Hayes Elementary, Logan Park, Madsen Park, Ruth Circle Park, Stevenson Elementary, Summit Square Park, and Sylvan Hills Park. The hockey rink locations being suggested are 2 rinks at Commons Park and one rink each at Flanery Park, Hayes Elementary, Madsen Park, Ruth Circle Park and Stevenson Elementary. Mr. Kondrick asked if staff receives many calls about the lack of warming houses throughout the city. Mr. Kirk stated that he gets a few calls every year about warming houses in the various neighborhood parks and why there isn't one any more. Most people seem to understand the budget limitations that prevent any more warming houses in our park system. Mr. Kirk further stated that he thought the only way they would be able to open another warming house is with donated money. The current budget will not support additional warming house staffing. Mr. Kondrick suggested that staff keep track of the calls regarding warming houses and provide that information to the Commission in the future. Mr. Heintz asked if the new Springbrook Nature Center building expansion project would lend itself to being an ice skating rink location. Mr. Heintz further stated that this may bring additional people to the nature center site during the winter months. Mr. Kondrick stated that he had not thought of this, but it is something that could be looked at with the new Springbrook project. MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Varichak, to approve the staff recommended 2006 — 2007 skating rink locations. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — October 2, 2006 Paqe 4 UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. b. 2007 Commission Meeting Schedule Mr. Kondrick stated that the Commission members have before them a proposed schedule of meeting dates for 2007. The proposed meetings are generally on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 p. m. MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Sibell, to approve the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting schedule for 2007 as proposed in the meeting agenda packet. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. c. Park Shelter Rental Fees Mr. Kirk stated that it has been about five years since the fees for renting picnic shelters have been adjusted. After looking at what the fees are and what other communities are charging for rentals, he would recommend that all of the rental fees be increased $5. The new rates would be $30 for residents and $55 for non-residents renting the Moore Lake or Springbrook Nature Center open air shelters. The rental rates for the Commons and Flanery Park buildings would be $50 for residents and $80 for non-residents. Mr. Kondrick stated that he thought the proposed rates were very reasonable. MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Varichak to approve the new park shelter rental fees as proposed by staff. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Ms. Varichak, seconded by Mr. Solberg, to adjourn the October 2, 2006 meeting at 7:50 p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE OCTOBER 2, 2006 MEETING ADJOURNED.