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PR 04/09/2007 - 29876CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING — APRIL 9, 2007 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Kondrick called the April 9, 2007 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present Others Present: Dave Kondrick Mike Heintz Marcy Sibell Tim Solberg Michele Barrett Jack Kirk, Director of Parks and Recreation Dave Lindquist, Parks Supervisor APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 5, 2007 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Mr. Heintz, to approve the minutes of the February 5, 2007 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. APPROVAL OF PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA FOR APRIL 9, 2007 MOTION by Ms. Sibell, seconded by Mr. Solberg, to approve the agenda for the April 9, 2007 as presented by staff. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 1. STAFF REPORT a. Program Update Mr. Kirk stated that this Program Update was a report of the activities of the Parks and Recreation Department in the past two months. The Fridley Senior Program held the annual Mardi Gras Casino Party on February 20t" with 150 seniors participating. There were many volunteers who helped make this day a success including City Manager Bill Burns, Councilmember Bob Barnette, Mayor Scott Lund and Parks and Recreation Commission Chairperson Dave Kondrick. The seniors really have a great time at this annual event. Mr. Kirk further stated that the Springbrook Nature Center Volunteer Recognition event was held on Saturday, February 10t" with 90 volunteers in attendance. This is an annual event to thank the many volunteers who put in so many hours to assist with the programs at the nature center. Awards were given to the volunteers who help in so many ways at the nature center. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — April 9, 2007 Paqe 2 Mr. Kirk stated that registration is underway for the summer adult softball leagues and we currently have 71 teams signed up. League play will begin the first week in May and due to the work scheduled on the Community Park fields, games will be played on some new facilities this year. We will be using fields in Blaine, Spring Lake Park and Mounds View in addition to fields at Commons Park. Hopefully the same fields will be available next year, as we will be completing the final two field renovations at Community Park. Mr. Kondrick asked if the teams were being made aware of the reason for the shift in fields for games this year. Mr. Kirk stated yes, the teams know why we are changing field locations. Mr. Solberg asked if Springbrook Nature Center had a deer reduction program in place this past winter. Mr. Kirk stated that there was a deer reduction program on March 7, 14 and 15. We used sharpshooters to take out twelve deer this year. There were nine fetuses in the deer taken so it had an impact of 21 deer in the reduction program. Prior to the shoot, it was estimated that there were about 50 deer in the vicinity of the nature center. Carrying capacity for the nature center should be at 5 to 6 deer. Mr. Kirk further stated that the Update lists a number of other activities that have taken place in February and March. b. Park Maintenance Report Mr. Lindquist stated that the February weather cooperated for making ice for the skating and hockey rinks, but the weather warmed by February 21 St, so the rinks were then closed for the year. During the month of February, the workers maintained the rinks by sweeping, shoveling and flooding each of the sites. They also did general maintenance to the park buildings and did some inside painting. Mr. Lindquist further stated that during the month of March they plowed snow on several occasions, put away some of the winter equipment, put up tennis and basketball nets, set the times on the automatic lighting systems and prepared softball, baseball and soccer fields for the upcoming seasons. c. New Commission Member — Michele Barrett Mr. Kirk stated that the City Council has appointed a new member, Michele Barrett to replace former Commission member polores Varichak. Her term runs through April of 2008. Staff and Commission members welcomed Ms. Barrett to the Commission. d. Commission Member Reappointments Mr. Kirk stated that the City Council has reappointed Tim Solberg and Mike Heintz to new three-year terms on the Parks and Recreation Commission. Staff and the Commission members congratulated Mr. Solberg and Mr. Heintz on their reappointments. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — April 9, 2007 Paqe 3 e. Springbrook Nature Center Report Mr. Kirk stated that he wanted to update the Commission on what is happening with the Springbrook Nature Center project at the State Capitol. During the month of March, both the Senate and the House approved bonding bills that included funding for improvements at the nature center as outlined in the SPRING project. The House version has approved $2 million for the project and the Senate version has approved $2.5 million. It appears there is strong support in both the House and Senate for this project to receive money this session. The bill will now go to conference committee and the final decision will likely not be made until May. Ms. Sibell asked if it would be appropriate to have some type of public recognition for the many people who have worked hard to make this project move forward and help secure the needed funding. Mr. Kondrick stated that he thought the funding was going to happen this year and he thinks some kind of recognition ought to come from the Parks and Recreation Commission to those who made it happen. The Commission could comprise and sign a letter recognizing and thanking those people involved. It would be a nice and appropriate gesture by the Commission. Mr. Kondrick stated that if this moves along at the legislature in a timely fashion, maybe the Commission could do something at the June 4 Commission meeting to recognize those responsible for the success. f. Springbrook Nature Center Foundation Dinner Auction Mr. Kirk stated that the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation held their annual dinner and auction fundraiser on Saturday, March 24t" at the North Air Event Center in Fridley. The event was very successful with Fridley Mayor Scott Lund as the auctioneer. Many businesses and individuals donated items for the event and it looks like the net amount raised will be around $13, 000. g. Showmobile Rentals 1989 - 2007 Mr. Kirk stated that the City of Fridley has had our showmobile since 1989, when it was purchased for a cost of $54,279. In the nineteen years that we have had the unit, we have rented it out to many area communities and have brought in $53,250 or about the same amount as the original cost of the equipment. Mr. Kondrick stated that this is an amazing report showing the amount of revenue the City has received by renting the showmobile over the years. We not only had the unit for our own events here in Fridley, but we brought in a significant amount of revenue by renting it to area cities for their events. Mr. Kondrick stated that this report is significant because we have discussed that the showmobile is getting older and we should be looking at a replacement unit in the next few years. Knowing that we recovered much of our initial purchase through the rentals makes this look like a good investment for our park system resources. When we go to replace the showmobile, we may be able to sell our existing unit to some other city. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — April 9, 2007 Paqe 4 h. New Ordinance Regarding Alcoholic Beverages in City Parks Mr. Kirk stated that at the February meeting, the Commission spent a considerable amount of time discussing the proposed ordinance regarding alcoholic beverages in the city parks. This was done to provide for beer and wine with receptions held at Springbrook Nature Center and to accommodate a beer garden with the 49er Days. The proposed ordinance was presented to the City Council for their consideration. Mr. Kirk further stated that the City Council did not have much concern with the wording as it pertained to Springbrook Nature Center, but they did have a concern about the Commons Park portion. They suggested that additional wording be inserted that would limit the alcohol at Commons to that associated with a community festival. They did not want to see requests for beer licenses with athletic tournaments or other events that might take place at Commons. The following wording was added to help define what events would qualify for a 3.2% malt liquor license at Commons. Sale and consumption of 3.2% malt liquor at Commons Park shall be limited to that occurring during, and as part of, a community festival. Community festivals shall include Fridley 49er Days and other festivals of broad community appeal and participation as designated by City Council. Mr. Kirk further stated the first and second readings of this proposed ordinance have been passed by the City Council and it has been published in the City's official newspaper. It has now been adopted and is included with our city ordinances. Thank you to the Commission for looking at this issue and making the recommendation for a change in ordinance. i. Council/Commission Survey and Meeting with City Council Mr. Kondrick asked if all of the Commission members received a copy of the Council Commission survey in the mail. He asked all members to make an effort to complete the survey and return it to the City Manager's office as soon as possible. He said that the input from the Commission members is very valuable to the City as future issues and projects are considered. Mr. Kirk stated that the City Manager has requested that the City Council meet with the Parks and Recreation Commission on June 4t" at 6 pm to discuss the results of the survey. This is the meeting that is usually scheduled at Commons Park with a parks tour followed by a picnic. If acceptable to the Commission, the meeting with the City Council could take place at 6 pm and the tour could follow that meeting. The Commission and City Council could have a picnic supper while discussing the survey results. The Commission members agreed that June 4t" would be a good meeting to have with the City Council. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Election of Officers Mr. Kondrick stated that the Parks and Recreation Commission elects a Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson at the April meeting each year. The Chairperson presides over all Commission meetings and serves on the City's Planning Commission. The Vice-Chairperson serves as Chairperson when the Chairperson is absent. MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Sibell, to elect Dave Kondrick as Chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Commission and Tim Solberg as Vice-Chairperson of the Commission. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — April 9, 2007 Paqe 5 UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. b. Showmobile Rental Request Mr. Kirk stated that the City has received a request to rent the Showmobile from the City of Spring Lake Park for their Tower Days celebration on June 10, 2007. City staff would recommend approval of this rental request. MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Mr. Solberg, to approve the Showmobile rental request by the City of Spring Lake Park on June 10, 2007. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. Mr. Kondrick stated he would like to take a look at the rental rate for our showmobile and see if it should possible be increased. Mr. Heintz stated that he would not like to see us increase the rate, because we are already one of the highest rates now. Mr. Kondrick stated that he would like to see a list of all communities or agencies that have a showmobile and what their current rental rates are. Mr. Kirk stated that he would get that information and bring it to a future meeting for discussion. c. Summer Playground Format and Fees Mr. Kirk stated that staff brings a recommendation on summer playground format and fees each year to the Commission. He stated that he would not go over all of the details of the memo that was included in the agenda packet, but he would like to highlight any fee or program changes. Mr. Kirk stated that the preschool playgrounds consists of two four week sessions with the 3-4 year old session for one hour and the 4-5 year old session for one and1/4 hour. Both groups meet three mornings per week during the four week sessions. The recommended fee for the 3-4 year olds is $28 and for the 4-5 year olds it is $40. This represents a$1 increase over the 2006 fees. Mr. Kirk stated that the elementary playgrounds for students in grades K-4 is a theme based program that has two four week sessions. The recommended fee for each session is $48, which represents a$3 increase. The maximum fee per session for any single family is $96. Staff is working with the Fridley School District to have a special five week Playground program at Stevenson Elementary in conjunction with the elementary summer school program. The recommended cost for the five-week program is $85. The children would be supervised from the end of the summer school day at 11:30 am until the end of the program at 5:30 pm. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — April 9, 2007 Paqe 6 Mr. Kirk stated that the all day summer program for students in grades K-7 is called ROCKS. Staff is recommending the same fee as last year at $115 per week. There are nine weeks available for this program throughout the summer. The Chill program is an afternoon playground program for students in grades 4-7. There will be two-four week sessions and the recommended fee per session is $65. This is a$5 increase per session over last year. Mr. Kirk stated that a new program this summer is one they are planning in cooperation with the Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department at Riverfront Park. It is a one week camp for students in grades K-2 called Adventures with Tom and Huck. The recommended fee for this camp is $105. Ms. Sibell asked if this was the first time that we have worked on a cooperative program with Anoka County Parks. Mr. Kirk stated that yes it was the first, but hopefully they can work together on others in the future. Mr. Heintz asked if the fees covered the costs of staff for the various programs. Mr. Kirk stated that the fees for the ROCKS program and the new program with Anoka County at Riverfront Park would cover the costs of the leaders. The other playground program fees cover a portion of the costs only. MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Sibell, to approve the staff recommended summer playground format and fees for 2007. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. d. Parks 5-Year Capital Improvement Program Mr. Kirk stated that he has a staff recommended 5-Year Parks Capital Improvement Program to present to the Commission this evening. The Commission may make additions or changes as they see needed to this plan and it will then be sent to the City Council for their consideration. We have a lot of needs in our park system and we have tried to accomplish a number of projects each year of the plan. The following is the 5-Year Parks plan as recommended by staff. 2008 • Community Park Scoreboard replace • Moore Lake Picnic Shelters replace • Park Furnishings — Replacements • Commons Park Sand VB Courts • Court Surfacing / Overlays • Community Park Ballfields (phase 3) $30, 000 40, 000 3, 000 35, 000 29, 000 75, 000 $212, 000 Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq - April 9, 2007 Paqe 7 2009 2010 2011 2012 • Park Furnishings • FCC Carpet / Flooring replace • Portable Bleachers • Court Surfacing / Overlays • Fencing Replacements • Commons Pk Warming House replace • Park Furnishings • Court Surfacing / Overlays • Commons Park Parking Lot Upgrade • Court Surfacing / Overlays • Park Furnishings • Moore Lake Picnic Shelters replace • Moore Lake South Area Landscape • Riverview Heights Picnic Shelter • Court Surfacing / Overlays • Park Furnishings • Showmobile Replacement 5, 000 40, 000 35, 000 50, 000 25, 000 $155, 000 $130, 000 5, 000 30, 000 40, 000 $205, 000 $32, 000 5, 000 42, 000 30, 000 20, 000 $129, 000 $32, 000 5, 000 120, 000 $157,000 Mr. Kirk further stated that the projects listed in the other years category includes the following: . . . . . . Fridley Community Center Gym Dredging Farr Lake Citizens Memorial Area Dredging Ponds at Innsbruck Park In-Line Skating Facility Moore Lake Property Acquisitions Creek View Park Picnic Shelter Skateboard Park Madsen Park Picnic Shelter Replace Old Picnic Shelters Sand Dunes Boardwalk and Fence Commons Park Irrigation System Community Park Lighting Upgrade $2, 704, 000 185, 000 40, 000 258, 000 55, 000 749, 000 25, 000 75, 000 30, 000 50, 000 50, 000 160, 000 20, 000 $4, 401, 000 Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — April 9, 2007 Paqe 8 Mr. Kirk stated that it is very important to review the planned projects for 2008. The plan has not been changed much since the Commission reviewed it and made a recommendation last year. We did pull out the Farr Lake trail improvement from the 2009 list of projects, because City parks workers were able to make the trail improvements last fall. The most significant addition to the plan is adding a replacement showmobile to the 2012 projects. The replacement of the showmobile has been talked about a lot recently by the Commission and it was agreed upon that it should be in the parks improvement plan. Ms. Sibell stated that we have been waiting to purchase the portable bleachers for a number of years now and maybe that item should be moved up in the plan to next year. Mr. Lindquist stated that now that the 49er Days is shifting to Commons Park, the moving of some bleachers will not be as difficult. However, the portable bleachers will be a nice asset for us to have with the many different activities throughout the city. Mr. Heintz asked about the sand volleyball courts scheduled for Commons Park and suggested possibly moving the horseshoe courts to that site. That would allow us to do something different at Locke Park where the horseshoe courts are now. Mr. Kirk stated that moving the horseshoe courts may be necessary depending on the redevelopment of the Columbia Arena site and the future parking for Locke Park. We are going to need parking for the existing uses of the park or some of those facilities may need to be moved to another location. Mr. Solberg asked about the status of the south Commons Park parking lot and whether we will be able to get the work done before 49er Days, since that is where many of the activities will take place this year. Mr. Lindquist stated that the parking lot work is complete now, but there is still some backfilling and restoration work that needs to be done. He expects that will be done before 49er Days. MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Ms. Sibell, to approve the staff recommended 5-Year Parks Capital Improvement plan. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. e. Showmobile Rental Request — City of St. Anthony Mr. Kirk stated that the City has a request from the City of St. Anthony to rent our showmobile for a celebration on August 4, 2007. They have rented from us in the past and all has gone well. Staff would recommend approval of this request at the going rental rate for the showmobile. MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Sibell, to approve the showmobile rental request by the City of St. Anthony for August 4, 2007. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — April 9, 2007 Paqe 9 ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Barrett, to adjourn the April 9, 2007 meeting at 8:45 p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON KONDRICK DECLARED THE APRIL 9, 2007 MEETING ADJOURNED.