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PR 12/06/2010 - 29913CITY OF FRIDLEY PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING — DECEMBER 6, 2010 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Sibell called the December 6, 2010 Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Marcy Sibell, Tim Solberg, Michele Barrett, Mike Heintz, Dave Kondrick Others Present: Jack Kirk, Director of Parks and Recreation Michael Harrington, 1541 Berne Rd. NE Cathy Harrington, 1541 Berne Rd. NE T. P. Harrington, 1541 Berne Rd. NE Derek Larsen, Tobacco Free Youth Recreation APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 1, 2010 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES MOTION by Mr. Kondrick, seconded by Mr. Solberg, to approve the minutes of the November 1, 2010 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. APPROVAL OF PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA FOR DECEMBER 6, 2010 MOTION by Mr. Solberg, seconded by Mr. Kondrick, to approve the agenda for the December 6, 2010 meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED. 1. STAFF REPORT a. Program Update Mr. Kirk stated that the Program Update has been included in the meeting packet to provide Commission members with information on some of the programs and events over the past month. He wanted to tell the Commission about the wonderful Veteran's Day program at the Senior Center. There were about 200 seniors who attended the event and the guest speaker was a retired marine who spoke about his experience in Okinawa. A luncheon was provided by the American Legion Auxiliary and served to the seniors by the Women of Today. Mr. Kirk further stated that the Chores and More program continues to service the senior population by providing some needed services that allow the seniors to stay independent in their own homes. A big task this time of year is the snow shoveling and there are workers assigned to 166 senior properties with another 32 on the waiting list. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — December 6, 2010 Paqe 2 Mr. Kirk further stated that approximately two years ago the seasonal Parks and Recreation Department brochure was discontinued. Staff inembers are always looking for new ways to promote the programs and specifically are trying to direct people to the City's website, where they can access the seasonal brochure in its entirety. This past week, we sent out a postcard with the cover of the brochure on it and the website address, trying to get more people to learn about the programs on line. The postcard was sent to all Fridley residents. b. Park Maintenance Report Mr. Kirk stated that Park Supervisor Dave Lindquist is not able to attend the meeting this evening, but has provided a report of park maintenance activities during the past month. The maintenance workers have been busy cleaning leaves from the park areas and other city properties; they have put away the summer park equipment; they have been doing monthly parks and playgrounds safety inspections; they have been getting the sliding hill and skating rink locations ready; they have started flooding the skating and hockey rinks; they have cleaned up storm damaged trees and fallen branches from the ice/winds storms; and they have completed private/public property tree inspections. c. Springbrook Nature Center Report Mr. Kirk stated that staff wants to provide an update on Springbrook Nature Center activities each month. During the past month, a new security alarm in the exhibit area has been installed. The new alarm includes a detection of glass breakage. Mr. Kirk further stated that the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota has recently been using Springbrook as a place to release hawks and owls that have recovered from injuries. Over the past several months, 7 birds of prey have been released at the park. Mr. Kirk stated that the Springbrook Foundation has a new website that was recently activated. The site address is springbrooknaturecenter.org. d. WinterFest Mr. Kirk stated that the annual WinterFest event is going to be held on Saturday, January 2gt" at Commons Park and the Fridley Community Center. The Fridley Lions Club is a big help sponsoring this event and we usually have between 500 and 600 people in attendance. There will be hayrides, dog sled rides, sledding, skating, a medallion hunt, a kids dance, family bingo, carnival games and food. The Commission members are invited to attend. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Recognition of Eagle Scout Project at Innsbruck Park Mr. Kirk stated that he was very pleased that Michael Harrington came and talked with him about a potential Eagle Scout project to benefit the City of Fridley park system. The City was in the midst of some trail work at Innsbruck Park and the idea of having some scouts help with trail renovation seemed like a good fit. While the City has some grant money for the trail work at Innsbruck and we have been working with the Tree Trust organization on that project, we do not have enough funding to do all of the work necessary. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — December 6, 2010 Paqe 3 Mr. Kirk stated that he met with Michael on a couple of occasions to discuss the possible Eagle project and the potential for completing it at Innsbruck Park. Michael put together a proposal to bring in a work crew of other boy scouts and parents to complete some important components to the trail renovation at that site. Mr. Kirk further stated that Mr. Harrington got his Eagle Scout project approved by the appropriate Scouting authorities and on October 30t", he mobilized a very impressive work crew of 30 some people to complete the work at Innsbruck Park. The City staff is very appreciative of the work that was completed. Mr. Michael Harrington stated that he is a Fridley resident (1541 Berne Road NE) and a member of Boy Scout Troop 711 in St. Anthony. His Eagle Scout project executed on October 30, 2010 was renovating and improving the hiking trail at Innsbruck Nature Center. He first wanted to thank Jack Kirk for allowing him to work on this project. Mr. Kirk was extremely helpful throughout the process. Mr. Harrington stated he is passing around a number of photographs taken the day of the work project. Mr. Michael Harrington further stated that the scope of the project was to rid the desired hiking trails of brush and debris, defining the edge of the hiking trail with logs and branches, clearing of the overgrown vegetation from the trail corridor, removing stumps and roots intruding into the trail area, hauling and spreading woodchips as the new trail surface, and closing unauthorized trail segments. Mr. Michael Harrington stated that he believes that now the trails are much safer and easier to navigate for the people in the city. He had 33 people show up on October 30t" to help with project. They were at the site working from 8:00 a.m. until approximately 3:00 p.m. He wanted to thank the City of Fridley for the opportunity. Ms. Sibell stated that she thought it was just wonderful that a young member of our community wants to give something back to the city through a project like this. She told Mr. Harrington that he is certainly on his way to making a lot of contributions to society wherever he goes and Fridley is really benefiting from this work. She stated that she can't thank him enough. Ms. Sibell further stated that she has done some quick math and it looks like he mobilized a work force that provided over 200 hours of service. Mr. Kondrick stated that project was really appreciated by the Commission and the City. Mr. Solberg asked if the City delivered the pile of wood chips to the park that was used for the project. Mr. Kirk stated that the City provided a large pile of chips on the site and the workers made good use of them. Mr. T.P. Harrington stated that the scouts probably hauled 75 wheelbarrow loads of wood chips to the south area of the park, which is located about a quarter mile into the park from the parking lot. The trail in that area was not as defined and he was amazed at how nice it looked when the scouts were finished. He said that the scouts and parents worked very hard to accomplish the project. Mr. Michael Harrington estimated that his work crew hauled about 2,000 cubic feet of wood chips that day. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — December 6, 2010 Paqe 4 Ms. Sibell stated these are great skills that Mr. Harrington is exhibiting and she can just imagine all the great things he is going to do in the future. Mr. Kondrick stated that the work that Michael and the scouts have done is going to be noticed by the people who live in Fridley — by those who frequent that park. Your contributions will not be forgotten. What you have done is very thoughtful, kind and appreciated. b. Tobacco Free Parks — Derek Larsen Mr. Kirk stated that Derek Larsen is with the Association for Non-Smokers of Minnesota and specifically works with a program called Tobacco Free Youth Recreation. He has met with Mr. Larsen on a couple of occasions this year to talk about policies being implemented throughout the State of Minnesota limiting tobacco use on park grounds. Mr. Kirk further stated that at the November Commission meeting he told the Commission members about the tobacco free movement that most of our neighboring cities have become a part of. The Commission members have been given some written information in the agenda packet on this statewide program. Mr. Larsen is at tonight's meeting to provide additional information, tell us what is being done in neighboring communities, and answer questions that the Commission members may have. Mr. Larsen stated that his organization works with cities and communities to adopt tobacco free park policies. There are a number of reasons to adopt such policies including cigarette litter in the parks, the desire to have positive role modeling for the youth, the concern over harm from secondhand smoke, and the desire to have healthy people in our communities. Mr. Larsen further stated that in the information he provided, you will see that these types of tobacco free policies have significant public support. In communities where they have done some polling, the tobacco free policies are supported by 70 to 80 percent of the residents. Mr. Larsen stated that there are now 126 park policies and ordinances that provide for tobacco free park and recreational facilities in the state of Minnesota. There are 40 Twin Cities metropolitan Cities and Counties that have adopted such policies and ordinances. Most of the cities surrounding Fridley have adopted policies, as has the Anoka County park system. The cities of Coon Rapids, Blaine, Spring Lake Park, Mounds View, New Brighton and Columbia Heights all have policies in place related to tobacco free park facilities. Mr. Larsen also stated that there is a University of Minnesota fact sheet included in the information that was distributed with the agenda packet. It has data that shows the support for tobacco free parks and the results of a survey which showed that park directors reported few problems and many benefits associated with the new policies. Mr. Larsen stated that the balance of the information presented is model policies or samples from other cities that have established tobacco free park policies. If Fridley ends up adopting a policy, his organization is ready to help communicate the policy to the community and media. They have free signs available for communities that can be placed in the parks. Mr. Kondrick asked how Mr. Larsen's organization is funded. Mr. Larsen stated they are funded through a tobacco free community grant provided by the Minnesota Department of Health. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — December 6, 2010 Paqe 5 Mr. Solberg asked how the policies are generally enforced and what the penalty is for non- compliance. Mr. Larsen stated that the many of the existing policies identify how it will be enforced and that usually has taken the form of signage and use of the agency's website to notify the public. If it gets to the point where City staff feels the need to eject someone from the park facility for non- compliance, those steps could be taken. Because these are usually policies and not ordinances, they have not been requiring the use of the police department's time in enforcement. Some communities have gone the route of an ordinance and non-compliance is subject to a$50 to $75 fine in those cases. He estimates that 100 of the 126 cities have gone the route of establishing a policy; the others have an ordinance regarding tobacco use in the parks. Mr. Heintz said that the school district has had a tobacco free policy on any school property for many years now, and he sees people walk across the street to smoke, but people have really done a very good job of observing the policy. When he was involved in the Little League baseball program, they had a league policy of no tobacco products. If someone was smoking at the games, they would tell them of the policy and the person would extinguish the cigarette. He can't remember many problems at all. Ms. Sibell stated that she believes Fridley has a done good job putting the appropriate policies in place when it comes to the youth activities and programs. She stated that she has gone on record in the past that she would want us to proceed carefully with a new policy, because we will be affecting family groups of all ages that may be using our park facilities for large group gatherings. She is not totally convinced that this has been a problem area for Fridley. She is not a smoker and that while the numbers speak for themselves and everybody around us is adopting policies, she does not want to keep people away from using our parks. She has some concerns and wants us to proceed carefully on this. Mr. Heintz stated he is in favor of a policy. He believes it will help cut down on some of the litter problems in the park as well. Mr. Kirk asked what percentage of the policies in Minnesota are complete bans on use of any tobacco products. Mr. Larsen stated that he would estimate that about half are bans on tobacco use in all areas of the parks. A number of the policies exempt out certain areas, but the most common area that is exempted is in the confines of a vehicle in the parking lot. Ms. Sibell stated that she noticed the Coon Rapids policy has exempted Bunker Hills. Was that due to the golf course facility? Mr. Larsen stated yes that Bunker Hills was exempt because of the golf course. The golf courses are revenue producers for many agencies and they do not want to risk losing golfers and potential revenue. Ms. Barrett stated she is in favor of a policy, even though she doesn't think it will stop everyone. She does think it will make people think before they light up if signs are present. It would be a positive to keep the smoking away from where the kids are playing. Mr. Heintz stated that he believes a policy and appropriate signage empowers other people to be able to address those who might be smoking or using tobacco products in the vicinity of children's activities. Parks and Recreation Commission Meetinq — December 6, 2010 Paqe 6 Mr. Kondrick stated that he thinks we should have a policy addressing tobacco use as well. He believes we should get on the bandwagon and do what the communities around us are doing to address this issue. The tobacco use affects our young people and we should take action. Mr. Kirk asked the Commission if they wanted staff to develop a proposed policy dealing with tobacco use in the parks, and if so, how extensive do they want it. Should there be a complete ban in all areas of the parks, or a ban in the area of youth facilities and programs? Ms. Sibell stated that any policy dealing with the youth she supports. Her concern is with the environment that involves the older population. If older members of the community want to come to a family reunion in the park, she does not want them to feel excluded because they smoke. Many of the large gatherings use the open air shelters and she would not favor having a total ban for that reason. Ms. Sibell stated that she would like to see the exact policies that our neighboring cities have enacted and also the policy adopted by Anoka County. We may be able to use a very similar approach to our park system as it pertains to the use of tobacco products. Mr. Kondrick stated that he believes we should try to be somewhat consistent with Anoka County and our neighboring cities on this issue. Mr. Solberg stated that when this was discussed years ago, he looked at this as restricting people from being able to enjoy the park system. He is certainly supportive of a policy, especially as it relates to the youth areas. Ms. Sibell stated it will be interesting to see how the County and the other cities have worded their policies. We can take the best from the other policies when creating one for Fridley. She is not opposed to a policy in theory. She believes we need to be careful and thoughtful when crafting the policy. Mr. Larsen stated that he will get copies of the Anoka County policy and the policies of communities surrounding Fridley to Mr. Kirk for review. The Commission members thanked Mr. Larsen for attending the meeting and providing input on this proposed policy. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Mr. Heintz, seconded by Ms. Barrett, to adjourn the December 6, 2010 meeting at 8:10 p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL MEMBERS VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIBELL DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE DECEMBER 6, 2010 MEETING ADJOURNED.