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PRA 10/07/2019 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Fridley Municipal Center 7071 University Ave NE, Fridley MN 55432 AGENDA – OCT. 7, 2019 DATE: Oct. 7, 2019 – 7:00 p.m. LOCATION: Fridley Civic Campus – 7071 University Ave NE, Fridley, MN 55432 – (Banfill Conference Room - upper level next to Council Chambers). CALL TO ORDER APPROVE PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION AGENDA FOR OCT. 7, 2019 APPROVE PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES FOR SEPT. 3, 2019 NEW BUSINESS/ACTION ITEMS: Introductions Meet Interns Matt Mraz and Brice Richter - Summer Recap Adopt-A-Park Summary Report – Comparison of Fridley to Other Cities STAFF REPORTS: Recap of Timberwolves Event SNC Pavilion/Activity Center Update Park Maintenance Report 49’ers Days Update Staffing Update Other UPCOMING EVENTS: New Resident Welcome Mixer – 10/12 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon Pumpkin Night – SNC – 10/19 – 6 to 10 p.m. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Other ADJOURNMENT Next Meeting: Nov. 4, 2019 at the Fridley Civic Campus – 7 p.m. Attachments: Adopt-A-Park brochure, SNC Report, Friday by Firelight Report, Highlights PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Fridley Municipal Center 7071 University Ave Ne, Fridley MN 55432 MINUTES September 3, 2019 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Heintzcalled theParks and Recreation Commissionmeeting to order at 7:01p.m. Members present: Pete Borman, Ryan Gerhard, EB Graham, Shanna Larson, and Dave Kondrick Others Present: Jeff Jensen, Operations Manager for Streets, Parks and Facilities and Deborah Dahl, Director of Community Services and Employee Resources APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: Chair Heintz called for a motion to adopt the agenda for the Sept. 3, 2019 meeting agenda. Ms. Graham made the MOTIONto adopt the agenda, SECONDEDby Mr. Kondrick. MOTION PASSED unanimously. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: Chair Heintz called for a motion to adopt the minutes from the Aug. 5, 2019 Parks and Recreation Meeting. Mr. Kondrick made the MOTION to approve the minutes as submitted; Ms. Larson SECONDED the motion. MOTION PASSED unanimously. NEW BUSINESS/ACTION ITEMS: a.Parks Master Plan Update Ms. Dahl introduced Gretchen Nicholls from LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) who conducted the public engagement workshops as a part of the parks master planning process. Their organization was asked to assist the City of Fridley with other projects (e.g. Columbia Ice Arena, Gateway East (Ciello Apartments), and Hi-ways 65 and 47 corridors). They have worked with cities to help create conversations and establish priorities to create a roadmap for planning. Ms. Nicolls complimented the city, saying that the Fridley residents were amazing throughout the process and she was grateful for how this community embraces engagement. She explained how the process and information was used throughout the meetings to support the community’s discussion, including bringing in a panel of experts in to assist in the discussions. J:\\Recreation\\Rec\\P&RCOMM\\Packet Oct 2019\\Sept. 3.2019.docx 1 She stated the workshops were heldover fourevenings, starting with gathering the input and what residents value and what was important to them. Participants then looked at maps and performed interactive exercises to express ideas. The third evening a panel of experts was brought in to talk about their experiences and advice, ending up in the final meeting to help summarize all of the information and ideas of the process. Ms. Nicholls talked about the social pinpoint on-line tool that was used to get additional feedback with more than 400 respondents sharing their ideas. In s ummarizing the workshops, Ms. Nicholls said that there were four key areas: 1) People were passionate about the parks and trails, saying they were surprised at how many parks the city has and they wanted more signage and wayfinding and accessing information; 2) Participants wanted updated amenities or lists of things available and where the potential opportunities were to explore recreation; 3) The participants wanted a wide range of experiences/diverse experiences, saying nature was a core value. 4) The participants wanted to build on shared experiences – making spaces available for people to gather and spend time together. M s. Nicholls covered some examples of specific action steps summarized the report. Ms. Nicholls concluded her statements by saying “It was wonderful that there weren’t any big problems or that people were upset or angry about anything.” She complimented the City by saying she thought that the City should be proud, that you are on the right track but there are ways to strengthen and improve. Mr. Heintz commented about the third meeting and the discussion he observed about Community Park surrounded addingsoccer fields or provide a multi-use area to keep pace with current needs. Ms. Nicholls confirmed that there is a sense of a need to add more soccer fields. Mr. Kondrick suggested more needs to be done to make sure people are aware of the parks and what is available and the opportunities in Fridley. Mr. Borman agreed and said that social media makes it easier but it would be good to find partners to assist the City (for example paddle board rental companies, etc.). Mr. Heintz suggested having an app. Mr. Borman said that the City may not be able to make that investment and having partners who do this may help.Ms. Nicholls agreed, saying that relying on players whohave that experience and who know how to run those businesses give you an upper hand on how to run a successful model. M s. Larson gave an example like using a company like Midwest Mountaineering to partner set up a class and use their system to promote or advertise a class but they get a portion of the proceeds. Ms. Dahl mentioned that staff will be working on some studies on what kinds of operations are out there and look at comparisons (kayak rentals, splash pads, community gardens, etc.). 2 Mr. Kondrick suggested partnering with Anoka County, particularly with the river. Mr. Jensen said that he agreed more advertising should be done and that we are onthe right track to figure out what people want and then create an opportunity to promote and advertise. Ms. Dahl said that theCity has hired additional staff in IT and marketing people who know social media to assist with improving promotion, including rolling out a new website to be launched this Thursday. In addition, staff is working on new processes with GIS to develop to use together to make it easier to find things. interactive mapping tools and technologies Ms. Nicholls said that it has been thirty years since the City’s conducted major parks improvement, and there are some new things (social media and technologies) as well as older or traditional activities that can be reimagined such as sunset yoga. Mr. Kondrick suggested reaching out to corporations and businesses to help with advertising the parks.Ms. Larson said that she would liketo seeways to partner with restaurants as well, staurants to partner with for free advertising. there re Mr. Borman liked the conceptual designs of Community Park (located on pg. 63 of the summary report). Mr. Jensen said the designs he came up with were based on ideas expressed from the meetings. Mr. Kondrick asked Mr. Jensen how kids get more information on how to get involved, such as in soccer. Mr. Heintz suggested we re-engage groups and to help assist groups advertise. Mr. Kondrick emphasized the City needs to do more to promote the parks and what is happening in the city. Ms. Larson said that we need to know who is using the parks and that she felt the parks need more shade at the playgrounds, places to sit, restroom facilities. Ms. Nicholls finalized her presentation confirming the themes and encouraged the City continue to engage with the neighborhoods, identify priorities, and develop park-specific action plans and work with the community and private partners to get their thoughts and ideas. Ms. Nicholls stressed that moreinput is needed from allwho areusing the parks. Ms. Dahl said that staff engaged with 50-100 kids and asked themwhat they would like tosee state data about where the trends are heading. She in their parks, including the national and said the Moore Lake study from 2015-2016 was another study that provided consistency in some of the same themes. She stated that as we begin the specific plans, staff and our community engagement specialist will be going out to the neighborhoods, block captains, community organizations, businesses and users to get their reactions and feedback as well. In addition, the park maintenance team have provided information about what they observe, how they think the parks are being used and what may be useful. 3 Mr. Heintz asked if the social pin point tool can be used and put up signs in the parks to get people to give us feedback.Ms. Dahl said that staff will likely use it again. Mr. Borman asked if there will be another reportbeyond this report and Ms. Dahl said a formal report will be published by staff with the public workshop content and feedback. Ms. Nicholls complimented the group to say they are on the right path and they understand their parks and this is the discussion that was hoped to be generated. She also said that the City Council should be commended for their participation and dedication as well. Ms. Larson complimented Ms. Nicholls for her efforts and said “you do really great work.” Mr. Kondrick and Mr. Borman also complimented and thanks Ms. Nicholls. Ms. Dahl said that Ms. Nicholls will be making a similar presentation to the City Council as soon as it can be scheduled. M s. Larson made a MOTION to accept the Finding Your Fun In Fridley Corridor Development Initiative Summary Report and Final Recommendations from LISC. Ms. Graham SECONDED the report. MOTION PASSED unanimously. Mr. Kondrick expressed concerns that Council will want to know how to fund the plans for the parks. Mr. Borman said that it would good to talk to other cities on how to fund parks improvements. M s. Larson asked if there has been some serious consideration in the number of parks (38) and suggested sellingsome orpossibly turning some into more natural or green spaces and use that money to pay for or maintain other parks. She said that we have to look at our parks and try to operate within the black, just like household money management, and that while it may be unpopular, it may need to be looked at in order to afford the other projects. S everal members continued to discuss this topic. Mr. Kondrick said some residents buy their home is close to the park is for the property value. Mr. Borman confirmed several people at the public workshop he was at also mentioned perhaps there are too many parks. M s. Larson asked if certain parks could be sold. Ms. Dahl said some parks have been dedicated and can’t be sold, but that the uses can be modified its use to be more nature-based play or less costly to maintain. She said as a part of this process, staff will be looking at options and buildthe general maintenance budget and then a longer range plan for future projects. Mr. Jensen said that staff will work to establish balance with the park maintenance budget and resident’s/user’s needs and interests. Ms. Larson commented that it is not easy to get on the website and find out what is available about the parks. Ms. Dahl said that staff is working on upgrading the website to provide 4 information and urged members that if they have any concerns, they can send her a comment or residentscan report a concern or put comments on the websiteand it gets reported directly to staff. Additional tools and interactive systems are being researched and will continue to improve the promotion of the parks. b.Staff Reports M s. Dahl referred members to the packet for staff highlights to review on their own. M s. Dahl reviewed the recent issue that came up with the youth soccer association and explained the concerns and challenges that staff faced. She apologized on behalf of the department and was committed to resolving any concerns going forward, stating that Jeff Jensen and his team resolved the issue immediately and there is now a better understanding of what was needed.Staff will be meeting with the youth soccer association and the Fridley school system to get additional information and determine needs going forward. Mr. Heintz asked about how soccer fields are utilized (not pick-up games) and if there is a way to require permitting for fields or is there a way to enforce permits with organized groups. Ms. Dahl said staff will be looking into the fees and field utilization. Mr. Jensen stated that it would be better to create spaces for multi-use fields, such as for soccerand LaCrosse, that would be limited for leagues and teams. Parks like Commons could then be used for general purposes, families and picnics and won’t compete with athletics. Mr. Jensen advised that in building athletic fields, more than land needs to be considered, saying they require parking, restrooms, lighting, etc. and that staff will looking at all options. Mr. Heintz said he felt that people are taking advantage of our parks who are organized or semi-organized and are not residents of the City of Fridley and should pay for them, particularly if there is some damage. Ms. Dahl said that staff will work toward some ideas. M s. Dahl reminded the commission about the Timberwolves event on 9/15 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Madsen Park and encouraged people to go on to the City’s website to register. Ms. Dahl said that there will also be a new resident welcome mixer to offer a mini-open house for new residents on 10/12/2019 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Civic Campus to learn about the city and connect with staff about how to use city services, community organizations, etc. New residents were identified and invited through addresses in the water billing system. c.O ther Business N o other business was considered. 5 ADJOURNMENT: Ms. Graham made the MOTION to adjournthe meeting at 8:52 p.m., SECONDEDby Ms. Larson. MOTION PASSED unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Deborah Dahl, Director Community Services and Employee Resources 6 -a- and beautiful! Help keep our Park city parks clean Adopt 763-571-3450 FridleyMN.gov Fridley, MN 55432 7071 University Ave NE, reporting vandalism. YOU CAN MAKE A OUR COMMUNITY! Promote a healthy park by HUGE DIFFERENCE IN weeding, picking up trash, and Help our wonderful parks staff maintain and improve our parks! Plaza Park Locke ParkLogan Park Jubilee Park Skyline Park Madsen Park Oak Hill Park Ruth Circle Park Plymouth Square Moore Lake Park Springbrook Park Meadowlands Park Parks To get involved... Adoptable Jay Park Craig Park Altura Park Flanery Park going to FridleyMN.gov/??? Briardale Park Commons Park Ed Wilmes ParkHackmann Park Creekridge Park Creek View ParkHarris Lake Park Community Park GET STARTED TODAY! Fill out an Adopt-a-Park application,Sign and submit a volunteer agreement.Staff will review your application and Edgewater Gardens Start cleaning up your adopted park! Learn more about the program and submit a short application by 1. paper or online (Link).2. 3. then contact you about setting up a time to visit your adopted park.4. 4 application. of Responsibilities Varies from each park Adopt-a-Park before they start cleaning their park. Examples Expectations & Commitment adopted park.supervision of a participant who is18 years of Weed the playgrounds/volleyball courts/gardens. -Fill out an -Make a1-2 year commitment to clean up your -Clean and maintain the park at least times a year.-Participants under 18 years of age must have age or older. concerns.-Volunteers will undergo a short training period - - -Maintain area around park signs. -Report vandalism to parks and recreation staff. community to adopt a park including residents, Who Can Adopt? neighborhoods, schools, welcomes all members The Adopt-a-Park program care about the health and organizations, and businesses. community groups, faith based Each volunteer or group will quality of our beautiful parks! have a sign dedicated to them in the park they have adopted. Show the community that you ______________ application online. The Adopt-a-Park program interested in volunteering to help welcomes all individuals or groups Adopt-a-Park Application keep our parks clean and beautiful. Group Name:_____________________________Contact Name:___________________________Mailing Address:____________________________________________________Phone Number:___________________________Email:____ _______________________________Desired Park:_____________________________ Mail to: City of Fridley Parks and Recreation, 7071 University Ave NE Fridley MN, 55432 OR Springbrook Nature Center Monthy Report October 2019 The Pavilion Activity Center project is moving forward with MN DNR Outdoor Recreation Grant Program funding in the amount of $150,000. A required match from existing park CIP and Springbrook Nature Center Foundation funds. o The pre-construction of the pavilion is complete and the materials have been shipped and received in Fridley. o Marcy Construction is currently completing the concrete slab and footings. Construction of the th shelter structure could begin as soon as October 7 and should take 7-10 days to complete. o The Springbrook Foundation Development Committee continues to meet to discuss fundraising and opportunities to secure in-kind donations for the project. October is a very busy month for programming with 90 scheduled classes, events and programs occurring throughout the month. We are excited to have hired Dina Cyrus as our Interpretive Program Coordinator. Dina has worked at Springbrook in the past as a seasonal Naturalist and will do a tremendous job teaching as well as overseeing our summer camp and live animal programs. Our Friday Night by Firelight series featured three presentations in the outdoor amphitheater followed by a campfire and smores. The three programs were each well attended with an average attendance of nearly 150 people per event. We have been awarded two grants for habitat improvements at Springbrook Nature Center, with some work to be completed at Moore Lake Sand Dunes Natural Area. The grants are in the amounts of $37,000 and $51,450. The work will remove invasive buckthorn and include prescribed burns. Landbridge Ecological has already started removal of buckthorn in the south west corner of the park. A new school partnership has been formed with Columbia Heights School District to participate in their afterschool ENCORE program. We will be sharing about 60 programs during this school year at two of their elementary schools. th Pumpkin Night in the Park is right around the corner on October 19. Please consider volunteering to help with food service and in the week leading up to the event with pumpkin carving. Thanks to the wonderful planning committee for another fun and successful Springbrook Autumn th Sampler event held on Saturday, September 14. This event is a partnership between the non-profit Springbrook Nature Center Foundation and Fridley Liquor. Springbrook Nature Center 2019 Friday Night by Firelight Program Report The Fall 2019 Friday Night by Firelight series at Springbrook Nature Center was another huge success! This series is made possible with funding from the Springbrook Nature Center Foundation. Springbrook hosted three programs at the amphitheater with each presentation being well loved by the audience! Each program took place in the evenings starting at 7 p.m. and included The Friday Night by Firelight series achieves the friendly and stable home for families and businesses. This program specifically creates a vibrant and friendly community that offers fun, accessible, free events for our city residents and visitors from neighboring communities. This program also aims to achieve the vision of the Community Services and Employee Resources Department by cultivating connections in the community through inviting programming, spaces, and interactions. Springbrook Nature Center draws visitors from the surrounding communities in Anoka County, as well as Ramsey and Hennepin Counties and the greater Twin-Cities metro. Gibbs Farm: Dakota Talk, September 6 Participants learned about their seasonal life in the 1800s! The program included an introduction to Cloud Man and his village at Bde Maka Ska, the story of Buffalo Nation, a wild ricing skit, and more. Gibbs Farm, a Ramsey County Historical Society site, worked with members of the Dakota community and instructors from the University of Minnesota Dakota Language Program to develop this program. The International Wolf Center, September 13 The International Wolf Center advocates and educates about wolves including their relationship to wildlands and human. Participants learned about wolf biology and behavior, predator/prey relationships, mythology and fear of wolves, as well as challenges wildlife face and the importance of wildland habitat. MN Herpetological Society, September 27 The Minnesota Herpetological Society taught participants about amphibians and reptiles, including what they do during the winter such as how and where they hibernate. Participants also learned about Citizen Science including how it helps scientists, how everyone can get involved and help contribute. The presentation also included live amphibians and reptiles. Marketing and Promotion Springbrook Nature Center was awarded $150 from Twin Cities Gateway to help with marketing and promotion of the Springbrook Friday Night by Firelight program. The grant funds were used for three four-week advertisements on Facebook, one for each program. Additional promotion of the program included information on the nature center website and the Civic Campus lobby signs, information in the Park & Rec Brochure of which is mailed to each home in Fridley, flyers on display at community organizations and businesses, and postings on local media outle Gibbs Farm International Wolf Center MN Herpetological Society 2,569 Facebook Ad Impressions 4,940 Facebook Ad Impressions 4,224 Facebook Ad Impressions 100 Event Attendees 141 Event Attendees 152 Event Attendees Thank you to the attendees, organizations, Twin Cities Gateway Friday Night by Firelight program a huge success! 2 HIGHLIGHTS Parks and Recreation Division- September 2019 Fall Programs are in full swing! Elementary After-school Programs have great participation with 72 children enrolled in the 5 classes. Classes include: Outdoor Games & Halloween Fun (16), Musketeers Fencing (6), Back- to-school Crafts (8), Soccer Leagues (gr. K-1=19; gr. 2-4=23). We have worked out a great partnership with the schools and are able to have the Stevenson students ride a bus to Hayes for the classes. The school’s food service is also providing free snacks each day. Adult Softball and Football Leagues are off to a good start! We have 5 teams for softball (playing on Thursdays) and 9 teams for football (playing on Sunday and Monday). Adult Zumba, Yoga, and Tae Kwon Do classes are running as well. Zone at the Park and Rec On The Go Program Programs meet twice per week. Participation has varied depending on weather, ranging from 4- 12 students each day. Fridley Schools are providing free snacks for students that participate in these programs as well. Pre-School Soccer Pre-school Soccer meets on Saturday mornings and has 12 participants. Event Planning th Staff are gearing up for a busy October with the New Resident Mixer on the 12, MEA field trips thth on the 17-19and Pumpkin Night in the Park on the 19. Tournament Recruitment Staff from the marketing and recreation divisions met with the sports director from Twin City Gateway Tourism to express interest and explore opportunities to bring tournaments into Fridley. It was reported that a number of groups are interested in Fridley because of its proximity, the availability of parks and amenities, as well as high quality fields that offer parking, lighting, etc. Twin City Gateway staff said there are other venues to consider beyond softball, such as youth baseball, LaCrosse, Ultimate Frisbee, pickleball, wiffle ball, corn-hole, lawn games. Staff has been connecting with Medtronic to explore the possibility of hosting a cricket tournament or an exhibition match as well. More to come! Community Engagement Community Engagement Specialist Alyssa Kruzel has been working on a number of projects with Recreation to identify key groups, expand volunteerism, the adopt-a-park program as well as leading the census count project for Fridley. In addition to her role at Springbrook Nature Center and assisting with summer concerts, Friday by Firelight, and Pumpkin Night in the Park, Alyssa has been working with other city staff and community groups to establish a presence in the community by representing the city by presenting about her role at the Fridley/Columbia Heights Rotary and League of Women Voters meetings, and having a table at the Fire Open House, the Mississippi Street Open House (10/5), and coordinating the New Resident Welcome Mixer (see below). New Resident Welcome Mixer Community Engagement Specialist Alyssa Kruzel, Environmental Planner Rachel Workin, and Crime Prevention Specialist Courtney Miller will be hosting an event to help new residents of the City to learn about upcoming events, city services, general city operations, community organizations and meet master gardeners as well as staff from various department. This free event is open new residents located to the city within the last two years and will be held on Sat. Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Civic Campus. For more information, go to the City’s website at: www.fridleymn.gov or call Alyssa Kruzel at 763-572-3579. Shelter Rental Use Up Staff reports that shelter usage is up slightly from previous years with 102 rentals booked between Commons, Moore Lake and Flanery Parks, which resulted in over $8,055 in income. City Website Refreshed The City of Fridley has upgraded their website. The City will be working on developing more Recreation Division content in the coming months. Any suggestions or ideas can be forwarded to Luke Cardona at luke.cardona@fridleymn.gov. ###