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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes-November 28, 07 City of Columbia Heights Park and Recreation Commission November 28, 2007 Eileen Evans called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. ROLL CALL Members present: Eileen Evans; Tom Greenhalgh; Stan Hoium; Kevin McDonald; David Payne; Marsha Stroik; Keith Windschitl, Recreation Director; Kevin Hansen, Public Works Director/City Engineer; Gary Peterson, Mayor APPROVAL CONSENT AGENDA Motion by Payne, second by Greenhalgh, to approve consent agenda. Upon vote: all ayes, motion carried. LETTERS AND REQUESTS A. Request for a discount or fee-waived rental of JPM from the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization. Peterson informed the Commission that he spoke with Anne Sumangil of the organization and a Sunday rental would work for their program. He felt that by hosting the Community Meeting at John P. Murzyn Hall it would be good exposure for Columbia Heights. Evans replied that the fee of a $40 entry and $15 per hour of use would be implemented. Motion by Payne, second by Greenhalgh, to charge the rental fee of $40 entry and $15 per hour of use for this event. Upon vote: all ayes, motion carried. B. Request for a discounted rental fee of JPM from the Council for the USA group. Windschitl indicated that he gave a tour to this group and spoke about the rules when th renting JPM. He stated that the desired date of December 15 is available and would then require a turn around to set up for the event on Sunday. There appears to be no affiliation between this group and the City. Windschitl recommends a rental fee of $265. This breaks down into the $40 entry fee and $15 per hour for the event and cleanup the following day. Evans asked how many people would be attending the event. Windschitl stated between 100-150. Hansen suggested calling the previous rental places to gain a little more background information on the group since there was minimal information on the request letter. Peterson suggested requiring a damage deposit from the group. Motion by Hoium, second by Greenhalgh, to offer the reduced rental fee of $265, giving Windschitl the contingency to relinquish the offer if negative comments were received from the previous rental places for this group. Upon vote: all ayes, motion carried. Park & Recreation Commission 11/28/2007 Page 2 OLD BUSINESS A. 2007 Parks Capital Improvements: Silver Lake Park & Sullivan Lake Park picnic shelter options. Hansen reported that City staff surveyed Silver Lake Beach and found some discrepancies in the elevation; as a result everything in the park plan was moved 30 feet away from the water. A grant application was submitted to the Board of Soil, Water and Resources for approximately $95,000 for storm water features within the park. Hansen stated that all of the things that could be taken down by the City have been taken down at Sullivan Lake Park. Staff will have to review setback requirements with where the parking lot is proposed on 51st. When park plans are ready they will be posted on the web and notification will be sent out to over 100 residents around Silver Lake Park and to all residents and businesses around Sullivan Lake Park. A grant application will be submitted by December 31, 2007 to the Rice Creek Watershed District. B. 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update Hansen distributed the 2008 Park and Open Space Goals, which are essentially the same objectives as in the current plan. The Park and Recreation Commission Members should review the goals and recommend any amendments to the new comprehensive plan to be considered by the Council. He reported that the plan indicates implementing a trail system within the City and will promote alternative funding sources for park and recreational facilities and programs within the community. Hansen suggested changing the focus from Huset Park to include all parks within the City. He indicated that the Park & Recreation Commission has approved a Huset Park Master Plan, but the City Council has not approved the plan. NEW BUSINESS A. 2009 John P. Murzyn Hall Rental Rates Windschitl recommended a 3% increase from the 2008 JPM rental rates to the 2009 rental rates. Beginning January 1, 2008 the Damage Deposit will increase to $500 for any new rentals. This fee is going up to cover any possible damages or extra cleaning charges. The Security Deposit fee will increase to $150 for 2009 rentals. Currently there is a late fee charge of $60 every 30 minutes if a renter is past the 1:00 a.m. rental time. This charge will increase to $80 every 30 minutes after 1:00 a.m. Windschitl indicated a new change to the rental policy would require house Premix with any rental. The Premix system is being phased out by Pepsi and will be switched over to a Post-mix system. Post-mix has a shorter shelf life and is acquired in a larger container. He stated the benefits of this system are lower costs for JPM and to the customer because the Post-mix system produces more. The rental fee of $50 has been added for the use of the white Melamine dinnerware, silverware and plastic tumblers to help cover cost of lost items. Hoium asked if the $40 entry fee and $15 per hour of use charge for non-profit groups needed a change to cover increased charges. Windschitl stated that fee could be addressed at any time in the future if it needs to be increased. Park & Recreation Commission 11/28/2007 Page 3 Hoium stated that the Columbia Heights Lion’s Club would increase the cost of drink tickets from $2.50 to $3.00 in 2009. Motion by Payne, second by Greenhalgh, to accept all recommended changes to the rental rates of John P. Murzyn Hall. Upon vote: all ayes, motion carried. REPORTS Recreation Director Windschitl reported that the regularly scheduled December meeting on December 26 would fall on the day after Christmas. Hansen indicated that final park plans would be needed to present to the Council but the plans would not be available by that date. The Commission discussed the meeting date and unanimously decided to schedule the target date of Wednesday, January 2, 2008 if the park plans are ready for discussion. Public Works Director/City Engineer Hansen reported MNDOT is reviewing the plans for the service drive along University thth Avenue. A trail is in the plan from 40 Avenue up to 45 Avenue. Hansen indicated there is a meeting scheduled with State Legislators requesting funding th for the 2008 bonding cycle to replace the pedestrian bridge at Central and 49 Avenue. The City is also trying to receive federal funding for this replacement in 2008. Commission Members McDonald stated that LaBelle Park looks much better after the tree removal and landscaping that was done by Public Works. Payne stated that he feels the City needs an activity center but does not want any ballfields or park space to be taken away. He feels that the parks are highly used and loosing any ballfields would be tough on the recreation and school athletic programs. Payne indicated with the amount of new housing around Huset Park, the park needs to be utilized in the way that the Huset Park Master Plan was designed for. Greenhalgh asked Windschitl if all the City ballfields were used during the summer of 2007. Windschitl stated that all ballfields in the City were used for recreation programs this summer. He indicated that there was an additional need for ballfields to the extent that the Recreation Program needed to use some of the School District’s fields. Furthermore, losing any ballfields would be detrimental to the Recreation program. Commission members mutually agreed that Huset Park is not the location for an activity center. Windschitl stated that the Activity Center Advisory Committee, ACAC, would be th making their final recommendation to the Council on December 17. The Committee is aware of ballfields that could be lost with the Huset Park location for an activity center; therefore the final recommendation is concentrated on the NEI location. Park & Recreation Commission 11/28/2007 Page 4 Motion by Payne, second by McDonald, that the Park & Recreation Commission firmly supports the activity center but would strongly suggest another location other than Huset Park for the building site. Upon vote: all ayes, motion carried. ADJOURNMENT Eileen Evans adjourned the meeting at 7:45 p.m. ______________________________ Deanna Saefke Recreation Clerk Typist II