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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 25, 2018 Park & Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting July 25, 2018 David Payne called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Roll Call Members present: Sean Clerkin, Bruce Evans, Tom Greenhalgh, Kevin McDonald, David Payne, Marsha Stroik Staff present: Kevin Hansen, Public Works Director; Keith Windschitl, Recreation Director; Deanna Saefke, Commission Secretary; Nick Novitsky, Council Liaison Approval Consent Agenda Motion by Stroik, second by McDonald, to approve the consent agenda. Upon vote: All ayes. Motion Carried. Letters and Requests A. Letter of request for a private bar using staff approved bartenders for a birthday party with 250-275 guests on September 2, 2018. Stroik asked if the max number of people in attendance to have a private bar is 250. Windschitl replied the number is 275. Stroik asked if there have been any problems with requests like this and then having more people than stated. Windschitl replied the events may have had more people but there have not been any problems. A security officer is always at the event as well. Motion by Clerkin, second by Evans, to approve the request to have a private bar on September 2, 2018. Upon vote: All ayes. Motion Carried. B. Thank you card from the CH – Fridley Kiwanis group for the use of Sullivan Park and the Event Wagon for the 5k fundraiser. Saefke read a thank you card from Katie Landwehr of the CH – Fridley Kiwanis group, expressing gratitude for the rental fees being waived for the use of Sullivan Park and the Event Wagon for the Spring 5K fundraising event. Old Business A. Park Facilities Use Policy update Windschitl indicated the old park facility policy is included in the packet for the commission to review. This policy was created in 1996 and needs to be updated. The summer intern researched park policies for other cities and came up with some different items to update the current policy. The first draft with updated items is attached. Windschitl pointed out one specific item that is not in the current policy and not listed in many other cities is the situation if one group or organization wants to rent a park for multiple weeks at one park. He doesn’t believe that is something that the city wants to happen. The park should be available to everyone and every resident in the city. This new policy does list this item. Windschitl asked the commission to think about this situation and how many times one family or group should be allowed to rent one particular park during the busy season of May through August. Staff suggested one rental per month, per park for one family or group. Windschitl stated the second item to discuss is the park closing time. The adult softball recreation City of Columbia Heights July 25, 2018 Park & Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting Page 2 leagues play until 10:15 or 10:30 p.m. This is the reason why the park closing time is 11:00 p.m. in the current ordinance. Hansen indicated this item has been brought up recently with police activity and consistency with what is seen in other parks. He has been visiting parks in other cities and many policies indication the hours of operation as sun up to sun down or one half hour after sun down. Hansen asked what other activities, other than programmed recreation field use which can be exempt, are happening when it is dark. The commission should consider if this is something that they would want to entertain as a new policy or to keep the park hours as is, or change the park hours as a set time. Police reporting indicates problem areas as Sullivan Park and Silver Lake Beach Park after hours. The police have recommended park operations ending at sun down or one half hour after sun down. Hansen indicated the discussion would need to include how the parks are being used and if there are certain activities to exempt out. For example on a lighted trail, would walking or running in the park after hours be exempt. Recreation athletic programmed activities would be exempt. Hansen reported that many other cities have this type of policy regarding park hours. When you think about activities in the park there isn’t much that happens after dark. Establishing the operating hours related to sun down are easier in regards to seasons. Saefke replied during the winter if a hockey rink has lights on that would be exempt. Hansen reiterated the commission can choose to make no changes and leave the ordinance to close the park hours at 11:00 p.m. Unfortunately some parks have signage that indicate the park closing at 10:00 p.m. This will need to be corrected regardless of the decision. Hansen designated to establish the hours of operation for the parks in the policy which goes to the City Council and remove it from the ordinance. Ordinances are more difficult to change or update and this has become more common with policies that need to be reviewed over time. Clerkin suggested having the operating hours from dawn to dusk with exemptions. Payne, Stroik, and Greenhalgh agreed. Hansen replied the discussion will need to take place on what types of activities will be exempt. Stroik asked why softball goes as late as it does. Windschitl replied it is to get all of the teams in. The first game begins at 6:15 p.m. and the last game starts at 9:15 p.m. Stroik asked if this is the only adult field at Huset Park. Windschitl replied Huset East field 5 and Prestemon Park with a possible addition of Keyes Park in the future but there are no lights at Keyes Park. Hansen reviewed the general opinion of the Commission seems to be to change the policy of the park operating hours to sun up until sun down with exceptions. Staff will come back to the Commission with a policy to review and approve at a future meeting. B. Review Comments on the Comprehensive Plan: Chapter 7 – Parks and Trails. The Commission drove to Ostrander Park and Prestemon Park to review current conditions and discuss potential updates. Ostrander Park. Hansen reviewed the current conditions of the park. The interior of the building has dropped, separating the utilities so they do not work, the hockey rink and ice skating rink do get used, the main open grass area floods regularly, and the playground equipment is so old that when a broken item needs to be replaced staff are unable to find parts. Items to discuss for possible improvements include a walking trail within the park, new playground equipment, keeping one or both ice rinks, regrade the green space, and keeping the building or not. Stroik replied people use the skating rink and the hockey rink regularly. She would like to see a small shelter because many people use the few picnic tables and the playground throughout the week. Clerkin agreed to have a small shelter. Hansen replied a shelter closer to the playground would be nice. He feels this would be a good park to maintain some open green space as well. Stroik asked if a small soccer field could fit at this park. Hanse replied if a soccer field was to fit in the hockey boards would need to be removed. Prestemon Park. Windschitl reported the ball field is in very good condition but many of the home run balls go into the wetland. Hansen indicated the first master plan for Prestemon Park was done in 1999. The walking trail is used regularly. Windschitl stated the building is used for storage of ballfield City of Columbia Heights July 25, 2018 Park & Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting Page 3 equipment and public works equipment storage. Hansen replied staff recommend removing the building and adding an open air shelter. This park would be a potential dog park location. The playground was updated in 2006 and 2008. The parking lot location would remain but needs to be resurfaced. Stroik asked if a small shed would be a good idea to keep the ballfield equipment. Hansen replied that would th be possible. He reported the potential dog park location would be at Cleveland and 39 Avenue. The basketball court is used and needs resurfacing. Hansen indicated a walking trail connection would be made from Stinson Boulevard to the park area. New Business None at this time. Reports A. Recreation Director Windschitl reported yesterday our city van was in a car accident. The afternoon youth program was using the van to transport students from the Hylander Center back to Murzyn Hall; the summer intern was driving with one other staff and twelve students. All people were wearing their seatbelts. A woman th stopped at the stop sign at Jackson Street and 49 Avenue, looked west but did not look east and pulled out in front of the van. The police were called and wrote a report on the accident. The van was driven back to the city garage and estimates will be taken on the damage. There were no injuries. Windschitl worked with the Human Resources Director and Communications Coordinator to send an email out to all parents of students involved right away explaining the situation. B. Public Works Director/City Engineer Hansen invited the Commission to drive by Keyes Park as you get a very good visual on Reservoir Boulevard of what the progress looks like from a master plan to the implementation of a project. Novitsky replied it is beautiful. Hansen reported the work is approximately 90% complete. Items to be finished are site landscaping, turf restoration, and the installation of approximately 60 trees from a Tree Trust grant. For twenty-eight trees the contract cost was $18,700. The tree trust grant will come in and plant fifty-six trees for free. Volunteers will plant the trees on or after September 15. This will be the last item. There will be eight different varieties of trees. Hansen reported at the site there is a small pile of contaminated materials and the City is paying and dealing with the disposal process. Hansen indicated staff are suggesting in the budget to consider doing some planning in Wargo Court. He suggested for the members to walk in the park and see that it is severely dilapidated. The retaining walls are falling apart, the age of the plant material either needs to be replaced or removed, the fountain is beyond repair, there are leaks in the pipes below it, the concrete leaks, the pump/fountain has been vandalized or stolen so many times that it has not been replaced, and the electrical is shot. There is a dedicated fund to contribute to the rebuilding that from the Wargo estate, it is $125,000. The estimated cost to rebuild the park with a fountain is between $250,000 and $300,000. Many complaints have been received regarding the condition of Wargo Park. McDonald asked what should be done at that park. Hansen is unsure but would hire a landscape architect to suggest some designs and review the plans as a group. As a caveat to the funding the Wargo namesake needs to be represented in the park. He stated there is a time capsule in the park, the Wargo Court name, and a plaque. The funding stipulates that namesake will continue if the park is ever redeveloped. Clerkin asked if the money from the estate was a onetime donation and then the family is removed from the process. Hansen replied the funding is not for maintenance but only for capital. Staff is suggesting pursuing that maintenance or redevelopment this year. He feels this is good timing for 2019 with the development of Hy-Vee and other improvements along Central Avenue. Clerkin indicated having a fountain at the park would be very nice if it is in the budget. Hansen replied during any park redevelopment with a master plan public input City of Columbia Heights July 25, 2018 Park & Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting Page 4 is received and comments taken on the project. Hansen asked if the Commission wants to begin the discussion of a referendum. Members replied yes. Hansen replied he will gather information to talk about it at the next meeting. He has received one proposal from a company that does work with referendums and would like to get a second proposal. Stroik asked how long the process takes. Hansen replied two to four years. Along with this process the Parks Facilities Plan would need to be completed so the parks that need updating are listed. Payne indicated with the City Council wanting to make improvements along Central Avenue it is a good time to update Wargo Court and discuss future park improvements throughout the whole city. Hansen reported rdth an application was submitted for grant funding for 43 Avenue up to 47 Avenue for street safety improvements and improving that Central Avenue segment; and will find out in January if funding has been awarded. C. Commission Members Greenhalgh asking there could be signs placed in the parks to indicate no golfing. Hansen replied there were signs in the parks previously and were removed based on the discussion and recommendation of the Commission. Saefke indicated that rule is currently in the city ordinance that golfing is not allowed in the parks. Payne adjourned the meeting at 6:51 p.m. _________________________________ Deanna Saefke, Recreation Secretary