HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-24-2024 Park & Recreation Commission Minutes
Park & Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting
Keyes Room, John P Murzyn Hall 530 Mill St NE
January 24, 2024
Call to Order/Roll Call
Tom Greenhalgh called the meeting to order at 6:02 pm
Members present: Teresa Eisenbise, Tom Greenhalgh, Taher Harzallah, Andrew Macko, Andrea Ostergaard,
Nicole Peterson
Staff present: David Cullen, Public Works Interim Director; Keith Windschitl, Recreation Director; Deanna Saefke,
Recreation Secretary; Amada Marquez Simula, Mayor, Council Representative
Community Forum
None at this time.
Consent Agenda
Motion by Macko, second by Eisenbise, to approve the consent agenda. Upon vote: All ayes. Motion Carried.
Letters and Requests
None at this time.
Old Business
Windschitl indicated he and Cullen will discuss the park usage and how the rental process works. He reported
that the park rentals are currently rented one time per park in a weekend. This, however, leaves a disadvantage
to a person with a Sunday park rental because they might show up at a messy park. Public Works staff are not
able to go to each park that is rented on the weekend. Staff have received complaints due to the lack of
cleanliness. Windschitl stated they will also talk about the volleyball groups at McKenna and Sullivan Parks, and
the warming houses for the skating rinks. He indicated there are currently six paid park reservations for the 2024
season. Staff are proposing to no longer rent the park shelters and to have them as a first come, first served
policy.
Cullen handed out a memo to the Commission regarding the background and issues of park usage. He reported
that with the existing fee structure for the park shelter rentals it is not sufficient to cover operational costs,
including maintenance, staffing, and preparation of the shelters. This inadequacy affects the level of service we
can provide for paid reservations. Within the Public Works Department, staff is currently unable to maintain the
7-day operational schedule necessary to manage weekend shelter rentals. This limitation results in increased
costs due to overtime payments, as we do not have the staffing or funding to support regular operations.
Regarding service expectations, both the Recreation and Public Works departments have faced challenges in
consistently maintaining park shelters in a state ready for renters. This issue has led to customer complaints and
the need for refunds, placing our staff in a difficult position. Paying customers have expectations when they
arrive at a park and if it isn’t clean, we feel that we are not providing the service that they paid for. With many of
our park shelters having open-air structures with 24-hour access that makes it impossible to secure the area
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Park & Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting Page 2
prior to a reserved event. Other cities have lockable sides to their shelters, which could be a feature we look at
in future renovations.
Cullen indicated given these concerns, it is advisable for the city to reevaluate the park shelter reservation
program. Continuing under the current conditions strains our resources and fails to meet community
expectations for quality, security, and service. Staff recommend either discontinuing the Park Shelter Rental
program entirely or limiting it to shelters with controlled access, such as Huset East and McKenna Parks. For
future park planning within the parks master plan, staff suggest consideration of shelter designs that enable
secure access should the city opt to continue facilitating shelter rentals. At this time, it is recommended to
discontinue renting the open-air shelters and to only rent the park buildings at Huset East, Ramsdell, McKenna,
and Keyes Parks.
Cullen indicated the warming houses are no different in that with the current budget there is no way to staff the
buildings. Unfortunately, our park buildings are often vandalized or broken into. One other concern is that the
park buildings do not have full insulation and only minimal heating to keep the pipes from freezing. Some of the
park buildings are closed for the winter season and doors or windows get boarded up. Ostergaard added one
idea would be to partner with volunteers to be inside the warming houses on a weekend so the facilities could
be available to the public without hiring staff. Windschitl replied, the Recreation Department is offering open
skate time at Huset East. The building will be open on Sundays from 10:30am to 12:30pm from January 7
through February 18 if there is ice. There are other skating lessons being offered where staff will be at the park
and the building will be open. He stated twenty some years ago the city made the decision to close the warming
houses because it wasn’t justified to have staff inside the building with such low attendance in skating. He
indicated setting up volunteers would be something that could be pursued next year. Cullen added there is a
bench at the McKenna rink to help people get their skates on. Macko asked how frequently Ostrander Park is
used. Cullen replied it is difficult to obtain those numbers. He indicated that park is very difficult to flood due to
the ground conditions. The hockey rink area is always shifting, and the skating rink will often have bubbles come
up through the ice. Due to the poor conditions each year the skating classes have moved to Huset East Park.
Eisenbise replied she used to skate at Ostrander but often times the conditions were so poor for skating that
they would go elsewhere. Last year and this year they skate at Huset East Park.
Marquez Simula indicated that combining our resources and consolidating amenities makes a lot of sense. As
the park system is reviewed and improvements are made it would be good to think about what are some of the
amenities used in a specific park and keep that specific feature at one or two parks instead of many parks. That
would open other areas to install desired features. By moving amenities to specific areas, it can also alleviate
bad behaviors at one location that will not be an issue at another area. Windschitl stated years ago when the
parks were developed, the goal was to have an amenity like a playground or ballfield in each quadrant of the
city. It makes sense to utilize good spaces for specific activities. Huset Park and McKenna Park are viable options
for larger activities. It is important to remember that many of our parks are neighborhood parks and we should
be cognizant of the people living near the parks when planning. He stated the ice-skating rink was removed from
Ostrander Park this year.
Ostergaard asked how many park rentals have been done this year so far. Windschitl replied there are only six
paid park reservations far. The open sided park shelters being discussed are at Huset West, Sullivan, Silver Lake
Beach, LaBelle, and Ramsdell Parks. Ostergaard indicated these spaces are still useable and just will not be
rented out for a specific time frame. Cullen replied yes. The beach, pools, splash pad, and playgrounds have
always been open for public use. We are not taking away the use of the open sided shelters, we are just not
giving priority to one user. Windschitl reported when he goes to Silver Lake Beach on Fridays to post the rental
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for the weekend there are almost always people at the beach and shelter. He knows that Public Works was
there to empty garbage and with the amount of people using the park it is likely the garbage is full by the time
the renter arrives on Saturday but for sure on Sunday. It is the same situation with the shelter by the splash pad
at Huset West. There has been so much garbage at that park that staff need to empty park garbage into the
dumpster behind Murzyn Hall because they run out of room at the Public Works garage. Sullivan Park doesn’t
seem to be as highly used because it is set back further and has limited parking. He reported the revenue in
2023 for the park rentals was approximately $9,000. Cullen reported the labor costs were closer to $22,000 for
park maintenance/cleanup. Windschitl restated the park reservation fees for 2024 are $75 for a resident, $125 if
a resident has more than 100 people, and $175 for a nonresident.
Marquez Simula asked if the public works staff work Monday through Friday all at the same time and not in
staggered shifts during the summer. Cullen replied all staff work 7am-3pm Monday through Friday. A lot of their
work is done in groups so it wouldn’t work to stagger shifts. Eisenbise asked if other cities have weekend staff to
cover park rentals. Cullen replied yes. Larger cities will have staff on the weekends and some of them have more
than one rental per day. There are other newer facilities with automated entries or key cards. One staff
recommendation is for future park construction to have shelter amenities placed further away from public use
items like playgrounds. Harzallah stated that he feels it is illogical not to have parks staffed on the weekends
because they are so highly used by many groups. Cullen replied many years ago the department would have
twenty seasonal staff plus more fulltime workers than there are now. When there were that many seasonal
workers, they would stagger staffing times. With the hourly wage increase for the seasonal position he hopes to
get more applications. Seasonal workers are used for mowing, picking up trash across the whole city, and other
Monday through Friday operations that increase during the warmer months. Marquez Simula asked if we are
able to get more seasonals would they be able to work on the weekends. Cullen replied having part-time labor
with no fulltime supervisor during the weekend is a concern. Greenhalgh indicated his job has two days off
during the week and sees how most people prefer a Monday through Friday employment. Harzallah replied that
he understands the practical management of staffing. He would like to see weekend staff go to multiple parks.
Cullen replied the city is required to check the wading pools every day they are operating. He feels this is a job
that should be done by a fulltime staff person. The person that does this on the weekends will also check the
garbage at McKenna and Ramsdell Parks. Cullen explained there is a huge difference in quality and time with this
process. It is fine if there is minimal garbage at the park and the one staff can just empty the trash or pick up a
few items. If there is a huge mess and the outdoor area would need to be pressure washed that takes a lot more
time and if you are going to multiple parks in that condition you may need to refill the water. You can see how
the time adds up at each park. Depending on how many parks are rented you might not be able to attend to all
parks prior to a paid rental. Harzallah stated if there are not any rentals the parks still get used and there is still
trash, it is still viable to staff parks on the weekends. Marquez Simula asked if more trash cans can be installed at
the parks. Ostergaard asked if more trash pickups can be scheduled with the trash company. Cullen replied he
has been changing out the old receptacle containers with a style that can be emptied by the minitruck. They also
need to make sure the cans are secure to the ground. At some locations a concrete slab is poured for that
purpose. He stated the use of the parks has continued to increase over the past few years. Windschitl reported
in 2022 there were 180 paid park rentals which does not include the people just using the facilities every day.
Cullen indicated it is bad public relations to charge for the use of a park shelter and then a renter shows up with
certain expectations that are not met. Peterson replied it makes sense to discontinue open sided shelter rentals.
Windschitl stated the park buildings require a key and other than being used by our Recreation park programs
we know they are secure. It can be guaranteed that the building will be clean for a weekend rental. Ostergaard
indicated this is a good transition to offer a half and half situation. The buildings can still be rented, and the open
sided shelters will be open to the public. Greenhalgh replied it will be a good trial for one year and can be
revisited next year.
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Motion by Ostergaard, second by Peterson, to discontinue rentals for open air structures and maintain rentals
for the enclosed secure park structures for 2024 and revisit the procedures for the next year. The current paid
park rentals will be refunded for any open sided shelter reservation. Upon vote: All ayes. Motion Carried.
New Business
Cullen presented a memo for a DNR Grant Application at Sullivan Lake Park. Staff are asking for support from the
Commission to continue researching grant opportunities specifically for Sullivan Lake Park. The DNR’s Outdoor
Recreation Program has a grant option that staff would like to pursue. This funding would be used for
reconstruction of the trail that loops Sullivan Lake, along with court replacement of the tennis courts which are
no longer usable. This is a 50/50 match type of grant. Cullen indicated another grant opportunity is with a
national fitness campaign through Blue Cross Blue Sheild.
Eisenbise asked if Commission Members can do anything to help the grant process. Cullen replied he is working
with the City’s Urban Forestry Specialist Genter, Interim City Manager Hansen, and other staff from Community
Development on the applications. Marques Simula indicated letters of support from the commission might be
good to submit with the application. Eisenbise asked when the applications are due. Cullen replied that the DNR
will review the applications in February and give feedback. The Blue Cross Blue Shield grant is a first come first
served timeline.
Motion by Eisenbise, second by Peterson, to approve the grant research and application process by staff. Upon
vote: All ayes. Motion Carried.
Marquez Simula reported on the current situation at Silverwood Park and their recent concerns with users of the
programs offered and funding with the Three Rivers Park District. The park is located in Hennepin County, but
the park has users from the surrounding communities of Ramsey and Anoka Counties. She encouraged the
Commission Members to fill out the survey from Silverwood Park on how they use the park. There may be ways
to consider partnering with the park in the future to continue current programming. She partnered with the
Mayor of St. Anthony to write a letter of support for keeping Silverwood Park and the programs running.
Eisenbise replied there is a lot of information available on the funding for the facility and programs. They are
discussing the possibility of opening their registrations to Hennepin County residents first and then to other
county residents, and that will really affect people in Columbia Heights that utilize their facility. Marquez Simula
indicated the programming fees pay for staffing costs so there are self-funding programs. She wanted to bring
awareness to the members. Eisenbise thanked Marquez Simula for writing a letter with the Mayor of St.
Anthony. Harzallah stated that we need to collaborate with surrounding communities to offer as much as we
can without duplicating too many of the same amenities. It would also allow opportunities to build larger
amenities that can be used by the surrounding community members.
Reports
A. Recreation Director
Windschitl reported the air conditioner unit at Murzyn Hall on the west end of the building has continued to
have problems. The unit is approximately twenty years old. The concern right now is the wait time on getting
the parts to repair the problem, so the decision needs to be made now to either repair the unit or replace it.
Bids were taken from two companies to repair the unit and they ranged from $11,500 to $22,600.
Windschitl reported a second grant opportunity has opened for the after-school funding in partnership with the
Columbia Heights School District. Recreation staff will work with Library staff and the school district to submit
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the application. This grant will be for a lesser amount so we will need to cut back on some of the programs
previously offered. The application is due by the end of February.
Windschitl reminded the Commission of the upcoming SnowBLAST event on February 3rd from 4-7pm. If the
members are interested in volunteering at a table to discuss the city parks they can contact Saefke or Rottler.
The Sustainability Commission is planning to attend and many City Council Members. This event has been very
popular in years past. Even with no snow there are still many activities that will be offered.
B. Public Works Director
Cullen reported the Public Works staff have been working hard to maintain the ice for skating. Recently the
department took possession of a new pothole patching truck that was ordered three years ago. They also
received an F550 truck. Applications are open for a fulltime mechanic and interviews will be happening soon.
There is a Super Intendent position open, two in the parks department and one position in utilities.
Windschitl reported the van that was ordered for the Recreation Department in 2021 has been produced but
now has a recall on the backup camera and is unable to be given to the City until the recall has been fixed. They
do not have the parts to fix the recall and it is unknown when we will receive the vehicle.
C. Commission Members
Ostergaard asked when the summer programs will be available for registration. Windschitl replied that the
Spring Newsletter is being worked on right now but is unsure of when the summer programs will open for
registration. He added if the grant is approved, we will be able to offer more camps and other programming
besides the regular half day programs.
Harzallah indicated he would like to keep moving forward working on the park redevelopment plan. The City of
Minneapolis is setting up meetings with other cities park boards. He asked what the willingness of other
members would be to meet with another cities park board. Peterson replied the meetings are generally open to
the public and anyone can attend another cities meeting. Eisenbise indicated it is on her list to contact members
from other boards or commissions one on one. She is also reviewing other cities minutes to see what they are
working on. Cullen replied there is a new Public Works administration staff that is working on a portal to share
the documents that Hansen reviewed at the previous meeting. He also suggested to have a meeting with
Sulmaan Khan the City Engineer and combine a future meeting with the Sustainability Commission. Peterson
replied having a joint quarterly meeting with the Sustainability Commission would be a good idea. Ostergaard
reported the City of Fridley just published their Park System Improvement Plan. Cullen suggested not to rush
having a joint meeting with the Sustainability Commission until some more discussion has been completed
regarding the park redevelopment plan.
Greenhalgh submitted a letter of resignation from the Park & Recreation Commission. After almost twenty years
of service he will be stepping down as of February 28th. He has enjoyed his time on the Commission, working on
various projects, and feels it is time to move on. Marquez Simula thanked Greenhalgh for his many years of
service.
Greenhalgh adjourned the meeting at 7:38 pm.
Deanna Saefke, Recreation Secretary