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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-06-00 Park Board PacketJohn Keprios, Director Edina Park & Recreation Department 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 Office (952) 826-0430 FAX (952) 826-0385 Jkeprios@ci.edina.nm.us Memo To: Edina Park Boar mbers From: John Kepris Date: May 28, 201 Re: June Meeting Cancelled and Staff Updates. There will be no June Park Board meeting. The July meeting is scheduled for the 13th of July at ® 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers City Hall. Enclosed is a copy of the April 13, 2010 Park Board meeting minutes for your review as well as my Report/Recommendation and Resolution for the Braemar Memorial Fund from the May 18th Council Meeting. To keep Park Board members informed, below is a Staff Update of current issues and upcoming events. Edina Baseball Association Proposal The Edina Baseball Association is proposing to donate two batting cages and a maintenance shed for Garden Park baseball field. They would like to be on the July Park Board agenda to present their proposal. In advance of the July meeting I intend to send notices to residents within 500 feet of the park prior to the Park Board meeting informing them of the pending proposal up for consideration. Bike Edina Task Force Proposal The Bike Edina Task Force would like to dedicate the bike path portion of the Promenade bike trail to Dwaine R. Lindberg a member of the Bike Edina Task Force who recently passed away. The BETF would like to present their proposal at the July Park Board meeting. Here is some background information on Mr. Lindberg as submitted by BETF Chairman Kirk Johnson. Sunday, March 07, 2010 Common words and phrases used to describe Dwaine included persistent, caring, thoughtful. Dwaine contributed a great deal to society with efforts related to his political beliefs and love of bicycling -- he served 4 years on the Bike Edina Task Force. I was impressed by the rich history shared by many people that were • touched significantly by Dwaine. Yesterday was Dwaine's service at the Minnesota Cremation Society. Thoughts I shared at Dwaine's memorial service: Dwaine Lindberg contributed to his community in meaningful ways. He has been an inspiration both to me and my children. As a father of 3 kids aged 11 to 14, I often remind them that they are our future leaders for society. When I say this, Dwaine often comes to mind. Dwaine was diligent and thoughtful for the things he cared about. Many people here have known Dwaine for a lifetime, and although perhaps I've known Dwaine relatively shorter than most, I can say for sure that his positive influence on me is still remarkable. Dwaine and I have served on the Bike Edina Task Force for the past few years. The Bike Edina Task Force has 15 members. We partner with residents, City management, and City elected officials to promote the bicycle as a safe and good choice for both transportation and recreational use in Edina. Dwaine was a big help in putting together our first City of Edina Comprehensive Transportation Plan, and he has been a key advocate and user of the new Promenade biking and walking project. Dwaine was an active participant at our monthly meetings and he was K diligent and thorough with his follow-up tasks. I appreciate how Dwaine offered his talents to a number of causes. The example he offered with the Bike Edina Task Force is just one slice of the pie where Dwaine contributed positively. Not only did he improve Edina for his generation, he helped set the foundation to make many more improvements that generations to come will enjoy. On behalf of the Bike Edina Task Force, we express our appreciation to Dwaine. To show appreciation for what Dwaine has done, at a recent joint workshop with the Bike Edina Task Force and City leadership and elected officials, a councilmember advocated the idea of the City installing a memorial of some type associated with bicycling in Edina. We think that is a great idea and I look forward to supporting the completion of memorial. Posted by Kirk (Logan) Johnson The Bike Edina Task Force will propose language for a permanent plaque to be placed within the Promenade. Those details will be within my Staff Report for the July 13 Park Board meeting. ® Hockey Alumni Proposal I received a request from the Edina High School Hockey Alumni Association to donate a tribute to Willard Ikola to be placed in the lobby of Braemar West Arena. There are other groups that I need to get approval/support from before it will be ready for Park Board approval. I have submitted their proposal to School District Superintendent Ric Dressen for their approval. Our new Arena Manager Doug Bauman is bringing the proposal to the Edina Hockey Association and the Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club for their approval. I anticipate this being on either the July or August Park Board agenda pending School District approval. I have enclosed a color copy rendering of their proposal. Veterans Memorial Update I have sent out 13 applications to people who have expressed an interest in serving on the Veterans Memorial Committee. Eight people have submitted formal applications to serve on the Committee (nine including Chairman Mike Goergen). When we have received enough applications, Mike Goergen and I plan to meet with all of the volunteers soon and will make recommendations for the committee make up to the Park Board. The opportunity has been in the Sun Current and people have been making application online. Mike and I also attended the Grand Opening of the Greatest Generation exhibit at Arneson Acres Park Museum and handed out press releases and application forms. 3 • Farmers Market Update We now have 24 vendors approved for the Farmers Market at Centennial Lakes Park and we are still taking applications from vendors for products that are not represented. Product list thus far covers fruits, vegetables, flowers, beef, pork, lamb, poultry, eggs, cheese, honey, salsas and pastries. We expect to add 3 or 4 more vendors and call it good. The Farmers Market will be open Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., July 1 through September 30, 2010. Booths will be located along the walkways on the west side of the park. We have an aggressive marketing campaign in place with financial assistance from our grant in the amount of $3,000 from the Statewide Health Improvement Plan. May Term Proiect The Park Board approved the rental of Pamela Park for the Edina High School students' May Term fundraiser walk/run project at Pamela Park on Saturday, June 5. Being that the School District has underwritten this event and provided a Certificate of Insurance, I made an executive decision to waive the rental fee. This is consistent with other School District programs and events on the City's general park lands and athletic field facilities. The School District is not charged a fee for use of City park properties or facilities with the exception of ice rental at Braemar Arena. Dow Water & Process Solutions Donations The Dow Water & Process Solutions Company has donated $6,000 for purchase of ten recycling containers that have been placed at Lewis Park and Pamela Park as part of a pilot projects to once again encourage the public to recycle their glass bottles, aluminum cans and plastic bottles. We have not had success in the past with recycling containers in unsupervised outdoor park settings. The public tends to toss undesirable waste into the recycling containers which negates the efforts as we don't have staff time and resources to clean and separate all garbage waste from recycled items. Dow also donated an additional $2,500 to plant seven trees at Pamela Park. They provided 50 volunteer Dow Company staff to assist with the plantings on Earth Day/Arbor Day and also cleaned up the park. Braemar Memorial Fund Donation At their May 18th meeting, the City Council accepted the enclosed Resolution to formally create the Braemar Memorial Fund and accept a donation in the amount of $312,561.64 from the Ruth and Wallace Dahl Estate. My enclosed Report/Recommendation further explains this significant cash gift from their estate. 4 Hennepin Youth Sports Grant I just received notice that we will be receiving the $60,000 grant from Hennepin County that I applied for rebuilding the hockey rinks at Pamela Park and Walnut Ridge Park. The City Council will have to take formal action to formally accept the grant. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners designated the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission as the agency to screen and process grant applications for the new Hennepin Youth Sports Program. We are fortunate to receive this grant and the project will be completed this fall. 2010 Parking Lot & Pathway Improvement—10-2PK I just opened bids for a variety of parking lot renovations and the bicycle path around Bredesen Park. A copy of that Request for Purchase to the City Council is enclosed for your review. Our paths and hard surfaces have become one of our largest and most expensive park amenities to maintain mainly because we have so many hard surfaces (parking lots, tennis courts, entryways, pathways, bicycle paths and basketball courts) and their life span is so short compared to playground equipment, buildings and athletic fields. As we proposed our operating budget and Capital Improvement Plan budget each year, you will note that maintaining paths and hard surface amenities is an expensive routine line item. • Doggy Bags Recently the Minneapolis Star Tribune placed an article on the front page of their Variety section about my decision to eliminate free plastic doggy bags in the parks as a budget cutting measure. It was cited a national radio show which and then lead to having me on a live radio interview on Dave Lee's WCCO morning radio show. It must have been a very slow news week. The Star Tribune writer is an Edina resident who started the conversation complaining about the loss of that service and then admitted to being a writer and quickly turned it into an interview for a story. As I mentioned on Dave Lee's morning radio show, the good news is that I have found a sponsor who will donate bags for our off -leash dog park in return for the recognition/advertising on the dispensers. Timmy Nunn Memorial Dedication $11,797.96 was raised and donated to the City via the Edina Community Foundation to renovate the small baseball field at York Park in memory of 14 year old Edina resident Timothy Robert Nunn who died unexpectedly July 24, 2009 while hiking with Boy Scout Troop #123 at Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico. The field was converted to a grass infield and renovations also included new safety fencing in front of players' benches. The Nunn family has organized a dedication to take place at the field at 5448 York Avenue South on Sunday, June 6, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. There will be a Twins Clinic conducted at the field from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. followed by the formal dedication at 2:00 p.m. There will be a 10 year olds baseball game on the field following the dedication. Park Board Chairman Joseph Hulbert has been requested by the 5 family to attend the dedication and say a few words. All Park Board members are of course welcome to attend. This field renovation idea started with Edina resident Christina Jordan who organized a local neighborhood fund raising effort to upgrade the baseball field in Tim's memory. The original plan was to upgrade the skinned infield and provide permanent bases. When the Nunn family learned of this kind gesture, they stepped forward to offer additional dollars to develop a more traditional little league field with a grass infield and player benches with safety fencing. I then began to work directly with the Nunn family on the re -design and language for a permanent plaque. The field is not "named" after Timothy Nunn, which would have required Park Board and City Council action; however, the sizable donation is within the Council's policy to permit a permanent plaque. The wording on the plaque which will be unveiled is: TIMMY NUNN MEMORIAL This baseball field is dedicated in memory of Timmy Nunn, a young man who along with his brothers, Jimmer and Matthew, loved the game of baseball. This new field serves as apart of Timmy's legacy so that kids and families may enjoy the game of baseball as much as Timmy and his brothers. This baseball field is a gift to the City of Edina by the Edina Community Foundation made possible by contributions to the Tim Nunn Memorial Fund by the Nunn family and friends and neighbors of the Nunn family. This will not become a scheduled field for practices or games. It is designed to remain a neighborhood pick-up game field for the neighborhood to enjoy. Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail The Community Assessment Team has completed their work and the architect/engineering/consulting firm of Bonestroo has completed the Environmental Assessment Worksheet project. The Three Rivers Park District Board of Directors will meet on Thursday, June 3, 2010 to discuss whether to approve the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) as accurate and complete and also whether to authorize distribution of the EAW for the required 30 day comment period. At their June 3`a meeting, the Three Rivers Park District Board of Directors will also vote on their staff s recommendation to conduct two Open House events open to the public on: 0 Tuesday, June 22, 2010 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. South View Middle School in Edina And Wednesday, June 30, 2010 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. South View Middle School in Edina It appears that the Park Board will be meeting jointly with the City Council and Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners sometime around the end of August. It seems unlikely at this point that the Park Board will be asked to conduct its own Public Hearing to debate the issue and make a recommendation. York Avenue Bridge Dedication There will be a dedication ceremony for the new bridge at York Avenue next to Edina Fire Station #2 and the Southdale YMCA and Yorktown Park. The Edina Public Art Committee, Edina Art Center and Bike Edina Task Force have collaborated to install public art that look like bicycles made of mosaic tiles that will be placed on the sides of the York Avenue bridge. The • dedication is scheduled for Wednesday, June 16, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. I will pass along more detail on the timing for the program as information becomes available to me. Public Art Opening at the Promenade There will be a Public Art Opening of the new art exhibits at the Promenade on Thursday, June 17 in Centennial Lakes Park from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. I will forward more detail information as it is made available to me. Braemar West Arena Renovation The Braemar West Arena Renovation project was awarded to Cool Air mechanical Company for $2,180,540.00 to replace the 45 year old refrigeration piping and floor system. The project is well under way and the contractor is now removing the 18 foot deep frost from the ground before installing new sub -floor heating and new piping. The project is on schedule to open the newly renovated sheet of ice in October. 2011 Budget and CIP We are just starting to discuss 2011 Budget and updating the 5 -year Capital Improvement Plan. I hope to have those two issues on the August Park Board agenda. We are entering our third year of State Imposed levy limits and loss of Market Value Homestead Credit. 2011 will be another • challenging year financially. I will be recommending that we maintain the same number of 7 • outdoor skating rinks for the 2010-2011 season; however, I'm also proposing that we again close all outdoor rinks on Sunday, February 13, 2011 regardless of the weather for budgetary reasons. I will be requesting that we reinstate the deer management program that was put on hold for the 2010 budget cycle because the deer count has now jumped to 64. The Minnesota DNR likes to keep our deer heard at between 30 and 40 deer to keep the count manageable and reduce deer/car incidents. I'm proposing $12,000 to pay for removal of 30 deer in 2011. I am also proposing $10,000 be budgeted to pay for public art in the park. Currently there are no tax dollars allocated for that purpose and the Edina Public Art Committee and Edina Art Center Board are finding it more difficult to raise funds in this economic climate. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Please note that I will be in Canada the week of June 7th and back in the office on Monday, June 14th. 8 I e W 0 �lip REPORPRECOMMEN DATION To: MAYOR AND COUNCIL Agenda Item Item No. IV. B. From: John Keprios, Direct Park and Recreation art ent Action Discussion ❑ Information Date: May 10, 2010 Subject: Resolution No. 2010-40 Creating a Revenue Fund & Accepting a Donation on Behalf of the City For Braemar Memorial Fund ACTION REQUESTED: Staff recommends that Resolution No. 2010-40 Creating a Revenue Fund & Accepting a Donation on Behalf of the City for Braemar Memorial Fund be approved. INFORMATION/BACKGROUND: As stated in the attached Resolution, the Braemar Memorial Fund was created in 1976 for the purpose of enhancing Braemar Golf Course with equipment and amenities that might not otherwise be affordable or viewed as a necessity to the golf course. Since its inception, Braemar Memorial Fund dollars have been maintained by the City of Edina Finance Department and all funds have been used strictly for enhancements to Braemar Golf Course. The practice has always been that donations and expenditures have been handled consistent with the proposed Resolution No. 2010-40; however, there has never been a Resolution action of the Council to establish a formal dedicated special revenue fund. Over the past 34 years, there have been thousands of dollars donated to the Braemar Memorial Fund and numerous enhancements made to Braemar Golf Course. A significant donation from the Estate of Ruth R. Dahl (Wallace) in the amount of $312,561.64 is being offered to the Braemar Memorial Fund, which has prompted Council action to formalize by Resolution this dedicated special revenue fund. For over 30 years, Wallace (Wally) Dahl has been an avid golf patron of Braemar Golf Course and his love for the game and the facility inspired him to bequest in his will this significant donation to the City of Edina. Wally was a member of the Braemar Men's Club since 1966 until he passed away in 1994. Wally worked for Braemar Golf Course part-time in the Pro Shop from 1981 to 1992. His wife Ruth was a member of the Braemar Women's Club from 1966 to 2005. Ruth continued to play golf at Braemar Golf Course through 2008. Ruth died in January of 2009. We sincerely appreciate their generous gift and recommend that the City Council approve the Resolution to accept the donation and formalize the dedicated special revenue fund named the Braemar Memorial Fund. d, N�'�l, RESOLUTION NO. 2010-40 o� @, CREATING A REVENUE FUND AND ACCEPTING y o DONATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF EDINA City of Wina WHEREAS, The Braemar Memorial Fund (the "Fund") was created in 1976 by Edina resident "Babe" LeVoir. The mission of the Fund is to enhance the Braemar Golf Course ("Braemar") with equipment and amenities that might not otherwise be affordable or viewed as necessities to the golf course; and WHEREAS, the Council believes that the Fund is a valuable asset and benefit for the City and Braemar and desires to perpetuate the Funds goals so as to continue to encourage Edina residents and those persons who play golf at Braemar Golf Club to continue to make donations to the Fund; and WHEREAS, the Council believes that the best way to accomplish this is to create a separate, dedicated special revenue fund. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that a special dedicated revenue fund named the Braemar Memorial Fund is established to accept donations with the fund to be used only for improvements, equipment and amenities for the Braemar Golf Club and the Fred Richards Golf Club; and FURTHER RESOLVED, Before any disbursements are made from the Fund the Braemar Golf Club General Manager's recommendation must be considered who will interface with the Braemar Golf Association, and the Braemar Men's and Women's Clubs to obtain recommendations for the use of said funds. All purchases by the Fund will follow normal City of Edina purchasing procedures. The City will provide an annual account to the Braemar Golf Association of the income and expenditures of the Fund; and WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes Section 465.03 allows cities to accept grants and donations of real or personal property for the benefit of its citizens; and WHEREAS, said donations must be accepted via a resolution of the City Council adopted by a two- thirds majority of its members. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Edina C appreciation the donation of $312,561.64 from the Estate of Ruth Memorial Fund. Dated this 18th day of May 2010. Attest: LL �_Q M,4jeavj_, Debra A. Mangeh, Ci Clerk STATE OF MINNESOTA) COUNTY OF HENNEPIN) SS CITY OF EDINA ) ncil accepts with sincere (Wallace) for The Braemar ames B.'Hovland, Mayor CERTIFICATE OF CITY CLERK I, the undersigned duly appointed and acting City Clerk for the City of Edina do hereby certify that the attached and foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the Edina City Council at its Regular Meeting of May 18, 2010, and as recorded in the Minutes of said Regular Meeting. WITNESS my hand and seal of said City this � day of '20 i� City Hall _8861 4801 WEST 50TH STREET F/Qt�_QE06-0390 EDINA, MINNESOTA, 55424-1394 www.cityofedina.com TTY 952-826-0379