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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-05-08 Park Board PacketAGENDA Regular Meeting of the Edina Park Board Tuesday, May 8, 2007, 7:00 P.M. Edina City Hall Council Chambers 4801 West 50`h Street PARK BOARD MEETING PROCEDURES During "Public Hearings," the Chair will ask for public comment after City staff members make their presentations. If you wish to speak on the topic, you are welcome to do so as long as your comments are relevant to the discussion. To ensure fairness to all speakers and to allow the efficient conduct of a public hearing, speakers must observe the following guidelines: • Individuals must limit their presentations to three minutes or less. The Chair will modify presentation times, as deemed necessary. • Try not to repeat remarks or points of view made by prior speakers and limit comments to the matter under consideration. • In order to maintain a comfortable environment for all those in attendance, the use of signs, clapping, cheering or booing or any other form of verbal or nonverbal communication is not allowed. During "Public Comments," the Chair will ask to hear from those in attendance who would like to speak about something not on the agenda. Individuals must limit their presentations to three minutes or less and cannot speak to an issue for which a public hearing was previously held and closed or a matter scheduled for a future hearing. Individuals should not expect the Park Board to respond to their comments. Instead, the Park Board might direct the matter to staff or consideration at a future meeting. I. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: *Tuesday, April 10, 2007, Park Board Minutes. II. NEW BUSINESS: A. Edina Curling Club Presentation — Mark Willmert. B. Forestry Report — Tom Horwath. *C. Insurance Requirements for Edina Youth Athletic Associations. III. OLD BUSINESS A. Athletic Facilities Fund Raiser Committee/Foundation — George Klus. _ B. Bike Edina Task Force Update — Todd Fronek. • n LJ C. Schedule Comprehensive Plan Workshop Meeting. D. Park Board Park Assignments. IV. PUBLIC COMMENT V. UPDATES FROM STAFF VI. PARK BOARD COMMENT *These are agenda items that require or request Park Board action. The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing amplification, an interpreter, large -print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861 72 hours in advance of the meeting. 2 Memo To: Edina Park Board From: John Keprios, Director Edina Park and Recreation Department Date: May 1, 2007 Re: TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007, PARK BOARD MEETING STAFF REPORT. Enclosed you should find the following items: 1. Tuesday, April 10, 2007, Park Board Minutes. 2. Tuesday, May 8, 2007, Park Board Agenda. 3. April 10, 2007, Memo to All Edina Youth Athletic Associations and Clubs. 4. Park Board Park Member List of Park Assignments. 5. Edina Athletic Facilities Foundation Mission Statement. The following is the monthly Staff Report concerning each item on the agenda with the exception of Approval of the Minutes, Public Comment and Park Board Comment. PARK BOARD MEETING IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS EDINA CITY HALL 4801 WEST 50TH STREET • The Tuesday, May 8, 2007, Park Board meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Edina City Hall. If you are unable to attend, please call either Office Coordinator, Janet Canton, at 952-826-0435 or me at 952-826-0430. II. NEW BUSINESS: A. Edina Curliniz Club Presentation — Mark Willmert Mark Willmert from the Edina Curling Club will give the Park Board a brief presentation of their new club and its programs. The Edina Park and Recreation Department is exploring partnership opportunities to support this popular life-long sport. No formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. B. Forestry Report — Tom Horwath, City Forester City Forester Tom Horwath will be giving the Park Board an overview of the Edina Park and Recreation Department's forestry program and upcoming forestry projects. No formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. C. Insurance Requirements for Edina Youth Athletic Associations. One of the recommendations from the Edina Youth Sports Task Force was for the City of Edina to consider minimum insurance mandates of youth athletic associations and clubs • that use City of Edina's athletic fields and facilities. On April 10, 2007, I mailed a memo to all Edina youth athletic association presidents to inform them that staff is recommending that the City mandate a minimum of $1,000,000 worth of General - 1 - Liability insurance. We are also recommending that in the event there are employees of an athletic association, i.e. referees, umpires, instructors, etc., there should also be a requirement to show evidence of Workers' Compensation Insurance coverage. As you will notice in that memo, I asked for their input and also informed them that the issue will be on the May 8, 2007 Park Board agenda. At the time of this Staff Report, I have not received any feedback from any youth athletic association. Staff recommends that the Park Board recommend that the City of Edina mandate a minimum of $1,000,000 worth of General Liability insurance. Staff also recommends that in the event there are employees of an athletic association, i.e. referees, umpires, instructors, etc., there should also be a requirement to show evidence of Workers' Compensation Insurance coverage. Formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. III. OLD BUSINESS A. Athletic Facilities Fund Raiser Committee/Foundation — George Klus The Chairman of the Athletic Facilities Fund Raiser Committee/Foundation, George Klus, will give the Park Board a verbal update on the committee's progress. No formal Park action is requested on this agenda item. B. Bike Edina Task Force Update — Todd Fronek Park Board member Todd Fronek will give the Park Board a verbal update on the Bike Edina Task Force's progress. No formal Park action is requested on this agenda item. C. Schedule Comprehensive Plan Workshop Meeting The June Park Board meeting is currently scheduled to begin early with a tour of some parks. If the Park Board would prefer, we can use the time prior to our 7:00 p.m. official Park Board meeting for a workshop to go over the current draft of the proposed Comprehensive Plan. A workshop is not recorded and aired on cable television. Members of the public are welcome to attend Park Board workshops; however, the Park Board is not obligated to allow public comment at their workshops. Park Board consensus is requested on this agenda item. D. Park Board Park Assignments Enclosed is a proposed updated copy of the Park Board members' park assignments. In the past, Park Board members have been assigned a number of parks to visit, learn about the park's amenities and visit with park patrons. Some Park Board members have taken digital photos with the City's camera and given the photos to me to place into a power point presentation for that Park Board member to show at a Park Board meeting. The purpose has been to educate Park Board members about each park and inspire a dialogue with park patrons. Park Board consensus is requested on this agenda item. IV. PUBLIC COMMENT This is the opportunity for the public to give no more than 3 minutes of comments (each speaker) to the Park Board. -2- • V. UPDATES FROM STAFF Staff will give the Park Board verbal updates on status of current construction projects. VI. PARK BOARD COMMENT This is the opportunity for Park Board members to provide comments on park and recreation related matters not on the regular agenda. -3- Minutes of the Edina Park Board Tuesday, April 10, 2007 Edina City Hall Council Chambers MEMBERS PRESENT: Andy Finsness, Mike Damman, Ray O'Connell, Carolyn Nelson, Howard Merriam, Randy Meyer, Jeff Sorem, Todd Fronek, Linda Presthus, George Klus, Karla Sitek STAFF PRESENT: John Keprios, Ed MacHolda, Janet Canton, Vince Cockriel I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES George Klus MOVED TO APPROVE THE MARCH 13, 2007 PARK BOARD MINUTES. Howard Merriam SECONDED THE MOTION. MINUTES APPROVED. II. NEW BUSINESS A. Todd Park Hockey Rink - Mr. Keprios summarized his staff report and gave a brief history of Todd Park. He stated that it is staff's recommendation to continue to provide eleven outdoor hockey rinks in the system, regardless of where the rinks are located. In addition, it is staff's recommendation to make all eleven of those hockey rinks permanent. Mr. Keprios went through the pros and cons of placing a hockey rink at Todd Park. He stressed that a decision needs to be made prior to July 1 ". Either they purchase the portable boards for an additional $10,900 or they return them by July lst Richard Miller, 5340 Hollywood Road, indicated that he does not play golf, use the swimming pools or gymnasiums. However, he is glad to pay for them. He stated that because these are all great enhancements in the community it is interpreted as an increased value in their properties. He noted that he doesn't think you can be serious about outdoor recreation if you don't have both organized and unorganized outdoor hockey. He stated that he would like to see the City maintain this big asset for the community at Todd Park. Katie Meehan, 5229 Hollywood Road, indicated that the neighborhood is not against hockey, it's just the idea of having permanent boards in such a small space. Pat Cronin, 11 Cooper Avenue, stated that the city is already vested in Todd Park and therefore feels they should maximize that investment and keep the hockey rink at Todd Park. Tim Meehan, 5229 Hollywood Road, stated that he thinks the duty of the Park Board is to determine what the best use of that park space is. He pointed out that if it wasn't for the comfort station, Todd Park would be the least ideal place to put a hockey rink. He stressed that there is barely any grass left and by putting up permanent boards it would be the worst use of that space. Jeff Bauers, 12 Cooper Avenue, stated that he can guarantee that more people are using the space at Todd Park in the winter with the hockey boards. If the boards weren't there in the winter it would be open white space that would not be used. Nancy Hall, 4501 Parkside Lane, stated that she can attest to the noise because she lives there. She indicated that she is confused because there are other less attractive areas that have on-site parking, why choose Todd Park. Todd Park is completely surrounded by residents on all four sides and there is no available parking. Andy Halper, 4437 Rutledge Avenue, stated that the hockey rink does get used. However, in order for everyone to be able to enjoy the green space that is there the way nature intended it to be, the hockey boards needs to be portable. Mr. Meyer asked how much does it cost to put the boards up and take them down annually. Mr. Cockriel replied that he has not calculated it to the dollar but it does take a crew of four to six the better part of a week to put them up. Taking them down is a lot quicker, it takes a crew of eight approximately seven hours. In addition, it takes that similar amount of time to put up a permanent rink in the rest of the system as it does that one rink. Mr. Merriam asked when do the boards typically go up and when are they taken down. Mr. Cockriel replied that they try to put them up the last part of October and take them out the first part of May. A lot does depend on weather conditions. Mr. Fronek asked what does it cost to build a permanent rink. Mr. Cockriel replied approximately $25,000 which includes labors, fencing, materials, etc. Mr. Merriam asked what has been the hockey experience with the plastic boards. Mr. Sorem replied that he did play hockey at Todd Park this past winter and he doesn't think the quality of the plastic boards is very good. The boards were warped after one year of use. After this past year the boards were starting to concave which would make the puck bounce off in all different directions as well as actually leave the rink, which could become a safety issue. Mr. Klus indicated that he doesn't have a problem if the boards are permanent or portable. He noted that he does think, however, that the hockey rink should stay there because of all of the reasons they've debated in the past. Mr. Klus stated that his biggest concern is when this was discussed a couple of years ago and a recommendation was made to the City Council and they really didn't look at the Park Board's recommendation. The City Council went on and did what they felt was best. He commented that he doesn't want to spend a lot of time debating this issue if it's going to the City Council and the City Council is going to decide again. Mr. Klus indicated that he thinks whatever recommendation the Park Board puts on the floor he would encourage that part of it state that if the City Council is not in agreement with this that they will send it back to the Park Board. If it means they have to hold a 2 special meeting to look at the concerns of the City Council and send a second recommendation back to the City Council. Mr. Klus stressed that he wants to make sure that the time they spend on this debate is worth their while do so. Ms. Sitek stated that she thinks the hockey rink needs to remain at Todd Park whether the boards are permanent or removable. Ms. Presthus commented that she also thinks there should be a hockey rink a Todd Park. She noted that she is familiar with removable boards and does know their limitations both for safety and quality. Mr. Finsness asked if it costs the same to set up and remove this portable rink compared to a removable rink why not remove a permanent kind of structure every year. Mr. Cockriel replied that if you compare their patented green wood boards to the plastic portable boards, the materials don't hold up on the plastic boards the way they do on the wooden boards. He explained that while the plastic one is a lesser quality to begin with it is made for ease of removal and to put back together. Mr. Cockriel pointed out that this particular plastic portable rink is really a permanent rink that has been rigged to be somewhat portable. Mr. Finsness asked Mr. Cockriel if he thinks his staff could rig a wooden one so that it could be removable. Mr. Cockriel replied that his staff would have to experiment with a little engineering to try and figure out something. He stated that they don't want to get into a situation where it's taking the same amount of time to put them up and take them down. In addition, year in and year out, the boards will need to be stored and they will take a beating. Mr. Klus asked what the useful life of the temporary boards versus the wooden boards. Mr. Cockriel replied that the wooden ones typically last at least 15 years. He noted that plastic ones will be gone within ten years. The boards are already noticeably warped, they already had issues with stress cracks and they've replaced a bolted stop sign. He stated that another problem with the one piece plastic boards is if you get a nick on the top that board is frozen in there for the winter and interlocked to a point where you can't take it out. He noted that on the permanent wooden boards they can be taken off and fixed within a half hour. Mr. Cockriel pointed out that you are going to have some replacement of the plastic boards each year. He noted that they've already replaced two different sections and currently have a third one that's beyond repair. Mr. O'Connell stated in his opinion the whole question has pretty much been covered for two years and the plastic boards have been what they expected, and it is ineffective use of the Park Department's employees time. He noted that he feels they should return the boards and discontinue their contract and replace the rink with a permanent structure. Mr. Damman stated that there definitely should be a public rink at Todd Park. He stated that if they do decide to put a hockey rink at Todd Park it definitely should have permanent boards. 3 Mr. Sorem indicated that Edina is a hockey based community and he thinks the • hockey rink should stay at Todd Park and should have the permanent wooden boards. He stated that during the summer the kids do play inside of the boards as Mr. Keprios previously mentioned. Ms. Nelson noted that she agrees, there should be permanent hockey rink at Todd Park. Mr. Fronek stated that he agrees there needs to be a hockey rink with permanent boards at Todd Park. However, if there is some way to make it less of an "eyesore" by putting in some landscape to sort of hide the rink from some of the neighboring houses it would probably be worth looking into. Mr. Klus indicated that he would like to hear more about staff designing some type of portable structure that they would be happy with putting in and taking out each year. Since they are obviously leaning towards some type of permanent structure it's important for the Park Board to hear about it. Mr. Cockriel replied that if they were to get stuck with the portable rink, then he would recommend that they try to design something different. However, whether they can design something that stands up and is safe and sturdy is yet to be seen. Mr. Finsness stated that he thinks they should keep the rink and send staff on a charge to give it their best shot at designing a wooden rink that is removable. He noted this would be a great solution, if it could be done, because he does think it's fair to the people to have some green space during the summer. He commented that he knows this may set precedent, however Todd Park is a little bit different compared to the other parks. Ray O'Connell MOVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO ELIMINATE THE PLASTIC BOARDS BY DISCONTINUING THE CONTRACT WITH THE ATHLETICA COMPANY FOR THE REMAINDER RECOVERY OF $10,900 WHICH IS DUE ON JULY 1, 2007, AND REPLACE IT WITH A PERMANENT STRUCTURE HOCKEY RINK. George Klus SECONDED THE MOTION. George Klus moved to propose an amendment to the motion to have staff look into and determine whether or not it could be possible to make a removable permanent structure. Mr. O'Connell replied he would like to change possible to feasible. The amendment would read: Have staff come back with a recommendation to the Park Board on whether or not it would be feasible to have wooden boards that could be removed each season. Mr. Klus stated that he would also like it added to the motion that it be brought back to the Park Board within a year to have a discussion about that for the future. Mr. Klus indicated that maybe this should be made a completely different motion. Ms. Presthus stated that they have discussed these options for a non -permanent rink and that is how they came up with the Athletica boards. She commented that they did 4 look at wooden portable boards but they weren't the same quality as the Athletica plastic boards. Ms. Presthus pointed out that all this is doing is pushing them back into the same discussion they had two years ago and ruled out. She stated that she doesn't know what has changed in the last two years to revisit it again. Mr. Keprios reminded the Park Board if they want Todd Park to have a removable board system it is staff's recommendation they make the investment and purchase the plastic boards they have been using. Mr. Klus called the question and asked Ms. Canton to read back the recorded motion: Ray O'Connell MOVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO ELIMINATE THE PLASTIC BOARDS BY DISCONTINUING THE CONTRACT WITH THE ATHLETICA COMPANY FOR THE REMAINDER RECOVERY OF $10,900 WHICH IS DUE ON JULY 1, 2007, AND REPLACE IT WITH A PERMANENT STRUCTURE HOCKEY RINK. Mr. O'Connell stated that he would prefer to leave the motion as it is. IN FAVOR: Howard Merriam, George Klus, Mike Damman, Linda Presthus, Karla Sitek, Carolyn Nelson, Jeff Sorem, Todd Fronek, Ray O'Connell OPPOSED: Andy Finsness ABSTAINED: Randy Meyer MOTION CARRIED. B. Edina Park Board Resolution for Support of Bicycling - Mr. Fronek stated the "Edina Park Board Resolution for Support of Bicycling" is fairly self-explanatory and basically puts the City and the Park Board on notice that they support bicycling and they support what the bike task force is trying to do as far as developing a comprehensive bicycle plan throughout the city. He explained that it's more of an instrument that they can send to the City Council and maybe encourage some of the other boards to pass similar resolutions in order to bring more awareness to biking and to encourage biking throughout the city. Todd Fronek MOVED TO APPROVE THE EDINA PARK BOARD RESOLUTION FOR SUPPORT OF BICYCLING. Mike Damman SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. III. OLD BUSINESS A. Athletic Facilities Fund Raiser Committee/Foundation — George - Mr. Klus informed the Park Board that they did have a good turnout at last month's meeting as well as they came up with a mission statement. He commented that he will have Mr. Keprios include it in the next Park Board packet. Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that this is not a school or city driven project. It is a grass roots effort from volunteers and residents within the community. 5 IV. PUBLIC COMMENT There was no public comment. V. UPDATES FROM STAFF A. Athletic Association Presidents Meeting — Mr. Keprios thanked Todd Fronek and Ray O'Connell for attending the meeting. He indicated that one item that was left undone from the Edina Youth Sports Task Force exercise was the insurance mandate question. Mr. Keprios pointed out that they have now come up with a recommendation from administration that they do have a minimum mandate along with a workers compensation mandate if they have employees. Mr. Keprios explained that he intends to draft a memo to provide that mandate to all of the athletic association presidents asking them to do their own analysis and their own research. He indicated that Andy Stotts, President of the Edina Soccer Association, has volunteered to coordinate a collaborative effort to kind of leverage the number to get a better premium and calculate what it would cost on a per participant basis in order to determine how much their registration fees may have to go up. B. Comprehensive Plan Update — Mr. Keprios explained that he would like for the Park Board, when they have time, to look over the Comprehensive Plan on a macro level to kind of get the grasp of the big picture; specifically the categories he has identified, and see if this is the direction they ought to be heading and the policies they ought to be adopting as they go down the road. He asked the Park Board that when they have any ideas or thoughts to send him an e-mail and he will collectively keep those and put them in the Park Board packet. He stated that it is a draft and is subject to change. Mr. Keprios indicated that the next step in the process will be to upgrade the guidelines and standards. C. 2007 Tree Planting Projects — Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board of the Arbor Day planting that will take place on Friday, April 27`h at 10:00 am on Edina Court. He also handed out the city forester's annual report. Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that Edina resident, Jeanne Hanson, recently was successful in acquiring a grant from the Minnehaha Watershed District to do some plantings at Pamela Park. He stated that they will be working with that group in trying to make that happen. Meeting adjourned at 8:50 pm. C� John 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: All Edina Youth Athletic Associations and Clubs From: John Keprios, Director CC: Ed MacHolda, Donna Tilsner and Edina Park Board Date: April 10, 2007 Re: Athletic Association Insurance As you may recall, the Edina Youth Sports Task Force recommended that the City of Edina consider minimum insurance mandates of youth athletic associations and clubs that use City of Edina's athletic fields and facilities. As you will notice in the attached letter, the Assistant to the City Manager, Ceil Smith, is recommending that the City mandate a minimum of $1,000,000 worth of General Liability insurance. She is also recommending that in the event there are employees of an athletic association, i.e. referees, umpires, instructors, etc., there should also be a requirement to. show evidence of Workers' Compensation Insurance coverage. The amount of the Workers' Compensation is determined by the amount of wages paid. At our March 27, 2007, all Presidents meeting, Andy Stotts, President of the Edina Soccer Association, volunteered to coordinate a collaborative effort with other youth athletic associations to leverage the best insurance premiums possible. Thank you Andy for your efforts! As I promised at the all Presidents meeting, it is my intention to have this item on the May 8 Park Board agenda for discussion. I encourage you to first research insurance coverage to meet this new mandate; calculate the amount of additional cost per participant due to this added expense; and how much you may have to increase your registration fees to cover this additional expense. I then encourage you to submit your comments to the Park Board by sending your comments to me in writing either by email or hard copy. My email address is Jkeprios0Dci.edina.mn.us. Lastly, if your association has strong feelings about this new mandate one way or another, I encourage you to attend the Tuesday, May 8th Park Board meeting, which begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers Edina City Hall. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 952-826-0430. Many thanks. PARK BOARD PARK ASSIGNMENTS (revised 5-3-07) NAME PARK 1 Mike Damman Birchcrest Park 2 Mike Damman Countryside Park 3 Mike Damman Garden Park 4 Mike Damman 5 Andrew Finsness 6 Andrew Finsness 7 Andrew Finsness 8 Andrew Finsness 9 Carolyn Nelson 10 Carolyn Nelson 11 Carolyn Nelson 12 Carolyn Nelson 13 Todd Fronek 14 Todd Fronek -15 Todd Fronek 16 Ray O'Connell 17 Ray O'Connell 18 Ray O'Connell 19 Randy Meyer 20 Randy Meyer 21 Randy Meyer 22 George Klus 23 George Klus 24 George Klus 25 Linda Presthus Tingdale Park Arden Park Chowen Park Cornelia School Park York Park Tupa Park Utley Park Wooddale Park Williams Park Arneson Acres Park Centennial Lakes Park Edinborough Park Fox Meadow Park Van Valkenburg Park Walnut Ridge Park Bredesen Park Heights Park Lewis Park Alden Park Highlands Park Todd Park Kojetin Park PARK ADDRESS 6016 Hansen Rd. 6240 Tracy Ave.So. 5520 Hansen Rd. 59th and Tingdale Ave. 5230 Minnehaha Blvd. 5700 Chowen Ave.So. 7142 Cornelia Dr. 5448 York Ave.So. 4918 Eden Ave. 501h and Wooddale Ave. Wooddale Ave. and 50th St. 50th St. and Browndale Ave. 4711 West 701h St. 7479 France Ave.So. 7700 York Ave.So. Blake Rd. and Fox Meadow Lane 4935 Lincoln Dr.So. 5801 Londonderry Rd. Vernon Ave. and Olinger Blvd. 5500 West 66th St. Cahill Rd. and Dewey Hill Rd. 6750 Belmore Lane 5200 Doncaster Way 4429 Vandervork Ave.So. 4201 West 44th St. 26 Linda Presthus McGuire Park 69th St. and McGuire Rd. 27 Linda Presthus Sherwood Park Sherwood and Edenmoor St. 28 Linda Presthus Weber Park 4115 Grimes Ave.So. NAME PARK PARK ADDRESS 29 Karla Sitek Rosland Park 4300 West 66th St. 30 Karla Sitek Strachauer Park 6200 Beard Ave. 31 Karla Sitek Yorktown Park 73rd St. and York Ave. 32 Howard Merriam Braemar Park Southwest corner of Edina 33 Howard Merriam Creek Valley Gleason Rd. and 64th St. 34 Howard Merriam Normandale Park 6501 Warren Ave.So. 35 Howard Merriam Browndale Park 4510 Browndale Ave. 36 Jeff Sorem Pamela Park 5900 Park Place 37 Jeff Sorem St. John's Park West 60th St. and St.John's Ave. 38 Jeff Sorem Lake Edina Park 4400 Parklawn Ave. 39 Jeff Sorem Melody Lake Park 5601 Melody Lake Dr. ® MISSION STATEMENT The Edina Athletic Facilities Foundation supports the youth and adult recreation needs in the Edina Community. This Organization, with the support of the Edina Community Foundation, works to secure donations to fund new developments and improvements to Edina's public athletic facilities. In cooperation with the Edina Athletic Associations and Clubs, School District, City of Edina and the community, we strive to provide premier recreation, training, and game facilities for the Community.