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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-02-14 Park Board Packet\t�('UHutUi'{trl fl� EDINA PARK BOARD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2006 7:00 P.M. COMMUNITY ROOM (Upper level) EDINA CITY HALL AGENDA *1. Approval of January 10, 2006, Park Board Minutes. *2. Election of Officers. *3. Off -Leash Dog Park — Van Valkenburg Park. 4. Needs Assessment Survey — Committee Report. 5. Updates. a. Gymnasium Construction. b. Edina Youth Sports Taskforce. c. Todd Park Hockey Rink. 6. Other. *7. Adjournment. *These are agenda items that require or request Park Board action. City Hall 4801 WEST 50TH STREET EDINA, MINNESOTA, 55424-1394 Park and Recreation Department www.cityofedina.com City of Edina 952-826-0367 FAX 952-826-0385 TTY 952-826-0379 Memo To: Edina Park Board. From: John Keprios, Directo Edina Park and Recreatio Department Date: February 6, 2006 Re: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2006, PARK BOARD MEETING STAFF REPORT. Enclosed you should find the following items: 1. Tuesday, January 10, 2006, Park Board Minutes. 2. Tuesday, February 14, 2006, Park Board Agenda. 3. Todd Park Hockey and General Skating Rink Concerns and Criteria to be Monitored. 4. May 17, 2005, Report/Recommendation to City Council on Off -Leash Dog Park Proposal. 5. Minutes from May 17, 2005, Council Meeting. The following is the monthly staff report concerning each item on the agenda with the exception of Approval of the Minutes and Other. "Other" is listed on the agenda for other information items (not requiring formal action); last minute items that may come up between now and the Park Board meeting, plus, cover any other concerns of Park Board members and/or attendees. PARK BOARD MEETING IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM EDINA CITY HALL 4801 WEST 50TH STREET The Tuesday, February 14, 2006, Park Board meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room at Edina City Hall. If you are unable to attend, please call either Office Coordinator, Janet Canton, at 826-0435 or me at 826-0430. ELECTION OF OFFICERS In February of each year, the Park Board self -elects a Chairman and Vice Chairman. At the beginning of the meeting, I will request nominations from the Park Board for Chairman. If there is more than one nomination, Janet Canton will pass around paper ballots for Park Board members to vote for their choice of Chairperson. The same process will then be used to elect a Vice Chairman. In the case of a tie, nominations for that position will reopen and the process will start over until a Chairman and Vice Chairman are chosen. The main duties of the Chairman are: 1. To work with staff in establishing an agenda prior to each meeting. 2. Chair the process of each Park Board meeting. (In other words, the Chairman provides leadership that keeps Park Board meetings orderly, democratic and encourages input from all Park Board members and guests). 3. Serve as spokesperson for the Park Board at City Council meetings and other public functions. 4. Assign Park Board related duties to Park Board members. The Vice Chairman is to carry out the duties of the Chairman in the absence of the Park Board Chairman. Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. OFF -LEASH DOG PARK - VAN VALKENBURG Staff is proposing to go forward with the off -leash dog park concept at Van Valkenburg Park by paying for approximately $11,000 worth of 48" fencing out of the Park Maintenance Department operating budget. As you may recall, in April of 2005 the Park Board approved the following motion: Todd Fronek MOVED TO APPROACH THE EDINA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ON GIVEN THAT WE CAN GET FUNDING WE WILL AGREE THAT WE WILL BUILD THE INTERIM OFF -LEASH DOG PARK AT VAN VALKENBURG PARK ON THE CONDITION THAT WE WILL MATCH IT. IF THEY CAN COME UP WITH $5,000 OR WHATEVER HALF IS THAT WE WOULD AGREE TO BUILD THE OFF -LEASH DOG PARK. Karla Sitek SECONDED THE MOTION. Mr. Keprios asked the Park Board if they want to address the non-resident issue now or is that a separate issue. Todd Fronek AMENDED HIS MOTION TO INCLUDE BOTH RESIDENTS AND NON- RESIDENTS, RESIDENTS PAYING A $25.00 FEE AND NON-RESIDENTS A $50.00 • FEE. Karla Sitek SECONDED THE AMENDMENT. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY I never received the $5,000 donation as promised from an Edina resident, which is why we did not complete the project in 2005. I recommend that we go forward with the off -leash dog park project at Van Valkenburg Park as proposed in 2005 except pay for the entire amount out of the Park Maintenance Department Professional Services budget account #1647; Paths and Hard Surfaces. That budget was increased from $61,800 in 2005 to $83,036 for 2006 to help pay for this fencing and attempt to catch up on repairs needed for hard surface areas, such as tennis courts, basketball courts, pathways, and parking lots. This particular fund is also used to cover maintenance of 23 playground sites, park lighting, picnic tables, fencing, bleachers, tables, chairs, park benches, signs and drinking fountains throughout Edina's 40 parks. I have also enclosed a copy of the Park Board's recommendation to the City Council from May of 2005 that was approved by City Council. The minutes of that council meeting are also enclosed. Arguably this agenda item may not need further approval; however, the funding source is different from the original request; plus, enough time has elapsed, that I want to ensure that the Park Board and Council are still supportive of the concept and timing of the project. Formal action is requested on this agenda item. NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY - COMMITTEE REPORT As discussed at the January Park Board meeting, staff is proposing to conduct a park and recreation department related community -wide needs assessment survey. Interested Park Board 2 members are invited to attend a meeting at 6:00 p.m. on February 14th to begin the dialogue about the process. Unfortunately, Decision Resources staff is unable to attend that evening but is planning to attend our next needs assessment committee meeting just prior to our March Park Board meeting. This committee will collectively give the Park Board a briefing on what was discussed and recommended for a process. The questions we will be addressing at our 6:00 p.m. meeting will include: 1. What are the key park and recreation issues in the community that the Park Board would like to have feedback from the greater community? 2. What process of community input is desired? 3. Who should serve on the needs assessment survey taskforce committee? 4. Should we solicit other consulting agencies in a formal RFP process to conduct the survey? There may be more questions at hand; however, if we can get our arms around those four, we will have accomplished a lot. No formal action is requested on this agenda item. ITPDATF.S Ed MacHolda, I and Youth Sports Taskforce/Park Board members will give the Park Board verbal updates on: A. Gymnasiums Construction. B. Youth Sports Taskforce. C. Todd Park Hockey Rink. No formal action is requested on this agenda item. OTHER This is also an opportunity for Park Board members and residents to address other concerns. EDINA PARK BOARD is TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2006 7:00 P.M. EDINA COMMUNITY ROOM EDINA CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Andy Finsness, Linda Presthus, Todd Fronek, Jeff Sorem, Mike Damman, George Klus, Gordon Roland MEMBERS ABSENT: Mike Weiss, Jeff Johnson, Karla Sitek, Ray O'Connell STAFF PRESENT: John Keprios, Ed MacHolda, Janet Canton OTHERS PRESENT: Dianne Plunkett Latham, Dan Latham, Suzanne Kerwin I. APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 7, 2005 PARK BOARD MINUTES Linda Presthus MOVED TO APPROVE THE NOVEMBER 7, 2005 PARK BOARD MINUTES. Mike Damman SECONDED THE MOTION. MINUTES APPROVED. II. INTRODUCTION OF NEW PARK BOARD MEMBER GORDON ROLAND Mr. Klus welcomed Gordon Roland, Park Board's new student member. Mr. Roland indicated that he is a junior at Edina High School and he has attended Edina public schools all of his life. He noted that he has participated in a wide variety of sports including soccer, football, hockey and lacrosse. He stated that he has probably used every park within Edina. Mr. Roland commented that he has been interested in getting into government and that is why he applied to be on the Park Board. III. EDINA LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS STUDY — SUZANNE KERWIN Suzanne Kerwin, a member of the League of Women Voters Edina, informed the Park Board that she is here regarding a study that the league is doing on volunteer boards and commissions in Edina. She noted that they are very interested in getting the Park Board's input for their study on boards and commissions. Ms. Kerwin stated that all Park Board members should have received a survey and asked that everyone please fill it out and added that the more that is written the better. Mr. Klus asked if they are going to see the results of the survey to which Ms. Kerwin replied that their study should be completed in the spring and as soon as they are able to they will share those results with the Park Board. Ms. Kerwin thanked everyone for their participation and time. IV. NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY Mr. Klus pointed out that one of the things that the Park Board has discussed off and on over the last year is to take a good look at their parks and try to come up with some long range planning with the residents for the parks. He noted that he feels having resident involvement is very important because he wants the residents to be sure that their interests are represented, they are being listened to and the needs of the park are being visited. Mr. Klus stated that in light of wanting to make sure that residents get involved he thinks they should split up the parks among the Park Board members and work with the people who live around the parks. Mr. Klus pointed out that there is a capital improvement plan that is approved every year for the parks; therefore, some planning has already been done. However, that plan is usually changed somewhat each year depending on what needs have changed. Mr. Klus again stated that he hopes each Park Board member will be able to have meetings with the residents who have some real interests. Mr. Klus suggested that three or four Park Board members who are not currently serving on the Youth Task Force Committee meet with staff and come back to next month's Park Board meeting with some recommendations on how you think the Park Board should proceed with the needs assessment survey. Mr. Keprios noted that he wishes to applaud and thank the City Council members for supporting the Park Board in going forward with the needs assessment survey. He commented that it is recommended by the National Recreation Park Association to assess the community and find out how they feel about their park system and programs at least once every five years. He stated that this is a great way to find out what the issues really are and have valid statistics confirming them. Mr. Keprios explained that the success in doing a needs assessment survey really depends on getting as much community input as possible at the front end and involve as many people as they physically have time for in an organized fashion. He stated that they are going to need to hire a consultant to help them through this process; however, it's going to take a lot of the Park Board's volunteer time to help staff in the process and come up with some ideas. Mr. Keprios pointed out there are different ways they can approach this. It can be done park by park or they could hold general public meetings. The important thing is to draw out and listen to the community, what are the key issues and needs that we are facing that are not currently being met. He commented that at the end of this they may find that there are only a couple of things where they really need to change their direction. He explained that the capital plan sets the direction, however, that is currently on more of a maintenance track. Mr. Keprios explained that a needs assessment survey is going to tell them what the community feels the issues are and with the consultant's help they will then be able to formulate the questions to then validate what kind of support there is in the whole 2 community for those perceived issues. He commented that even though they do evaluate their programs regularly it is important to do a community wide needs assessment. Ms. Presthus stated that she agrees it is important to assess the needs of the community, however, they need to remember if they talk to the people who live around the parks they may have very single issues. She noted that she feels what they need to look for when doing a needs assessment survey is to remember that this is a city with city parks and therefore we need to look at the overall picture. For example, they are not just looking at those 150 homes that surround Arden Park. They are looking for an overall picture of the direction they are going and the only way they can really do that accurately is by hiring a consultant. Ms. Presthus informed the Park Board that her background for 35 years in is market research and she knows that the upfront input from listening to what people have to say and then working with a consultant will turn the needs assessment survey into a genuine study that goes out to everyone and not just the people who live around the parks. Ms. Presthus suggested that they possibly look at having two different written surveys, a long form and a short form in order to get a genuine sampling. She stressed in her opinion they cannot have individual people talking to individual groups because there needs to be some component of continuity. She stated that unless there is a consultant who sits in on every meeting and takes notes then it really isn't valid research, it's just a bunch of ad hoc answers. Ms. Presthus noted that she has seen a lot of bad studies done. Mr. Fronek indicated that he would agree with Ms. Presthus in the sense that they do need to look at some of the broader things, however being a board like this it's easy to look at just the problem that's in front of them. Therefore, he feels that they need to come up with some overarching goals as well as decide what the Park Board should be involved in. Ms. Presthus replied that these overarching goals can guide the smaller minute problems so that they can point to the biggest goal and say this is what they are trying to achieve and therefore this is what lead them to make the smaller decision that's now in front of them. Mr. Finsness asked who came up with the amount of $19,000 and what does that pay for? Mr. Keprios replied that he was told by Decision Resources that a general needs assessment survey done by either phone or mail would cost approximately $16,000. He noted that he added on another $3,000 just in case they wanted to add some things to youth sports. Mr. Finsness asked if the City Council is recommending that the Park Board do a needs assessment survey. Mr. Keprios replied that it actually comes from him and the money for this is in their operating budget. Mr. Finsness asked how many people would be surveyed for $19,000 to which Mr. Keprios responded approximately 400 to 600 depending on whether it's done by phone or mail. Also, it will depend on what type of survey they want done to which the consultant will tell us based on the issues what the best method would be. Therefore, that's why they need a consultant at the table in order to be able to answer those questions. Mr. Finsness stated that he thinks this is important and absolutely should be done. Mr. Sorem indicated that he doesn't have a lot of experience working with surveys but • does feel that Ms. Presthus makes a very good point in that they need to look at what is best for the parks for the community as a whole and not just for those people who surround the park. Mr. Damman asked Mr. Klus if he is suggesting that they have an ad hoc committee as well as a consultant to go and talk to groups. Mr. Klus replied he would like to see a committee made up of a few Park Board members meet with staff and come up with a recommendation of how they see fit to move forward with the needs assessment survey. He noted that he would like for the committee and staff to have a recommendation ready by the February Park Board meeting. Ms. Presthus pointed out that the first thing that needs to be done is they need to write their objectives and what their expected outcome is. At that time a consultant then comes in to figure out the best way to go about it. Therefore, it's very important to actually write the objectives of why they are doing this. Ms. Presthus commented that she also thinks they need to look at what has been done in the past as well as who has done them because then they can compare what the read of the community was five years ago and see how the interest has changed over that time. She noted that there are a lot of different ways to go about this. Ms. Presthus asked Mr. Keprios if it would be possible for him to get copies of surveys that have been done in other community park and recreation departments to which Mr. Keprios replied yes, he can do that. Mr. Keprios commented that a consultant will also be able to help them and share data because they have done hundreds of surveys and can share of lot of what they have learned. Ms. Presthus asked if Decision Resources would be conducting the survey to which Mr. Keprios replied not necessarily, there are a lot of firms out there. Mr. Keprios commented that depending on how they go about doing the survey whether they address a master plan or strategic plan and do they want to measure customer satisfaction or have it be a management study. Mr. Fronek asked if the ad hoc committee would be able to decide that scope within the next month assuming there are all of these options. He noted that he would like to volunteer to be on the ad hoc committee to figure out the scope of what the needs assessment survey is. Mr. Roland stated that he thinks it's very important that they find out what needs to be done in the future. Also, it's very important that the survey is done right because it will set up a precedent for years to come. Therefore, he feels that resources from prior tests and other cities would be important in creating what kind of survey they want. Mr. Keprios commented that he thinks Mr. Roland could be a big help in finding out what's the right venue in getting input from students. Mr. Sorem indicated that he thinks they should do a two-part survey. He thinks that they should talk to the neighbors and ask about the little things such as where to put a swing set or if they need more garbage cans because they aren't going to get that information from a survey. He suggested that each Park Board member could take a park they live by or have an interest in and knock on a few doors and ask people what they would like to see in their parks. Mr. Sorem commented that the small things are important to a lot of the residents. Mr. Finsness noted that they would be looking at two separate surveys in 4 that one is random and the other is not. Mr. Sorem stated that it could almost be two separate parts because there really wouldn't be any extra cost to it other than the Park Board's volunteer time. Mr. Klus asked the Park Board members who would be interested in working on an ad hoc committee to help staff come up with a recommendation on what direction should be taken for the needs assessment survey. The following Park Board members volunteered to be on the committee: Andy Finsness, Linda Presthus, Todd Fronek, Mike Damman and Gordon Roland. George Klus MOVED TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE OF THE PARK BOARD TO MEET WITH STAFF AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AT THE NEXT PARK BOARD MEETING AS TO THE DIRECTION OF THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY. Todd Fronek MOVED. Jeff Sorem SECONDED THE MOTION. Diane Plunkett Latham, resident, informed the Park Board that the residents she has been talking to who live closest to the parks and use the parks the most feel that they are not being heard. She stated that if someone asked her what Weber Park looks like she could not tell you because she has never used it, however, there are other parks that she does use and does have very specific feelings about. Ms. Latham indicated that if the Park Board does go forward with a general survey, which has been done before, hopefully it will be more particular than the last survey. She commented that she does think the Park Board needs to talk to the residents by each specific park even though it may not be as important on the broad page but to the people who are using the parks the small things are important and that she feels there does need to be some sort of mechanism for hearing that. Ms. Presthus pointed out that Edina is designed in quadrants which are very easy to define and the way it is set up rarely do the people move across their quadrants to use the facilities on the other side. Therefore, maybe they should look at holding open forums to discuss issues in quadrants instead of individual parks which would cut down a little bit on the one on one. Mr. Keprios indicated that he thinks the whole process will be both very specific and very broad at the same time. He commented that there's no such thing as bad information so it would be great to hear from people even regarding the smallest things such as emptying a garbage can more frequently. Mr. Keprios stated that the key thing at the end of the survey is to identify what are the real issues of the community that we want to try to identify and validate. They are going to need to validate the issues that they feel they've identified through the public hearings, meetings, etc. Ms. Latham pointed out that she likes the idea of quadrants and feels that would be good particularly for the local parks. However, for regional parks such as Centennial Lakes and Bredesen Park people do cross over the quadrants and therefore she would suggest 5 that they designate public hearings for the regional parks where anyone could attend the meeting. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. V. 2006 PARK BOARD MEETING CALENDAR Mr. Klus informed the Park Board that they will only have meetings when they need to and pointed out there is no Park Board meeting scheduled for July because of the Braemar Inspection Tour. Todd Fronek MOVED TO APPROVE THE 2006 PARK BOARD MEETING CALENDAR. Mike Damman SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. VI. OUTDOOR HOCKEY RINKS Mr. Sorem indicated that he thought this would be a good time to discuss the outdoor hockey rinks in Edina. He noted that he thinks the Park Board needs to look at whether Edina has enough hockey rinks or are more needed. He commented that Todd Park will need to be looked at again in a couple of years and if they decide Todd Park is not working they will need to decide if they should put it at a different location or they may find they don't even need another rink. Mr. Sorem stated that, on a personal note, he has skated at the Todd Park hockey rink five times this year and the ice has been fantastic even with the bad weather. Mr. Sorem informed the Park Board that a resident who lives across the street from Todd Park approached him to let him know that he loves the rink and noted that he was one of the residents opposed to it. The resident told him that by having removable boards he thinks it's perfect. Mr. Sorem stated as far as Countryside Park's master plan they will need to decide in the future whether they want to put a hockey rink back there and if so would it be to replace the one taken out or would it be an additional hockey rink. He stressed that he really likes the idea of having a rink in Braemar's parking lot. Mr. Sorem noted that he would like to see the Park Board put a little bit of time and effort into talking with Mr. Thayer and staff about the possibilities of putting a rink there. He noted that he thinks it would be plenty big and if they were able to get a Zamboni out there the ice would definitely be good and therefore thinks it would be a great option to look into. Mr. Sorem indicated that he thinks they should also look into both portable and permanent refrigeration systems. He stated that he thinks people from EHA would pay for outdoor ice with a refrigeration system. Mr. Sorem stated this is not something that needs to be done right now but it is something to look at to be ahead of the curve. Mr. Klus indicated that he would hope that this is something they can discuss and somehow incorporate into the needs assessment as they move ahead. Mr. Klus pointed Gol out that supposedly there are two new ice rinks being added to the community by a private owner to which the first one was supposed to open this month. Mr. Keprios replied they have not yet begun construction. Mr. Keprios asked Ms. Presthus what it cost for St. Paul to put in their refrigeration system at the Landmark Center. Ms. Presthus replied they have been using temporary chillers but are now looking at turning that into a permanent facility. She explained that by permanent she means it would not be there year round but that the infrastructure would be there year round and that the chiller would then be moved to the basement of the Landmark Center. Ms. Presthus indicated that the grant she is currently writing is for putting in the chiller, boards, electrical, etc. and is for a little over $300,000 which does not include the maintenance of it. Mr. Keprios asked Ms. Presthus if they own the temporary system or are they leasing it. Ms. Presthus replied that currently they are renting the temporary system and noted that they are responsible for putting it in and taking it out. She added that the rink is open from November through February 12th. Mr. MacHolda asked what the charge is to use the rink to which Ms. Presthus indicated there is no charge. Mr. Keprios pointed out that they are on a two year track with the Todd Park venture and they will have to re-evaluate it in two years. He indicated that he has already been meeting with representatives from the neighborhood and has already come up with a whole list of questions that he would like for them to respond to. He noted that he is ® meeting with this group again in two weeks to go over some things and will also include some questions for EHA and the park users. Mr. Keprios stated that at the end of two years the question will become do you want a rink at Todd Park and if so, is it going to be permanent or portable. He added that in two years when they do make a recommendation to the City Council they need to be mindful that with the staff they currently have in place they cannot maintain any more than what they have. They would not be able to keep the one at Todd Park and put in hockey rinks at both Countryside Park and Braemar without adding more staff. Ms. Presthus explained that the rink at the Landmark Center in St. Paul is a public/private cooperative in that the city maintains it but it's being built by grants and private money. She noted that maybe they should consider looking at getting a corporate sponsor who wants to put money into it or write a grant so that the only responsibility the city would have would be to maintain it and run the other infrastructure. Mr. Klus commented that the feedback he has received is that the city isn't always excited about having corporate sponsors putting their names on things within the city. However, they do have a mechanism for fundraising in this community which is the Edina Foundation and they help enhance groups to do things on a bigger focus. Mr. Keprios reminded the Park Board that they did try to build a third rink at Braemar through a grant as well as offered naming rights and that didn't go anywhere. 7 Ms. Presthus informed the Park Board that she received an unsolicited comment from someone who was at Todd Park. The person indicated that there were a ton of people skating at Todd Park and with the lights it was an almost magical looking experience. Mr. Finsness asked what has been the general consensus regarding Todd Park to which Mr. Keprios replied that he is only hearing from the folks who are obviously opposed to it. Mr. Klus commented that it's the same people who are writing the same issues and the only thing that will make them happy is to get rid of the hockey rink. VII. UPDATES A. Potentially Proposed Building at Braemar - Mr. Klus informed the Park Board that a group of individuals in Edina is currently working with the city on looking at the possibility of putting up a 9 million dollar structure at Braemar Park. At this time the city is waiting to hear back from the group. Mr. Klus noted that this group is hoping to raise 3 million of it privately and finance 6 million. Mr. Keprios explained that the city has been in the discussion stage with this group for over a year. This group is proposing to take over the golf dome and convert it into a much larger dome to accommodate golf, soccer, football, and a whole variety of other things. Mr. Keprios indicated that staff has expressed to them that the facility may be too big and have a negative impact on the site. This group has been asked to scale it down and show them exactly what it is they are doing as well as who's going to use it, how often, what they would charge and how they are going to retire the debt service and secure the mortgage. Mr. Keprios commented that they have not come back with their answers but they definitely have generated excitement in the community. Mr. Klus noted that this group did want to come to the Park Board tonight to talk about this structure, however, he felt it was premature and that right now they need to work with the city and staff and when they come up with something more realistic, then bring it to the Park Board. B. Gymnasium Construction — Mr. MacHolda informed the Park Board that there was a Joint Powers Oversight Committee meeting this morning. He indicated that they went over the change orders which to date are approximately $81,000. He stated that they learned that substantial completion should take place the end of July which is right on schedule. Ms. Presthus asked what the status of the concession stand is to which Mr. MacHolda replied that it is part of the project and that the only item that is pending is the canopy. He noted that Council Member Scot Housh is very hopeful that the contingency fund will not be eaten up and that dollars will be available to put up a canopy. Mr. MacHolda pointed out that the concession stand is on the ECC site and not the South View site. C. Edina Youth Sports Taskforce — Mr. Klus thanked the Park Board members who attended the December Task Force meeting. He noted that he thought the forum went very well and felt that the people who were there were pleased they were able to give their input. He stated that the next Task Force meeting will be this Thursday and all of the athletic associations and clubs will be able to share their thoughts on this issue. Mr. Klus commented that a survey was sent out to each of the associations/clubs to which they received a lot of feedback and information. He indicated that their intent is to take all of the input they have received and at the end they will have another public session. He stated that in February they will come back with some recommendations to discuss. Mr. Klus noted that in March he hopes to have the final draft to bring to the Park Board for their approval and will then be sent on the City Council. He pointed out that there are great people working on this Task Force and he has been very pleased with the community's involvement. Mr. Finsness pointed out that it's incredible the amount of responses they received through e-mails. He noted that their biggest problem is probably going to be sifting through everything in order to get a sense of which way to go. Ms. Presthus commented that she thinks a lot of the people who spoke up really don't understand the purpose of this but rather want to discuss their little individual issues. Mr. Sorem indicated that he thinks this was the first chance for a lot of people to complain and get things off their chests because they've been asked their thoughts on these issues. Mr. Klus stated that at this point he would rather the Task Force listen to what the people have to say. Ms. Presthus replied that unfortunately what happens with something like that is that you hear more about the person complaining. She noted that you practically have to drag it out of the people who have had good experiences because they're happy and don't feel there is a real need for a Task Force. Mr. Klus explained that they don't want to hurt the great volunteer parents who run these associations/clubs because they don't want to make these volunteers think it's going to be a real problem to run the associations based on what they have been doing. He noted that they want to keep a good environment out there so parents continue to be involved and take leadership roles in the associations/clubs. He added that sometimes there is better leadership than others but that is part of the cycle. Mr. Sorem indicated that he feels if they pull back the reins too much that the program will essentially shut down. Ms. Presthus pointed out that they also have to watch that they don't bring the top down to the bottom because that is what some people want. Mr. Klus replied that sometimes he thinks that maybe they cut kids off too soon and they don't let them experience things. He noted that he really does think there are ways they can do that without hurting the top and that's something they will have to discuss very hard. One of the issues they are hearing is access to different levels of competition and he doesn't disagree with that. 6 Mr. MacHolda stated that he has a tough time with the word cut because he thinks that can be a misconception and that they should use the word placement instead because they really are two different things. He pointed out that he also thinks that a child is more likely to develop if they are at the appropriate level because pre -puberty and post -puberty can make a huge difference. Ms. Presthus commented that if there are ten players on a basketball team do you want to be the 10th player on the A team knowing you will get little playing time or do you want to be on the B team and play the whole time. It's really a matter of perception and how that child and parent feel. Mr. Keprios indicated that he thinks the timing is right to study this issue. He noted that it's an important issue and not just one for Edina. He added that a lot of people from other communities did attend the meeting. Mr. Keprios stated that at the end of this he hopes that the community will have an even greater appreciation for our volunteers and the process and checks and balances they already have in place. He commented that he thinks some of the associations feel a little underappreciated and he can understand that. He noted that he thinks once they get through all of the data that the Task Force and Park Board are going to learn that they really have a good system in place. Also, through the needs assessment survey could help to identify what the real issues are and what issues need to be fixed. Mr. Keprios commented that he thinks there are going to be better things in place when the Park Board has completed the mission. VIII. OTHER A. Blair Ransom - Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that he received a letter from Blair Ransom, the student member that came to their Park Board meeting and asked to play at Centennial Lakes. He noted that they were able to raise over $1,100.00 for the hurricane relief fund. B. Braemar Golf Course — Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that Braemar Golf Course will be hosting the National Wheelchair games this year. C. Cliff French — Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that there have been only four Edina Park and Recreation Directors since the Department was created. He noted that the first Park Director in Edina was Clifton E. French who went on to develop Hennepin Parks which is now known as Three Rivers District Park. He noted that Mr. French passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. IX. ADJOURNMENT Andy Finsness MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 8:40 PM. Todd Fronek SECONDED THE MOTION. MEETING ADJOURNED. 10 TODD PARK HOCKEY AND GENERAL SKATING RINK CONCERNS AND CRITERIA TO BE MONITORED Earlier this year, the Edina City Council voted to provide an outdoor hockey rink at Todd Park for the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 winter skating seasons with the caveat that the hockey rink boards must be removed in the spring and re -installed in the fall each year. The City Council has also directed staff to monitor the use of the Todd Park hockey rink over the next two years and complete an assessment by July 1, 2007, as to the appropriateness of continuing the hockey rink at that location. The City Council also directed staff to study Garden Park, Lewis Park, and other alternate sites and present the findings by July 1, 2007. The terms "appropriate and satisfactory" leave a'lot of subjectivity to the analysis and assessment of an outdoor hockey rink; however, I would like to believe that we all will play an important role in monitoring and judging the appropriateness of the hockey rink and its location. When I say "we," I mean for it to include residents, park users, the Edina Hockey Association, and staff. It is my wish that our meeting on November 30 will result in brainstorming constructive ideas that will help further identify the roles we can all play to assess the appropriateness of the hockey rink and its location. The following is a first draft attempt at how we, as staff, view our role in the process and • the list of criteria that we feel are important to measure and analyze. As you will notice, I am requesting and would appreciate your input on some of the data collection process, such as frequency of counts, location of parked cars, etc. USE The raw data on rink use will be compared with all other hockey rinks at the end of the two-year study. The data will be comparable because the collection frequency and methodology will be similar. The data can also be compared to previous year attendance records. Measure the scheduled use of the hockey rink by the Edina Hockey Association. (Data will be collected by part-time City staff. The same counting methods and frequency will be used at all other rinks). Measure the scheduled use of the hockey rink by groups other than the Edina Hockey Association. (Data will be collected by part-time City staff. The same counting methods and frequency will be used at all other rinks). Measure the non-scheduled use by the general public on both the hockey rink and general skating rink. (Data will be collected by part-time City staff. The same counting methods and frequency will be used at all other rinks). n U PARKING In my view, the traffic safety factor is an important concern. Measuring the change in traffic/pedestrian safety will be a challenge in that we do not have data from past years and I would appreciate committee input on methodology on this matter. • Measure the number of parked cars along Division Street and Vandervork Ave. (Data will be collected by part-time staff. Discuss frequency of car counts and their locations). QUALITY OF ICE There were residents concerned that it is not reasonable to assume that staff can develop and maintain quality outdoor skating ice at the Todd Park hockey rink site due to poor soil conditions. I suggest that we seek opinions from staff and ice rink users regarding ice quality. Are there others that should be consulted?; • Document maintenance staff's analysis of their own ability to maintain quality ice (Professional maintenance staff will provide their opinion regarding the feasibility of maintaining quality ice at that site location). • Gather and document hockey rink user opinion about quality of ice. (Discuss suggestions for collecting opinion data). PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY In my view, public opinion is another very important part of the assessment process in analyzing its success and appropriateness of location. I would recommend that public opinion surveys be drafted with input from concerned residents and facility users. It would be helpful to get community input on the questions that should be asked in the public opinion surveys to ensure that the survey appropriately addresses concerns of the residents and facility users. I would recommend that the Edina Park and Recreation Department create two surveys; one for local residents; and one for scheduled hockey rink users, such as, Edina Hockey Association coaches, parents, board members, and/or commissioners. I suspect that some of the issues of concern for residents would include aesthetics, noise nuisance, increased traffic levels, on -street parking nuisance, hockey rink lights nuisance, loss of open space, and general change of character for the park. Some residents may not be affected or offended by any of those issues and would prefer to have the hockey rink in their neighborhood park. For the local residents' public opinion survey, I would suggest we mail the survey in March of 2007 to all residents within approximately 1,000 feet of the park. I suggest asking the head of household their opinions on statements that can be ranked from strongly agree, or agree, or disagree, or strongly disagree, or no opinion; such as: Resident Public Opinion Survey • I prefer that the Todd Park hockey rink be removed permanently and located at a different Edina park site. • I like the addition of the Todd Park hockey rink. • I prefer that the hockey rink be a permanently installed wood structure similar to all other outdoor hockey rinks in Edina's parks. • I prefer that the Todd Park hockey rink continue to be removed at the end of each skating season. • I prefer the wood structure hockey board system over the plastic board system. • The new hockey rink lights are an unacceptable nuisance. • The new hockey rink generates noise that is at an unacceptable nuisance. • The additional traffic in the neighborhood as a result of the hockey rink is an unacceptable nuisance and/or unreasonable safety hazard. The additional on -street parking in the neighborhood as a result of the hockey rink is an unacceptable nuisance and/or unreasonable safety hazard. ip The hockey rink has significantly changed the aesthetic character of the park to an unacceptable level. - • The hockey rink has significantly changed my family's ability to use the park's open space to an unacceptable level. • If a permanently hockey rink were installed, it would significantly change my family's ability to use the park's open space to an unacceptable level. • One or more members of my family use the park more often during the winter months because of the addition of the hockey rink. • The addition of the Todd Park hockey rink has added value to the homes in the neighborhood. • The addition of the Todd Park hockey rink has negatively affected my property value. With input from the community, I believe we can come up with a very comprehensive list of statements to measure public opinion on a number of resident's concerns. I would greatly appreciate resident input on that process. The resident public opinion survey could also ask the responder to list the number of children in the household, the frequency of hockey rink use by family members, and household distance from the park. The survey could also request their input on any other concerns that have not been addressed in the survey statements and ask for any further suggestions that would help the City Council make well-informed decisions on this important issue. As mentioned earlier, part of staff's responsibility is to also analyze the appropriateness of the hockey rink and its location and study other potential alternate park sites. To measure the hockey rink's success and appropriateness of location with respect to scheduled uses, it seems to make sense to generate an opinion survey to be distributed to Edina Hockey Association parents, coaches, commissioners, and board members. With their help, I envision some of the statements, ranked similar to the above format, might include: Todd Park Hockey Rink Scheduled Rink User Opinion Survey • I prefer that the Todd Park hockey rink be removed permanently and located at a different Edina park site. • I like the addition of the Todd Park hockey rink. • I prefer that the hockey rink be a permanently installed wood structure similar to all other outdoor hockey rinks in Edina's parks. •. I like the plastic board hockey rink system. • The Todd Park hockey rink is too difficult to find. • I prefer to use other Edina outdoor hockey rinks rather than Todd Park. • The plastic hockey boards have a negative effect on the game of hockey. • I don't care that Todd Park has a hockey rink or not. • I prefer having the hockey rink at Todd Park as opposed to Countryside Park. • The on -street parking scenario at Todd Park is unacceptable. • The on -street parking scenario at Todd Park is unsafe. • The on -street parking scenario at 'Todd Park is too inconvenient. e ' The quality of skating ice at Todd Park is excellent. • The larger park shelter building at Todd Park is a significant improvement and attraction compared to the Countryside Park shelter building. • The location of the eleventh outdoor hockey rink is not an issue. • I would not mind having the hockey rink placed back at Countryside Park and not having one at Todd Park. Other questions could be drawn to ask the responder which location they would prefer there be a hockey rink if Todd Park no longer had a hockey rink. Open-ended questions could ask what makes one outdoor hockey rink more desirable than another; and what are in your opinion the most desirable site locations. STUDY OF ALTERNATE LOCATIONS As directed by the City Council, staff will spend some time reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of alternate park locations to place an outdoor hockey rink. As we look at alternate locations, we will analyze the following: • Availability of off-street parking. • Close proximately of residential homes. • Ability to maintain quality ice at that site. • Displacement of other existing recreational opportunities and/or other park functions. • Desire (public opinion) of the neighborhood to welcome a hockey rink to that location. • Access to a park shelter building with restroom facilities. • Ability to place an appropriate size rink in the proper north/south orientation. • Current need for scheduled outdoor hockey rink use. • Access to fire hydrant for making ice. • Access for maintenance equipment. • General impact on the character and aesthetics of the park. Thank you for your input, it is greatly appreciated. • Memo To: Mayor Hovland and Vince Cockriel. From: John Keprios, Director Cc: Gordon Hughes, City Manager. Date: February 14, 20066 Re: Site visit to hockey rinks. This is a recap of the site visits that Mayor Hovland, Vince Cockriel, and I took on Friday, February 3, 2006, to view the different hockey rink lighting levels at three different outdoor hockey rinks. TODD PARK At 6:15 a.m. on February 3rd, we started the site visit at Todd Park. Vince Cockriel took a light meter reading in the front yard of the closest house to the west of the Todd Park hockey rink. The meter read .004. After all four hockey rink lights were turned on and, the light level was measured again at the exact same location in the neighbor's front yard. The light meter again read .004. The other light level readings taken at Todd Park with the lights on were: Southwest corner of hockey rink 54.1 Southeast comer of hockey rink 2.2 Center of hockey rink 8.1 General rink .005 9 Page 1 HIGHLANDS PARK At 6:30 a.m., we arrived at Highlands Park and recorded the following light meter readings with all rink lights turned on: Southeast corner of hockey rink 73.9 Center of hockey rink 14.4 General rink 1.7 Neighbor's side yard property line 1.7 The neighbor's side yard property line was not measured prior to turning on the lights. WALNUT RIDGE PARK At 6:45 a.m., we arrived at Walnut Ridge Park and recorded the following light meter readings with all the rink lights turned on: Southeast corner of hockey rink 9.3 Northwest corner of hockey rink 25.8 Center of hockey rink 9.7 General rink 3.4 Walnut Ridge Park hockey rink lights have a six -pole system with lights at a height of only about 15 feet, which cause more spill than the two -pole system that has light fixtures at approximately 45 feet. The taller two -pole system used at Highlands Park and Todd Park allow light fixtures to be pointed more directly toward the ground rather than at an angle required if they were set at only 15 feet off the ground. It was noted that the six -pole system at Walnut Ridge Park would not be a good alternative for Todd Park due to the excessive spill and glare. It was also noted that only four of the eight light fixtures are being used at Todd Park (two on each pole). Visors and concentric deflectors were installed on those four light fixtures at Todd Park the week of January 23, 2006. Only two light fixtures on the south light pole are used during the early morning rink maintenance period. 2 0 Page REPORT/RECOMMENDATION To: Mayor Hovland and members of Agenda Item V. D. the Edina City Council. From: John Keprios, Director Consent ❑ ❑ Park & Recreation Department Information Only Date: May 17, 2005 Mgr. Recommends ❑ To HRA ❑ To Council ❑ Subject: Off -Leash Dog Park Proposal - Motion Van Valkenburg Park. ❑ Resolution ❑ Ordinance ❑ Discussion RECOMMENDATION: The Park Board recommends that a portion of Van Valkenburg Park be developed into an off -leash dog park. The Park Board also recommends an annual user fee of $25 for residents and $50 for non-residents. INFO/BACKGROUND: At the April 12, 2005, Park Board meeting, a motion was made and passed unanimously to build an interim off -leash dog park at Van Valkenburg Park contingent upon 50% of the funding coming from donations via the Edina Community Foundation. The motion also included a recommendation that there would be an annual user fee of $25 per year for residents and $50 per year for non-residents. Since that Park Board meeting, I have received a verbal commitment from a dog owner proponent of the concept who is willing to donate $5,000 towards the fencing expenses. The current donations policy requires a minimum $5,000 donation to receive a permanent recognition plaque at the site. We have currently secured two bids for purchase and installation of fencing needed to create the off -leash dog park. We are expecting a third quote within the next few days. We anticipate that the lowest bid will be under $9,100 total, which means that the Edina Park Maintenance Department budget would have to fund a maximum of $4,100 out of our operating budget to cover the cost of fencing and installation. Attached to this report is a copy of the Off -Leash Dog Area Feasibility Study done by Ingraham & Associates back on April 3, 2001. The study identified four areas as potential off -leash dog park areas. The Braemar Park site is not longer an option due to the development of the South Metro Training Facility. The Edina Lacrosse Association now heavily uses the Walnut Ridge Park site as an athletic field. The only remaining two sites in his study are Creek Valley Park and Van Valkenburg Park. The Minneapolis Water Works Department site near- Weber Park is still not an option because the City of Minneapolis continues to be unwilling to enter into an agreement to use the property for that purpose at this time. According to Animal Control Officer, Timothy Hunter, there are 1,574 known households with dogs, and 1,765 registered dogs in the city, 549 of which are in the northwest quadrant where Van Valkenburg Park is located. Based on national statistics, Mr. Hunter suspects that Edina may have as many as 7,000 to 8,000 dogs in Edina households. The Park Board has been working hard for the past five years to find a suitable off -leash dog park location that best serves the community. Based on community input and observation over the past several years, the Park Board and Animal Control Officer and staff believe that the time is right to offer this service. is This concept and proposal is similar to a very successful off -leash dog park recently established in St. Louis Park at their Bass Lake Preserve location. In their first year of operation, they sold 133 permits and have had very few minor problems. Dog owners will be required to pick-up and properly dispose of their dog's feces. Off -leash dog permits will also require that the dog be properly licensed as required by ordinance. There will be a sign that displays the off -leash dog park site rules, which would include: No person may bring into the off -leash area site: • A dangerous dog. • A female dog in heat. • More than three dogs at one time. • A dog that is not wearing tags showing that it is currently registered and vaccinated in compliance with Edina City Code. Any person who brings a dog into the off -leash area site shall: • Carry materials for removing and disposing of dog excreta and remove all excreta deposited by the dog in the off -leash site. • Lead the dog on a leash and retain the dog in custody when entering and exiting the off -leash site. • Keep the dog under visual and voice control at all times while in the off - leash site. • Fill any hole that the dog digs in the off -leash site. • Remove the dog from the off -leash site at the first sign of aggression. • The Park Board recommends using the Van Valkenburg Park site as identified by the consultant as an interim off -leash dog park location contingent upon donations to match or exceed 50% of the total cost of fencing; and recommends charging an annual user fee of $25 for residents and $50 for non-residents. The Park Board prefers to designate this proposal as an interim site with the understanding that it is a pilot project. The Park Board wants to reserve the right to discontinue the park's use as an off -leash dog if, for whatever reason, the initiative is not successful at that site. With assistance from the Edina Police and Animal Control Officer, staff will continually evaluate the park use and make recommendations to the Park Board on an annual basis. The intent is to consider this an interim site each year for the next two or three years, after which point it will no longer be considered an interim site. If approved by Council, this will require a change in the existing Ordinance, which currently does not permit dogs to be off leash in Edina parks. The revised Ordinance would then be placed on the June 7, 2005, Council agenda for consideration. If approved by Council, staff will submit a purchase order request for fencing and appropriate signage. As soon as the park is in place, annual passes will go on sale and could be purchased online, by mail, or at City Hall. OFF -LEASH DOG PARK PROPOSAL AT VAN VALKENBURG PARK PRESENTED Director Keprios explained at the April 12, 2005, Park Board meeting, a motion was made and passed unanimously to build an interim off -leash dog park at Van Valkenburg Park contingent upon 50% of the funding coming from donations from the Edina Community Foundation. The motion also recommended a $25.00 annual user fee for residents and $50.00 per year for non-residents. Mr. Keprios said he received a verbal commitment from a dog owner who was a proponent of the project who was willing to donate $5,000 towards the expense of fencing the park. The current donations policy requires a minimum donation of $5,000 to have a recognition plaque affixed at the site. Currently two bids have been received for fencing installation with the expectation of receiving one more bid. It was anticipated that the cost of fencing would be approximately $10,000 for the park, which would require additional funds to be expended from the Park Maintenance Department budget. No person would be allowed to bring into the off -leash area a dangerous dog, a female dog in heat, more than three dogs at a time or a dog that was not wearing tags showing that it was currently licensed and vaccinated. Any person with a dog in the park must carry materials for removing and disposing of dog excreta, lead the animal on a leash when entering and exiting the area, keep the dog under visual and voice control at all times, fill in any hole dug by the dog and remove the dog from the site at the first sign of aggression. Mr. Keprios indicated the existing ordinance, which currently does not permit dogs to be off -leash in Edina parks would be revised and placed on the June 7, 2005, Council Agenda for consideration. If approved, staff would submit a purchase order request for fencing and appropriate signage. When the park was finished, annual passes would go on sale and could be purchased online, by mail or at City Hall. The Park Board recommended a portion of Van Valkenburg Park be developed into an off -leash dog park and recommends annual user fees of $25.00 for residents and $50.00 for non-residents. Member Masica questioned what the actual acreage of the site is. Mr. Keprios said the area to be fenced would be 1.7 acres. Ms. Masica asked if there was a firm commitment for the $5,000 donation. Mr. Keprios responded a verbal commitment has been received. Ms. Masica asked what the maintenance costs would be on the park. Mr. Keprios said maintenance should be at a minimum but could require some additional law-enforcement dollars. Member Hulbert asked if the grass in the park would survive. Mr. Keprios said that was an unknown. Tim Hunter, Animal Control Officer, said he would educate persons using the park about licensing and registering their dogs. He has not settled upon the type of identification method the dog would need in order to use the park. Mr. Hunter suggested the fee would be on a per dog basis because of wear and tear on enforcement at this park. Mayor Hovland asked what type of enforcement would be used at the park. Mr. Hunter said while it was assumed that the park, like parks in other communities, would be self -policing, initially there would be more focus on the park. Member Hulbert asked if a four -foot fence was adequate. Mr. Keprios said that was the standard height typically used in off -leash parks. Member Swenson moved approval of an off -leash dog park on an interim basis at Van Valkenburg Park with an annual fee of $25.00 for residents and $50.00 for non-residents. Member Masica seconded the motion. Ayes: Hulbert, Masica, Swenson, Hovland Motion carried.