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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-04-13 Park Board PacketEDINA PARK BOARD TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2004 7:00 P.M. COMMUNITY ROOM EDINA CITY HALL AGENDA * 1. Approval of Tuesday, March 9, 2004, Park Board Minutes. 2. Buckthorn Control Master Plan. *3. Saturday Evening Rentals — Edinborough Park. *4. Wine Proposal — Braemar Golf Course. 5. Facilities Study Committee Report (Gymnasiums and Dome). 6. Updates. A. Tri -City Skate Park Concessions Building. B. Athletic Association Presidents Meeting. 7. Other. 8. 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, Director Edina Park and Recreation Department Date: April 8, 2004 Re: TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2004, PARK BOARD MEETING STAFF REPORT. Enclosed you should find the following items: 1. Tuesday, April 13, 2004, Park Board Agenda. 2. Tuesday, March 9, 2004, Park Board Minutes. 3. Saturday Evening Rentals at Edinborough Park Memo from Tom Shirley. 4. A Proposal for Wine by the Glass at Braemar, by John Valliere, Todd Anderson and Amy Smith. 5. Letter from LuAnn Tolliver. 6. "A Strong Foundation," Article by Michael Popke. 7. Sun Newspaper Articles On Recreational Facilities. 8. Edina Lions Club Letter from Dick Johnson. 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. PARKBOARD MEETINGAT COMMUNITYROOM, CITYHALL The Tuesday, April 13, 2004, Park Board meeting will be at 7:00 p.m., in the Community Room at the new City Hall. If you are unable to attend, please call either Office Coordinator, Janet Canton, at 826-0435 or me at 826- 0430. BUCKTHORN CONTROL MASTER PLAN In response to the "Proposal for A Buckthorn Abatement Program in Edina Parks" as submitted by the League of Women Voters of Edina and the Edina Garden Council, I have consulted with staff and have the following comments and recommendations. The items in bold type are the proposed plans of action as shown in their buckthorn proposal of 3-9-04. 1. ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE FOR CUTTING AND TREATING BUCKTHORN STUMPS ON ALL CITY PROPERTY. My response to this action item is that our intent is to develop a master plan to manage the city's parklands that are infested with buckthorn. The master plan will propose a reasonable schedule that will utilize a variety of methods, such as, weed wrenches, painting stumps, hand pulling, machinery, controlled burns, and whatever other effective, efficient and environmentally friendly methods. 2. ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE FOR TREATING BUCKTHORN SEEDLINGS SUBSEQUENT TO CUTTING BUCKTHORN TREES. It is our position that no one singular method should be used in every situation to control seedling germination and growth. In some cases, we may find it more appropriate to do control burns. In some areas it may be more prudent to use a mulching technique. I stand by the position that we should not be adopting a management plan that calls for broadcast application of herbicides year after year to manage our woodlands. In most cases it would be better for the environment to let nature take its course. I support the approach of spot spraying stumps; however, I oppose broadcast spraying herbicides throughout our woodlands. I believe that there are still unknown hazards to desirable trees, other plant life, and the potential for ground water contamination that are too big of a health and environmental risk to adopt a broadcast spray policy approach to managing buckthorn seedlings at this time. I am not yet convinced that prolonged use of herbicides throughout our forests does not pose a health or environmental hazard. 3. ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO REFOREST CITY PARKS FROM WHICH BUCKTHORN HAS BEEN REMOVED, BY REPLANTING WITH NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS AND WILDFLOWERS. It is my hope that our master plan that will be presented to the Park Board for approval will include recommendations for reforestation where needed. I disagree that only "native trees, shrubs and wildflowers" should be considered. There are a large number of non-native species that are very appropriate and legal to plant on public land. My staff and I agree that we should not "over -manage nature." In other words, it is unrealistic to think that we will rid Edina of all buckthorn and forever continue to manipulate our woodlands into something other than what nature chooses to provide. This would be in my view an unrealistic approach to managing our woodlands. In some cases, it would be very appropriate to plant grasses, shrubs, trees, and/or wildflowers to deter the spread of buckthorn. As Eric Zenner from the University of Minnesota suggested, we need to first determine what we want our parks to look like and then adopt a management plan that can realistically afford to accomplish that plan. Not all non-native plant species are undesirable in parks. 4. ESTABLISH AN ADOPT -A -WOODLAND PROGRAM. I do not support this concept. In my view, it would be unwise to hand over the control of our forests to volunteers. As I state in #5 below, I support the use of volunteers in a case by case basis; however, I do not support the concept of giving volunteers the authority to cut down non-native invasive species at will throughout our parks. In my view, it opens the door to too many problems, the main one being lack of controls. We must be mindful that not everyone shares the same view on buckthorn removal. For example, there are those who would prefer to leave buckthorn in place when it is the only buffer between their property and parkland. The other problem is that an Adopt -A -Woodland Program could potentially require significantly more staff time that we cannot afford and simply don't have. 2 5. ESTABLISH A PROGRAM WHEREBY RESIDENTS WILLING TO CUT BUCKTHORN AND TREAT THE STUMPS ON CITY PROPERTY CAN CALL THE CITY, RECEIVE APPROVAL, RECEIVE A DATE ON WHICH THEY CAN CUT AND TREAT THE BUCKTHORN, AND RECEIVE AN APPROXIMATE DATE ON WHICH THE CITY CAN PICK UP THE BUCKTHORN BRUSH IF IT IS TO BE REMOVED. I support this effort. In fact, we have in many cases in the past worked closely with volunteers to remove and treat buckthorn on city property. This practice is encouraged on a case-by-case basis so that we maintain control as to what gets cut down and what gets left in place. Volunteers are a tremendous resource and asset to the community and park system. We applaud those volunteers and encourage the practice with our direct supervision. 6. ADD INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S POLICY AND PROCEDURES ON BUCKTHORN CONTROL TO THE CITY'S WEB SITE. I fully support the recommendation to do our part to educate the public about buckthorn. Our City Forester is currently working with Communications Coordinator, Jennifer Bennerotte, to include a new section on buckthorn. It is our goal to have a new section of the city's web page in place before June 1, 2004. When staff time permits, other appropriate forms of publicity available to us, such as, About Town, Sun Current Newspaper, Water Bills, will be used to educate the public about buckthorn and ongoing programs. 7. PURCHASE SEVERAL ROOT TALON TOOLS, WHICH RESIDENTS CAN BORROW FOR PERSONAL USE. This proposal has already been accepted and accomplished. In fact, we have found that the six root talons that we purchased are not the tools of choice for residents or staff. We currently have six root talons and are rarely used. Weed wrenches are the preferred tool to remove smaller buckthorn trees. We do not intend to purchase any more root talon tools unless the demand changes. 8. PROVIDE TWO WEEKENDS PER YEAR DURING WHICH RESIDENTS CAN DUMP BUCKTHORN AT A CITY TREE DUMP. This proposal has already been accepted and scheduled. Vince Cockriel has scheduled October 23-24, 2004, and October 30-31, 2004, as the two weekends that Edina residents may bring their buckthorn waste wood to the city tree dump. These dump sites will require staff supervision at all times to ensure that commercial haulers and non-residents do not use the sites. 9. ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE WHEREBY BUCKTHORN AND OTHER WASTE WOOD CAN BE SOTRED/CURED AND THEN BE TAKEN TO/PICKED UP BY ST. PAUL DISTRICT ENERGY FOR THE BIOMASS PLANT. Staff supports this approach to dealing with buckthorn waste wood product. Vince Cockriel has again been in contact with St. Paul District Energy to arrange for delivery of buckthorn waste; however, nothing has been resolved as of yet. St. Paul District Energy is not willing to make any commitments at this time. n U 10. AT EACH PARK AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING, REPORT ON THE AREAS CLEARED OF BUCKTHORN DURING THE PREVIOUS MONTH, AND THE AREAS SCHEDULED TO BE CLEARED IN THE NEXT MONTH. Being that there are really only two times during a calendar year that buckthorn should be removed (spring and fall), I would recommend that the Park Board have a "Buckthorn Update" on their agenda twice a year. 11. WHEN THE BUDGET PERMITS, HIRE A FULL-TIME PROACTIVE FORESTER TO COORDINATE AN INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL PROGRAM. The Park Board rejected this particular recommendation at the November 2002 Park Board meeting. We currently have a part-time Forester who has long been proactive in managing buckthorn long before the League of Women Voters and Edina Garden Council chose to become actively involved and interested in buckthorn. If the Edina Park Board and City Council choose a path that makes buckthorn removal a higher priority than what we can accomplish with current staffing levels, then I would support the request for more funding for additional staff time to accomplish that goal. In my view, we currently have dedicated, educated, and proactive personnel on staff that can meet our residents' expectations. Closing Comments The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Edina City Council have now approved my request for a $5,000 grant to study our high priority buckthorn infested park areas, establish a priority management plan, and provide an estimate of expenses and resources needed to accomplish the plan in each area. I am reluctant at this time to make any further recommendations for funding or staffing until we adopt a master plan. It is also worthy of mentioning that the Sentence To Serve (prisoner labor) program now charges and hourly wage for their labor. It will no longer be free as stated in the proposal. In fact, the Minnesota Tree Trust organization now charges for their services for the first time in history (a State subsidized youth labor agency that Edina has used for many years). Please know that all park and recreation department staff encourages volunteer involvement to help us control buckthorn. As we begin to develop a master plan, I believe strongly that it is imperative that we maintain control of how you want to manage your forests and parklands and not hand that over to volunteers. My staff and I agree that it is important to approach buckthorn and other invasive species control with a mindset that we should let nature take its course whenever possible. I don't believe it is realistic to assume that we can or should manipulate all of our forests to look a certain way. I look forward to working with staff and our consultant to establish a proactive master plan that meets your expectations. In my view, the majority of my recommendations (my reactions to "The Proposal") are management decisions, as opposed to policy decisions for the Park Board to decide. Some policy matters, such as starting An Adopt -A -Woodland Program or requesting additional funding for more staff and/or resources 0 due to a change in maintenance priority or policy are matters for the Park Board to discuss and forward to the City Council. My recommendations above do not suggest a change in policy or priority at this time. Therefore, unless the Park Board has a different view or a recommendation for a change in policy, I don't believe that any formal Park Board action is needed on this agenda item. As always, my staff and I are always open to comments and suggestions to our management plans. Your suggestions are welcomed. Formal Park Board action is not requested on this agenda item. SATURDAY EVENING RENTALS - EDINBOROUGH PARK Tom Shirley's March 11, 2004, memo does an excellent job outlining this proposal. In summary, I support this proposal for these reasons: • I support the public park concept (vs. privatization) of a public park whenever it is financially prudent. • Due to Adventure Peak's financial success, I believe that there will be a minimal net loss of revenue to close Saturday rentals during the winter months. • This approach will be welcomed and appreciated by Hotel guests and Park Plaza residents at Edinborough. • This may reduce over -crowding of Adventure Peak by offering more opportunities. • If we later find that the benefits do not out -weigh the negatives, we can always go back to Saturday evening rentals in the winter months. I recommend that the Park Board approve Tom Shirley's proposal to eliminate Saturday evening rentals during the winter months. Formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. WINE PROPOSAL - BRAEMAR GOLF COURSE Enclosed is a copy of "A Proposal for Wine by the Glass at Braemar," which is drafted by John Valliere, General Manager of Braemar Golf Course, Todd Anderson, Assistant Manager of Braemar Golf Course, and Amy Smith, Clubhouse Manager of Braemar Golf Course. The proposal does an excellent job explaining the benefits, costs, and requirements needed to sell wine by the glass at Braemar Golf Course. As stated in the proposal, Braemar has served 3.2 beer by the drink for 40 years and the successful food and beverage operation at Braemar has grown each year. I agree with the proposal that now is the time to offer our customers an opportunity to purchase wine by the drink, as well as, serve strong beer. According to my staff, our customers have been requesting this service for several years. I support my staff's recommendation to grant Braemar Golf Course permission to attain a wine license to sell wine by the glass, as well as, the opportunity to sell strong beer. I also support the expenditure request to purchase needed equipment to store and dispense wine by the drink. Funding for the needed equipment will come out of Braemar Golf Course operating funds. Formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. 5 FACILITIES STUDY COMMITTEE I will again give a brief presentation on the latest developments regarding building a dome in the city of Edina. City Manager, Gordon Hughes, and I recently met with Ken Dragseth, Superintendent of Edina Public Schools, and Steve Dove, Athletic Director, and Jay Willemssen, Business Director, to discuss the possibility of a partnership in building a dome on school district property. I will give the Park Board a verbal report of that meeting. The concept of building gymnasiums on YMCA property in Edina is no longer an option. The YMCA has decided not to pursue that opportunity. The development of gymnasiums at the church -owned property at the 7300 Bush Lake Road facility is still in the discussion stage; however, I am told that talks have slowed. I also understand that the Edina School District is no longer interested in adding any more gymnasiums to school property. No formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. UPDATES I will give the Park and update on the concessions building project for the YMCA Tri -City Skate Park. I will also give an update on an upcoming meeting with Athletic Association Presidents. OTHER This is an opportunity for Park Board members and residents to address other concerns. on EDINA PARK BOARD 7:00 P.M. BRAEMAR GOLF COURSE MARCH 9, 2004 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mike Damman, George Klus, Linda Presthus, Karla Sitek, Allyson Grande, Jeff Sorem, Alice Hulbert, Jeff Johnson, Andy Finsness, Floyd Grabiel, Mike Weiss STAFF PRESENT: John Keprios, Ed MacHolda, Janet Canton, Vince Cockriel, Tom Horwath, John Valliere OTHERS PRESENT: Dianne Plunkett Latham, Jack Keegan, Baba Honmyhr, Sue Simonton, Arden Aanestad, Tom Christiansen, Sue Christiansen, Barbara Nazarian, Jim Villas, Jane Moran, Marty Rice, Jean White, Marcia Akins, Ed Janiga, John Flynn, Jim Woodburn, Russell Darlene Kimmel, Idelle Longman I. APPROVAL OF THE TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2004 PARK BOARD MINUTES Jeff Johnson MOVED TO APPROVE THE JANUARY 13, 2004 PARK BOARD MINUTES. Andy Finsness SECONDED THE MOTION. MINUTES APPROVED. II. WELCOME NEW PARK BOARD MEMBERS, ALICE HULBERT AND JEFF SOREM Mr. Klus welcomed the new two Park Board members: Jeff Sorem and Alice Hulbert. Mr. Sorem informed the Park Board that he grew up in Edina and graduated from Edina High School in 1992. He noted that he went to college on the East coast and then went to Germany where he played hockey for a year. He also added that he has coached youth hockey in Edina. Mr. Sorem commented that on Thursday he and his wife had their first child, a baby boy. Ms. Hulbert indicated that she has lived in Edina for the past 22 years and noted that she has four children from ages 12 to 20. Ms. Hulbert commented that all of her children have been involved in the park and recreation programs and noted that she is very excited to be on the Park Board. III. AQUATIC CENTER/PARK MAINTENANCE POSITION — ED MACHOLDA Mr. MacHolda indicated that they interviewed approximately 10 candidates for the new position, which is a shared position between the Aquatic Center and park maintenance. He noted that they offered the position to Justin Simonson who will begin on Monday, February 15th. He stated that Mr. Simonson will work approximately two to three weeks with the Park Maintenance Department and in early April will shift over to the Edina Aquatic Center. He noted that Mr. Simonson would return to the Park Maintenance Department the first week of September. IV. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Mr. Keprios opened up the floor for nominations for Chair of the Park Board. Floyd Grabiel MOVED TO NOMINATE GEORGE KLUS. Linda Presthus SECONDED THE MOTION. Jeff Johnson MOVED TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS. Karla Sitek SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY TO VOTE FOR GEORGE KLUS AS CHAIR OF THE PARK BOARD. Mr. Keprios opened up the floor for nominations for Vice Chair of the Park Board. Floyd Grabiel MOVED TO NOMINATE ANDY FINSNESS AS VICE -CHAIR OF THE PARK BOARD. Mike Damman SECONDED THE MOTION. Karla Sitek MOVED TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS. Linda Presthus SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY TO VOTE FOR ANDY FINSNESS AS VICE - CHAIR OF THE PARK BOARD. V. BUCKTHORN PRESENTATION — DIANE PLUNKETT LATHAM Mr. Klus introduced John Flynn and Jim Woodburn who are members of the Deephaven Park Board and noted that they are here tonight to observe the Edina Park Board meeting. Mr. Flynn commented that Edina always does things so well that they thought they would come and learn from Edina. Mr. Woodburn thanked the Park Board for their hospitality. Diane Plunkett Latham indicated that she would first like to recognize three individuals for their outstanding buckthorn abatement efforts. She noted that the first person she would like to recognize is John Plume who has donated 50 hours of labor removing buckthorn at Braemar Golf Course. Also by doing that Mr. Plume's employer, State Farm, has donated a $500 grant to be used by Braemar Golf Course to purchase equipment used for removing Buckthorn. Ms. Latham also recognized Jim Villas, a senior citizen, for removing 500 buckthorn trees in his neighborhood's open space along the Soo Line right-of-way. Ms. Latham then recognized Jean White for her efforts in removing extensive amounts of buckthorn from Braemar Golf Course adjacent to the 2 fairways. Ms. Latham commented that it's due to dedicated residents like this that we are making headway and added that their efforts are very much appreciated. Ms. Latham indicated that this year they received $844.00 in contributions. She also noted that this year the Edina Garden Council and the Edina League of Women Voters worked together on educating people about buckthorn abatement and commented that together they distributed 1,200 door hangers. She explained that they mostly handed out door hangers in the southwest quadrant of the city where they seem to have a tremendous amount of buckthorn. Ms. Latham also commented that the city worked on various buckthorn abatement projects which was also very much appreciated. Ms. Latham informed the Park Board that Mr. Keprios was very successful this year in getting a $5,000 DNR Conservation Partners Grant. She explained that with that various parks would be assessed professionally to see what could be done with the buckthorn problem that Edina has. Ms. Latham pointed out that this year that the Edina Garden Council has affiliated with the Edina Community Foundation. She noted that the Garden Council is not a 501 C3, however, the Edina Community Foundation is. Therefore, residents can now make a donation to the buckthorn abatement program and now receive a tax deduction for it. Ms. Latham indicated that this year "Top Notch Tree Service" gave them a special rate to remove buckthorn during the month of October. She noted that 34 households participated in the program; however, many more households removed buckthorn throughout the year so that doesn't really tell the whole story. Ms. Latham explained that the reason they are so concerned about buckthorn is because their forests degrade and buckthorn fills up the under soil and when the older trees go down all you have left is buckthorn. She noted that is basically what is happening in various areas at Braemar Park right now. Ms. Latham pointed out that other problems with buckthorn is it offers no fall color, birds suffer because it is a starvation food which weakens them and it also allows cover for criminal activity. Ms. Latham explained some of the techniques that are used to get rid of buckthorn. She noted that the technique most frequently used is to cut the stump and then paint it with Round Up. She stated that this technique works fairly well, however, it doesn't work during the spring when all of the sap is moving in the upper direction. Therefore, they are asking the Park Department to experiment with another chemical called Krenite because it can be used year round. Ms. Latham indicated that they have also tried the technique of selectively thinning the buckthorn. The theory in doing this is if you take it out with the exception of leaving some canopy the seeds will not be able to germinate. She noted that buckthorn has very low light requirements. Ms. Latham commented that they tried lopping the buckthorn with hand loppers and then painted the stumps. She noted that at first it looked like it was working because after the first winter they were pretty pleased, however, by the following fall it started growing back. She explained that when you lop buckthorn it's impossible to find all small cut ends and paint them so that does not work very well. Ms. Latham noted that another technique they use is the weed wrench. She stated that the weed wrenches can effectively remove trees up to 2.5" in diameter by their roots, therefore, resprouting is not possible. Ms. Latham pointed out that another technique that can be used is spraying the buckthorn in the fall and then hand pulling it the following spring. She commented that it didn't take any longer to hand pull it than it did to lop it and noted that when it's hand pulled it's gone. Ms. Latham added that when buckthorn takes over you can't see or walk through the woods and there is no chance for wild flowers and wild life. Ms. Latham indicated that they have also tried burning fires at Braemar which is a fairly good method of controlling buckthorn and thinks that maybe they should start that again. She added that mowing is also a very good way of controlling buckthorn. Ms. Latham explained that the reason it is so important to work on Braemar Park is because Braemar has the only remnant of Oak Savannahs left in Edina. She added that there are so many activities that are done at Braemar as well as it is especially important for the wildlife there because it is such a wonderful habitat. Ms. Latham stated what they have also found out is that buckthorn wood chips suppress noxious weed germination and using them for mulch is a low-cost method of disposal. She explained that it does this because the weeds can't germinate because they are not receiving any sun and also the chemical reaches out of the buckthorn into the soil and stops the re -sprouting. She noted that at the Art Center they had extensive amounts of mulch brought in and volunteers spread it out. She indicated that no weed seeds were observed transmitted through the mulch. Ms. Latham commented that Mr. Cockriel has informed her that the city has an abundant supply of leaves in the fall. Ms. Latham pointed that the most expensive and labor extensive is spraying the buckthorn. She indicated that the City has a contract with AES to spray over a period of five years to see how that turns out. There is a small amount of time during the fall to which the spraying must be done and one also has to be careful that there aren't native wild flowers that could get damaged. Ms. Latham noted that there is the question of whether these areas should be replanted because if they can possibly regenerate naturally they should be allowed to do that. She explained that at Creek Valley they had a remnant community so they did not have to replant. However, one native plant that came at Creek Valley was poison ivy and it came back in great profusion. She noted that poison ivy could only be treated during the spring. Ms. Latham stated that she would recommend extending the contract with AES to treat the poison ivy especially because it is right next to an elementary school. Ms. Latham explained that because the Art Center did not have a remnant community many volunteer groups got together and planted over 400 wild flowers. She noted that the biggest threat they have at the Art Center is garlic mustard, which is another plant that is on the state's prohibited list, which does need to be treated year round. She added that currently they are suppressing it with mulch in selected areas. Ms. Latham showed slides of what the areas they have worked on now look like and urged everyone to visit these areas: Creek Valley, the Art Center and Braemar to actually see what has been done. Ms. Latham commented that now what they need to have is a line item in the city's capital improvement plan for Woodland Restoration and Management. She added that if the city values their woodlands they will want to save them for future generations and they are going to have to work on that. Ms. Kimmel, resident, indicated that she lives at Nine Mile Village where there is a lot of buckthorn that they will be working on and added that she did help out one day at Braemar with the buckthorn. She also noted that she would like to make a couple of comments with the first being there is a lot of buckthorn at Bredesen Park and she is very concerned about the birds carrying the seeds and was wondering if it would be possible for eradication to take place in Bredesen Park. Ms. Kimmel informed the Park Board that before she lived in Edina she lived in Minnetonka where she was involved in a 15 million dollar bond proposal for parks and open spaces, which did pass. She explained that since that passed the impact on Minnetonka has been enormous and suggested the idea of perhaps networking with people who are involved. Ms. Kimmel pointed out that the City of Eden Prairie also had a bond proposal that passed, however, it was a different concept in which they preserved a chunk of land as prairie. She indicated that something serious like a bond proposal would really bring in money that could address these programs appropriately because there is a lot of time, energy and money required. Ms. Kimmel stressed that if you don't do it right it's back again and if you do it here and not there it's still back again. Mr. Klus asked Ms. Latham if he understands correctly that it is her hope that somewhere along the line that the city will put a line item in their budget for buckthorn abatement. Mr. Klus indicated that there are other proposals in the report and commented that his recommendation to the Park Board would be that they take a look at those proposals during the next few Park Board meetings. He noted that Mr. Keprios would make sure Ms. Latham is informed as to when those discussions would take place. Mr. Klus stated that he would like staff to come up with recommendations for the Park Board to look at and discuss and possibly pass on to the City Council. He noted that he feels the first place the proposals need to go to is to the staff and therefore would defer it to Mr. Keprios to bring back by the May Park Board meeting so that they have enough time to discuss it before the budgeting process begins in the early fall. The Park Board was in agreement with Mr. Klus' suggestions. Mr. Grabiel commented that he appreciates the efforts of Ms. Latham and her group in raising an awareness of this issue because it is important and they are doing a very good job with it. 5 Ms. Hulbert asked Ms. Latham how many years are they going to have to keep mulching to keep the buckthorn out to which Ms. Latham replied that the seed bank lasts for six years and each year more of the seeds die off. However, if you could plant something in its place, for e.g. grasses like you see at Braemar, they grow real fast and shade it out and then mow it once a year is another alternative. Ms. Latham stated that it's the combination of planting plus mulching that should be used for most of these areas. Ed Janiga indicated that his company provides a service of removing buckthorn and has found that a lot of people would be willing to do it themselves but they sense that not enough is being done by the city. Therefore they feel that nobody else is taking it seriously so if they are the only ones removing the buckthorn it's not going to solve anything. He noted that it seems to him that if the city were a little more proactive in taking care of their part that the citizens would be more receptive to working on their own piece of property. Sue Simonton, resident, stated that she would like to second what Mr. Janiga said because until the city makes it clear through education and whatever else they can do people aren't going to take it seriously. Everyone needs to work together on this. Ms. Presthus asked what is the state doing because buckthorn is not just an Edina problem. Ms. Latham replied that it was recently proposed to the legislature to add a check -off box for noxious weed control in order for them to receive more funding for it. She indicated that she is also going for some LCMR money for it as well. Therefore, the legislature is looking into more money for it, however, as we all know the states funds aren't too good either. Ms. Presthus pointed out that it's a similar problem because if Edina's neighbors don't do anything, but the city does, then it's the same situation in reverse. Ms. Latham commented that all of the neighboring cities are working on this to some extent in Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Plymouth and Minneapolis. They all have citizen groups and park departments who are grappling with this and working on it together. She noted that metro wide they are trying to work on this together. Mr. Klus commented that Mr. Keprios has done a very good job this last year in bringing in speakers and continuing to educate the Park Board on buckthorn. They have heard both the pros and the cons on how to work with it in the community. Mr. Klus thanked everyone for their time and for the opportunity to further educate the Park Board. VI. GYMNASIUM FACILITIES STUDY COMMITTEE REPORT Mr. Keprios explained that the City Council recently asked staff to have the Park Board re -visit where they are at with the gymnasium issue now that the School District has passed their referendum. Therefore, Mr. MacHolda and he took it upon themselves to visit several surrounding community gymnasium sites. The City Council wants a refresher to see what other alternatives are still out there for them to consider. Mr. Keprios gave a presentation on the six different gym projects that they looked at. He noted that Eden Prairie has six gyms, Minnetonka has one, St. Louis Park has two, Jefferson Activity Center has five, Kennedy has five and the Eagan Community Center has three. He then went through what amenities each facility had. Mr. Keprios stated that what they found was that all of these gyms were funded by referendums and that none of them could provide accurate operating expense reports. Mr. Keprios pointed out that the Facility Study Committee, if you recall, made a recommendation to the Park Board that these facilities should be built next to existing schools. In addition, funding needs to be in place for operating expenses before the buildings can be built as well as user groups should be required to raise some funding to cover these anticipated operational expenses. Mr. Keprios indicated that the Park Board's recommendation to the City Council was that they fully concur with the Facility Study Committee's conclusions and recommendations. Also, the Park Board encourages the city to continue a dialog with the school district about the possibility of adding some gyms on to the school properties. Mr. Keprios indicated that some of the challenges they are still faced with is they have to remember that in 2001 the voters turned down a referendum that included all of the things they've talked about. Also, both the city and school district learned through the 2001 referendum process that taxing boundaries did become a big issue. However, now with the school district's successful referendum they are now building one additional gym at South View Middle School as well as another gym may be put in at the Community Center. Mr. Keprios stated that it's great that the school district added an extra gym at South View Middle School; however, the Facilities Study Committee found that there is still a need for even more gyms. Mr. Keprios noted that the Facilities Study Committee made a recommendation to the City Council that these facilities should be located on city property only as a last resort. He stated that funding the operational expenses really has been and continues to be the number one most challenging and significant issue. Mr. Klus asked Mr. Keprios to remind the Park Board how much it would cost to operate this to which Mr. Keprios replied over $1,000 a day for a five -gym complex. Mr. Keprios explained that the problem the city has if we were to build a stand alone facility not adjunct to a school is we don't have other gyms that those user groups are paying for that we can leverage fees and charges against whereas the school district has that ability. He pointed out that the additional operating expenses for the school district would be incremental compared to the city having to operate a stand-alone facility. The school district already has staffing in place that could possibly manage additional facilities without having to add significantly more staff to their labor force. Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that the old Midwest Health Club site, 7300 Bush Lake Road, has recently been sold to a church. He indicated that the city had looked at that site in the past but because of a deed restriction were unable to purchase it for the purpose of building gymnasiums. However, there is a private developer working with the church with a proposal to build two or three gyms at the site. It is their intention then to lease it on a for-profit basis to the city, athletic associations, etc. Mr. Keprios indicated that the developer has indicated that they have somehow found a way to get around the 7 deed restriction. Mr. Keprios commented that it is still a possibility that is being negotiated. Mr. Keprios indicated that the Southdale YMCA is considering building three gyms on the east side of their current building. He added that they are very interested in building an elevated running track because that is one thing they lack. Mr. Keprios explained that he has been asked to meet with the YMCA staff and talk about operational issues, fees/charges, who would operate it and how it would fit into the mix. He noted that they would also need to talk about what kind of agreements they could get in place on commitments to rent these facilities. Mr. Keprios commented that this is still a possibility because the YMCA is currently thinking about a fairly large expansion in their capital improvement plan and this would fit right in. Mr. Keprios stated that the City Council and School District do plan to meet in the fairly new future to talk about a variety of issues, one of which will be gymnasiums. Mr. Keprios noted that the Facilities Study Committee might want to meet once again in order to receive a little more direction and information regarding the 7300 Bush Lake Road site and the YMCA opportunities. At that point then have the committee come back to the Park Board with a recommendation. Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that a gentleman who is offering a significant amount of money to help build a bubble in Edina recently approached him. He noted that this person feels he and his partners can raise 1.5 million dollars for this project. Mr. Klus indicated that he was recently appointed to the Edina Community Foundation Board, which is a group that looks at ways to try and enhance things in Edina. He noted that the Edina Community Foundation has been around the community for a very long time. Mr. Klus stated that his own personal feeling is this group really hasn't gone out to the community and looked at large projects. He commented that there are a lot of great people on the Edina Community Foundation Board. Mr. Klus pointed out that he thinks the Edina Community Foundation needs to look at ways to raise big money for the community to build things like domes, etc. He indicated that he would like to bring a copy of the Park and Recreation Capital budget to the next Edina Community Foundation meeting so that they can really get excited about looking at the big projects. Mr. Klus noted that they need to have a reason to go out and look for ways to ask for those big dollars to make things happen in this community. He added that he still sees this weighing a lot on the city and is hoping that through the Edina Community Foundation they can get excited to do some of this stuff in the future. Ms. Presthus indicated that they have looked at the same need for the past four years, which is that we still need an additional four to five gyms. She asked if those numbers have changed at all to which Mr. Keprios replied that due to the new additional gym at South View Middle School that three more gyms should really sufficiently meet the need. C7 VII. REGRESS BACK TO BUCKTHORN PRESENTATION Mr. Keprios indicated that he had asked Vince Cockriel, Park Superintendent and Tom Horwath, City Forester to be present at the Park Board meeting tonight. He asked both gentlemen if they would like to add anything to what was said earlier during the buckthorn presentation. Mr. Cockriel commented that the contractor, Ed Janiga, noted that he feels not enough is being done by the city. Mr. Cockriel indicated that he thinks Mr. Keprios has the right approach in that they hire someone to go out and assess what we have, come with a plan and stick to the plan. He noted that for example, if a resident over on Valley View has hired Mr. Janiga, the maintenance staff is not supposed to stop what they are doing to run over and help this resident get rid of his buckthorn. Mr. Cockriel pointed out that the education process should also be coming from the contractor because if he teaches the homeowner how to maintain their yard in the manner it's supposed to be done the buckthorn will be completely gone. He stated that if the resident is mulching correctly, chemical treating correctly and hand -pulling correctly it doesn't matter what the rest of the city does. Mr. Cockriel again stressed that the education should not only be coming from the city but from the contractors as well. Mr. Horwath indicated that he would like to stress that areas that have been talked about to start managing and controlling are very sensitive areas. He noted that the oak trees hate disturbances and therefore they really do need to watch their management plans very carefully because there are a lot of very fine oaks at Braemar, Bredesen and Van Valkenburg that have been there for hundreds of years. Therefore any management plans that they do come up with they really need to keep that in mind. He stated that they need to keep in mind that they are making a transition from basically doing nothing and letting nature operate within its own laws, guidelines and functions to spraying with chemicals, bringing in mulch as well as other things. Mr. Horwath stated that his basic point is that these areas deserve caution and protection. Mr. Keprios indicated that he feels Eric Zenner, speaker from the January 13th Park Board meeting; response hit it on the head when he was asked, "What's the long-term plan for buckthorn". His response was "What do you want your parks to look like". Mr. Zenner explained that they will never be able to get rid of all of the buckthorn but it can be managed in a way so parks can look the way people want. Mr. Keprios pointed out that leads them to priorities. What areas do they really need to take care of if they want to realistically apply their resources? Mr. Keprios commented that he is very pleased that the DNR is giving the City of Edina this $5,000 grant to which the study will help them prioritize the areas where they have buckthorn. They will be able to identify areas that they will literally have to go after as well as identify areas that would be considered fairly low priority. Mr. Keprios explained that they are going to continue doing their part in educating the public which will include getting information up and running on their website. He also pointed out that they are also going to do something they haven't done before which is come up with a mission statement for the forestry program, in their minds they know what it is but they want to get it in writing. 9 Mr. Keprios handed out Mr. Horwath's forestry report and noted that he refers to what they have done with Dutch Elm this year. He encouraged the Park Board to read over the report when they had some time. Mr. Horwath indicated that when people say that the City is not doing its share regarding buckthorn he takes it a little personally because as he pointed out he has been expanding the buckthorn activity quite a bit. He noted that he has been concentrating on certain areas and commented that over at Highlands Park he has already removed approximately 500 buckthorn plants just there. Mr. Horwath stated that he thinks buckthorn education is out there. If you talk about buckthorn he has found that most people do know what he is talking about. VIII. UPDATES A. Adventure Peak, Edinborough Park - Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that Adventure Peak is a great success story. He noted that we again need to thank Linda Presthus, Mike Damman and Dave Fredlund who served on the Selection Committee to help get this done as well as staff members Tom Shirley, Ann Kattreh and Jeff Freud. Mr. Keprios pointed out that since they opened on September P they have taken in over $248,000 and they only paid $230,000 for the structure. It's already paid for itself and it's not even April, however the winter months are their busiest months. He noted that their attendance has been in excess of 45,000. Mr. Keprios indicated that because Adventure Peak has been so successful there are a few things they might want to think about. He pointed out that Edinborough Park is a very popular place to rent, especially in the winter, and asked the Park Board to give it some thought as to whether or not they want to continue to do that being how popular Adventure Peak and the Great Hall have become. He asked do we want them to be kept open and continue to sell passes to Adventure Peak or do we want to continue to serve the private rentals. Mr. Keprios, noted that he is not asking for any action tonight, however, staff will study it and come up with some numbers and bring forward some recommendations for the Park Board to look at. He added that because it has been such a phenomenal success it makes you wonder if we should stay in the business of renting it out during the winter months. Mr. Keprios stated that he definitely feels they should continue to rent it out during the summer months. Mr. Keprios applauded the Park Board and his staff for the vision and for getting them to where they are today because it's a great success story to be proud of. Ms. Presthus asked if cleaning has been a problem because that was a concern of theirs. Mr. Keprios replied that it really hasn't been a problem. He noted that it is labor intensive and does take four hours, however, they literally disinfect every piece of the structure every single day. Ms. Presthus asked about the operating costs to which Mr. Keprios replied that it's significantly less compared to what they used to pay for the little skating rink. 10 B. Smoking in the Parks — Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that he thinks the smoking in the parks issue is going to come back before the Park Board. He explained that he has been contacted by a group of folks who would like to organize and take some kind of a proactive approach to have a no smoking policy at the parks. He noted that advocates of smoke-free parks would like the Park Board to support a policy that encourages adults to serve as a role model to kids not to smoke. Mr. Keprios commented that one approach they were thinking about is instead of having more government intervention in people's lives is to approach the athletic associations. He suggested asking the athletic associations to adopt their own policy that calls for all adults to remain tobacco free while their youth athletic association events are taking place at the parks. Mr. Klus pointed out that obviously wouldn't take care of all of the problems because the city would have to deal with the arena, the golf courses and Centennial Lakes. Mr. Klus commented that he asked Mr. Keprios to talk with the athletic association presidents because he's not so sure that the Park Board needs to try and pass another policy. If the athletic associations are concerned about this let them talk about it. He noted that again it doesn't handle all of the issues but at least the associations can set up their rules and regulations and they can try and enforce them. He stated that he doesn't know how this could be enforceable by the Park Department. Mr. Johnson asked if the City can enforce a no drinking policy why can't they enforce a no smoking policy he doesn't see what the difference is. Mr. Klus replied that he's not so sure that the no drinking policy is enforced. Mr. Keprios explained that a lot of communities have a no smoking policy that relies on voluntary enforcement or voluntary compliance so that it doesn't fall on the shoulders of the city and police. Mr. Johnson commented that perhaps by just putting up a sign might deter ten people from doing it. Mr. Klus stated that would not stop the smokers who want to smoke. He added that it's a tough issue and it's not going to go away. Mr. Keprios asked the Park Board how they would feel if he brought it before the Athletic Associations and asked them if they would take a proactive role in this with voluntary self -enforcement. Mr. Grabiel pointed out that they would need to watch how they phrase it because it is a public park and people have the right to be there. He recommended that perhaps they phrase it by saying something like "we recommend that you not smoke in front of the kids". Mr. Grabiel commented that non-smokers do not like to be around those who are smoking. Mr. Klus indicated that this issue would be brought back to another Park Board meeting. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Linda Presthus MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 8:35 PM. Jeff Johnson SECONDED THE MOTION. MEETING ADJOURNED. 11 CITY OF EDINA CENTENNIAL LAKES/EDINBOROUGH PARK MEMORANDUM Date: March 11, 2004 To: John Keprios cc: Gordon Hughes From: Tom Shirley Re: Saturday Evening rentals at Edinborough Park I would like to propose that we consider eliminating Saturday night private rentals at Edinborough Park during the winter months and instead, keep the entire Park open until 9:00 p.m. This policy would be similar to the one that exists at Centennial Lakes, where we do not rent out the Centrum Building from December -March, but instead concentrate our efforts on being a recreational skating facility. When we first opened the Playpark at Edinborough Park, one of our objectives was to make the Park more attractive to families by expanding our recreational opportunities in, and increasing the open public hours of, the Great Hall. One of the things we did to expand the hours of the Great Hall was to eliminate Friday night rentals during the winter months. The financial risk of this policy was minimal due to the limited number of Friday evenings that historically had been rented. Saturday evenings were left alone, mostly because of my assumption that the financial loss of eliminating Saturday rentals could not be recouped from additional Playpark revenues. With the overwhelming response to Adventure Peak, as well as the positive experience with being open to the public on Friday evenings, I have been forced to reevaluate that position. The challenges that we currently face regarding Saturday night rentals are numerous. Whenever we have a rental we need to close the Great Hall at noon on Saturday to clean the floor, set-up the tables, chairs, dance floor and risers. We also have to allow time for the caterer and decorating companies to do their set-up. Larger events might force us to close the Great Hall even earlier. Unfortunately, with the large number of families playing in the Great Hall on a Saturday morning, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to properly clean the area and get it ready for an event. Closing the Great Hall also forces all of those park patrons, sometimes as many as 150 persons, toward Adventure Peak, which adds to the overcrowding issues that we already face there. Despite communicating to people in advance, both with signage and verbally at the front office, that the Great Hall will be closing, we inevitably have many people that express their disappointment regarding the closing, with several requesting refunds. (No, we do not give them one.) Keeping the Great Hall open would give patrons more perceived value for their admission and would increase customer satisfaction, hopefully translating into more return visits to the Park. Also, keeping the entire Park open an extra four hours would allow patrons more time to enjoy the Park and hopefully spread out the crowds. The downside is that losing Saturday evening rental revenues would probably amount to a bottom line loss of approximately $10,000 to $15,000. This is based on the anticipated loss of 14 Saturday night rentals at $2000 each, less an increase in Playpark revenues. This loss could potentially be reduced even further if there is an increase in return visits to the Playpark. There would also be a modest savings in staffing costs because we would not have to work the staff till 1:30 a.m. like we currently do on event nights. Keeping the Park open for public use instead of closing it for private, invitation only events would be more in keeping with the public park concept that we are trying to maintain. Other association members, especially the Hotel guests and the Park Plaza residents would also benefit from a more inclusive weekend philosophy. Edinborough Park would still host private rentals from April through October, which works well for us because these are also the months with the greatest demand for private rentals, and the least demand for the Playpark. I would not expect our existing spring -fall rental business to suffer any serious backlash due to this proposed policy, because we have not experienced any negative fallout from this same policy at Centennial Lakes. Let me know what you think. If we do want to proceed with this policy we should decide quickly because 2004-05 rental inquiries have already started. Thanks! A Proposal for Wine by the Glass at Braemar Braemar Golf Course has successfully had wine, champagne and beer for weddings and numerous other functions since 1987 without incidents or problems. Braemar has served 3.2 beer by the drink for 40 years. The successful food and beverage operation at Braemar has grown each year. There now exists a request and desire for wine by the drink to enjoy in our clubhouse grill and on our decks for the summer months. To start, we plan to service our customers by the glass only, and may consider selling wine by the bottle in the future depending on how things go. Having a wine license will also afford us the opportunity to serve strong beer—currently we just have a 3.2 beer license. Acquiring the wine/strong beer license will not incur any additional costs in either the license fee or insurance. To accommodate wine by the drink some reasonable accommodations and expenditures would become a necessity. Braemar would need an additional walk-in cooler (approximately $5,000-$6,000) and some minor behind the counter changes (roughly $400). These expenses would be offset by the rather lucrative returns on wine and wine cooler sales. Typically, restaurants are able to re -coup the price of the bottle in the first glass—meaning if the bottle costs $6.00 you can charge close to that per glass. At this time, our best estimate for revenues the first year is approximately $3,00045,000 with purchase costs of about $1,200 to $2,000 annually. From years 2 to 5 we hope to grow revenues to about $5,000 to $8,000 with wine costs of about $2,000 to $3,000. The Braemar Golf Course staff is currently trained in liquor sales and does a yearly refresher course on alcohol training. Adding a wine license will not dictate a need for any additional training over and above what we already do. At this time, with our limited storage, we plan to serve about five wines total -2 red, 2 white and one blush. In addition, we feel wine coolers will definitely have an audience. Specifically what brand of wines we will serve is something we are currently looking into. Given our casual atmosphere and our current menu, we intend to serve affordable, but reputable wines. We look to have each serving be about 5-6 ounces and will use a 9 ounce plastic glass. All our other food and beverage items are served in plastic and make it easier for those using our patio deck areas. Braemar requests Park Board and Council action on: 1. licensing approval, 2. corresponding expenditures for equipment to store and dispense the additional inventory that serving wine by the drink will create. John Valliere, General Manager, Braemar Golf Todd Anderson, Assistant Manager, Braemar Golf Amy Smith, Clubhouse Manager, Braemar Golf 9 ` Mlml r k i W A T E R S H E D D I S T R I C T Engineering Advisor: Barr Engineering Co. 4700 West 77th Street Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55435 Ph. 952-832-2600 March 17, 2004 Mr. Jon Moon 6016 Schaefer Road Edina, MN 55436 Dear Mr. Moon: Legal Advisor: Krebsbach & Haik 701 4th Avenue South Suite 500 Minneapolis, MN 55415 Ph. 952-333-7400 The Board of Managers of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District wishes to thank you for your report at last month's meeting regarding the proposed activities of the Conservation League of Edina for 2004. Last year, members of the Conservation League appeared before the Board and reported on their water quality sampling activities on Lake Cornelia. The Managers outlined to the Conservation League their current water quality program that results in a Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) being prepared for the major water bodies within the District. A UAA is a structured scientific assessment of the chemical, physical, and biological conditions in a water body. Resulting from these discussions with the Conservation League, the District expanded their water quality program, the preparation of a UAA, to include Lake Cornelia, Arrowhead Lake and Indianhead Lake in Edina. In 2004, the District will be sampling each of these lakes a minimum of six times for Phosphorus, Chlorophyll a, Secchi disc transparency, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, Specific Conductance, Nitrate + nitrite nitrogen, pH, zooplankton, and phytoplankton and twice for macrophytes. The sampling results and a recommendation for the management of the water body will be summarized in the UAA. Since the District will be undertaking this work in 2004 and, as to not duplicate activities, the Conservation League may wish to direct their efforts and funds towards other environmental activities this year rather than sampling Lake Cornelia. This District will work with the Conservation League in the development of management recommendations once the baseline date has been collected. The Managers wish to thank the Conservation League for their work to date in protecting the water resources within the city of Edina and the Managers look forward to working with the Conservation League in the future. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me or any of the Managers on the Board. Sincerely, �% s LuAnn Tolliver President, Board of Managers NINE MILE CREEK WATERSHED DISTRICT c: Paul Haik Bob Obermeyer Gordon Hughes.,"'- Board ughes✓ Board of Managers Aileen Kulak - Bloomington Floyd Laumann - Bloomington Bob Kojetin - Edina LuAnn Tolliver - Minnetonka Corrine Lynch - Eden Prairie A NONPROFIT PARENT—RUN ORGANIZATION RAISED MONEY TO BUILD THE NEW $2 MILLION, 40,000—SQUARE—FOOT PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND PRACTICE FACILITY AT J.D. DARNALL HIGH SCHOOL IN GENESEO, ILL., SLATED TO OPEN THIS SUMMER. (;eneseo, Ill., rests about 25 miles inland from the shores of the Mississippi River, two -and -a -half hours west of Chicago, in a county known as the "Hog Capital of the World." It has remained little more than a sturdy farming com- munity since it was settled in the early 1800s. But Geneseo, pop- ulation 6,500, does boast an eager group of parents who joined forces and raised more than $2 million to build and equip a physical education and practice facility at J.D. Darnall High father of four children who have yet to attend the high school. "We did this without taxpayer money and at a time when the unemployment rate was rising. People said, `Why don't you wait to build this at the right timer If we did that, there would never be a right time. We wanted to generate change right now." Change is being generated all over the country, in communi- ties large and small, by parent -run nonprofit groups that are accomplishing goals well School, which hadn't seen any new athletic facil- beyond those of traditional booster clubs. OF ities since 1964. Back then, the school $ w 0E "I'm beginning to see more and more par - sponsored eight sports, not the 17 it ANE CVJ313 ents interested in improving the facilities offers today's 950 students. BOOSTER I'�10US and fields their kids are playing in and Thanks to the fund-raising efforts of the SAM$ on," says Frank Kovaleski, director of the ESANational Interscholastic Athletic Admin - Foundation, School Facility Enhancement iv1F'RG $ABED Foundation, a small nonprofit organization E PARENT NS TARE istrators Association. "Three years ago, of parents, the 40,000square-foot facility is AZA'f10OR we told our athletic administrators expected to open this summer with three or,(;T F` DING GTS that fund-raising was going to become basketball courts, a four -lane track and a V,` a much more important process. 6,500 -square -foot weight room. The facility's 81TA A pR03E School districts just can't cut bud - size ensures that many Darnall teams can now pro - 11313 gets without affecting athletic pro- d'' t don't practice there simultaneously. "We were tired of our kids getting home from practice at 8 p.m., and having them go to practice at 6 a.m., because there weren't enough practice facili- ties," says Travis Mackey, Darnall's athletic director and the athleticbusiness.com grams. So it doesn t surprise me that tstric s have the money, and that parents are the ones finding they can raise the money themselves." And raising money, they are — for everything from new lights and bleachers to multimillion -dollar renovation projects. In fact, April 2004 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 83 6 !" L tron 9 By Michael Popke Foundation.. A NONPROFIT PARENT—RUN ORGANIZATION RAISED MONEY TO BUILD THE NEW $2 MILLION, 40,000—SQUARE—FOOT PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND PRACTICE FACILITY AT J.D. DARNALL HIGH SCHOOL IN GENESEO, ILL., SLATED TO OPEN THIS SUMMER. (;eneseo, Ill., rests about 25 miles inland from the shores of the Mississippi River, two -and -a -half hours west of Chicago, in a county known as the "Hog Capital of the World." It has remained little more than a sturdy farming com- munity since it was settled in the early 1800s. But Geneseo, pop- ulation 6,500, does boast an eager group of parents who joined forces and raised more than $2 million to build and equip a physical education and practice facility at J.D. Darnall High father of four children who have yet to attend the high school. "We did this without taxpayer money and at a time when the unemployment rate was rising. People said, `Why don't you wait to build this at the right timer If we did that, there would never be a right time. We wanted to generate change right now." Change is being generated all over the country, in communi- ties large and small, by parent -run nonprofit groups that are accomplishing goals well School, which hadn't seen any new athletic facil- beyond those of traditional booster clubs. OF ities since 1964. Back then, the school $ w 0E "I'm beginning to see more and more par - sponsored eight sports, not the 17 it ANE CVJ313 ents interested in improving the facilities offers today's 950 students. BOOSTER I'�10US and fields their kids are playing in and Thanks to the fund-raising efforts of the SAM$ on," says Frank Kovaleski, director of the ESANational Interscholastic Athletic Admin - Foundation, School Facility Enhancement iv1F'RG $ABED Foundation, a small nonprofit organization E PARENT NS TARE istrators Association. "Three years ago, of parents, the 40,000square-foot facility is AZA'f10OR we told our athletic administrators expected to open this summer with three or,(;T F` DING GTS that fund-raising was going to become basketball courts, a four -lane track and a V,` a much more important process. 6,500 -square -foot weight room. The facility's 81TA A pR03E School districts just can't cut bud - size ensures that many Darnall teams can now pro - 11313 gets without affecting athletic pro- d'' t don't practice there simultaneously. "We were tired of our kids getting home from practice at 8 p.m., and having them go to practice at 6 a.m., because there weren't enough practice facili- ties," says Travis Mackey, Darnall's athletic director and the athleticbusiness.com grams. So it doesn t surprise me that tstric s have the money, and that parents are the ones finding they can raise the money themselves." And raising money, they are — for everything from new lights and bleachers to multimillion -dollar renovation projects. In fact, April 2004 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 83 some public high schools that find them- selves in dire financial straits are now operat- ing more like private high schools, relying solely on donations and other forms of rev - nue that states won't provide. "That's a very .air comparison," Kovaleski says. "Public :4 ..v schools have the same opportunities as the private schools. They just have to change their mind -set." THE CASTRO VALLEY (CALIF.) SPORTS Ligschool booster clubs have been FOUNDATION WANTS ound for as long as there have been TO REPLACE, AMONG high school sports, raising money to pay for OTHER THINGS, THE HIGH SCHOOL'S ROTTING small projects or team travel by selling BLEACHERS AND apparel, game -program advertising and raffle DUSTY TRACK. tickets; organizing end -of -season banquets; or simply promoting goodwill between a school's athletic department and the com- munity. "There was a time when booster clubs were much more prevalent than they are today," Kovaleski says. "But we still have some good booster clubs out there that do some great things." But they don't raise $2.5 million to renovate a stadium, as the Castro Valley (Calif.) Sports Foundation hopes to do by 2005. Or generate $800,000 to purchase bleachers and other equipment for a new field house, as the members of Ashwaubenon (Wis.) High School's Jaguar Pride group did last year. Or seek $2.2 mil- lion in donations to build a new synthetic -turf field and a dome to cover it during the winter months, as the Touchdown Club of Minnetonka (Minn) High School intends to do. Or recruit attor- eys, building contractors and construction crews to donate time, money and skills to complete $350,000 worth of repairs and improvements to Jonas Morris Stadium, home football and soccer venue for two high schools in Cherry Hill, N.J., as the Community Sports Committee and the Cherry Hill High School Football Foundation are doing. Such numbers are well beyond the fund-raising capabilities of the average athletic booster club at an NCAA Division 11 college, let alone a high school. The nonprofit groups generating these kinds of dollars have distinct points of origin, take many forms and have at least one major goal in mind. SAID, "PF TLE OU WAIT TO D°N+ THIS AlTHE The Castro Valley Unified School District $UIQ 7+ WE now says it supports the foundation, appoint- wGHT TIME -_ RAI E ing assistant superintendent of business ) 'ro G�Y ++ Jerry Macy to work with Capron and the `Ntu" PGHT NOW -1 other nine board members. "It's a very C. ,ANGE exciting, very positive project," Macy lrecently told the Contra Costa Times. "I figured that we'd have to raise the money ourselves if Sometimes, the process isn't that easy. The Castro Valley Sports Foundation initially struggled to get the local school dis- trict on board with the group's proposal to upgrade the football stadium at Castro Valley High School with synthetic turf, a new track, new seats and other amenities, according to foundation president Martin Capron, a youth track coach whose son will be entering the high school this fall. Capron claims the school's facil- ities, complete with a press box located above one of the field's 30 -yard lines, are among the worst in the area. "A lot of district folks — administrators, coaches, athletic direc- tors — are a bit cynical when it comes to efforts like this," he says. "They've heard promises that are never kept. They are like the guy who got dumped by five girls in a row and then looks at the ,WW next girl and says, `You're pretty, but I'm going to keep my distance.' Whereas, if I was on the receiv- ing eceiving end of this, I would be saying, 'Man, that's great. Somebody's actively getting involved in a public school and helping us to not raise taxes or have to pass bonds.'" They're usually comprised of parents and grandpar- ents of current or future students at a given school, although alumni and individuals without children have also been known to join such organizations. In most cases, these groups form — almost always with the blessing of school and district administra- tors — because of frustration with a district's inability (or some- times, unwillingness) to improve a given athletic facility and because of their own pride in a school, its student -athletes and the community as a whole. "We have a lot of people who thought the practice facility was a good idea for our children," Mackey Ys. "Somebody suggested we build one, so we went to the dis- trict, which said, `You've got to show us the need.' We told dis- trict administrators, 'This is going to impact local kids for the next 50 years.' They were sold." we wanted it done. That doesn't bother me. Why should the dis- trict give us money when it's got other programs screaming for money?" Capron says, adding that the first year of the founda- tion's efforts yielded about $200,000. "As a new organization, we haven't quite developed the infrastructure of a Rotary Club yet, and we need to do that in the form of formal subcommittees. The hardest money to get is the first couple hundred dollars. Once we get going, we'll gain leverage." To that end, the foundation has planned a variety of fund- raisers this year, including an Earth Day 5K run/walk event scheduled for May 1 and sponsored in conjunction with the Castro Valley Sanitary District. A crab feed ($30 for all you can eat), hosted by the Castro Valley Rotary Club to benefit both the foundation and the Castro Valley Performing Arts Center, I 84 ATHLETIC BUSINESS April 2004 athletichusiness.com I ohlet took place in late February. All project donors of $100 or more get their name posted on a virtual Wall of Fame, which can be viewed on the foundation's web site (www.cvsfi.org), along with the group's financial statements. In Cherry Hill, the Community Sports Committee (made up of about 35 parents and grandparents of students in the city's pub- lic schools) works hand-in-hand with the Cherry Hill High School Football Foundation (a nonprofit group comprising members of the booster clubs at the city's two high schools, East and West) to accomplish such athletic upgrades as new lights and bleach- ers for Jonas Morris Stadium, as well as painting the press box One of the collaborative's most -notable accomplishments was converting a long -abandoned street -hockey court at the far end of Cheery Hill West's stadium grounds into a new practice field for high school soccer teams and youth football leagues. "You can only increase your budget so much, so typically a lot of these improvement ideas are left by the wayside," says Gail Cohen, assistant to the superintendent of Cherry Hill Public Schools and the district's liaison to both parent groups. "We couldn't fund them. We were trying to please the taxpayers while improving what programs we could." It took some explaining by district administrators to get par- ents and other residents to understand that some improvements weren't being made because the district didn't want to increase taxes. But once they understood that, parents responded by forming their own groups to help, Cohen say. While the Community Sports Committee recommends improvements, as opposed to actually funding them, its mem- bers — including plenty of attorneys, contractors and local busi- ness owners — donate their time, trade and talent to projects like the replacement of the stadium's lights, which were paid for by the fund-raising efforts of the Cherry Hill High School Football Foundation. "When you bring so many different skills together, you find you can get a lot done gratis," Cohen says. All of this ambitious activity isn't to say that the schools' tradi- tional booster clubs have disappeared. in fact, Cohen says the clubs recently purchased $8,000 worth of wrestling mats and are more effective than ever in their efforts. "They recognize the challenge under which the district is operating," she says. So do members of the athletic and band booster clubs at West- side High School in Omaha, Neb. That's why, with the help of the school's alumni association and school district, they are taking on an enterprising $3.8 million fund-raising effort to renovate its four -decade -old stadium in three phases, beginning with a new synthetic surface and an eight -lane track. 1 "We have never done something on this scale," says Bob Reznicek, assistant principal and athletic director at Westside and past president of the NIAAA. "We have some people who are still I reluctant to get involved, and we have others who want to go full speed ahead. But one of the concerns we have is whether we will bum people out by asking them to do too much. I won't have an • answer to that for awhile. All l know is that this is way too big of a project for just six or eight people to undertake." (For tips on gen- erating more involvement in booster clubs and other organiza- tions, see "Group Dynamics," at left) When all is said and done, Reznicek predicts that up to 400 Apd 2004 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 87 people, in addition to countless donors, will have had a hand in seeing the project to fruition. Westside's alumni association is in the midst of soliciting donations from former student -athletes and band members, and a district -wide spring carnival is slated 'or next month in the school's parking lot. Plans call for making the carnival an annual event and eventually moving it into the stadium to show off the results of the booster clubs' fund-raising efforts. Selling 400 reserved seats to games played in the 6,000 - seat stadium is another idea, one that Reznicek says is still in development. "Initially, I think this project stunned our booster club members, because we asked them to think long-term: What can we do to generate money that won't be like usual fund-rais- ers?" he says. For schools in New York City's five boroughs, which haven't tion and the school. Athletic directors often remain involved but some prefer to defer to the district. The Castro Valley Sports Foundation has little contact with the school's athletic director, Capron says, while Ashwaubenon High School's athletic director remained instrumental in the initial success of Jaguar Pride. The athletic director and district administrators should remind parent organizations of Title IX requirements, inform them of their state's particular fund-raising regulations and lay down a set of guidelines for how the organization will represent the school and the district, Kovaleski says. For example, how much pressure should members put on donors? How will control be divided between the organization and the district when it comes time to spend the money raised? "Some school districts may be much more restrictive than others in what they do, but the been able to sponsor usual fund-raisers for years — The New York Times reports that up until O0AW recently, most athletic facilities at the city's a HE LpGAI' 1,200 elementary, middle and high schools 1 pUGADON hadn't been upgraded for more than a quarter- OF E FEEL century — it took more than just enthusiastic HAS I O Wj_f" parents to effect change. ogTAOLE Enter Take the Field, a public-private partner- GOMF ship founded by three well-known and successful WHAT area businessmen (including Preston Robert Tisch, IOL�JED jN chairman and co -chief executive officer of the NFL's New York Giants), got involved back in 2000. By the end of this year, organization officials expect to have wrapped up $135 million worth of renovations to 50 high school stadiums, baseball/softball complexes and other athletic facilities. "You would look at one of those fields and say, `This is not an athletic field; it's a vacant piece of property,' " says Take the Field executive director Mary Musca. The "gut renovations," as Musca calls the projects, were made possible largely through an agreement between the Giuliani and Bloomberg Administra- tions, the five borough presidents and the New York City Coun- cil, which generated $3 of city funding for every $1 of private -sector money raised during a three-year period. In addi- tion to corporate contributors, much of the money was donated "by individuals who remember their days in New York public schools fondly and want to give back," Musca says. Take the Field's approach to these renovations is much like its corporate dealings. "The way we do business is with the school as our client — the athletic directors, students, parents and staff," Musca says. "They need to let us know what their needs are. Then we bid the projects and we build them. The model is effective. The private sector brings dollars and people to the public sector to work toward a common goal." Despite the various approaches to moving beyond the realm of traditional booster clubs to generate major ath- letic improvements, each group should have close contact with local school district officials and, in some cases, the school's ath- etic director. "Parents just can't go and do these things without the district's involvement," says Kovaleski, who suggests that the superintendent or an assistant to the superintendent, as well as a business manager, serve as a liaison between the organiza- local board of education has to feel comfortable with what it's getting involved in," Kovaleski says. Simple lack of oversight can lead to trouble. The Whitehall (Pa.) High School's Zephyr Football Club reported the disappearance of about $20,000 from club coffers earlier this year. Administrators at Oakland Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, meanwhile, were reeling after an ad for a com- pany that provides male and female exotic dancers for everything from sports parties to "divorce parties" slipped into the school's girls' basketball program — the type of publication typically gener- ated through the efforts of booster clubs or other parent organiza- tions. Says Kovaleski, "If there weren't a screening policy in place for people joining these groups, I think I would develop one." While some organizations dissolve after accomplishing their primary tasks (Jaguar Pride, for example, has no plans to conquer another project right now, district officials say), others find more work. Still on the Cherry Hill Community Sports Committee's to- do list, developed in conjunction with school administrators and athletic directors, are improvements to the track at Jonas Morris Stadium and construction of a brand-new stadium for East High. The committee is also striving to make crew a club sport, as well as looking into teaming with a local lacrosse league that would cover the costs of a start-up high school program. The Castro Val- ley Sports Foundation has major plans, too. Proposals are posted in a poll on the organization's web site and include such commu- nity projects as a skate park, a swimming pool and a BMX track. The foundation already completed one unexpected project when a stadium -funding solicitation to a nearby 24 Hour Fitness facility netted the high school not the financial contribution it sought, but about $8,000 worth of used strength equipment. Yes, groups like the ones in Castro Valley, Cherry Hill and Geneseo have high ambitions. But who better to accomplish improvements for the well-being of children than their dedicated parents? While some of these initiatives inevitably get reconfig- ured or even scaled down over time, Kovaleski says he knows of no initiatives that have failed outright. "Parents want better facil- ities, because they travel to other schools and see how they could make improvements back home," he says. "I think that the people who are going to take on these projects are probably the people who can get them done." ■ 88 ATHLETIC BUSINESS April 2004 athleticbusiness.com I ON, Hlgh school athletic booster clubs come In different sizes and with varying missions, but their members need two common denominators to succeed: effective communication skills and a keen sense of group dynamics. In many schools, booster clubs fall under the purview of the athletic director, who must be well - versed In both areas. To begin understanding the group dynamics of a booster club, consider why people get Involved with such an organization In the first place. In some cases, parents, siblings, grandparents and friends may join the booster club because they have a sincere desire to help the athletic program. Others may join for less x>ble reasons: to receive reduced admisslon fees to athletic events, to appease neigh- borhood or community expectations, to continue a longstanding family tradl,- #an or simply because they think 11'3 the "thing to do." Within any club — school, civic, religious, ho- temai or professional — there is usually a small core of individuals who do just about everything that needs to be accomplished within that organization. Regardless of how many people are listed on the merrrr bership roster, these so-called "doers" represent a small percentage of the actual membership. it Is also Important to observe and understand that the people who keep the organization functioning and mov- ing in the right direction are not neces- sarily officers of the organization. Even If your booster club boasts more than 200 members, that small core may consist of only a half-dozen people. Taking as a given the existence of factions within the group, you will probably notice some or all of the fol- lowing characteristics In your school's booster club: • The small group of doers may change from year to year, depend- ing on whose children graduate. The actual number of core leaders may also vary every year. • There will be one individual (or maybe two) who everyone else In the group considers to be intelligent and logical, and to whom everyone will listen when the time comes to make major decisions. As with the group of doers, this person doesn't have to be an officer or even someone who speaks up a lot. • Some members have the need to be heard frequently, even If they don't have anything valuable to say. They just need to be the center of attention for a few minutes. Thus, an athletic director must Identify the various types of people in the booster club early on In any given year. That way, you can indirectly Influ- ence the direction of the club without being overt or obtrusive. Simply know - Ing who requires convincing regarding a specific proposal or who needs to be educated about a certain One issue allows you to retain an SnC�SSt!/t upper hand in the club's year for a inner workings. Why is this important? Con- e' dub sider the dilemma of a co4- VOerg not lege coach recruiting high nemschool basketball players. SSa�7� In order for that coach to guarantee be successful at recruiting, anod> w. he or she needs to deter- mine which Individual in that player's family and extended fam- ily — mom, dad, the high school coach, a grandparent, a family friend or the player — will have the greatest Impact on that player's final decision to sign with a given team. If you, as a high school athletic director, know who holds the greatest decision-mak- ing authority among booster club members, aim your pitch directly at that person. If you can win that per- son's confidence and support, you will likely Increase your ability to subtly Influence and guide the club's course of action. What other roles does an athletic director play in the group dynamics of a booster club? Typically, the athletic director should serve as the liaison between the club and the school — monitoring, guiding, instructing and motivating club leaders. He or she should also guard against and prevent vested Interests and hidden agendas from entering Into the club's focus and efforts. For example, the booster club should never become a vehicle to pro- mote the removal of a coach, make a push for any particular candidate to fill a vacant position, or follow an agenda that is misaligned with the mission of the school and its athletic program. It is also necessary that athletic direc- tors ensure all activities of the booster club are legal and ethical. In some communities, for example, you may not be able to conduct a raffle at a school event because It could be con- strued as gambling by local or state authorities. Booster clubs often sponsor golf tournaments, too, and it's vital that high school athletes be barred from participating If either their eligibility could be compromised or alcohol will be served. To avoid any potential problems, the athletic director needs to monitor all proposals and activities. An example of how an athletic direc- tor's oversight and Input can help pre- vent unnecessary (or even unforeseen) trouble took place recently at one Maryland school when the booster club wanted to change the longtime venue for a seasonal awards banquet. Not only did the Issue of tradition come into play, but so did good business practices. The organization that oper- ated the current venue was also a large scholarship contributor. Leaving that venue for another would not only have changed tradition, but also would have likely affected the school's scholarship fund. The seasonal ban- quet's location stayed put. Athletic administrators need to understand that booster club members, officers and doers are part- time contributors, at best. Many have full-time jobs, and all have family oblig- ations. Therefore, a wise athletic direc- tor should: • Use reminders. It is easy for booster club members to forget meeting dates, project due dates and other tasks that need to be accomplished. Politely worded a -malls make reminding them quick and easy. One caveat: Even though newsletters, e-mail messages and phone calls work wonders, some- times their contents can become fruit on a grapevine. Refrain from repri- manding or questioning the motives of a booster via an e-mail that could be 86 ATHLETIC BUSINESS April 2004 othleticbusinessam How lathletic directors can steer a bo sten club's direction. 3v David Hoch forwarded or copied to other Individuals. Effective and responsible communication is essential to pre- vent potential problems and misunderstandings. • Be subtle. As responsible adults, most booster club members don't need to be hit between the eyes In order to understand a proposal or concept. Provid- ing the necessary Information while letting key mem- bers believe that they are Influencing decisions is much more effective than simply telling boosters what and when to do something. Tact and discretion will serve you well In your communication efforts. • Expand the group of doers. Obviously, more can be accomplished If you have more people working toward a common goal. Make a pitch for more members to chip In and help reach that goal. If you can Increase the number of those individuals con- tributing their time and effort (but not necessarily their money), you can Increase the efforts of your booster club by a similar percentage. • Develop a team approach. Remember that you need all kinds of people to contribute — outgoing and friendly Individuals to run the concessions stands, organized people to contact donors and coordinate silent auctions, and mathematical -minded members who can handle financial matters. Find people's strengths and play to them. • Identify future officers. Even If an Individual is will - Ing, he or she may not be suited to becoming an offi- cer. Or maybe someone is, but he or she actually prefers the anonymity of helping a small group of doers. One of your challenges, therefore, Is to identify potential candidates. • Unveil leadership qualities. One athletic director recalls a story of a female booster club member who showed potential as a future officer but was over- whelmed at the prospect of leading a meeting. After a quick analysis of the problem, the athletic director agreed to develop meeting agendas for her and helped her run club meetings. Because the dynamics of a booster club change from year to year — the officers, the number of mem- bers, overall group efforts — It's important for athletic directors to keep In mind the cyclical nature of this organization. This means he or she must make new members feel welcome every year, providing educa- tion, guidance and subtle leadership. One successful year for a booster club does not necessarily guaran- tee another. Ensuring the club's success year in and year out takes work and constant vigilance. Athletic directors who understand group dynamics, use effective communication and develop additional strategies customized for their specific needs should find the task of working with this valuable group of supporters manageable and enjoyable. ■ David Hoch (dhoch@bcps. org) Is director of athletics at Loch Raven High School in Baltimore, Md., and president of the Maryland State Athletic Directors othletichusiness.com P "K &RECREATION JUINL-CU _N_I.T1 =Edina edition I EWS r]TES til ■ A4r:12 Friending police police send little the electric chair ­iey're bad?" is what one girl y Vilipski's third- class asked an ,olice officer last it Cornelia Ele- ry School. Chil- Edina have had ortunity over the averal weeks to wi*' -)lice offi- •d �m such )ns . _,,ugh the Police Program. PAGE 3A tive wins ontest title of Mrs. Valley Interna - has opened for the Special ics and now as v Mrs. Minnesota Aonal, Nancy :ise plans to ,ure those doors :lose again. adeise, who was in Edina, com- igainst 15 other for the title dur- two-day Mrs. ota International it March 20 and St. Cloud State >ity. PAGE 4A dium bill roduced T a he dis- about new sta- or the Minneso- gs and Minneso- one state sen - making sure the ity of Minnesota t out of the mix. Sen. Geoff A CTTAT INTPtA/c UADUDQ A NEW WAY TO t A look at recreation oppoi t inities in the southwest suburban area SPECIAL REPORT Ass spring g approaches, residents will be returning to city parks and recreational facilities. These amenities are increasingly pointed to as selling points for cities in their quests to attract residents. As a result, the purpose and focus of parks and recreation is evolving. Cities no longer focus only on play features and ball fields to meet the recreational needs and wants of citizens. Demands for alternative facilities for young people, aquatic centers and gym space have expanded the scope of parks and recreation divisions throughout the area. As communities' wants change, city officials are seeking new ways to meet the demand - through partnerships and referendums. BE ■ Operating costs no longer ■ Private companies work sinking some municipal with cities to offer recreation pools, Page 22A. services, Page 23A. ■ Communities see value in giving teens their own turf, Page 24A. = Maj afti fro wig ditio; floor dale ing fi T1 name temp after he v tain( Moll, offic( party Al and derw his i Camp direc HE cared E 6400' SOO man' hos the ical SOUR "Hei he 14 so it 1 jumj said., i Operating costs no longer sinking some city pools Aquatic centers become nrnfitable for area cities .iY LAURA WALDON Sun Newspapers Although municipal swim- ming pools have historically oper- ated in deficit, the tide has been turning in recent years. Facilities that were once seen as city -financed operations are now being approached in some communities as profitable ven- tures that can generate enough revenue to reinvest in the facili- ties. In the city of Edina, the aquat- ic center adds new amenities on an almost annual basis in a "Dis- ney approach" to keep the facility fresh, popular, and bridging in the revenue, said Ed MacHolda, Edina's assistant park and recre- ation director and overseer of the Edina Aquatic Center. "We may be public sector but I definitely have a private sector mentality„ Macliolda said. The city added several new fea- tures in 2002 to bolster its revenue - generating abilities, including a new dry playground area with a themed tree house, a "pirate ship" from which users launch them- selves and drop from a cable ride into a pool, and a second water slide that accommodates inner - tubes. The Edina Aquatic center gen- es' '3L000inrevenues in2003, vW; operating expenses to- tak .1,000, MacHolda said. Edina's facility, which was built in 1958, stopped requiring city subsidy in about 1994, Ma- cHakda saaid- "Abourt 10 years ago, we were not only able to pay our operating expenses, bort to reinvest,"he said. The city uses the extra funds to add new amenities on an almost annual basis. "We're ahvays looking to im- prove," Mactfolda said Filen Prairie is also locking to become home tc a profitable water Park with a proposed $73 million Family Aquatic Center; which will come before voters May 1L The aquatic center measure is part of a $22.,5 million total refer- endum that includes vast un- pmvements and additions to the city's Community Center, said Bob Lambert, Eden Prairie park and recreation director Tentative plans for the Eden Prairie Family Aquatic Carter m- ciude a aero -depth play pool with a water playground structure, a sand play area and dry play- ground, several waterslides, asix- lane 50 -meter lap pool with aero - depth entry on one side, onenreter and three -meter diving boards, and a lazy river that would be nav- igated with an inner -tube, Lam- bert said. Although Eden Prairie is still in the conroeptual phase with its design plans, one definite require- ment for the new facility would be that it could generate more rev- enues than expenditures, Lam- bert said. "That would be a requirement of when we hire a consultant is that we hire someone who can, I guess, couvinoe the city that he or she had been involved in design- ing pools that are successful, in de- signing pools that late rev- enues1 above and beyond operat- ing costs," Lambert said. However not all cities see their aquatic centers as self- aistaining entities with potential for profit The Bloomington Family Aquatic Center has a lower fee structure than surrounding oom- munities and does so with the un- derstanding that the facility will creed to be subsidized by the city said Randy Quale, Bloomington park and recreation manager Mat was a conscious decision made by the City Council to make that amenity affordable for people in our community" Quale said. 'They recognized that what we charge will necessitate that... we be subsidized to some extent" Bloomington renovated its aquatic center in 2002, adding a zerodepth entry to its pool, a drop slide, sand volleyball court, and new concession stand and food court, Quale said However, it did not do so with the mtentof turning the facility into a moneymaker. "Phis is not a profit-making venture," Quale said. Richfield has a similar philoso- phy with its aquatic center With its newly renovated facil- ities that opened in 2003, the Rich- field Outdoor Pool is expected to have annual operating expendi- tures and revenues thatjustabout cancel each other out, said Jim Topitz io(er recreation services director for Richfield He estimat- edthatrevenuesardexpenditures will equal about $300,000 in 2004. "It's something that will paty far its wag" 7bpdzhofer said. However; the city does not see the Richfield Outdoor Pmol as a profit-making venture, he said New amenities that were added to the Richfield facility in 2003 include a zero -depth advem ture pool with a water play- ground, ramp access to the pool, and family locker rooms, Top- itzhofer said. The city also added a new bathhouse, circulation sys- tem and filtration system. Competition Arm municipal pools also dif- fer intheirperoeivedlevels of com- petition with surrounding cities Edina sees business between the four cities to be highly eom- petitive- especially with all of the new features that have been added or proposed, MacHolda said. A think we're all competing for our own residents as well as out- side groups," he said. Eden Prairie's park and recre- ation director agreed that compe- tition is at the heart of its facility design plans. "That would certainly be the point" of thenewfacility,lambert said. However, Lambert indicated that Eden Prairie is not trying to incorporate all of the same fea- tures that other cities have just to be competitive. "We think each city should have their own identity at their pool and have unique attractions that make it attractive to people beyond your borders," Lambert said. "We hope that our pool will be unique to Eden Prairie and provide fun features that they won't be able to find somewhere else." If Eden Prairie residents ap- prove construction of a new Fam- ily Aquatic Center, competition may increase with Edina because Edina's second largest group of non-residents comes from Eden Prairie, MacHolda said Consequently, Edina is con- cerned about losing customers to Eden Prairie, MacHolda said. However, Richfield does not share that same level of concern, Topitzhofarsaid. "Most of our business comes from Richfield and south Min- neapolis," Topitzhofer said. "They come here because of convenience and because they like it. "But I think people generally like totry alot of dillrmrtpools to keep their interest up4" he said. Bloomington's park and recre- ation ensation director holds a similar "I'm riot overly concerned with it," Quale said of Eden Prairie's proposed plans. "I think there's enough need for these types of fa- cilities where large cities like Eden Prairie, Bloomington land) Edina could each have their own type of family aquatic center without having too much of an impact on the others." For more information on the local aquatic centers, including Eden Prairie's proposed facility, visit www.ci.edenprairie.mn.us, www.ci.edina.mn.us, www.ci.richfield.mn.us, or www d.bloomington.mn.us. Minnesota Vision Therapy 24A Edina Sun-Current/Thursday, April 1, 2004 A NEW WAY TO PLAY: A SUN NEWSPAPERS SPECIAL REPORT Cities providing it; alternatives for teens .ommunities see value in giving teens their own turf BY JOHN KLUH Sun Newspapers Middle school students Joe Franklin and Matt Garrett spent a recent after- noon drawing, talking and just hanging out with their peers at "The Spot," apart - time teen center sponsored by the city of Richfield. Located in the Donaldson Park build- ing, The Spot is open Tuesday and Thurs- day afternoons for students who mostly come from the nearby Richfield Middle School. Students can play foosball or pool and occasionally take in a concert or other special event. Mostly, it provides a place for them to go after school in a su- pervised environment. Franklin, who doesn't participate in any after-school sports or activities, goes to The Spot every Tuesday and Thursday. When he's not there, he said, he's at home watching TV, playing video games with friends, or playing football or other sports outside with friends. In the winter, when it's really cold, their choices are limited, said both Franklin and Garrett. They have to stay indoors most of the time. "It would be better if there were more place for teens to hang out," Garrett said. "Yeah, like a community center or something," Franklin added. Zarth and Pat Mueller, juniors at P d High School who play in the rL and "Cypher" both wish there were an appropriate place in town for teens to play and listen to music, among other activities. "I'd definitely like to "see a youth club in Richfield," Zarth said, "some kind of place where they can have shows or where kids can go and hang out. There really isn't a place for that." Mueller agreed: "We've got the kids to do it," he said. "We just don't have any place for them to go;„ All four of these Richfield students fit a category of young people that profes- sionals in parks and recreation have fo- cused on as a priority. Jim Topitzhofer, Richfield's recreation services director, said the challenge to reach teens is grow- ing. "Teens have been a harder group for parks and recreation to reach," he said. "Some are dropping out of sports, and more continue to drop out as they get older." The risk, he said, is that teens find other, more destructive things, to do. Cathy Iverson, the city of Edina's chemical health program coordinator, File Photo by David Eyestone/Sun Newspapers Teens play foosball and other games at The Spot teen center in the Donaldson Park building in Richfield. said recent studies highlight the need to provide appropriate activities for teens. "From the hours between 3 and 6 p.m., kids left home alone have a much greater chance of getting involved in criminal activities," Iverson said. "What we know is that kids need monitoring and support ... a way to process their day. With so many parents working, this is growing more difficult," School districts often fall short of pro- viding activities specifically.for teens, Iverson said. "Many districts serve kids in the ele- mentary grades, but it seems not to be so popular for secondary grades," she said. Several communities have come up with creative programs to meet this need. In Eden Prairie, a student -led group called SoulFire plans and imple- ments activities for teens. According to Nicole Weedman, recreation coordina- tor for Eden Prairie, the idea began about five years ago when a request by several students to open a teen center was deemed impractical. "It wasn't feasible at the time, but it's still something we're looking at," Weed - man said. Even without the teen. center, Soul• Fire.provides a lot for teens to do throughout the community. Group -spon- sored activities include concerts, dances, ski trips, and sporting events. Weedman said activities take place about every other month. Activities planned for sev- enth- and eighth -grade students general- ly draw up to 100 people, she said, while high school events can draw between 150 and 500. The key to the program, she said, is the fact that it's run by a board of high school seniors. - "Teen programming is difficult, be- cause teens really want to be on their own and not into structured activities," she said. "The real trick is capturing kids who aren't involved in traditional activities." One major development that will open for its first full season this year - the Tri - City Skateboard Park on the grounds of the Southdale, YMCA in Edina - was con. ceived specifically to appeal to these young people. While participation in traditional sports has declined in recent years, skateboarding has grown in popularity. And a skateboard park takes young skaters off of private property and pub- lic streets and sidewalks. The skateboard park was funded par- tially by donations and sponsors, but pri- marily through the cooperation of the YMCA, Edina, Bloomington and Rich- field. The cities of Edina and Richfield each paid $80,000 of the roughly $351,250 project. Bloomington contributed 51.20,000 and the YMCA put up 8:35,000. The remainder of the cost was covered by private donations. Topitzhofer said the project is a good model of how organizations can work to- gether to meet their goals of connecting with teens. "You've got to look at partnerships," he said. "City councils have been giving us the message that we should be doing more with teens, and the YMCA is very good at reaching out to them." Coordinating such activities and pro- jects is a challenge, Iverson said, espe- cially in today's political climate. "The biggest challenge is the political change in the wind," she said. "It's hard either to get start-up money or ongoing operating money." Still, communities should recognize the value of programs that give teens structured and supervised activities, she said. And from her experience, the chal- lenges of making a program work can be overcome with the right mixture of lead- ership and enthusiasm. "It requires the right individual run- ning it, as well as the kids being in- volved," she said. "That's the key to suc- cess: getting the kids to help run it." The city of Bloomingtonalso has a movement in the works - headed mostly by students - to create a dedicated youth center. The Coffeehouse Initiative is a non-profit group of parents and students that has endeavored to secure a coffee- house for teens in the city. Drew Brooks, the city's youth health promotions spe- cialist, said the organization is adult - guided, but teenagers have really been the driving force behind it. "The youth really put it together," Brooks said. "They arranged the by-laws and everything." The Coffeehouse Initiative has been working for about three years. It has raised about $25.000, but still needs a site. "It's slow -going, but they're not going away," he said. A recent development for the group is the possibility of locating a coffeehouse in the city's old town hall at 10200 Penn Ave. Brooks said the coffeehouse is one of five uses being seriously considered by city officials. One obstacle, he said, is the fact that the facility would require about $200,000 in renovations. In the meantime, the Coffeehouse Ini- tiative will experience a pilot program of sorts this summer, Brooks said. The VFW Post 1296 has offered to allow the group to offer events once a week during the month of June. Possible events in- clude concerts and dances. "It's an opportunity just to kind of get the kinks out," he said. Ben Kopniek, a senior at Richfield High .School, contributed to this report. A NEW WAY TO PLAY: A SUN NEWSPAPERS SPECIAL REPORT Parks partnerships: Pros and cons of new arrangements e companies work with cities to provide recreation services BY LYN JERDE Sun Newspapers John Keprios can't say enough good things about pub- lic-private partnerships in parks and recreation. Edina - where Keprios is parks and recreation director - is home to the Tri -City Skate Park, a joint effort with the Southdale YMCA and the cities of Edina, Bloomington and Richfield. And, in partnership with de- velopers, the city of Edina built Edinborough and Centennial Lakes parks near two office and residential complexes; fees from tenants help pay for the parks' upkeep. "We have people come from all over the world and ask us, 'How did you manage to build those wonderful parks?"' Keprios said. As city budgets get tighter, and residents demand recre- ation services with minimal property tax impacts, public- private partnerships some- times offer a solution. It might sound, at first blush, lit fifer no city can refuse - h, rrivate entities (includ- ing __.-profit businesses) save the local taxpayers some money, by picking up the costs of building or maintaining parks and recreation facilities on the city's behalf. Eden Prairie. Parks and Recreation Director Bob Lam- bert has entertained proposals for such partnerships - most re- cently, from two private health clubs that offered to help the city build an outdoor water park. But before jumping at such a deal, Lambert said, city leaders need to ask themselves these questions: • Does the proposed partner- ship truly save the city money? • What level of services do citizens expect from their city recreation facilities - and, at what price? "On every public-private partnership," he said,"there is a potential for a win-win situa- tion. But there's also a lot of po- tential for a lose -win situation." File Photo by David Eyestone/Sun Newspapers Skaters try out the Tri -City Skate Park, a joint effort with the Southdale YMCA and the cities of Edina, Bloomington and Richfield. Keprios said the skate park partnership is a prime example of a win-win partnership. None of the three partner cities, he said, could have af- forded to build the in -ground, all -concrete facility without the YMCAs help. Of the facility's $351,250 cost, the cities of Richfield and Edina contributed $80,000 each, while Bloomington added $120,000. The YMCA put up $35,000, with the rest coming from donations. The YMCA operates the park at a fee that covers its operation expenses - keeping the facility affordable to users, Keprios said. And, the YMCA pays $1 per year to the city of Edina to lease the land. "So far, it's been hugely suc- cessful," Keprios said of the arrangement. Keprios said the deal worked out so well partly because each side came to the bargaining table with a clear sense of its goals and needs. "All you have to do,"'he said, "is get people around a table and start throwing out ideas. You never know what you might get until you ask." One of thy, possible chal- lenges in forging a public-pri- vate partnership, Lambert said, is reconciling differing inter- ests between the city and the private entity - especially if the entity is a for-profit business. The goal of a business is to make a profit, he said, while the goal of a city is to provide ser- vices for all its citizens. Partnerships that would meet one goal, but not the other, would not be good for either party, Lambert said. For example, the city of Eden Prairie has received at least two offers from private companies for an outdoor swim- ming pool, which the city does not now have. About a year ago, Eden Prairie -based Life Time Fitness proposed, building a private fa- cility on city -owned land near the Eden Prairie Community Center, 16700 Valley View Road. Lambert said the city could not accept that offer because the land had been acquired with federal grant money, and was dedicated to public use. In December 2003, Well - bridge - owner of the Flagship and Northwest Athletic Clubs - proposed that the city pay to build the pool, then Wellbridge would lease the facility for $200,000 per year, plus pay all operating costs, including hir- ing of pool personnel. One appeal of that proposal, according to Lambert, was the guaranteed revenue stream for the city. Another appealing aspect was a substantial cost savings for construction. Wellbridge had proposed a pool that would cost about $5.1 million to build - more than $2 million less than the city's cost estimates. (This was largely because Wellbridge proposed omitting 50 -meter lap lanes.) However, the admission fees that Wellbridge proposed were higher than those of compara- ble neighboring waterparks, such as Edina's. If those fees were lowered, he said, so, probably, would be the amount of lease money that the company would be able to pay the city. But a partnership to build a pool has not been ruled out, Lambert said - even if Eden Prairie voters approve a $22.5 million parks referendum on May 11, which includes money for an outdoor aquatic center. The city of Plymouth part- nered with Life Time Fitness to build a privately owned fitness center adjacent to the city - owned ice arena. The facility opened in June 1998. In exchange for the city's help to pay for construction of swimming pools at the fitness center, Life Time offers resi- dents of the city, and of the Wayzata School District, re- duced -price daily user fees and discounts on member- ships. The cost for using the com- plete fitness facility is $8.50 per day, for residents of all ages. For use of the pool only, the daily cost is $5 for adults and $2 for children younger than 12. The deal also included provi- sions for discounts for low-in- come residents. Some other area cities that have partnered with private fit- ness centers for -recreation fa- cilities are Maple Grove, Savage and Champlin. Lambert said the Plymouth arrangement was ground- breaking, and demonstrated that partnerships can meet the needs of both the city and the business. But there's no such thing, he said, as a one -size -fits -all contract for such a partner- ship, because every communi- ty has different needs and de- sires for parks and recreation services. "If we go into a partnership," Lambert said, "it has to be a very good business deal for the city. We have to look at it as shrewdly as [the businesses] will, and try to figure every angle, so the city doesn't have regrets after signing on the dot- ted line." �ui,G a D a s i a n a r J a w a I s wi: Taim MARE ng: -qFNlnR- www.mnSun.com A NEW WAY TO PLAY: A SUN NEWSPAPERS SPECIAL REPORT Cities, school districts struggle to meet facilities demand Groups wanting gym space keep growing BY HARVEY T. RocKWOOD Sun Newspapers Looking for a spot to get into a pick- up basketball game? Get in line. Area cities and school districts are struggling to keep up with burgeoning demands for indoor recreation space. Though new gymnasium space has been put into service around the area - and more is on the way - demand for such facilities remains high, according to city and school district officials. Four neighboring southwest subur- ban communities all are looking for ways to make space available. Even Bloomington, which added 10 full-scale gymnasium floors in the past two years, would like new space. The passage of a $107 million build- ing bond referendum spurred the Bloomington School District's con- struction of five courts each at Jeffer- son and Kennedy high schools. Richfield, Edina and Eden Prairie are all examining ways to gain more gym space for everything from school programs to community education and adult sports leagues. "Most definitively there's been an outcry for new gymnasiums," said John Keprios, Edina's park and recre- ation director. "Our city needs more i the school district can provide. dost people would like to have .e and probably four [new gymnasi- ums] in the city of Edina," Keprios said. A Bit Nervous Co `People snif j�'outgym space like that in a hurry, I'll tell you that. Some groups will, on a weekend, for example, rent the gyms at both Jefferson and Kennedy.' — Tom Holton Executive director of community edu- cation for Bloomington Public Schools A Facilities Study Committee estab- lished by the Edina Park Board last fall confirmed Keprios' comments. The committee reported, "There is clearly a need and strong desire for additional gymnasiums to serve program needs" of numerous youth sports leagues. Ideally, four new gymnasiums would be placed under a single roof, the panel recommended. The city doesn't have any gymnasium space, but has examined ways to collab- orate with the school district, Keprios said. To date, the district and city have not been able to finalize a plan. In Eden Prairie, the City Council has planned a $22.5 million bond referen- dum that - if approved by voters - would provide money for several recre- ation facilities. Among the planned im- provements are a $7.3 outdoor aquatic center and $7.1 million for improve- ments, including a new gymnasium, at the Eden Prairie Community Center. 1 you have painful memories of the dentist ... sapiello to Centennial Lakes Dental GrOp. W're just around the comer - -with locations inkotden valley and Edina We've been chaOyin Sev�about dentistry for a long time. rs ago we Introduced a revolutionary idea use every modern dental technique available to avoid putting our patients in Paint Our "Comfort -care Dentistry" makes going to the dentist a pleas- ure. Well, sort of. But we'll do everything within our control to not hurt you. That's a promise. Also, our New FREE Patient The city of Eden Prairie has not put a referendum before the voters in 10 years. Bloomington's new gyms — part of upgrades at all 17 of the district's build- ings - are in use almost constantly, said Tom Holton, executive director of com- munity education for Bloomington Public Schools. "It's clear that demand, during much of the year, exceeded availability of gyms," Holton said. "This is a result of expanding community programs as well as overall expansion of recreation programs. And of course we've seen much greater participation by females in recent years," Jim Bradley, business manager for Richfield Public Schools, agreed with Holton that demand is strong and grow- ing. "The biggest changes I've seen in re- cent years is the development of girls sports programs and how they've been expanding in the number of partici- pants," Bradley said. Expanding seasons also have con- tributed to the squeeze, Holton said. Bloomington has a five -tier classifi- cation for determining rental fees for the gyms. But the facilities are not de- signed to be a money -making opera- tion. District taxpayers have already paid for the facilities, he explained. The new gym space, planners agreed, was one of the top priorities in seeking passage of the building bond referendum, at the time the largest such measure ever presented to Min- nesota voters. The proposal passed by a comfort- able margin. Demand was high when the new gyms opened in 2002 and 2003. "People sniff out gym space like that in a hurry, I'll tell you that," Holton said. "Some groups will, on a weekend, for example, rent the gyms at both Jef- ferson and Kennedy." In addition, gymnasiums at each of the district's elementary and middle schools are available and get heavy use, even though they can't match the quality and versatility of the high schools' assets. "We do rent them quite readily," Holton said. "You'll find on most nights during the winter months that all the gyms at all the elementary, middle and high schools are being used in some fashion. "If you take that two-hour time block during prime basketball and volleyball season, you'll find they're all filled up." Richfield's Bradley said administra- tors are looking for ways to meet in- creasing demand in times of budget crunching. "I just had a meeting about this two hours ago with the athletic director and the director of community education at the city," Bradley said in a telephone in- terview last week. "We were meeting between the schools and the city to see how we can possibly meet all the com- munity needs as well as accommodat- ing the [high school] sporting program. "They have different perspectives, but both of them are saying, 'We don't have enough time, we don't have enough facilities."' "It demands a cooperative effort so we can manage to provide the best we can," Bradley said. "We cannot provide everything to everybody at the same time." EDINA LIONS CLUB 7328 West Shore Drive, Edina, MN. 55435 April 2, 2004 Mr. John Keprios, Director Edina Parks and Recreation Department City Of Edina 4801 West 50th Street Edina, MN 55424 Dear John: I thought you might be interested in the article entitled "A Skateboarder's Mecca" that was in the April issue of the Lion Magazine which goes all over the world. Evidently the Lions and Skateboarding perhaps go together as the article suggests. Hopefully the Bloomington, Richfield, and Edina Tri City cooperative effort will succeed in getting the building built as it appears it is very much needed. I wish our club could do more but the $25,000 commitment really is a lot for a small older club like the Edina Lions. Our main sources of revenue are the lawn bag sales, the pancake breakfast and the 4th of July celebration. Enjoy the article and we wish you success! ? 1 Best Personal Regards, Dick Johnson 7328 West Shore Drive Edina, MN 55435 Phone 952/925-2044 Copy to Paul Justen, President Bloomington Lions Club 42 A Skateboarder's Mecca 011ies, Heelflips, Popshuvits, Fakies, Vert Doubles and Goofyfoots can finally be seen in Saskatoon. What are these things? They are the names of challenging skateboarding jumps, turns and flips. The four Lions clubs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, joined together with the city to create an outdoor skateboard park. Skateboarders, BMX bikers and roller bladers now have a place to call home where they can practice these moves. The four clubs pledged $85,000 towards the outdoor facility in a six-year agreement. The Lion's contribution covered the amount required by the City of Saskatoon before con- struction on the park could begin. In turn, the City of Saskatoon contributed $325,000 toward the total project cost of $410,000. New Line Skatepark Inc. was contacted to build the park. The company has built similar parks all over Canada. Over 400 cubic meters of concrete was poured, making an exciting course consisting of ramps, bowls, halfpipes, slopes and rails. The Skatepark is 22,000 square feet and is ranked as one of the top three parks the company has built. The park is even listed on many major skateboarding Web sites. Skateboarding was once an underground sport, but enthusiasm for the sport grew when skateboarding was part of the ESPN Extreme Games in 1995. Now, many cities are creating similar recreational parks. The City of Saskatoon Lions Skatepark opened on September 27, 2003. Before the permanent park, kids had to use tem- porary satellite sites. In Saskatoon, population 215,000, there was definitely a demand for such a park. During the summer of 2001 alone, over 1,100 skaters registered at the temporary sites, using the facili- ties a total of 11,000 times. The Lions clubs were granted title name sponsorship of the park and skateboard program. Title name rights includes all printed materials and other communication tools advertising the skateboard program. The clubs are also host or co -host with the Community Services Department for several local activities, such as annual skateboarding or in-line skating competitions. Both the Skateboarders and BMX bikers enjoy the park's many ramps and jumps. Lions and Saskatoon Community Services Department are excited about the opportunity to work together and the many opportunities the partnership could create. The Lions saw the opportunity to give kids a perma- nent, positive place where they could not only develop as individuals and practice their trade, but where they could also have fun. The "Sidewalk Surfers" now have a park of their own because the City of Saskatoon Lions Skatepark is intended for skateboarders, roller bladers, and BMX riders only. ■ Nancy Barnard President — Edina KIDS Club Parent Advisory Council 5836 Drew Avenue South Edina, Minnesota 55410 (home) 952-924-0789; (work) 612-904-5703 "SAVE OUR SPACE" DATE Dear Mr. / Ms. NAME: My name is Nancy Barnard and I am the president of the Edina KIDS Club Parent Advisory Council. I am also the parent of two elementary students. As a representative of the large group of parents who have children involved in the KIDS Club/WISE Guys/Surge program, I want to let each of you know that we fully supported the passing of the recent referendum. We recognized that it was absolutely necessary to improve and update many of our buildings and facilities and are excited for the work to get started. There is one area, however, that we believe needs additional support. It was brought to our attention that plans for what we all affectionately call "The Hut" on the south side of Normandale Elementary/Edina Community Center may not include replacement of this space due to its being designated a Tier II priority. While we are not lobbying for keeping the building, we are asking for serious attention be given to replacing the space that is utilized by many different groups in the community. We understand that taking the two buildings down is necessary. They could not have fit into any design plans when they were erected in the early 1970's and they certainly don't fit into the plans now. They were viewed as a short-term fix to a space problem that has turned into a long-term eyesore. Because recreational space is severely lacking at this site, especially considering what is available at many of the other school sites, The Hut currently provides an outlet for our WISE Guys and Surge students along with many other community groups. The high school baseball team uses this space for preseason training. The high school marching band practices in the building. The Edina Community Center utilizes this space for many of their youth and adult classes. Without it, our fourth through ninth grade students simply would have no large space available for them — and we all recognize the need for kids to run. The baseball team would not have any place to practice before the weather cooperates (relatively) and the ground is dry enough to practice which, as many of you know, can be well into May. The marching band would also be at the mercy of the weather as there is no other space large for them to practice as a group. And the Community Center would not be able to offer many of their classes to the residents of Edina. All of these reasons are extremely important to not only those of us directly affected, but the community as a whole. All of these groups use The Hut because there is nothing else available DATE Page 2 While we not advocating keeping The Hut as is, we strongly encourage each of you to think about alternatives should the building be torn down. As a 1980 graduate of Edina East High School, I remember going to school thinking how old and ugly the buildings were then and wondering when the buildings would be replaced with something more permanent — that was 25 years ago. Something needs to be done, we agree. But we also absolutely believe that not replacing this widely -used space would not serve the community well and many groups in the community would suffer for it. Please consider our plea to "Save Our Space." We thank you for your consideration. Regards, Nancy Barnard President Edina KIDS Club Parent Advisory Council Memo To: EDINA YOUTH ATH TIC ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS. From: John Keprios, Direcr Date: April 15, 2004 Re: PARK BOARD MEET G. The Edina Park Board would like to invite the presidents or their representatives from the following youth athletic associations to the May 11 Park Board meeting: 1. Edina Baseball Association 2. Edina Basketball Association 3. Edina Girls Athletic Association 4. Edina Girls Traveling Basketball Association 5. Jr. Olympic Volleyball 6. Edina Soccer Association 7. Edina Soccer Club 8. Edina Football Association 9. Edina Youth Softball Association 10. Edina Girls Fastpitch Softball Association 11. Edina Lacrosse Association The Park Board would like to discuss athletic facilities, including a proposed plan of action to develop a dome and gymnasiums, as well as, discuss issues surrounding outdoor athletic fields. The Park Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 11, 2004, 7:00 p.m., and will be held at the Edina Senior Center in the Sherwood Room at 5280 Grandview Square. If you as President are unable to attend, we ask that you please send a representative from your Board of Directors to attend in your absence. If you have any questions, please contact me at (952) 826-0430. I look forward to seeing you May 1 lchi 0 Page 1 Memo To: ALL EDINA YOUTH A HLETIC ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS. From: John Keprios, Direc r Date: April 15, 2004 Re: NO SMOKING POLICY PROPOSAL. I ask that each youth athletic association consider adopting a policy that encourages all coaches, volunteers and spectators to refrain from any tobacco use during your scheduled activities. The goal here is to encourage good adult role model behavior in front of youth to discourage our youth from using tobacco. There are literally volumes of data that proves the health hazards of tobacco use and it is believed that one of the best methods of keeping youth tobacco free is to display positive role model behavior. It begins with all the adults in the community. Please know that I am not asking that youth athletic associations enforce a new policy for spectators. All I ask is that each youth athletic association support the following language on a "voluntary compliance" basis for spectators: "The Edina Association asks that all spectators please refrain from all tobacco use during our association's scheduled games and practices. Thank you!" If your youth athletic association approves, then the Edina Park and Recreation Department would like to post permanent signs at that outdoor athletic facilities at your scheduled games and practices with the above language. I would also encourage each youth athletic association to include this voluntary compliance language in your promotional materials, as well as, schedules and rosters. 0 Page 1 If you have not already done so, I would also ask that each youth athletic association adopt a tobacco - free policy for all of your adult volunteers and coaches during scheduled practices and games. Each youth athletic association has the ability to enforce a tobacco -free policy for their volunteers, including coaches. As you know, the City of Edina has a Code that makes it unlawful to smoke inside any City -owned building. The Edina Park Board is requesting the support of all Edina youth athletic associations to encourage their volunteers and spectators in outdoor park settings to remain tobacco free. Please discuss this proposal at your next Board meeting and let me know your thoughts. If you would prefer, I'd be happy to attend your next Board meeting to answer questions. Please know that this effort is also supported and encouraged by the Connecting With Kids initiative. Thank you in advance for your support in promoting healthy youth development. 0 Page 2 Memo To: ALL EDINA YOUTH ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS. From: John Keprios, Direc Date: April 15, 2004 0 Re: ONLINE REGISTRATION AND WEB SITE DEVELOPMENT. In follow up to our last Presidents Meeting, Ed MacHolda and I met with a vendor who is willing to work with all Edina youth athletic associations to develop a common online registration software program. In addition, this vendor also develops web pages for a fee. Through this exercise, we learned that for a number of reasons the City of Edina couldn't serve as the provider of this service. There is; however, a way for all Edina youth athletic associations to join forces to jointly use a common online registration program. The vendor's name is Mike Camey, who is the one who created the Edina Football Association's web page that you can find at www.edinafootbal.ora. It might make some sense for all youth athletic associations to have somewhat similar web pages to make it easier for your customers. I ask that you bring this concept to your Board of Directors for discussion. If your Board is interested in pursuing this approach, I would be happy to facilitate and host a joint meeting where Mr. Carney could give everyone a presentation and answer questions. Please let me know one way or another if this is of interest to your association and I will either set up a meeting or tell Mr. Carney that there is not enough interest among the associations. You can contact me by phone, fax, email, or postal mail (see numbers above). Many thanks. 0 Page 1