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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-03-11 Park Board PacketCity of W11 EDINA PARK BOARD TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2003 7:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS EDINA CITY HALL AGENDA * 1. Election of Officers. *2. Approval of Tuesday, November 12, 2002, Park Board Minutes. • 3. Edina Theater Company - Dr. Dick Cermele. *4. Edina Traveling Baseball Club. *5. 24th Annual Volunteer Awards Reception - Nomination. *6. 2003 Meeting Dates & Places. 7. Other. 8. Adjournment. *These are agenda items that require or request Park Board action. City Hall (952) 927-8861 4801 WEST 50TH STREET FAX (952) 826-0390 EDINA, MINNESOTA 55424-1394 TDD (952) 826-0379 Memo To: Edina Park Board. From: John Keprios, Direct Edina Park and RecreatInDepartment Date: March 3, 2003 Re: TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2003, PARK BOARD MEETING STAFF REPORT. Enclosed you should find the following items: 1. Tuesday, March 11, 2003, Park Board Agenda. 2. Tuesday, November 12, 2002, Park Board Minutes. 3. Edina Theater Company Proposed Budget. 4. Edina Little League for the 2003 Season. 5. Email from Dale Nelson, President of EBA. 6. Edina Traveling Baseball Club Player Registration form. 7. Use of Edina's Scheduled Outdoor Athletic Facilities and Recommended Guidelines. 8. 24th Annual Volunteer Awards Reception Packet. The following is the monthly staff report concerning each item on the agenda with the exception of Approval of the Minutes and Other. "Other" is listed on the agenda for other information items (not requiring formal action), last minute items that may come up between now and the Park Board meeting, plus, cover any other concerns of Park Board members and/or attendees. PARK BOARD MEETING AT EDINA CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS EDINA CITY HALL 4801 WEST 50TH STREET The March 11, 2003, Park Board meeting will be at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Chambers at Edina City Hall. If you are unable to attend, please call either Office Coordinator, Janet Canton, at 826-0435 or me at 826- 0430. ELECTION OF OFFICERS In February or March of each year, the Park Board self -elects a Chairman and Vice Chairman. At the beginning of the meeting, I will request nominations from the Park Board for Chairman. If there is more than one nomination, I will pass around paper ballots for Park Board members to vote for their choice of Chairperson. The same process will then be used to elect a Vice Chairman. In the case of a tie, nominations for that position will reopen and the process will start over until a Chairman and Vice Chairman are chosen. The main duties of the Chairman are: 1. To work with staff in establishing an agenda prior to each meeting. 2. Chair the process of each Park Board meeting. (In other words, the Chairman provides leadership that keeps Park Board meetings orderly, democratic and encourages input from all Park Board members and guests). 3. Serve as spokesperson for the Park Board at City Council meetings and other public functions. The Vice Chairman is to carry out the duties of the Chairman in the absence of the Park Board Chairman. Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. EDINA THEATER COMPANY Edina resident Dr. Dick Cermele is our volunteer Director and creator of the Edina Theater Company. Dr. Cermele has an impressive background in theater and directing. In the fall of 2002, Dick approached me asking for assistance in finding a venue for a community theater program. I suggested the use of the character rich historical Grange Hall located in Tupa Park directly across the street from City Hall. The Grange Hall facility offers an intimate setting for a small community theater production. I also offered financial assistance out of the Park and Recreation operating budget to help the community theater get off the ground. I asked Dr. Cermele for a proposed budget and overview of production needs. Dick quickly secured several volunteers to assist with the production; however, getting three key actors to commit to a schedule became a bigger challenge. The plan is still to offer a spring production of the play entitled "The Voice Of The Turtle." Dr. Cermele will be at the Park Board meeting to share more about his background and his vision for the Edina Theater Company. No formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. EDINA TRAVELING BASEBALL CLUB At the conclusion of the 2002 summer baseball season, the Edina Baseball Association decided to change its program format and affiliate with Little League Baseball for children 12 years of age and under. A detailed description of the Little League program and how it differs from EBA's previous traveling team format is outlined in the enclosed 5 -page description. The Edina Baseball Association chose to make this move for a number of reasons, which are clearly outlined in their enclosed report. As you will notice, EBA is changing their program offering in an attempt to build the number of kids playing baseball in Edina. They intend to accomplish this by applying the community's baseball coaching resources to the greatest number of kids, and move away from focusing on just the best 24 athletes in each age group. As a result, the 11 -year old traveling boys from 2002 will not have that traveling team opportunity as 12 - year olds. Some parents of those boys disagree with EBA's new format and have decided to form their own association, specifically so that their 12 -year old boys can have their preferred type of traveling team experience in 2003. This group of parents formed their own non-profit association named "Edina Traveling Baseball Club." 2 As soon as I learned of this issue, Ed MacHolda and I met with the Edina Baseball Association President and the two key parents involved in forming the new Edina Traveling Baseball Association. After hearing both sides of the issue from them, I asked that the two parties get together and work out a compromise so that Edina residents are not faced with two competing baseball associations. As I mentioned to both parties, having two competing associations is disappointing and harmful for the following reasons: 1. It will be confusing for Edina residents. 2. The new Edina Traveling Baseball Program is narrow and self-serving; does not have the majority of resident's best interests in mind. 3. It sends the wrong message to our children (mixed messages). 4. It will create a negative self-serving image for Edina. In spite of my efforts, it seems clear that a compromise is not going to be reached. Parents of the Edina Traveling Baseball Club have followed the Park Board's established policy regarding access to outdoor athletic fields and have chosen to become an incorporated non-profit organization under the Minnesota State Statutes, as outlined in the policy. This incorporation status grants a higher level of priority access to public facilities; however, the policy is not clear on the issue of what fee will be charged to the various organizations and/or individuals. In 2003, Edina Baseball Association participants will pay $8.00 per participant to the City of Edina as part of a field use fee. All other field rentals are charge at a rate of $38.00 per hour per field or a maximum of $116.00 per day. The question becomes, which rate should the Edina Traveling Baseball Club have to pay. The second question regarding the Edina Traveling Baseball Club is whether they in fact comply with the current policy; specifically item #4 under Priority #2, which states: 4. Each Youth Athletic Association must be open to all Edina residents and must offer Edina residents some opportunity to participate in the sport and may not discriminate based on race, ethnic background, or religion, however, may discriminate based on ability. The question becomes, will the newly formed Edina Traveling Baseball Club be able to adequately serve all 12 year old boys if they all sign up in their organization? Will there be a team and adequate coaching for them? Will all 12 year olds have to play only intense scheduled traveling team baseball? In short, is the Edina Traveling Baseball Club truly "open to all Edina residents and offer Edina residents some opportunity to participate in the sport?" I have asked both parties to be present at the Park Board to state their positions and answer questions. It is my recommendation that at the Park Board make a recommendation that the Edina Baseball Traveling Club pay the $38.00 per hour per field charge up to a maximum of $116.00 per field per day further recommend that the Park Board challenge the Edina Traveling Baseball Club's Priority #2 qualifications. This is a precedent setting scenario issue. If this disgruntled group of parents are given priority access to City of Edina public outdoor athletic fields, it could potentially open the door to even more self-serving groups of parents who demand a different sport experience for their children. These elitist team offerings would be in direct competition with an existing program offering and, in my opinion, will not have the larger population's best interests in mind. Formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. 24TH ANNUAL VOLUNTEER AWARDS RECEPTION - NOMINATION Enclosed is a letter of information from City Manager, Gordon Hughes, regarding the upcoming Annual Volunteer Awards Reception, which will be held on April 22. Each year, the Edina Park Board is given an opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating him/her for one of the Mayor's Commendation Awards. The Park Board also has the opportunity to recognize one of their own outstanding volunteers at the event itself. I suggest that the Park Board empower the Park Board Chairman to make those decisions based on input from the Park Board. Staff will gladly do the paper work. Formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. 2003 MEETING DATES & PLACES I suggest that the Park Board have all 2003 Park Board meetings at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Edina City Hall. The new City Hall is expected to be completed this fall, at which time our meetings will be moved to the new Council Chambers. The only exceptions will be the July meeting, which has traditionally been the replaced by the annual Braemar Inspection Tour; and the November meeting should not take place on Veteran's Day; therefore, I suggest it take place on Wednesday, November 12, 2003. The 2003 meeting dates are: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 Tuesday, April 8, 2003 Tuesday, May 13, 2003 Tuesday, June 10, 2003 *Tuesday, July 8, 2003 Tuesday, August 12, 2003 Tuesday, September 9, 2003 Tuesday, October 14, 2003 Wednesday, November 12, 2003 Tuesday, December 9, 2003 *Braemar Inspection Tour Formal Park Board action is requested on this agenda item. OTHER This is an opportunity for Park Board members and residents to address other concerns. 4 EDINA PARK BOARD 7:00 P.M. BRAEMAR GOLF COURSE COOPER ROOM NOVEMBER 12, 2002 MEMBERS PRESENT: Andy Finsness, Mike Damman, Karla Sitek, Tom White, Ardis Wexler, George Klus, Jeff Johnson, Floyd Grabiel, Linda Presthus, Allyson Grande MEMBERS ABSENT: David Fredlund STAFF PRESENT: John Keprios, Ed MacHolda, Janet Canton, John Valliere, Todd Anderson, Vince Cockriel, Tom Horwath, Susan Weigle, Diana Hedges OTHERS PRESENT: Jim Van Valkenburg, Dianne Plunkett Latham, Susan Simonton, Dan Latham, Louis Armstrong, Jean White, Janet Larson, Jeff Cordes, Joan Lonsbury, Kay Bach, Marcia Akins, Jean Stuart, Ed White, Marty Friede, Judy Cipolla, Ruth Johnson, Arden Aanestad, DJ (Jim) Villas, Tom Swenson, Jeannie Hanson, Mary Jo Straub, Doug Schmidt, Richard Griffith, Naomi Griffith, Eric Pehrson I. APPROVAL OF THE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2002 PARK BOARD MINUTES Andy Finsness MOVED TO APPROVE THE OCTOBER 8, 2002 PARK BOARD MINUTES. Karla Sitek SECONDED THE MOTION. MINUTES APPROVED. II. BUCKTHORN ABATEMENT PROGRAM PROPOSAL — DIANNE PLUNKETT LATHAM Mr. Keprios indicated that he first wants to applaud everyone, especially Diane Plunkett Latham, for their efforts for bringing this to the forefront. He noted that this project is a challenge and has taken a lot of effort. Mr. Keprios stated that the Edina League of Women Voters and the Edina Garden Council have teamed up together to give the Park Board a formal presentation and proposal. Diane Plunkett Latham indicated that she is an Edina resident who is representing the Edina League of Women Voters, the Edina Garden Council as well as many residents of Edina who are concerned about the buckthorn invasion. Ms. Latham commented that she would first like to thank the City of Edina who worked with them this summer to put on their first buckthorn abatement program in Edina. They could not have been as successful as they were without the City's help. Ms. Latham informed the Park Board that the State of Minnesota put a ban on planting buckthorn on December 1, 2000. She explained that the problem with buckthorn is that it has no biological controls, such as animal, insect or disease to control the spread of buckthorn. In addition, it's poisonous. Ms. Latham pointed out that it also has no normal controls and can grow just about anywhere. Its seeds are spread by birds and water and are viable for up to six years. She noted that buckthorn forms dense thickets, which shade out other plants and, worse, it contains a chemical in its roots that suppresses the growth of anything next to it. Ms. Latham pointed out that Applied Ecological Services (AES) prepared a chart showing where our forests are headed. She explained that there are four different diagrams, the first of which shows the original Savannah pre -settlement, which consists of 28 varieties of birds and over 300 varieties of vegetation. The second diagram shows that after the settlement a wild fire is suppressed and the forests are starting to grow in. At this time there are 22 varieties of birds and 150 varieties of vegetation. The next diagram shows the buckthorn invasion, which has been in this state for the last century, however, it's only been during the last 20 years where it has really taken off. At this time there are 15 varieties of birds and there are less than 50 varieties of vegetation. The last diagram shows the degraded forest. Ms. Latham pointed out that Edina is currently in the third section because we still have our hardwood trees, however, hardwood trees have a fixed life because of natural causes and when they go, there will be nothing left in the forest to replace them. There will be no birds, flowers or fall colors. Ms. Latham stated that we are heading towards losing our forests and we need to do something to save them, however, to save them we need more funds and resources. She explained that last June the League of Women Voters and the Edina Garden Council teamed up with a budget of $425.00 and started a half dozen programs for residents to educate them on why and how to eradicate buckthorn. She noted that they are not going to give up because they want their birds, wildflowers and fall color. Therefore, they have decided to open up the program to the City for the whole month of October. In addition, they have a found a tree service, Top Notch Tree Service, that is willing to work with them on this project. Ms. Latham indicated that one of the reasons why residents don't do anything about their buckthorn is because they feel if the city isn't doing anything why should they bother because the berries are just going to come right back into their yards. She noted that isn't true because the city is doing something, however, the funds are very limited so there is only so much they can do. Ms. Latham discussed their proposal for a buckthorn abatement program in Edina. She pointed out that of the 11 items they suggested to the city to start working on to get rid of buckthorn, the city is currently working on four of them, items #5, #7, #8 and #9. She noted that the city has purchased some weed wrenches that residents can check out and 2 noted that the City Forester is looking into purchasing root talons that can be checked out as well. Ms. Latham indicated that she has also asked Mr. Cockriel if it would be possible to have two weekends during buckthorn abatement week when residents can drop their buckthorn off at no charge. She noted that for items #8 and #11 she has not yet had the opportunity to specifically speak with the city representatives but these are items that can probably be easily worked out. Ms. Latham then went through each item. Ms. Latham explained that items #1, #2 and #3 talk about clear -cutting and clarified that in the timber industry clear -cutting means taking out all of the wood. However, in this case when they say clear -cutting they mean to only take out the buckthorn, all of the native trees are left and would not be taken out. Ms. Latham informed the Park Board that their biggest problem is manpower because it takes a lot of manpower to treat buckthorn. There are not enough city workers and volunteers to treat buckthorn within the City of Edina. More resources and funds are needed to complete this project. Ms. Latham commented that someone has to coordinate this massive task because there are 1,500 acres of parkland in Edina and all of the woodlands are infected to some degree. Ms. Latham noted that she realizes there is a hiring freeze and funds are low, however once funds become available she feels this is something that should be placed at the top of the list. Ms. Latham indicated that the real reason why they are here tonight is they would like for the City to prepare a report on the buckthorn infestation in Edina and make a proposal for buckthorn eradication in Edina. She noted that they have made suggestions as to what the program might look like but that's not to say it's the best way or only way to do it, it's merely a starting point. Ms. Latham stated that once the City prepares a program hopefully they will be able to determine how long it will take to eradicate the buckthorn. She noted that given the resources we currently have she thinks the woodlands can be saved, however, it will be way too little and way too late. Sue Simonton, an Edina resident who has worked with the University of Minnesota Arboretum in their wood and plant research for the last 12 years, noted that she has watched the buckthorn explode especially in the last four to five years. She indicated that what they have found to be the most effective and least damaging way to control buckthorn is clear cut and painting with either Garlon or Round -Up on the stumps. It's very simple and very cost effective. Ms. Simonton pointed out that education is huge and the word needs to get out. Tom Swenson, who works with maintenance at Braemar Golf Course, noted there is a tremendous infestation of buckthorn at the golf course. He indicated that they started working on the problem with chainsaws and painting. Mr. Valliere stated that they are educating people about buckthorn and are moving forward with trying to eliminate it. Vince Cockriel, Park Superintendent, indicated that he agrees with everything that has been said regarding the undesirability of buckthorn. However, there are a few issues that they run into that the average homeowner wouldn't. The City would definitely have 3 liability issues with allowing private residents onto City property with chemicals and equipment that they are not licensed or trained to use. Safety is also a big concern for them. Mr. Cockriel noted they do have civic groups, boy scouts, tree trusts, etc. who are available to help out from time to time. He stated he encourages those types of organizations because they come with some type of a damage waiver and therefore they are less of a liability to the City. Mr. Cockriel stated that a lot of residents worry about the city being able to keep up the pace with them. He explained that if you have a good lawn maintenance program, whether it be for buckthorn or dandelions, the problem will go away and will not come back regardless of what your neighbor does. Mr. Cockriel indicated that he agrees this is a situation that we need to deal with. However, the City has 1,500 acres to maintain whereas the average homeowner is dealing with approximately 20 to 30 plants. He noted it's fairly easy to cut one big 8" buckthorn tree and spray it. However, it's the 2,000 after -growths that have to be taken care of on a daily basis. The average homeowner can spray their 20 stumps on a nightly basis and not take near as much the manpower or labor that would be needed to take care of Braemar Golf Course. Mr. Finsness asked what the difference is with buckthorn now compared to ten years ago to which Mr. Cockriel replied it has increased from 100% to 200%. He noted that he agrees with the concept and the concerns with buckthorn because it is a tremendously invasive exotic undesirable species that has invaded the whole state of Minnesota. Mr. Finsness asked if other cities have been able to get rid of buckthorn. Ms. Latham responded that both the St. Anthony area and the Linden Hills area of Minneapolis have been clear -cutting very rapidly and have quite a bit of experience. She noted that the trick is to protect any piece of property that is within a 1/3 of a mile of buckthorn. The reason for this is because the birds can carry it 1/3 of a mile before they drop it. Tom Horwath, City Forester, indicated that this is definitely a huge task. He noted that chemical control is an issue for him because if we keep spraying every stump and go back and pull or spray another dosage of chemical he would like to know what kind of stress that is putting on the trees that we are trying to preserve. He explained that what he questions is putting stress on trees that may lead to other diseases that will affect the trees. Therefore, he cautions the overuse of chemicals in the woods because we don't know what all of the results will be. Mr. Horwath added that there are other methods to use besides chemicals and those methods also need to be looked at. Ms. Latham commented that Mr. Horwath has a valid concern with the use of chemicals, however, if we don't do something eventually there will be no trees. We need to get rid of the buckthorn so that we have some trees to preserve. Mr. White asked if Round -up or other chemicals can be used within Bredesen Park. Mr. Cockriel explained that the City was put under a turf management plan six to eight years 0 ago and at that time buckthorn wasn't as big of an issue. He noted that the plan pretty much calls for prudent use of herbicides and pesticides on city property to which he feels this would be prudent use if it's done in a controlled manner. Mr. Cockriel pointed out that school property would be a whole other issue because they do not allow any type of chemicals or pesticides on school property. Mr. Klus asked for a clarification as to what exactly it is that the committee is asking for from the Park Board. Ms. Latham replied that they would like for the city to inventory their parks and indicate how much buckthorn they have and second to prepare a plan and indicate what it would take to implement it. She noted that she is willing to bet that it will take more resources than what the city currently has. She indicated that they are willing to go to the City Council to ask for those resources. Ms. Latham noted that basically they are asking for an inventory of what the infestation level is by the acreage and then a plan to eradicate it. She noted that it's also important that the City report each month to the Park Board what has taken place and how far along on their plan they are. This way they can go to the residents and inform them as to what the city is currently working on regarding the eradication of buckthorn. Mr. White asked Mr. Cockriel and Mr. Horwath how long it would take to figure out how big the problem is and to develop a plan. Mr. Cockriel indicated that there are a couple of other items that would need to go along with that plan. He noted that the city is not authorized to deal with the school properties, private golf courses and the larger private properties. Therefore, these are some issues that would have to be dealt with in conjunction with the parkland. Mr. Cockriel stated that as far as figuring out an accurate count of how much buckthorn is on parkland he could probably have a report done by the end of March. Mr. Grabiel indicated that he thinks this is definitely a city concern, however, as a Park Board he is not sure they can do anything other than to agree with everything that has been said. He noted that he thinks this presentation needs to go before the City Council. Ms. Wexler stated that she would like to commend the Garden Council and the League of Women Voters for addressing this problem and bringing it to everyone's attention. She noted that she thinks because of the work that has been done in terms of collaboration that maybe that's one of the ways they can address the problem. Perhaps ultimately the Park Board will make a recommendation to the City Council on how groups and individuals within the city can work collaboratively. Mr. Johnson asked if they can legally enforce people to eradicate their buckthorn to which it was noted they cannot. It was pointed out that buckthorn has been classified as a noxious weed and can no longer be planted in Minnesota, however, there is no law that says it has to be removed. Mr. White indicated that he thinks this is a very important issue for Edina as well as the State of Minnesota, however, he is not sure what the Park Board can do. He noted that he doesn't necessarily think it's important to have a buckthorn report at each Park Board E meeting indicating what level of buckthorn has been removed in the last month. Mr. White stated that his sense is the City staff will take their job seriously and will do whatever they can to try to remove the buckthorn. Mr. White also commented that he thinks the more people are aware and involved in removing buckthorn the better. He noted that possibly the Park Board could propose to the City Council that they somehow try to have a greater participation in the removal of buckthorn. Ms. Wexler suggested the Park Board make a strong recommendation to the City Council based on the information presented and ask that they work with the League of Women Voters and the Garden Council. She pointed out that there are approximately 30 people in attendance tonight and if everyone here took a block and talked to their neighbors and started working on eradicating the buckthorn it would cover a good chunk of the city. Ms. Wexler indicated that she would also go as far as to recommend to the City Council that they purchase the equipment mentioned for residents of the community to rent at no charge. Mr. White indicated that he would like to see this group of people go before the City Council and make their presentation and then determine what they think the next best step is for the City. Mr. Klus pointed out that he thinks the Park Board also needs to support them in their proposals that they have presented tonight. Mr. Klus MOVED THAT WE SUPPORT THEIR PROPOSALS AS THEY WERE PRESENTED TO US TONIGHT SO THAT IT CAN GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL so AND THEY CAN MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION THERE. Ardis Wexler SECONDED THE MOTION. Mr. Keprios indicated that it is appropriate that this group is before the Park Board tonight. He noted that he thinks what everyone is hearing from the Park Board is that they support and agree with what has been said and agree it is an important issue. However, the 2003 budget has already been submitted, which has prioritized financial and manpower resources in place for this calendar year. Mr. Keprios suggested that maybe it would be appropriate to come back to visit the issue again when we propose a 2004 budget. Mr. Keprios commented that to think about taking on a whole new initiative and put more resources towards it is great except that would mean something else would have to give this coming year. Mr. Finsness asked if there is anything that says that this could not be a whole volunteer effort. Mr. Keprios replied that he is really proud of this group for what they have accomplished and he applauds them for that. He noted that he also applauds his maintenance staff who have already been working on this issue for the past several years. Mr. Keprios commented that he agrees this is an important issue and stated that the City has been and will continue to address the issue with the resources that are available. Ms. Latham noted that it was asked if this could be an entire volunteer effort to which she • indicated they would be more than happy to do more. However, the project still requires n someone from the City to coordinate it. Mr. Keprios indicated that he has to rely on the experienced professionals who know how to properly manage these clear-cut areas. It sounds as if we clear cut an area and don't use pesticides and plant new vegetation, we will ultimately end up with an even bigger problem and he is quite concerned about that. He stated that if we start encouraging people to go out and spray constantly for all of the new seedlings that come up we are going to have another whole new issue. He noted that he is not confident that we have the answers for the right approach. Mr. Keprios commented that Mr. Horwath suggested doing some research and tests to see what can and cannot be done. We shouldn't just quickly jump in and clear-cut everything only to find out that we need ten times the resources to maintain what we've just done. It's definitely a concern. Mr. Klus suggested that the current motion be amended to reflect these concerns. Ardis Wexler suggested that one approach would be to amend the motion in a manner that states that the Park Board is very supportive of the efforts of the community and we recognize that we need to be mindful of prudent use of pesticides and approve the concept in general as proposed. George Klus stated that the concept would still be the ten points that are proposed. We should support this and encourage the group to take those on to the City Council to discuss those. Ms. Latham comment there are 11 points. Mr. Klus noted that he would say the first 10 and not number 11 because of budget constraints. He would support the first 10 for now because it's a volunteer thing that could be done well. He thinks the City Council needs to get involved with that premise. Mr. White asked for a clarification on the amendment, which he understands to mean that the Park Board supports points 1-10, but not number 11, plus a recommendation that the group go to the City Council for further direction and support. Mr. Klus replied yes. Also, noted that he thinks number 11 will naturally happen if the City Council is going to get involved. Mr. Klus commented that any restrictive pesticide wording not be included in the motion, and clarified his MOTION THAT THE PARK BOARD SUPPORT THE TEN POINTS AND ENCOURAGE THE GROUP TO GO THE CITY COUNCIL AND ASK FOR FURTHER SUPPORT AND CLARIFICATION. Mr. Grabiel asked does the motion have anything to do with herbicides or pesticides to which it was replied no. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. III. BRAEMAR GOLF COURSE PRESENTATION — JOHN VALLIERE John Valliere, Manager of Braemar Golf Course, gave the Park Board an overview of the golf course and how it operates. Mr. Valliere explained that golf in terms of growth is 7 actually quite flat right now. He noted that an optimistic view is about a 2% growth annually and basically as many people that are coming into the game are also leaving the game. He stated that is a concern as we tend to build more golf courses than we need, there is currently an excess number of golf courses, even in Minnesota. Mr. Valliere indicated there are 457 golf courses in Minnesota. He explained that they are embarking on a new program to try and encourage more people to come to the game but more importantly to stay in the game. Mr. Valliere indicated that at Braemar they have 27 holes as well as a 9 -hole executive course. They also have another 9 -hole executive course called Fred Richards, therefore, they have 45 holes of golf. He noted that on a typical busy day the main golf course sees between 550 and 600 rounds of golf. The executive courses see between 30,000 and 32,000 rounds of golf. However, the past couple of years have not been as good because of the bad weather we've had. Mr. Valliere stated that on an average they have approximately 2,700 patron card holders. He explained that of the patron card holders, whereas, 1/3 of them hardly use them at all it's more of a convenience. Another 1/3 uses them fairly regularly, once to twice a week. The last 1/3 of the patron card holders uses them three to four times a week and are very loyal customers. Mr. Valliere noted that they have a good location and they have a good product at the right price. Mr. Valliere pointed out that they have 19 ladies leagues with approximately 1,200 members. He noted that they have approximately 600 men in their men's leagues and 350 members in their men's club. Mr. Valliere indicated that their junior program has 350 members. He stated that they also have approximately 1,200 people taking group golf lessons from the 7 golf professionals they have as well as a numerous amount of people take private lessons. Mr. Valliere explained that they have ongoing capital improvements for the golf course. He commented that they are very proud of the fact that their operations and improvements are paid for by the revenues that are generated at a course. We are therefore able to continue to try to upgrade our facilities annually. Mr. Valliere pointed out that they also have a number of elderly people who come to the golf course to play cards during the day. Mr. Valliere indicated that Todd Anderson manages the Braemar Golf Dome and noted that the dome is having a good start to their season and thinks they will have a good winter. IV. 2003 FEES AND CHARGES PROPOSAL Mr. Keprios indicated that a minor change has been made on the fees and charges since the last Park Board meeting. He noted that the skate rental at Centennial Lakes went up $1.00. Also, the Art Center made a few adjustments to their fee schedule. He noted that he thinks the fees that are in front of you do reflect what he feels are still within the philosophy of keeping programs affordable and yet competitive in the market place. He pointed out that our mission is not to become a profit center. Mr. Finsness asked Mr. Valliere when the last time was that Braemar Golf Course had an increase. Mr. Valliere replied that on an average they have been going up $1.00 per year for 18 holes of golf. Mr. Valliere added that this year most of the golf courses in the metropolitan area are holding the line on prices because of the economy. He noted that he also agrees it is the right thing to do. Mr. Johnson asked how Braemar compares to the Meadow Brooks, Bakers, etc. to which Mr. Valliere replied they are very competitive, however, there are different levels of golf courses. There is the private golf course, the upscale public course, the publicly owned public golf course and the municipal owned golf course. Mr. Klus indicated that he has noticed people parking their cars at Braemar and leaving and asked if anyone knew where they are going. Mr. Valliere responded that he thinks because of tough economic times people are carpooling and going to where they can find good deals. He added that he thinks a lot of these golf courses are going to go under. Mr. Klus asked Mr. Valliere if he felt there was a heavier usage of people going elsewhere this year to which he replied the people who are on a fixed income are the ones who are probably looking for the best deal around. Mr. Klus asked if because of competition are we currently in a time period where we need to pretty much stabilize the rates and hope that rounds go up in order to increase revenue to which Mr. Valliere replied yes. He indicated that first he thinks we need to remain more competitive as they build more golf courses around us. Secondly, we need to look at part of the capital plan. He pointed out that the new 9 is a more challenging course with narrow fairways and steep inclines. At some point in time, we would like to address those issues and make the course more user friendly, which will help us keep our good customers. Ms. Wexler asked Mr. Keprios if he thinks the prices have gone up progressively or are most of them the first increase in two years for example. Mr. Keprios replied that's a tough question to answer, however, he would say that most of their fees go up a small percentage in order to keep up with increasing expenses. He added that if you look at the history of our fees and charges, the majority of the fees go up in order to keep in tune with inflation. Ms. Presthus asked why isn't there a bigger gap in the fee between the residents and the non-residents to use the Aquatic Center. Mr. MacHolda replied that currently the non- resident fee is roughly the same or less than what their competitor's charge their non- residents. In addition, non-residents represent 46% of the season ticket sales which is one of the reasons why we've been able to do renovations at the facility. Mr. MacHolda indicated that this year is also going to be more competitive than last year because the Richfield pool will be open again. Also, Eden Prairie is looking at building a new 9 facility. Mr. MacHolda pointed out that when he has talked with other communities typically the difference between residents and non-residents is $10.00. Mr. Johnson asked what the daily membership fee is for residents. Mr. MacHolda replied the price is the same for residents and non-residents, it's $8.00 for a daily admission and after 6:00 p.m. the cost is $6.00. Mr. MacHolda commented that he feels when the pool is over crowded the first place that should be cut back is the daily admission because we want to honor our season ticket holders. Ms. Wexler asked what the price break is for children. Mr. MacHolda replied that there is no charge for children younger than 12 months and for children who are 12 months and older it's the same price for everyone. Floyd Grabiel MOVED TO RECOMMEND THE FEES AND CHARGES AS PROPOSED BY STAFF. Linda Presthus SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. V. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Mr. Keprios asked the Park Board to recognize how grateful we are to have such a • healthy capital plan. We are now able to make some wonderful improvements and can start to catch up. Mr. Keprios explained that the capital plan looks a little bit different than it did last year as the staff reviewed the priorities for the next five years. He noted that this is something that is going to change slightly each and every year as different items keep coming up. Mr. Keprios indicated that he brought all of his staff together, including all park maintenance staff, to receive their input, which was extremely valuable to the process. As a result, they did change some things around. Mr. Keprios pointed out that Sherwood Park and Normandale Park playground equipment clearly need to be replaced in 2003. Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that the Edina Lion's Club has offered to donate $25,000 towards the show mobile. He indicated that he has abandoned the idea of co - owning a show mobile with the City of Bloomington. Mr. Finsness asked for an explanation on the show mobile. Mr. Keprios explained that the show mobile is a portable stage on wheels that the John Phillip Sousa Band uses during the Fourth of July concert at Rosland Park, as well as, it is used for a lot of other venues. The current show mobile is 30 years old and is not road worthy as well as the stage is in very rough shape. It has reached beyond its life expectancy and it's time to be replaced. Mr. Keprios indicated that he has talked to the Historical Society and will be approaching the Garden Council regarding the expenses with the new entrance to Arneson Acres. He noted that he is also bringing to their attention the sanitary issue they have with the septic • tank at Arneson Acres. 10 Ms. Presthus asked if Lewis Park was always two years out on the capital plan to which Mr. White replied they moved things around so Lewis Park would be done by this end of this year. Ms. Presthus asked if Lewis West was always two years out. Mr. Keprios responded that they were planning on working on Braemar next, however, Mr. MacHolda suggested doing the west field at Lewis first and putting in lights at the same time. He noted that by doing this they would have a net gain of essentially two fields. Mr. Keprios stated that Braemar is in good enough shape that it can be delayed until 2005 without a problem. Mr. Keprios indicated that he is asking the Park Board for approval of the 2003 Capital Plan. Linda Presthus MOVED TO RECOMMEND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AS PROPOSED BY STAFF. Floyd Grabiel SECONDED THE MOTION. Mr. White asked what happened to the Rosland Park parking lot. Mr. Keprios explained that all of the enterprise facilities are responsible to pay for their own parking lot and that project is being put on the shoulders of the Aquatic Center. The Golf Course and Arena pay for their respective parking lot repairs. Mr. Keprios also pointed out that both the Cahill School and Grange Hall are now urgently in need of significant repairs and he views them as a high priority. We have windows falling out of their wood frames and the buildings need a new roof and exterior painting. MOTION CARRIED. ABSTAINED — George Klus VI. OTHER A. First Tier Regional Trail - Mr. Grabiel asked what the status is with the First Tier Regional Trail to which Mr. Keprios replied they are successfully moving along. He noted that the trail is going to be completely funded by Hennepin Parks. B. Edina Football Association Playoffs — Mr. Klus indicated that he wanted to thank Mr. MacHolda for his work with the Edina Football Association during the playoffs this year because of the bad weather. He noted that it was very difficult to find fields for the younger kids to play on and he appreciates Mr. MacHolda's time and effort in working this out. C. Police/Fire TrainingFacility acility — Mr. Klus asked about the kick-off for the Police/Fire Training facility. Mr. Keprios replied Mike Damman attended the event on behalf of the Park Board and noted that only the elected officials spoke. He noted that it was very nice and that the facility is now under construction. Mr. Keprios pointed out that he is also in 11 C, the process of writing a memo regarding the naming of one of the training rooms to the "Wippermann Training Room". Mr. Keprios also commented that they are planning on opening up even more time to the public than was originally thought. Also, there will not be any outdoor shooting. Everything will be indoors. D. VanValkenburg Park — Mr. Klus asked if any more has been said on the possible expansion of VanValkenburg Park to which it was noted that the gentleman who owns the property did pay his taxes. Therefore, we are not going to get the land. E. Rugby and Lacrosse Teams — Mr. White indicated that last year there was a problem with Rugby and Lacrosse teams and asked if anyone has had a chance to talk to Steve Dove regarding this. Mr. MacHolda explained that the problem still exists and they have added two new programs but they have not provided any additional game space or green space. He commented that he does think the communication channel is very good between the school district and the city. Mr. MacHolda stated that his hope going into the spring season was to put the Lacrosse Association at Lewis West, however, he is doubtful that will happen because of how saturated the field has been. He explained that the proposal still stands where he would like to see the school's baseball move their junior varsity from McCarthy to Garden Park. He noted that McCarthy would then be used for varsity football training and possibly Rugby. McCarthy would also be shared with the track/field sports. Mr. MacHolda noted that for fallback green space they would use Highlands. Other thoughts of green space would be Todd Park. Mr. MacHolda stated that the School District is currently assessing its facilities and he believes that their staff hopes to present their perceived facility needs to the School Board sometime in February or March. Mr. White asked Mr. MacHolda if it would be possible, after he has talked to Steve Dove, to have a plan worked out before the next Park Board meeting so we know all of the sports will have fields to play on. Mr. MacHolda replied that he will at least follow-up with the proposal on shifting the baseball team. Mr. White stated he would like to know that all of the sports that need fields next spring are going to have a place to go that's useable. He noted that we need to know that information now so that if it's not going to be able to happen we can start exerting pressure. VII. ADJOURNMENT George Klus MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 9:15 P.M. Ardis Wexler SECONDED THE MOTION. MEETING ADJOURNED. 12 Edina Theatre Company [etc] Proposed Budget THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE Costumes $ 300 Lighting 1200 Sound 150 Scripts 100 Royalties 500 Publicity 250 Printing 500 Photography 500 Postage 750 Set pieces 250 Set Dressing 100 Properties 150 Production Book 50 Contingencies 200 Total 5000 Note: (a) as in most budgets, some items will go up, others down, and (b) as they do they will provide refuge for some, and, in addition to "contingencies", will allow help to items for amounts only time and experience will provide: shipping and handling, transportation, heat, lights, telephone, custodial, etc. When creating a budget of expenses for a serious theatrical production, the unwritten rule of thumb is to decide on a "break-even" figure, often 65%. That is, at any time, if at least 65% of the seats in the theatre are sold no money is lost, nor is any money made: expenses have been met. If less than 65% of the seats have been sold, money has been lost. Conversely, if more than 65% of the seats have been sold, money has been made. If, as in our situation, we find we have an 80 seat house and a "rock -bottom" budget of $5000, and we are going to charge $5 per seat, we must decide how many times we need to perform the play to, at least, recover our expenses. 65% [break-even] of 80 seats [the entire house] is 52 seats. At $5 per ticket the break-even point is reached after 20 performances: 52 seats x $5 per ticket x 20 performances= $5200. At $7 per ticket [the price of an average movie ticket these days] however, expenses would be recovered after 14 performances: 52 x $7 x14=$5096. This is not really a "pricey" operation/budget, especially if we end "...Turtle" without a loss. Questions which must be asked and answered in the next several days: -Is the budget of $5000 too high, under the circumstances? -with no track record -very few plays have only three characters [and only three to five costumes] -Is this a one time high projected budget, or, will most plays that follow be at least $5000 and more? -yes, as long as we are at Grange, and because most casts are larger than this play's -How far and how long are we willing to go? -Must we take the chance, because not to so would mean we'll have given up before we really started? -Must we plan a first season to develop a history, short though it will be, on which to predicate a second season here or another less expensive performance space someplace else? D IC K C ERME LE LONG-TIME THEATRE DIRECTOR [retired] * WELL OVER 100 FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTIONS *HEAD OF DIRECTING PROGRAM AT ST. CLOUD STATE *ARTISTIC DIRECTOR [and ADMINISTRTIVE DIRECTOR] FLORIDA OHIO MICHIGAN MINNESOTA [THEATRE L'HOMME DIEU] *GUEST DIRECTOR, SOUTH FLORIDA THEATRE FESTIVAL *GUEST DIRECTOR, ANTIOCH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL *ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, PHOENIX THEATRE, NYC TAUGHT: PLAY DIRECTING DRAMATIC LITERATURE DRAMATIC STRUCTURE CINEMA STUDIES Ph.D UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA M.F.A. BOSTON UNIVERSITY, MASS. B.A. ANTIOCH COLLEGE, OHIO Edina Little League for the 2003 Season The Edina Baseball Association Board has decided to affiliate with Little League in operating its baseball program for players 12 and under. We want players and parents to understand how the new baseball program will work and why we are adopting it. What is Little League? Little League was founded to develop the character of youth through baseball. While the emphasis on playing baseball might overshadow its character development mission, Little League is aligned with the goals of the EBA and those of Edina Park and Recreation - to develop youth and community through sports and recreation. Little League programs are granted "charters" based on their population. Each Little League charter throughout the world is based on roughly the same population base. Edina will have two charters, meaning we will have two parallel divisions in our Little League program — the Buzz Division and the Sting Division. Our program boundaries will correspond with the Edina School District. Players from ages 9 through 12 are eligible for Little League. For each division, the league structure consists of a Major League and a AAA Minor League for 11 & 12 year-olds and a AA Minor League for 10 year-olds. (See the Little League Structure Table on the next page.) How Does Little League Compare with Our Previous Program for These Ages? Previous Program Games (approximate) Edina Little League Edina Tournament Teams 12 year-old 18 Metro League 20 Major League games 12 Tournament games for Traveling Player (intercommunity) games and (about 1/3`d intercommunity) the District Tournament 12 Tournament games Team (mostly 12 year-olds) Total = 30 games Total = 32 games 12 year-old House 12 House League games 20 Major League games or Players are eligible for League Player 18 Minor League games selection to the District (about 1/3`d intercommunity) Tournament team (12 games) 11 year-old 18 Metro League 20 Major League games 12 Tournament games for Traveling Player (intercommunity) games and (about 1/3`d intercommunity) the 11 year-old Tournament 12 Tournament games Team Total = 32 games 11 year-old House 12 House League games 18 Major League games or Players are eligible for selection to the 11 year-old League Player 18 Minor League games (about 1/3`d intercommunity) Tournament team (12 games) 10 year-old House 12 House League games plus 12 Minor League games plus Players are eligible for League Player an opportunity to try out for a the opportunity to try out for selection to the 10 year-old weekend tournament team a Major League team Tournament team (12 playing about 12 games ames) Little League Division Structure Each team will typically have 12 players. The number of teams is an estimate. Buzz Division — Major League (10's, 11's & 12's) Sting Division — Major League (10's, 11's & 12's) A's Brewers Twins Cardinals White Sox Giants Devil Rays Dodgers Buzz Division — AAA International League (10's, 11's & 12's) Sting Division — AAA International League (10's, 11's & 12's) Team 1 Team 1 Team 2 Team 2 Team 3 Team 3 Team 4 Team 4 Team 5 Team 5 Team 6 Team 6 Buzz Division — AA Northern League (10's) Sting Division — AA Northern League (10's) Team 1 Team 1 Team 2 Team 2 Team 3 Team 3 Team 4 Team 4 Team 5 Team 5 How Does Each League Work? Major Leagues Each Major League team is composed of 12 players with no more than 8 12 year-olds. A typical team might have 7 12 year-olds, 4 11 year-olds, and perhaps 1 9 or 10 year-old. Based on player interest and ability, a pool of players is created for the Major League Team Draft. The eight Major League coaches draft players from the pool for their teams. Once players are placed on a Major League team, they remain on that team until they leave the Little League program. For example, all 11 year-olds are automatically on the same Major League team for the next season as 12 year-olds. Major League teams will practice twice a week and play 2 (sometimes 3) games per week. Each player's commitment to being at every practice and game and to working hard at improving his baseball skills will be critical for participation in the Major Leagues. Each Major League team will play teams in their own division and in the other Edina division. In addition, teams will play Little League teams from neighboring divisions in perhaps, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, or Minnetonka. At the end of the season, the two 1" place teams in Edina will play each other for the Edina Championship. In addition, each 1St place team from each division will play in a District - sponsored tournament for 1St Place teams. Also, each team in each finishing place will play in a tournament for their place (e.g. a 2„d place team tournament for 2nd place teams, a 3rd place tournament for 3rd place teams, etc.). International League (AAA) The AAA Minors will consist of two divisions of 6 teams each. 10 (a few), 11 (mostly) and 12 year-olds will play in the International League. AAA teams will play 16 regular season games in addition to inter -league games against teams from St. Louis Park. Each team will have 13 scheduled practices. The season will conclude with playoffs in July. Northern League (AA) The AA Minors, the Northern League, will consist of 10 year-olds. Coaches will draft players onto teams in two divisions of the Northern League. Each team will play 12 regular season games. The season will conclude with playoffs in July. Tournament Teams Six tournament teams will be formed. Teams cannot be named until June 15th so that Major League team play is the priority for all players. Division teams can only draw players from their division. Teams Eligibility Tournaments 2 Division Tournament All Major League players are Edina Tournament (June) Teams eligible. The team will be District Little League (1 from each division) composed mostly of 12 year-old Tournament* (early July) players. End -of -Season Tournament (late July) 2 11 Year -Old Tournament All 11 year-old players not on a Edina Tournament (June) Teams Division Tournament Team are 11 year-old Little League (1 from each division) eligible. Tournament* (early July) End -of -Season Tournament (late July) 2 10 Year -Old Tournament All 9 and 10 year-old players not District Little League Teams on a Division Tournament Team Tournament (early July) (1 from each division) are eligible. End -of -Season Tournament (late July) Why Little League? The Little League approach to organizing youth baseball attempts to optimize challenge for the best players under age 12 while also developing a large pool of players. It is not a perfect program. No approach is. Specifically, these have been the most influential factors in making the change to Little League: 1. Build the number of kids playing and enjoying baseball in Edina. The Little League model organizes kids by skill level and age (secondarily), enabling at least twice the number of kids to learn to play a very competitive level of baseball in comparison to the traveling model. As the player pool stays large, older -age teams will be much more competitive and more kids will have learned to appreciate this great game. 2. Apply the community's baseball coaching resources to the greatest number of kids. The traveling model concentrates coaching resources on a few kids. We want our best coaches to work with more kids. 3. Provide more leadership opportunities. The seventh or eighth player on a traveling team might be expected to be one of the leaders on a Little League team. In the Little League model, which includes both League play and tournament team play, a player is likely to experience different roles and play different positions. 4. Enable the most skilled and committed players to play and be challenged at their ability level. The Philosophy Behind Our Move to Little League The mission of the Edina Baseball Association — to provide opportunities for kids to learn and play baseball — guides the Board's belief that more Edina kids could be playing more and better baseball if they were given opportunities, encouragement, and proper coaching. And whether or not a kid ever develops into a skilled baseball player, encouraging and coaching kids is the most important role of a community youth organization. A youth sports organization is also about striving to win. Over the past fifty years, Edina High School teams and individual players have won more state championships than any community high school in the state. Edina has more than its share of outstanding athletes. However, not all of these athletes are outstanding baseball players at age 10 or 11. The physical and emotional challenges of baseball demand patience on the part of adults guiding the baseball program. All communities struggle with the tension between putting the nine best players on the field at a young age versus building a larger pool of players who keep playing competitive ball during their developmental years. Our goal is to field competitive teams and keep kids playing baseball because they are having fun. Currently, many kids who want to make a commitment to learning and playing baseball are excluded from our traveling programs. For the past several years, more than fifty 10, 11, and 12 year-old kids tried out for traveling baseball teams. More than half of them did not make a team. Child development experts, high school and college coaches, and youth sports experts have told us that kids mature at very different rates and at different times. Yet we rush to make decisions about kids' playing abilities at age 10 and 11. We focus resources on the chosen 24. Youth sports experts tell us that as kids pass through puberty, their relative abilities change greatly, that only half of the outstanding 11 year-olds are among the best players at age 17. People who study youth and athletic development would urge us to take the path we are taking. For more information on parenting and youth sports, consult these websites: http://www.momsteam.com/ htt2://www.s2orts2arenting.org/csp/index.cfm r� Compromise Regarding 12 Year -Old Baseball Page I of 2 John Keprios From: Dale Nelson [dnelson16@mn.rr.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 9:09 AM To: John Keprios Cc: Edina Baseball Association; Kathryn Peterson; Bob Rauch Subject: Compromise Regarding 12 Year -Old Baseball John, As a result of our meeting last Friday, you asked the EBA and the some of the parents of 12 year-olds who played traveling baseball last year to try to reach a compromise. The EBA wants 12 year-old players and their parents to enthusiastically join our Little League and help make it a big success. The parents want their sons playing on a traveling A team and B team. You wanted each of us to search for a compromise in which we each got some of what we want and also gave up some of what we want. Bob and Kathryn agreed to poll other parents to see if there was a compromise proposal I could bring to the Board at our Sunday meeting. Bob and I spoke on Saturday afternoon and he reported that he and the other parents had not been able to come up with a compromise position. At the EBA Board meeting, we spent nearly an hour discussing compromise possibilities. Informally, we have discussed these one-year compromise options with 12 year-old parents with the following results: . Play two A teams - rejected . Play two B teams with unlimited A tournaments - rejected . Allow 12 year-olds to try out for an expanded number of 13 year-old teams - rejected We discussed options of getting a waiver from Little League for the coming year to form an all-star team earlier, but the predominant perception was that this too would be rejected. At this time, I am not aware of a compromise position for the EBA that has not been discussed and I am not aware of a compromise position from the 12 year-old parents that has been proposed. I have personally made it my goal to make a good -faith effort to find a compromise that we could all live with, but it simply has not worked out. While we may differ philosophically with the 12 year-old parents, we believe our program plan for the 2003 season offers challenge, support for developing baseball skills, and a summer of fun playing baseball for each and every 12 year- old, regardless of the player's skill level. We regret that a compromise could not be found and we extend our invitation to these parents to participate in the Little 1/22/2003 Compromise Regarding 12 Year -Old Baseball League for the 2003 season. Sincerely, Dale Nelson President, Edina Baseball Association 1/22/2003 Page 2 of 2 EDINA TRAVELING BASEBALL CLUB (ETBC) Name last Address first Traveling Baseball Edina Park and Recreation Department Player Registration Form Gender: _ MI m/f City Address (Other residence) City Parent name Home Phone 952 - Parent name Home Phone 952 - Email address Work Phone Email address Work Phone EBTC USE ONLY Fee Paid Your age If your birthday falls group is between: 12 Year 8-1-90 to 7-31-91 Old Birthdate Zip Code Zip Code Cell Phone Cell Phone YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE TO TRYOUT! Non -Refundable Tryout Fee ($20) and this form are due by Friday, February 28. Tryout schedules are posted on our website at www.edinatravelincibaseball.ora Please bring baseball glove and bat. NO CLEATS! We will email a confirmation upon receipt of registration and fees. The remaining team fees (coach, tournaments, etc.) are due at the first practice after teams are formed. Team managers will collect fees for each player within 2 weeks of the first practice. If remainder of team fees are not paid by this time, your child may forfeit their spot on the team. Open roster spots will be filled from our waiting list. Questions? mail@edinatravelingbaseball.org WAIVER TO CITY OF EDINA AND EDINA TRAVELING BASEBALL CLUB In consideration of your acceptance of me or my child as a participant in an Edina Recreation Program, I hereby waive all claims against the City of Edina, its' employees and agents, and release the City of Edina, its' employees and agents, from all claims for injuries suffered by me or my child incidental to, connected with, or arising out of the recreational activities for which I am, or my child is enrolled, including injuries suffered as the result of negligence of the City of Edina or its' employees or agents but not including injuries suffered as a result of their willful or intentional misconduct or gross negligence. I do hereby waive, release, absolve, indemnify and agree to hold harmless the Edina Traveling Baseball Club (EBTC), its' Board of Directors, organizers, sponsors, coaches, supervisors, participants and persons transporting my child to or from activities, from and against any claim arising out of injury or harm incidental to, connected with or arising out of EBTC activities. I understand and acknowledge that the EBTC and the City of Edina have no medical or health insurance covering me or my child. . I agree to return upon request any equipment issued to our child in as good a condition as when received, except for normal wear and tear. I will furnish a certified birth certificate of the participant upon request of the Club or League officials. I certify that to the best of my knowledge, my child has no physical infirmities or sickness except as follows: Please list any condition of which you or your doctor are aware Parent/Guardian's Signature: I am interested in being a: ❑ coach* ❑ assistant coach ❑ team manager ❑ board member* * Please complete an application on our website Date: Phone: Please mail this form and check for $20 (non-refundable tryout fee) made payable to ETBC to: Edina Traveling Baseball Cllub %Edina Park & Rec none cn cnth o. USE OF EDINA' S SCHEDULED OUTDOOR ATHLETIC FACILITIES AND RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES (ADOPTED BY EDINA PARK BOARD ON MAY 8, 200 1) PURPOSE AND INTENT The main purpose of this document is to identify priority access to parks and facilities in the City of Edina. This document also outlines various requirements of every youth athletic association to ensure that their programs provide for health, safety and welfare of the public in a manner that is fair and equitable to all residents. This document is intended to grant priority use for exclusive or ongoing use of Edina's municipal park property and encourages youth athletic associations to provide programs in a manner that is in keeping with the Edina Park Board's philosophy. REQUIREMENTS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVE PRIORITY USAGE FOR PROGRAMMED USE OF THE CITY OF EDINA'S SCHEDULED OUTDOOR ATHLETIC FACILITIES: Definition For purposes of this document, scheduled outdoor athletic facilities are meant to include the following City -owned scheduled outdoor athletic facilities: • fields • basketball courts • hockey rinks The City reserves the right to determine if an outdoor athletic facility shall be considered "a scheduled facility" or not. In other words, the City may decide that it is in the public's best interest to periodically not schedule specific outdoor athletic fields, basketball courts or hockey rinks. Examples would include the need to rest a field for maintenance or safety purposes, or make specific outdoor athletic facilities available to the public at large due to demand. Outdoor athletic City -owned facilities that are not included under this policy are: • golf courses • Edina Aquatic Center • tennis courts :7 • batting cages ORGANIZATIONS WHICH REQUEST SPECIAL PERMITS TO OFFER ONGOING PROGRAMS ON SCHEDULED OUTDOOR ATHLETIC FACILITIES ARE REQUIRED (unless otherwise noted) TO COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES: 1. Organizations must be Edina based, non-profit, public service groups. "Edina" is defined as located or based in Edina. "Non-profit" means a not-for-profit organization as defined by State statutes. "Public service group" is defined as a group organized to provide a public service to the entire community, or all individuals in the community within the age group being served. Non-profit status is important because Minnesota State Law 604A.11 grants limited immunity from liability for those associations registered and qualified as a non-profit organization under State statutes (see last page). 2. Organizations are to deposit a copy of all bylaws, Article of Incorporation under Minnesota State statutes governing non-profit organizations, and all other documents, which govern their operation (i.e. policy statements, grievance procedures, scholarship and grant applications, etc.) at the Edina Park and Recreation Department so that those documents may be available for public review. 3. Organizations are to make all information concerning the governance of their programs available to participants upon request. 4. Meeting of the organization's governing body, except those, which deal with personnel issues or litigation, are to be publicized in advance and open to participation to all program participants. 5. It is recommended but not mandatory that the election of the organization's governing body is to be a process, which is open to all program participants. 6. Organizations are to be adequately prepared for dealing with participants that have special economic, physical or social needs. 7. Organizations are not to discriminate against program participants or applicants in any manner. REQUIREMENTS OF TEAMS NOT AFFILIATED WITH AN EDINA NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION REQUESTING RESERVATION OF A SCHEDULED OUTDOOR ATHLETIC FACILITY: 1. Team must be composed of a minimum of 50% Edina residents. 2 2. Facility reservations will be limited to their home games only, or their team practices with a maximum of one time per week. 3. The Park Board and City Council will establish fees. 4. Park Facility Use Permit required. REQUIREMENTS OF GROUPS FOR SINGLE USE REQUESTS OF A SCHEDULED OUTDOOR ATHLETIC FACILITY: (i.e., Edina Cub Scout and Girl Scout Groups, Edina Church Groups, Edina Neighborhood Groups, Edina Businesses) 1. Fifty percent (50%) of the participants must either live or work full time in Edina. 2. Fees will be established by the Park Board and City Council. 3. Park Facility Use Permit required. PRIORITIES: Organizations that meet the above stated guidelines that are requesting special permits for single use or to offer ongoing programs on a City -owned scheduled outdoor athletic facility will be granted the opportunity based on the following use schedule, and within the adopted standards for number of uses per team. PRIORITY #l: City Programs (Examples: City offered adult programs, summer playground programs, basketball programs and special events open to the entire community.) PRIORITY #2: Youth teams (19 and under) that are members of non-profit organizations that have the following guaranteed in their bylaws: 1. 90% Edina residents. Edina youth residents are defined as individuals 19 years old and under who live in Edina or who go to school in Edina. 2. Association or Club is a non-profit organization as defined by State statute. 3. The Association or Club must file a financial statement with the City each year that will be made public upon request. This statement must indicate revenue, expenditures and fund balances. 4. Each Youth Athletic Association must be open to all Edina residents and must offer Edina residents some opportunity to participate in the sport and may not discriminate based on race, ethnic background, or religion, however, may discriminate based on ability. 5. All board meetings are open to the public (with the exception of personnel issues and litigation). 6. The organization must have an open process for parents to discuss concerns or recommend changes to the organization. 7. Teams are playing during the designated "primary season." PRIORITY #3: Edina School District Programs (Examples: curriculum programs, interscholastic team practices, games, tournaments, etc.) PRIORITY #4: Non-profit adult teams or organizations that have 25% or more Edina residents during the designated primary season. Edina adult "residents" must either live or work full- time in Edina. PRIORITY #5: Edina non-profit public service groups who use the facilities to raise money for the benefit of the entire community. PRIORITY #6: Businesses and neighborhood groups located in Edina during the designated primary season. PRIORITY #7: Non-profit youth teams or organizations that have 60% or more Edina residents during the designated primary season. PRIORITY #8: Priority #2 teams during a secondary season. PRIORITY #9: All other Edina teams on a first come, first served basis after higher priority teams have had an opportunity to schedule each season. All teams must be composed of at least 50% Edina residents and requests must be made by an Edina resident. Edina adult "residents" must either live or work full-time in Edina. 11 PREEMPTION CLAUSE It is the intent of this policy to avoid preemption of scheduled events once an outdoor athletic facility has been reserved and all requirements are met. However, the City reserves the right to preempt a scheduled event on a scheduled outdoor athletic field when in the City's judgement the preemption is in the community's best interests. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES 1. Fees for use of scheduled outdoor athletic facilities will be subject to change each year at the discretion of the Edina City Council. 2. The City will establish dates each year by which teams must commit requests for field reservation use in order to utilize their priority status. After that date, fields, or facilities will be reserved on a first come, first served basis. 3. If teams or organizations are at the same priority level offering the same sport activity for the same age group and gender, then the team or organization that serves the highest number of Edina residents will receive the higher priority status in terms of field, rink and court reservations. 5. The number of major tournaments or special events allowed by each youth association will be determined by staff on an annual basis. 6. Any organization, which fails to provide for and follow the guidelines set forth above, or provides false information on a permit application, is subject to revocation of its permit at the discretion of the Director of the Edina Park and Recreation Department. 7. No organization will be allowed to sublease the City's scheduled outdoor athletic facilities without City approval. RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES For all organized youth athletic associations in Edina, the following guidelines are strongly encouraged but not mandated by the Edina Park Board and City Council: 1. That all boys and girls receive an equal opportunity to participate in any activity at whatever ability level they may play. 2. Have fun. 3. Build good sportsmanship and character. 4. Learn basic fundamentals of the sport they participate in. 5. Be a good team member. 6. Learn to accept discipline. 7. Have a reasonable amount of practices and games. 8. The Edina Park and Recreation Department staff should encourage the use of volunteers on the Board of Directors, as well as, in the coaching, because we believe in the philosophy of citizen involvement. 9. Selection of members to serve on the Board of Directors and as coaches should be based on the prospective member having the understanding of the basic program for all ability levels and all ages. EDINA PARK BOARD STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING USE OF ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS, OR RACIAL NAMES OR SYMBOLS: The Edina Park Board recognizes and celebrates the diversity of our community. In doing so, the Edina Park Board encourages all youth athletic associations to respect our community's ethnic, religious and racial diversity by honoring the following guideline: "That no program, event or activity offered by an Edina youth athletic association will use any ethnic, religious or racial names or symbols which may, in the opinion of those groups, create or perpetuate stereotypes which distort or degrade such groups. Programs whose express purpose is to explore and celebrate the positive special contribution of such groups should be considered acceptable and honorable." 0 EDINA PARK BOARD STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO It is the belief of the Edina Park Board that the role modeling of parents, guardians, teachers and coaches has a significant influence on youth attitudes toward the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs. It is the Edina Park Board's philosophy to encourage parents and coaches to do their best to always display positive and healthy role modeling behaviors while interacting with youth. Therefore, the Edina Park Board strongly encourages each Edina youth athletic association to take the following actions: 1. Establish a drug, tobacco and alcohol policy that reflects a zero tolerance approach to elicit drugs, tobacco and alcohol use by its youth participants. 2. Require that parents (and coaches) sign a statement that acknowledges that they have read and understand the association's current drug, tobacco and alcohol policy. 3. Include in the association drug, tobacco and alcohol policy the following statement that: • Coaches and parents are strongly encouraged to not consume alcohol or tobacco while interacting with youth while on traveling team trips (examples include while traveling together on a bus, socializing in a hospitality room, etc.) • For those adults who insist on bringing alcohol and/or tobacco on team trips, it is strongly encouraged to make every attempt to keep the alcohol and/or tobacco out of reach and out of sight of the youth at all times. Action number three (0) is not to be considered as an enforceable policy, but rather, a strongly encouraged positive role model behavior. The Edina Park Board strongly encourages each youth athletic association to take this very seriously and do their part to help develop positive and healthy attitudes in our youth with regards to drugs, tobacco and alcohol. Your youth athletic programs provide important assets in youth's lives, which result in reductions in at -risk behaviors. The Edina Park Board applauds and appreciates your efforts to build these positive assets that develop healthy kids and a healthy community. n U Minnesota State Law 604A.11 604A.11 Volunteer athletic coaches and officials; physicians and trainers; immunity from liability. Subdivision 1. Grant. (a) No individual who provides services or assistance without compensation as an athletic coach, manager, official, physician, or certified athletic trainer for a sports team that is organized or performing under a nonprofit charter or as a physician or certified athletic trainer for a sports team or athletic event sponsored by a public or private educational institution, and no community-based, voluntary nonprofit athletic association, or any volunteer of the nonprofit athletic association, is liable for money damages to a player, participant, or spectator as a result of an individual's acts or omissions in the providing of that service or assistance either at the scene of the event or, in the case of a physician or athletic trainer, while the player, participant, or spectator is being transported to a hospital, physician's office, or other medical facility. (b) This section applies to organized sports competitions and practice and instruction in that sport. (c) For purposes of this section, "compensation" does not include reimbursement for expenses. Subd. 2. Limitation. Subdivision 1 does not apply: (1) to the extent that the acts or omissions are covered under an insurance policy issued to the entity for whom the coach, manager, official, physician, or certified athletic trainer serves; (2) if the individual acts in a willful and wanton or reckless manner in providing the services or assistance; (3) if the acts or omissions arise out of the operation, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle; (4) to an athletic coach, manager, or official who provides services or assistance as part- of artof a public or private educational institution's athletic program; (5) to a public or private educational institution for which a physician or certified athletic trainer provides services; or (6) if the individual acts in violation of federal, state, or local law. The limitation in clause (1) constitutes a waiver of the defense of immunity to the extent of the liability stated in the policy, but has no effect on the liability of the individual beyond the coverage provided. The limitation in clause (5) does not affect the limitations on liability of a public educational institution under chapter 466. HIST: 1994 c 623 art 3 s 2 Copyright 2000 by the Office of Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota. January 15, 2003 LOOK AHEAD TO SPRING!! City of WIT The 24th ANNUAL VOLUNTEER AWARDS RECEPTION will be held on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2003, at Edinborough Park from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Once again it is the opportunity for you to recognize your fine volunteers. This recognition program is open to everyone! We hope that you, as a leader of an Edina organization, will support and promote the event to your membership and join us in an evening of fellowship as we honor Edina's excellent volunteers. In light of the youth attending and in order to conserve expenses, alcohol will be excluded this year while food will be enhanced—with the goal of keeping it a fun event. The event has two types of recognition. During the first part of the program, you and other organizations will be able to RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN outstanding volunteers. To participate in this recognition, please return the enclosed pink form with the requested information by TUESDAY, APRIL 13t. During the second part of the program, the Mayor will honor individuals who have been selected to receive Mayor's Commendation Awards. If you have nominations for these awards, please use the enclosed green form and return it by TUESDAY, APRIL 1st. The Mayor's Awards Committee will choose the recipients from your nominations, so we count on your recommendations! We hope you will join us this year at Edinborough Park in the salute to Edina's volunteers. A yellow sheet (the RSVP) is enclosed for your organization. Please note the deadline for reservations—Tuesday, April 8th. Sincerely City Manager City Hall (952) 927-8861 4801 WEST 50TH STREET FAX (952) 826-0390 EDINA, MINNESOTA 55424-1394 TDD (952) 826-0379 NOTE: RETURN BY TUESDAY, APRIL 8tih 24th ANNUAL VOLUNTEER AWARDS RECEPTION AT EDINBOROUGH PARK RESERVATION SHEET Organization Contact Name Address Phone Names of those attending: TOTAL NUMBER OF RESERVATIONS: TOTAL AMOUNT @ $12.00 PER PERSON: Make check payable to the City of Edina. PLEASE MAIL THIS RESERVATION SHEET TO: SUSAN HEIBERG CITY OF EDINA 4801 WEST 50TH STREET EDINA, MN 55424 RESERVATIONS CLOSE TUESDAY, APRIL 8T", 2003. NOMINATIONS FOR MAYOR'S COMMENDATION AWARDS Please submit only one name per form, and check the category of the nominee. Refer to the enclosed list of previous recipients. Feel free to duplicate this form. Nominations in all categories are encouraged! MAYOR'S SERVICE CLUB COMMENDATION Awarded to an organization that has made outstanding contributions to the community. MAYOR'S INDIVIDUAL SERVICE COMMENDATION Awarded to an individual for outstanding and exceptional volunteer service to the community at large. MAYOR'S OUTSTANDING SENIOR COMMENDATION S Awarded to a senior citizen for outstanding volunteer service within the community. MAYOR'S YOUTH COMMENDATION Awarded to a young person who has demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality of life in the community. MAYOR'S COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COMMENDATION Awarded to a City employee for outstanding volunteer service to the community above and beyond his/her position with the City. NAME OF NOMINEE PHONE NOMINATIONS MUST BE RETURNED BY TUESDAY, APRIL 1St, 2003, TO: SUSAN HEIBERG CITY OF EDINA 4801 WEST 50TH STREET EDINA, MN 55424 (PLEASE FILL IN THE REVERSE SIDE) Additional information requested: 1. Description of volunteer job and services performed: 2. How long has the volunteer been involved with your organization? 3. Approximately how many hours per week does he/she volunteer? 4. What impact has this volunteer/group made on the City, person(s) served or community at large? Submitted by: Name Phone RECIPIENTS OF MAYOR'S SERVICE CLUB COMMENDATION 1979 - League of Women Voters (again in 1993) 1980 - Federated Women's Club 1981 - Edina Garden Council (again in 1999) 1982 - Lions 1983 - Optimists 1984 -Jaycees 1985 - Rotary 1986 - Woman's Club 1987 - Chamber of Commerce 1988 - Historical Society 1989 - Southdale Y's Men 1990 - Braemar Men's Club 1991- Special Children's Group 1992 - NO AWARD 1993 - League of Women Voters (also in 1979) and Kiwanis Golden K 1994 - Basketball Association and Morningside Rotary 1995 - NO AWARD 1996 - NO AWARD 1997 - NO AWARD 1998 - EVENT WAS NOT HELD 1999 - Edina Garden Council (also in 1981) 2000 - Edina Parent Communication Network 2001 - Blue Ribbon Committee 2002 - Edina Newcomers and Friends RECIPIENTS OF MAYOR'S INDIVIDUAL SERVICE COMMENDATION 1979 - Ardythe Buerosse 1980 - Virginia Bodine and Ray O'Connell 1981 -Shirley Taylor 1982 - Ann Bros and Bob Reid 1983 - Nancy Grimsby, Pam Keating and Phyllis Kenaston 1984 - Ralph Campbell, Janet Chandler and Scott Crosbie 1985 - Janet Cardle 1986 - Leonard Ring 1987 - Judy Smith 1988 - Galene Erickson, Betsy Flaten and Sharon Hale 1989 - Kay Bach and Betty Hemstad 1990 - Dorie Barman and Lynne Westphal 1991 - Mary Estrem and Harlan & Ruth Hansen 1992 - Gardner Gay and Lance Leupold 1993 - Frank Cardarelle 1994 - Doug Johnson 1995 - Jan Buth, John Rocheford and Jean McGlennon 1996 - Marian Hansen and Kathy Iverson 1997 - Don Schlaefer 1998 - EVENT WAS NOT HELD 1999 - Jacci Manson 2000 - Jim Van Valkenburg 2001 - Bob Kojetin 2002 - Gary Soule RECIPIENTS OF MAYOR'S OUTSTANDING SENIOR COMMENDATION 1979 - Ruby McLaughlin 1980 - Ella Terry 1981 - Ray Condon 1982 - Ann Salovich and Marion White 1983 - Katherine Sehlin 1984 - Tom Oye 1985 - Margaret Hanson and Homer Kinney 1986 - Jan Cooper 1987 - Orrin Knutson and Irene Russell 1988 - Ann Thompson 1989 - May Strand 1990 - Muriel Cords 1991 - Tax Consultants for the Elderly 1992 - Paul Otness and Ed Skluzacek 1993 - Polly Denison 1994 - Ruth Bakken 1995 - NO AWARD 1996 - NO AWARD 1997 - NO AWARD 1998 - EVENT WAS NOT HELD 1999 - NO AWARD 2000 - Dorothy Brindle 2001 - Lila Larson 2002 - Edina Senior Center Advisory Council RECIPIENTS OF MAYOR'S YOUTH COMMENDATION 2002 - Caitlin Rogers RECIPIENTS OF MAYOR'S COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COMMENDATION 1979 - NO AWARD 1980 - NO AWARD 1981 - NO AWARD 1982 - Vince Bongaarts 1983 - Craig Swanson 1984 - Patrick Lilja 1985 - Pat Greer and Marion Ward 1986 - Dennis Cain and Ralph Johnson 1987 - Susan Heiberg and Bob Kojetin 1988 - Ken Rosland and Solvei Swenson 1989 - Ceil Smith 1990 - Gene Bartz 1991 - Diana Hedges 1992 - Sue Weigle 1993 - Ruth Schmoll 1994 - Courtney Heyda 1995 - Marce Daehn 1996 - Gordon Hughes 1997 - Florence Moynihan 1998 - EVENT WAS NOT HELD 1999 - Fran Hoffman 2000 - Steve Bergren 2001 -John Keprios 2002 - Susie Miller and Donna Tilsner