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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-03-20 Wk Session MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE EDINA CITY COUNCIL HELD AT CITY HALL MARCH 20,2012 5:07 P.M. Mayor Hovland called the meeting to order at 5:07 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.Answering rollcall were Members Bennett, Brindle, Swenson, Sprague and Mayor Hovland. Park Board members attending the meeting included: Cathy Cella, David Deeds, Dan Gieseke, Susan Jacobson, Ellen Jones, student James Neville, Daniel Peterson, Kathryn Peterson, Louise Segreto, Keeya Steel and student Patricia Weicht. Park Board member Joseph Hulbert was absent. Staff attending the meeting included: Scott Neal, City Manager; Karen Kurt, Assistant City Manager; John Keprios, Parks & Recreation Director; Ann Kattreh, Assistant Parks & Recreation Director; Susan Faus, Senior Recreational Facility Manager; Amanda Holle, Interim Park Supervisor; and Jennifer Bennerotte, Communications&Technology Services Director. Mayor Hovland said the purpose of the joint meeting with the Park Board was to discuss the Edinborough Park and Sports Dome studies. Since no consultants were present, Manager Neal briefly recapped the last City Council-Park Board work session, held January 3, 2012. At that work session, the Edinborough Park Study was presented and 29 questions were posed by Council and Park Board Members. Staff since prepared a report answering those questions. Member Bennett asked for clarification on the maintenance fee charged to nearby homeowners, corporate center tenants, rental apartment residents, and the adjacent hotel. Manager Neal explained that the maintenance fee, agreed to by the development partners at the time the mixed-use development was approved, can be charged for 30 years. Beginning in 2015, some of those properties will be 30 years old and no longer required to pay the maintenance fee. All of them will be 30 years old by 2020. The maintenance fee equates to about $15 per month per residential unit and brings in approximately $220,000 in revenue each year. There is no provision for an automatic renewal of the maintenance fee. Member Sprague asked if the City could negotiate new contracts at the end of the agreements. Manager Neal responded, saying that the City could, request negotiation but would not be able to compel. Member Sprague asked how the consultant's proposal aligns with the City budget since the consultant's projected losses are much greater than the Park's current annual losses. Staff confirmed that if the Park remains as is,the City will need to invest about$1 million in capital improvements. Member Bennett said that correspondence and feedback shows that the Edinborough swimming pool is a unique amenity valued by the community. She said she felt the pool could benefit from additional marketing and partnerships. Member Sprague said he believes 85-90%is a reasonable cost recovery goal for Edinborough. He also said that if Edinborough is converted into more of a kids-only regional park, and away from having any well used resident amenities,then perhaps the Park should be run by the private sector or a regional authority like Three Rivers Park. He questioned whether the City should be in the business of running a regional play park which provides little benefit to Edina residents. Member Swenson asked if Edinborough Park is really an "enterprise" and if it is categorized appropriately within the City's park system. Minutes—Work Session/Edina City Council/March 20,2012 Board Chair Steele said the City Council needs to provide direction on the priorities for the Park Board's work. Member Brindle said she does not believe the Council has a common vision for Edinborough and that there is a need to establish a mission and vision for the Park. She also said that the options the consultant proposed for drawing in teens to the Park don't appeal to her and would take too much away from Edinborough. Member Bennett said that another thing that struck her while reading the correspondence was that Edinborough Park was formed as a sort of neighborhood park. Some play facilities there continue to be important. The swimming pool is important. The track is not that important. She said the City might want to return to offering private rentals there because of its unique venue. Facility Manager Faus said she had spoken with the Southdale YMCA Aquatics Director about offering additional programming at Edinborough. Board Member Peterson said she believes there are a lot of opportunities for more marketing and cross- marketing and partnerships. She said some of the plantings could be reduced and something new done in the amphitheater space. Director Keprios said he had taken a lot of notes during the meeting and would go back to the Park Board for further action regarding the Park's vision and mission and a discussion about marketing, partnerships and use of space within the Park. Board Member Deeds pointed out the large amount of energy that the Park uses and asked if the City knows of any private entity that might want to take Edinborough off of the City's hands. Manager Neal suggested a proposal be created that the Board and Council can react to and take action upon. He said the sooner the City can make a decision, the sooner it can use the trust fund for making capital improvements at the Park, if that is the direction. At 6:05 p.m., the group began discussing the Sports Dome Study. Director Keprios thanked the Board and its Working Group for their work to date on the study. The Working Group determined that there is significant community interest in the construction of a Sports Dome. Members also determined that due to limited field space in Edina, it is in the community's best interest to build a Sports Dome in a location that results in a net gain of an additional athletic field that can used throughout the year.The desired solution is a new rectangular-shaped artificial turf field with an inflatable dome over it during the winter months. Board Member Jacobson said that determining a location for the facility will be difficult. Board Member Deeds said the athletic associations have worked hard and have shown a strong commitment to the proposed project. Member Sprague said that the City needs to look at all of its enterprises. He said he does not believe the City can add additional amenities and still support under-performing facilities. Board Chair Steele said the Park Board and City Council need to have a discussion about how we value our amenities. Board Member Deeds suggested co-locating the Sports Dome with a reconstructed Golf Dome,where building, staff and operations could be shared. Member Swenson said that if we are going to entertain that option, the City needs to move quickly, as golfers Page 2 Minutes—Work Session/Edina City Council/March 20, 2012 are already clamoring to rebuild the Golf Dome. The consensus of the Council was to move to Phase 2 of the study, during which possible locations will be determined and costs estimated. The Braemar Park area is to be examined first, in case an opportunity arises to build a Sports Dome alongside a new Golf Dome. The new Golf Dome would replace the structure deflated by fire earlier this year.The Council will take action to that affect at its next regular meeting. Mayor Hovland adjourned the meeting at 6:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jennifer Bennerotte, Comm hic ti s&Technology Services Director Minutes approved by Edina City Council,April 3, 2012 James B. Hovland, Mayor Page 3