HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-02-20 Work Session Meeting MinuteMINUTES
OF THE EDINA CITY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
COMMUNITY ROOM, CITY HALL
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2024
5:30 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Hovland called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Answering roll call were Members Agnew, Jackson, Pierce, Risser and Mayor Hovland.
Staff in attendance: Scott Neal, City Manager; Assistant City Manager Ari Lenz; Jennifer Bennerotte,
Communications Director; Perry Vetter, Parks & Recreation Director; Joe Abood, General Manager; Tom
Swenson, Assistant Director-Parks and Natural Resources; Rachel Finberg, Park Planner; Nicole Gorman,
Recreation Supervisor; Patty McGrath, General Manager-Edinborough Park/Aquatic Center; Tracy
Peterson, Assistant Director-Recreation and Facilities; Don Uram, Interim Assistant Finance Director; Ross
Bintner, Engineering Services Manager; Sharon Allison, City Clerk.
Parks and Recreation Horizon Level Facility Projects
Parks & Recreation Director Vetter thanked staff for their work preparing for this meeting to discuss
horizon level projects as staff prepare for the 2024 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) planning year that
culminates in a review and approval by the City Council for the 2025-2030 CIP for the Edina Aquatic
Center and Braemar Golf Facilities.
Edina Aquatic Center
Vetter said the Edina Aquatic Center was built in 1958 and had gone through a variety of changes and
renovations and how building and pool code requirements had evolved along with patron preferences and
use of the facility. Vetter said the pump and filter room CIP project offered an opportunity for staff to look
at future facility upgrades and expansions to meet patron expectations and address operational challenges.
He shared patron ratings of the amenities and operations and said staff and safety were rated high but
operational challenges such as concession wait time, changing and locker room facilities, seating and
furniture, and more were rated fair to poor. He shared a heat map showing how patrons were from all
around the metro area making the aquatic center a regional facility. Vetter showed how the top of the new
pump and filter room could be used to improve patron amenities by adding cabanas for extra shade and
additional pool deck space. Vetter described design considerations and patrons and operational goals for
this horizon level CIP. He said funding would be from the 2024 state bonding request with $4M for the
filter and equipment infrastructure and $6.5M for patron amenities, modernizations, and equity
considerations.
Council asked questions and provided feedback.
Braemar Golf Facilities (Clubhouse, Dome, and Arena)
Vetter spoke about the existing deficiency of the golf dome parking safety (on street) and customer service,
future needs in the Braemar Master Plan for trail head, restrooms and water, and pickleball, as well as
operational perspective of how the Braemar Arena and Golf Course came together from a market and
amenity perspective and the CIP, for example, adding food and beverage to capture revenue from 35
percent of patrons that were dining out. He spoke about the facility study for the golf dome and the
success with the TopTracer Range technology and how this has increased revenue. Vetter shared a design
concept for what the future of a combined clubhouse and dome could be if they created a performance golf
center that would include food and beverage, teaching, outdoor putting, meeting space and more, but that
they were not recommending this concept because of the costs; however, to address the issues, he
showed three expansion ideas that included expanded parking, trail head and pickleball amenities and
expansion of the dome with food and beverage. Vetter shared insights from the clubhouse market study
which showed areas where they were exceeding industry standard benchmarks and some areas with
opportunity for growth. He spoke about facilities conditions in three repair priorities, immediate, short-,
and long-term, and said about 80 percent of the costs were related to the clubhouse.
Vetter said their horizon level planning options were to maintain the existing facility, renovation and
expansion of investment, or new facility investment and that staff were partial to a new facility. He shared
the low to high range costs of each option. Vetter said these were some of the things staff were wrestling
with and connecting them to the CIP.
Council asked questions and provided feedback.
Presentation on Edina Historical Society Relationship and Future Considerations
Vetter shared the Historical Society established in 1969 as a 501 c3 organization was formed by the City
and residents to save the Historic Cahill School building and provide history-themed programs; however,
the Society was running out of funds and to save the Cahill School, they’ve asked the City for financial
support. He shared how their annual funding was $20K from the City and a staff liaison, plus legacy grants
from the State. Vetter shared options for consideration and reviewed the pros and cons of each: Option A)
Do nothing; Option B) Absorb and City hires staff to manage it; or Option C) Increase financial support for
three years to allow them to evaluate a long-term plan. He said the Society prefers Option C. Interim
Assistant Finance Director Uram asked Council for direction to be able to follow up with the Society.
Council asked questions and provided feedback and directed staff to increase funding for three years,
option C.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Hovland adjourned the meeting at 6:54 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
_____________________________________
Sharon Allison, City Clerk
Minutes approved by the Edina City Council Mar. 6, 2024.
_____________________________
James B. Hovland, Mayor
Sharon Allison (Mar 7, 2024 15:51 CST)
James B. Hovland (Mar 12, 2024 11:43 CDT)
James B. Hovland