HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-10-08 Park Board Minutes 1
EDINA PARK BOARD
7:00 P.M.
GRANGE HALL
OCTOBER 8, 2002
_____________________________
MEMBERS PRESENT: Andy Finsness, Mike Damman, Karla Sitek, Tom
White, Ardis Wexler, George Klus, Jeff Johnson, Floyd Grabiel,
Linda Presthus, David Fredlund
MEMBERS ABSENT: Allyson Grande
STAFF PRESENT: John Keprios, Ed MacHolda, Janet Canton, Tom Shirley, Ann
Kattreh, Susan Weigle
OTHERS PRESENT: Carol Kuhlman, Judy Znerold, Kathleen Wetherall, Jean Adams,
Bob Reid, Frank Cardarelle, Bob Kojetin
______________________________
I. APPROVAL OF THE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2002 PARK BOARD
MINUTES
George Klus MOVED TO APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2002 PARK BOARD
MINUTES. Mike Damman SECONDED THE MOTION. MINUTES APPROVED.
II. EDINBOROUGH PARK PLAYGROUND AND PARK USER FEE PROPOSAL –
TOM SHIRLEY
Mr. Shirley explained that their main proposal was to initiate an admission fee for the
general park lower level area at Edinborough Park. The admission fee would be
collected at the existing front office.
Mr. Shirley pointed out that, in addition, their ice rink needs a lot of work and rather than
spend money on that they would like to install new playground equipment where the
current ice rink is located. He noted that they would like to leave the current tot lot
where it is for the smaller children, ages 3 to 5. Mr. Shirley stated that they would like to
start construction in the summer of 2003 and start charging an admission fee in
September of 2003.
Mr. White indicated that at the last Park Board meeting they asked to see a more definite
plan of what they would like to have done. Mr. Shirley showed the Park Board the
playground equipment plan that they are looking at. He commented that the structure
they are looking at would cost approximately $56,000, however, this is something that
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they will have to go out for bid. Therefore, the structure itself could change. Mr. Shirley
added that it has the capacity for approximately 125 kids so it is a fairly large structure
especially for an indoor area.
Mr. Damman asked if the theme idea is no longer an option. Mr. Shirley replied that they
have $90,000 to replace the play structure. He noted that the themed playground
structure would cost approximately $400,000 and doesn’t know where they would come
up with that much money for that type of play structure.
Mr. Klus asked what fund the $90,000 is coming from to which Mr. Shirley replied there
is $90,000 set in their capital improvement plan right now to do the project. Mr. Klus
asked Mr. Shirley if they are still anticipating an overall loss in the park even after this is
done. Mr. Shirley responded yes although he is anticipating they will take in an
additional $70,000 in revenue. Mr. Klus asked how much of a loss would they still be
looking at to which Mr. Shirley replied that next year they would still be at approximately
a $100,000 loss. Mr. Klus asked how many years are they going to be in financial
difficulties if the city doesn’t help out to which Mr. Shirley replied they are guessing
approximately 14 to 15 years. Mr. Keprios commented that they haven’t excluded the
idea of asking for an increase in monthly fees from residential property owners since
there has never been an inflationary factor built in. Mr. Keprios stated that this is just
step one, bringing in revenues from primarily the users to which the majority are
overwhelmingly non-residents. Also, by eliminating the ice rink they are reducing their
expenses because we are soon going to be faced with big-ticket items that ice rink will
need in the very near future. Mr. Klus pointed out that since the majority of the users do
not live in Edina how do we know they will pay a fee, which means that we can’t
measure that impact right now.
Ms. Presthus asked if money to fund the new playground area is being taken from what is
currently budgeted for the tot lot, what would be the status with the current tot lot, and
will work need to be done on that area as well. Mr. Shirley explained that they are
planning on keeping that area basically intact but will move a few things a little bit lower.
He noted that one of the things they found out as they started to try to renovate it was that
it doesn’t meet any of the current safety codes. Also, since it is all on one level all by
itself, it’s non-accessible. Therefore, if something new is put in that area, we will have to
put in a ramp or elevator, which would be too costly and decrease the area that is
available for a tot lot. Mr. Shirley stated that what this basically means is we can’t put a
tot lot up there so therefore we have $90,000 sitting in the capital fund that can’t be used
there. He explained that they are grand fathered in on the existing tot lot. Ms. Presthus
asked so we are going to do some things to the area but there is no long-range plan. Mr.
Shirley replied that eventually play events would have to be torn out as things continue to
break down.
Mr. Finsness asked if the proposed season pass is for an individual or family to which
Mr. Shirley replied it will be an individual with add-ons. It will be similar to the Aquatic
Center season pass.
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Linda Presthus MOVED TO APPROVE THE PROJECT AS OUTLINED. Floyd
Grabiel SECONDED THE MOTION.
IN FAVOR - David Fredlund, Tom White, Floyd Grabiel, Mike Damman, Andy
Finsness, Karla Sitek, Linda Presthus, Jeff Johnson
AGAINST – George Klus
ABSTAINED – Ardis Wexler
III. 2003 FEES AND CHARGES – PRELIMINARY REVIEW
Mr. Keprios indicated that he would like the Park Board’s approval for the fees and
charges at the November Park Board meeting. He asked if anyone had any specific
questions or would like for him to gather any additional information between now and the
next meeting. He also asked the Park Board which staff they would like to have present
at the November Park Board meeting to answer any questions about their proposed fees
and charges.
Mr. Klus commented that he would like Diana Hedges from the Art Center to be present.
He noted that he would like her to talk about her fee structures because that is one facility
that continues to lose money. However, he knows that they have made tremendous
strides and have done great things but he would like to hear more about their long-range
goals.
Mr. Grabiel stated that he was struck by the fact that most items have increased except
for the golf course and wondered what the reasoning is for that. Mr. Keprios replied that
we have learned that the golf course world has been overbuilt and most municipal courses
have experienced a loss this year. However, their loss was not just from competition and
the economy but rather was mostly weather related. Mr. Keprios noted that he will
request Mr. Valliere’s attendance at the November Park Board meeting. Mr. White
added that he would also like to specifically see Mr. Valliere there.
Mr. Klus asked if Susan Weigle could also attend to talk about her fee structure for the
Senior Center and what impact that would have.
IV. UPDATES
A. Fox Meadow Park Development Project - Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that
the neighborhood’s fundraising efforts have currently brought in $41,800.00. He noted
that they received a $30,000.00 check from Jeff Werbalowsky who has been actively
involved in this fundraising venture. Mr. Keprios indicated that a meeting has been
scheduled for the end of November to firm up the numbers and they hope to go out for
bid sometime in December. He stated that construction will begin in the spring of 2003,
however, they are still at least $9,000 short of where they would like to be.
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B. Disc Golf Course – Mr. Keprios indicated that he spent over 8 hours at Rosland Park
on Saturday with a number of youth and a few adults as part of an Eagle Scout project for
Paul Buck. He noted that they all volunteered their time and were able to put in all 9
baskets and 9 tee markers. He commented that it was very successful and he hopes that
the Sun Current will have some publicity on it.
C. Edina Theatre Company - Mr. Keprios stated that the all-volunteer Edina Theatre
Company hopes to have their first production around the end of November or sometime
in December and they are very excited about that.
V. EDINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTATION
Bob Kojetin, president of the Edina Historical Society, indicated that the Historical
Society has been under the Park Board since its inception in 1969. He noted that since
1990 they have been located at Arneson Acres.
Mr. Kojetin pointed out that basically what the Historical Society does is they house the
historical artifacts for the City of Edina. They are really not an organization that builds
facilities. However, since the early 1970’s they have had schools from all over the state
of Minnesota attend the old Cahill School for field trips. They operate a program
whereby the kids get to experience what it was like to attend school during the year 1900.
He noted that they have three paid schoolmarms who take turns running these classes.
He indicated that Carol Kuhlman is one of the schoolmarms and commented that she will
explain what happens on a typical day of school in the year 1900.
Ms. Kuhlman explained that the kids come in vintage clothing, sit at vintage classroom
desks, learn vintage lessons and they each bring a vintage lunch. She noted that she
conducts a basic day of early education from 1880 to 1900. She stated that they start off
the day with loving their flag, loving their country and loving their president and added
that patriotism was very big in those days. Next, they have the moral lesson of the day
because a moral lesson was a very big topic then. She stated that they also teach reading,
Palmer Penmanship and farming implements of the 1880’s in Minnesota. Ms. Kuhlman
noted that at that point they break for lunch and open their store with vintage items for
the children to buy. After lunch they go into the Grange Hall where they learn to square
dance, make homemade soap and basically learn what life was like 150 years ago. At the
end of the day they go back to the school and have a spell down which is exciting
because they all want to win and she noted that she uses really old words. Right before
the children leave they place their hands in their laps with their papers on their desks to
take home and she talks about Laura Ingalls Wilder and the words that she always left
with her children on the last day of school. “You have made good progress by coming to
school and if don’t have much help getting more education you can study at home the
way Abe Lincoln did, for an education is worth striving for and if you don’t have much
help getting an education you help yourself. Love your country, love your flag and love
your president. Thank you for your interest in Cahill”. The children then board their
buses that take them back to their schools. Ms. Kuhlman pointed out that approximately
5,000 children from throughout the state of Minnesota attend the program.
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Mr. Kojetin informed the Park Board that they charge each school $150.00 to which a
percentage is used to pay the three schoolmarms as well as a percentage is used to pay
Kay Wetherall. Ms. Wetherall is the Executive Director of the Edina Historical Society.
Mr. Kojetin indicated that they have a membership of approximately 250 to 300 people.
He noted that he has always been disappointed with their membership numbers and feels
they should be somewhere in the area of 1,000 to 1,500 members. He noted that they
have been talking about checking with local businesses to see if they would be interested
in buying memberships.
Mr. Kojetin stated that they also have an annual book sale every year that is quite
successful. They typically make a couple of thousand dollars on this event. He noted
that last year they brought in $11,000 gross from the sale of items at the Old Cahill
School, which has really surprised them. He added that they made around $4,000.00
from that. Mr. Kojetin commented that their budget is in the neighborhood of $35,000
and they spend somewhere around $30,000.
Mr. Kojetin informed the Park Board that last year they completed a video on the History
of Edina to which they received $6,000.00 in donations, unfortunately, it cost $15,000 to
make. He noted that they are still selling the videos. Also, their brochures and pamphlets
are starting to get old so they would like to have new ones made.
Mr. Kojetin noted they have also been working on a cassette tape that you can listen to
while taking a driving tour of Edina. Currently it’s 1 ½ hours long and they are trying to
get it down to a ½ hour.
Mr. Kojetin pointed out that they also have at the Historical Society what they call a
rotation room where they change the theme about every six months to a year. Currently
their theme is “History of the Women in Edina”, which so far has been very successful.
Mr. Keprios commented that the Edina Historical Society provides such a wonderful
service to this city and they do such a great job. Without them they wouldn’t have the
archival records that they do and the wonderful museum displays every six months.
Bob Reid, Historical Society Board member, pointed out that they have also been doing
oral interviews. So far they have oral histories on 45 people. He noted that they are all
on tape and they hope to raise some funds to be able to have them translated onto a hard
copy. He added that each history is approximately 3 to 4 hours long.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
George Klus MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7:40 P.M. Jeff Johnson
SECONDED THE MOTION. MEETING ADJOURNED.