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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 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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.