Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-08-14 Park Board Minutes 1 Minutes of the Edina Park Board Tuesday, August 14, 2007 Edina City Hall, Council Chambers MEMBERS PRESENT: Ray O’Connell, Randy Meyer, Todd Fronek, Linda Presthus, Jeff Sorem, Mike Damman, George Klus, Carolyn Nelson MEMBERS ABSENT: Howard Merriam, Andy Finsness, Karla Sitek STAFF PRESENT: John Keprios, Ed MacHolda, Janet Canton I. APPROVAL OF THE JUNE 12, 2007 SPECIAL WORK SESSION PARK BOARD MINUTES George Klus MOVED TO APPROVE THE JUNE 12, 2007 SPECIAL WORK SESSION PARK BOARD MINUTES. Ray O’Connell SECONDED THE MOTION. MINUTES APPROVED. II. NEW BUSINESS A. Proposed Developers Fund Projects for 2007 – Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that there is a seventh project that he would like to add to the list. He noted that he would like to purchase a water tank and trailer because they are having more and more tree planting projects. He indicated that they are already overextended in their ability and capacity to keep everything watered. He stated that the tank would cost approximately $500.00 and the trailer would cost approximately $3,500 for a total of $4,000. Mr. Keprios stated that he would like to amend the staff’s recommendation to the Park Board to use the Developers Fund in an amount not to exceed $54,000. Ms. Presthus asked when was the last time the Developers Fund was used to which Mr. Keprios replied it was used several years ago for the expansion of the Art Center for approximately $300,000. Ms. Presthus asked with the lack of development space is any money going back into the Developers Fund. Mr. Keprios responded that there are few remaining properties to be developed so it will probably be very minimal for years to come. It is definitely not a fund they are going to rely on as a significant source of funding for park improvements in the future. Linda Presthus MOVED TO RECOMMEND USE OF THE DEVELOPERS FUNDS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $54,000 TO FUND THE SEVEN PROJECTS. George Klus SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. B. Insurance Requirements for Edina Youth Athletic Associations – Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that he sent out a follow-up memo to the Presidents of the athletic associations regarding the insurance requirements. He noted that he 2 received two responses. One was from the Edina Hockey Association indicating that they already have liability insurance in place and other was from the Edina Girls Athletic Association stating that they do support the mandate. Ray O’Connell MOVED TO APPROVE THAT THE PARK BOARD RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY OF EDINA MANDATE A MINIMUM OF $1,000,000 WORTH OF GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE. IN ADDITION, PARK BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT IN THE EVENT THERE ARE EMPLOYEES OF AN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, I.E. REFEREES, UMPIRES, INSTRUCTORS, ETC.; THERE SHOULD ALSO BE A REQUIREMENT TO SHOW EVIDENCE OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE COVERAGE. Todd Fronek SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED. Linda Presthus abstained from voting for purposes of disclosure that she is aware of a possible insurance carrier who is involved in this. III. OLD BUSINESS A. Comprehensive Plan Final Draft – Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that he believes he has included everything that was requested by the Park Board at their June Work Session and by the City’s consultant and Planning Commission’s Comprehensive Plan Task Force. Mr. Keprios went through the Comprehensive Plan Final Draft with the Park Board. Mr. Keprios indicated that he did add some language at the end with capital improvement plans for the next five years. He pointed out that with the exception of the 5-year capital improvement plan, the Park and Recreation chapter of the Comprehensive Plan does not state exactly what they are going to build or replace. He explained that it’s all about process, policies, goals and vision. He noted that he thinks it’s a little dangerous to get too specific. He commented that he thinks that this chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides primarily direction and vision. Mr. O’Connell commented that there are so many things that will have an impact on or are important to the Comprehensive Plan, such as the 2020 Vision plan, Needs Assessment Survey, and the upcoming Gateway project development, that he wants to comment on. There is somewhere between 135 and 148 acres of land between Hwy. 100 and France Avenue. That is right in tentative stages right now of being developed. There have been hearings on it and there are going to continue to be hearings. Mr. O’Connell commented that our parks are so essential to the ambiance of the city as a whole and the Park Board should be an important part of that process. He stated that the Gateway project, which is moving forward, is in a strategically located area because it abuts Fred Richards Golf Course. Fred Richards Golf Course is a jewel in that corridor and he’s so glad they have this before them today because it accentuates who we are and what we are doing and where we are going to be in the near future. As part of that they have developers 3 that are going to be coming in that gateway project which is going to be an expansion of somewhere between 1.9 and up to 4.1. million square feet of floor space which will add more residential homes and provide improved commercial property. Mr. O’Connell remarked that he equates the Fred Richards Golf Course to the skating rink gem that is located in Rockefeller Center in New York City. He also stated that this will be an excellent opportunity to make the Fred Richards Golf Course gem much more visible and accessible to the public through good planning and redevelopment that will become the Gateway project. Mr. Meyer asked what the future plans are for Van Valkenburg Park for $600,000. Mr. Keprios explained that the $600,000 shown in the CIP would complete the neighborhood park which still remains undeveloped. Mr. Keprios pointed out there is a designed plan on paper for the park; however, we do not yet have adequate funding. George Klus MOVED TO APPROVE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FINAL DRAFT. Linda Presthus SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. B. Athletic Facilities Fund Raiser Committee/Foundation – George Klus – Mr. Klus handed out a copy of the committee’s mission statement. He informed the Park Board that there will be a meeting tomorrow night where they will be talking about their goals as well as get approval of their initial projects. He noted that the first project is to look at an additional multi-purpose field with synthetic turf at Pamela Park. He stated that the second project is to take the upper Community Center fields, previously known as the McCarthy Field, and look at providing turf for those two fields. He noted that their hope is that they will be used by both the school and the community. Mr. Klus commented that they continue to move along in a positive motion and he is cautiously continuing to be optimistic that during the first part of next year they will be able to come out with a project for the community. He explained that the projects will be ones in which the school and the city currently have no money for. Mr. Klus stated that he thinks it’s time that they continue to put together private funding to do things in the future. He noted that at some point the projects will have to go in front of the School Board and Park Board and then from your recommendation on to the City Council. Ms. Presthus asked Mr. Klus if the Foundation falls under the Edina Foundation or is it a 501C3. Mr. Klus explained that they are going to be a designated fund under the Edina Community Foundation. He noted that people will write a check to the Edina Community Foundation and will designate where they would like the money to go. Mr. Klus pointed out that Edina Athletics Facilities Foundation is not formally structured and at this time they have no intention of becoming incorporated. He noted that down the road there will need to be more structure. Ms. Presthus asked if the group has established by-laws, guidelines, etc. to which Mr. Klus replied no, those are things yet to come and they are going to start developing some of those once they have enough in the fund to start looking and 4 working on the projects. Ms. Presthus asked if the financials of this foundation will be public record to which Mr. Klus replied absolutely because it’s going through the Edina Community Foundation. C. Bike Edina Task Force Update – Todd Fronek – Mr. Fronek informed the Park Board that the Bike Edina Task Force has been busy developing their portion of the Comprehensive Plan. They met with Dan Cornejo who gave them some direction and they have now gone through their first phase of the project. Mr. Fronek indicated that if you go to the website www.bike.edina.org you can get an update of where they are headed. He noted that the first phase is to have an inter- loop that would go through all of the quadrants so people would be able to get from one quadrant to the next within the city. IV. UPDATES FROM STAFF A. Garden Park Pathway Plan - Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that they opened bids for the Garden Park pathway master plan project which was supposed to be for Phase One, which is the interior loop of the master plan. Unfortunately, they only had one bid which was rather high. Therefore, after discussing it with both the vendor who submitted the bid and one of the neighborhood leaders it was decided it would be wise to reject that bid. They decided that the best thing to do was to re-bid the entire project in January once their capital plan is approved for 2008 because at that time they should have the dollars available to bid the entire project. B. Countryside Park Master Plan – Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that he has hired a consulting firm to come up with a minimum of three concept drawings to address a new master plan for Countryside Park. Mr. Keprios noted that he would like to assign one Park Board member to volunteer to serve on their first meeting with the neighborhood. Mr. Damman replied that he would be willing to volunteer. C. Braemar Picnic Shelter - Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that the Braemar Picnic Shelter has been awarded and currently is under construction. He noted that next month they open bids for the Chowen Park Picnic Shelter. D. Courtney Fields Maintenance Building - Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that they are going to have to re-bid the maintenance building at Courtney Fields, which was in their capital plan this year, because they only had one bidder. He explained that they are going to re-bid it next month hoping to get some more competitive bids. In addition, they have scaled down the project and they will be doing a little more internally to bring it in under budget. VI. PARK BOARD COMMENT A. Highlands Park - Mr. Klus informed Mr. Keprios that one of his neighbors approached him regarding all of the cars being parked around Highlands Park for the 5 soccer program. He noted that at one point his neighbor counted 350 cars and guesses there were approximately 1,000 kids to which his neighbor is very concerned. Mr. Klus commented that he did assure his neighbor that this was just a one year deal and that next year the Edina Soccer Association would be able to use their regular field again. Mr. Klus suggested to Mr. Keprios that the Park Board somehow communicate with the neighbors who live around Highlands Park how much you have appreciated them putting up with this one summer with a lot of cars and a lot of people and that you will be able to relocate a lot of those kids away from Highlands Park so that it will not be over utilized in the future. He noted that he also thinks that maybe there could be better communication with the neighbors so that they know what is happening at the Park. B. City Council/Park Board Joint Meeting - Mr. Klus informed the Park Board that he recently met with Mayor Hovland encouraging him to put on the schedule a joint meeting with the City Council and Park Board. He indicated that he would publicly like to say that he would like to see this happen before the Park Board’s last meeting of the year. He noted that there are a few long-time Park Board members whose terms will be up and the City Council really needs to hear some of their feedback. He noted that he thinks the Park Board needs to get a better understanding of what the City Council’s expectations are for the Park Board. Meeting adjourned at 8:00 pm