HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-05-10 Park Board Minutes 1
Minutes of the
Edina Park Board
May 10, 2011
Edina City Hall, Council Chambers
MEMBERS PRESENT: Todd Fronek, Dan Peterson, Randy Meyer, Ellen Jones, Louise
Segreto, Keeya Steel, Susan Jacobson
MEMBERS ABSENT: Joseph Hulbert, Felix Pronove, Austin Dummer, David Deeds
STAFF PRESENT: John Keprios, Ed MacHolda, Janet Canton, Ann Kattreh
Vice Chairman Steel called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm
I. WELCOME NEW PARK BOARD MEMBER SUSAN JACOBSON
The Park Board welcomed new Park Board member Susan Jacobson. Ms. Jacobson
informed the Park Board that she works full-time at General Mills as a chemical engineer
and manages their intellectual property for the R & D Division. She explained that she
decided to become involved because she thinks it is interesting and hasn’t done anything
like this before and is looking forward to meeting people and engaging in the community.
II. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
Dan Peterson MOVED TO APPROVE THE APRIL 12, 2011 PARK BOARD MINUTES.
Louise Segreto SECONDED THE MOTION. MINUTES APPROVED.
III. NEW BUSINESS
A. Veterans Memorial Committee Update – Mike Goergen, Chair of the Veterans
Committee, gave the Park Board an update on what has been happening with the
Veterans Memorial Committee.
Mr. Goergen informed the Park Board that the committee has established various
elements for the memorial and that one of the elements is what they refer to as the focal
point. He noted that after much discussion the committee decided they did not want a
human figure but rather a symbolic focal point which is yet to be defined.
Mr. Goergen stated that after a lengthy process they selected Short, Elliott &
Hendrickson (SEH) as the architect for the project. He explained they are working with
the architect to find the actual site selection within Utley Park and at their last meeting
the architect presented them with three sites within Utley Park. He noted the committee
is now in the process of reviewing those and at their May meeting they will make the
final selection for the site then the architect will go ahead and start with a preliminary
design plan.
Mr. Goergen informed the Park Board that the committee invited representatives from
the Edina Garden Council and Edina Public Art Committee (EPAC) to their April
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meeting. He noted they are looking for assistance from the Garden Council to be
involved with flower gardens, etc. that are in conjunction with the memorial to which
they were very receptive to do that in conjunction with the committee and architects. He
stated that the committee is also relying heavily on the EPAC to help them find an artist.
Mr. Goergen explained that their timeline has been to get an architect, start preliminary
discussion on a design of the memorial itself and then get into the fundraising phase of
the project. He commented that currently there is a subcommittee working on a
preliminary fundraising plan.
Mr. Goergen informed the Park Board that the EPAC distributed a "Call for Design
Sketches" to artists who may be interested in designing and building a symbolic focal
piece sculpture for the memorial. He noted they received a $500.00 donation for the
project from the Kiwanis Club in Edina that they are going to use as a stipend for the
artist that is selected. He added that the deadline for the sketch submissions is June 1st.
Mr. Goergen indicated that they are hoping to have the memorial dedicated on July 4,
2012. He stated that he is very happy with the committee and thinks they are 11
dedicated individuals who are passionate about establishing a veteran’s memorial in
Edina.
B. MN Flying Disc Classic – Paul Thompson – Paul Thompson, 4244 Crocker, thanked
the Park Board for supporting their US Overall Championships last year and added that
it was one of the most successful Frisbee tournaments they have had. He noted that this
year that tournament will be held in Fort Collins, Colorado. He indicated that Mr.
Keprios had asked how often they would be having this big event to which he had
informed him approximately every ten years they have the big tournament in Minnesota.
Mr. Thompson informed the Park Board that when the tournament was over everyone
came to him and asked if they could use the same fields next year for the Minnesota
Classic and therefore he is asking for the Park Board’s support. He explained that this
event is much smaller and would just be people from the metro area and a few players
from St. Cloud.
Mr. Thompson indicated that they are looking at having the event Friday night, June 24th
with a picnic at Highlands Park and an accuracy event. On Saturday they would do self-
caught flight, distance and DDC which is a couple’s game. He noted on Sunday they
would play disc golf at Bryant Lake and then go to Normandale Park for one event
called “disc-a-thon” which is a running throwing event up and down the hills,
Normandale Park is perfectly suited for it, and then they would go back to Highlands
Park for the freestyle. He informed the Park Board that they would be using Highlands
Park for one evening from 6:00 to 9:00, the whole day Saturday and then again Sunday
afternoon. He stated they are expecting 15 to 25 of their regular disc players and are
hoping to generate at least 50 people with local participation. Mr. Thompson indicated
that what they are looking for from the Park Board is approval to run the event and to let
them use the fields at no charge like last year as well as help in the promotion of the
event; however, that’s not essential, they will be doing that through their own Cool
Planet and other sponsors. He indicated that they will be asking the Edina Community
Foundation to be a sponsor again as well as some local businesses to help provide food
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and drinks. He added that they will also be taking care of all of the recycling and
composting like they did last year because they are trying to run a no waste event so
there would be less stress on the park.
Mr. Meyer stated that he doesn’t believe there is a policy that decides how and when
they waive fees. In addition he’s not sure the Park Board can actually do that and that it
may be under the City Council’s authority. He asked if there are any rules on when the
City of Edina can be a sponsor of an event and if so what the requirements are. Mr.
Keprios replied there is no standing policy, it’s been done on a case by case basis;
however, the Park Board could make a recommendation to the City Council on a case by
case basis, like you did with this group last year for the National event that was held at
Highlands Park and Normandale Park. He noted Mr. Thompson is requesting that you
waive the fee again; however, staff does not have the authority to waive the fee,
therefore it becomes a policy decision for the Park Board and City Council which has
been addressed in the past on a case by case basis. Mr. Keprios pointed out that he
receives multiple requests for free access to pathways, shelters, fields, golf courses, etc.
He pointed out that if the Park Board says yes to this group, which obviously they want
this to be an annual event, then how do you decide when to say “no” to other groups that
may want to do something similar on an annual basis.
Ms. Segreto stated that she thinks as a matter of good will they waived the fee last year;
however, if other groups are requesting similar things then out of respect to the
declinations other groups have been given they should not waive the fee this time.
Mr. Keprios indicated that one thing he would like to clarify from his staff report that
may be a bit misleading is that the cost to rent a general park area for the day is $137.00.
In this case at Highlands Park, if they consume all three athletic fields they would count
that as three field areas times $137.00.
Ms. Jones commented it was a wonderful tournament last year and that she loves the
sport and would love to be able to support the tournament. However, last year she didn’t
realize there really is nothing in the policy that allows for waiving fees. She indicated
that there is a resolution that is passed by the City Council that sets fees and there is
nothing in there that says anything about waiving a fee. She noted that until they change
their policy she is uncomfortable if they once in a while allow someone free access and
therefore thinks they need to possibly rewrite it in their policy that occasionally they will
look at the circumstances and waive the fee.
Mr. Fronek asked Mr. Keprios if he has any idea how much revenue is received for
fields not including things like soccer and baseball. Mr. Keprios replied arguably there
would be no loss in revenues; however, it would displace youth athletic association
games and practices that otherwise would be scheduled on those fields at that time.
Mr. Fronek stated just to play devil’s advocate and look at it another way is the Park and
Recreation Department marketing the parks by saying here are the things you can do in
the parks. He asked if they have other marketing events, he realizes it’s probably not
hard to market the traditional sports like hockey, soccer, baseball, etc., because to him as
a Park and Recreation Department don’t they want to promote the use of the parks. He
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stated that maybe this is a marketing situation to say let’s get out as a community and try
different things. Mr. Keprios replied that becomes a little subjective and would answer
that by saying there are a lot of things that could be in the park that would promote
different uses and a lot of them that come their way want free access. He noted the
answer he always gives them is staff is not authorized to waive the fee, you have to go
through a process and the start of that process is with the Park Board.
Mr. Keprios pointed that they do have a few non-traditional things; disc golf at Rosland
Park and the skateboard park with the YMCA, Bloomington and Richfield. He stated
there are a lot of things he would love to promote to get more people in the park;
however, having said that, not everyone in the neighborhood appreciated having this
event at Highlands Park last year. He noted that he received a handful of calls, most
from neighbors, who didn’t like it when people were sitting on their private property
eating lunch, small things like that but none of them were willing to give their names.
He noted that they also didn’t like the parking and disruption to their private property, so
it all goes with a little bit of cost to the neighborhood.
Mr. Fronek asked Mr. Thompson to talk a little bit more about the involvement of the
Edina Community Foundation with this particular event. Mr. Thompson responded that
he hasn’t asked anyone for sponsorship yet because he was waiting until he got approval
from the city so this is the first step. Mr. Thompson explained that his non-profit group,
Cool Planet, would be a main sponsor and added that they are a 501C3 through the
Edina Community Foundation. He indicated that last year Dick Crockett from the Edina
Foundation sponsored and made a contribution to their fees; however, last year was a
big tournament and they had a big budget. He noted this year they are not going to
charge very much and it won’t be that huge of an event, but that they will certainly ask
the Foundation.
Ms. Jones indicated that the sport is really of an intergenerational nature and the way it’s
getting kids out into the parks she thinks they should be commended for that work. She
stated since they do not have the authority to do this until they change the policy she
would recommend that what they do as a group is decide whether or not they can
support a waiving of the fee and then send that recommendation on to the City Council.
She noted that until the policy is changed she is very uncomfortable doing it.
Mr. Keprios replied that the Park Board does not have the authority to create policy but
the Park Board does have the authority to recommend policy and recommend practice
such as what was done last year. He noted that last year they didn’t have a prewritten
policy that stated this is what you have to do; he added that the Park Board does have the
authority to think outside of the box and deal with cases like this on a case by case basis.
He indicated that the Park Board can make a recommendation that they think is in the
best interest of the community for both today and the future and then the City Council
will take it under consideration and make the final decision.
Mr. Thompson asked what if they were to not use any of the athletic soccer fields Friday
night and would do most of it on the south end of the field and on Sunday have
everything at Normandale Park just using the hill area, would that have an impact on the
charge. Mr. Keprios replied if it’s a general park area it’s a $137.00 per day or $48.00
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an hour, whichever is less. He explained if you use multiple fields the cost is per field
and not per park and if it’s a general park area it’s the same fee.
Ms. Steel stated that what she is hearing from the Park Board is there is a hesitation
more in regards to the policy which she believes ties into what they are considering in
their fees committee. She indicated when the fees committee is established they should
discuss this and decide. She commented that Mr. Fronek brings up a great point what is
our role, do we want to bring in marketing, what is our service to the community and
asking all of those questions. Ms. Steel asked what the timeline is if the subcommittee
were to decide. Mr. Thompson replied they have six weeks until the event and so they
would like to start promoting the event now. Therefore, if it’s going to be a long process
they probably would look for another site. He stated they would have to go back to their
people and see if they can raise the entry fee or go out and find sponsors to cover it. He
noted that since it looks like it would cost approximately $800.00 that his group will
probably say no.
Ms. Jones asked how frequently during that period of time are fields normally booked, is
it in high demand and likely that somebody else is going to be renting it. Mr. Keprios
replied renting it probably no, but being used by one the athletic associations, most
definitely in high demand for their use.
Mr. Thompson asked is there middle ground here of a partial payment or something like
that. Mr. Keprios asked Mr. Thompson if this is something he is asking of the Park
Board tonight to be an annual event and annually waive the fee. Mr. Thompson replied
that would depend upon the response from the community but thinks there is a good
possibility because he knows that he is committed to doing these things. He noted he
would like this to become an annual event and would like to engage the Park Board and
the parks in more of an outreach campaign to teach them a cooperative. He stated that
it’s not like it’s non-competitive but it’s very different from traveling teams which cost
big dollars. He noted that he also thinks this offers something that other sports don’t and
that’s the intergenerational piece that Ms. Jones mentioned. He commented that he is 62
years old and he is a serious player so they want to engage families in this activity so
those would be the selling points to actually engage more people through a regular Park
Board program where they would go into the schools and the parks and offer workshops
and things like that.
Ms. Jones asked if Mr. Thompson were to make this into an association and call it the
Frisbee Association the fee would be by player, correct. Mr. Keprios responded that is
something that would have to be discussed by the Park Board to see if they were
independently incorporated and followed all of the guidelines of the athletic
associations. However, being a non-traditional sport you could vote them in as one of
the priority access independently incorporated groups and they would then likely pay the
$9.00 per participant for the season and they would compete for sites with the other
athletic associations if that is something the Park Board would like to do. Ms. Jones
asked if there are currently any Ultimate Frisbee leagues in Edina to which Mr.
MacHolda replied that the Edina High School has multiple Ultimate Frisbee teams and
he believes they can letter in the sport. He also pointed out that one of the things they
may want to talk about is the residency policy because he believes their access to facility
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policy states that not only do reservations need to come from a resident but he thought
there was a minimum residency requirement. He stated that he receives multiple calls
from youth and adult teams or programs looking for facilities and he always falls back
on the access to facility policy. Mr. Keprios replied that is correct, the Park Board
would have to vote that in based on all of the mandates that are currently in place. They
would need to provide their insurance and they would need to be sure that 90% of the
participants are Edina residents.
Mr. Keprios stated that he feels they need to think what would you say to the next group
that’s in front of you whether it be the American Heart Association, Cancer Foundation,
etc., and maybe brings something unique that draws more people and more activity to
the park, why would you waive the fee on an annual basis to one group and not the next.
Ms. Steel stated that she would like to be consistent as a board so she is uncomfortable
at this time making a decision but would enjoy working on this issue and maybe other
Park Board members would be willing to meet in a timely fashion to discuss it since it is
coming up soon. Mr. Meyer indicated that it sounds to him that they don’t have support
for this because they don’t have guidance in policy to direct their decision making. He
added that on top of that it sounds like they are creating the potential for receiving many
of these requests and some may show up at Park Board or have the capacity to get here,
some may not and he doesn’t think they are in a position to approve this. He noted that
it was great that they could support the event last year but it sounds like this is
something they do not support right now. He commented that it is possible to get a
policy written but that would be putting Mr. Thompson in a bad spot if they stretch this
thing out two or three weeks and then ultimately say no at that point.
Randy Meyer MOVED TO FORWARD THIS TO THE CITY COUNCIL SAYING
THAT WE DON’T SUPPORT THIS REQUEST AND WE REQUEST THEIR
COOPERATION IN DEVELOPING A POLICY AROUND BOTH ELIMINATION
OF FEES AND THE REQUESTS IN HOW WE DO THAT AND NUMBER TWO ON
WHAT THE GUIDELINES ARE FOR SPONSORING EVENTS WITHIN THE CITY.
Todd Fronek SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
C. Golf Course Consultant Proposals – Park Board Committee – Ms. Segreto gave an
update to the Park Board from the Golf Course Consultant Proposals Park Board
committee meeting that was held on Monday, May 9th. She noted that in attendance
were Mr. Hulbert, Mr. Peterson, Mr. Fronek, Todd Anderson and Mr. Keprios. She
indicated that they reviewed the five proposals they received in response to the RFP that
was sent out to which they were able to eliminate two by process of elimination. She
explained that they looked unfavorably at “Golf Course Consulting Group” in a large
part because their fees and expenses totaled $40,000 which was quite a bit more than
they had previously discussed at a prior Park Board meeting. She pointed out that they
also passed on Sirius because they had more of a track record of preparing appraisals for
acquisitions for lenders and finance situations so they thought they would probably be
weak in doing municipal evaluations. She indicated there was a discussion about Golf
Convergence and although Jim Keegan, who is the principal of Golf Convergence, is
well known and very well regarded in the industry they felt it wasn’t a good fit for what
the city needs. Therefore, they narrowed it down to two proposals; NGF and THK and
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after some discussion they decided unanimously that NGF had the depth of experience,
an excellent reputation in the industry, a well written proposal and a fee of $16,500 plus
expenses not to exceed $3,500. She explained that NGF has also committed that it could
prepare a report within six weeks of making their site visit so it would be done in a
timely manner. She commented that she believes Mr. Keprios contacted NGF and they
agreed to substitute one of their teleconferences for a personal visit.
Ms. Jones asked what the process will be now. Mr. Keprios replied that if the Park
Board makes this recommendation tonight it will immediately go on to the City Council
agenda next week and he would like to write a Report of Recommendation to award the
contract as proposed and if the City Council approves it, then we can move forward. He
noted that if it is approved by the City Council they will begin the process on June 13th
and it will be a six week process and once they are done they will share their findings
with the City Council and Park Board.
Mr. Keprios thanked the subcommittee, they did excellent work and had a great
discussion to which he thinks they came up with a wonderful recommendation. They
are a well-known firm and he knows that Mr. Anderson spoke highly of them and
supports the decision. Mr. Meyer asked if they know who will actually be doing the
work, will they be getting their “A team” and those types of things. Mr. Keprios replied
it will be Mr. Singer who is one of the key players and his assistant.
Louise Segreto MOVED THAT THE PARK BOARD RECOMMEND TO THE CITY
COUNCIL TO ACCEPT NGF’S APRIL 29TH, 2011 CONSULTING PROPOSAL TO
STUDY EDINA’S GOLF COURSE ENTERPRISES CONSISTING OF BRAEMAR,
FRED RICHARDS AND THE GOLF DOME. Dan Peterson SECONDED THE
MOTION.
Mr. Meyer asked if they could include the fee amount in the recommendation to which
Ms. Segreto replied that it’s in the proposal. Ms. Steel asked if they would like to
include in the motion the fee amount to which Mr. Meyer asked how about a friendly
amendment. Todd Fronek MOVED TO ADD THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT
THE PROFESSIONAL FEE IS $16,500 WITH TRAVEL COSTS NOT TO EXCEED
$3,500 FOR THE ENTIRE SIX WEEK STUDY. Louise Segreto SECONDED THE
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY ON THE AMENDMENT AND THE
MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Mr. Fronek thanked Mr. Keprios and Mr. Anderson on the great job they did and added
that he thinks the reason they received such good proposal back was the RFP that was
put together and thinks it will be great for the course. He stated that obviously the game
of golf is not doing great right now but hopefully it will help them move forward.
D. Edinborough Park RFP – Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that he put in their
packet an RFP for Edinborough Park and that he needs to give all of the credit to Ann
Kattreh, Manager of Edinborough Park. He noted that he thinks the key is that they kept
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it to the point and simple. He indicated that he already has a list of 20 different
consultants to see if they are interested.
Mr. Meyer asked if the June 4th deadline is realistic to which Mr. Keprios replied he
believes it is if they can move forward because it does not require City Council approval
to submit an RFP so, realistically, it could go out tomorrow if the Park Board wishes.
He added that the City Council would have to approve the contract of the recommended
consultant from the Park Board.
Ms. Jones indicated that one of her questions about Edinborough has to do with the
needs of the community and the uses. She asked if this is something they would ask the
consultant to comment on or conduct a focus group or do a survey. She noted that she
wonders if their most recent survey of the community’s desires is getting to be a little
old. She stated she is wondering if they really have the data to inform the consultant this
is how people use the park, what matters to them, whether or not they want a pool, etc.
Mr. Keprios replied that a needs assessment of the community at large and doing sample
surveys would be a different type of consultant. He noted that not long ago they did hire
“Leisure Vision Institute” to do their community attitude and interest survey. He
indicated that they did ask a lot of questions that he thinks are somewhat relevant to
Edinborough but they did not ask specifically about Edinborough. Therefore, if the Park
Board feels that it’s important as they go down the road for what is in front of them that
would be a different RFP and a different set of consultants. He pointed out that what
they are looking at is more of an architect consultant facility management which looks at
things more like what are some things that might draw more people, what are some of
the deficiencies they may find or what are some creative ideas of other amenities etc.
He explained that a needs assessment of the community is a different approach and
different process.
Ms. Jones indicated they have a lot of standalone facilities but what she would like to
find out is where the community wants to go with all of those things in a more
comprehensive manner than to just look at Edinborough as if it were in a vacuum. She
explained that she doesn’t want to see them waste money on looking at the details of one
area without finding out if there really is a need for some of the features. Mr. Keprios
replied that one of the things they learned in their attitude and interest survey is the
community came forward with a desire for a community center. He noted that what they
failed to find out is what does that mean to the community, what is it that they are not
providing that they seem to think in their mind is a community center. He stated that a
community center can take on different definitions and different meanings depending on
what community you are in. He pointed out that the community center in New Brighton
is very different what we call a community center in Edina. He stated that most
community centers in the world of parks and recreation have all of their enterprise
facilities, with the exception of the golf course, under one roof. He asked what a
community center means for Edina when they have all of the satellite facilities they are
just in their own satellite location. Therefore, what is a community center in the
community’s mind that they are lacking to which he doesn’t have the answer, is it a
health club, is it some kind of facility where they are not addressing a need. He noted
that if the Park Board feels strongly they may want to make a recommendation to do a
survey before they go down this road, that’s another approach. He pointed out that he
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believes what the City Council has asked them to do is to look at Edinborough and see if
there are other ways and efficiencies that they haven’t thought of or something creative
that’s going to draw more business or at the very least reduce some of their expenses.
Ms. Steel asked Mr. Keprios if he thinks a survey would need to come before the RFP or
perhaps could they do a survey with the findings of the RFP. Mr. Keprios responded
that he thinks you could approach it either way. They could do the RFP first and bring it
to the City Council and be sure it is what the community wants or ask are we meeting
the needs we feel we are going to identify and meet. Mr. Keprios pointed out the key
thing they know is that Edinborough from the start doesn’t meet its expenses that is just
how the nature of these types of buildings are, none of them make money. He noted that
Mr. MacHolda and he have researched over a decade ago and have found that
Edinborough is not unique in that way.
Ms. Segreto asked if a consultant responded to the RFP and came up with a new concept
plan that involved certain modifications or changes it could end up being contradicted
by a community survey or some type of user study. She stated that she doesn’t
completely understand how that would work. Mr. Keprios explained that he thinks that
there is an underlying unanswered issue out there that asks; "What is a community
center and what exactly are the needs that currently are not being met?" The City is still
studying the old public works site and there are some residents who feel that the site
should become a community center but we don't really know what that means. That
unmet need has yet to be identified.
Mr. Fronek asked what the expected budget is for this RFP to which Mr. Keprios replied
he would hope they could do it for $20,000, just like the golf course.
Mr. Peterson indicated what he would be interested in getting from the consultant is
what percentage of Edina families use the facility and how do they expand it to 10 or 15
miles away from the city. He stated that he thinks understanding what their market is
and understanding how to reach out from Edina is important because it may be a metro
resource that isn’t well known. Mr. Keprios replied that Ms. Kattreh has a pretty good
handle on who their market is, where they are coming from, how many are residents,
what percentage are non-residents and approximately where they are coming from. He
pointed out that he thinks what a consultant can bring to the table is how might we better
market it and what other things might be more appealing to the market we currently
serve or is there another market we currently are not serving that might draw more. He
indicated that they do need to be a little cautious because they do have somewhat limited
parking. He indicated that he thinks their first and foremost charge is how to find
efficiencies and what are some ideas especially with an aging facility. He stated that
Edinborough is over 20 years old and we are at that point where we should rethink some
of the spaces because they do have an outside space that is virtually undeveloped. He
noted that they have a pool that is utilized and is very expensive to operate so maybe
look at some other creative ideas to maybe capture additional revenues at a lesser
expense. Mr. Keprios stated that he thinks their charge from the City Council is to find
a way to help the bottom line because the trust fund is going to run out in less than five
years.
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Ms. Jones asked Mr. Keprios to explain what he means by the trust fund is going to run
out. Mr. Keprios explained that when Edinborough Park and Centennial Lakes were
built they were built through a tax increment finance district and through that there was
approximately a 9 million dollar fund that was set aside. He noted that part of the
strategy and philosophy back then was that the way to pay the maintenance of the
facility of operations of both Edinborough and Centennial Lakes would be to live off the
interest of this what he calls a “trust fund” . In addition, they would receive the dollars
from the residents and the businesses would pay on a monthly basis to have the privilege
to live there plus whatever fees and charges on top of that would then cover the
operating expenses. He pointed out that as time went on and these larger items became
expensive to replace and the dollars that they draw from to make up that subsidy is that
trust fund. He noted since interest rates have dropped they are now earning less interest
and therefore consuming more and more of the principal. He indicated that what started
out at 9 million dollars is now down to approximately 3 million dollars and with
expenses in excess of revenues at approximately $400,000 to $500,000 a year you will
see they are a train running out of track.
Ms. Jones asked Mr. Keprios if they were to do nothing, that $400,000 to $500,000 a
year would need to be added to the city budget. Mr. Keprios replied that is correct. Ms.
Jones asked with the RFP would it be possible to hire a consultant that would also give
them some financial advice as to taxing mechanisms. Mr. Keprios responded that again
that would be another set of consultants that they would rely on when it comes to any
additional, new or special taxation opportunities. He pointed out that one of the
thoughts was maybe they should have a franchise fee for utilities and that would cover it
or use that to pay for the capital improvement plan which would then free up dollars to
cover the subsidy for Edinborough. He also explained that in the not too distant future,
approximately 10 to 20 years, some of the maintenance fees of the people who reside
there will go away. He noted that he doesn’t know why it was written that way but it’s a
fixed fee of $15.00 a month per household and by written agreement when it was built
over 20 years ago that’s the way it was written that it goes away so they will have an
additional loss of revenue of $300,000. Therefore, that will be another problem to deal
with in another 10 to 20 years. He added that they don’t all go off the books at the same
time, the clock starts ticking once the property was developed.
Ms. Steel indicated from their work session with the City Council one of the issues that
was brought up was how Centennial Lakes and Edinborough Park are kind of combined
financially and asked if staff has been working on that, will that affect the RFP and what
they are able to assess. Mr. Keprios replied they have data to show how the funding is
separated but the City Council has requested from the Finance Department that from
now on they need to show in the budget reports a much more separated budget which is
currently being done. He indicated that he thinks what they want him to focus on more
is Edinborough, that is the challenging one because of its energy costs and operating
expenses. Ms. Steel stated that it seems like the emphasis in why they are being asked
to do this is because of the structural uniqueness of the facility and although she does not
want to go this route she would suggest they get an assessment of the market value of
the facility. She noted that she wants to make sure they are covering all of their bases
and seeing all of their options to make a good comparison and feel firm about their
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decision. Mr. Keprios replied that he will ask the Assessing Department to give them
the value.
Mr. Fronek stated that he thinks this is a well written document in terms of the needs
that they have right now. Todd Fronek MOVED TO APPROVE THE RFP AND
RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTS YOU TO SEND OUT THE
RFP. Dan Peterson SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
IV. OLD BUSINESS
A. Park Board Bylaws – Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that Scott Neal, City
Manager, has asked that this matter be put on hold for now. He indicated that there is a
desire to keep a consistency with bylaws. He noted that even though there are no two
boards or commissions that are the same there is still a strong desire to make them all the
same. Therefore, until the City Council directs otherwise, the City Manager has asked
that they hold off until the next meeting.
B. Committee Assignments - Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that currently each
committee has only one member who has volunteered. He asked the Park Board what is
the minimum number of members that should be on a committee to which Ms. Segreto
replied she thinks two is fine as long as the item is available to be discussed at the Park
Board meeting. In addition there should also be enough information circulated among
the full board so that everyone has the facts in front of them. Ms. Steel asked what if
there was a disagreement how would you come to a consensus. Ms. Segreto replied she
would think it would be brought before the board to see if they could come to a
consensus as a whole.
Mr. Meyer indicated his thought is maybe what they should do is have the committees
formed and then have each committee gather up their information and then the Park
Board as a whole schedule a workshop so that they can touch on those two issues. He
noted that he thinks having the committees do some of the background work and some of
the initial research and maybe come back with some tentative proposals would be a good
way to proceed.
Ms. Jones indicated that she thinks at a minimum there should be one Park Board
member on a committee and that member would chair the committee plus other members
at large from the community. She stated that she thinks there should be some flexibility
on certain committees to see if there are certain groups of people that might have an
expertise that they would like to make sure are part of the committee. She pointed out
regarding the Naming Committee she has talked to a number of people and it’s
interesting how this resonates with the residents. She noted there are a lot of people who
actually do want to get involved in the public process and she would encourage that as
much as possible. Ms. Jones stated that she knows that other advisory boards operate
like that and maybe the Park Board would also like to open up the committees to other
people and added they are currently doing it with the veterans committee. She stated for
example for the Naming Committee she was trying to come up with a group she would
like to have which she thought the Heritage Preservation Board, the Historical Society,
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Rotary Club and the League of Women Voters. Ms. Jones indicated that she would also
like to ask Gene Persha to be part of the committee since he is the resident who brought
this forward and started to get the ball rolling. She noted that in addition she would like
to add at large members and suggested they could put out a press release and ask for
letters of interest. She commented that Mr. Hulbert, Mr. Keprios and she could discuss
how many places they have on that committee. She noted this may not work for all of
the other committees they want to form but for this one she would be looking for
demographic diversity, quadrant diversity and gender balance and would look at all of
these things when selecting a committee and thinks this process would be engaging for
people.
Mr. Keprios pointed out that for the Veterans Committee they were looking for a two
year commitment of intense volunteer work on fundraising, serving on subcommittees,
doing research, etc. There are a lot of hours they were asking of the volunteers and that
is why it was so formalized, it would have at least a two year time span. He stated that
for the committees they are talking about that at the end of the day there is going to be
five or six pages of new policy and asked if it would really be worth going through that
exercise to get 11 to 12 people to work on that. He indicated that if the answer is yes,
then he would be happy to do it but he feels this situation is very different from the
Veterans Committee. Ms. Jones agreed it’s not a two year process but also she doesn’t
think it’s going to take that many meetings to put it together; however, she does think
opening up committees to the public is something they should be active with because
they need to be aware that their voice can often add a whole other dimension to the
discussion. She stated that she would recommend that when they look at the number of
people on a committee that they look at a minimum of one Park Board member and then
open it up to the public.
Ms. Segreto indicated that she likes Ms. Jones idea about having the flexibility to include
non-Park Board members; however, she would like to maintain some flexibility to have
committees with only Park Board members just for expediency. She explained that she
doesn’t want to get bogged down in advertising. She commented that she also thinks the
committees tasks will dictate whether or not it’s a committee that should lean towards
more public input.
Mr. Peterson suggested since each committee only has one Park Board member signed
up maybe that member and staff can put together some recommendations and bring it up
at the next Park Board meeting or the one after that.
Ms. Jones informed the Park Board that she is hearing from people in the community
that would like to be involved in the Naming Committee so she is not sure why they
would limit that. Mr. Peterson pointed out that it seems to him all they can do is make a
recommendation to the City Council. He noted that if the City Council wanted help in
developing a naming policy they probably would ask for it. He stated it would be an
awful lot of work for staff and citizens when the City Council may go in a very different
direction.
Mr. Fronek commented that he thinks Ms. Jones is talking more about data collection
where she would talk to these groups/residents to figure out what their opinion is and
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come back to the Park Board with some sort of direction. He noted at that point the Park
Board would develop a policy with the assistance of staff to work through the process
and from there go onto the City Council. He indicated that he agrees with Ms. Steel that
in terms of structure it seems to be more of a bylaws matter than a specific committee
assignment.
Mr. Meyer stated if there is an interest from certain groups/residents he doesn’t know
why they wouldn’t want to get their feedback particularly with naming rights. He
suggested they set up an ad hoc committee, set a timeline that you are going to get it
done in and invite these groups/residents if they want to participate and give their
feedback. He noted that he doesn’t have a problem with that. He indicated that he
agrees they don’t necessarily want the public writing Park Board policy but at the same
time establishing the framework and understanding what options are out there and what
other people may add to the discussion is worth the level of involvement and therefore
thinks it would be a mistake not to invite others to participate at least in that discussion.
Ms. Steel indicated that she agrees we need to honor people’s willingness to serve not
only our own members but the public as well. She noted the Park Board members who
are interested in serving on these committee assignments would like for a Park Board
member to chair the committee as well as come forth to the Park Board with a proposal
of who they would like on that committee and how many members they were thinking
of. She commented then they can go from there and have a better idea on the direction
the people who want to serve on the committee would like to go.
Randy Meyer MOVED TO NOMINATE MS. JONES TO CHAIR THE NAMING
COMMITTEE. Todd Fronek SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED.
Ms. Jones asked if she should go ahead and suggest who she would like to have on her
committee so that they can get it moving or should they wait until the next meeting. Ms.
Steel replied in the interest of time they should wait until the next meeting and give Mr.
Keprios a written proposal and perhaps they can do that in coordination with the other
committee. She informed the Park Board that Mr. Lough and she are interested in
serving on the Athletic Facility User Fee & Other Related Fees Committee.
V. UPDATES FROM STAFF
Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that they will be seeing a different format for the
agenda and staff report. He explained that to be consistent all of the boards and
commissions will be using a standardization of the staff report, agenda and the by-laws that
they are moving towards.
Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that the golf course is struggling a little bit due to
weather but that Edinborough has been doing extremely well this spring as well as the dome
has done slightly better due to the weather.
VI. PARK BOARD COMMENTS
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Ms. Jones informed the Park Board that the Community Assessment Team (CAT) has had
two meetings since the past Park Board meeting. She noted that CAT is welcoming input
from the community and that they meet every third Thursday of the month. She indicated
they are all open meetings and for the times and locations they are posted on the city
website.
Ms. Jones gave the Park Board an update on the CAT. She stated they were able to get
money from a grant to hire consultants so they are currently in the process of trying to hire a
consultant. She commented that they are really hoping that the community can get involved
as much as possible to create a vision for the old public works site.
Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that the City Council has decided that for now all
board and commission meetings will continue to be videotaped. He added that work
sessions will not be permitted off camera and noted that committee meetings have to be
publicized to meet open meeting laws.
Ms. Steel noted that after some thought regarding the bylaws if they were to have changes
or suggestions what would the process be. Mr. Keprios replied if anyone has any
suggestions, changes or additions to send them to him and he will copy it for all Park Board
members because there will be another discussion regarding this.
Meeting Adjourned at 9:15 pm