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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-06-11 Park Board Minutes1 APPROVED MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE EDINA PARK BOARD HELD AT CITY HALL June 11, 2013 7:00 PM I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Steel called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Answering roll call were Members Cella, Gieseke, Hulbert, Jacobson, Dan Peterson, Steel. Member Segreto arrived at 7:03 pm. III. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA Member Hulbert made a motion, seconded by Member Gieseke, approving the meeting agenda. Ayes: Members Cella, Gieseke, Hulbert, Jacobson, Dan Peterson, Steel. Motion Carried. Chair Steel made a motion, seconded by Member Dan Peterson, to add one item to the agenda, the introduction of a new staff member. Ayes: Members Cella, Gieseke, Hulbert, Jacobson, Dan Peterson, Steel. Motion Carried. Member Dan Peterson made a motion, seconded by Member Hulbert to approve the revised meeting agenda. Ayes: Members Cella, Gieseke, Hulbert, Jacobson, Dan Peterson, Steel. Motion Carried. Member Segreto arrived at 7:03 pm. IV. ADOPTION OF CONSENT AGENDA Chair Steel made a motion, seconded by Member Dan Peterson, approving the consent agenda as follows: IV.A. Approval of Minutes – Regular Park Board Meeting of May 14, 2013 Ayes: Members Cella, Gieseke, Hulbert, Jacobson, Dan Peterson, Segreto, Steel. Motion Carried. V. COMMUNITY COMMENT None. V.A. Introduction of New Staff Member Patty McGrath, Edinborough Park and Edina Aquatic Center Director, introduced herself and stated she began her position on March 19, 2013. She reported that her new position has been very exciting and the cool rainy weather has kept the pool very busy. She noted that her background includes a degree in recreational and leisure studies, with 23 years working for the YMCA at different locations. Her passion is facility management and operations, and she has had an aquatic background as well. Ms. McGrath noted the YMCA was a great training ground for different skills in terms of financial management and staff development. She encouraged the board to contact her with any needs. 2 Chair Steel wished her luck with the season ahead. VI. REPORTS/RECOMMENDATIONS VI.A. Living Streets Update Assistant City Manager Karen Kurt and Paul Nelson, Chair of the Edina Transportation Commission and member of the subcommittee working on Living Streets, addressed the board. An overview of the current situation was provided. The city is responsible for 487 lane miles of roadway, which represents 27 million square feet of pavement. The cost to maintain a square foot of pavement is $5 to $9 per year (including the cost to reconstruct the road every 40 years). The city will likely replace 120 lane miles over the next decade. Ms. Kurt noted that those roadways are the cause of some concerns from citizens, as the city receives 96 resident requests each year to look into traffic concerns. Most of those relate to bicycle or pedestrian safety. In the 2010 quality of life survey 37% residents identified speeding as a very serious or somewhat serious problem. One of the city’s largest demographics is the over-65 population, and there is also a growing school-age population. Ms. Kurt continued that roadways also contribute to storm water runoff which damages quality of area lakes. The city maintains a large amount of storm water sewer and those costs are increasing due to federal and state regulations related to watershed. The city will have to do business differently in the future to manage storm water runoff. The roads are subject to a wide variety of regulations and a guiding policy would be a way to wrap together and address all regulations before us. Ms. Kurt stated that moving ahead, the city is considering the idea of Living Streets, which balance the needs of bicyclists, motorists, pedestrians and transit riders. Edina’s Living Streets vision includes the following components: transportation utilizing all modes is equally safe and accessible; families regularly choose walking or bicycling instead of driving; streets enhance neighborhood character and community identity; streets are inviting places that encourage human interaction and physical activity; public policy strives to promote sustainability through balanced infrastructure investments; environmental stewardship and reduced energy consumption are pursued in public and private sectors alike; streets support vibrant commerce and add to the value of adjacent land uses. Some streets in Edina do have elements of Living Streets. One example is from 70th Street, which has a tree canopy, pedestrian lighting, sidewalks and boulevards, traffic calming and landscaping. Another example is Gallagher Dr., which has street furniture, trail, marked pedestrian crossing, landscaping and sidewalks. Another example is Tracy Avenue, which has parking bays, sidewalks, bump-out with rain garden, reduced lane width and a bike lane. Ms. Kurt noted the policy application of living streets would extend to all city street construction or reconstruction projects; privately built streets, sidewalks, paths or trails; park paths or trails that connect to the right-of-way. Furthermore, Edina’s framework will begin as a vision and goals, which is the Living Streets policy developed right now, with the goal of developing a Living Streets plan. The final component is a needs assessment. Ms. Kurt reviewed the history of the Living Streets policy, beginning with the Council’s resolution in support of the general concept in 2011, followed by a grant, and then the formation of an ETC committee. In 2012 a Living Streets workshop was held and this draft is being worked on right now in 2013, with visits to various boards and commissions to receive input. For phase 2, the Living Streets plan includes street design guidelines, sidewalks, bike facilities, traffic calming, streetscape, lighting, design process and resident engagement, connectivity guidelines. A new staff member has just been extended an offer of employment and this Living Streets policy will be a primary responsibility. 3 Ms. Kurt asked whether a Park Board member would like to serve on the committee going forward. She also stated that various policies, codes and practices will be looked at to ensure everything is in line with the vision of Living Streets. Mr. Nelson asked for any input or comments or questions on the policy. Member Segreto asked about the sidewalk component. She asked what the arterial and collector streets are. Mr. Nelson stated there are definitions for those streets. Additionally, they hope to get input of the new staff person to help define exactly where the sidewalks should go. Mainly it is the collector roads and major roads throughout the city. Some of the major roads do have sidewalks, but they need to be revamped to be safer. Member Segreto stated some neighborhoods will easily step into the program, and yet other neighborhoods may not. Mr. Nelson agreed that some sidewalks will be difficult to add. There will be approximately $2 million per year available to add sidewalks in the form of the new franchise fee. The Transportation Commission has looked at where they would like those, but they are waiting for the new staff person to help determine that. Road reconstruction projects will be looked at on an annual basis. Having the Living Streets policy in place will make it easier to determine which roads will have sidewalks. Ms. Kurt stated some streets will not warrant sidewalks or bike lanes because of how they are used. That will be the case for most typical residential streets that have limited travel on them. Member Gieseke stated there has been some road reconstruction already and there were special assessment costs for the sidewalks. He inquired whether they will be revisited now that the franchise fee will be in place. Mr. Nelson responded that if one of the streets becomes a major priority, such as an arterial or a collector road, then yes, it will be. However, the goal is to complete sidewalks at the time of the original project. Member Gieseke noted some neighborhoods have stretches of sidewalks that are incomplete. Mr. Nelson stated there are some plans in some neighborhoods to add sidewalks where they were omitted in the original projects. Member Dan Peterson stated one of the best things for traffic calming is the Police Department. He asked whether any suburbs have done well with sidewalk connectivity and if there is a model to follow. Mr. Nelson responded that Edina is not trying to follow anyone specifically; rather, the goal is to follow Edina’s network of roads and get people from their neighborhoods to their destinations. A major project on France Avenue is beginning where lanes will be narrowed to calm traffic, along with the addition of sidewalks. There is no speed reduction right now, but the county is looking at that. Member Dan Peterson stated Interlachen Boulevard is a good example of an area with good connectivity and no speeding. Chair Steel asked whether there has been discussion about accessibility to parks via sidewalks because the policy only talks about every child’s access to a school not a park. Mr. Nelson stated last year the Countryside area of roads was done to get sidewalks to the park. The dollars were not in place to put the sidewalks in, but safe routes to parks is another emphasis in the Living Streets proposal. 4 Chair Steel asked about putting in a pedestrian bridge for the Richfield School District children to access Strachauer Park since the closest park is Rosland Park in that area. Mr. Nelson stated there are plans to improve the current bridge on the west side, which is a couple years away. A $1 million grant for building a bridge over France Avenue was modified to allow funding to be used for crosswalks, which will provide better crossing for a lot more people. Chair Steel thanked Mr. Nelson and Ms. Kurt for their help. VI.B. Braemar Arena Priority Use Policy Ms. Kattreh introduced Susie Miller, Braemar Arena General Manager, to speak on the issue of priority use. Ms. Miller stated currently the Braemar Arena is operated without a priority access. At its August 21 meeting the City Council directed staff to create a priority access agreement. Before the Board tonight is a proposal based on equity of ice and number of programs served. There are five priorities included in the proposal. One priority is for all city-sponsored activities; priority two is Edina High School boys and girls hockey teams; priority three is recognized youth associations; priority four is adult leagues that are on good terms with the City of Edina; and priority five would be non-recognized resident or nonresident hockey and/or figure skating programs. Ms. Miller discussed the residency requirements for recognized athletic associations. The current standard is 90% for the Edina youth athletic associations and 60% for the Edina Swim Club. Currently, the Edina Hockey Association (EHA) has 99.6% Edina residency, while the Braemar City of Lakes Figure Skating Club (BCLFSC) has 40% residents. Ms. Miller stated her recommendation is to continue to recognize EHA. She noted there is value in having the BCLFSC at Braemar. Ms. Miller reviewed the redistribution proposal, based on number of participants and not on residency. With the same number of ice hours, hockey would receive 2,368 hours and the figure skaters would receive 229 hours for the 2013-2014 season. Those numbers are based on a calculation of 1.79 hours per participant. The EHA has 1,323 participants, and the BCLFSC has 128. Ms. Miller noted that while formulating the proposal, she also looked at comparable programs in the Metro area. The EHA has ice time at other facilities, while the BCLFSC only has hours at Braemar. She also noted that Braemar is offering significantly more hours than neighboring cities. Member Cella stated she received an unhappy email from the BCLFSC. She noted that cutting their ice time by 66% one year from now seems drastic. She encouraged the city to be fair. She also noted that the figure skaters paid their $20 per head fee during the renovation of the Hornet’s Nest. Ms. Miller stated she understands that, and she did look at all different options. What she felt was fair to bring forward was the absolute equitable distribution of ice. However, adjustments can still be made to the policy. She noted there still will be ice available; it is just that families might have to travel a little bit. Member Cella stated Bloomington and Minnetonka skating clubs are not comparable, as they do not compete nationally and internationally. Member Gieseke stated he agrees that a graduated schedule will be more equitable in order to allow the BCLFSC to find quality hours of ice time. He suggested a graduated schedule over four years might be helpful. 5 Chair Steel noted that the agreement does not have anything to do with hours other than priority use, and right now the BCLFSC is not a recognized association. She asked about the impact of ice time if the BCLFSC were to meet the residency requirement of 60%. Ms. Miller responded that the proposal does not take into account the residency at all, but rather participant numbers only. Chair Steel stated that previously, a recommended priority use access agreement was formulated, and the BCLFSC was included as a recognized association. The recommendation was taken to the Council, and the BCLFSC was removed as a recognized association. Member Jacobson asked if the figure skaters would only have nights to skate if the policy is implemented. Ms. Miller responded ice distribution would be a staff decision. She noted it is to Braemar’s benefit that the figure skaters can skate right after school because they can arrive at 3 pm. She stated that she believes Braemar can come to an agreement with the BCLFSC. Perhaps they can also go to neighboring facilities to skate; they will have to be creative to find ice time. Member Dan Peterson noted that the EHA residency is 100 percent, and the BCLFSC are 40 percent. He inquired where the other 60 percent of figure skaters come from. Ms. Miller stated the skaters are drawn from all over the Metro area. Member Cella added that the BCLFSC attracts from all over the Metro because they compete at the international level. Ms. Kattreh also noted that staff looked at this policy as similar to the Edina Swim Club because they also draw from all over the Metro. Chair Steel opened the meeting up for public comment at 7:44 pm. Ron Green, 5725 Zenith Avenue South, president of EHA, stated there are 1,300 Edina youth residents playing hockey. Of the 1,300, 75% are boys and 25% are girls. There are currently 350 girls playing in the association, and they expect that number to grow dramatically. He noted that the association’s issue is not enough ice. More than 50% of practices are at ice rinks other than Braemar; the association buys at least twice as much ice time at other rinks. He concluded that there is a lot of need for ice within the association. Chair Steel closed the meeting for public comment at 7:46 pm. VI.C. Human Services Task Force Volunteer Ms. Kattreh stated the city annually appropriates $80,000 from its general fund to pay human service agencies to provide outsourced services to Edina residents. The city is putting together a Human Services Task Force, and they are requesting a representative from the Park Board. She noted there are four date commitments to serve on the task force. Member Segreto stated she served on the task force two years ago, and it was an insightful view into the community. She stated she will serve again. Chair Steel moved, seconded by Member Hulbert, to appoint Member Segreto as the Human Services Task Force Volunteer. Ayes: Members Cella, Gieseke, Hulbert, Jacobson, Dan Peterson, Segreto, Steel. Motion Carried. VI.D. Grandview CAT Volunteer 6 Chair Steel moved, seconded by Member Dan Peterson, to appoint Susan Jacobson to serve on Grandview CAT. Ayes: Members Cella, Gieseke, Hulbert, Jacobson, Dan Peterson, Segreto, Steel. Motion Carried. VII. CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS VII.A. Council Updates None. VIII. CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS Chair Steel reported that the strategic planning subcommittee met last week with Members Deeds, Segreto and Cella all present. They discussed what they would like the consultant to work on and handed over the recommendations to staff, who is working on a draft RFP. Hopefully something will be ready for the Park Board next month. Member Segreto asked about the gun policy in Edina parks, specifically concealed handguns. Ms. Kattreh stated there is a policy against handguns at the enterprise facilities, but she is not sure about park policy and therefore will report back to the board at the next meeting. IX. STAFF COMMENTS Ms. Kattreh stated the Edible Playground is constructed at Lewis Park. Additionally, the Countryside Shelter building has been torn down, and construction on the project will be starting next week. The Centennial Lakes farmers market starts this Thursday and runs from 3 to 7 p.m. Ms. Kattreh mentioned the update on the Sports Dome and athletic fields has been pushed back to the July Park Board meeting, when Bruce Locklear, Edina Public Schools principal, will also be present for the discussion. Member Hulbert asked if the path was rerouted by the community garden. Ms. Kattreh responded affirmatively, noting the bids were opened for the parking lot today. A few contractual things will be worked out with the Y, and that will include the path. Member Jacobson asked about the bids for Countryside and also inquired about the Golf Dome. Ms. Kattreh stated she cannot remember the final cost offhand on the Countryside shelter building, but approximately $200,000 was value engineered out of the project. She noted that $100,000 alone was eliminated by cutting the in-floor heating system. Ms. Kattreh stated construction on the Golf Dome began a few weeks ago and it looks to be on track for a November 1 opening. The foundation is being worked on right now. Member Hulbert asked how much bigger the new Dome building will be. Ms. Kattreh responded that it will actually be a bit smaller, but will have a more efficient use of space and a much nicer building. X. ADJOURNMENT Chair Steel made a motion, seconded by Member Dan Peterson, to adjourn the meeting at 7:56 p.m. Ayes: Members Cella, Gieseke, Hulbert, Jacobson, Dan Peterson, Segreto, Steel. Motion Carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:56 p.m.