HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-04-11 Park Board MinutesEDINA PARK BOARD
7:30 p.m.
April 11, 1995
MEMBERS PRESENT: Andrew Herring, Andrew Montgomery, Beth Hall, Jim Fee, Becky
Bennett, Dave Crowther, Jean Rydell, Bill Jenkins, John
Dovolis, Frank Bennett, Mike Burley
STAFF PRESENT: John Keprios, Ed MacHolda, Janet Canton, Laura Lancrete
OTHERS PRESENT: Patti Kelly, Chris Middlebrook, Donna Hanbery, Jeff
Albrecht, Bob & Patty Strickland, Tracy Hassan, Andy & Julie
Turnbull, Steve Smithson, Denny Withers, Cindy Thompson,
Kendra Verebeten, Jim Gray, Todd Hierlmaier, Sharon
Hierlmaier, Nathan Hierlmaier, Jim Stangl, Tom Howard, Kent
& Jill Neff, Dick Severson, Len Litchtblau, Julia Smith,
Kevin Kachan, Jon Wilbur, Gary Dalasta, John Saarq, Jerry
Witowski, Grant Casanova, Lois Leistiko, Chuck Prentice,
Mary Eichhorn-Hicks, Shari LaFrance, Chris Halden, Steve
Jecha, Jeff Bohlig, Bob Kojetin, Leo Bruhl, Bill Struthers,
Cheryl Carlson, Ann Booker, Greg Gerlach, Gretchen DeVreis,
Jackie Evans, Nancy Booker.
I. APPROVAL OF THE MARCH 14, 1995 MINUTES
Mr. Jenkins indicated that he had a change on the March 14, 1995
minutes. He noted that on page seven the top paragraph should read
"improving" the infrastructure of our parks and not "approving". John
Dovolis MOVED TO APPROVE THE MARCH 14, 1995 MINUTES. Frank Bennett
SECONDED THE MOTION. MINUTES APPROVED.
II. ADAPTIVE RECREATION REPORT - LAURA LANCRETE
Ms. Lancrete handed out the Adaptive Recreation Spring and Summer
brochure. She noted that attached to it is the new marketing brochure
that the Parent Advisory Board came up with for new parents. Ms.
Lancrete expressed how important the four -city cooperative is with
Edina, Eden Prairie, Richfield and Bloomington. She noted that it has
been very beneficial to the program by sharing staff, facilities and
marketing. Ms. Lancrete pointed out that this year they are offering
some new programs. She explained that adult basketball started this
April and is going very well. Also, she noted that they are starting a
new program called sled hockey which is associated with the National
Hockey Association and is for people with physical disabilities. She
explained that instead of skating they are sitting on a sled. Ms.
Lancrete indicated that they also have a program involving music and art
for the 3 to 5 year olds with and without disabilities. She explained
that they are trying to incorporate the integration with the preschool
age children. Ms. Lancrete pointed out that they are also starting some
teen camps this summer regarding leisure education and art.
Mr. Jenkins asked Ms. Lancrete to give a brief synopsis on the Adaptive
Recreation program for the benefit of the new Park Board members. Ms.
10 Lancrete explained that the Park and Recreation Departments in Edina,
Eden Prairie, Richfield and Bloomington have an Adaptive Recreation
Program and together they are called the Adaptive Recreation/Learning
Exchange (AR/LE). She indicated that there is a joint powers agreement
between the cities and that allows them to share staff, facilities,
publicity and programs. The AR/LE Board serves as the four -city
cooperative parent advisory committee. Ms. Lancrete noted that Edina
has been with AR/LE since 1988.
Ms. Lancrete introduced Jackie Evans, instructor for Voices for Lifelong
Learning and Nancy Booker who used to work with the Learning Exchange.
Ms. Booker explained that Voices for Lifelong Learning is a volunteer
group that meets with groups to talk about the Adaptive Recreation
Learning Exchange programs and how it has affected their lives. Members
of Voices talk about their lives, where they work, where they live and
what adaptive recreation and learning exchange have provided them and
how they have improved their skills and techniques. They have learned
different skills such as cooking, sewing, self-defense, sports and
social programs which have been very beneficial. At this point, six
people from Voices talked a little bit about how the AR/LE programs have
benefitted their lives.
Mr. Fee asked how many participants are there in the program now. Ms.
Lancrete indicated that there are 118 (unduplicated) residents
participating in Edina's programs, (duplicated number is 8,227).
III. EDINA SOCCER ASSOCIATION PROPOSAL FOR LEWIS PARK
Mr. Jenkins explained to the audience that the meeting tonight regarding
the Edina Soccer Association's proposal for Lewis Park is still in the
fact finding stage. Therefore, the Park Board would like to hear
comments and ideas from both sides will not be a vote on this issue at
this meeting.
Mr. Keprios stated that the Edina Soccer Association has made a formal
proposal to spend up to $30,000 to improve the Lewis Park bandy field
site to make it more playable and accommodate their expanding soccer
program. He indicated that the $30,000 that they are offering is not
tax money but money that has been raised by the Edina Soccer
Association. He explained that the proposal has pros and cons, which is
why it is important to seek opinions from everyone involved with and
affected by this issue. Mr. Keprios then explained that letters will be
sent out to everyone who lives within a 500 ft. radius of the park to
inform them of this proposal, seek their input, and inform the immediate
neighborhood of the May meeting. Mr. Keprios pointed out that the Park
Board will make a recommendation to the City Council, who will in turn
ultimately make the final decision, however, the City Council does rely
heavily on the voice of the Park Board.
Jim Gray, Edina Soccer Association Board member, outlined what the
proposal is and the reasons for the proposal. He explained that in
1995, the Edina Soccer Association (ESA) will serve over 2,150 Edina
resident youths. He indicated that Lewis field is the best available
site to relocate and expand.
2
Mr. Burley asked what the participation has been the last five years.
Mr. Gray indicated that it has been increasing gradually over the last
five years. He noted that last year they were a shade closer to 2,000.
Mr. Gray pointed out that particularly the younger age groups have been
increasing. He indicated that the U6 program now has 430 players
registered and the U8 program has 500 players registered. There has
also been an increasing interest in soccer as evidenced by the
increasing participation and registration. Mr. Gray pointed out that
there are 350 players registered in the traveling soccer program and
that the U10 traveling team will be having a two team increase this year
as well. He stated that girls soccer has also been growing rapidly as
well. Mr. Gray explained that although there has been an increase in
the demand by the players for the opportunity to play there has not been
an increase in the supply of field space and that's the problem that is
being addressed. He noted that there are 14 soccer fields in Edina and
a third of them are owned by the school district. Also, all of the
fields are used very heavily and the problem that arises is there is no
option or flexibility to rotate or rest the fields which is what a good
field management program should include.
Mr. Gray explained that the U6 program is held at Weber field. However,
the limited field space is an area that's flooded for an ice rink in the
winter and as a result the grass won't grow and the surface is compacted
hard dirt and weeds. In addition, inadequate parking leads to street
parking, which is a safety concern with the young children. Mr. Gray
indicated that the U8 program will be at one of the upper fields at the
high school, however, that field is used heavily and it's a school owned
facility where goals need to be moved in and out each practice or game,
which has been a problem. Mr. Gray stated that, in these two age
groups, the field space is at or beyond capacity right now. Because of
the increasing numbers we need to deal with the problem now before it
gets to the point where we are forced to either eliminate participation
or increase the number of kids on the teams. However, decreasing
playing time because of having larger teams is something the Soccer
Association wants to avoid.
Mr. Gray noted that after looking at all of the field space in Edina,
Lewis is the best location by far. He indicated that the west and
central fields are useable although they could use some improvement
because there are some low areas. Mr. Gray explained that, because the
Lewis bandy field is used as an ice rink for six weeks during the
winter, the ground cover becomes useable as a playing surface for soccer
or football or any other sport during the spring, summer or fall months.
Mr. Gray noted that the space would allow them to build a regulation
size(80 yard by 120 yard) senior soccer field. He explained that the
area has lights and it is also his understanding that an irrigation
system was originally put in although it has not been used since bandy
has been there. Mr. Gray explained that given the large size of the
field it can be used in a number of different ways. It can be used as a
senior field for traveling or can be cut in half for two U6 fields.
Mr. Gray noted that the ESA is willing to permit the spending of $30,000
to upgrade and renovate the east field at Lewis and make it into a
senior size field. Also, the ESA wants to install some kind of a
temporary bathroom facility the first year and eventually have a
permanent bathroom facility given the number of people who will be using
it. He also noted that the ESA is willing to commit $8,000 to $10,000
3
annually for field improvements that would include such things as
lights, bleachers, bathroom facilities and more irrigation for the other
fields. He pointed out that they will upgrade the west and central
fields at Lewis to make the fields more useable not only for soccer but
for football and other field sports which would extend their period of
use during the year compared to the 6 to 7 week use it is getting right
now for bandy.
Mr. Jenkins asked what other areas were looked at. Mr. Gray indicated
they looked at virtually all of them and they all have certain benefits
and serious drawbacks where Lewis Park has met all of the ESA criteria.
Mr. Jenkins asked how many people will use Lewis Park when it's in use.
Ms. Kelly, Edina Soccer Association President, indicated that Mr.
MacHolda informed them that Lewis will accommodate the U6 parking in the
large parking area. The smaller parking area down by the tennis courts
would be more than sufficient to accommodate the senior players when
they are playing. It was noted that parking should not be a problem and
off street parking should not happen very often. He noted that at Weber
Park it is almost all on -the -street parking which is very dangerous.
Ms. Bennett pointed out that last year in the fall there was a lot of
overflow parking on the street and she asked if they expected it to
exceed what it was like this past fall. Mr. Gray asked what program was
going on then and Ms. Bennett thought it was soccer. Mr. Burley stated
that he thinks parking is a problem that is not being addressed. Ms.
Kelly stated that Julie Turnbull, director of U6 and U8 programs, can
address the issue. Ms. Turnbull noted that in an hours time there are
only four teams there. Mr. Burley asked how many kids are on a team and
Ms. Turnbull indicated 12. Mr. Burley noted that could possibly mean 48
kids. He indicated that you talk about parking accommodating a third
field it's already a problem with two fields.
Mr. MacHolda indicated that he thinks the parking problem Ms. Bennett is
referring to is probably the flag football program and there is
insufficient parking space to accommodate the number of flag football
teams. Mr. MacHolda noted that he did not schedule any soccer at Lewis
Park in the fall.
Mr. Burley asked if kids still play soccer in the YMCA program. Mr.
Gray indicated that as far as he knows the YMCA program is still in
existence although it is separate from the ESA. Mr. Burley asked if the
U6 and U8 programs, which have about 900 kids, are fairly new. It was
noted that it was started five or six years ago. Ms. Turnbull also
noted that the YMCA program is still in existence and that it caters to
the 4, 5, and 6 year-olds on up. However, they play in the early spring
and in the fall and they are not a summer program. The ESA season is
strictly summer which runs from May 15th through July 22nd this year.
Mr. Burley asked about the irrigation system that was mentioned. Mr.
Keprios noted that there is an irrigation system, however, how useable
that current system is going to be is a question mark and we won't know
what the status is until we get in there. Mr. Gray stated that it's a
potential benefit but not certain at this point.
Mr. Burley asked how many parking stalls are there at Lewis Park and Mr.
Keprios indicated that staff will have a complete report on that at the
next Park Board meeting.
4
Ms. Bennett asked if $30,000 will cover the cost to upgrade Lewis Park.
Mr. Gray indicated that until they receive a strong commitment to
upgrade the facility they have not chosen to spend money on a
feasibility study. Ms. Bennett asked if the $30,000 is from the fees
over the years and it was noted that is correct. Mr. Gray stated that
the ESA has also given money in the past, such as, $12,000 to irrigate
the fields at Creek Valley, $10,000 to rebuild Braemar soccer field, and
$3,500 for the scoreboard at Braemar. Ms. Bennett asked if it's a
possibility that the ESA will come back to the Park Board asking for
money if the $30,000 does not complete what is trying to be done. Mr.
Gray stated that the options are to defer some of the improvements until
more money is available from the next cycle of registration.
Mr. Burley asked if the $30,000 proposal is turned down does that mean
that the $8,000 to $10,000 for field improvements will disappear. Mr.
Gray indicated that has not been addressed. He noted that the ESA has a
need for fields and an obligation to the kids to provide them with good
fields and enough fields to play on.
Mr. Herring noted that he thought we recently added a soccer field at
Creek Valley. Mr. Keprios indicated that a field was not added, it was
replaced when they took the Braemar soccer field out for the Braemar
Golf Course. Ms. Kelly stated that they have reached a point where they
are maxed out and cannot accept anymore kids because there is no place
to put them. She noted that because all of their coaches are volunteers
they need to have their games played in the evenings.
Mr. Burley asked if the ESA has explored the possibility of offering a
day program and Ms. Kelly noted that they would have no one to coach
them because they are volunteers with the vast majority of them working
during the day. Mr. Burley asked if possibly the youth could be paid to
coach since there is $30,000 available. Ms. Kelly noted that they have
not discussed that possibility recently. Mr. Gray pointed out that the
number of coaches needed to run a day time soccer program is a lot more
than what EBA requires to run their daytime Jugs baseball program.
Mr. Crowther asked if anyone has been turned down to play. Ms. Kelly
noted that they have turned people away in the U6 program because there
is no room for them, they are completely maxed out. Ms. Kelly noted
that there are very few spots left in the U8 division and that it will
be closing very soon. Ms. Kelly noted that she is continuously
receiving phone calls every day from people who still want to play
soccer.
Mr. Crowther indicated that the house program runs from May 15 through
July 22nd and asked what activity would take place the rest of the year
at that site. Mr. Keprios indicated that it basically would offer us an
opportunity to rotate our fall programs, such as youth football and flag
football. This would allow us to rest our fields on a rotating basis,
which we have never been able to do in the past.
Ms. Kelly indicated that she would like to respond to some comments that
have been made. She noted that they have made a conscious effort to
commit money to the upgrading of fields and right now there is a reserve
of $30,000. She_ stated that the ESA would ideally like to be able to
put this money into a large field and develop the whole field as a
complex to serve the needs during the two month in-house soccer season.
k,
The rest of the year it could serve Edina residents in other areas. Ms.
Kelly also explained that $5.00 from each player's registration fee is
put aside each year for field improvements. This comes out to be
approximately $8,000 to $10,000 each year to upgrade and improve the
fields of Edina. Therefore, if the $30,000 we have allowed to go to the
Lewis proposal does not cover all of the costs we plan to take this one
year at a time and do what we can with the $30,000. She noted that it
is not their intention to come back to the Park Board and ask for money.
Donna Hanbery, Edina resident, indicated that she is representing the
adult interest group who support what the Edina Soccer Association is
doing. She noted that they are a growing disadvantaged group because
they are older women and men who are not 18 but who love to play soccer.
She indicated that when they want to play there is never any room. She
noted that the schools will not make their facilities available to the
adults. She stated that, when you ask to reserve city fields, everyone
must either live or work in Edina or you get turned down. She noted
that she is on the board of the Minnesota Womens Soccer Association and
that there are 300 players who make up 20 plus teams at 5 different
levels. She explained that soccer is such a new sport for women and
that their season runs from May until the end of August and they also
have a fall season. Ms. Hanbery stated that there is also a mens team
who is willing to rent soccer field space. Ms. Hanbery noted that she
wants to support the ESA and also put in a word for the taxpayers who
just want to play soccer when they grow up.
Steve Jecha, member of the audience, asked if the proposal includes
taking out all of the winter sports from Lewis Park. It was noted that
the hockey rink and the general skating area will stay in place and that
the only change is the large skating area used for the bandy program
would no longer be flooded.
Chris Middlebrook, President of the American Bandy Association,
indicated that he was an original player on the first champion team back
in 1980 and 1981. He noted that he played for the U.S. National Bandy
team from 1981 to 1995. Mr. Middlebrook explained that Edina is the
birth place of bandy in the United States and that the father of bandy
in the United States is Bob Kojetin. He explained that, for the last 14
years, bandy has largely been an adult sport and Edina has been the
primary location. Mr. Middlebrook noted that he has played on rinks all
over Europe, Russia, and Canada and that he considers the Lewis Park
bandy rink the best rink he has ever played on. Mr. Middlebrook also
pointed out that he is not an Edina resident. He explained that the
first 14 years of bandy were focused on getting the program going and
developing a foundation. Now they have been focusing on getting the
youth bandy going. He noted that they have hired a person to work with
the youth bandy program.
Mr. Middlebrook explained that bandy is the winter equivalent to soccer,
and noted that it is an alternative to ice hockey. He stated that it is
a non-violent sport and that there are many more bandy players in Europe
than there are hockey players.
Mr. Middlebrook pointed out that bandy has now made a commitment to
focus on youth bandy with Edina being one of the central locations. He
noted that they have committed to organizing the youth tournament here
on an annual basis with teams from Scandinavia, Russia, and other
AI
countries coming here, which will create opportunities for our kids to
go to other countries to play bandy. He indicated that Bandy is a
cultural opportunity. Mr. Middlebrook pointed out that Lewis Park is a
perfect spot for Bandy too. He noted that it is a 6 to 7 week season
running from late December through the middle of February. Mr.
Middlebrook stated that the bandy players do pay a user fee to play on
the Lewis Park bandy rink. He indicated that, for the same reason ESA
wants to expand their fields, is the same reason why bandy players want
the bandy rink to remain, for the kids.
Cindy Thompson indicated that she has been working with the youth bandy
the last five years in Edina. She stated that she works with a
shoestring budget and that they do have a long way to go. She noted
that they are a small program probably like soccer was when they first
started out. Ms. Thompson explained that their big problem is coaches
because there are not enough people who have played the sport to coach
it. There are a lot of kids who want to play the game because they do
not want to get into the highly competitive game of hockey. Bandy is a
low pressure sport that emphasizes recreation, learning skills and
sportsmanship. It's does the same thing that soccer does.
Ms. Thompson made the comment that she heard Mr. Keprios say that the
Park Board will be able to hear both sides of the issue, which makes it
sound like we are against each other and we are not. She noted that the
bandy people and the soccer people are the same people who are working
for kids playing sports that promote real sport values and teamwork.
Ms. Thompson explained that in Sweden a lot of fields are used for both
soccer and bandy and that there should be a way that makes all of us
happy.
Ms. Thompson pointed out that she is also involved in girls hockey and
this is a sport that is just exploding and going through the roof. She
stated that communities are going to have to look at where to have ice.
It's going to become a big problem and she doesn't want us to be sitting
here three years from now saying we need more ice. She noted that it
would be great to keep both bandy and soccer at Lewis Park.
Mr. Burley asked how many kids are involved in youth bandy right now and
Ms. Thompson indicated that in the Edina program there were 24 this
year. However, when the program was going at all three rinks there were
approximately 80.
Mr. Middlebrook introduced Kendra Verebeten who has been hired to work
with the youth bandy program. Ms. Verebeten indicated that she is
basically volunteering her time because what she is getting paid just
covers her expenses. She explained that she is not an Edina resident
and that her program takes place in Roseville but stated how wonderful
it is to go to other cities and play. Ms. Verebeten indicated that she
wants to congratulate Edina because there wouldn't be an interest in
building the youth bandy program in Edina if it wasn't for the people
here in Edina.
Ms. Verebeten stated that she can empathize with all of the demands for
soccer time but stated that it's twice as bad for ice sports and it just
gets worse as they look to the future. She stated that to eliminate a
big sheet of ice like this is not just taking away from the bandy
community but it's taking away from the weekend skaters and families as
7
well. Ms. Verebeten indicated that they are not just trying to develop
an alternative to hockey but something that can improve hockey skills,
skating skills, team and individual skills as well. She stated that the
program is for both boys and girls and they usually end up playing
together because there have not been as many girls participating.
However, the numbers are increasing as time goes by. Ms. Verebeten
indicated that right now they don't have a program for the 13 to 18 year
old age group and that's what they are going to try to establish. She
noted that what they want to do in the first year is set up a north and
south area where the kids can play and it will be staffed by members of
the Mens and Womens National Bandy team as well as people that play in
the house league. Ms. Verebeten indicated that they are looking at
bringing someone in from Sweden to help make the program grow.
Ms. Verebeten stated that she hopes there can be some kind of compromise
so that a program like this can be supported while we are growing. She
indicated that no one knows if we will ever reach the numbers of soccer
but noted she would hate to never give it a chance.
Tom Howard, Edina resident, explained the game of bandy and noted that
he has been playing bandy for 14 years. He pointed out that when Mr.
Kojetin brought the game to Edina in 1976 he was trying to bring a
little culture over here and set it up similar to a club sport. Mr.
Howard indicated that soccer is going to be around awhile, however,
bandy is a piece of culture that is a bit fragile, and if the rink is
taken away the only alternative is to pay $190.00 an hour at Roseville.
Mr. Howard thanked the Park Board for what they have given so far. He
stated that he hopes we don't lose this piece of culture and see that 10
years down the road bandy is a just a footnote in history. He indicated
that he appreciates the Park Board' consideration.
Chris Halden indicated that no one has benefitted more from Bandy than
he has. He noted that he has been playing since 1982 and has also
played over seas. He stated that he is not an Edina resident, however,
he would move to Edina if it was required. Mr. Halden stated that he
has benefitted incredibly and has given Mr. Keprios so many thanks over
the years. He pointed out that he has practically lived at Lewis Park
in the winter. Mr. Halden indicated that they cannot make up a lost
rink because the Oval can only give out so much ice to the bandy
program. Mr. Halden then handed out materials on the program.
Bob Kojetin indicated that he started the soccer program in 1973 and the
bandy program in the mid 19701s. Mr. Kojetin explained that when Lewis
Park was designed back in the late 1970's it was designed for soccer,
football, and a large skating facility for bandy and speed skating.
Therefore, Lewis Park was designed as a double soccer field in the
summer time and a rink facility in the winter time. That is why the
irrigation system and lights were put in both facilities.
Mr. Kojetin explained that when the field was donated by the Dewey Hill
property owners where the tennis courts sit it was the only good soil in
the whole area. He also stated that the first drawings had the facility
where the hydrant is and there were 200 spaces for parking.
Mr. Kojetin explained that in the past 15 years the bandy rink has been
graded 6 times. He noted that every year they get about a 6 inch drop
and there is a sink hole at the south end of the rink where there was a
H
swamp. He explained that finally dried up and the sink hole came down
just a little bit north of the hydrant. However, they have not been
able to fill that up for the last ten years. He stated that they
couldn't build a soccer field there until they have established some
kind of soil.
Mr. Kojetin noted that it will cost at least $15,000 to sod a soccer
field there. He suggested that, if a soccer field does go in there, the
field will need top soil put on and some annual rye grass and clover to
establish the turf. He indicated that, if sod is put in, money is going
to be wasted and it's going to be very discouraging for soccer people
who are now going to say it's a terrible field and is half full of
water. He noted that they have never dumped sand in there, which may
work. However, because of poor soil conditions, a soccer field has
never been placed in there.
Mr. Kojetin indicated that Weber would be a good youth field that could
be worked on and also noted that Yorktown Park would be good. However,
some people don't like that field because of the traffic at 5:00 in that
area. Mr. Kojetin also mentioned that Todd Park used to have a soccer
field back in the 1960's and that a youth field could probably be put
back in there. Mr. Kojetin indicated that when you add a traveling
program you add a lot of fields. He also stated that both sports are
excellent.
Mr. Burley asked the bandy people what they would do if money got to be
an issue and the fees were increased. Mr. Middlebrook indicated that
they realize money is an issue and they are willing to pay because it's
the greatest ice and it's worth the money. Ms. Thompson noted that from
the youth's perspective she is sure that the parents would pay a larger
fee so their kids could still play.
Mr. Jenkins thanked everyone for their input on the issue.
IV. 1995 PARK BOARD TASK FORCE SUB -COMMITTEES:
Mr. Jenkins explained that at the last Park Board meeting there was some
discussion on examining long-term committees. He indicated that he and
Mr. Montgomery came up with some ideas on forming those committees.
Mr. Jenkins stated that the By-laws and Articles of Organization need to
be updated and asked if Andy Herring, Dave Crowther and Frank Bennett
could spend some time on it.
Mr. Jenkins stated that there are three committees that need to be
established and he would like to make the following assignments:
CAPITAL BUDGETS/FEE STRUCTURE
1) Andy Herring
2) Jim Fee
3) Dave Crowther
FACILITY AND MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE
1) Andy Montgomery
2) John Dovolis
3) Jean Rydell
9
PARK IMPROVEMENTLLONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE
1) Becky Bennett
2) Mike Burley
3) Beth Hall
Mr. Jenkins asked if anyone had any objections to these committees.
Mr. Herring asked Mr. Jenkins what he meant by fee structure. Mr.
Jenkins indicated that each year there is a fees and charges structure
for the overall Park and Recreation Department. He noted that it's a
matter of looking at the numbers and seeing if they are good or bad or
maybe just need a little fine tuning.
Mr. Jenkins noted that each committee can decide how they would like to
handle their committee. Mr. Dovolis noted that he thinks each committee
should have a spokes person. Mr. Jenkins explained that this will get
us a little more involved but should not get into the micromanagement of
the Park and Recreation Department.
Mr. Bennett asked if it could be known when the capital group budget
meetings are on the facilities. He indicated that right now he knows
that the school district's budget if approved is approximately $200,000
to go into new playground equipment for the schools. He noted that the
city and schools may want to cooperatively bid playground equipment in
hopes to get quantity discount bids. Mr. Jenkins indicated that he
defer that issue to John Keprios as far as timing is concerned and
cooperative purchasing. Mr. Bennett indicated that communication is a
big issue and we should not miss opportunities to work together on these
issues.
It was noted that Mr. Keprios will schedule and make arrangements for
all sub -committee meetings. Mr. Herring stated that he wants Mr.
Keprios to be at all the Capital Budget Committee meetings to talk about
the capital expenditures and fees. He also noted that he wants a staff
report for every subcommittee meeting and stated that he's not worried
about the administrative part.
Ms. Hall asked if the long range plan means the bond issue and Mr.
Jenkins indicated not really. He indicated that it's more for the park
improvement plan that's on our plates today and try to foresee what will
be down the road in the long range plan.
Mr. Burley indicated that he thinks all the Park Board members need to
have input in each one of these. Mr. Jenkins noted that he thinks this
will be helpful to us in the long run and it will take some fine tuning
to get it where we want it.
V. SPONSORSHIP/DONATION POLICY
Mr. Keprios explained that he brought Norwest Bank's proposal to the
City Council for their approval. He noted that the City Council asked
some good questions and expressed their concerns about the City of Edina
fireworks display taking on the appearance of being sponsored in part by
Norwest Banks. He indicated that the City Council noted that, before
acting on the proposal, they would like a policy regarding sponsorships
and donations. Mr. Keprios noted that he was unable to find a community
that had an established policy regarding this issue. Mr. Keprios
10
presented a recommended policy to the City Council and they would like
the Park Board's input on this staff recommendation.
Mr. Montgomery noted that he thought Mr. Keprios covered everything
pretty well. Mr. Keprios indicated that staff has never accepted
donations or sponsorships where we would have a permanent advertising
fixture, however, advertising has been placed on rolling stock, such as,
the showmobile and senior citizen bus.
Mr. Burley stated that it seems to him that money is getting to be a
problem with government. He indicated that he understands the integrity
of trying to not have signs on the baseball fields, but is curious why
not if it is something the City can make money on. He noted that a lot
of cities have signs all over their baseball fields. Mr. Kojetin noted
that he feels the number one issue that the City Council has is sign
ordinances.
Mr. Keprios stated that the City Council is asking for feedback on this
policy. Mr. Keprios noted that the City Council has discussed two
approaches to this issue; one, is to establish a proactive plan and
pursue private dollars, the second is to not spend staff time soliciting
private funding.
Mr. Keprios informed the Park Board that Norwest Bank has retracted
their proposal for this year. He pointed out that the City Council did
not vote down the Norwest proposal. Norwest Bank decided that they
would need more time to implement their proposed advertising for the
1995 fireworks display.
The Park Board indicated that they thought the proposed sponsorship
policy as written was great.
Mr. Fee stated that people are not standing in line and knocking our
door down to hand us money. He indicated that he agrees it is not
staff's responsibility to go out and proactively knock on doors, he
feels that is a bad policy. Mr. Keprios also noted that Edina's youth
athletic associations have donated thousands of dollars to the city over
the years.
VI. OTHER
A. Braemar Tennis Court - Mr. Keprios indicated that the tennis
fabric at the Braemar tennis courts was in good condition and therefore
was salvaged and will be put in at Utley, which has very poor fencing
fabric around its tennis courts. Mr. Keprios noted that Utley Park
tennis courts will be rebuilt in 1995.
B. Arbor Day - Mr. Dovolis asked if we do anything on Arbor Day. Mr.
Keprio's indicated that the Minnesota Department of Transportation
Roadway Beautification Project at Vernon Hills Road will serve as our
official 1995 Arbor Day Project. Mr. Dovolis asked for this project to
be publicized in the Edina Sun.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
Dave Crowther MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 9:40 P.M. John Dovolis
SECONDED THE MOTION. MEETING ADJOURNED.
11