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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-09-08 Park Board MinutesEDINA PARK BOARD 7:30 p.m. aptember 8, 1987 „dina City Hall MEMBERS PRESENT: Joan Lonsbury, Don Wineberg, Jim Fee, Mac Thayer, Jean Rydell, Marilyn Wooldridge, Andrew Montgomery, Bob Christianson MEMBERS ABSENT: Bill Lord, Jim Moe STAFF PRESENT: Bob Kojetin, John Keprios, Stacey Kness Joan Lonsbury called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 11, 1987, MEETING Mac Thayer MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 11, 1987, MEETING. Jean Rydell seconded the motion. MOTION CARRIED. II. CORRESPONDENCE A. Golf Course Mr. Kojetin gave a short overview of what had occurred since the last Park Board meeting in regards to the motion made on league play out at the Braemar Golf Course. Mr. Kojetin received many copies of a letter written to the Council members from Dr. John Hoyt through Mayor Courtney. The letter proposes that current league members and patron card holders be allowed to be in more than one league if they currently are and that league members be Edina residents starting in 1988. Don Wineberg indicated that Dr. Hoyt made many copies of this letter available in the men's and women's locker rooms at Braemar Golf Course for individuals to sign and send to the Council members. Mr. Kojetin said there are over 100 people currently playing on two leagues. After the August Park Board meeting, many league members went to the City Council meeting to address their proposal. The Council decided to send the proposal back to the Park Board to study the non-resident issue. Perhaps John Valliere should have a general meeting with the presidents of all leagues and decide on adopting this proposal. There was a discussion on disbanding the Golf Committee once this issue has been decided since it is an ad hoc committee. Mrs. Lonsbury suggested adding members to the Golf Committee to make it more representative of the golf leagues. Mr. Wineberg said we hire people in the City to legislate rules and bring policy issues to the Park Board; he doesn't believe we need a larger committee. Mr. Wineberg said the Park Board should go along with the hired manager's decisions rather than having a committee. He doesn't feel the current committee should be enlarged. - 1 - Bob Christianson suggested considering a recommendation to eliminate all leagues at Braemar Golf Course. Mr. Fee said we have to go by John Valliere's recommendations. Mrs. Lonsbury said this issue should be discussed at the Golf Course before the Park Board can make any recommendation to City Council. Bob Christianson MOVED TO TABLE THE DISCUSSION OF THE GOLF COMMITTEE AND JOHN HOYT'S PROPOSAL UNTIL WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION AND FURTHER INPUT FROM JOHN VALLIERE AND BOB KOJETIN. Jim Fee seconded the motion. MOTION CARRIED. B. Garden Park Mr. Kojetin shared a letter he received from Mrs. Bursh requesting a gazebo be placed in the north end of Garden Park. Mr. Kojetin's personal feeling is that Garden Park does not warrant a gazebo by the lake at this time. Marilyn Wooldridge said Mrs. Bursh probably got the idea from the new gazebo/shelter at Wooddale Park. It was asked if a structure like this could be a memorial donation. Mr. Kojetin said that the north end of Garden Park still is not a prime location for a memorial of this type. If a structure was ever added to Garden Park, it should probably be placed closer to the playing fields in the central area of the park. Bob Christianson MOVED TO HAVE JOAN LONSBURY WRITE TO MRS. BURSH THANKING HER FOR HER CONCERN AND EXPLAINING THAT AT THE PRESENT TIME THERE ARE NO FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR SUCH A STRUCTURE. Jim Fee seconded the motion. MOTION CARRIED. C. Seminar Mr. Kojetin discussed the upcoming Carver Seminar on Effective Board Governance on October 29, 3 to 10 p.m., at Edina Community Center sponsored by City Council and the School Board. All board members are invited to attend. All fees will be paid by the City Council and the School Board. III. REVIEWAL OF PROPOSED 1988 BUDGET Mr. Kojetin stated the City has started the process of working with the Council on the proposed 1988 budget. The only new item in the operating budget is a new custodial position for the Senior Center, the Art Center, Tupa Park (Grange Hall & Cahill School), and Arneson Acres. Mrs. Lonsbury asked what the salary for this position would be. Mr. Kojetin said the yearly salary would be $17,000 plus $7000 to $8000 in benefits. Mr. Montgomery asked what kind of action Mr. Kojetin needs on the budget. Mr. Kojetin said he needs no action unless there is something the Park Board recommends changing. Mr. Montgomery asked if the Park and Recreation Department has been receiving the new field use fees from the athletic associations. Mr. Keprios said we are getting that money back. There has been a letter written by the Edina Girls' Athletic Association to Council members, John Keprios, and Bob Kojetin expressing the displeasure with the $5 per participant field use fee. All the athletic associations have voiced their opinions on this issue. Mr. Kojetin explained the associations' biggest concern is - 2 - IV. V. that now that the field use fee has been started it will go up a little every year. John Keprios added that the associations do know that it was not a Park Board decision to charge this use fee. Mr. Montgomery asked if the $5 would be disbursed according to the amount of maintenance required for the different sports' fields since some sports require more maintenance than others. Mr. Kojetin and Mr. Keprios said it is best to keep the fee the same for each sport because it would be too difficult to determine how the fee should be disbursed. Mr. Keprios said the adult sports paid $9000 in field use fees. Only about 5 or 6 team managers out of 123 softball teams questioned the $75 per team increase for the field use fee. CAPITAL PLAN Mr. Kojetin handed out the nine-year capital plan. Mr. Christianson asked about the payments on Wooddale Park. Mr. Kojetin said the demolition and development will be paid for over a period of four years. He went on to explain that some areas in Wooddale Park were seeded --not sodded --so they look different. It will be three or four years before the Department can go back and do some more work at Wooddale Park. Mr. Christianson said he has heard from the public that it is the greatest park. The other park board members also highly praised Wooddale Park. RECREATION REPORT Mr. Keprios reported that the Edina Municipal Pool has closed after having a good season. There were about 300 swimmers using the pool after August 24, the original closing date. The tennis courts have been resurfaced. Recreation Resurfacers did an excellent job. Lewis Park is all completed and has been heavily used. It made it through the flood quite well. The summer programs are all over. Swimming lesson participants totaled just under 900; tennis lessons were up 25 percent to 409 participants; the playground program was down a little to just over 500 children; T -Ball was up again this year to 236. Mr. Wineberg commented that it's great to have our tennis program up in numbers since tennis interest in the nation is dropping. The State Adult Touch Football Tournament will be held again at Braemar the last weekend in October. Current registration includes boys' football, girls' basketball and girls' flag football. The 1987 Halloween event is planned for Saturday, October 24, at Edinborough Park for kindergarten through third graders. Mrs. Lonsbury would like to volunteer at the event. Mr. Keprios and Mr. MacHolda are lining up other volunteers. Alden Park equipment has been installed. The new equipment looks just like the equipment at Wooddale Park --very colorful and cheery. Mrs. Lonsbury asked if there has been a problem with vandalism at this park. Mr. Keprios said there hasn't been a problem lately. - 3 - VI. OTHER Mrs. Lonsbury was nominated to receive the Park Board commission award from the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association, and she won. The award will be given at a banquet at the Sheraton Northwest at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, October 15. Mr. Keprios and Mr. Kojetin extended an invitation to all the Park Board members. Mrs. Lonsbury reminded the Park Board of the Centennial meeting Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 p.m., City Hall. Please have your activity details ready to present. Mrs. Lonsbury received a compliment from an individual who was at the August Park Board meeting on the way the meeting was held regarding the golf league issue. She also received a compliment on "wonderful" Edinborough Park. Mr. Wineberg said maybe we could use testimonial comments such as this for an Edinborough promotion. Mrs. Lonsbury pointed out the fact that James Moe, School Board representative, has missed four meetings in a row. He has only attended two meetings since his appointment to the Park Board. Bob Christianson, former School Board representative, suggested Mrs. Lonsbury contact Mary Lou Birkeland, School Board Chairperson, to find out if Mr. Moe's term is still in effect. Mrs. Lonsbury said the Park Board should have another representative from the Planning Commission. Since Virginia Shaw's resignation from Planning Commission's representative to the Park Board, there has not been a new representative. Andy Montgomery asked if Edina High School's gymnasium space could be utilized for an informal 35+ basketball program. Mr. Keprios will check into it. The King and Queen of Sweden will visit Edinborough Park in April. Mr. Kojetin asked the Park Board its feeling on whether we should close the whole Edinborough Park for Jimmy Carter to give a speech to housing developers; but because of security, maybe this cannot be done. The Park Board's general opinion is not to close the whole park to the public for an event; but in this situation for security reasons, it is permissible. VI. ADJOURNMENT Jean Rydell MOVED TO ADJOURN AT 8:40 P.M. Don Wineberg seconded the motion. MOTION CARRIED. - 4 -