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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1983-09-13 Park Board MinutesVnINA PARK BOARD September 13, 1983 7:30 P.M. Edina City Hall MEMBERS PRESENT: Bill Lord, Mack Thayer, George Warner, Joan Lonsbury, Marilyn Wooldridge, Bob Christianson, Don Wineberg, Doug King STAFF PRESENT: OTHERS PRESENT: Bob Kojetin, Rick Jacobson, John Valliere,_Carole Kulak, Madelyn Krinke Fred Richards, Denise Rydholm I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 9, 1983 MEETING George Warner moved to accept the minutes of the August 9, 1983 meeting as written. Bob Christianson seconded the motion. Motion carried. - II. HENNEPIN COUNTY PARK ISSUE Bob Kojetin reported on the meeting which he and Joan Lonsbury attended regarding the Hennepin County Park Reserve issues. One of the major issues raised by some of the Minneapolis residents and mayor is that they pay about $13 in taxes for regional parks and suburbs pay about $7 for Regional Parks, yet they feel a large number of residents of the suburbs are also using their cityparks and lakes and not making a contribution to maintain them. Various board members commented on the pamphlet pertaining to Hennepin County Park Reserve issues which was previously mailed to them. Mr. Kojetin presented some ideas for discussion in this regard, such as how much are Edina residents using Hennepin County Parks and how do Edina residents fit into the picture regarding fees, charges and taxes. Fred Richards suggested it would be a good idea to have some information documenting howmuch was spent by Edina in some of the land acquisitions in the 70's and that maybe Edina has done their fair share in the area of parks. He said it would be good to see if there is an equalization with what we have spent in developing and providing parks for all citizens, not just Edina residents. Mr. Richards also indicated that it should be articulated that the city has the philosophy that we have to be a good neighbor to non residents of Edina. Bob Christianson noted that the development of Bredesen, Braemar and Cornelia Parks has taken the pressure off the Minneapolis facilities. It was pointed out by Rick Jacobson that Edina's tennis courts are used by many non- residents, without any charge. Also it was mentioned that the Golf Course, pool, picnic facilities, arena and softball fields are used by non residents as well as our own residents which reduces the impact of use in other cities and communities. It was also pointed out that if we keep up our local parks, this would be an attraction for our own people, keeping them in the city. There will be several more meetings regarding the Hennepin County Park Reserves and the park board members agreed it would be a good idea to be represented at these meetings to give input from the perspective of the Edina residents. III. BREDESEN PARK Bob Kojetin gave an update on the Bredesen Park project. He indicated that this winter the 9 Mile Creek Watershed District will begin work on the Bredesen Park Project. The total project will cost some where in the neighborhood of Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars. The city for its portion of the park that will be used for recreation such as the walking paths, rest room facilities and interior paths will be shard on a 50/50 basis with the 9 Mile Creek Watershed District. The total cost to the city will be approximately $200=250 thousand for its share. The project is expected to be completed by July 1985. The Bredesen Park Project will be presented to the Council for final approval on Mon., Sept. 19. IV. FEES AND CHARGES John Valliere presented the proposed fees and charges for 1984 for the golf course. He recommended an increase in the patron card fees and green fees, etc. as outlined on the attached sheet. The increase for green fees for seniors was primarily to cover the increase in available times when the Seniors will be able to use the course at a reduced fee as a result of previous recommendations by the Golf Course Committee and Park Board. Increases in the various areas were discussed at great length. One of the suggestions was that we charge a higher fee for nonresidents, such as $12 and $10 for residents. A greater fee for non residents, however, will present problems of monitoring and verifying residency or non= -residency, which would involve considerable time and difficulty in administering the system. The recommendation was made that we charge non-residents and residents not having a patron card a green fee of $10 and patron card holders would pay $7 for green fees. The resident still has the opportunity to get a reduced rate when he buys a patron card and also will get the benefit of being able to reserve a starting time at the golf course. Don Wineberg suggested increasing the fees and charges as outlined on the sheet presented by John Valliere (copy attached to minutes) with the exception of patron card fees, which he felt should not be increased if the green fees were to be increased this year. Doug King made a motion THAT THE 1984 FEES BE INCREASED AS PROPOSED By JOHN VALLIERE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PATRON CARD FEES. Bob Christiansen SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED. V. WOODDALE SCHOOL Joan Lonsbury mentioned that appraisals have been done on some of the schools not being used in the community and that some of the -2- neighbors of the Wooddale School had asked her to raise the issue of the Wooddale School to the Park Board. Bob Christiansen reported that the Board presently has three elementary schools not being used as such in the District; Cahill, Highlands and Wooddale and the Community Center. A planning committee has begun a study of what should be done with the facilities. Plans are to lease Highlands to Eden Prairie for 9 years commencing in 1985. Wooddale is presently being used as a Montessorri School and for several other purposes. Highlands is presently being used by Maranantha and others. On October 10 at 7:00p.m. the school board will be meeting at which time a recommendation might be made by the study committee on the city's involvement with the use of the schools. The School Board is presently looking at getting out of the buiness of property and back to the business of educating children. To be used as a school the cost of bringing the building up to code could easily cost up to S100,000, although the building may not require such costly modification to be used as a different type of facility. Fred Richards still thinks there will be a body of people who will advocate buying the school to keep it as it exists now. There has been a large group of -people who have wanted to acquire the land for Park property. Some of the concepts which the Park Board must consider is whether the city needs this type of facility. Mr. Richards suggested that the council will definitely want a great deal of input from the park board in the very near future on this issue. Bob Kojetin suggested that we might not be able to afford such a facility as the Wooddale School, especially considering that it might be very costly to maintain. It would also require a new type of programming and administrative staff to make full use of such a facility. Rick Jacobson added that it might be easy to justify acquiring such a building based on the need for gym space however, he repeated the fact that if it were to be very costly to maintain it would not be a wise purchase. Mr. Richards commented that there will be some time for negotiations, but that sometime in the near future he would like to have a recommendation from the Park Board. Joan Lonsbury suggested tabling the matter to the next month's meeting. VI. OTHER , Bob Kojetin reported that an architect had been retained to look at what to do with the new Parklawn Avenue park which is adjacent to Ebenezer Home and across the street from Edinburgh Park. This total park is in the tax increment district in the southeast corner of Edina. The reason for retaining an architect at this time is that the park is going to have to be used primarily for water storage ponding area for the Southdale area. So the park would be a combination of a water storage area and a park facility, basically for Sr. citizen usage. -3- Fred Richards had a number of topics which he suggested for future consideration by the Park Board: 1. Talk about the possibility of another city golf course at some point in time. 2. Evaluate the money being spent on hockey rinks for maintenance, etc. and think about the possibility of enclosing a few selected rinks and maintaining only a few with good ice and maybe spend less money in the long run for those few. 3. Budget meetings to be held on Sept. 19th, 22nd and 26th. Park Board should be represented at the 22nd at 7:00 p.m. 4. Parbury property is not being maximized to fullest potential. Park Board members made a note that we had met with neighbors in the surrounding area and at the present time then only wanted playground equipment installed in that park, which has been done. 5. Paul Carson may be donating a piece of land as a passive open space. Bob Kojetin mentioned that he had received suggestions that it might be nice to name a park after Herman Strachauer who served on the park board from 1948-1958 and was chairman at the time that most of the city park land was acquired. He thought it would be appropriate to choose one of the parks nearest to where Mr. Strachauer lived at that time, and that there were several parks in that area which are presently named by the street where they ar located. Don Wineberg MADE A MOTION THAT BEARD PARK BE RENAMED "HERMAN STRACHAUER PARK". The MOTION WAS SECONDED AND PASSED. Bob Christiansen made a motion to adjourn. Motion. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 9:45p.m. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION BY CITY COUNCIL; Doug King Seconded the MOTION: THAT THE 1984 FEES BE INCREASED AS PROPOSED BY JOHN VALLIERE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PATRON CARD FEES. MOTION: THAT BEARD PARK BE RENAMED "HERMAN STRACHAUER PARK" -4-