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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977-10-11 Park Board MinutesMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE EDINA PARK BOARD Tuesday, October 11th, 1977 EDINA CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: J. Rice, Chairperson; A. Fischer; J. Lonsbury; W. Lund; D. Pavek; L. Wanninger; and G. Warner MEMBERS ABSENT: M. McDonald and V. Shaw STAFF PRESENT: K. Rosland; B. Kojetin; R. Jacobson; and P. Benjamson OTHERS PRESENT: Evelyn Gans, Edina Garden Club Council; Doris Johnson, Edina Garden Club Council; Phyllis Kenaston, President of the Edina Garden Club Council; and John E. Lonsbury, Student I. MINUTES OF THE LAST TWO PARK BOARD MEETINGS Mrs. Lonsbury had two corrections to the minutes of September 13th, 1977: Page Two - change "Mr. John Lonsbury, III" to "Mr. John E. Lonsbury" and, Page Three - change "A picture window that was donated by Mr. Don Pavek, has now been installed at the center" to "A picture window has been donated to the Center by Mr. George Warner, and will be installed in the new kiln room." Mr. Jacobson had one addition to the minutes of September 13th, 1977: Page Three - change "Mr. Rosland further reported that Mrs. Jean Adams has been hired as a part-time publicist" to "Mr. Rosland further reported that Mrs. Jean Adams has been hired as a part-time staff person for the Center. One of her duties is to do the publicity". Mr. Wanninger made a motion to approve the minutes of September 13th, 1977, with the above changes made. Mr. Lund seconded the motion and the minutes were approved. Mrs. Lonsbury made a motion to approve the minutes of September 20th, 1977, as written and submitted. Mr. Fischer seconded the motion and the motion was approved. Mr. Rice made an addition to the agenda: "I.A. ART CENTER REPORT" I.A. ART CENTER REPORT Mrs. Lonsbury reported that Jean Adams, who is paid by the City of Edina, is one of three paid staff people on the Art Center Board, which consists of only fifteen persons, who have a vote on the Art Center Board. Mrs. Lonsbury suggested that the three staff people should not be voting members. The Park Board agreed with this and asked Mr. Kojetin to inform the Art Center Board about this recommendation and then report back to the Park Board. PAGE TWO OCTOBER 11th, 1977 I.A. ART CENTER REPORT (Continued) Following that discussion, there were a lot of comments on boards in general. Mr. Kojetin agreed to give a report to the Park Board, at a later meeting, to tell us the results of Park and Recreation Depart- ment staff discussions on the purpose of boards, and if the Mayor should appoint board members, or if each association should appoint their own board members, as they now do. It was agreed that the Park Board has control over the boards regarding facilities and scheduling, even if we do not appoint them. It was also agreed that the Presidents of all ten boards should be invited once a year to speak to the Park Board, with a ten to fifteen minute presentation, in order to inform the Park Board about their association and to tell us how we could help them, if help is necessary. Mr. Kojetin said this is especially important, since we have 10,000 participants in the park programs; almost equal to the number of participants in the school program. Boards like the Art Center should be reporting to us more frequently. No official action was taken on the above matters. II. PLANNING REQUEST(S) In checking the requests received this month from the Planning Department, we have found that we have taken action on all of them, said Mr. Kojetin. III. REPORT ON THE SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 26th, 1977 Mr. Wanninger commended Mr. Rice for the excellent report he delivered to the September 26th School District Meeting. Mr. Rice handed out an outline indicating his talk at the School District Meeting. One of the points Mr. Rice stressed at the School District Meeting, was that the Park Board believes that the eighth grade is the maximum age the Park Board thought there should be amateur coaches; however, we would still manage the teams of lesser ability for the older age groups. Mr. Wanninger gave a report on the meetings the School Board has been having, and said no formal action was taken by the School Board at any of the meetings. The School District had asked Dr. Ralph Lieber to give his reaction on the special meetings at a later School District meeting. IV. RECREATION REPORT Mr. Jacobson reported that we have 360 youngsters in basketball: this amount is comparable to last years' enrollment, plus we expect about 25 to 50 more in late sign-ups. We are now accepting registra- tions for adult team volleyball. Adult ballroom and old time dancing classes have 100 participants. Karate, for ages nine through adult, has begun. Only two teams signed up for Adult Touch Football, and so a league was not formed. PAGE THREE OCTOBER 11th, 1977 IV. RECREATION REPORT (Continued) Hockey registration is down from last year, reported Mr. Kojetin. In the Squirt program, 66% live on the west side of Highway 100 and 34% live on the east side. There is a 7% decrease in the number of participants in the overall hockey program (about 100 participants). Hockey is the only sport that has a decreasing number of participants. Mr. Kojetin also reported that the President of the Hockey Association is going to appoint a study committee to look into this decline, and also the reorganization of teams, before the next year's season starts. Hockey tryouts were changed, because of requests from the children's mothers, to six consecutive days, instead of six times in three weeks: the pressure of waiting weeks to find out if they were on a team or not was too much for this age group. Hockey is going to be scheduled on the days that the football program does not have any games. Mr. Kojetin reported that the football program is very successful and has the same amount of youngsters as last year. This year we have flag football for the girls: there are four teams of eleven girls each. Seven persons play, on each team, at a time: their games are all played at Braemar Park. Mr. Kojetin also reported that girls' basketball has 280 youngsters in it this year. They have some excellent leaders who have handled the program from beginning to end, with very little help needed from the Park and Recreation Department. Mr. Kojetin also reported that the Senior Citizens Center has a health testing program. They have also started a physical fitness and relaxation program for anyone thirty years of age and over. The enrollment at the Center remains about the same, at 600 members. V. LOU LARSON PROPERTY - TOWNES ROAD Mr. Kojetin reported that Dr. Larson wanted to give Lots 16, 9, and 1 to his neighbors; then the neighbors asked us if we would accept the lots if they were given to us for open space. All the neighbors, including Dr. Larson, want all of the lots kept wild. Mr. Kojetin recommended that the Park and Recreation Department staff recommend not accepting the lots, since we already have a perpetual easement on Lot #1. (Dr. Larson is responsible for the maintenance of Lot #1.) Lot #9 would be considered the only buildable lot. Mr. Lund suggested we be careful about setting a precedent, by accepting property like this, which may only be given to us to get it off the tax roles or because of rampant Dutch Elm Disease: Mrs. Lonsbury said we have had this type of problem before. Mr. Rice said the consensus is that we see no purpose for the lots for our use; and, therefore, we would not accept them if they were offered. Mr. Rice will talk with the neighbors. No official action was taken. PAGE FOUR VI. OLD MILL SITE REPORT OCTOBER 11th, 1977 Mr. Kojetin reported that the Park Department is presently filling the excavated part of the Old Mill Site. The southwest corner of the foundation will be left exposed. We are using the fill material from the new parking lot construction going on behind Edina City Hall. There will also be a kiosk installed on the top portion of the Old Mill Site for information about the site. For several more weeks, there will be a display at the Edina Public Library of the artifacts that were recovered from the excavation, reported Mrs. Lonsbury. VII. OTHER REPORTS CONCORD GRADE SCHOOL - Mr. Kojetin reported that they are remodeling their playground area and have asked us for monetary help in order to supply equipment, because there are no playgrounds in the immediate area that have adequate equipment. (Pamela Park is the closest park.) Mr. Kojetin recommended to the Park Board not to be involved in taking money out of our capital improvement budget, but we could help to plan the area and supply them with debarked elm logs in order for them to make benches for the area. Mr. Rosland reported we once made creative play equipment in an art class for a playground, but it was destroyed in just a couple years by the neighborhood youngsters. Also, he said that a lot of our equip- ment is in need of replacement or repair, and so our equipment would have priority over the City fixing or buying equipment for the schools. The Park Board recommended that Mr. Wanninger should comment at the School Board Meeting on what we have discussed, have them study the problem, and, come up with a recommendation to the Park Board as to what areas we could help with, other than the monetary area. BICYCLE PATH AROUND CORNELIA LAKE - Mrs. Lonsbury reported that the floating bridge was knocked from its foundations by the once -in - two -hundred -year storm we had several weeks ago, and also, the finished elm log benches have been vandalized. Mr. Kojetin will check into this and fix these problems. McGUIRE PARK - Mr. Rosland reported that the cement is all in, but the grading has been delayed due to rain. Hopefully the grading will be completed this year. The new equipment will be put in next spring. The storm sewer was moved right away, so we have not heard any complaints from the neighbors on any further flooding. The sandbox, which has already been installed, cost more than originally anticipated. Mr. Rosland suggested the.School District look into sandboxes for under their playground equipment and future developments, especially because of liability problems we are having in the parks where hard surface areas are underneath the playground equipment. PAGE FIVE VII. OTHER REPORTS (Continued) plb OCTOBER 11th, 1977 CONGREGATE DINING - Mr. Rosland conveyed a request from the Salvation Army to establish one of their federally funded Senior Citizen lunch and dinner programs at the Edina Senior Citizen's Center. They will seat about forty people for each meal. It is stipulated in the contract that we can cancel the program, at anytime, if it is unsatisfactory in any way. Mr. Rosland said the director of the Senior Citizen's Center, Mrs. Mohr, indicated there was much interest by the senior citizens in this program: the Senior Advisory Board is actively seeking all types of social help, including medical help, prepared meals, etc. Mr. Rosland recommended to the Park Board that we go ahead with this program. Mr. Pavek made a motion to proceed with this program as proposed. Mrs. Lonsbury seconded the motion and the motion carried. MIRROR LAKE PARK - Mr. Rosland reported that no decision has been made on this, as yet. He recommends that we mow the meadow next spring and put up a few pieces of playground equipment to help in this area. ART CENTER FUND - Mrs. Lonsbury reported that about 500 letters were sent out to solicit funds to help pay for various major necessary items the Art Center needs. Mr. Rice reported that he wrote to about fifteen people who have been very active in supporting the community projects in the past. MR. KEN ROSLAND, THE NEW EDINA CITY MANAGER - Mr. Rice commended Mr. Ken Rosland on his years of expertise as the best Park and Recreation director in the country, in fact the whole world, and that Mr. Rosland has made the Edina Park and Recreation Department the best in the country. Mr. Rice further spoke for the Park Board by giving our thanks to Mr. Rosland, that we have appreciated his dedication, and wish him the very best of success as the new Edina City Manager. The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Bob Kojetin Edina Park Board