HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-10-13 Parks & Rec Comm MinutesDraft Minutes☐
Approved Minutes☒
Approved Nov. 10, 2020
Minutes
City Of Edina, Minnesota
Edina Parks & Recreation Commission
VIRTUAL MEETING
Oct. 13, 2020
7 p.m.
I. Call to Order
Chair Ites called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m.
II. Roll Call
Answering roll call were Commissioners Miller, Strother, Mork, Nahlovsky, McAwley,
Sorem, Dahlien, Doscotch, Good, Ites
Absent: Commissioners Nelson and Willette
Staff present: Staff Liaison Perry Vetter, Assistant Director Parks & Natural Resources Tom
Swenson, Assistant Director Recreation & Facilities Tracy Petersen, and Administrative
Coordinator Janet Canton
III. Approval of Meeting Agenda
Motion made by Miller to approve the meeting agenda. Motion seconded by
McAwley. Roll call vote. Motion carried.
IV. Approval of Meeting Minutes
Motion made by McAwley to approve the Sept. 8, 2020 minutes. Motion seconded by
Miller. Roll call vote. Motion carried.
V. Special Recognitions and Presentations
A. Introduction of New Student Commission Members
Staff Liaison Vetter introduced new student commissioners Nick Mork and Jack Sorem.
Both student commissioners took a few minutes to introduce themselves to the
commission.
VI. Reports/Recommendations
A. Edina Garden Council Update on the Tranquility Garden Project at Arneson
Acres Park
Staff Liaison Vetter introduced Karen Platt, Liz Genovese, and Betty Workinger from the
Edina Garden Council. Ms. Platt and Ms. Genovese gave a PowerPoint presentation to
the commission on the Tranquility Garden project at Arneson Acres.
Commissioners asked questions.
B. 2020 Work Plan Report
Draft Minutes☐
Approved Minutes☒
Approved Nov. 10, 2020
The following updates were given on the 2020 Work Plan initiatives.
Initiative #1 - Review and comment on the Flood Risk Reduction Strategy and
Climate Action Plan
Staff Liaison Vetter informed the commission the city has filled the Environmental
Resources Coordinator position and he knows the climate action plan is high on their list
to get done. He is also hoping Jessica Wilson, Water Resources Coordinator, will be able
to give the commission a presentation on how the flood reduction task force is going,
specifically around some of the major projects they are studying within the city. The
commissioners working on this initiative are in the waiting mode and once it is available
staff will present it to them.
Initiative #2 - Co-chair a cross-commission committee (HRRC & PARC) in partnership
with communities of color to identify barriers for participation in programming by
creating a plan to reach communities of color through different modes, structure of
feedback, and how data will be used. (R&E 20.B) Committee will be comprised of not
more than 2-3 members from each commission and one member from each commission
will serve as co-chair.
Staff Liaison Vetter informed the commission this will be on the 2021 Work Plan and has been
changed, staff from Parks & Recreation and the Race and Equity Coordinator will develop the
framework for a strategy to help identify barriers by members of the community of color.
Once it is completed, they will bring that to the subgroup for review and comment.
Initiative #4 - Develop criteria that incorporates sustainability and equity for
prioritizing capital improvements for park infrastructure needs, including playground
equipment, warming houses and core amenities for expansion and replacement. Parks
and Recreation Commission will create the criteria and both Energy and Environment
commission and Human Rights & Relations commission will appoint up to two members
for feedback on final criteria before it goes to council.
Staff Liaison Vetter informed the commission that the commissioners working on this have
met and talked about a draft strategy. The draft has gone to the EEC and the HRRC for
feedback and they have provided their feedback. Staff Liaison Vetter noted he will work with
Commissioner Nelson to see if that groups needs to come back together before it is
presented to the Parks & Recreation Commission.
Initiative #3 - Develop an approach to build community by proactively connecting with
neighborhood groups, community athletic groups and underserved members of the
community.
Staff Liaison Vetter informed the commission he is not aware of any updates on this initiative.
Initiative #5 – Assist staff with the pursuit of funding opportunities for Braemar Park
Master Plan.
Initiative #6 - Assist staff with the pursuit of funding opportunities for Fred Richards
Park Master Plan.
Draft Minutes☐
Approved Minutes☒
Approved Nov. 10, 2020
Staff Liaison Vetter informed the commission there are a few additional grant opportunities
out there that they have looked at and a lot of those do require matching funds. It is
something to keep in mind as they move forward in how they could leverage dollars.
Initiative #7 - Study and report on the strategic goal of 15% of Edina land
dedicated to parks and green spaces.
Staff Liaison Vetter informed the commission the group has been meeting and is putting
together some data around the 15% and what that means as far as leading to benchmarking
which is an initiative on the 2021 Work Plan.
C. 2021 Work Plan Feedback
Chair Ites gave the commission an overview of his presentation and the 2021 Work Plan
initiatives that he presented to the City Council at the work session on Oct. 7. He indicated
the Mayor did ask if the commission has or will be having any discussion about a potential
referendum to which he replied to him it has been brought up.
Chair Ites indicated at last month’s meeting commissioners asked to be on certain initiatives
for the 2021 Work Plan; however, he did not include his preferences. He noted he would like
to work on Initiatives #2, #3 and #4. He asked the commissioners if they would like to be
added to any of the initiatives for the 2021 Work Plan. He pointed out there can be a
maximum of four voting commissioners on each initiative and student commissioners would be
allowed in addition.
Commissioners Good and Dahlien and student commissioners Mork and Sorem asked to be
on Initiative #5.
Commissioner Miller asked to be added to Initiative #1.
D. 2021-2025 Capital Improvement Plan Update
Staff Liaison Vetter gave the commission a PowerPoint presentation and gave a quick update
on the stance of the Capital Improvement Plan. Staff Liaison Vetter thanked Assistant Director
Petersen because she has been the staff representative on the CIP process and knows the
details. He reminded the commission that the CIP is a policy document for guiding projects,
and it will be introduced to the City Council in late October and the City Council will act on it
in December.
Commissioners asked questions, made suggestions, and stated concerns.
Commissioner Good thanked the staff for all their hard work in putting this plan together.
VII. Chair and Member Comments
Commissioner McAwley informed the commission she drove by Arden Park today and the
grass is growing in and the place looks great. She continues to hear nothing but accolades
Draft Minutes☐
Approved Minutes☒
Approved Nov. 10, 2020
from people about how great the park is now. She congratulated the Parks & Recreation
Department on a successful project.
Commissioner Good noted he was pleased to see the renaming of Garden Park in
recognition of the Yancey Family. He thanked the Parks & Recreation Commission and
others in the city that helped get that accomplished.
Commissioner Good informed the commission his wife, he and others are big pickleball
players and are happy to see how well utilized the pickleball courts have been. However, he
thinks they could still use a little more revision of what they call their pickleball overflow
issues. He noted one would be to put some racquet holders up and try to monitor and
oversee the flow people that might be waiting. The current holders are on the tennis court
screen and that is a little bit confusing, they should be put on the pickleball court screen. He
commented they should also maybe think where the people are congregating. A few times
he has seen people congregating on the hillside waiting for a court to open and not over in
the corner where the bench is. Some people drive up, park and sit and never see the fact
they are trying to monitor the level of play for people who are waiting. He also thinks they
can be more directive with some signage on expectations because he has seen the tendency
for players to still kind of hold the court until they are done playing. He noted as pickleball
continues to grow they are going to need to do a better job of trying to support the
community to make that change and police itself.
Commissioner Good informed the commission another thing he heard in the community is
to act on having mountain bike paths. It is in the Braemar Master plan, but they have not
been able to start that yet. He added there was some good recognition of the Edina High
School Mountain Bike team and the success they are having and so that flows over to the
rest of the community.
Commissioner Good informed the commission another thing he has heard from the
community is that people would like to play more platform tennis; at the moment it’s really
only at private country clubs and so he has heard there is a need to have a couple of public
platform tennis courts in Edina.
Chair Ites informed the commission he has played golf 60 times at Braemar Golf Course
this year. He indicated when the golf dome closed on March 15, they were losing $10,000 a
day for 50 days which was not very attractive at that point. However, he heard from the
general manager at Braemar Golf Course that the expectation is 70,000 rounds of golf will
be played at Braemar Golf Course and over a million dollars with the driving range. He
thanked the Parks & Recreation staff because it has become a much more successful
summer in total than they ever thought in early April. Commissioner McAwley also gave
kudos to the staff; they did a tremendous job all summer long.
Chair Ites informed the commission he recently talked to the golf pro, Jay Meyerhoff, and it
is his goal in the next year for the youth golf program to have 2,000 participants. Chair Ites
thinks this will be probably the largest in the United States in terms of youth golf.
VIII. Staff Comments
Staff Liaison Vetter gave the following updates:
Draft Minutes☐
Approved Minutes☒
Approved Nov. 10, 2020
The semi-annual buckthorn dump will take place on Oct. 17, 18, 24, and 25 at Braemar
Golf Dome.
Staff is working with the Environmental Health on organics recycling.
The Pumpkin Smash and Bash will occur on Nov. 4 at Countryside Park.
There are some new Art Center workshops going on.
There will be a Senior Drive-thru Resource Fair on Nov. 5 at the Braemar Golf Course
parking lot.
Staff is getting ready for winter and the hiring process has begun for warming house
attendants as well as staff for the backyard rink.
IX. Calendar of Events
A. Upcoming 2020 Meeting and Events
Staff Liaison Vetter informed the commission they do not yet know the status or style of
meetings going forward; they are taking direction from the Administration Department and
will know that on a month to month basis.
X. Adjournment
Motion made by McAwley to adjourn the Oct. 13, 2020 meeting at 8:56 p.m. Motion
seconded by Good. Roll call vote. Motion carried.