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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-12 Parks & Rec Comm MinutesDraft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 11/13/2023 Minutes City of Edina, Minnesota Edina Parks & Recreation Commission Braemar Golf Course September 12, 2023 7 p.m. I. Call to Order Chair Doscotch called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. II. Roll Call Answering roll call were Commissioners Doscotch, Ites, Luangrath, Pfuhl, Spanhake, Weaver, Ytterbo and Student Commissioners DiLorenzo and Holtey Commissioner Welsh arrived at 7:14 p.m. Staff Present: Staff Liaison Perry Vetter, Assistant Director Parks & Natural Resources Tom Swenson, Assistant Director Recreation & Facilities Tracy Petersen, Park Planner Rachel Finberg, General Manager Patty McGrath, Recreation Supervisor Amanda Clarke and Administrative Coordinator Janet Canton III. Approval of Meeting Agenda Motion made by Weaver to approve the meeting agenda. Motion seconded by Pfuhl. Motion carried. IV. Approval of Meeting Minutes Motion made by Weaver to approve the Aug. 8, 2023 minutes. Motion seconded by Pfuhl. Motion carried. V. Special Recognitions and Presentations A. Welcome Student Commissioners Staff Liaison Vetter introduced the new student Commissioners Alessandra DiLorenzo and Sonja Holt. VI. Community Comment None VII. Reports/Recommendations A. Edina Aquatic Center Update Assistant Director Petersen introduced General Manager Patty McGrath. General Manager McGrath shared highlights of the summer for the Edina Aquatic Center, including pop-up events, season dates, after-hours swimming event, and their continued relationship with two different swim clubs. The Aquatic Center had 118 total rescues of swimmers, ages 3-71. She updated on concessions, staffing, inspections, and entrance updates. The Commission asked questions regarding the capacity of the Aquatic Center, 2024 fees, and the history of attendance spikes. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 11/13/2023 B. Summer Youth and Special Event Programming Update Assistant Director Petersen introduced Recreation Supervisor Amanda Clarke. Recreation Supervisor Clarke recapped the summer programs and events, including sports, gymnastics, dance, inclusion in the traveling team program, art therapy classes, and pool classes. Programs were offered at eight different parks, and there were 5,232 visits in total. Challenges included the poor air quality days and lower participation at August camps. The Giving Garden at Lewis Park has donated 191 pounds of fresh produce to the youth so far this year. Recreation Supervisor Clarke updated on some upcoming events that are coming up for the fall season. The Commission asked questions regarding neighborhood fun nights, C. 2023 Work Plan Initiative 1.6.2: Braemar Park Implementation Review and Comment Staff Liaison Vetter introduced Park Planner Rachel Finberg, who gave a presentation to the Commission on the Braemar Park Implementation. Park Planner Finberg gave an overview of the project including the phases schematic design (SD), design development (DD), and construction document (CD) and the importance of the commissions review and comment. Park Planner Finberg gave an overview of the proposed pedestrian and bicycle trail alignments by segments as well as the Courtney Fields proposed upgrades, she then opened the floor for Commission members to comment on the proposed designs. The Commission asked questions regarding mountain biking mileage, trailheads, restroom facilities, peak hauling, mountain biking team involvement in trail designs, and the vegetative buffer. Park Planner Finberg also gave an update on Courtney Fields and the design for trails. The Commission asked questions regarding fees, internal trail work, events, and total referendum costs. The Commission asked and provided the following specific comments. Commissioner Pfuhl asked what is the total amount of mountain biking miles that are there. It was noted approximately 7.7 mile at this stage of design. Commissioner Ytterbo asked are local mountain biking teams involved in how these trails are designed. It was noted they have a representative from the Edina Mountain Biking Team who gave some of the initial input. Also, MORC is another organization that has given input as well as there is an executive team that has been giving input. They have been gathering a lot of feedback. Commissioner Ytterbo asked regarding the middle berm or boardwalk and the long prairie grass is the idea to have something natural and growing separated. It was noted that the idea is to have a vegetative buffer for multiple reasons, one to create a third corridor for you but also because that breaks up the hard surface as well so that would help them also in their permitting in going through those wetland areas. Commissioner Ytterbo asked if there would be a maintenance plan, and this should be on the same maintenance plan as the natives around it so this will all be a maintained area. They will be cognizant of what species are seeded within these strips. Most of the hiking trail will not be asphalt but will be a soft surface like a Class 5 which will lend better to the vegetation. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 11/13/2023 Chair Doscotch asked on the big loop walking pedestrian trail, what is the total from connection to connection where you have a start and finish to do the loop, how long is it. It was noted there are multiple starting points and different areas to loop but it is approximately a little over 3 ½ miles. Commissioner Doscotch asked does someone have to walk 3 ½ miles to do the loop. It was noted that they do have smaller loops within the system, it would just be you need to go out and come back. It was also noted that the main reason for that is to avoid conflict between mountain bikes and pedestrians. Commissioner Ytterbo commented he is very excited that they are optimizing the land and he is thinking about the long-term side of things and asked is it being weighed as they are starting to develop the maintenance and equipment needed. He knows they’ve talked a little bit about budget and fees but how is this going to be maintained because it doesn’t look like it’s a fee generated system, how is it going to work. It was noted from general funding. It was also noted that the mountain biking community does a lot of work on trails internally whether it be Midwest Off-Road Cycling Association (MORC) or even the high school team, they are required to do so many hours of volunteer work. Also, not having the built features will help with that because they are not going to necessarily go out there and do inspections. They are going to depend a little bit more on the teams to tell them when something needs to be fixed and managed. Commissioner Welsh asked if they will be having any events or competitions. It was noted this facility will not have events and competitions but will be used for riding and practice. They are looking at what was voiced by the high school team which was skills development. Also noted there is going to be a lot of people but it’s not a destination point. They are going to allow teams to have practice and they have talked about the aspect of identifying and acknowledging when those practice times would be and get that information to the public. Commission Pfuhl asked if there will be a liaison with MORC and Parks & Recreation. It was noted that MORC will internally give updates on their trails, but they will still need to communicate with the non- community and that is where their role will be. The person going to walk there isn’t checking the app for the mounting biking trail. Chair Doscotch asked about the feedback from the Gleason neighborhood that showed up at the open house. It was noted they had a very respectful dialog. It was more of a timing what does it look like, distances away, how are you going to be operating, etc. It was also noted that most people were excited and interested in the project and staff relayed to them their commitment to keeping them informed as they continued to move forward because there is a lot going on with it. Commissioner Ytterbo asked if this will overlap with the arena because he knows they border each other, will the plans for the arena come into play with the plans for everything else that is going on at Braemar. It was noted they are separate and won’t be contingent on each other. Chair Doscotch commented on the volume of utilization management on those trails and how that will work. It was noted that hopefully in the future people will know the busiest times of day and the quietest times. Commission Ytterbo asked how it will be enforced. It was noted they would not close Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 11/13/2023 the trails; no one would get exclusive use. They need to make sure that people are aware of the activity that is occurring and to choose wisely. D. 2023 Work Plan Initiative 1.6.4: Alternative Funding Sources Review and Comment Commissioner Doscotch presented the Alternative Funding Sources report that was put together by the initiative group. He gave an overview of the main points of the report and asked that the Commission would be ready to discuss and ask questions at the next meeting. E. 2023 Commission Work Plan Initiative #1 – Support Fred Richards Park Implementation. Initiative #2 – Support Braemar Park Implementation. Nothing additional to add. Initiative #3 – Support Braemar Arena Implementation. Initiative #4 – Alternative Funding Sources. Nothing additional to add. Initiative #5 – Comparable Community Parks/Recreational Opportunities. Commissioner Pfuhl asked the Commission to email her what outside of Edina recreation Commissioners were involved in during the summer months. Initiative #6 – Parks & Recreation Presentations. Commissioner Weaver updated that he is working to find updated funding numbers and will have questions for the Commission at the next meeting. F. 2024 Work Plan Development Discussion Chair Doscotch updated on the two components that have been discussed: the curing of the first three initiatives and the development of an initiative related to the climate action plan. Commissioner Pfuhl asked if there was a way to enhance recycling efforts to enhance the park system. Chair Doscotch discussed a way to incorporate resident-user experience enhancement into an initiative, what system- wide changes to make based on quantitative information from residents, and the league issues. The four items that seem to have most interest are the three from last year plus the climate action plan. Motion: Evaluate the feasibility and ability to increase community gardens based on need and opportunity in the park system to do so. Motion made by Luangrath to approve Initiatives 1, 2, 3, plus the community garden. Motion seconded by Spanhake. Motion failed. Doscotch refined the motion to be the following: evaluate the upcoming need for shelters to evaluate actions to either standardize or not and consider potential climate-related factors that may be involved. The standardized items should be comparative and look at what other communities are doing. This would be the fifth initiative. Motion made by Luangrath to approve the five initiatives for the 2024 Work Plan. Motion seconded by Spanhake. Motion carried. Draft Minutes☐ Approved Minutes☒ Approved Date: 11/13/2023 VIII. Chair and Member Comments  Commissioner Ites asked about the update on the trails at Lewis Park. IX. Staff Comments A. Upcoming Meetings and Events  October 3, 2023 will be the presentation of 2024 Work Plan.  Monday, November 13, 2023 will be regular meeting, due to Election Day. X. Adjournment Motion made by Pfuhl to adjourn the Sept. 12, 2023 meeting at 9:29 p.m. Motion seconded by Luangrath. Meeting adjourned.