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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016/03/16 - ADMIN - Minutes - Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission - RegularOFFICIAL MINUTES Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission March 16, 2016, 6:30 p.m. Meeting The Rec Center Programming Office 1. Call to Order Mr. May, Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. Commission members present: Elizabeth Griffin, George Hagemann, Kirk Hawkinson, Tiffany Hoffmann and Peter May. Commission members absent: Sarah Foulkes, George Foulkes and Edward Halvorson. Staff present: Rick Beane, Parks Superintendent, Jason Eisold, Rec Center Manager, Jim Lombardi, Recreation Supervisor, Nate Rosa, Recreation Supervisor, Cindy Walsh, Director of Operations and Recreation and Stacy Voelker, Recording Secretary. Guest present: Abbey Curtis, St. Louis Park Resident; Jennifer Donahue, St. Louis Park Football President; Brian Olson, St. Louis Park Football Vice President; and Susan Schneck, Friends of the Arts. 2. Presentation a. St. Louis Park Football Association (Jennifer Donahue & Bryan Olson) Jennifer Donahue, President of the St. Louis Park Football Association, introduced herself along with Bryan Olson, Vice President. Ms. Donahue distributed information and presented an update on the association. There has been a steady decline in tackle football participation and believe it’s due to the media’s delivery regarding concussions. The association does everything it can to ensure football is a safe sport by providing extensive coaches training and assistance with uniform fitting. Another reason tackle football participation has declined, Ms. Donahue indicated, is many are moving to the Middle School football program. In 2014, they lost a 6th grade team and in 2015 lost 7th and 8th grade teams to the Middle School program which was approximately 70 participants. The flag football program, for grades K – 4 has increased. The Association provides scholarships to ensure those that want to play, can play. The highest year of scholarships provided in Flag and Tackle football was in 2013. Ms. Donahue advised the association would like to get a field that would be used solely for their practice. They currently get five hours of practice during the week but depending on the grade, they play on the fields at different times. They have viewed Ainsworth and Louisiana Oaks Parks for practice and flag football. They’d like to use the High School stadium for Saturday games and tackle football. They are thankful for the shed at Louisiana Oaks to store their equipment. 2 Ms. Donahue review various Association events which include pictures/weigh-in night, black striper event and youth recognition at a high school football game. Black striper is a weight restriction which means they cannot carry the ball for safety of the player. At the black striper event, they encourage participants from high school to join football. Other possible events include sponsoring a parent night to answer questions and encourage more involvement; a youth football camp and an Oriole bowl to gather and talk football. Jim Lombardi, Program Supervisor, and Rick Beane, Park Superintendent were introduced. Mr. Beane commended the Association on the organization in the shed. Ms. Donahue will contact Mr. Beane with ideas of installing shelving, etc. Mr. Lombardi advised he works closely on sharing the various field space. He meets with the city associations to ensure all their needs are met. Commission members, Ms. Donahue and Mr. Olson traded thanks. b. Friends of the Arts Annual Report (Susan Schneck) Susan Schneck, Friends of the Arts, introduced self to members. Friends of the Arts is a non-profit organization. Ms. Schneck reviewed the mission of the organization and various programs they provide which include an Arts for Life Scholarships (funded by private organizations), Arts & Culture Grant Program (collaborative with city and community foundation), Our Town (biennial community arts program which focuses on different medium/discipline/area within the arts), and Arts Council. FoTA is fiscal agent to five independent St. Louis Park arts groups. They are tax exempt so can provide financial structure and support through fiscal agent relationships with other community arts organizations). They serve as public art consultant to the city by providing critical, intellectual and economic impact. They provide a free monthly newsletter, have a virtual presence and serves as a resource for all community members, artists, and arts organizations. This summer the Our Town program is Our Town Sings! Individuals are invited to listen to various groups or actually sing. The program will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Wolfe Park Amphitheater. Ms. Schneck advised of the volunteer opportunities at the event. Friends of the Arts has an office in Lennox Community Center. They recently received a grant for a Part-time staff person in communications. Ms. Walsh thanked Ms. Schneck and Mr. Hagemann for their work on Friends of the Arts and advised the organization and city have a great relationship. Ms. Schneck indicated many volunteers participate in committees to do a lot of work on various programs. Ms. Schneck also commended Jim Rhodes who has been very active in the organization. He oversaw the collection and donations of instruments. Mr. Hagemann encouraged members to advise family or friends in senior complexes that they can recycle instruments. FoTA would pick up the instrument, get it fixed and provide to a student in need. 3 Staff and members thanked one another. 3. Approval of Minutes a. February 17, 2016 It was moved by Commission member Hawkinson, seconded by Commission member Hagemann, to approve the February 17, 2016 meeting minutes as presented. The motion passed 5 – 0. 4. Old Business a. Outdoor Recreation Complex Update (Jason Eisold) Jason Eisold, Rec Center Manager, showed renderings of the outdoor complex to be added by the Rec Center. The work will begin shortly with anticipated completion by mid-December of this year. The complex will have ice in the winter, turf in the spring, and dry floor in the summer and fall. The area of the complex will be 200 x 85 with the overall, covered area of 210 x 100. As it is a covered venue, potential events include concerts, art shows, parties, weddings, Parktacular events, swing dance groups, etc. Ice will be in the complex early in November for the winter season. The complex will seat 300 – 100, have four locker rooms, and a 42-stall parking lot on the west side. There is no other complex of this type in the State of Minnesota. Ms. Walsh advised staff is working with the Communications Director on the naming of the complex. Ms. Griffin feels the Recreation Outdoor Complex would be a good name for the venue. Mr. Eisold reviewed the potential rental fees to be charged and asked for input from the group. The fee to rent ice mid-November to early March will be $130 per hour. The St. Louis Park Hockey Association will receive a $5 per hour reduction per their funding agreement. We currently sell 2,000 hours per rink in the Rec Center; the goal is to sell 300 hours on the outdoor rink. The City of Edina charges $145 per hour for their ice. The turf will be $25 per hour for residents and $40 per hour for non-residents. This is in the range of what other turf fields charge. The field size is consistent with a practice field for ages 12 and under and the Associations support the complex. Mr. Eisold indicated staff is aware of groups renting space in domes outside of the city, which is more expensive. The dry floor will be rented at $25 per hour with a two hour minimum, $150 for half a day and $300 for full day. The goal is to keep rental rates for the complex affordable to attract an array of events. The city needs to meet operating costs yet want to ensure it is not outpriced for use, Ms. Walsh indicated. The proposed ice rental fees are mid to low compared to the metro average. The current Rec Center ice rental fees are $195. Members were encouraged to keep the balance of the expenses versus revenue in mind. 4 Ms. Griffin feels it’s better to start the rental rate low and can always increase. Ms. Walsh advised the fee can be increased depending on the use and demand. The reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Mr. Eisold reminded the complex is an opportunity for city programming also. Ms. Hoffman feels the rates are reasonable. The University of Minnesota charges $325 for real turf. This includes a full size field for soccer and lacrosse which our facility will not have. She suggested staff consider allowing residents have priority reservations. Staff and members discussed the option and also of reducing rates to fill open times. Staff wants to ensure shared use of the facility. Ms. Hoffman inquired if there will be lines on the turf. Mr. Eisold explained none are in the plan now as there is a large cost to adding lines, plus the city wants to keep the potential open for various uses. The turf will be cleaned with a vacuum so if the city chooses to go that direction, the lines can be removed. Ms. Walsh advised customers will need to rent tables, chairs, etc. when they utilize the dry floor. Food and beverage will not be allowed on the turf field. There will be storage under the ramp to store the dasher boards, turf, etc. Mr. Hagemann inquired if the complex will have the same policy for serving alcohol as the Banquet Room. Mr. Eisold advised staff is working on the details of that item which will need to go through the City Council. Ms. Hoffman inquired what the turf is made from and Mr. Eisold advised it is not rubberized. Mr. Hawkinson asked about the lighting in the complex. Staff worked with the architect, Mr. Eisold advised, to ensure there will be good lighting yet not to disturb the neighbors. Mr. Foulkes asked if the complex will adhere to the same noise ordinance as other parks. Mr. Eisold advised the noise, lighting, etc. will be the same as in all other parks and adhere to our ordinances. Ms. Hoffman inquired on the agreement with the Hockey Association for the complex. Mr. Eisold indicated they will receive a $5 per hour discount on ice rented plus priority usage. Ms. Walsh advised the association understands the city will utilize the complex for various events and they are understanding that it be used for events other than hockey. Staff will be working with Benilde-St. Margaret’s and the St. Louis Park High School on the potential of scheduling a high school hockey game outside. With the 300 seats, plus area on the plaza, the complex could hold up to 500 people to accommodate larger events. The current west arena holds approximately 2,000 people and the east arena has a capacity of 300. Ms. Walsh feels there will be a high demand for the complex to be used for birthday parties when the turf is in place. Ms. Griffin feels FoTA, or city organizations, should get a cheaper rate for a whole day event. b. Rec Center Refrigeration Project Update (Jason Eisold) Mr. Eisold advised the Rec Center refrigeration project began March 1 with the removal of the floor in the West arena and the refrigeration equipment. The project will eliminate R22 by going to a single ammonia system. The new refrigeration room will be built on the north side of the Rec Center. The dehumidification system on the west arena will also 5 be replaced, along with going to LED lighting on both rinks, pre-heating hot water used for ice making, and a low emissive ceiling on the roof of the rinks. A Mighty Ducks grant in the amount of $400,000 was received to help proceed with the energy efficient options. The city is taking advantage of many energy efficient options to reduce energy costs. Mr. Eisold advised the west rink is scheduled to be completed around the first of July then the same process will be completed on the east rink. The goal is to have the east rink completed, which would bring both rinks operational, by mid-October. Ms. Walsh advised staff would like to get as much groundwork completed as possible prior to the Aquatic Park opening. The grading outside should be completed mid to late April. Ms. Curtis voiced her concern the ice will melt if there is a warm spell. Mr. Eisold advised the roof is pulled down low on the south side to assist in keeping the sun off the rink. Logistically ice could be maintained on the outdoor rink eight months out of the year but expenses would be great if weather is warm. Ms. Hoffman asked how many Zamboni’s the Rec Center has to which Mr. Eisold indicated there are currently two. The city will purchase a used, electric machine for use on the outside recreation complex. 5. New Business a. Outdoor Recreation Complex Ground Breaking (Jason Eisold) Mr. Eisold advised the ground breaking ceremony will be held Monday, March 21 beginning at 5:30 p.m. It will be held outside on the northwest side of the Rec Center. If rain, will move to the vestibule. b. Skate Park Relocation Process (Jason Eisold / Rick Beane) Mr. Beane advised the skate park was removed from the Rec Center site to the new, temporary location on the parking lot in Nelson Park. Staff held a neighborhood meeting recently to discuss the placement of the skate park. The pavement in the hockey rink is uneven so chose the parking lot. They were able to save most, but not all, of the equipment. Portable toilets were also added to the site. Mr. Beane advised trash is the biggest complaint about the skate park. The movement of the skate park was advertised with signage and direct contact with the skateboarders. Ms. Walsh indicated that staff is working on a permanent location in the city for the skate park. The 2017 Capital Improvement Program includes new skate park equipment which will be placed in the permanent location. Mr. Hawkinson inquired what areas are being review for the skate park. Ms. Walsh advised staff initially looked at the Melrose site and now Carpenter Park is on the list of options. An underground storm water system may be installed in Carpenter Park. Staff has discussed the potential of placing the new skate park on the new storm water system. 6 The park offers access from the regional trail, parking, good visibility and staff feels it’s a good location. Staff will discuss with Council and advise the Commission. c. 2016 Playground Structures (Rick Beane) Mr. Beane advised neighborhood meetings were held in Jersey, Justad and Wolfe Parks for the selection of playground structures. Members viewed the chosen structures. Approximately 13 Jersey Park neighbors attended to view the five to six designs. They chose a Little Tikes playground, one that is larger than what is currently in place. The playground has a Biba system which is a QR code on a pole. Users can scan the code and obtain information on what activities the kids can do with the adults. The goal is to have parents interact with their children. This is the only manufacture Mr. Beane is aware of that offers the Biba system. The colors of the playground will be bright. The old unit will be removed August 11, following National Night Out, and the new unit installed. The budget is $50,000. Mr. May inquired on the yellow structure shown on the picture. Mr. Beane advised it is a new, safer designed spinner. Ms. Hoffman asked if there is a fee for the phone application to which Mr. Beane replied none that he is aware. Mr. Hawkinson inquired if there will be signage on how adults can utilize for their fitness needs. Mr. Beane indicated additional signage will be added to accommodate adult fitness needs. Approximately 52 Justad Park neighbors attended the playground meeting hosted at Fire Station 1. The neighbors chose a playground by GameTime. There will be engineered wood fiber through the playground (all playground areas have engineered wood fiber). Replacement of the playground unit will be the same time frame as the Jersey Park structure. The budget is $50,000. The nine Wolfe Park neighbors that attended the meeting voted for a Little Tikes structure in primary colors. The small structure will remain as they were replaced two years ago. The big equipment will be replaced in an expanded playground area and have the Biba system. Staff would like the equipment installed immediately so the area is completed by the Children First Ice Cream Social scheduled for May 15. The budget is $100,000. The fourth playground to be replaced is at Nelson Park. The city will partner financially with Peter Hobart School; the school is spear heading that process. The new playground structures, Mr. Beane advised, will be visually accessible on the web. Mr. Beane indicated he received an email from Paul Bierhaus, Kids around the World representative, showing pictures from an old playground that was placed in a poor part of Jamaica. The city works with Kids around the World to take old playgrounds and repurpose them for placement in various countries. Blackstone Park playground, which was removed in 2015, is now located on the grounds of a school with 600 kids, in a very poor area, where there are a lot of orphans. 7 6. Staff Communication Nate Rosa, Recreation Supervisor, showed members the new summer brochure. He explained it is more ad oriented, user friendly and the work is done in-house. The 2015 Park and Rec brochure is up for an award. Ms. Walsh advised staff works closely with Communications staff on the publication. Mr. Beane advised 13 people showed up at a community garden meeting held at Nelson Park. Community gardens are very popular so will be expanding the gardens at Nelson Park which will be operational by the end of April. 7. Member Communication Mr. Hawkinson inquired if there will be a rededication for Elmer Dale field to which Mr. Beane replied there will not. Mr. Hagemann inquired on adding bike path / crossings to the agenda. 8. Other / Future Agenda Items The next regular meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 20. Ms. Walsh advised of the upcoming meeting to be held April 20 and will have Kala Fisher, solid waste program coordinator, present the zero waste packaging program. Also in April members will learn about the West End Festival Site and will discuss the creek clean up. 9. Adjournment It was moved by Commission member Hagemann and seconded by Commission member Griffin to adjourn at 8:01 p.m. The motion passed 5–0. Respectfully submitted, Stacy Voelker Stacy Voelker Recording Secretary