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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-04-27 PRC MINParks and Recreation Board April 27, 1998 Present: David Junker, Chairperson Linda Amrein, Nancy Brown, Rich Cummings, Dawn Flinn, Al Liehr, Rob McGarry, Del Peterson, Mike Polehna (8 p.m.), and Steve Wolff Others: City Coordinator Nile Kriesel; Parks Director Tim Thomsen Absent: Leah Peterson Mr. Junker called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Approval of minutes: Mr. Liehr, seconded by Mr. Peterson, moved approval of the minutes of March 23, 1998; all in favor. Fred Francis — Request for a hot dog stand in Lowell Park during certain events Mr. Francis said he will have his stand open daily after 10 a.m.; he has permission from a property owner to use a site in the downtown area. He stated he was seeking approval from the Park Board to have his stand in Lowell Park on Wednesdays only, during Music on the Waterfront concerts. He stated he has his peddler's license and is willing to abide by any restrictions. Mr. Kriesel noted the City of Stillwater Chamber of Commerce has been granted exclusive use of the park for Music on the Waterfront. He also suggested that approving Mr. Francis' request could lead to a proliferation of vendors in the parks. He also noted Mr. Francis' business would be in competition with downtown businesses that pay taxes. After considerable discussion, it was agreed since the City of Stillwater Chamber of Commerce has been granted exclusive use of the park for the concert series, Mr. Francis should contact that group regarding his request. If the Chamber approves the request, the Park Board will allow the hot dog stand in Lowell Park during the Wednesday evening concerts. Mr. Liehr made that in the form of a motion. Mr. Peterson seconded the motion; all in favor. Mr. Kriesel was directed to notify the Chamber of the Park Board's action. Skateboarding and in -line skating facilities Mr. Thomsen and Mr. Kriesel reported on the status of skateboarding and in -line skating facilities. • A meeting was held with Tom Schweitz, director of the Graffiti Teen Center, Paul Westmoreland of School District 834's community education/recreation department, and Bill Soukup, representing in -line skating interests. • The City Council has approved the expenditure of $3,200 to construct a skateboarding facility at the Graffiti Teen Center. The facility at the Teen Center will open Friday and Saturday evenings only, with an additional evening during the summer. • School District 834 will allow the use of a portion of the parking lot at Stillwater Junior High School for skateboarding. Cost for fencing, ramps and rails is estimated at $1,000. • Cost for resurfacing of Northland Park for in -line skating is $10,000 if city staff does the site preparation; that is less that the $16,000 quoted last fall. Cost for fencing and netting is estimated at $3,000. The facility at Northland will be used for leagues during the evenings, but would be available for skateboarding during daytime hours. • $15,000 was budgeted for the Northland playground equipment. Mr. Thomsen said it appears the equipment can be obtained for $10,000. That $5,000 savings and the $8,000 budgeted for skateboarding facilities means there's about an additional $5,000 needed to complete the three skateboarding and one in -line skating facilities. Mr. Kriesel asked for the Board's approval of the three projects, pending the additional funding; Mr. Kriesel will be coordinating an effort to raise the additional funds. Mr. Liehr, seconded by Ms. Brown, moved approval of the three projects; motion passed unanimously. Ms. Amrein asked about liability issues for the skateboarding sites. Mr. Thomsen said if the ramps are three feet high or less, liability is no issue; if the ramps are higher, the city would pay a premium. Mr. Thomsen said School District 834 is looking into their coverage. Signe Cowan, Crestwood Terrace, was present for the discussion. She also raised an issue regarding some equipment in Meadowlark Park; Mr. Thomsen said the issue was being addressed. Sports facility management agreement Mr. Kriesel provided copies of the management agreement, projected revenues/budget for 1998- 99, and recent construction change orders. The proposed management agreement provides for a fee of 5 percent of gross revenues not to exceed $35,000. During the pre- opening phase the fee would be $1,750 per month, after the facility opens the fee would be $3,750 per month. Mr. Kriesel noted the agreement for the new sports facility is a management agreement versus a lease agreement the city has with St. Croix Catering for the Lily Lake Arena. Mr. Kriesel said user fees need to be established, and he hopes to have a fee schedule available for discussion at the May Park Board meeting; fees will need to be set by the City Council. Also, a policy regarding ice time needs to be developed; the ice time policy also will be brought to the May meeting. Tom McGinley of the St. Croix Valley Hockey Association asked about the estimated revenue projects and the assumption for the hourly ice time charge. He noted the Hockey Association is expected to contribute $25,000 annually for the new facility. If the hockey association is charged $135 an hour for ice time, the actual charge amounts to about $160 an hour, given the $25,000 contribution. He also noted there has been about a 30 percent decline in the number of participants over the last two years, due to cost. He suggested there should be a differentiation in the fee schedule between non - profit and for - profit users. Mr. Kriesel said he would be meeting with Dave Black of Woodbury to discuss fee policies and should have a better report for the May meeting. There was discussion about the best mechanism for the Park Board to be kept apprised of the sports facility progress /issues, whether it be the formation of an ad hoc committee, requiring management firm representatives to meet with the Park Board on a quarterly or monthly basis. Mr. Kriesel will make a recommendation at the May meeting. Mr. Wolff, seconded by Mr. Liehr, moved approval of the management agreement in concept, with a correction to be made in the wording "The final payment shall be adjusted as necessary so the total fees do not exceed the lesser of 5 percent of the gross revenues or $35,000. Motion passed unanimously. Mr. Kriesel and Mr. Polehna reported on recent construction change orders. The change orders will not impact the total cost. There was some concern expressed regarding the possible impact of the Spancrete strike. Park Master Plan Mr. Kriesel informed members that the City Council had given concept approval for preparation of a master plan. He said Mr. Russell is somewhat confused about what the Park and Rec Board is looking for and asked members to fill out a questionnaire to assist in developing requests for proposals. Mr. Russell will attend the May meeting to discuss the issue. Mr. Kriesel stated it was his opinion that the city already has a master parks plan in its Comprehensive Plan and the Park and Rec Board's prioritizing of needs in the neighborhood parks. He submitted some background material highlighting the Comprehensive Plan and projects that have been accomplished. Discussion ensued. Mr. Junker brought the discussion to a close by asking members to read the background material prior to filling out the questionnaires. The questionnaires were to be returned to Mr. Russell or City Hall. Report from Tim Thomsen Mr. Thomsen said David Rochlin is again requesting permission to sell glow necklaces in Lowell Park on the 4th of July. Mr. Wolff, seconded by Mr. Cummings, moved approval of the request; all in favor. Mr. Thomsen provided members with copies of a sketch of the Pioneer Park master plan. He also brought a model of the new play structures which will be installed as part of Phase I. In addition to the new play equipment, improvements to the restrooms and paving will be done in Phase 1. Mr. Thomsen submitted a design plan for the restrooms. The shell of the existing structure will be retained. A new gabled roof will be constructed and other modifications to the interior of the building will be made. Mr. Wolff, seconded by Mr. Peterson, moved approval of the proposed design plan for the restrooms; motion passed unanimously. New business Ms. Flinn said she had been contacted by people concerned that some people playing basketball at the Lily Lake courts have almost been hit by balls from the softball fields. Mr. Thomsen will look at the situation. Members were informed that the City Council had the first reading of an animal waste ordinance. • Mr. Kriesel reported that he had scheduled a meeting with an arborist/forester for later in the week, and will be bring a recommendation regarding contracting with that person to the City Council. • Mr. Amrein raised a concern about the memo regarding the Aiple property meeting that was included in the agenda packet. She was concerned about the lack of publicity regarding the meeting and asked that staff make an effort to get the word out. • The May meeting will be held on the 18th, rather than the 25th, due to the Memorial Day holiday. Meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon Baker Recording Secretary