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081490 CC/Park Comm Min CITY OF SHOREWOOD JOINT COUNCIL/PARK COMMISSION MINUTES, AUGUST 14, 1990 COUNCIL CHAMBERS 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD PAGE 1 (e M I NUT E S CALL TO ORDER Chairman Christensen called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Haugen, Councilmembers Gagne, Stover, Brancel, City Administrator Whittaker, Public Works Director Zdrazil, Park Commission Chairman Christensen, Commissioners Andrus, Lindstrom, Wilson Laberee, Vogel and Weatherly, Park Planner Koegler and Park Administrative Assistant Niccum. Absent: City Councilmember Watten. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Andrus moved, Lindstrom seconded, to approve the Park Commission Minutes of July 24, 1990. Motion carried - 6/0. ( \ 4It> COUNCIL/COMMISSION RELATIONSHIPS Park Chairman Christensen felt that the Council Liaison should report the views of the Park Commission to the City Council. They can disagree with these views and contribute their own points of view but should report what they hear at the meeting. Mayor Haugen felt the liaisons should bring to each body any dissenting views also. Park Commissioner Weatherly said this is difficult to do. There should be written guidelines about the role of the liaisons. Haugen felt the Mayor should sit down with each new Councilmember and advise them on their role. Christensen asked the Council to consider drafting a written policy on liaison responsibilities and roles. Haugen said Administrator Whittaker was drafting new By-Laws for the Park Commission and this could be included. Park Commissioner Vogel asked what the City Council wanted from the liaison. Haugen felt the liaison should report what is bothering the Commission beyond what is written in the minutes. Councilmember Gagne felt it should be the majority opinion and Haugen added it could also be the minority opinion if it is vocal. 4It Councilmember Gagne said they should discuss the problems between Councilmember Watten and the Park Commission. Park Commissioner Laberee felt the Council Liaison should help the Commissioners when they address the City Council. It is often difficult to speak in front of the camera. He also felt there should be procedures for the Commission's liaisons to follow. Weatherly felt the Park Commission was not fairly represented. "Vern's opinion, not the Commission's was often presented to the 4It 4It . CITY OF SHOREWOOD JOINT COUNCIL/PARK COMMISSION MINUTES, AUGUST 14, 1990 COUNCIL CHAMBERS 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD PAGE 2 Council." She felt he was confrontational and often gave the opinion that the Commission's opinion did not matter. Watten also had very different views of the role of the City Engineer. Haugen stated that the Park Commission could not get rid of the City Engineer. She also said Watten had a personal point of view; because of his profession as an architect. Vogel felt the Council Liaison should give the Council's point of view to the Park Commission. Haugen said there should be no interpretation. Councilmember Stover said this was often difficult to do. Christensen felt there were three problems to resolve. 1. The Liaison should gO to the meetings and do his job. 2. He felt the Park Commission needed more staff. 3. The Park Commission knows they are an advisory board but needs their role clarified. He said Watten seldom comes to the Park Commission meetings. only been to three or four and often Park Commission feelings expressed in the Minutes. He has are not Haugen said there would not be an addition to the Park Commission staff; but staff roles might be clarified. Park Admin. Asst. Niccum said the procedures cities must follow slow down the process of accomplishing tasks in the City. Weatherly felt the Council should delegate more tasks to the Commission to use them more effectively. Haugen felt the Liaison should not become bonded to the Commission. Gagne disagreed, he felt the Liaison should give the Commission the best possible representation. Stover felt the Liaison should be neutral. Vogel asked how the Liaisons were chosen. Haugen said they were chosen once a year. She usually asked the Councilmembers what they wanted. She thought Watten would benefit from experience on the Park Commission. Park Commissioner Lindstrom said the Liaisons have always come to the meetings. The Liaison should have positive participation. City Administrator Whittaker said they should draw up their ideas and have them placed in the By-Laws. Councilmember Brancel felt the guidelines should state that the Liaison remain neutral. Niccum said the liaison should participate in and not direct the Commission's meetings. Park Commissioner Wilson said he thought Watten felt he was being personally attacked about the Engineering issue and he wasn't. CONTINGENCY FUND Whittaker said all Park expenses must be budgeted and any expenses over $1,000, whether budgeted or not, had to by approved by the City Council. Wilson asked what funds the Public Works department had for Park maintenance. Whittaker said there was not enough identified for the Parks. Wilson asked if the Commission should call Public Works Director Zdrazil for small items. ( '. \.' CITY OF SHOREWOOD JOINT COUNCIL/PARK COMMISSION MINUTES, AUGUST 14, 1990 COUNCIL CHAMBERS 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD PAGE 3 Whittaker said they should call the Administrator for any expenses. Gagne said there was little budget for Park building and maintenance. Haugen said the City is growing and getting better. The City Administrator is experienced and everyone is learning to run the City as a business. Gagne felt there must be a figure for small items for Park maintenance. Whittaker said the Contingency Fund is in the Council's budget and is available for emergencies in all departments. Christensen asked if they could spend in $1000.00 increments. Whittaker said neither the staff nor the Park Commission could spend money without the Council's approval. Brancel said that in the Budget under "Other" there could be small items for the Park. Whittaker said this would appropriate the overall Contingency Fund. split up. Last year was the first year the City had a Contingency Fund. Stover wondered what would happen if a major expense occurred. Would the Park Commission like to have those designated funds pulled. Whittaker said there were a lot of individual requests from the Park Commission for expenses. There is a process to be followed. There must be a majority agreement of the Park Commission to request money. Haugen and Gagne felt there should be a system of memos to handle these requests. Christensen and Wilson felt there was no feedback from the City about requests by the Park Commission. Haugen directed Niccum to set up a feedback system. Christensen said Niccum was doing a very good job and had a full work load. Haugen also felt Whittaker was doing a great job in running the City like a business. BREAK 8:40 TO 9:00 COMMISSION BY-LAWS/CITY CLERK Christensen said he was offended by the change in the By-Laws. The change occurred when they were discussing a Park Planner and the timing was poor. Haugen said the Park Commission should look at the By-Laws and recommend any changes they want. Stover said the Planning Commission reviews it's By-Laws periodically. Lindstrom said the advertisement for Park Commissioner stated the person must be from East Shorewood. He felt strongly that there should not be a geographic criteria for selection of Commissioner. This might exclude someone who had a strong interest in the Parks. Niccum said, at the present time, geographic selection is in the By- Laws. Gagne felt there should be a multitude of interests represented, not . just areas of the City. CITY OF SHOREWOOD JOINT COUNCIL/PARK COMMISSION MINUTES, AUGUST 14, 1990 COUNCIL CHAMBERS 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD PAGE 4 . 1990 BUDGET AND PROJECTS A. BUDGETED EXPENSES. 1 . 2. FOUNTAIN - AERATOR - Part of the irrigation project. In the Public Works Budget. Christensen asked if the proposed expenses were approved. Haugen said she wanted the Park Commission to state priorities. B. PROPOSED EXPENSES . 1. PICNIC TABLES - Haugen said this is 10 tables at $280.00 each. Niccum said Concrete tables were too expensive. 2. BADGER WARMING HOUSE - Councilmembers and Commissioners felt this is important to repair because of water damage. 3. RESURFACE TENNIS COURTS AT BADGER - Haugen said the courts are in very poor condition. 4. TRAIL PLAN - Christensen felt it is very important to have a trail plan to show how the plans connect in Shorewood and possibly how they connect with other cities. 5. TEMPORARY WARMING HOUSES - The Commissioners wanted to try this. The cost would be $2500.00 for three months. The Council felt these expense could come out of the General Fund. C. CAPITAL PROJECTS 1. IRRIGATION - Project would be bid out and started this year. 2. LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD - Whittaker received a letter from the Tanka Men's Club regarding their commitment to the project. Grading, seeding and fencing will be done in 1990. 3. CATHCART FIELD RELOCATION - Proposed for 1990. 4. SILVERWOOD PARK IMP. - To be discussed under funding. POLICY QUESTIONS . Haugen said the Park Commission should take a firm stand regarding contracts for using the Parks. Christensen said this will be enforced. Niccum said that Minnetonka Community Services handles all the scheduling of the fields. Next year Niccum and Zdrazil will attend the meeting of the sports organizations at Minnetonka Community Svs. and hand out contracts. Laberee said the City should talk to Jim Jones. Haugen felt the Park Commission should talk to him. Whittaker said the City should have copies of all schedules. Christensen said the Soccer Association does not listen and does whatever it wants to do. . .. . CITY OF SHOREWOOD JOINT COUNCIL/PARK COMMISSION MINUTES, AUGUST 14, 1990 COUNCIL CHAMBERS 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD PAGE 5 Lindstrom asked if the Soccer Association requested to move the fields into the common area. Gagne said Whittaker should talk to Mike Anderson of the Soccer Assoc. Whittaker and Niccum will set up a meeting. MASTER PLANS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM Whittaker said there was still $100,000.00 in the budget. Haugen was in favor of finally finishing the Parks. The Council will review this when they discuss the budget for Parks. ALTERNATIVE FOR FINANCING Whittaker said there are two plans for financing the Parks. 1. Long term - raise the tax levy. This will not bind future Councils and it would take 10 years to finance all the projects. Will bind future Councils because bond payments must be met and will give the City the money immediately. Park Commissioner Andrus said there are no more inexpensive Park projects to be done, no little affordable pieces. Laberee asked if the referendum would be included in a referendum. Haugen said no, the Public Works building be funded from the General Fund. She said Park Planner done referendums in the past. Gagne felt they should not have a referendum this fall because the School Board was going to have one. 2. Referendum Public Works would probably Koegler had Christensen said the Capital Projects are the maIn priorities and that this list was three years old. Laberee said the Park dedication fee was low in comparison to other surrounding cities. A $750.00 fee would be more appropriate. Stover felt that, before a referendum was held, they should exhaust all other sources of funding. Whittaker said the increase in tax would be about 6 1/2% for 10 years assuming no new City growth. The City must promote the Parks to get a referendum passed or increase the budget for Capital Projects. Park Planner Koegler felt that the City should take 8-9 months to prepare for the referendum. Parks fare better with a special election and Spring might be a good time. Haugen said she would like to get a recommendation from the Park Commission on which way to go. FREEMAN PARK IRRIGATION PROJECT. FREEMAN PARK MASTER PLAN Haugen said that Plan B showed the soccer field very close to the Softball Fields. Wilson said there was a great need for Soccer fields. . . . CITY OF SHOREWOOD JOINT COUNCIL/PARK COMMISSION MINUTES. AUGUST 14. 1990 COUNCIL CHAMBERS 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD PAGE 6 Lindstrom said that softball and soccer are played simultaneously and the fields would get a lot of use. Laberee moved. Wilson seconded. to recommend Plan B for Freeman Park to the City Council. Motion carried - 6/0. Koegler wanted approval from the Council for plans and specifications because he needed to advertise for bids. The City Council gave their approval. The official vote will be taken at the Aug. 27th meeting, Haugen said the Council appreciates the job the Park Commission is doing and thanks them. ADJOURNMENT Weatherly moved. Lindstrom seconded to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried - 6/0. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Katie Snyder Recording Secretary