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061207 PK TOUR MIN CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD PARK COMMISSION TOUR SHOREWOOD CITY HALL & REGULAR MEETING 7:30 P.M. OR IMMEDIATELY TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007 FOLLOWING PARK TOURS AT EDDY STATION MINUTES 1.CONVENE PARK COMMISSION MEETING The Park Commission met at City Hall at 5:45 p.m. to depart for their Park Tour. A. Roll Call Present: Chair Davis, Commissioners Young, Trent, Alegi, Hensley, and late arrival Norman; City Engineer Brown, and City Council liaison Woodruff. Absent: Commissioner Moonen. PARK TOUR 2. SKATE PARK Brown reported that the decking had been replaced last fall and that the equipment would be painted this spring. Brown pointed out that the City of Chanhassen replaces their equipment on a 5 year rotation and urged the Commission to consider replacement at some point. He acknowledged that the quality of the more recent 2nd set of equipment the City purchased far exceeded that of the initial pieces purchased by the City. Norman arrived at 6:15pm Hensley questioned whether this park was being put to its best use and wondered if there might be a way to track the number of users. Chair Davis stated that the park appears to be well used most every day. Alegi asked if the busy road caused any concern. Brown stated that that the park is regularly patrolled and that they have chosen to only block access with ballards as opposed to fencing due to the cost and the desire to keep the park visible from highway 7. Brown mentioned that the Legion contributes $1000 annually to improve and maintain this park. Chair Davis suggested they track trends and begin to informally poll kids as to what they rd want at the facility. She suggested they contact users who attend the 3 Lair event later in the summer. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007 8 PAGE 2 OF 3. MANOR PARK Brown pointed out that the tennis courts had been repaired for the last time, the miracle ‘band-aid’ job will not last long. He indicated that he, for one, has long questioned the amount of use this court sees and what alternative uses might exist. Brown explained that the pond quality had been studied last year by the Commission and limnologist from the watershed, which was inconclusive though, determined the pond did not contain filamentous algae. That being said, Brown stated that the pond did not freeze well over the winter and was therefore not conducive as a skating pond. With regard to the shoreline, Brown mentioned that staff had allowed the long grasses to grow near the edge to deter the population of geese from entering the tot lot. He also noted that the Commission had set aside a budget and had a planting plan put together for the shoreline area, which he questioned whether this Commission wished to pursue. Chair Davis noted that the goose debris seemed to be in check and suggested staff purchase an attractive seed mix from MnDOT to spruce up the shoreline in lieu of the entire planting project. She pointed out that lily pads in the pond are merely a sign of stagnant water and can be found in many small shallow ponds. Hensley indicated that he was fine with the shoreline grasses being kept taller and the lily pads in the pond. Brown stated that, as a neighborhood park, the use of this park has been somewhat intensified with the addition of lacrosse. While the park itself has been enhanced by planting donations from neighbors, such as the Babcock’s, and the Shirley Rice Memorial Garden, Brown questioned whether the Commission was comfortable with the nature of this park. Norman asked whether restrooms could be added to the warming house. Brown stated that the cost of installing restrooms and water would be approximately $30,000. 4. SILVERWOOD PARK Brown stated that Silverwood Park contains features that are well used by the neighbors, including the tot lot, sliding hill, and skating pond. He noted that kids occasionally tend to hide behind the back-board. He pointed out that the slide was closed while the area around it was being restored with packed down clay and top soil. 5. WOODHAVEN Brown explained that the parcel was going through the abandonment process that the well would be capped, and well house destroyed soon. He questioned what purpose the PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007 8 PAGE 3 OF Commission felt would make the best sense for this parcel, mentioning that the neighbor had expressed an interest in purchasing the property. Chair Davis stated that, if the City keeps the parcel, she would prefer it be kept open space. Norman pointed out that there are few tot lots near this property and that perhaps a small amenity might be appreciated. Brown stated that staff could review the demographics for the area and survey the neighbors of what they would most like to see happen to the parcel. 6. MINNEWASHTA PARK Chair Davis pointed out that Carver parks will be fencing 18 acres for the dog park of which a small section along County Road 41 will be separated for small dogs. She explained that the park would be left as natural as possible with an accessible trail encircling the area and a parking lot for owners. Brown stated that the construction of the dog park near Shorewood is a welcome relief and fills a need that the City had been wrestling with. Chair Davis indicated that the dog waste would be self policed and that the Carver parks system had agreed to take care of the maintenance and cleaning of this property. The Park Tour adjourned to the regular Park Commission Meeting at 8:15 p.m 1.CONVENE PARK COMMISSION MEETING A. Review Agenda Young moved, Trent seconded, approving the Agenda as submitted. Motion passed 6/0. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Park Commission Meeting Minutes of May 8, 2007 Norman moved, Young seconded, approving the Minutes of the May 8, 2007, Park Commission Meeting as submitted. Motion passed 6/0. 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR There were none. 4. REPORTS A.Report on City Council Meeting th Brown reported that on May 29 the Council held a work session to review the CIP, noting that it is a living document and will continue to be reviewed next month. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007 8 PAGE 4 OF In addition, Brown stated that the City Council talked about modifying noise level th regulation at its June 11 meeting by encouraging residents to be considerate about appropriate times to mow or build, opposed to instituting regulations to mandate those hours. The Council also had a discussion regarding the City Hall facility at its work session that evening. Woodruff stated that the City Council has been talking about and accumulating studies about improving the City Hall facility for years to no avail. He pointed out that while several alternatives continue to be examined, he proposed that the current City Hall meeting room be added to the facility space so desperately needed and moving the public meetings to the Southshore Center for a rental fee. He stated that the consultants will look into this alternative as well. Brown pointed out that the Park Commission had requested that the entire City Hall ‘campus’ be evaluated in the process. Woodruff acknowledged that after several years of review it is time for the City Council to pick a direction and move forward. He mentioned that the house to the rear of City Hall is for rent at this time. Hensley stated that he would support the renewed use of space of the meeting room, and renting from the Southshore Center as a way to assist the Center with their issues as well. He felt the city might see some push back from the residents if the City chose to construct a brand new facility in light of the current conditions of roads within Shorewood. Woodruff pointed out that the Council discussed how to make improvements to the roads at a previous work session as they will require an extremely large funding project. Brown commented that the reconstruction of roads costs an estimated $1 million a mile, and with 50 miles of roadway within Shorewood this is an extremely difficult situation. He pointed out that all of the roads within the city are rated based on their condition, which can be found on the website. B.ARCTIC FEVER MEETING OF MAY 15 Norman reported that the committee is working on the agreements with the talent at this time, though the amount of insurance they must carry has been an issue for some. Brown stated that he questioned the City of Plymouth how they handled the insurance and learned that this can be an issue to be dealt with, but he was pleased to report that many of the same talents participate in the Plymouth celebration over the past 14 years. Brown stated that the committee continues to work on agreements to get the event in front of the City Council as soon as possible for their endorsement. Paid for entirely by sponsorship, Brown mentioned that the committee hopes to add fireworks and an all day bonfire. Norman stated that he is working on a sponsorship page to add to the public relations packet to give to several interested potential sponsors. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007 8 PAGE 5 OF Brown asked the Commission to consider what sort of creative marketing tactics the committee could do to entice sponsors to participate. For instance, he asked whether the auto sales dealership could park a vehicle or two at the event as a major supporter for his sponsorship. Trent stated that, as long as it was not an ostentatious sign, he felt the underwriters of the event should have some tasteful recognition as a benefit for their support. Woodruff asked whether they had considered what sponsors to add to the pool. Brown pointed out that the acceptable level of recognition must be determined before they can approach some of the potential sponsors. Alegi asked whether potential sponsors, such as financial advisors, could put up a booth at the event as a benefit for their contribution. Young stated that he had no problem with a ‘soft sell’ or sponsorship recognition for the event as long as some guidelines were established, and questioned why they had never gone in that direction in the past. Hensley agreed, stating that he viewed the temporary sponsorship of an event completely separate from a permanent sign on site at one of the parks. Chair Davis stated that representatives from Tonka Bay have expressed some interest and would be attending the next Arctic Fever meeting. C. MINNEWASHTA DOG PARK UPDATE Chair Davis stated that the Commissioners saw what was being proposed on the park tour. She encouraged the Commissioners to review the attached articles which acknowledged Shorewood as a supporter. 4. REPORT ON MEETING WITH THE ADOPT-A-GARDEN VOLUNTEERS Chair Davis stated that she had met with the Adopt-a-Garden volunteers and wished to share their comments: she indicated that all of the volunteer gardeners expressed a need for chips and mulch, as well as, an easier way to get water to the gardens. Southshore sign: In sight of the fact that the garden around the sign was destroyed with the advent of the intersection renovation, Davis pointed out that the gardeners were disappointed that they had not been given warning to come dig up the garden ahead of time. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007 8 PAGE 6 OF Freeman Park Sign garden: The volunteer gardener across the street was concerned by the traffic speeds. She indicated that she did not need more money necessarily but could use more hosta if divided. Freeman Park Plaza Garden: Chair Davis pointed out that the troop has been doing a phenomenal job on the garden. In the past month or so, they’ve rearranged the perennials and added hundreds of annuals. They, too, pointed out that getting water to the garden is an issue. Hensley, who’s wife is the troop leader, stated that the troop went to the Arboretum to study up on the types of plants to purchase, then received a grant from the girl scout council to add to the stipend from the city, as well as, a gift certificate and donations from the local garden center who wished to support their cause. He said it was truly amazing what went into this process and the generous support they found along the way. After all of this dedication, Brown stated that it can be discouraging when people trample the gardens these folks plant and stated that staff is looking into suggestions of ways to deter this, via iron fencing or signage. He mentioned that he would speak to the park lead to see if they could look into extending the irrigation system to cover this garden at Freeman. Norman pointed out that, as the vegetation fills in naturally, it will make a barrier in itself that people will naturally go around. Hensley indicated that he felt there were numerous people willing to volunteer to do stuff or take on projects within the City, if you just get the word out. He believed that if the City could just tap into these resources, like the eagle scouts who look for projects like pulling buckthorn etc, the City would be amazed at the result. Chair Davis suggested staff put together a short list of volunteer projects that need to be done in the next upcoming newsletter and see what happens. She added that most of the volunteers she spoke to were willing to assist with the hosta splitting when scheduled. With regard to the water, Brown mentioned that he would look into supplying water on a rotating basis, somehow. Hensley acknowledged that watering the adopt-a-gardens are not, and should not, be a priority of city staff and he did not wish to see city workers waste their time on this when there are more higher priorities to be addressed. 5. REVIEW SURVEY RESULTS ON MANOR AND SILVERWOOD PARKS Hensley stated that he was leery of pulling out the tennis courts at Manor Park since many people checked that they support them on their surveys, nor is there something proposed to take their place. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007 8 PAGE 7 OF Brown pointed out that, at an estimated cost of $150,000 per court, this is something outside the Commission’s budget parameters. Hensley stated that he found the cost mind boggling and at $150,000 he could not justify the cost long term. Alegi suggested they contact the neighbors to see whether they feel this is a justified expense and/or whether they would be willing to contribute to the cost in order to keep them. Brown stated that the number of people that use the Manor Park courts continues to be the question. He acknowledged that the Badger courts will likely run an estimated $250,000 for all three courts, but reconciled this with the fact that they are the highest use courts in the City. Hensley suggested staff at least collect some bids in order to justify to residents why we do or don’t move forward on these investments. Hensley moved, Alegi seconded, that staff collect bids to get a rationale for which direction they choose to take. Motion passed 6/0. Manor Park Pond: Young acknowledged that there seemed to be some support for the installation of a fountain in the pond, if for no other purpose than aesthetics. He questioned whether a fountain would be cost effective. Brown stated that a fountain would not improve the water quality and, in fact, comes with accompanying maintenance issues. Alegi stated that it is a shallow water pond, and looks like a pond. Hensley stated that he did find the pond offensive, and to the contrary he found the park a beautiful little park, and suggested they continue to monitor the pond. Young stated that this is not a priority item and the Commission cannot afford to invest in a fountain for purely aesthetic purposes. Chair Davis urged staff to leave the grass long near the water’s edge once again to deter geese from entering the tot lot and adding the MnDOT wildflower seed mix to the naturalized area along the edge to beautify it as discussed during the park tour. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007 8 PAGE 8 OF Silverwood Park: Chair Davis reiterated that, according to the survey, the neighbors love the slide, the sliding hill, and the ice rink. She felt a 20% return of the surveys was a good representative sample. Alegi stated that he felt the park itself looked a bit worn or beat up and could use a face lift of sorts. Hensley concurred, stating that once you get past the initial entry it is much better. Woodruff pointed out the comments with regard to covered garbage cans. Brown noted that the City would be updating most of their park rules and regulations signs. Chair Davis asked for comment with regard to the request for a covered shelter and permanent picnic tables. While the half court and back board did not necessarily appeal to him, Hensley stated that sometimes the board can be used for multiple purposes. He questioned the possibility of setting up a multiple use sport court space that might provide more benefit than a $150,000 tennis court. He pointed out that there must be other cities out there who feel the same way about these expenses and alternatives. He suggested we try to make contact and learn more about various options used by other cities. Chair Davis stated that she would love to see some sort of shelter or picnic area, but this would again depend on the expense. Hensley moved, Alegi seconded, they cost out a small picnic shelter, tables, and/or sport court surface as ways of sprucing up the park. Motion passed 6/0. Hensley suggested the City bring in some kind of small, neighborhood park consultant to help them explore some of the options and trends in park planning. He felt the Commission would be well served by acquiring some advice on the matter. Chair Davis stated that there is a national conference we could send a representative to in order to collect ideas from other small communities. In addition, she commented that bringing a new upstart or collecting fresh proposals from new firms or associations might be helpful. Hensley moved, Alegi seconded, to collect proposals for park design from upstart companies as a way to refresh Silverwood Park. Motion passed 6/0. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007 8 PAGE 9 OF 6. DISCUSS PARK TOURS - The Commission agreed needs had been covered. 7LIAISON FOR JUNE 25 CITY COUNCIL MEETING . Hensley volunteered as liaison. NEW BUSINESS Brown reported that bids for the Badger Park lighting project came in at $67,000, lower than the estimated $87,000. The Council awarded the contract. After the approval, a change order came in following poor soil reports required modification to the footings. The City Council approved the $7,000 change order and the system is on order and will be constructed in the coming month for a total of $74,000. Chair Davis interjected her concern with regard to marketing for the Music in the Park series. She indicated that the Commission had scaled back to one adult and one children’s event this summer in an effort to direct additional spending towards marketing these events well. To date, Davis stated that she had seen or heard little about marketing, though she had sent information and recommendations to Julie Moore at the staff level over the past several weeks. Brown promised to follow-up. 8. ADJOURN Hensley moved, Norman seconded, adjourning the Park Commission Meeting of June 12, 2007, at 9:53 p.m. Motion passed 6/0. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Kristi B. Anderson Recorder