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091608 PK MIN CITY OF SHOREWOOD 25800 STATE HIGHWAY 7 PARK COMMISSION MEETING FREEMAN PARK EDDY STATION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 7:00 P.M. MINUTES 1.CONVENE PARK COMMISSION MEETING A.Roll Call Present: Late arrival Chair Davis; Commissioners Young, Hensley, Norman, Trent, Quinlan, and DeMers; City Engineer Landini; City Council liaison Wellens B.Review Agenda Trent moved, Young seconded, approving the Agenda as submitted. Motion passed 6/0. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Joint Park Commission and City Council Meeting Minutes of August 12, 2008 Hensley moved, Quinlan seconded, Approving the Minutes of the Joint Park Commission and City Council Meeting of August 12, 2008 as submitted. Motion passed 6/0. C.Park Commission Meeting Minutes of August 12, 2008 Hensley moved, Quinlan seconded, Approving the Minutes of August 12, 2008, as presented. Motion passed 6/0. 3. REPORTS A. Report on City Council Meeting of September 8, 2008 Landini reported that the meeting of September 9, 2008, was a shorter meeting in which a bench for the Gideon Glen property was approved for an Eagle Scout installation project. Wellens added that the Council also discussed doubling the maintenance budget for parks from the current $15,000 annually to $30,000. B. Update on Applying for a Grant for Tennis Court Resurfacing Landini stated that a grant application for tennis court resurfacing was submitted to the USTA, and the city is awaiting an interview or response. He noted that, in the application booklet, additional tennis court resurface contractors were listed. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 PAGE 2 OF 5 Norman interjected that the City of Minneapolis had obtained a large matching grant from the USTA to resurface numerous courts. C. Report on Proposed County Road 19 Trail Hensley stated that he had joined an advisory committee for the Country Road 19 Trail project with other representatives of Hennepin County, Three Rivers Park District, the Watershed District (MCWD), Orono, Shorewood, and Tonka Bay. Using grant monies to look into trail design, the group is developing, with the help of contractors, preliminary designs for a trail leading from the Shorewood City Hall intersection to County Road 15. Hensley stated that Hennepin County is leading the charge with Three Rivers to get this trail put in and hopes to have preliminary designs for viewing in October, followed by two public meetings once the final design has been chosen. Although the process could take up to five years or more, Hensley stated that he was pleased to see this project finally in its initial planning phases. Despite some minor challenges with narrow shoulders etc., Hensley stated he was surprised to see how few residents properties would be adversely impacted by the trail corridor. D. Update on Options for Striping Trail Intersection at Smithtown Road and Eureka Road Landini reported that the City had asked the paint stripe contractors to stripe the area and put a crosswalk at the intersection. He noted that the original plans had called for striping in the first place. 4. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR Kristi Anderson, of CRR, introduced Dan Carlson, and instructor with the USTA and Minnetonka Country Club pro, to share his ideas with the Commission of expanding his program and offering tennis instruction to Shorewood residents as part of the overall parks programming initiatives. Carlson stated that he initially contacted Anderson with the intent to purchase blocks of time for instruction at Badger Park tennis courts, 4 mornings and 2 afternoons a week next summer. It was thru this conversation that they discovered a potential opportunity existed to work with one another to provide additional instruction via free lesson weeks, tennis block parties, possible junior tournaments etc. to enhance park programming as well as expand his program. Wellens asked how many kids were currently Shorewood kids. Carlson believed that many of the kids came from Shorewood but would have to check his paperwork. He stated that it would be his intent to fit his programming to the City availability for the courts and hopefully these would coincide with the Country Club time. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 PAGE 3 OF 5 Trent asked what the fees would be. Carlson stated that, currently his three week sessions run $80 for Country Club members and $95 for non-members. He indicated, as a new initiative, he was open to discussion or he could simply rent the court space from the city. He added that it would be a fun way to promote the overall play with the City involvement. Trent stated he found the idea compelling, especially given that the City could help create a way for kids to get involved with the sport and Carlson would manage the particulars. Carlson stated he was open to many options, he could offer free lessons city wide, like he currently does a week in May and in later spring, which the city could help promote as well to introduce the program. He pointed out that thru USTA he travels all over providing tennis clinics. Hensley stated that he would like to see a proposal of how this would work providing the normal community access and these special offerings at a reduced hourly fee. The general consensus of the Commission was to pursue this further and look at a proposal. Quinlan asked who, besides CRR, could act as a liaison with Carlson to set this up. DeMers volunteered to assist on behalf of the Commission. As Carlson was preparing to leave, Anderson asked if he had information or contacts regarding USTA grants. Carlson stated that he had many contacts with USTA and could possibly help with the educational component of the grant process via his tennis block parties and lessons at Badger. 5. DETERMINE GUIDELINES FOR RESERVING TENNIS COURTS Hensley stated that he looked forward to seeing the details including a proposal of time and potential $5 per hour rental fee. He indicated that he was in favor of offering a program to the city that provides value to them at minimum on a trial basis. Landini stated that it was good to require a reservation rental fee in order to hold regular users accountable for their reserved space. He pointed out that the fees vary by City from nothing to $20 per hour. Norman proposed there be no fee for residential use and a small fee for organized, for profit activity, as in this case, as the distinction. Hensley moved, DeMers seconded, that the Commission establish a fee policy for organized sports and activities for tennis of $5 per court per hour on a regular basis and that we not charge individual residents for reserving courts, continuing our open access policy for reserving courts. Motion passed 6/0. Anderson stated that she would have the reservation form updated to reflect the changes. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 PAGE 4 OF 5 6. REVIEW REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR CONSULTANT FOR PARK DESIGNS Quinlan voiced his concern that the scope of the RFP was not defined in enough detail as we would expect from the consultant RFP. He felt there needed to be more definition with regard to direction, guidelines on a per park basis, and the financial parameters of the budget for the changes. Landini stated that they had used an earlier RFP example to create this one and had purposely taken out elements with regard to specific parks in order to keep it more general. Norman stated that, perhaps, what they know they are looking for should be part of the RFP since they are looking for design standards for new shelters, signage, newer or different uses of the parks and amenities that may be missing here. 7:50p.m. Chair Davis arrived. Chair Davis stated that specifics for parks such as amenities and design for Cathcart should be part of the RFP. Young agreed that specific parameters, especially budgetary, should be part of this practical document so that the consultant does not come up with unrealistic designs as if money was no object. Chair Davis asked Landini to add some specifics and monetary budget guidelines per park, adding additional parameters with regard to park templates, signage, style guide, and staging. Trent noted that the overall document needed to be tightened up and volunteered to do so. Norman suggested that the park secretary Grout email the document out, that each Commissioner red line or make changes and suggestions to it and email it back to Trent by mid next week, who will then work with Grout to create an effective document. 7. REVIEW AND AUTHORIZE FUNDS TO PURCHASE A SURVEILLANCE SIGN FOR THE SKATE PARK Landini presented an option for the video surveillance camera signage. Quinlan moved, to authorize the $30 expenditure of the surveillance signage for the Skate Park. At this price, and to avoid additional shipping charges later, Landini suggested they purchase additional sticker signs to post at the well building or to have as back-ups. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 PAGE 5 OF 5 Hensley added to the motion that they purchase all three signs at $30 each, Chair Davis seconded. Motion passed 7/0. 8. PREPARE ADDITIONS TO THE PARKS MASTER PLAN The item was tabled for a future meeting after the RFP has been moved forward. 9. DETERMINE LIAISON FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 22 Trent volunteered to act as liaison on September 22. 10. NEW BUSINESS Chair Davis stated that she had received a booklet at the NPRA meeting from a playground equipment contractor with incredible and innovative items like she had never seen before for children, adults, and seniors. She indicated that she would bring the catalog to a future meeting. Norman noted that most parks continue to lack items for seniors. In addition, he noted that it was uncertain whether the Arctic Fever meeting scheduled for Wednesday would be going forward. Hensley mentioned that the grounds at Freeman Park this evening looked beautiful. 11. ADJOURN Hensley moved, Chair Davis seconded, adjourning the Park Commission Meeting of September 16, 2008, at 8:20 p.m. Motion passed 7/0. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Kristi B. Anderson Recorder