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102020 Park CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB RD PARK COMMISSION MEETING SHOREWOOD CITY HALL TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020 7:00 P.M. MINUTES 1. CONVENE PARK COMMISSION MEETING Vice-Chair Hirner convened the meeting at 7:02 p.m. A. Roll Call ; Present: Commissioners Garske, Hirner, and GallivanCity Council Liaison Johnson; Planning Director Darling Absent: Commissioners Mangold and Schmid B. Review Agenda Gallivan moved to approve the agenda as written. Garske seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote: Ayes – all. Motion carried 3-0. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Park Commission Meeting Minutes of September 22, 2020 Garske moved to approve the minutes of the September 22, 2020 meeting as written. Gallivan seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote: Ayes – all. Motion carried 3-0. 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR There were none. 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Discuss Grand Opening for Badger Park Planning Director Darling asked for ideas for a Grand Opening event at Badger Park. She stated that she would suggest the City wait until June to hold the event. Vice-Chair Hirner asked if the tennis fencing would be installed this fall or if it would have to wait until spring. Planning Director Darling explained that she had sent a note asking about that but had not yet gotten a response. Vice-Chair Hirner stated that he would like to wait to hold the event until the fencing is installed, but likes the idea of June. Planning Director Darling reiterated her question for ideas for the event and noted that one of the staff members suggested there be an ice cream truck with individual treats. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020 8 PAGE 2 OF Councilmember Johnson suggested that there be more than one food truck where people can buy their own food. He suggested that there be things like a tennis instructor and the lacrosse team having an exhibition as a way to show each function of the park in use. Vice-Chair Hirner and Commissioner Gallivan stated that they really liked the idea of multiple food trucks where people can buy their own food. Commissioner Gallivan noted that since this is the premier park in the City, he thinks it makes sense to do something big and likes all the ideas shared by Councilmember Johnson. Vice-Chair Hirner noted that whenever the event is held, he would like to request that Public Works staff goes through the park and make sure all the grass is mowed and all the garbage is picked up. Commissioner Garske asked if the Park Commission had any budget for this event or if the goal was just to draw attention to the park. Planning Director Darling stated that if there is any kind of gathering or ceremony, the County and DNR would like to be invited since they provided a large portion of the funding. Councilmember Johnson asked if at some point this would be coming before the Council for funding for a grand opening or if it will need to come directly from the Parks budget. Planning Director Darling stated that she does not have a budget, so she would have to check with Park and Recreation Director Grout for that information. She stated that if there is not a budget, or enough in the budget, then the Park Commission can bring the ideas and a cost estimate to the Council for possible assistance. Vice-Chair Hirner asked that this item be put on the next agenda for additional discussion and ideas. Commissioner Garske suggested that in addition to food trucks and the other ideas shared by Councilmember Johnson, that the fire department come out with their ladder truck and the police department come out om some way to interact with the public. Commissioner Gallivan stated that he would like to make sure there is ample time to make sure the event can get advertised so the word gets out. B. Update on Warming Houses/Rinks for 2020/2021 Season Vice-Chair Hirner stated that due to COVID-19, the City will not have rink attendants this coming season. He stated that he also assumes this means that the City cannot put out the warming house trailer at Cathcart nor open the warming house at Manor Park. He stated that he believes the City will be putting out benches and picnic tables for people to sit and take their skates on and off. He asked if the City would be putting a port-a-potty at Manor Park since the building will not be open. Planning Director Darling stated that all of the restrooms have been closed, so if a restroom is needed, it would have to be done with a port-a-potty. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020 8 PAGE 3 OF Vice-Chair Hirner stated that he believes there is usually a port-a-potty at Cathcart but asked if it remained in place during the winter months. Planning Director Darling stated that she will check into the port-a-potty at Cathcart. Councilmember Johnson suggested placing some of the rubber mats from the warming houses and placing them next to the benches so people can get to the ice without ruining their blades. Commissioner Garske asked if there would be an option for the City to open the warming house and ask people to maintain social distancing, and give them the option to use the warming house at their own risk. Planning Director Darling stated that the warming houses are not large, so she does not think social distancing would even be possible. Hirner moved to recommend that the City not open the warming houses, not have rink attendants, and to direct Public Works to place benches, picnic tables and rubber mats near the rinks for the 2020/2021 season. Gallivan seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote: Ayes – all. Motion carried 3-0. C. Discuss Facilities Available for Seniors at the Parks Planning Director Darling noted that the idea of having equipment available for seniors at Parks was recently raised by the Council. Commissioner Gallivan stated that the Commission has been struggling for a while about what to do at South Shore and while this is something that would need to be done in a cost-effective way, he thinks this would be something nice for the City to have available for the seniors. He stated that he thinks this is something that could pair nicely with the community gardens at South Shore Park. Vice-Chair Hirner stated that he agreed that South Shore would be a great location. Planning Director Darling noted that Vice-Chair Hirner had sent staff an e-mail with some ideas and suggested she share that with the rest of the Commission. Vice-Chair Hirner gave an overview of his hand-drawn sketch plan. He stated that it is basically a horseshoe with a paved path that has stations with various equipment options and benches. He suggested a shelter on one end where there could be bocce, horseshoes, or ladder ball. He stated that he feels the area would need to be paved and have the poured in place surface like the City did at Badger Park. He stated that he envisions area senior centers bringing their people out on the bus to come do some activities and get some fresh air. Commissioner Gallivan stated that he loves these ideas but, at this point, it feels very aspirational because he doesn’t know where this may fit in the CIP. He stated that he likes the idea of building towards this over time. He stated that his concern with South Shore Park has been to find a way to make it a usable space and making it safe because of its close proximity to Highway 7. Councilmember Johnson asked if Planning Director Darling had ever seen grants that were specific for equipment for senior citizens. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020 8 PAGE 4 OF Planning Director Darling stated that she had not seen that but there are general sports equipment grants that the City could apply for. Vice-Chair Hirner asked if there would be a possibility of working with the County to install some sort of wall along that side of the park. Planning Director Darling stated that MnDot would have to agree to that which can be very challenging. Commissioner Gallivan stated that if a wall cannot be installed perhaps there can be something put up to close it off a bit more. Planning Director Darling stated that the City could install its own fence. She noted that the City has begun putting trees in the area to help provide a barrier as they grow. Councilmember Johnson stated that he would like the City to investigate whether they can make a more substantial berm, but isn’t sure if that is possible due to potential watershed issues. Commissioner Garske expressed his appreciation to Vice-Chair Hirner for the thought and effort he put into his ideas for the senior equipment at South Shore. He stated that he personally would be interested in utilizing Bocce Ball and the horseshoe areas. He stated that he thinks those types of activities would be loved by many different age groups. Vice-Chair Hirner asked if the Commission thought there may be other parks suitable for this type of use. Councilmember Johnson stated that the individual stretching type stations would be interesting around Freeman Park because there is a nice loop that the residents of Shorewood Ponds can walk. He stated that he also likes the idea of using some of this equipment in Manor Park. He asked about the approximately cost for one of these stations for both the fixture as well as installation. Planning Director Darling noted that the install is usually part of the package when you buy it from a park consulting company, but does not know the cost of individual equipment. She stated that the information is available in most of the catalogs, so she could certainly look it up and bring it back to the Commission. She stated that the equipment is not hugely expensive, but it will need a sign and grading to ensure that the ground is level which is what starts increasing the overall cost. The Council discussed general cost estimates for the equipment and for the site preparation. They discussed some alternative surfaces such as compacted gravel that doesn’t require as much maintenance. The Commission discussed the possibility of putting a few of these pieces of equipment in numerous City parks as opposed to just one large installation in just one park. Commissioner Gallivan suggested that perhaps the City could put in a few pieces at Freeman to garner idea on how much the equipment would be used in order to shape what the City does with South Shore. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020 8 PAGE 5 OF Vice-Chair Hirner asked if staff could take a look at what type of maintenance will be required on this type of equipment and what is the lifespan of the equipment. Planning Director Darling explained that the reason some of this equipment is so expensive is because it is built to be outdoors and have constant use. She stated that usually there is not a lot of maintenance required on this type of equipment. The Commission discussed senior living facilities within the City that may be interested in this equipment. Councilmember Johnson suggested that Park and Recreation Director Grout have a conversation with the senior living facilities to gauge their interest level on whether they think they would actually use this equipment. He stated that it would be helpful to know if they foresee getting their activity bus into the park to let their seniors use the equipment. Vice-Chair Hirner asked if there may be space near the building at Freeman to put in a few horseshoe courts or an area for Bocce Ball. He stated that it may be possible for the City to partner with an Eagle Scout to build something like this. Councilmember Johnson stated that an Eagle Scout has installed a Gaga Ball pit at Minnewashta. The Council discussed other parks that may have room for some of these types of additions. Councilmember Johnson asked the Commission to think about what can be done about the area of Freeman Park that has been taken over by buckthorn and whether the City should do something about it or just let it be buckthorn from now on. Planning Director Darling noted that the City had used goats to help with the buckthorn but feels the City would have to do it every year for it to be effective. Councilmember Johnson stated that he would like the Commission to think about how the City can protect the good trees that are still in the Park. He reiterated that he wanted the Commission to start thinking about ways to address this issue. He stated that these passive trails are just beautiful and could be a nice area for some of these pieces of equipment. Commissioner Gallivan asked how much it would cost for the City to make a major effort in controlling the buckthorn. Planning Director Darling stated that she could not even put a price tag on it off the top of her head because it would depend on how it would be removed. She stated that the most effective way is to pull up all the roots with equipment and essentially start over with ground cover and going around the trees that you would want to keep. Commissioner Gallivan asked if the City had ever tried to coordinate any kind of volunteer effort to clean up the buckthorn and shared that he had done some clean up like this when he was in school. Planning Director Darling noted that there had been an Eagle Scout project this summer to clean out the buckthorn in part of the park. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020 8 PAGE 6 OF Councilmember Johnson suggested that the City identify which trees it wants to save and get people to adopt a tree and let them keep the area clean. He stated that this may be a way to start making headway. Vice-Chair Hirner stated that he likes that idea and asked what is the best time of year to take out buckthorn. Planning Director Darling stated that it is best if you can get it before it drops berries which is in the spring, but noted that it also sends out suckers. She explained that the best eradication efforts attack the roots to pull it out as well, before the berries drop. Vice-Chair Hirner suggested that the Commission put a tour of this area of Freeman Park on the calendar for a spring meeting. He stated that perhaps there could be someone along that understands the magnitude of the buckthorn issue. He stated that he would like the Commission to take the full tour on these passive pathways to really see the area. Planning Director Darling stated that staff can set that up for next May or June. There was consensus of the Commission to have staff research what equipment may be appropriate for the stations at Freeman and South Shore, and have conversations with the senior facilities about expected usage. Vice-Chair Hirner asked when the Council would be having discussions about the CIP and whether the Commission should bring this to the Council in 2020. Councilmember Johnson stated that the Council discussed the CIP during the last Council work session and the direction was giving that it should come back to the next Council meeting for approval. He stated that he had reviewed the change in shifting Cathcart and Silverwood Park and the Council did not object to that change. He stated that trying to get this into the CIP by the next meeting will be difficult. He stated that the CIP is tweaked every year and suggested that is probably what will have to be done to include it at a later time. He stated that the Commission can always asked the Council for additional funds if there is something they feel should be done. Commissioner Gallivan stated that he doesn’t want to try to rush this to get it into the CIP and is fine pushing off the discussion until January. Vice-Chair Hirner stated that he would like staff to get some community feedback via conversations or a survey regarding putting some of these stations along the pathway. Planning Director Darling stated for the next meeting she will have a draft survey available and try to get more information on cost for various stations. 5. OLD BUSINESS 6. STAFF AND LIAISON REPORTS / UPDATES A. City Council Councilmember Johnson gave an overview of the October 13, 2020 Council meeting as reflected in the minutes. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020 8 PAGE 7 OF B. Staff 1. Handicap Accessible Equipment at Parks Planning Director Darling stated that staff has been hearing some rumbling from folks that have disabled children that say the City isn’t focusing enough information on the equipment that is available for handicap and disabled children. She stated that the information she saw was political in nature and gave a recommendation for one candidate over another, so she chose not to give the e-mail to the Commission. She stated that the City is planning to make some changes to the website so there is more information on the facilities that are offered for special needs in each of the City’s parks. She stated that Manor Park is wheelchair accessible and the swing set has an adaptable seat for use; Freeman Park South has wheelchair accessible surfaces, but noted that the stand-alone equipment is not wheelchair accessible; Badger Park has a wheelchair accessible playground equipment. She stated that the City has taken on including handicap accessible equipment at its parks but has not gotten the information out to the public. Commissioner Gallivan suggested that as part of the grand opening at Badger Park there may be a way to highlight this information. Commissioner Garske asked if the City can claim the parks on Google Maps as its “business” because then it could be labeled as handicap accessible which could help get the information out to the public. Planning Director Darling stated that she will check into that option. She stated that at the last meeting, the Commission talked about the improvements that would need to be made at Freeman Park near Eddy Station on the ballfields in order to correct the drainage problem. She stated that someone suggested that the City take a look at re-grading the whole field. She stated that the engineers took a look and they explained that the reason it has the slope is that it allows for sheet drainage across the site. She stated that it could be graded with less slope and then the City would also have to work on the drainage. She stated that the City would have to think about which sports they would want to accommodate on the field and the age level. She stated that the estimated cost was about $350,000 so there would need to be some justification for that cost. Vice-Chair Hirner asked if there was a way to tell how much that slope contributes to the drainage issues in the area. Planning Director Darling reviewed the fairly large area that it is draining and noted that it is set up to sheet flow across much of the ballfield, so the slope serves a purpose. Vice-Chair Hirner stated that he does not feel this justifies a $350,000 solution because he does not see this field used very often. Planning Director Darling noted that the cost to correct the drainage issue without grading the entire ballfield is estimated between $50,000 and $70,000. Councilmember Johnson suggested that the City have a conversation with the softball association to see how often all three fields are in use at the same time. Planning Director Darling that she agreed because she does not think it is very often. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020 8 PAGE 8 OF Councilmember Johnson suggested that perhaps they could live without that field or it be made into a smaller field. He noted that this spring it was used more heavily than he has seen it but he assumes that was due to the pandemic and people wanting to get outside. Vice-Chair Hirner suggested that the Commission take this item to the Council and ask for additional funding to take care of this project. Commissioner Gallivan stated that he would recommend having the answers to the questions regarding the field use before going to the Council and suggested that it be put on the next meeting agenda for further discussion. Commissioner Garske stated that he would also like to know the cost the City is incurring having to fix the issue every year. Planning Director Darling asked if the Commission wanted the engineers to delay the design of the drainage correction. The Commission discussed the possibility of having the engineering design process proceed before the Commission has the answers to the questions. Commissioners Gallivan and Garske suggested delaying the project until the cost information on the small fixes and usage information is known. Vice-Chair Hirner suggested wanted plans, costs for improvements, and costs for Hirner moved to request that the engineering activity related to the drainage project around the ballfield #4 at Freeman Park proceed to correct the drainage issue and provide plan details for the next meeting. Gallivan seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote: Ayes – all. Motion carried 3-0. 7. ADJOURN Gallivan moved to adjourn the Park Commission Meeting of October 20, 2020 at 8:38 p.m. Garske seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote: Ayes – all. Motion carried 3-0.