Loading...
121322 Park Packet CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB RD PARK COMMISSION MEETING SHOREWOOD CITY HALL TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022 7:00 PM AGENDA 1. CONVENE PARK COMMISSION MEETING A. Roll Call Hirner (Jan)____ Gallivan ()____ Levy (Feb)____ Council Liaison Johnson (July-Dec)____ B. Review Agenda 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Park Commission Meeting Minutes from October 25, 2022 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR (This portion of the meeting allows members of the public the opportunity to bring up items that are not on the agenda. Each speaker has a maximum of three minutes to present their topic. Multiple speakers may not bring up the same points. No decisions would be made on the topic at the meeting except that the item may be deferred to staff or the City Council for more information.) 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Freeman Park Trail Rehab Project B Vandalism at Manor Park 5. OLD BUSINESS A. IPM Plan Phase II 6. STAFF AND LIAISON REPORTS/UPDATES A. City Council B. Staff 7. ADJOURN CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB RD PARK COMMISSION MEETING SHOREWOOD CITY HALL TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022 7:00 P.M. MINUTES 1. CONVENE PARK COMMISSION MEETING Chair Hirner convened the meeting at 7:01 p.m. A. Roll Call Present: Chair Hirner, Commissioners Gallivan, and Levy; Planning Director Darling; and City Engineer Budde Absent: Commissioners Schmid and Heinz B. Review Agenda Gallivan moved to approve the agenda as written. Levy seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Park Commission Meeting Minutes of September 13, 2022 Gallivan moved to approve the minutes of the September 13, 2022 meeting as written. Hirner seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0. 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR There were none. 4. NEW BUSINESS A. CIP Section Related to Parks Chair Hirner noted that Planning Director Darling had mentioned to him earlier today that the City has submitted for the grant reimbursement for Silverwood Park ($25,000). He gave a brief overview of the other projects outlined within the staff report, the reserves, and the general information included in the tables. He asked about the trail overlay plans within Freeman Park. City Engineer Budde explained that the Council has already authorized preparation of the final plans and specifications and noted that the survey work has been completed but noted that there was not necessarily any survey work needed for the other trails that will be rehabilitated. He stated that they are still in the design process and reviewing the Go Pro footage that they have gathered. He noted that they will probably have about 50% plans within the next month or so, with the expectation of bidding at the Council level around February. The Commission discussed the CIP plans/projects for the upcoming years for 2023-2032. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022 PAGE 2 OF 5 Commissioner Gallivan noted that one thing that was not included in the CIP was related to the conversation about the adult exercise equipment along trails or in Southshore park. He asked if the Commission wanted to still consider this at some point. Planning Director Darling noted that it was included in the CIP and referenced as the Southshore Park Master Plan. She noted that she had moved it back to the same year as Cathcart Park and the estimate is set with the assumption that they would be doing the majority of the work in-house along with some engineering help. She stated that there has been discussion about spending some time on the Master Plan and coming forward with a project in 2028, but allowing the funds to build up a bit between the projects. The Commission reviewed more details from the proposed CIP. Planning Director Darling suggested that during the next Park Tour that the Commission make sure that they compared Cathcart and Freeman North and consider which one should be the next project. She reminded the Commission that all of the numbers included in the table were very general. Chair Hirner asked if there was anything the City could do, from a maintenance perspective, to protect the poured in place rubber surfaces, so they would last longer. Planning Director Darling explained that there really was not much that could be done. Chair Hirner asked if there were things that have come up at a staff level that should be added to the CIP. Planning Director Darling stated that they have discussed the possibility of adding gaga ball pits at Cathcart and Manor Park and has priced them out around $3,000 each, but noted that dollar amount was probably too low to be included in the CIP. Chair Hirner asked staff to make sure that they are keeping an eye on the warming house in Cathcart because if it starts to show some wear, he wants to make sure that it finds a spot on the CIP for replacement. Commissioner Gallivan asked about plans for pickleball. Planning Director Darling explained that all of the tennis courts are currently lined for pickleball, but noted that they do not have the specialty lower set nets. She clarified that the courts are striped for both tennis and pickleball and are being used quite a bit. Commissioner Levy asked if when it was time for the nets to be replaced if there may be an option to purchase adjustable nets that could be cranked up or down, as needed. City Engineer Budde explained that since the City has worked on the courts in Badger Park, what is most likely happening, it is set up for tennis with permanent nets, but then on each half of a court it is striped for pickleball. He stated that most people bring their own portable nets so they can play at the appropriate height. He explained that his understanding is that the height of the nets is a sticking point for some and stated that he has heard of other cities that have a storage locker at the facility where they can store their nets on site. He stated that he believes this is similar to what is currently being done at the lacrosse field. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022 PAGE 3 OF 5 Planning Director Darling confirmed that lacrosse and football associations both have some equipment that is stored on site. Chair Hirner noted that because the Park Commission did a deep dive into the CIP last year and moved various projects around, he feels things are still in pretty good shape. Planning Director Darling explained that the only changes in front of Commission is the Cathcart Playground and the Southshore Master Plan were pushed back by one year in order to ensure that there was an adequate amount of funds for the projects. Gallivan moved to recommend approval of the Parks CIP, as presented, with the changes moving the Cathcart playground equipment to 2025 and the Southshore Park Master Plan to 2025. Hirner seconded the motion. Motion carried 3-0. B. Shorewood Safe Routes to School City Engineer Budde stated that in 2021, the City was awarded a Safe Routes to School Grant through MnDOT. He explained that the focus was on Excelsior Elementary and routes within a 1 mile radius and noted that the catalyst for this was the Galpin Lake road and sidewalk project. He noted that the plans were completed this year and looked at the infrastructure and the programming which would be more internal to the school in ways to encourage people to ride bikes or walk to school. He gave an overview of the 6 Es: Equity; Engagement; Evaluation; Education; Encouragement; and Engineering. He reviewed the data that was gathered as part of the planning process. He stated that this information does not really take it to the next level and determine its cost or how it can be implemented. He explained that a next step will require somebody to take action, but noted that it is great that this document has been completed because it offers the opportunity now for entities to go after the next round of funding. He stated that MnDOT has recently completed a road safety audit for Highway 7 and these two documents paired together, in his opinion, really ‘T’ the City up to be a good spot to pursue some funding. He stated that for now this study is a resource to help the City pick and prioritize projects. Commissioner Levy asked if this was initiated by Excelsior Elementary. City Engineer Budde stated that it was initiated by the City of Shorewood. Commissioner Levy asked whether something similar would be done for other schools such as Minnewashta and Deephaven. City Engineer Budde stated that there could have been one done for each school and reiterated that the driver for Shorewood was the Galpin Lake Road piece so it was focused on this location, but other areas could go through a similar process. Planning Director Darling noted that the new Strawberry Lane reconstruction project will include nd sidewalks that extend all the way from Smithtown Road to 62 Street West both completing a safe routes to school project and a planned trail in the comprehensive plan. Commissioner Levy asked if this took into consideration what was already done planning for trail connections in 2011. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022 PAGE 4 OF 5 City Engineer Budde confirmed that this is building on that work and was creating a bit more of the story in order to go after some of the next steps and future funding. Chair Hirner stated that he would find it interesting to see this same information for some of the other schools. He stated that where he lives, the sidewalks are in place from Shorewood’s perspective, but as you go up Vine Hill towards the high school, the sidewalks just end so the people walking just transition to the street. He reiterated that he felt this report was good, but would like to see it done for other areas as well, so there is more of a regional plan for safe routes to school. City Engineer Budde stated that he believes that can happen through the next round of Comprehensive Plan work. Commissioner Gallivan stated that he lives behind Galpin Lake on Galpin Lane. He noted that he was on the advisory committee that was involved in meeting with State staff on this issue and thanked the City for making the effort to apply this grant. He explained that he agreed that gathering this data has been an important step. He stated that part of the reason that the data shows that there are not a lot of pedestrian related accidents is because everyone knows that once they have a close encounter, they do not do that same thing again. He stated that with all the development that is going in on the Chanhassen side, it is becoming more and more of an issue and producing more and more traffic. He stated that they do not walk their daughter or dog in the neighborhood because of all of the traffic. He noted that there is a sidewalk from Chanhassen that goes up to the border and just stops. He stated that he was happy to see that the recommendation within this report included building a sidewalk along Highway 7 up to Oak Street, however it you cannot safely get to that sidewalk there would be no point in it because nobody will use that stretch of sidewalk if they cannot get there safely. He stated that what frustrates him with this report is that there has been 20 years of advocacy by the Galpin Lake area and noted that there is even a current petition that has about 700 signatures saying that this is critical to them. He noted that the City Council has voted numerous times saying that this is a priority. Mayor Labadie has testified in front of the State legislature that this is a priority. He stressed that the State legislature, regardless of party affiliation, have also stated that this is a priority and included it in their request for bonding. He stated that part of the feedback was that this report needed to be done in order to increase the chances of getting it and the purpose of the grant was specifically targeted towards that project. He stated that through the survey process, the results came back that people would walk more if they had safe intersections and sidewalks. The three projects that they acknowledge were most requested was Mill Street, Highway 7, and Galpin Lake Road. He stated that Galpin Lake Road was once again confirmed to be a priority, however, when it came down to it, they said it would be put as a low priority because of how they measure ‘equity’. He stated that Shorewood is not the most diverse community but even using their heat maps and the CDC social vulnerability index, one of the bright purple areas is right along Lake Minnetonka where the lowest home price on Zillow is $1.76 million which is smack dab in the middle of the social vulnerability index. He stated that they talk about other factors beyond ethnicity and race that go into this, including age and senior populations, however, there is a senior living facility very near Galpin Lake Road that they did not seem to care about. He expressed his frustration that this seems like an example where people said what they felt was a priority, but State staff turned around and told them, “We know better”. He noted that there is nothing in the statute that says that what their version of equity should be the overarching principle in how these grants are determined but that is how they decided to interpret it. He stated that it feels as though they have simply decided what was important and basically said to heck with what the community says. He stated that they are laying aside the feedback from the people who have PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022 PAGE 5 OF 5 lived here to 20 years, what the survey says, what the petition says, what the City Council has said, what Mayor Labadie, and what the State legislature has said. He stated that he wants it on record that he would encourage the City Council and Mayor Labadie to keep pushing so it can get done, because otherwise someone is going to get hurt there because it is very dangerous. Chair Hirner reiterated that this information would be great to have for the other schools in the area. 5. OLD BUSINESS A. Volunteers for City Council Meeting November 28, 2022 – Commissioner Gallivan January 23, 2022 – Chair Hirner February 27, 2023 – Commissioner Levy 6. STAFF AND LIAISON REPORTS / UPDATES A. City Council Planning Director Darling explained that Council Liaison Johnson was ill tonight. Councilmember Gorham gave a brief overview of recent discussions and actions taken by the Council. B. Staff Planning Director Darling stated that she will confirm that the Cathcart warming house is in good repair and report back to the Commission. She stated that all the improvements at Silverwood Park are finished, but the vegetation is not yet fully established on the hillsides and will be asking Public Works if the City would need to put up some snow fencing in order to keep people out of the areas where they are re-establishing turf. She introduced Janelle Crossfield who will be the new Parks and Recreation Director and explained that they are working to transition various duties over to her. 7. ADJOURN Chair Hirner adjourned the Park Commission Meeting of October 25, 2022 by general consent at 8:03 p.m. #4A CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 Country Club Road  Shorewood, Minnesota 55331 952-960-7900  www.ci.shorewood.mn.us  cityhall@ci.shorewood.mn.us To: Park Commission From: Marie Darling, Planning Director Meeting Date: December 13, 2022 Re: Freeman Park Trails Attachments: Plan with estimates by trail segment Videos of the existing Freeman Park trail conditions may be found on the city’s website by selecting: Government/City Departments/Parks/Trails and scrolling to the bottom of the page. The attached Plan for the Freeman Park Trail Reconstruction is a summary of the project. Each segment was reviewed separately. The estimates for the project are also attached. We are looking for guidance on several options so that we know what needs to be included in the project. The estimates are higher than estimated several years back and the CIP would be adjusted for the project when it is distributed to the City Council. To cover the additional cost, staff will be exploring various grants, requesting to use federal dollars, and additional transfers from the reserve funds. Because this project will be competing with several other important infrastructure projects for reserve and federal funds, if the funding for the full project is not secured, the project could be split into multiple phases to be accomplished, (north and south). The project consists of restoring the trails in their current locations except as noted below. Most of the trails are 8 feet in width, but trails A, B and J are about 4 feet wide. The Trail Reconstruction Project The red segment is the portion of the trail that would be paid for by the Three Rivers Park District and built to their specifications. The engineer’s estimate for this trail construction/reconstruction is $300,617. The yellow segments are all existing trails. The estimate for these trails is $285,302. The estimates are prepared assuming the trails would be eight feet wide. Trail segment J may not be able to be expanded due to several issues listed on the estimate table on the plan and the potential need for additional right-of-way. Keeping the trail at the current width may reduce the price, although specialized equipment could also be needed for the narrower trail. There are also a few optional trail segments as well: Segment B: Repaving this trail was not included in with the yellow coded trails as the trail is duplicated by the Three Rivers Park District project. There are a few options for this trail, including: 1. Reconstruction in the same location at the same width (due to potential wetland impacts, costs to expand would increase exponentially). Likely ±$50,000. 2. Reconstruct the subgrade and add class 5 gravel or establish turf for a natural trail experience. The cost would be about $4,500 for the removal of the pavement plus the and adding more gravel or topsoil for grass seed. Segment L: Segment L is currently unpaved and connects the southerly parking area and a neighborhood entry. This trail is the only unpaved trail proposed to be paved. If the commission would like to pave the area at this time, the cost would be about $14,250. Segment G: This area is an old roadbed that was previously used for vehicle traffic connecting the north and south segments of the park. Now it is for pedestrian access only, except for emergency and maintenance vehicles. However, it retains its wider shape and is in poor condition. This connection could be reduced to 12 feet and reconstructed for its current purpose. This work would cost about $38,500. Please provide your input on the options for the project so that staff can better estimate the total project cost and finalize the plans. Financial Implications: Assuming that the Parks Commission recommends moving forward with replacing all the segments and the optional B, G and L segments as well, the total cost would be about $390,000. The estimates were greater than previously estimated. Consequently, staff increased the expected cost for the project in the CIP to $400,000 and will verbally update the Commission on whether or not the higher cost was approved at the City Council’s December 12 meeting. 4B CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 Country Club Road  Shorewood, Minnesota 55331  952-960-7900 www.ci.shorewood.mn.us  cityhall@ci.shorewood.mn.us ______ To: Parks Commission From: Janelle Crossfield, Parks & Recreation Director Meeting Date: November 22, 2022 Re: Deterring Vandalism Attachments: FlashCAM Packet Background: The City of Shorewood has experienced an increase in the level of vandalism and the associated costs of repairs to the restrooms at Manor Park. Staff have prepared a selection of options for deterring vandalism for the Parks Commission review. Options include: security camera similar to the one set to be installed at Badger Park, a FlashCAM solar powered motion censored camera, public safety enforcement and/or a community mural. Security Camera: $9,000; $50 annually for recurring monitoring fees (A two-camera video surveillance system)  2-5mp high resolution vandal resistant dome cameras with varifocal lenses.  Wall hanging NVR lock box  20 inch monitor  Hanwha NVR with 30 days of video storage  UPS for Video System- Backup Power and Surge Protection FlashCAM: $7,850 (A solar-powered, portable, motion-sensing camera with voice recording)  Completely portable and self-sustaining: solar-charged and easy to move.  No internet network required, photos are received via Bluetooth.  Powerful active deterrence, stopping it before it happens is the goal.  High-resolution photo: technology is proven to provide prosecutable photos and can ID a suspect from 100’s of feet away. Page 2 Public Safety Enforcement: Requesting South Lake Minnetonka Police Department to increase patrol at Manor Park. Community Mural: $2,000 - $10,000 Engaging the community to create a mural in Manor Park in the bathrooms and/or on the exterior of the building. Research has shown that art deters vandalism by removing the blank canvas that attracts vandals in the first place. It also creates a relationship with the space and can provide an approach to prevent vandalism, improve park amenities, engage residents young and old as well as strengthen community pride. Grants may be obtained to help cover the expenses. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends a dual approach of the FlashCAM and a community mural. Options: The Parks Commission should review the options and send a recommendation to staff and the City Council. Next Steps and Timeline: Following the Park Commission review and recommendations, the matter will be placed on a City Council agenda for final decision. 5A CITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 Country Club Road  Shorewood, Minnesota 55331  952-960-7900 www.ci.shorewood.mn.us  cityhall@ci.shorewood.mn.us ______ To: Parks Commission From: Janelle Crossfield, Parks & Recreation Director Meeting Date: December 13, 2022 Re: Phase II IPM Plan Attachments: City Council Work Session Minutes November 7, 2022 (On the city website click on Agendas and Minutes, scroll down to 11/07/22 and click minutes) IPM plan Phase II (Electronic copy only) Background: The City of Shorewood has contracted with the IPM Institute of North America to prepare a guiding document regarding alternatives to the use of chemicals or pesticides for city owned facilities and grounds. As the plan moves forward, it is very important for the City Council to define a clear and concise approach to address the issue, but also to recognize the additional labor, costs, and tradeoffs for putting such a policy in place. The Parks Commission may be asked to provide recommendations as the implementation plan is prioritized. Staff will ultimately be asking for direction from City Council on the following items: 1. Will a separate advisory committee be created for oversight as listed in the model policy or will those duties be assigned to an existing commission or the City Council? Which department would be the staff support for such a board? If this is a permanent assignment to a commission City Code may need to be amended to include this duty or to add another commission. 2. Will the Phase 2 implementation strategies be implemented as indicated and if so, will the chemicals used be the fully organic fertilizers or Page 2 pesticide-free fertilizers? 3. Will all turf areas be overseeded and aerated? Will the City hire an outside company or purchase the equipment and hire more employees? 4. Should irrigation be added to the parks? 5. How will buckthorn be removed? After the initial removal, will organic/pesticide free products be used or are conventional products acceptable? Long-term, how will buckthorn in the parks be managed. 6. Should staff use conventional ash borer treatments for trees, reduced risk insecticides, or remove the ash trees preventatively rather than treat them? 7. Continue the Manor Park pond copper sulfide treatments, alum treatments, replace the treatments with something else, or discontinue 8. How is the city to maintain sidewalks and trails without conventional chemicals that destroy the plants roots? 9. How is the city to meet the legal requirements to meet state statutes regarding noxious/invasive weed eradication/removal? 10. How is the city to respond to aggressive pests, such as wasps and hornets within the parks? Financial or Budget Considerations: The cost for implementation of the recommendations are going to exceed the current operating budget for the parks. Based on the proposed levy rate, at the time of writing this report, an additional $45,000 was added to operations as a starting point and will not cover the full cost of the proposed implementation plan. The cost for an aerator, as mentioned in the plan, is $12,500. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends the implementation of a community engagement plan to provide public input to the Parks Commission, City Council and staff on how to prioritize items in the implementation plan with a $45,000 budget. Next Steps and Timeline: Following the Park Commission review and recommendations, the matter will be placed on a City Council agenda for final decision.