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02-13-24 PkC Meeting MinutesCITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB RD PARK COMMISSION MEETING SHOREWOOD CITY HALL TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024 7:00 P.M. MINUTES CONVENE PARK COMMISSION MEETING Vice-Chair Wenner convened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. Roll Call Present: Commissioners Garske, Wenner, Czerwonka, DiGruttolo, City Council Liaison Maddy; City Administrator Nevinski Absent: Chair Hirner Review Agenda DiGruttolo moved to approve the agenda as written. Garske seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes from January 9, 2024 Commissioner Czerwonka requested some minor corrections on page 3, 5, and 6. DiGruttolo moved to approve the minutes of the January 9, 2024 meeting as amended. Garske seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR Pat Arnst, 5480 Teal Circle, explained that she was here to support the upcoming presentation by Barry Brown regarding a proposed volunteer buckthorn removal. She stated that the City Council approved the contract for Tonka United to operate the concession stand however the contract does not include any kind of damage deposit which she feels should be included. She stated that she would like to be included in the future and noted that she helped design this facility and was horrified the last time she went into it by the damage that has occurred over the years. She stated that the City Council also approved the Davey Resource Group contract last night and noted that there is a tree expert on the Park Commission and hopes that the Commission is able to embrace this as part of their work. 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Park Plans and Freeman Park Vision Vice-Chair Wenner noted that Barry Brown was here to share his vision for Freeman Park. City Administrator Nevinski explained that Mr. Brown has spoken of a vision for Freeman Park. He noted that since he was fairly new to the City he spent some time pulling out documents put together by previous Commissions, in order for him to look at the Freeman Park master plan. He explained that within the packet was the 2002 Master Plan that had been updated in 2009. He stated that his view of it is that a lot of the things that were included in the Master Plan had been accomplished. He noted that it would not be too long before the City takes another look at its Comprehensive Plan and stated that he felt that may be a good time to take a look at the City Parks and what the future goals and objectives are for them. Vice-Chair Wenner asked when the City would be working on the Comprehensive Plan. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he expects that work to begin in 2026 which tends to be a 2-3 year process. Ms. Arnst stated she was here in 2002 when they put together the original Master Plan and explained that the City was facing a crisis from the sports organizations of space. She explained that Commission decided, on their own, to bring in a consultant who helped them work on the Master Plan. Barry Brown, 6050 Burlwood Court, distributed information to the Commission and explained that his property backs up to Freeman Park. He explained that he wanted to present to the Commission his vision for the park and noted that he has appeared 6 times before the City Council regarding buckthorn removal and the desire not to use chemicals. He outlined some of the information he had presented to the Council. He stated that his current stance is to find a way of preventing the next round of buckthorn next fall by cutting and exhausting the plant. He noted that Council Liaison Maddy had been present for all 6 of his appearances and asked if he wanted to add anything. Council Liaison Maddy gave an overview of what the Council had approved in the past and noted that he was personally in support of what has been proposed without chemical use. He explained that the Council was just trying to make sure that approach made sense financially and over the long-term. He stated that he was looking forward to hear some details of what Mr. Brown is proposing to address what he expects will be vibrant regrowth of the buckthorn. Mr. Brown explained that while he is presenting he had asked City Administrator Nevinski to run a video in the background that shows his vision for Freeman Park. He explained that at his most recent presentation to the City Council he presented a plan to use volunteers to cut and exhaust the buckthorn rather than chemicals which is a process endorsed by a University of Minnesota professor, Mike Schuster who operates 600 research plots around the State. He explained that Professor Schuster has accepted Freeman Park as an additional location for a research plot. He stated that currently there are 30 volunteers in addition to Boy Scout Troop #409 and possibly Boy Scout Troop #424. He stated that since his presentation to the City Council last night, he has heard of two other organizations that are willing to volunteer which means they may be over 100 people who could participate in buckthorn removal efforts. He stated that he would like to pass off the responsibility for his proposed plan to the Park and Recreation Commission. He highlighted details of his proposed plan, the volunteers, the participation by the University of Minnesota, and what aspects and responsibilities he would like the Park Commission to undertake. He offered his service to the City to assist with planning and communication with residents. He explained that he was retired, so he would have free time to dedicate to this project. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that in his proposal he stated that the University of Minnesota would select the research plots in February/March. Mr. Brown stated that he was not sure when or if they would gain approval for this and if they manage to get approval within the next month, the University of Minnesota can come out and select the plots. He explained that his proposed timeline was just him being anxious to begin and push things forward. Vice-Chair Wenner asked City Administrator Nevinski about volunteer management and stated that she though that former Park and Recreation Director Crossfield had mentioned something about some new software that could help the City manage volunteers. She asked if that system was in place and if the City could use it for this project. City Administrator Nevinski stated that last year the City purchased a product called CivicRec in order to help with programming and facility management which does have a component for volunteers. He stated that they experimented with it for the most recent Arctic Fever and noted that he believes it can be built out a bit more for this use. Commissioner Czerwonka suggested that they may want to consider pursuing possible volunteer resources from large companies in the Twin Cities area and shared an example of his former company providing 300 volunteers to help clean up an area of South Minneapolis. He stated that this kind of thing is often used by companies for team building and helping out area communities. Vice-Chair Wenner stated that she has even seen companies that have paid volunteer days. Commissioner DiGruttolo asked if the City may be able to partner with someone like, Tree Trust because they could also take care of organizing the volunteers and also providing equipment. Vice-Chair Wenner stated that she knows of another organization that does that same type of thing called, Great River Greening. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she would like to see if the City could come up with some partnerships including some of the nearby corporations that may want to get their name out in the public. Mr. Brown stated that these were good ideas and explained that when they talked to the Boy Scouts one of the things that came up was whether this was a day project every six months or if it was something where they would have a sign in the woods that says, ‘This area is being taken care of by Boy Scout Troop #409’. He stated that right now, they indicated that they would not want to do the latter, but may be open to it in the future. He noted that he also got a question from the Boy Scout earlier today about when the University of Minnesota researchers are here whether they could put on a training camp for the Scouts related to conservation. He explained that Professor Schuster responded to his question by telling him he was an Eagle Scout and would be happy to participate and offered to do a special program for the Scouts even if it was a different time than when the researchers were at the Park. Commissioner DiGruttolo suggested putting together a proposal for the Boy Scouts because she feels this could be a great Eagle Scout project Council Liaison Maddy noted that he had worked with Great River Greening before and they did a great job. He explained that he had not worked with Tree Trust before, but if they do the same work, he would also be in support of them being involved. He stated that if the City takes this proposed plan and follows for 50 years, at the end, they will essentially have a prairie because. He stated that while they are killing buckthorn and other invasive species they will also be killing the good stuff. He asked if Mr. Brown had thought about a way to start planting new trees that are resistant to the buckthorn techniques or if any thought had been put into young trees being able to grow to maturity through this process. He stated that he believes the tree canopy is important to most of the residents in the City. Mr. Brown stated that he believes when they have gotten to a place where they have cut off about 85% of the buckthorn regrowth he feels that they will be at a good place to start replanting. He stated that it may be a bit difficult for new trees to grow because of all the large trees that are currently present, however, he would say that about 35% of the trees are Ash trees and expects them to get Emerald Ash Borer over the next 10 years or so. He stated that that means they will have to come out which will leave a wide open canopy but agreed that there are some places that could be filled in. Council Liaison Maddy stated that he would just like to make sure that they add planting new trees and maintaining the tree canopy into the long-term plans. He asked for the location of the ‘Agatha’ tree that had been mentioned during the City Council meeting. Mr. Brown explained that ‘Agatha’ is the largest tree on the far west edge behind the Alexander Court development. He stated that a few years ago some kids or teenagers built a little fort around the tree and put up a sign that named the tree ‘Agatha’. Commissioner Garske thanked Mr. Brown for presenting this information to the Commission. He asked if the City would be able to use volunteers for the mechanical removal or if they would have to have staff or a contractor do that portion of the work. Mr. Brown stated that he has been bringing his mower in for about the last 7 years and noted that every volunteer they have spoken with they have communicated that they would need to sign a release form. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he is a rule follower and part of his job is to ensure that the City is following correct procedures. He stated that his intent was not to sound like he was raising on their parade, but does think that there are concerns with volunteers doing mechanical work on City property. He explained that he felt it made sense to have contractors do the mechanical type work, and as time allows, Public Works staff may also be able to do some of it. He noted that he has had conversations with City Attorney Shepherd as well as the City’s insurance agent about this issue. Mr. Brown just asked that the City not leave all the grunt work to the volunteers and allow them to also do some of the ‘fun’ work with machinery. Commissioner DiGruttolo asked if there was room in the budget to potentially make some investments into some of this equipment. City Administrator Nevinski explained that there was currently not money in the budget to invest in equipment. He noted that it may be possible that it will be more cost effective to rely on a contractor to do some of that bigger work and then rely on volunteers or staff for the other work, which will be part of the City’s evaluation process. Commissioner Garske stated that he would there to be an expert consultant or someone to monitor the Park and direct the work. He asked what Mr. Brown’s recommendation would be for someone to give this type of guidance and understanding of when resources were needed. Mr. Brown stated that he worked as an executive for a large Fortune 500 company in the Twin Cities where he was in charge of 2,500 employees and a $350,000,000 revenue stream so he knows how to pull people together. He stated that he open to doing that type of thing if the City wants him to. Vice-Chair Wenner asked how the City Council has received this information from Mr. Brown and if they were in support of handing this off to the Park Commission. Council Liaison Maddy stated that he could speak for 20% of the Council and noted that this item has recently taken a turn. He stated that from his perspective it started out as what the City should and shouldn’t do and within the last few weeks has turned into the message that the community wants to collaborate with the City. He stated that he was personally kind of excited about this having some community involvement and participation rather than some of the other questions about using contractors or chemicals. He stated that he thinks the big question may be whether the City can find funding to support this effort. He explained that he believes they can find some funding for things like seeds and partnerships with some type of volunteer management organizations. He noted that he was recently having a conversation with Councilmember Zerby and they were talking about the fact that they all want to go to the same place, and the only question is how they get there. He stated that he feels that there is high level support for this effort but cannot say that it will happen. He noted that the Park Commission taking the lead on this makes the Council have one less thing on their plate and feels that there would be Council support because they trust the Commission and appreciate the time they spend doing this work. Vice-Chair Wenner asked how they could move forward and address this on a regular basis and asked if they could just add a monthly agenda item under Old Business. Council Liaison Maddy noted that one of the City’s largest success stories was partnering with the University of Minnesota for Christmas Lake aquatic invasive species treatment. City Administrator Nevinski stated that there are a lot of details to figure out but believes that there is general support of moving in this direction. He cautioned that government tends to work at a slower pace that other entities but thinks some of these early steps can be accomplished quickly and then the City can eventually scale this up into a more formal program. Vice-Chair Wenner stated that she had heard the Public Works Director Morreim had wanted to have some type of Arbor Day event and stated that if they do, she feels that would be a good way to get the volunteer information out to the public. City Administrator Nevinski stated that may be possible, but he did not think they would need to limit the communication to events like that. Council Liaison Maddy reminded the Commission that the City was currently without a Park and Recreation Manager but they are scheduling interviews soon so there may be someone well qualified to take over some of this coordination in the next few months. City Administrator Nevinski explained that he believes that staff needs a bit of time to pull some things together before this is officially added onto the future agenda. He stated that he thinks they will need everyone’s patience as they take baby steps but believes they are moving in the right direction. Commissioner DiGruttolo asked if it would be possible for the Commission to work together with the City Council in terms of strategy. She expressed concern that if this is worked on in isolation she is afraid that they will just be banging their heads against a wall. City Administrator Nevinski agreed that it is best to take a comprehensive view. He explained that he likes to have a strategy to work from so they can look at financial planning and find the resources that are needed. He stated that 2024 may be the year where they take baby steps and do a few things and then as the City gets into budget season for 2025 they can look at bringing in a consultant to help them create a plan and a direction. Vice-Chair Wenner stated that it may be a good idea to hold another work session to discuss things like the IPM program and this buckthorn removal program in order to create a plan in order for them to get off the ground. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he believes that the Park Commission discusses their Work Plan for the year sometime in March which may be a starting point to set some goals for what they want to see done. Council Liaison Maddy suggested that this be revisited once the City hires their new Park and Recreation Manager so City Administrator Nevinski’s plate doesn’t become too full. Mr. Brown stated that he would like to ensure that they have the March/April timeframe set aside so they can communicate with the University of Minnesota what they can and cannot do and also buy the seeds. He stated that he would like to be able to call the University within the next few weeks and let them know the cutting is done and allow them to send out their teams to select the research plots and get the seeds ordered. He stated that he would expect the rye grass seed order to cost between $6,000 to $8,000 for 20 acres. City Administrator Nevinski stated that there are some steps that will need to be taken if the City is going to enter some type of partnership with the University of Minnesota. Mr. Brown explained that Professor Schuster stated that he did not need any big contract for this project because he looks on them as resident scientists and researchers. Vice-Chair Wenner stated that if the City is not going to use chemicals planting the rye grass will be a very important part of the plan. Mr. Brown asked that the City look myopically at Freeman Park so they can find a way to move forward as quickly as possible. B. Select Movie in the Park Vice-Chair Wenner explained that the Commission was given a list of possible movie choices. The Commission discussed movie options and preferences. Wenner moved to choose the movie Migration for the Movie in the Park with Free Willy as the second choice, if necessary. DiGruttolo seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0. OLD BUSINESS STAFF AND LIAISON REPORTS / UPDATES City Council Council Liaison Maddy gave an overview of recent Council actions and answered Commission questions. Staff Volunteer Events Concept City Administrator Nevinski explained that there appears to be desire and support for volunteer events and stated that the plan is to hold 2 or 3 different events and then scale up from there. He reviewed some of things he sees as opportunities for volunteer involvement in City projects in addition to the buckthorn removal. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that one of the reasons she would like to schedule a Work Session for is so they can discuss having a rubric in place for some of these things like removal of branches of a certain diameter and whether the City values the aesthetics look more than having a thriving ecosystem and habitat. She explained that in her opinion it does not have to be the same for all the places throughout the parks, but feels that this needs to be identified so people know what the priority is. She reiterated that she would just like to see everyone be on the same page and thinks it may require a few Work Sessions. City Administrator Nevinski stated that all of the volunteer opportunities do not need to be about trees and brush removal and noted that in the past they have had volunteers assist in painting the hockey boards. He stated that there could even be something put together down the road to ‘adopt’ a park and help become caretakers or communicate information to the City when something needs to be addressed. He stated that for any of the volunteer efforts related to trees or brush removal, there will need to be an educational component so people, for example, understand what buckthorn looks like so they don’t remove oak and maple trees instead. The Commission discussed volunteer efforts, priorities, and how some things can move forward in a realistic manner. City Administrator Nevinski cautioned that this approach will need to take some time because the City will need to have available resources including funding and staff time in order to make them work. Vice-Chair Wenner stated that if the Commission happens to run across possible grant opportunities she asked who they could forward them to. City Administrator Nevinski stated that for now they can be sent to him until the City gets the new Park and Recreation Manager on board. Ms. Arnst stated that the County is giving our permits for the right-of-way property along the LRT trail. She stated that is an online application that is free and explained that they are trying to get people to clean up the area. She stated that she believes the City would add this to their buckthorn project and get a permit because the entire north side of the Park is located in the County LRT area. She stated that because Freeman Park had recently been surveyed, she believes it may be worth installing boundary signs in order to keep the encroachers off. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he had just talked to Public Works Director Morreim about signage for boundaries in this area. 7. ADJOURN Garske moved to adjourn the Park Commission Meeting of February 13, 2024 at 8:56 p.m. DiGruttolo seconded the motion. Motion carried 4-0.