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07.09.2024 Park Commission Meeting MinutesCITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB RD PARK COMMISSION MEETING SHOREWOOD CITY HALL TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 7:00 P.M. MINUTES 1. CONVENE PARK COMMISSION MEETING Chair Wenner convened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. A. Roll Call Present: Chair Wenner, Commissioners: Hirner, Garske, DiGruttolo, and Bahneman; City Council Liaison Callies; Parks and Recreation Manager Czech; and City Administrator Nevinski Absent: None B. Review Agenda Commissioner DiGruttolo moved to approve the agenda, as written. Commissioner Hirner seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Park Commission Meeting Minutes of April 9, 2024 Chair Wenner noted a correction needed on page 3 where the statement from City Administrator Nevinski should be changed to say Park Commission rather than Planning Commission. Commissioner Garske moved to approve the minutes of the April 9, 2024 meeting, as amended. Commissioner DiGruttolo seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0. B. Park Commission Meeting Minutes from June 11, 2024 Park Tours Commissioner Garske noted that they had missed including the damage to the corner of the roof for the structure near the baseball fields in the minutes. Chair Wenner noted that in Freeman Park one of the residents had made a suggestion that the signs by the parking lot that showed the field numbers would be helpful because it can be confusing due to the layout. Park and Recreation Manager Czech noted that there was already a reference in the minutes that more prominent signage was needed for Fields 4, 5, and 6. Chair Wenner noted that she believed that reference was just for the fields themselves and believed that the suggestion was to have some sort of signage by the parking lot, near Eddy Station and a map of the field that showed the field numbers. She noted that also in Freeman Park, there was public concern that there was not a long term plan for the woods and ponds and that they were not included in the tour. She explained that was a discussion that took place that she felt should be reflected within the record. She referenced page 2, under Cathcart hockey rink, and noted that during the tour, Park and Recreation Manager Czech had mentioned the PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 2 OF 22 possibility of using sentence to service as a way to get the hockey boards painted, which she also felt should be included. She stated that another idea discussed for Cathcart was bocci ball and horse shoes. Commissioner Garske moved to approve the minutes of the June 11, 2024 Park Tour meeting, as amended. Commissioner DiGruttolo seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0. C. Park Commission Meeting Minutes from June 25, 2024 Park Tours Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that during the discussion about the park shelter in Manor Park, they had also said that they needed to ensure that the surveillance was positioned in a different place so faces could be caught. Chair Wenner referenced the general comments under South Shore Park and explained that the Commission had a small discussion about doing nothing which she felt should be represented in the minutes. She stated that in Silverwood Park one of the residents had requested mowing the thistle patches around the pond and adding a drinking fountain. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that they had also said that they would take another look at the Master Plan because there were a lot of things in the plan that needed to be reviewed in order to make a determination about whether they were actually going to do them or not. Chair Wenner agreed and stated that she felt it would be helpful for the Commission to take a look at updating the Master Plan. She stated that under Badger Park she had noticed that the Little Free Library needed to be painted and there was also mention of the possibility of adding more permanent or heavy-duty garbage/recycling cans, and also the possibility of completing a trail around the pond. Commissioner Garske stated that they had also mentioned that the repairs to the bridge in the back of Badger Park were well done, so it was stable. Commissioner Garske moved to approve the minutes of the June 25, 2024 Park Tour meeting, as amended. Commissioner Bahneman seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0. 3. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR Nancy Westman, 19515 Vine Ridge Road, thanked the Commission for hosting the gatherings at the parks because she felt it was very helpful. She noted that she was unable to be there due to the frequent cancellations, but she was able to talk with over 30 people in her neighborhood and explained that she did not think they were represented at the parks. She explained that she had a list of their concerns and questions that were not documented in the meeting minutes. She stated that she would like the Commission to consider this input during their conversations related to the parks. She stated that most of all they wanted the Commission to know that nobody wants there to be a trail that cuts through behind their homes and asked them to consider taking this out of the Master Plan. She stated that some additional feedback is that nobody uses the tennis court, and explained that she has seen people throwing baskets once in a while, but everyone would like a regular tennis court. She submitted copies of her information to staff. Greg Larson, 25535 Orchard Circle, stated that he was recently walking his dog through Freeman Park and noticed that the buckthorn is already getting high where it had been cut and was PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 3 OF 22 concerned about how high it would be by September or next year. He stated that anything that was planted in there would end up getting shaded out and asked what the City’s long-term plans were for buckthorn control. He addressed Park and Recreation Manager Czech and asked what the plan was for continued buckthorn control. Park and Recreation Manager Czech clarified that Matters from the Floor was for residents to express themselves. Mr. Larson interrupted Park and Recreation Manager Czech and accused him of not answering the question. City Administrator Nevinski clarified that Matters from the Floor was a time for residents to share their comments and noted that the Commission will likely discuss the buckthorn issue throughout the evening, but would not get into a back and forth dialogue during this portion of the meeting. Mr. Larson asked if the Commission had suggestions that they could share with the public sometime on what their recommendations were. Park and Recreation Manager Czech reiterated that Matters from the Floor was not the time for the Commission to be answering questions. Barry Brown, 6050 Burlwood Court, stated he believed that most people know that he has been advocating for Freeman Park, mainly in the wooded areas with the walking trails. He stated that for people who have not been around for the meetings, he had recruited over 60 people to volunteer in clean-up after the buckthorn removal, had provided research to the City, and provided research assistance from the University of Minnesota. He stated that he had been working with Chair Wenner and Councilmember Zerby to identify and catalogue native plants in the woods so that they can repopulate the woods with those native plants after they get rid of the buckthorn. He stated that he had also provided a vision with resident input that included educational trails and teaching opportunities. He explained that he had published several articles about the park that have more than 5,000 views and have been in touch with the Freeman family, who were also present at tonight’s meeting, and have written a historical biography on the family and how the park had been dedicated to the City which he hoped would be released soon. He thanked Park and Recreation Manager Czech for putting together such a comprehensive list and noted that he believed that this is most likely a really great first step in getting the 2025 budget moving forward, but had a few recommendations that he would like the Commission to consider. He noted that in reviewing the items for Freeman Park, there was no mention of the buckthorn eradication and noted that there was an additional 10 acres that have had no mention of eradication which runs along the LRT. He explained that he received frequent questions from residents about what the City was going to do about the buckthorn. He stated that there was funding needed for this plan, but there wasn’t anything mentioned in the plan. He noted that the City had already spent $80,000 on buckthorn removal in the park and he was sure it would cost a lot more in order to really beat it down. He stated that it would also not just be a 1 year plan and will need to be done over multiple years in order for it to be successful. He reminded the Commission that there were lots of volunteers available to assist in cleaning up the park. He noted that in addition to the 60 who had already volunteered, there were also about 700 retired people in the community that are willing to come out and be gardeners for the park. He stated that everybody is concerned about the trails in the park because the trails are under water or muddy and noted that following the Council meeting on February 13, 2024, City Engineer Budde had informed him that the wooded area of Freeman Park was declared a wetland by the State and the City would never be able to PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 4 OF 22 get permission to re-stone it. He noted that the very next day, there were City employees out there placing stones on the trails. He asked if it was true that the City could never get permission from the State to do this, he questioned how the trails along the pond and along the south area of the Smithtown Ponds projects were able to be raised and paved with new limestone. He stated that it is possible that City Engineer Budde has just misspoke on this issue, but the residents around the park all want this area cleaned up as much as possible. He stated that from all of the park issues that are seen, he did not feel that there was any devotion to the parks natural areas and seemed to be all about the fields and sport courts. He stated that it was fine to pay attention to those types of things but there were also a lot of residents who enjoy the natural spaces. He stated that after applying for a volunteer gardener position to work on the memorial plaza in Freeman Park for his late friend, Chris Garibaldi, he was informed by Park and Recreation Manager Czech that there was already somebody working on that garden and the work was complete. He stated that he did not think that was accurate and would disagree that it was complete. He read aloud from an e-mail he had received from Heather Garibaldi, Chris’ widow that had been sent to the City Council and Park and Recreation Manager Czech. He stated that he feels it would benefit the City and the Commission to take a look at their policies and procedures related to volunteering for gardening or other activities in the parks. He explained that there are a lot of people that would love to volunteer and questioned why the City was going to put rules and restrictions around those volunteers. He stated that they have sometimes felt as though they were handcuffed in not being able to do some of these volunteer activities. Julie Moore, 6060 Burlwood Court, stated that she lives right by Freeman Park in the Shorewood Oaks neighborhood. She explained that they have had the opportunity to host a young man from our of state who was interning at Michael’s Food in Chaska. She stated that they take him through the park every night on walks and he has been amazed at how beautiful the City’s park and greenspaces are but one comment he continues to make is that he was surprised about the mud that they have to walk through in order to get to the baseball diamonds. She stated that the mud was getting worse and she hoped that the City will look at addressing that issue. She noted that she thinks it may be require more than just grading in that area and also on the new trail near the softball fields. She suggested that she felt a few rain gardens may be able to divert the water so this is not an issue. Nancy Westman, 19515 Vine Ridge Road, stated that she also wanted to reiterate what was stated by Mr. Brown about the volunteers. She stated that many of them work, care for elders, and care for children. She stated that she would love it if the City would really start thinking about finding a way to hire people that can properly take care of the City’s parks and greenspaces. She stated that she feels as though their park is very disheveled and has been left behind for many years. She stated that they love the park, it is well used, and noted that many people that don’t live there come to use the park and feels that it should be more than a volunteer issue and that the City should take a look at addressing it with personnel. Greg Larson, 25535 Orchard Circle, stated that he wanted to comment on the biology of the plants and what is going on with buckthorn. He asked if anyone on the Commission was familiar with something called allelopathic organisms and read aloud the definition. He stated that he thinks it is a great idea to inventory and plant native plants in Freeman Park, but noted that it will probably not be successful as long as there is buckthorn that is uncontrolled. He reiterated that it is a great idea but stated that he felt it would fail unless the City has a comprehensive long-term plan to control the buckthorn. 4. NEW BUSINESS PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 5 OF 22 A. Park Tour Recap Parks and Recreation Manager Czech stated that the Commission had conducted park tours over the last month and explained that he had attempted to compile the information and maintenance items that were discussed. He admitted that it was difficult to capture all the information, but noted that he would add the items that were noted as revisions to the minutes earlier in the meeting. He stated that he will add these items to overall maintenance list and discuss them with the City’s park maintenance team. He explained that they want to create a more comprehensive guide of the items that have been discussed so next year, when they come back to the parks for the tours, they are not all trying to remember what had been mentioned in previous years. He stated that his intent was for it to be documented and they can all see when it was brought up and also all the things that have been crossed off the list and would be able to determine what still needed to be done or added. He noted that the Commission had also been asked to do individual tours of Gideon Glen, Christmas Lake Boat Launch, Crescent Beach, and the Country Club Trails prior to tonight’s meeting. He asked that if there were items that the Commission would like added from those parks he asked that they let him know so he can make those changes. He explained that they had tried to prioritize and do a budgetary need for the items on the maintenance list, but noted that it was very generalized and had not included a lot of research and was essentially done with the thought of what it may take to execute this on a scale of 1-5. He suggested that the discussion begin with the parks that the Commission had toured individually that were not part of the official Park Tours. Chair Wenner stated that she had visited Gideon Glen and the Christmas Lake Boat Launch. She stated that overall, she felt that Gideon Glen was lovely and thinks that the City could use this as a model for other City-owned public areas. She noted that she believed it had been done in partnership with the Minnehaha Watershed District. She referenced areas like Wedgewood and Eureka where she thinks it would be great to see something like that with taking care of buckthorn, native plantings and signage which would help make those neighborhoods more appealing. She noted that she felt the signs were showing a bit of wear and suggested that the City consider replacing them in the next 3-5 years. She stated that she had seen a few dead ash trees that were deep in the wooded areas so she didn’t think they looked like they would be a threat to any property or residents. She stated that she had visited the Christmas Lake Boat Launch and was able to speak to the inspector who had a lot of insights to share. She stated that apparently there is an electronic entrance/exit gate which has not been turned on for the last 5 years. There are 7 spots in the boat launch and the inspector has been advised to close the gate when they are at 5, in order to keep from over-crowding, which means the inspector physically has to drag orange barriers over in order to block off the area. She stated that the inspector told her that many people just come and move the barriers, that she has had to make her own signs, and has called the police on several occasions. She stated that the inspector had pointed out that there were 2 signs for the launch with QR codes so residents can gauge how busy it may be, but the QR codes go to a ‘404 error’ page. Park and Recreation Manager Czech explained that the City got a new website a few months ago, so he thinks that is the issue with the QR codes. He noted that new signs have been ordered that should address that issue. He asked if City Administrator Nevinski had any insight into the gate situation. City Administrator Nevinski stated that his understanding is that there are software and motor issues with the gates and that parts no longer exist for them. He explained that Public Works has PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 6 OF 22 been in contact with the homeowners association around the lake to try to find some kind of resolution for the gate issue. Chair Wenner stated that the inspector had also pointed out that some of the signs were fading, including a DNR sign that can hardly be read and suggested that the City take a closer look at the signage in that area. She stated that she noticed that this area has a lot of invasives, such as buckthorn and creeping bellflower and suggested that they find a way to take that on and pretty up the area with some native plantings. Commissioner Hirner stated that he had visited the same two areas as Chair Wenner. He stated that. all in all, the Commission rarely talks about parks like Gideon Glen, and thinks it may be in their best interests to spend more time talking about some of the smaller parks. Chair Wenner noted that she thought the Commission had talked about having discussions about natural areas over the next year and felt that may be a great time to include discussion of these smaller parks. She stated that she forgot to mention that there is a dead pine tree next to the picnic table at the boat launch site. Commissioner DiGruttolo asked Park and Recreation Manager Czech if he had referenced which things were ‘new’ on his table of maintenance items so they had not already been included in the budget so they could compare them with things that had already been included in the budget. Park and Recreation Manager Czech stated that he had not broken it down that way and noted that for more long-term planning they would use the CIP. He noted that there was a quick turn around time for when he had tried to compile everything and reiterated that he was really trying to work with the maintenance crews to go through these items and find a way to organize them that would be easily readable. Commissioner DiGruttolo asked if he had a sense for how many were things that have not been budgeted for yet and explained that she felt that may help them develop a cushion in planning for future years. Park and Recreation Manager Czech stated that general maintenance practices, which would be the things listed with a 1 or 2 on the list, would fall under the general park maintenance budget in the General Fund. Commissioner DiGruttolo explained that she was just trying to get a sense for things such as surveillance cameras because that was a response to an incident that the Commissioner had not planned for. She stated that this was a pretty large, but very necessary, expense and reiterated that she was wondering if Park and Recreation Manager Czech had a sense that there were a lot of those types of things included in the list or if there weren’t very many. She stated that if it was something that happened every year then she felt that the Commission should start to think about that. Park and Recreation Manager Czech stated that he would say it was not super common to have a large expense that they have not planned for. City Administrator Nevinski noted that the vandalism was covered by insurance and was not a significant hit to their budget. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 7 OF 22 Commissioner DiGruttolo asked if the insurance had also paid for the surveillance cameras. City Administrator Nevinski clarified that the insurance had paid for the repairs needed as a result of the vandalism, but not the cameras. He explained that they have had some conversations about potentially using Public Safety Aid funds to outfit some of the areas with updated and new cameras in areas that do not have them yet. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that having a master list for each park would help with the rack and stack prioritization. She stated that it would useful to know if things were brought forward by one resident, or 30 residents. She noted that she felt having this information would be very helpful for the City in their decision making process. Commissioner Hirner stated that typically when they get a list they hand it over to City staff who then goes out and tries to address everything. He stated that then staff comes back to the Commission if there are budget issues or it cannot be addressed. He stated that he felt staff has always done a pretty good job of addressing the things the Commission has put on the list and handed over to them. He stated that the idea of having the Commission prioritize things to get fixed and in what order would be better suited for City staff to handle. Park and Recreation Manager Czech agreed that the team is trying to go through that right now but noted that if the Commission has strong feelings about certain topics, he can bring that input back to the maintenance crew. He stated that the maintenance crew will try to work through the list and prioritize as they see fit, but the input of the Commission was always welcome. Commissioner Hirner stated that the list put together by Park and Recreation Manager Czech was fairly consistent with past years, but was a bit more detailed than they have had in the past. He stated that, in general, he felt the parks were in pretty good shape but they do have a few issues to address, such as, buckthorn and the BeeSafe plan. Chair Wenner stated that all the master plans for the parks were in need of being updated and suggested that they take this on over the next few years. She noted that in their current form she felt that they were confusing for residents as well as the Commission. She stated that among the Commission she believes that there is some frustration that they do not have access to the contracts for use and maintenance of the parks, specifically from athletic associations. She gave the example of Greener Blade that the Commission has not been able to get their eyes on, especially because the Commission has oversight of the City’s Integrated Pest Management Plan. She stated that Mr. Brown had made a comment at the last City Council meeting that there had been chemical spraying done on the soccer fields and she felt this was something that the Park Commission should be aware of. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he was not certain that was correct information and did not believe that was actually the situation. He explained that he did not want misinformation or confusion surrounding that issue. Mr. Brown asked what was confusing. City Administrator Nevinski noted that staff can look into it and address the concerns. Chair Wenner stated that she had intended to mention that it was hearsay, and was not something she was sure about, but noted that she had also heard it brought up at the Council meeting. She PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 8 OF 22 stated that when the contract with Greener Blade was signed there was a lot of public outcry which concerned her. She explained that she had contacted Public Works Director Morreim and was told that the contract was in line with the City’s IPM plan, but stated that for the sake of the Commission, she believes that they should have more access to things like that, so they can see the chemicals that would be used. She stated that she would also like them to have access to the athletic association contracts so they know how those things were being maintained. She stated that it would also be helpful for them to have clarity of responsibilities, as mentioned by Commissioner Hirner. She stated that there has also been talk about improving their volunteer database and thinks it would be good for the Commission to spearhead some community projects. She noted that she is a Master Naturalist and would love to work in Freeman Park. She stated that there was a lot of enthusiasm from the residents for the clean-up event that was organized by Mr. Brown. She noted that the Freeman woods has come up several times in conversations and was not included anywhere in the budget. She stated that she believed that there should be money set aside every year because it will be a massive undertaking. She stated that, as mentioned, buckthorn is not something that you just do once and believes that the City needed to have a better plan for how they will manage it if they would not be using traditional methods. Commissioner Garske asked how much say the Commission had in the buckthorn mediation plans. He noted that, in his opinion, it did not appear as though there is any kind of long-term plan which he felt was a major problem. He asked if that was something that they should be working on for development of a long-term plan or if the responsibility for that was elsewhere. Chair Wenner stated that it may be a separate master plan, because there has also been a lot of public comments that there is no plan for buckthorn, trail maintenance, signage, educational opportunities, or a budget for seeds. Park and Recreation Manager Czech stated that the buckthorn topic is new and explained that they put extensive resources into it last year and Public Works Director Morreim was looking into the possibility of getting some tools/equipment and also creating a plan. He stated that they have seen that it is coming back up and agreed that it was not something that was simply a short-term problem and will take a multi-year effort, if not for the rest of time. He assured the Commission that staff was working on that process and plan. He stated that the ground has been so wet, staff has not been able to get in there to finish the clean-up with the chipping efforts. Mr. Brown stated that he thinks that the buckthorn project was put on hold about 3-4 years ago when the City got a grant from the DNR. He stated that the grant was going to run out and because Park and Recreation Manager Czech was not yet in place, so Public Works Director Morreim sort of took over some of those items. He stated that there was really not a ‘plan’ to do anything other than to use the DNR grant funds. He explained that he felt that the plan should go through the Commission and if Park and Recreation Manger Czech is in charge of the parks, then he should collaborate with whomever he needs to in order to present it to the Commission and the Commission should be able to have input into the plan. Commissioner Hirner asked for details on the Commission’s annual budget. City Administrator Nevinski stated that the annual budget for the parks is probably a grouping of things such as the CIP that are saved for, as well as operational maintenance costs that take place through Public Works but did not have the exact number off the top of his head. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 9 OF 22 Commissioner Hirner stated that he believed the annual CIP amount had been raised to $125,000. City Administrator Nevinski explained that the City has been allocating money on an annual basis to parks as part of the budget so the fund can grow. Commissioner Hirner stated that the Commission has a certain amount of money for CIPs and noted that if feels a bit like they are mixing and matching maintenance and other things that are separate from the CIP. He cautioned the Commission to be careful as they are putting their plans together to remember that they have a small amount of money to maintain all of the City’s parks. He stated that he wanted to make sure that they did not just focus on a few parks and let other parks wither. Chair Wenner noted that one final thing she wanted to mention was that there had been no emphasis on trees and native plantings on the tours and they should be considering those as part of their Bee-Safe resolution. City Administrator Nevinski stated that is actually part of their public improvement projects such as those around Smithtown Ponds and in the Strawberry Lane area. He noted that there a bunch of native plans that were put in and are growing and explained that they are trying to add those types of plantings in order to promote pollinators, but it will have to happen over time. Mr. Brown stated that outlined in the budget for the parks was $577,000 for 2024 which was an upgrade from the previous year. He noted that he was not sure if the Commission was aware of how much money the City had in reserves but believed that the amount was well over 50%. He stated that these are taxpayer funds and he believes that they should be able to tap into those resources in order to take care of all the things that have been neglected for many years. Chair Wenner asked if anyone on the Commission had input on the list put together by Park and Recreation Manager Czech or if there was anything that they wanted to make sure was prioritized. Commissioner Garske stated that a glaring issue that they ran into was the vast amounts of bikes along the paths and noted that at Badger Park there were 15-20 bikes in the picnic pavilion. He stated that he believes that if you are on a walking trail, you should walk your bike, and would like to prioritize bike racks and install them at the start of the walking spaces in order to gently nudge people away from riding their bikes throughout the park. Park and Recreation Manager Czech stated that he has spoken with the Minnetonka Lacrosse president recently just to try to get the general message out to parents about bike safety issues but would agree that a long-term solution was needed. Commissioner Hirner stated that he thinks all of the City parks would benefit from having some bike racks, but noted that they were not cheap, so they would need to be included in their CIP City Administrator Nevinski stated that he did not think the bike racks themselves were very expensive, but the concrete pads were what could become more expensive. He noted that bike racks would also end up taking up green space and stated that it may be challenging to find a good spot, so they have been considering the possibility of utilizing a parking stall or two as well. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 10 OF 22 Chair Wenner stated that another thing that came up in relation to Badger Park was the amount of garbage, especially in the pond next to the lacrosse field. She stated that a resident had also mentioned that on the fields, after soccer games, there is always a lot of litter. She suggested having some conversations with the athletic organizations to encourage the teams to spend 10 minutes after each game or practice to do a sweep of the field. City Administrator Nevinski assured the Commission that the City has had, and will continue to have those conversations with the organizations. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she felt this was a really good list and expressed her appreciation to Park and Recreation Manager Czech for putting it together. Chair Wenner stated that one of the things she had as a high priority was correct/rebuild trails that flood in the woods in Freeman Park because they have gotten a lot of feedback from people on that issue. Commissioner Garske stated that he would also like to see continued maintenance of the pond in Manor Park. He stated that the tennis court in Manor Park looks a lot nicer than it did and encouraged the maintenance crew to continue to keep that up. Commissioner Hirner stated that he recalls that the maintenance on that pond was pretty expensive. He asked staff to make sure those same kind of treatments would still be allowed under the City’s new IPM plan. Mr. Brown stated that he wanted to speak on behalf of Chuck Babcock who did not want to come up and speak. He stated that he was told earlier today that in Manor Park that there are branches down that he and his wife have been stacking since last fall and the people mowing are simply mowing around the branch piles. He explained that Mr. Babcock would like Public Works to come pick up those branches and remove them. Commissioner Garske shared that another idea that was shared was for some sort of fencing at Freeman Park to keep soccer balls out of the new ponds. He stated that he thought that planting some shrubs or bushes may be enough and would not cost as much as installing and maintaining a fence. B. Budget and CIP Discussion Parks and Recreation Manager Czech stated that the general idea for the CIP are projects that would cost $5,000 or more. He reviewed what had been currently allocated in the 2025 CIP including, playground equipment for Cathcart Park, master plan for South Shore Park, and tennis courts at Manor Park. He noted that staff felt that the $10,000 allocated for the master plan development for South Shore Park would not be enough to cover those costs. He noted that during the tour, they found that the Cathcart Park playground equipment was in better condition than expected and comments were made that it was possible that the Freeman Park North playground equipment may need to replaced prior to Cathcart. He stated that they also found that the Manor Park and Badger Park tennis courts were in better condition than they have been in recent years. He stated that comments were shared about the importance of keeping up on the appropriate maintenance so the good conditions remain. He noted that included in the CIP were pickleball courts at South Shore Park, but that may not be in the overall plans once a master plan involving community feedback has been completed. He noted that within the packet was the PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 11 OF 22 CIP table for 2025 – 2032 that would like some Commission feedback on regarding the direction they would like to head. City Administrator Nevinski explained that this was an opportunity for the Park Commission to be visionary, think about where they think the City should go with some of these improvements, and think about the key priorities that they would like the Council to consider as they put together the City’s budget. He reminded them that the Commission is an advisory body for the Council and he believed that the Council valued their input. Commissioner DiGruttolo explained that she was not a fan of doing things half-way and agreed that the $10,000 set aside of a master plan at South Shore Park would not do very much. She stated that she would suggest that they take that $10,000 and the $30,000 set aside for the Manor Park tennis courts, that was not needed, and dedicate those funds to buckthorn removal. She stated that she clearly heard in the comments shared tonight that people feel that the buckthorn and trail issues needed to be addressed. She explained that she would like to find a way to support the projects in the parks that people have repeatedly come out and given the City their time and opinion on. She stated that she would rather do that than spend $10,000 to do nothing but sprinkle a few seeds and put in a butterfly garden which would only half-way accomplish the pollinator objective, but wouldn’t really to do anything. Park and Recreation Manager Czech clarified that the $10,000 would just be for a master plan and would not be for any tangible changes to the park. Commissioner Hirner explained that the $10,000 was just intended to be used to get surveys or community input and gather information. He stated that the City did it once before and it ended up sitting on the shelf and the idea was to find out what people really want to see at South Shore Park. He clarified that those funds were not to actually do the master plan, but to gather the information necessary in order to create the master plan. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that in terms of having a vision, the first thing they need to do is collect the input and stated that they got some of that tonight about what residents really want to prioritize, what they want the budget to look like, and what they want the parks to look like. She stated that she feels that the Commission’s vision for the future on how they should allocate their money should go to support the things that the residents have said that they want prioritized. She stated that her military training taught her to ‘focus their fire on the enemy that was closest’ and reiterated that she thinks they should pool some of the funds from where they are currently allocated and focus their fire on the things that the residents have said are important to them. Commissioner Hirner stated that the Commission can’t just listen to the loudest people because they need to address all of the citizens concerns in the City. He stated that there are families with small children who want playgrounds, and families with teenagers that want something for them to do. He stated that means that it cannot just be about buckthorn, even though he agreed that it is an important issue. He stated that the Commission has to address the needs of all the citizens of the City. He listed off items that he felt needed to be done that are expensive, such as playgrounds or paved trails or courts and reiterated that the Commission cannot just listen to the noisiest residents. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that was why she had mentioned the idea of doing a survey because the City can’t just assume what people want and they need to actually get resident input. She suggested that instead of simply asking residents what they want, she would give them a list PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 12 OF 22 of 10 things and asked them to rank them from most important to least important. She stated that she would also like to see the City include rough costs for the various ideas so people can understand what the trade-off may be for the different ideas. Councilmember Callies stated that one of the things she has noticed tonight is it seems like the Commission was looking for direction in terms of what the role of Park Commission is which she felt that staff and the City Council needed to provide. She noted that people have different experiences on the Commission, for example, Commissioner Hirner has served on it for quite a while. She stated that it would be helpful for the Council to be able to have a summary of how the Commission felt, so they could under what the Commission, as a whole, or what the Commissioner’s separate views actually are on some of the issues being discussed. Chair Wenner stated that she agreed with her colleagues on two different things, the first being that they do have to keep up the parks and trails and make those investments a priority. She stated that with relation to South Shore Park pickleball, there is a new pickleball place on 101 and Highway 7, another in Chanhassen, the City’s tennis courts are marked for pickleball and noted that this is a huge amount of money for South Shore. She stated that the Commission is set to discuss a master plan next month and asked if that was something they wanted to discuss, for example, how much money they want to put into South Shore Park. She noted that it is possible to do nothing with that park because there is already a beautiful community garden and greenspace there. She stated that she would agree that they need to get more resident input and explained that she and Commissioner DiGruttolo would be volunteering at the Music in the Park event later in the week where they will have a table set up so they can try to get some input from the residents. She asked if there would be a survey created or how they would gather this information. Commissioner DiGruttolo asked how the City had normally done this type of thing. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he was sensing a desire from the Commission to ‘do something’ and thinks part of the question in response to that would, ‘what is their why?’. He asked why the Commission was wanting to do something and if it was to solve a problem at South Shore Park. He asked the Commission what they were chasing in this situation, because it sounds like they want to go out and do surveys, but thinks there needs to be some kind of context and a reason for that action. He stated that they had talked earlier in the meeting about needing to update the Park Master Plan and would suggest that they discuss that and possibly make a recommendation to the Council for an actual budget item next year. He noted that a plan would start to set expectations, clarify standards, and make the direction clear that the City wants to go, which would also help establish the CIP. Chair Wenner asked if he was saying that one of the things the Commission could recommend to the Council was updating the master plan for all of the City parks, their wish list for moving forward, and then build their budget around that. City Administrator Nevinski stated that if the Commission has some things that are immediately in front of them that they can deal with, he would suggest that perhaps those things become priorities and recommendations for funding. He stated that they may also have things that are out a few years, but that they felt were important and could sort of ‘put a pin in’ to ensure they are reflected in the CIP. He stated that their Work Plan for the year does include engagement around South Shore Park and the plan had been for staff to help lead that effort in order to get input and using that as the basis to try to move ahead with something more formal. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 13 OF 22 Commissioner DiGruttolo explained that she was unclear on how the Commission recommendations are packaged and given to the Council. She stated that the Commission had already made a lot of recommendations during tonight’s meeting and assumed that someone was writing them down and will then package them up and give it to the Council. She asked the Commission was actually supposed to write something up and give it to the Council. She stated that a statement had been made that it seemed like the Commission wanted to ‘do something’ and she would agree, but they don’t actually know what they are supposed to be doing. She noted that she thought they were supposed to be advising the Council and the conversation and the discussion they have had tonight should be packaged and shared with the Council. She stated that if she was asked, she would tell the Council that they want $100,000 in order to hire someone next year to update their plan. She stated that she thinks that their number one thing is to have a strategic and master plan which then need to be synced up with the strategic and master plans of the City. She explained that right now she thinks the plans are out of sync and asked for guidance and direction on how they wanted the Commission to package their recommendations to the Council so they can act on them. She reiterated that she really wants to do something and noted that she would not have joined the Park Commission if she didn’t care about the parks and greenspaces in the City. She explained that she loved everything about Shorewood and wanted it to be a vibrant, thriving place and also wanted people to be happy. She reiterated that she was not clear on what they are supposed to be doing or how their recommendations are supposed to be packaged and presented to the Council. Councilmember Callies stated that what she hears is that Commissioner DiGruttolo has a strong opinion on this, but she was not sure if that was the recommendation from the full Commission. She stated that when she referred to how it was ‘packaged’, the Council receives the meeting minutes and also a Commissioner comes to the Council meetings to review their discussion. She noted that the Council does not act immediately on what their suggestions or recommendations and needs to take them into consideration in terms of the budget and the CIP. She stated that the Council will get the Commission recommendations from what Park and Recreation Manager Czech will summarize as well as from the Commissioner presentation. She stated that one thing she heard City Administrator Nevinski say was that when the Park Master Plan was on their agenda that would be a good time to engage the community, because then they have something specific to respond to within a survey. She asked if Commissioner DiGruttolo was actually wanting the Council to respond next week to their feedback. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that it would be great if the Council could respond to them and tell them specifically how they would like to receive the Commission’s input. She stated that even with what Councilmember Callies had just shared, she still did not understand how the Council would like to receive the information from the Commission. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he felt the way to go here is that the Commission is looking at the CIP tonight and suggested that they focus on that. He stated that a list had been developed following the Park Tours by Park and Recreation Manager Czech related to maintenance. He explained that this list will go to Public Works to work through and they also have investments or assets, that are generally speaking, part of the CIP. He asked what the Commission felt were the important assets and noted that they had discussed tennis courts, pickleball courts, and playgrounds. He noted that if the City can get a few more years out of some of those assets, perhaps next year they do not spend quite as much money on assets. He explained that what the Commission talks about tonight is what staff will carry forward in budget preparation, but noted that ultimately the Council is the one who looks at everything and makes a determination about PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 14 OF 22 budget details. He noted that the discussion tonight will inform what staff brings to the Council. He stated that Councilmember Callies was also present to hear their conversation and one of the Commissioners would also have the opportunity to share with the Council when they present at the Council meeting. Commissioner DiGruttolo asked if there needed to be unanimity on what the priorities are. Commissioner Hirner stated that there needed to be a consensus. He explained that they need to review the plan, move stuff around, add things, take things away, and then take a vote. He stated that this updated CIP would then be sent to Council for approval and, if they agree, they will then take that information and start putting it in the budget process. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she understood the CIP process but was thinking about other the other things that came before during their discussion. City Administrator Nevinski stated that could communication, as they wrap up tonight, so it is clear that here are the things that are CIP items but here are the other things that they feel are important and ask staff to communicate those things with the Council. He stated that a lot of things are being discussed so they will have to kind of sort and label some of those things and then they can communicate it. Commissioner Hirner asked about where the Commission puts the buckthorn issue within the funding. He stated that if that was put on the CIP, it will suck up their budget for the next few years and nothing else would be able to get done. He asked if the buckthorn issue should be included in the operational side or the CIP. City Administrator Nevinski explained that he would include it in operations. Commissioner Garske stated that he wanted to switch gears and bring the conversation back to the CIP itself. He admitted that during the tour he skewed towards playground equipment because he has little kids. He stated that the City had kicked plans for Cathcart playground equipment down the road a few times, but noted that he felt that it does need to be replaced even though it is in fairly good condition. He stated that he felt the equipment at Freeman Park North was in about the same condition, but the City could not do both at the same time. He stated that from listening to things that the Commission has been discussing, he thinks some of their priorities should be leaving Cathcart playground in 2025, push South Shore pickleball out a bit, and moving Freeman Park North earlier in the CIP because of the volume of people that utilize that space and equipment. He stated that while he loves the idea of pickleball, it is extremely expensive and South Shore is currently a lower used space. He stated that perhaps they should keep South Shore Park as a lower used space, but even if they decided to put in pickleball, he did not think it was something that they needed to rush towards. He noted that he does not know the right answer for the hockey board issue or the tennis court resurfacing. He explained that he would like to get a ‘proper’ opinion on when and how the City needed to maintain those kinds of things. He noted that he is all for pushing things out, when possible, but did not want to end up giving themselves a larger bill in the end because they decided to deflect the required maintenance. He explained that he was a big fan of getting the required maintenance done and taking care of what they have and not just waiting until it is broken to fix it. He stated that the last thing he was thinking, based on tonight’s conversation, was putting more investment into figuring out what to do with South Shore Park, even if it was just something like building a plan in order to make a plan and noted that they may also need to do that same thing at Freeman. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 15 OF 22 Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she agreed with the notion of pushing out pickleball, but felt that if they were going to do that, they should use the $10,000 they had allocated for planning to find out what people want to do with that area. She stated that they can ask people if they want pickleball and also present other ideas for them to consider. She stated her children have outgrown playground usage but noted that she agreed with Commissioner Garske that they are important, so if it was time to update them, they should go ahead and do that. Commissioner Garske stated that he thinks it may be possible that the CIP amount for the South Shore Master Plan is bumped up a bit and to also include some for planning for Freeman as well in 2025 or 2026. Commissioner Hirner stated that he agreed with the idea of moving Freeman forward in the plan and suggested that it be moved to 2027. He stated that he was not sure if $250,000 would be enough money for the playground equipment based on the cost of equipment for Silverwood. He suggested that perhaps they allocate $350,000 for Freeman Park. He noted that he thinks the Commission has ended up getting fixated on the pickleball issue and thinks that they should just say South Shore Park, in general, because they do not actually know what may end up going in there. He suggested that they push South Shore Park out to 2029, but leave the $350,000 amount as a placeholder because they do not know what the actual plans will entail. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she did not want to just do nothing because when they were there on the Park Tour she thought it was just really sad. She asked if there were some other low cost items that they could include like, a small picnic shelter, some picnic tables, and a small butterfly garden. She asked if the City may be able to do that for around $15,000-$20,000. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he feels the cost of what she mentioned would probably be close the same cost of putting in a playground. Commissioner Hirner agreed and noted that when you put in a structure the costs add up pretty quickly. Commissioner Bahneman asked about the possibility of having more garden spaces. Park and Recreation Manager Czech noted that they currently have 5 unused plots. Commissioner Bahneman questioned whether there could be because people didn’t really understand that it was there and available. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that as a gardener, she felt that it was not a great garden spot, because there is a lot of shade. Commissioner Hirner noted that they have added onto the garden space 2 or 3 times since he had been on the Commission and didn’t think they had much more extra room to add space because of its proximity to the tree line. He noted that one thing he does not believe that have talked about was the space on the other side of the parking lot. Commissioner Graske noted that they had discussed that space during the tour. He noted that they had mentioned that a lot of the trees in that space were actually dead or dying. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 16 OF 22 Commissioner Hirner stated that the Cathcart hockey boards were not perfect, but for the hockey space that the City has there, he felt they were in great shape. He stated that if the City does the maintenance that they have talked about doing in the next year or so with repainting and replacing a few boards, he thinks that they can just keep doing that for the next 5-6 years. He stated that he would suggest that they move replacement of the boards out to about 2030. He stated that he thinks the City needed to have a master plan for South Shore, but wasn’t sure that they had to include money in the CIP for the Manor Park tennis courts. He asked if the City had to do maintenance on the Manor or Badger tennis courts what that would look like and if it just involved filling cracks and resealing or if there would be an overlay. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she thought Manor had the grid-lock things which worked great and looked pretty good She stated that she thought the only issue was that people could not play pickleball there because there wasn’t paint. Park and Recreation Manager Czech explained that it can depend on the status of the courts and making sure that they don’t set themselves back by delaying certain protocols. He stated that he can look into this for the Commission and report back to them in order to help with their planning efforts. Commissioner Hirner stated that he would leave the placeholder at $30,000 for both Badger and Manor tennis courts, and move them to 2026. He stated that he would take the $30,000 allocated for 2025 for Manor Park tennis courts and move it to the Master Plan development for all the City parks and not just South Shore Park, but stated that he was also not sure that $40,000 would be enough. He clarified that in the CIP, he would like to change the line item from South Shore Master Plan to be called Parks Master Plan with $40,000. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he did not believe that $40,000 would be enough to cover those costs. Commissioner Hirner stated that was what he was thinking and thinks the planning costs for Badger Park were around $80,000. City Administrator Nevinski suggested that the Commission start by doing some engagement and getting ideas and then doing a few designs or iterations for each park. He stated that if they do a community engagement process that would require quite a bit of staff time and resources. He stated that staff may be able to do some more research on this idea and if they know that doing a Master Plan is a priority beginning in 2025, it could be something that is carried over through 2026, because that would help the budget. He stated that knowing that the Park Commission feels that updating the Master Plan should be a priority gives staff and the Council something to work with. He explained that it may not come to fruition exactly as discussed tonight, but it puts it on a path. Commissioner Hirner stated that when he had looked at the previous plans, there was a lot of stuff there. He noted that much of it had been accomplished, but there was also a lot of stuff that does not seem like it is important anymore, which was why he thinks it would be good to have an updated plan that is up to date with where the residents are today versus where they were in 2000. Chair Wenner stated that it would also be nice to have the things discussed by the Commission today captured somewhere also. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 17 OF 22 Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she felt it was weird that this was not something that was done every year. She noted that most businesses review their strategic plans every year and if even if they don’t end up making major changes, they have at least been reviewed. Chair Wenner clarified that when she was talking about updating all of the Master Plans, her thought was more about updating the verbiage to say here are the things we got accomplished, here is a current map of the park, here are things that they are budgeting for, and here are the things that we are thinking of further on down the line. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that since they have the CIP out to 2034, she thinks they should commit to every year or every two years spending whatever money necessary to update the plan. She stated that she feels that COVID changed everything because before that, people weren’t playing outside as much and now everyone wants to be outside. She stated that she felt that if the City waited and only updated it every 5-10 years they will miss a lot. Chair Wenner clarified that she was trying to say that they have a lot of their infrastructure already in place because the parks are pretty developed, so it may not cost as much as they think it may. She noted that she did think it would be helpful to contract with someone to help the City update the plans and then, perhaps the Commission could work on updates themselves each year. Commissioner DiGruttolo suggested that if they were going to continue to update the plans, she thinks they should, for example, include a small amount of funds in 2026, 2028, 2030, so it never falls of their list. Chair Wenner asked if the Commission wanted to keep discussion of the South Shore Master Plan on their next agenda and keep the line item in the CIP at $10,000. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she believes that Commissioner Hirner’s suggestion was to combine the $30,000 and $10,000 from 2025 for an overall Park Master Plan. Commissioner Hirner reiterated that his suggestion was to combine the dollar amounts, remove the Manor Park tennis courts as a separate line item, and combine it with the line item for Badger Park tennis courts. There was Consensus of the Commission related to the CIP to: remove Manor Park Tennis Courts as a separate line item, and combine Manor Park/Badger Park Tennis Courts and retain the $30,000 for 2026; and South Shore Master Plan is changed to Parks Master Plan and is bumped up to $40,000. Chair Wenner asked if the Commission wanted to keep the Cathcart and Silverwood Parks court resurfacing at $15,000 for 2026. Commissioner Hirner noted that $15,000 would not be enough to resurface anything and noted that the City had just done the courts at Silverwood about 2-3 years ago. Commissioner Garske stated that he thought the condition of the court at Silverwood was ‘meh’ during their Park Tour. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she thought the condition of the court was horrible. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 18 OF 22 Commissioner Garske noted that because it was just a half court he didn’t think it needed to be as good as it would if it was being used to play a full round of tennis. He stated that he thought the courts in Cathcart were getting pretty rough. Chair Wenner noted that the Cathcart court was the only full basketball court in the City so they may want to look at including that. Commissioner Hirner reiterated that $15,000 would not be enough to resurface the court and would guess that resurfacing the entire court would probably cost somewhere around $100,000. Chair Wenner suggested that they just include resurfacing at Cathcart and have a separate line item for Silverwood Parks because it may need to be replaced or turned into something more useful. Park and Recreation Manager Czech stated that he felt it was worth nothing that on their tour, the residents in attendance said that they believed the court was frequently used. Commissioner Hirner stated that since the City repaved it and did the park, he has seen people all over the park. He noted that one thing he has noticed is that the kids using it have dragged the picnic tables over there to the court area so they have something to sit on. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that was the park that was supposed going to get the trail and asked if the City had already budgeted for that trail. City Administrator Nevinski stated that there was no budget for that trail and explained that he did not think it had even been included on the Trail Master Plan that was done in 2011. He stated that he believed that the plan within the Master Plan were very conceptual and explained that just because something was marked on the CIP did not mean that those dollars have actually been allocated to it. Commissioner Hirner asked about the slice of land that was supposed to be a pathway near the Holiday Station on Highway 7 where the nearby properties are just using that land for things like sheds, because the City has not done anything with it. He asked what the City’s intent was related to this slice of land. City Administrator Nevinski stated that when that area was developed there were small parcels platted with those developments. He stated that he wondered if there may be utilities within that platted area, but noted that when he looked at the GIS there were only a few areas where there were utilities. Councilmember Callies stated that she was fairly certain that the neighbors also did not want a pathway in that location. Commissioner Hirner clarified that if the City had some grand thought process about that area, he felt it should be included in the CIP. City Administrator Nevinski stated that they may need to ask Planning Director Darling to do some research about what discussions took place when that area was subdivided. He stated that related to the resurfacing costs, he thinks it may be a good idea to talk to a contractor. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 19 OF 22 Park and Recreation Manager Czech stated that he agreed and believes that they should at least get a rough estimate of what that would entail. He stated that he can dig into those details and report back to the Commission. Chair Wenner suggested having a placeholder amount of $50,000. Commissioner Garske suggested that they blend all of the courts into one line item and also get an idea of what the maintenance plan should be for the courts as well as realistic replacement/resurfacing plans. He stated that for now they could just say $45,000 for 2026 to address all the court issues. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she liked that idea because it would also be easier to budget if they kept them all in one year, and could also result in them being able to get a deal if they were all done at the same time. There was Commission consensus to change the line item description to Court Maintenance at an amount of $45,000 in 2026; to move the $350,000 allocated for South Shore Pickleball to Freeman Park North Playground in 2027, and keep the $90,000 for South Shore Park Reconstruction/Development in 2028; South Shore Development at $350,000 for 2029; and move Cathcart Hockey Boards from 2028 to 2030. City Administrator Nevinski encouraged the Commission to allow for a year or two for the City to accumulate some funds for their plans. He gave the example of not stacking up a $350,000 year with a $400,000 year plan because it will help them maintain a more level budget. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she felt that their plans for the various years were pretty consistent. Commissioner Hirner cautioned that the Park Commission budget was only about $125,000 every year. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that they need more money. City Administrator Nevinski stated that could all be part of the conversation and recommendation to the City Council. He stated that they can communicate to the Council the needs and goals, but then also inform them what resources would be needed in order to do them. Commissioner Hirner suggested that he would suggest moving the $150,000 for the Manor Park amphitheater to 2033 and move the Manor Park surface out to 2032, in addition to moving the Cathcart Hockey Boards out another year, that will give them a down year in 2030, which should allow them to have some reserves. Commissioner DiGruttolo asked if they wanted to do that before they even asked the Council for the money and basically just assumed that they would not give them the money. Commissioner Hirner clarified that currently, the Council allocates $125,000 to the Park Commission. City Administrator Nevinski stated that he believed that it was actually closer to $130,000 now. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 20 OF 22 Commissioner Hirner explained that meant that their budget for capital improvements was $130,000 per year. Commissioner DiGruttolo asked where the numbers on the CIP they were reviewing came from. Commissioner Hirner stated that the past Park Commission had put the numbers together with a plan to ask the Council for additional money. He stated that the way the process has worked in the past is that they let the Council know what they think they want to do. He explained that they know they are only going to get about $125,000 and if they want to go above that, they have to go to the Council when they have full plan put together. He noted that the Commission also has to be responsible to know that they have a certain budget and cannot just say that they will blow the City budget and give them a list of everything they want, which is what City Administrator Nevinski was touching on when he requested that they give the plan some windows where they don’t have as much included. Chair Wenner asked whether budgeting $175,000 for the Cathcart playground equipment would be enough and if they needed to begin planning for that. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she felt that they should start crossing things off the list. She questioned why the numbers in the CIP were so high if they knew they were only going to get $125,000 each year. Park and Recreation Manager Czech explained that these are based off of the overall budget. He stated that the Park Commission has created this by including off years in their plans, so they can build up reserves to they can have years that have higher numbers and the larger scale projects. City Administrator Nevinski explained that the City Council had been putting money away each year and would also utilize any park dedication fees that the City may receive from a development project. He stated that they do not rely on the park dedication fees, because some years there is not much development happening. He stated that if there is a project that both the Council and Commission have been talking about and were in agreement that it should happen, the Council may levy additional dollars or take money from reserves and do a transfer in for a project. Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that when she does her budget she does not plan for money that she does not have. She stated that it scares her to include a $350,000 project in 2027 knowing that she may only actually get $125,000. Park and Recreation Manager Czech reminded the Commission that they would not be starting that year at $0 because there is a balance already there in addition to the $125,000 that would be coming in. He stated that he was not sure what the actual Park Fund balance was right now, but reiterated that in the past, they have planned this out to take off years where they did not spend as much money in order to bank up funds to afford the higher cost projects. There was Consensus to move the Manor Park Amphitheater to 2033. Commissioner Garske reiterated the question that had been raised earlier on whether the $175,000 for Cathcart playground equipment would be enough. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 21 OF 22 Commissioner Hirner stated that it may not hurt to bump that amount up to $200,000 and outlined some of his reasoning based on the size of the area and the retaining wall. Park and Recreation Manager Czech and Commissioner Garske reviewed the changes that they felt the Commission wanted like to make to the CIP, based on the discussion. Commissioner Hirner moved to recommend approval of the Parks CIP budget amendments, as discussed. Commissioner Garske seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0. 5. OLD BUSINESS 6. STAFF AND LIAISON REPORTS / UPDATES A. City Council Councilmember Callies gave an overview of discussion and actions from recent City Council meetings. B. Staff a. Concert in the Park Park and Recreation Manager Czech stated that the Concert in the Park would take place on July 11, 2024 in Freeman Park from 7:00-8:30 p.m. and described some of the planned activities that would be available in addition to music. b. National Parks and Recreation Month Park and Recreation Manager Czech stated that July is National Parks and Recreation month. He expressed his appreciation to Park and Recreation Specialist Stephany Vasser because she has been incredible in helping him get up and running since starting work with the City. He stated that she is willing to do whatever it takes to get things done, brings lots of new ideas, and has been great with relationships at the Community Center. He stated that he also wanted to thank the park maintenance team for all they do to keep the parks looking good and ready for use. He thanked the Commission for their support and for the volunteers that help throughout the City. Chair Wenner stated that she wanted to thank Park and Recreation Manager Czech for doing such a wonderful job since he has started with the City. She expressed her appreciation to him for getting the Facebook page up and running successfully and asked if there had been any date changes for the City Council meeting presentations. Park and Recreation Manager Czech noted that he had printed off an updated schedule and had also sent it via e-mail. He noted that Commissioner Hirner would be presenting to the Council about tonight’s meeting on July 22, 2024. Chair Wenner stated she has had some travel plans come up and would not be able to attend the Commission’s September 10, 2024 meeting and was due to report to the Council on that meeting on September 23, 2024. PARK COMMISSION MINUTES TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 PAGE 22 OF 22 Commissioner DiGruttolo stated that she could look at her calendar and may be able to switch with Chair Wenner. Park and Recreation Manager Czech asked the Commission to take a look at their schedules and let him know, so he can adjust things on the schedule. He noted that he would also plan to send calendar invites for the dates that the Commissioners were due to present to the Council. Commissioner Garske noted that he had plans the night of the Concert in the Park and asked if he may be able to help with set up or take down since he was unable to attend. Park and Recreation Manager Czech explained that there was not a ton of support work that would need to take place. 7. ADJOURN Commissioner DiGruttolo moved to adjourn the Park Commission Meeting of July 9, 2024 at 9:47 p.m. Commissioner Garske seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0.