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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.13.19 Parks and Rec MinutesFarmington Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes from the February 13, 2019 Regular Meeting Members Present: David McMillen, Laurie Suchanek, Brian Tennant, Ashley Crabtree and Elizabeth Koss Members Absent: None Other’s Present: Jennifer Lothert, Jody Peters Dakota County Tribune and Parks and Recreation Director Randy Distad I. Call Meeting To Order Vice-Chair McMillen called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Quorum was present. II. Approval of February 13, 2019 Meeting Agenda Moved by Suchanek and seconded by Crabtree to approve the meeting agenda as written. All persons in favor (APIF). Motion carried. III. Approval of January 9, 2019 Regular Meeting Minutes The meeting minutes were approved with no revisions noted. IV. Presentations A. Introduction of New Members New Commission members Brian Tennant, Ashley Crabtree and Elizabeth Koss introduced themselves and provided some personal background information to Commission members. Current Commission members David McMillen and Laurie Suchanek did the same. B. Community Garden Jennifer Lothert spoke to the Commission about her interest in creating a community garden in a city park that people could come to and access different fruits and vegetables at no cost. Koss suggested she contact the Farmington Community Education Department about their community garden to see if it already serves the purpose that Ms. Lothert was envisioning. Koss said there is one garden plot that everyone helps take care of and the food grown on this plot is given to the local food shelf. Ms. Lothert said she would contact Community Education to see if this aligns with what she is envisioning for a community garden. V. Business Items A. Election of Officers Vice-Chair McMillen called three times for people to run for the chair position. Suchanek was the only member stating an interest in the chair position. Moved by Crabtree and seconded by Koss to close nominations. APIF. Motion carried. By a 5-0 vote, Suchanek was elected as chair of the Commission for the coming year. Vice-Chair McMillen called three times for people to run for the vice-chair position. McMillen was the only member stating an interest in the vice-chair position. Moved by Koss and seconded by Tennant to close nominations. APIF. Motion carried. By a 5-0 vote, McMillen was re-elected as the vice-chair of the Commission for the coming year. B. Recommend Purchase of Playground Equipment and Shelter for Marigold Park Commission members reviewed six playground proposals that were submitted to be installed in Marigold Park. After some discussion and using a process of elimination, it was determined that the playground equipment proposal from Northland Recreation best met the criteria. Commission members then reviewed four shelter proposals that were submitted for Marigold Park. After some discussion and using a process of elimination, it was determined that the shelter proposal from St. Croix Recreation Fun Playground, Inc provided the largest square foot shelter size while remaining at the budgeted amount. Moved by Tennant and seconded by McMillen to recommend the following to the city council:  purchase the playground equipment from Northland Recreation  enter into a contract with Clear Stream Construction to install the playground equipment  purchase the shelter from St. Croix Recreation Fun Playground, Inc  enter into a contract with Contracting Solutions, Inc to install the shelter APIF. Motion carried Commission members then reviewed the 10 different playground proposals that were submitted to be installed in Prairie Pines Park. There were five proposals showing traditional playground equipment and five proposals showing non- traditional playground equipment. After some discussion and using a process of elimination, it was determined that the traditional style playground equipment proposed by Northland Recreation best met the criteria. Commission members then reviewed four shelter proposals submitted for Prairie Pines Park. After some discussion and using a process of elimination, it was determined that while the shelter proposed by Midwest Playscape, Inc. offered the best warranty and it should be selected over the shelter proposed by Northland Recreation. Moved by Crabtree and seconded by Koss to recommend the following to the city council:  purchase the playground equipment from Northland Recreation  enter into a contract with Clear Stream Construction to install the playground equipment  purchase the shelter from Midwest Playscapes, Inc  enter into a contract with MW Playground Contractors, Inc to install the shelter APIF. Motion carried. C. Sapphire Lake Development Park Land Donation and Park Name Director Distad shared with Commission members he communicated the Commission’s proposal to have the land that Bart Winkler, the developer of the Sapphire Lake development, had wanted to sell to the city for additional park land. Distad further shared that Mr. Winkler is interested in donating additional land in the development to the city for park and open space purposes, but will depend on how the appraisal comes in on the property. He shared Mr. Winkler had two conditions he wants placed on the land if he donates it for city park and open space. The first is to have a restriction on the deed that requires the land to remain a park for at least 40 years. The second condition is to have the named Winkler Park. Distad requested the Commission formally recommend to the city council to accept the donation of land for park and open space and to further approve the two conditions place on the donation by Mr. Winkler. Moved by McMillen and seconded by Tennant to accept from Bart Winkler the donation of land for park and open space purposes in the Sapphire Lake development and that a restriction be placed on the deed to keep the land as park and open space for at least 40 years and to name the park in the development Winkler Park. APIF. Motion carried unanimously. VI. Discussion Items A. Bike Pedestrian Plan Update Chair Suchanek shared information with Commission members from the first Bike Pedestrian Plan Committee meeting that she attended in January. She was impressed with the input the members of the Committee provided during the meeting. Distad shared Jody Rader from Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc. joined him at the Community Expo and there was a booth that gathered input from people who attended the Community Expo who were willing to stop and provide feedback to staff and the consultant. He estimated around 50 people stopped to talk and give input on the bike pedestrian plan. He shared the next steps will be to have another staff meeting with the consultants and then a second committee meeting will occur on March 21, 2019. Chair Suchanek shared she is unable to attend the Committee meeting in March and asked if someone from the Commission could attend in her absence. Tennant said he would be willing to attend the Committee meeting. Chair Suchanek also asked if he could conduct a walk audit of the route she was assigned. Distad shared he would send the map showing the route location that Chair Suchankek was assigned to walk and the walk audit form. B. Review 2019 Work Plan Distad reviewed the work plan and identified the items that were completed since the January 2019 meeting. He shared there were a total of five objectives completed since the last meeting. VII. Commission Roundtable Tennant: Shared he will not be able to attend the April Commission meeting because he will be at a conference. Crabtree: Shared she appreciates the city developing a bike pedestrian plan. She said it is difficult to cross Minnesota TH 50 in the Executive Estates development to get to the trails in the Prairie Waterway. She would like to see more evening activities offered so parents who work during the day can attend the program with their kids. McMillen: Congratulated Johnson on his election as the Chair of the Commission. Koss: Shared she is interested in seeing more adult equipment/facilities in parks. She also would like to increase the resources for kids with disabilities. Suchanek: Said she is excited to work with the new Commission members. VIII. Staff Report A. Seasonal Staff Recruitment Made Commission members aware of the recruitment the Parks and Recreation Department is currently undertaking to hire summer seasonal staff in the areas of park maintenance, programs and events, facility maintenance and arena operations. Encouraged Commission members to direct any young adults they feel would be good employees to the city’s website to complete an application. B. New Staff Hire Update Shared the Parks and Recreation Department has hired two full-time building service workers and they are doing a gret job. Facility cleaning has improved because of this hire. Shared there was a new part time person hired at the Rambling River Center. Her name is Stacey Popp. She has experience and a background in fitness instruction and running recreational facilities. The department is looking to utilize her skills to offer some more fitness classes at the RRC. IX. March 13, 2019 Meeting Agenda Items The following items were identified by Commission members for its December 10, 2014 meeting agenda: 1. Review 2019 work plan 2. Discuss possible dates to meet with the Rambling River Center Advisory Board 3. Review Park Improvement Fund financial plan 4. 2018 department annual report 5. Review Park and Recreation Commission ordinance 6. Discuss possible dates to have a park tour with the city council 7. Take a group photo of Commission members X. Adjournment Moved by Koss and seconded by Tennant to adjourn the meeting. APIF. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 8:02 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Randy Distad Parks and Recreation Director and Recording Secretary