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HomeMy Public PortalAbout04-19-2006 Park Commission MinutesMedina Park Commission Meeting Minutes April 19, 2006 Medina City Hall Page 1 of 4 Call to order 7:07 p.m. A. Commissioners present: Randy Hughes, Galen Bruer, Gerry Dykhoff, Ann Thies, Madeleine Linck, Robin Reid B. Absent: Tom Gregor C. Also present: Chad Adams, Carolyn Smith, Rick Groth (Hamel Athletic Club) D. Additions to agenda: There were none. Approval of last meeting's minutes: Minutes of the March 15 were approved with one minor correction. Public Comments: None NEW BUSINESS: A. Batting Cages for Hamel Legion Park 1. Rick Groth from the Hamel Athletic Club described the group's plan for adding two batting cages adjacent to the quad baseball fields. The Club has already purchased a pitching machine and is raising funds to cover the cost of the required fencing, netting and a concrete pad. Total cost is expected to be around $6,000. The Club is not asking for any City funding, but construction would be done under City supervision. a) Gerry Dykhoff made a motion, which was seconded and passed unanimously, that the Park Commission recommend to the City Council that they accept the Hamel Athletic Club's gift of the batting cages. OLD BUSINESS: A. Open Spaces Planning 1. Chad Adams reported on Open Spaces Planning activities. An Open Spaces Task Force has been appointed to develop an Open Spaces Plan, which would then be incorporated into the City's updated Comprehensive Plan. An RFP has been issued and several proposals have already been received for a consultant to assist with Open Spaces planning. The City Council will select the consultant at their May 16th meeting and introduce the Medina Park Commission Meeting Minutes April 19, 2006 Medina City Hall Page 2 of 4 consultant the following night at the Joint Meeting of the City Council, Planning Commission and Park Commission. B. Wetlands Ordinance 1. The Wetlands Ordinance has been placed on hold until a wetland value assessment of all City wetlands has been completed. About a third of the City has already been surveyed by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District staff. The City Council will select a consultant to assess the remaining two-thirds of the City's wetlands. C. Moratorium 1. The City Council adopted the 50 ft setbacks recommended by the Moratorium Task Force, and set the minimum lot width for Rural Residential at 300 ft. Landowners who have difficulty complying with the 300 ft minimum will be allowed to go to the Council to seek an exception. The Council will also hear any landowners who want to request an exception to any future Open Spaces regulations. D. "Friends of Elm Creek" 1. The Star -Tribune recently ran an article about a group of people who want to establish a trail along Elm Creek, ending in Medina. Someone from the group contacted Rose Lorsung but we were not given any information prior to the appearance of the article. Park Commissioners expressed their surprise that no one from the "Friends of Elm Creek" group has contacted the Park Commission about Medina's portion of the proposed trail. E. Cty Rd 19 Trail Planning 1. Galen Bruer is the Park Commission's liaison with Hennepin County regarding the proposed trail for Cty Rd 19. Hennepin County and the Three Rivers Parks District have expressed interest in holding a public workshop to discuss the proposed trail and various alternatives. It was decided that the workshop can be held at 6:00 p.m. before the regular Park Commission meeting on June 21. Residents of the area will be notified about the workshop. Robin Reid requested that Independence Beach residents be surveyed about the need for a paved trail on the west side of Cty Rd 19 from Independence Beach to Baker Park, because there may not be enough interest to justify the expense of the project. Medina Park Commission Meeting Minutes April 19, 2006 Medina City Hall Page 3 of 4 F. Report on City Council Actions and Discussions 1. Joseph Paumen has been hired as Director of Public Works. He formerly was with the Golden Valley Public Works Dept. 2. At last night's meeting, the City Council discussed the possibility of putting a referendum on this November's ballot proposing a tax increase to generate money for open spaces, parks and trails. Park Commissioners discussed the timing of a referendum, and there was a consensus that more public education and more planning need to be done before a referendum is held, so that voters have a clearer idea of what the funding would be for. OTHER NEW BUSINESS: A. Hamel Legion Park 1. Harriet Dorweiler has donated money for two new park benches at Hamel Legion Park, in memory of her late husband. She has two locations in mind for the benches. B. Hunter Lions Park 1. A Medina resident has asked about renting Hunter Lions Park on an upcoming Saturday for a private wedding event. Park Commissioners agreed this was acceptable as long as the ball field wasn't already scheduled for that evening. City Staff will work out the details. OTHER OLD BUSINESS: A. 2006 Capital Improvement Plan and Projects 1. Chad Adams reviewed progress to date on the projects in the Capital Improvement Plan for 2006. The City engineers will be completing the Hunter Drive trail. There are still some right-of-way issues to be cleared up. The Ryan/Target development may accelerate the construction of the Cty Hwy 116 trail. Park Commissioners noted the need to complete and connect some of the trails in order to demonstrate that progress is being made. 2. There is money in the budget for a basketball court, additional parking, hydroseeding, the fire pit, an entrance plaza and signage, a lighted flag pole Medina Park Commission Meeting Minutes April 19, 2006 Medina City Hall Page 4 of 4 and additional benches for Hamel Legion Park. Decisions need to be made about these projects. There was a brief discussion regarding the negative impact of another paved parking lot on impervious surface area, but because this park is primarily design for athletics, Commissioners recognize the need for additional parking for game events. B. Hamel Community Building 1. The Lions will continue as the lease agent, but they are having trouble obtaining affordable liability insurance. 2. Bookings have been operating more smoothly and rentals have increased. The Lions could use some assistance with marketing the facility. Galen Bruer suggested that an online calendar, accessible to both the Lions and City Staff, would make the booking process more efficient. Gerry Dykhoff noted that the supply of brochures in the box outside the building needs to be replenished more frequently so people can get the information easily when they are interested in renting. 3. Chad Adams reported that the vending machine agreement proposed by Coca-Cola would limit their exclusivity to City -sponsored events, but would not cover private events at the Community Building. Park Commissioners directed City Staff to approve Coca-Cola's offer for only one machine, for a maximum of 3 years, at which time the agreement can be re-evaluated. 4. Gerry Dykhoff noted that the shelters need another coat of wood preservative. He offered to contact the contractor about doing this. The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m. NEXT MEETING: The joint meeting of the City Council, Planning Commission and Park Commission on May 17 at the Community Building will take the place of the regular May meeting. A special meeting will be scheduled for June 7 for the annual Parks Tour. We will meet at 6:00 at City Hall to board the bus for the tour. As noted above, the June meeting on June 21 will be proceeded by a public workshop on the Cty Rd 19 trail. Minutes prepared by Robin Reid, Secretary, Park Commission