Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Committee

AGENDA PARKS, RECREATION & NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING July 15, 2026 - 6:00 PM Lake Marion Conference Room, Lakeville City Hall 1. Call to Order 2. 5 | Approval of the Minutes a. May 20, 2026 Meeting Minutes 3. 5 | Citizen Comments 4. Discussion Items a. 25 | Parks and Recreation Summer Intern Update b. 35 | Parks System Master Plan and Facility Study Update 5. 30 | Park Projects Update & Staff Report 6. Adjourn Page 1 of 6  CITY OF LAKEVILLE PARKS, RECREATION & NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES May 20, 2026 Members Present: Holly Weberg, Vicki Schwartz, Dan Volkosh , Mark Engler , Angie Lueschen, Pat Sauer Members Absent: Rachel Bland Staff Present: Parks and Recreation Director Joe Masiarchin 1. Call to Order Committee Chair Weberg called the meeting to order at 6:0 p.m. in the Lake Marion Conference Room. 2. Approval of April 1 5, 2026 Meeting Minutes Volkosh made a motion, seconded by Schwartz, to approve theApril 1 5, 2026, minutes as written. Ayes: unanimous a. New Committee Member Introductions New committee member Angie Lueschen was introduced to therest of the committee. 3. Citizen Comments No citizens were present. 4. Discussion Items a. Park Facility Naming Request Staff has received a request to rename the Casperson Park Outdoor Performance Stage to the Doug and Deb Anderson Family Amphitheater. Given his leadership during his tenure as mayor and their ongoing involvement in the community, staff considers this an appropriate request that falls within the department’s Rules and Regulation for Park Naming and Memorials Policy. Schwartz – Will a monetary contribution be required? Not in this case similarly to the renaming of facilities in honor of outgoing park directors or other mayors, a monetary contribution would not be required. Schwartz/Sauer – Asked for additional clarification on the recommendation to include spouse and family in the facility naming. Asked if it was a typical request to include spouse and family. Staff indicated that there is no other facility in Lakeville that includes this, but considers it an appropriate request under the department’s policy. Engler/Volkosh – In agreement that spouse and family would be appropriate, considering the time and energy that is given to support a family member who is running for/holding an elected office. Also noted that the Mayor and spouse are considered a family unit, not necessarily referring to extended family. Page 2 of 6  Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Committee Meeting Minutes, May 20, 2026 Page | 2 Weberg – The suggested facility name seems long. Are there parameters for the length of names? No, it could be shortened for publications, advertisements, etc., where necessary. After further discussion, the committee decided to put forth the Doug and Deb Andero n Amphitheater as their preferred naming choice, but would also approve the proposed name put forward by staff. Volkosh made a motion, seconded by Lueschen to recommend the renaming of the Casperson Park Outdoor Performance Stage to the Doug and Deb Anderson Ampitheater as the committee’s first preference and theDoug and Deb Anderson Family Amphitheater as their second. Ayes: unanimous The renaming request and the committee’s recommendation will be sent to the June 1 City Council meeting. A dedication ceremony is anticipated to take place later this summer. b. 2026 Playground Replacements Staff presented three playground replacements for committee review. Following the standard replacement schedule, Brackett’s Crossing, Dakota Heights, and Valley Lake Parks are all due for playground replacements this year. A number of playground designs we re shared with neighbors of each of these park locations for their input on the proposed designs. An online survey was shared via postcards, onsite posters and social media from April 28 to May 10. Following the committee's recommendation, the preferred playgrounds will be purchased, and installation will begin in-65 weeks. Motion was made byEngler , seconded by Sauer to approve theplayground designs as chosen by those who provided feedback via the surveys. Ayes: Unanimous c. Parks System Master Plan and Facility Study Update The first Facility Study PMT meeting was held as part of the Parks System Master Plan process. Staff, advisory board members and the consultant met to begin the review and assessment of Lakeville’s indoor recreation facilities and future state needs for fa cilities within the community. Some takeaways from the discussion included the need for multi-generational indoor spaces, the Performing and Fine Arts buildings remaining in downtown and the review of proposed improvements to existing facilities like the H eritage Center. Stakeholder meetings with civic groups, advisory boards, staff, and athletic associations are occurring over the next couple of weeks. Updates will be provided to this committee as the process continues. 5. Staff Report a. Pioneer Plaza Update This project is officially underway; the existing water feature has been removed and relocated as the park’s ID sign. Old way finding and informational signage that was no longer relevant has been removed. A new picnic table and concrete pad have been inst alled; the bike loop will be installed as the project continues. The project is anticipated to be completed by mid - June. b. Arts Center Playground Project Update The playground equipment arrived today, bench seating has been relocated and landscaping is being planted. The playground installation will be complete and ready for play within the next week with the Page 3 of 6  Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Committee Meeting Minutes, May 20, 2026 Page | 3 artistic fence and sculpture arriving over the next month. This is a very well-utilized playground, and staff is pleased with the project’s progression so far. c. Grand Prairie Park Project Update and Grand Opening While there are a few components of the project, including landscaping and punch list items that need completion, the official ribbon -cutting is scheduled for June 1 at 4:30 p.m. The mayor will make opening remarks and recognize project sponsors, contracto rs and other notable project partners. A separate ribbon-cutting recognizing the Lions and their contribution to the splash pad will follow. Construction of the Lake Marion Greenway way east of Dodd Boulevard will officially begin late this week. Additional trial segments are currently under construction in cooperation with other departments, including Streets and Engineering. 6. Other Business No other business. Sauer made a motion, seconded by Schwartz, to adjourn the May 20, 2026 meeting. Ayes: unanimous 7. Adjourn Meeting 6:53 p.m. Page 4 of 6  Memorandum To: Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Committee From: Joe Masiarchin, Parks and Recreation Director Date: July 10, 2026 Subject: Summer Intern Presentation Eli Laufenburger has served as the Parks & Recreation Intern since May 27, 2026. Throughout his internship, he has assisted with a variety of departmental projects and operations, including participating in stakeholder meetings related to the Facility Study survey initiative, preparing program materials for youth camps and recreation programs, expanding the department's library of park and program photographs, and assisting with park maintenance initiatives. Most recently, Eli has been identifying and documenting the locations of potentially hazardous willow trees along city trails to support future maintenance efforts. Upon completion of his internship, Eli will return to Bethel University for his senior year, where he is pursuing degrees in Missional Ministries, Organizational Communication with an emphasis in Leadership Communication, and Relational Communication. Eli will share a presentation on what he has been working on so far this summer! Page 5 of 6  Memorandum To: Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Committee From: Joe Masiarchin, Parks and Recreation Director Date: July 10, 2026 Subject: Parks System Master Plan-Facility Study Update Staff will provide an update on the Parks System Master Plan/Facility Study. As part of the Parks System Master Plan, a Facility Study was added based on community survey feedback and at the direction of the Mayor and City Council. T wo project team meetings for the Facility Study have been held so farand stakeholder meetings with indoor athletic associations, advisory committee members and community groups were hosted in late May. The stakeholder meetings were an opportunity for these various groups to provide feedback and recommendations on what they would like to see included in an indoor community space. An online survey was sent to program participants, renters and other groups on June 15 and remained open for responses through July 10. A total of 803 responses were received and overall found that the public is largely satisfied with the condition of current facilities.These results were presented to City Council by staff and HKGi at the July 6 City Council meeting. The survey summary and presentationwill be discussed at our meeting. Page 6 of 6