Parks and Recreation Board

MAPLE GROVE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING APRIL 16, 2020 Government Center via WebEx) 7: 00 p. m. Regular Meeting The Regular Meeting was called to order by Chair, Bill Lewis at 7: 00 p. m. Chair Lewis noted that the meeting is being held via WebEx and broadcasted by CCX. Board Members Present in the Chambers was Chair, Bill Lewis and attending Present online via WebEx were Vice Chair, John Ferm and Board Members: Ken Helvey, Deb Syhre, Debbie Coss and Kelly Cunningham. Board Members Board Member absent was: none. Absent Also Present Also present were: Chuck Stifter, Director; Phil Leith, Council Representative; Ben Jaszewski, Parks and Planning Superintendent; Aimee Peterson, Superintendent of Recreation; Lisa Jost, Community Center Manager; Kirsten Bansen-Weigle, Program Specialist; Frank Weber, retired CC Operations Supervisor; Ed O' Donnell, IS Director; and Jan Clark, Recording Secretary. Approval of Agenda Chair Lewis called for any changes to the agenda. The Director replied there were none. Motion made by Vice Chair Ferm, seconded by Board Member Cunningham to approve the agenda for the April 16, 2020 meeting as presented. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. Public Comment One public comment was received via email and was read aloud by Chair Lewis from Yvon Lynch regarding her opposition to playgrounds being open. Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 2 Miscellaneous Board Board Member Helvey noted that he observed the outside Member Reports Farmers Market today and noted that it was well managed and coordinated. Board Member Syhre gave an update on MGCO and their planning for Maple Grove Days this summer. Board Member Syhre stated that the MGCO Board is monitoring other metro festivals, noting that 14 out of 32 have cancelled. She added that MGCO will base their final decision with the priority of keeping the public safe. Board Member Syhre noted that she liked the Fernbrook Fields and Central Park marketing brochures. Board Member Cunningham noted that the trails really look clean and that she appreciates the Park maintenance crew' s work. Board Member Coss state that she too, drove by the Farmers Market and thought it looked very well organized. Chair Lewis noted that he has been touring the parks lately and he wants to thank staff for staying on top of situations. Council Member Leith noted that staff has done a good job of keeping people up to date with their newsworthy memos. He added that the City website has a list of good resources residents can use during reduced access to the Government Center. Miscellaneous Staff Director' s Report: The Director thanked Council Member Reports Leith for drawing attention to newsworthy. The Director stated that staff has done a phenomenal job doing critical work, priority work and their willingness to be reassigned; of which he is very proud. Superintendent of Parks and Planning' s Report: Ben Jaszewski briefly described current tasks being done by Parkkeepers, including helping out with painting and tiling projects in the Community Center, painting park sign lettering green, sweeping trails, tree trimming and Dome take -down. Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 3 Ben stated that as part of the Timbercrest Drive project, Donahue South will be used as a storage location for excavated fill material. Vice Chair Ferm asked if the dirt is just being staged at the Donahue South site, or will it be left to use for improvements to the grade. Ben replied that some will be left for grading improvements to the park. Ben Jaszewski displayed a map showing where the prescribed burn will be done around West Arbor Lake. He noted the burn will be done in stages in late April or early May and is done to maintain native plants and control weeds. He added that notices will go out. Ben briefly discussed three project updates; the Woodland Ponds boardwalk replacement, Fernbrook Fields punchlist items, and the Veterans Memorial steel sign and light shroud. Board Member Helvey asked about the alternate bid details for the Woodland Ponds boardwalk lookout and overlook features. Ben replied that he will have those estimates available next week. The Director further noted that the boardwalk replacement will contain these two amenities/ features as separate alternates to the project. Superintendent of Recreation' s Report: Aimee Peterson detailed the refunds and cancellations of the spring recreation programs and park rentals. Aimee noted that summer adult and youth athletics have not yet been cancelled, but rather will be delayed and modified for numbers if need be. She added that metro athletics are all trying to align with other cities. Aimee detailed the list of special events and their current status. Aimee Peterson displayed social media posts and signs with guidance on social distancing that have been placed in parks. She added recreation staff have been visiting high use parks as Park Ambassadors to educate the public about park guidelines. Aimee noted that programmers have gotten creative with offering new programs that work within the social distancing guidelines; including a new daily yoga pose, a spring egg delivery and a May Day packet that includes a growing kit from Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery. She added that the egg and May Day packages also include marketing items for the Community Center. Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 4 Aimee noted that the scheduled boulevard planting will be limited to one flower bed per family and that Town Green performances might have to be delayed and/ or modified. Aimee displayed infographics on how many people have been reached via social media. She also displayed the many positive comments Playhouse Preschool teacher, Gayle Selsback has received regarding that online book reading that she is doing on the Playhouse Preschool Facebook page. Board Member Cunningham stated that she likes the guideline signs set up in the parks that are concise and readable. She stated that she really appreciates all the hard work Aimee and her staff are doing. Board Member Coss inquired if the online story telling is limited to Playhouse participants only, or for everyone. Aimee replied it' s available to anyone who follows the Playhouse Preschool Facebook page. Board Member Coss noted that it should probably be also promoted on the Parks and Recreation Facebook page. Board Member Syhre inquired how families who have already volunteered to do the boulevard planting will be notified if there are changes. Aimee replied that Tanya will be calling them. Chair Lewis noted that he has heard from friends who are very happy that staff has been reaching out to seniors by telephone. Community Center Manager' s Report: Lisa Jost reviewed the positive impact created by the American Red Cross blood drives that have been held in the gym. She noted how the closure of the Community Center has impacted memberships, ice rental customers and room rental customers. She added that all parties have been contacted and some of the rentals did reschedule. Lisa noted that the shared resources with the Parkkeepers has been tremendous, and that she really appreciates Ben and his staff. Lisa briefly described current tasks being done by Community Center staff; including sanitizing and deep cleaning the Maze, kitchen and teen center; repairs in the pool; family changing room locker repainting; and immediately doing the Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 5 annual shut -down of the arena. Lisa displayed a photo of the west rink boards that will be straightened. She noted that the arena floor is now being stripped and new paint will be forthcoming. Lisa showed a sketch of a potential logo that will be painted under the ice. Board Member Cunningham asked if the logo could be more elaborate. Lisa noted that a design has to be somewhat simple as it loses clarity under the ice. Lisa noted that the Food Service Coordinator is checking on concessions that are nearing expiration dates and if they can be donated to community resources or food shelves. Lisa added that Community Center staff are looking at other ways to reach out to the community and displayed a photo of hearts and the words " We miss you" in the Maze windows. Chair Lewis stated that he is impressed that staff is showing more than just a casual interest in best utilizing the time while the Community Center is closed, such as pulling forward the annual area shut -downs. Board Members Cunningham, Syhre and Coss expressed an interest in having the deep cleaning program scheduled more often. The Director agreed that cleanliness is a high priority, but that staff has to be mindful that it comes at a cost in the number of days the area would be closed to the public, in addition to dedicated staff time. Lisa Jost completed her staff report by thanking Frank Weber for over 23 years of phenomenal service as Community Center Operations Supervisor and congratulated him on his retirement. Chair Lewis welcomed Frank to the meeting via WebEx. Frank Weber stated that he feels truly honored by the opportunity to have spent a career with the City of Maple Grove, and that he really appreciates the guidance, friendship and patience he received from the Park Board. He added that he worked with a wonderful staff, and assured the Board that staff will get the job done for them —they will always come through. The Director stated that it' s been a joy to work with Frank, a passionate and committed employee, and he always appreciated Frank' s candor and receptiveness to figure out the best way to deliver services to the public. Frank endured many expansions and program growth, change of leadership, coaching staff Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 6 through changes, etc.; and there' s a lot of respect for how he dealt with and managed it all. Board Member Helvey noted that with all the work that Frank did, he wanted to especially thank him for the new sound system in the arena. Council Member Leith thanked Frank for all his years of service, especially for his help with the Lions events that were held at the Community Center site. Board Members individually thanked Frank, siting specifically from Board Member Coss that Frank was a great idea man and from Board Member Syhre that Frank was always cool and calm when an urgent issue came up during Maple Grove Days. Chair Lewis stated that Frank has been through a lot of projects and issues over the years and wanted to thank him for everything he' s done for the department and city. Program Specialist, Chair Lewis said that we know Kirsten from her high visibility with the Farmers Market, but we will also hear about her work Farmers Market/ Sponsorships Annual with sponsorships and the leadership she also provides with that. Report Kirsten Bansen- Weigle noted that Park Board Members have received the report and infographics for 2019 Farmers Market and sponsorships. She stated that her job responsibilities are two -fold; overseeing the Farmers Market and managing sponsored items within the parks. Kirsten noted that last year she added another event -based sponsorship and helped out the Concert On the Lawn with sponsorship development. Kirsten stated that she works with people who want to sponsor bricks at the Angel of Hope and, new for 2019, pavers at the Veterans Memorial. We also offer a number of sponsored benches in the parks. She added that an important aspect of sponsorships is to assure that we are keeping very accurate records with a great understanding about where all these sponsored items are, who sponsored them and what is inscribed on them. Kirsten said that she is working on modernizing the record keeping. Kirsten Bansen- Weigle stated 2019 was a wonderful year at the Farmers Market with a great set of vendors. MG Farmers Market represents about 40 local farms and businesses. Some make a small amount of money, but for some, this is their Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 7 livelihood doing several markets a week and they rely on markets for a big chunk of their family income. Kirsten stated that fostering close relationships with the vendors is really paying off now that we are having to do the market in a whole new way in light of social distancing. She is very pleased with the outcome of today' s Fanners Market, considering it was only 40 degrees and in the middle of a pandemic. It was not the bustling crowd that we' re used to, but we did serve 14 of our farmers and food makers who were very grateful to have the chance to offer goods at a time that is typically a very lean season for them. Kirsten noted that in view of how we understand this virus transmits, as it is not a food -borne illness, best practices are still social distancing and washing your hands. Staff also pivoted to encourage vendors to develop an online presence and to publish their menus with the product they would have for sale that day, making it possible for shoppers to place pre -orders. The menus were published on Monday and by Wednesday had 1, 400 visits. Vendors thought it really did pay off, as shoppers were able to just pick up their orders, which kept things moving. Kirsten concluded by thanking the Park Board for their support, especially since the Farmers Market was not an assured event during this pandemic, even though the Governor has recognized markets as essential sources of local foods. She feels good that we were able to honor the commitment we' ve made to our vendors. Board Member Helvey said he appreciates that staff was very engaged with everybody and did a good job. He suggested that perhaps the market could maybe be open a little bit longer from time to time. Board Member Cunningham stated that her neighbor was there today and thought it was wonderful. Board Member Coss stated what a nice chance to work out the kinks in a soft -opening. She thought that the summer market hours are from 3: 00- 7: 00 pm. Kirsten replied yes, summer is 3: 00- 7: 00 p. m. Kirsten noted that the first two outdoor markets were originally supposed to be indoors which close at 6: 00 p.m. Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 8 She added that they like to get their vendors home while it' s still daylight, as these farmers are up at the break of dawn. Board Member Syhre inquired if the vendors are required to wear masks. Kirsten replied that they were encouraged to, but not required. She added that it will be a stronger recommendation next market. Kirsten noted that they did double up on the depth of the vendor tables to create distancing between vendor and shopper. Chair Lewis noted that when the governor laid out his plan for essential services, he was very pleased to see farmers markets on the list. He also emphasized that sponsorships are really important. Chair Lewis said that he knows a number of people who have been touched by the opportunity to create a memorial for an individual purpose and sponsorships make for such a well-rounded inventory of how we serve the community. He thanked Kirsten for her leadership. Board Member Cunningham asked if the pavers at the Angel of Hope are still planned to be installed in May. Kirsten replied that there has been a slight delay in the engraving process; however they should be installed in May. Kirsten added that the Friends of The Angel are the hosts of the dedication ceremony for spring bricks, but they are considering to combine the spring and fall dedication events together, so perhaps in November. Aimee Peterson complimented Kirsten on all her hard work and expertise, including securing a grant for the Concert on The Lawn. Aimee said that she feels very fortunate that Kirsten is versatile in a lot of areas and to watch how she quickly shifted to make the Farmers Market happen. Aimee stated that she is proud of Kirsten who has become a leader in her field. The Director added that to deliver a market in the condition that we have now and knowing that we have a competent leader in that area to deliver that, makes him feel very comfortable and he is proud of her management of that. CONSENT BUSINESS Consent Business The Director noted that Consent Item D is being pulled and will be presented next month. Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 9 Motion made by Vice Chair Ferm, seconded by Board Member Cunningham to approve the Consent Items as amended. A. Minutes —March 19, 2020 Regular Meeting B. Disbursements C. Winter Recreation Attendance Report D. CC Usa c Report ( pulled) E. OMGAA Sale of Concessions Agreement F. Fee Waiver Request — American Red Cross Board Member Syhre inquired what months the Winter Recreation Attendance Report covered. Aimee Peterson replied that she will get back to her with exact dates. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes, no nays. Motion carried. NEW BUSINESS Old Business, Item A The Director noted this is a report for the preliminary year-end 2019 Budget Re -Cap 2019 budget provided by the Finance Department. He added that he commends staff on doing an excellent job of managing the budget in 2019, meeting the targeted budget in most areas. The General Fund had a positive balance of about $ 180, 000. The Director noted that Community Center Enterprise was down a bit from their typical target recovery, due to chemical challenges and project challenges that were beyond their control. We will be targeting revenue generation as a goal in the coming years, as opposed to reducing expenses. He added that for a building of this size, expenditures are already very lean. The Director noted that the Sports Dome had some mechanical issues also in 2019 that impacted that budget, but that will get back to normal as the mechanical problems have been repaired. He added that staff is working closely with the School District on the Dome turf replacement. Board Member Syhre inquired how many years is the City responsible for the music consortium. Aimee replied that Maple Grove has been the fiscal agent since inception and that probably won' t change. Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 10 Motion made by Board Member Cunningham, seconded by Board Member Syhre to receive the 2019 Parks and Recreation preliminary year- end budget report. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. Old Business, Item B Ben Jaszewski stated that we had a good turnout of bids; 7 this 2020 Park Paving year compared to only 2 in 2019 and 3 in 2018. He noted that the low bidder is Barber Construction who was also our Award contractor last year and they did a great job. Ben noted that our engineer' s estimate was a bit low, which was also the case when we last replaced hard courts, so he is going to be sure to update those estimates next year. Board Member Cunningham inquired how staff reviews the companies that are bidding. Ben replied that the bid packet gets very specific about how we want things done. The Director added there are contractor qualifications included in the bid package, including a bid bond. He noted that if we were to deal with other than a proven contractor such as Barber, staff would reach out to that bidder and ask them for references on comparable projects they have performed. Chair Lewis added that the contractor does have to meet the qualifications and cover all the required elements, so the term low bid actually means low qualified bid. Motion made by Board Member Syhre, seconded by Board Member Cunningham to accept the low qualified bid and award the 2020 Parks Paving Project to Barber Construction Inc. in the amount of $371, 637. 50 plus a 10 percent contingency. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. NEW BUSINESS Adjournment Motion made by Board Member Syhre, seconded by Board Member Helvey to adjourn. The Chair thanked Council Member Leith for Council support, thanked the Board their patience in working through new technology, and thanked staff for doing the very best that they Park Board Meeting April 16, 2020 Page 11 can do; they are on the leading edge of many things, in many ways. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 9: 23 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jan Clark, Recording Secretary and Chuck Stifter, Director Parks and Recreation Board City of Maple Grove