Parks and Recreation Board

MAPLE GROVE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING MAY 20, 2021 Government Center (via WebEx) 7:02 p.m. Regular Meeting The Regular Meeting was called to order by Chair, Bill Lewis at 7:02 p.m. Board Members Present in the Chambers were Vice Chair Ferm, and Board Present Members Ken Helvey, Deb Syhre, Debbie Coss and Andy Mielke, Council Representative Phil Leith, and attending online via WebEx was Chair, Bill Lewis. Board Members Board Members absent was: Kelly Cunningham. Absent Also Present Also present in the Chambers were: Chuck Stifter, Director; Aimee Peterson, Superintendent of Recreation; Eric Lembke, Stantec; Ed O’Donnell, IS Director; Jan Clark, Recording Secretary; and 2 residents. Attending online via WebEx were: Ben Jaszewski, Parks and Planning Superintendent; Lisa Jost, Community Center Manager; Paul Paige, HKGi; and Alan Offerman, Stantec. Approval of Agenda Chair Lewis called for any changes to the agenda. The Director replied consent items D and E have been updated. Motion made by Vice Chair Ferm, seconded by Board Member Coss to approve the agenda for the May 20, 2021 meeting as presented. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. Public Comment No non-agenda public comments were received. Miscellaneous Board Vice Chair Ferm noted that it’s a pleasure to watch all the Member Reports people out enjoying the parks. Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 2 Board Member Syhre inquired if swimming is allowed at Maple Lakes. The Director replied that swimming in public parks where there is not a lifeguarded beach is not allowed. Board Member Syhre asked where the playground is going to go at Rice Lake Elementary due to their remodel. Ben Jaszewski replied he will show a graphic during his staff report. Board Member Syhre thanked staff members who were involved in the boulevard planting event. She noted her family did volunteer and it went very smoothly. She added a resident even stopped by to express her appreciation to the city for the commitment to have community beautification. Board Member Coss echoed her thanks for the boulevard planting noting that it looks great. Board Member Mielke noted now that baseball season is in full swing, he is looking forward to a fruitful discussion tonight regarding the Gleason Fields Athletic Complex project. Miscellaneous Staff Director’s Report: The Director stated on behalf of the Reports department, all are happy about the recent Governor’s Order which will create definite progress and improvement in our operation opportunities. He noted that after May 27th capacity limits and spacing requirements come off, so that really lets us get back to normal operation. Superintendent of Parks and Planning’s Report: Ben Jaszewski showed the layout of Rice Lake Elementary resulting from the school building expansion. He noted that the new location for the playground does allow room for all our existing equipment. Ben added that he will send Board Members a copy of the Rice Lake school and park property re-design. Ben displayed photos of the trail connection from Territorial Greens to the Three Rivers Trail, noting final grading and paving is done. He added that about 165 feet of fencing is still to be installed. Ben showed images from the tree transplanting at Gleason Fields, noting they relocated about 98 trees. Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 3 Ben stated Central Park splash pad will be opening May 28th with no restrictions. Superintendent of Recreation’s Report: Aimee Peterson noted that the first outdoor Farmers Market was May 13th and over 1,500 people attended. She noted that we have a lot of new vendors, entertainment is back and vendors can provide samples. Aimee added that the youth Power of Produce program and frequent shoppers’ program will begin in June. Aimee noted her appreciation for the positive comments regarding the boulevard planting and showed photos of some of the volunteers. She added they had a full roster of 60 volunteers. Aimee displayed photos of the new Intergenerational Garden Club that kicked off today. She noted that it is a free program, but does require registration and it is full with 8 adults and 8 youth. Aimee noted that they had a celebrity guest from Kare11, Bobbie Jensen, who did an educational presentation and then provided practical assistance with planting techniques. Aimee showed pictures of the raised garden containers, noting that Parkkeepers created the elevated platforms and brought in the soil. Aimee stated this is the first full year of normal/non-pandemic usage at Fernbrook Fields, noting that MYSA had their President’s Cup and the state championship games there. Aimee noted that Tanya Huntley, staff liaison to MGCO has been keeping very busy assisting and advising MGCO with the changes to Maple Grove Days that will bring back most of the traditional events as they will no longer be encumbered with restrictions. The biggest change is the recent decision to provide a traditional parade. Aimee stated the city is in the process of launching a new website and she displayed a screenshot of the new Parks and Recreation page. She added that Parks and Recreation pages bring the most traffic to the website and staff is working hard to confirm that new and updated information is posted, in addition to hiring a photographer to get good photos. Board Member Mielke congratulated staff on the awesome look of the new website landing page. Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 4 Community Center Manager’s Report: Lisa Jost noted staff is excited to resume normal operation stating that on May 28, time slot reservations will no longer required. She added that the gymnasium will be the exception which will continue with signups, but at an expanded capacity limit. Lisa noted that regular operating hours will resume, capacity levels will be back to normal and the concession operations at the Community Center, Town Green and Central Park will commence. She added that the outdoor pool season begins May 29. Lisa stated in preparation for increased usage, recruitment for part-time staff is being pushed, with a Job Fair scheduled next week. Lisa added that Adrienne Vassar is very busy getting new lifeguards trained. Lisa noted that maintenance staff is also working hard to prepare for increased clientele usage. Lisa reviewed some recent rentals and events at Town Green including CROSS Community Players rehearsals, graduation parties, wedding, birthdays and baby showers. Lisa displayed a graphic of the proposed in-ice logos that include the Learn To Skate logo and the 25th Year Anniversary emblem. Board Members had no objections. Board Member Mielke noted that 25 years is a great milestone to celebrate. Lisa noted the other big change coming up for staff is the migration from MaxIce for ice reservations and ballfield reservations to a new software; a transition happening in September. Council Liaison’s Report: Council Member Leith noted the Council swore in four new Police Officers Monday. He stated Council met in a work session and previewed the new website and also authorized staff to look at doing Maple Grove’s own convention and visitors bureau. Council Member Leith noted that Shake Shack is starting construction soon, Minnesota Play Café is having a ribbon Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 5 cutting on May 7th and Boston Scientific is holding a groundbreaking for their new building on Monday. Council Member Leith stated that the Lions Club was all set to announce the entertainment line-up for the Concert on The Lawn, but one of the acts cancelled, so the announcement is being pushed back for a couple of weeks. He added that the concert will now be a 2-day event, with Friday night being country music and Saturday will be more on the rock theme. CONSENT BUSINESS Consent Business Chair Lewis invited the Parks and Planning Superintendent to introduce the two new Parkkeepers. Ben Jaszewski introduced Sam McNellis who has been with the City Street Department as a light equipment operator since 2015. He has a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and is a certified arborist. Mr. McNellis noted he is excited to be part of the team. Ben introduced Teng Vang who has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, policy and management. He was a specialty services supervisor for Rainbow Tree Care and has experience with gardens, plants and horticulture. Teng thanked Board and staff for the opportunity to work with the city. Chair Lewis welcomed Mr. McNellis and Mr. Vang. Motion made by Board Member Coss, seconded by Board Member Helvey to approve the Consent Items as presented. A. Minutes – April 15, 2021 Regular Meeting B. Disbursements C. PT Employees D. Appointment – Parkkeeper E. Appointment – Parkkeeper F. 2022 Parks and Recreation Fee Schedule - Preliminary G. 2022 Community Center Rental Rates - Preliminary H. 2021 Trail Sealcoat Award I. 2021 Hard Court Sealcoat Award Chair Lewis inquired about the sealcoating costs coming in around $5,000 more than estimate. Ben Jaszewski replied that Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 6 both shipping and material inflation are causing increases in costs across the board. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. OLD BUSINESS Old Business, Item A The Director stated on May 4th we did receive two bids, noting Gleason Fields that this bid package was set up utilizing a General Contractor process. He said that the bids came in very high; 30% over cost Athletic Complex – estimates. The Director stated it appeared bidders were not very Receive Bids interested in bidding, as bidders gave us some really high numbers on things that typically wouldn't be high and shouldn't have been affected by commodities or workforce. The Director noted we just don’t have the dollars to throw at this, so we need to consider another approach on how to continue with the rebuilding of this project. This project is going to be an excellent project for this community, but we do have to be fiscally responsible. The Director stated the motion is to reject the bids and develop a strategy to move forward. Chair Lewis asked the Director to detail the two rebid alternatives. The Director stated that Alternative 1 recommends staying on a similar timeline as the current plan and to work with the bidders more closely to guide them on some of the items they had trouble getting good bids for. He noted this method would be an attempt to put forth a plan with a timeline that would be as expedient as possible, but allow us enough time to go through a redesign to get the project closer in line with the estimates. The Director stated that Alternative 2 would be to do a rebid with a redesign, taking our time to follow the market more closely and get a better feel for when material supplies might balance out. The Director asked Board Members if they would like to move on this as quickly as possible with the design slightly modified or would they like staff to look at a redesign to get closer to the targeted budget? Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 7 Eric Lembke from Stantec spoke to the Board, noting they were surprised at the bids and spent extensive time talking with contractors about the project to get a better understanding of where the shortcomings were and how the bids were received. Mr. Lembke noted it was apparent that we didn’t get the coverage that we wanted for several reasons; including there were other projects out for bid at the same time. He added a project such as this should normally attract around 7-11 bids, but once people knew there were only two bidders, there wasn’t much competition and prices reflected that. He added that bidders couldn’t get some of their numbers pulled together as supply chains are only guaranteeing their prices for up to 15 days, so bidders built that factor into their bidding prices. Mr. Lembke observed that much of the costs revolved around the buildings as steel prices are extremely high, adding that Alternative 1 would not get them back to the original $9.2 million estimate. Mr. Lembke noted that now bidders are familiar with the project, the sooner the bids go out again, the better as he is not confident that waiting until January is going to be a whole lot better prices. Mr. Paul Paige, from HKGi noted that the recurring message that they heard from the general contractors is that people are just really busy, and the capacity for work from some of the subcontractors that are key to the project, resulted in the generals having a hard time to compile the numbers. Vice Chair Ferm stated that Alternative 1 shows a possible savings of 1.5-2 million dollars, which still puts us way over budget. He noted he is leaning toward option 2. Vice Chair Ferm added that maybe we could look at the materials for the buildings and not use as much steel. He stated maybe do the project in stages. He observed that there's always inflation and things are always going up, but we need to push this out a little bit, and see what changes we could possibly do to make this a little more reasonably priced and get some good bids. Board Member Coss stated that she reluctantly agrees with Vice Chair Ferm and supports delaying the project for a bit. Board Member Mielke also concurred with Alternative 2, noting that a 2 million dollar savings is still outside the price range. He added that some of the material costs are still going to be pretty high, so we probably need to go back to the drawing Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 8 board, try to trim some things up a little bit, hopefully get a better bid and maybe get 2-3 times more bidders. He added that the baseball season is basically over by mid-July, so 2022 season is already lost for use at Gleason. Board Member Mielke agreed with maybe doing the project in stages, such as delaying the pavilion. Board Member Syhre stated that she agrees with Alternative 2 in that we need to be responsible while still meeting the needs of the community. She added that we have the ability to be creative and make it look amazing and still be fiscally responsible. Board Member Helvey expressed his disappointment that we even considered an 11-million-dollar project, which we simply do not have. He noted that the budget is 9 million dollars, so we have to look at modifications. He added we need to focus on any redesign to work toward that 9-million-dollar budget, and if we realize cost savings through the alternative process or getting better bids, then maybe we put things back in with the alternates. Chair Lewis echoed Board Member Helvey’s remarks, noting that with the help of the consultants, we are going to figure out what we need to do for our next step to create a park complex we will be proud of. He summarized that Board Members agreed to pursue Alternative 2. The Director clarified Alternative 2 in the agenda item write-up did indicate pushing out a year, and wanted to stress that we certainly will not lock ourselves into that timeline. He stated staff and consultants will look at a redesign that meets the targeted budget, and the Board will have more opportunity for input and to give us guidance on how you want to land on this. Chair Lewis reaffirmed that the motion is to approve the resolution rejecting all bids. Motion by Vice Chair Ferm, seconded by Board Member Syhre to approve Resolution 21-069 PB rejecting all bids for the Gleason Fields Athletic Complex and Site Improvements. Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 9 Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. NEW BUSINESS New Business, Item A Ben Jaszewski stated this is a 4-story apartment complex with Subdivision Mn 169 units located within Park Service Area 9. He noted there is a park planned with trails and playlot on the north side of this Health Village 55+ plat, and the land obligation for that was satisfied in the Minnesota Health Village 2nd Addition. Motion by Board Member Helvey, seconded by Board Member Coss to approve the preliminary and final park dedication requirements on Minnesota Health Village 55+ plat pursuant to Maple Grove Subdivision Ordinance, Chapter 30:18, Provision of Land for Public Use: • Applicant will fulfill the park dedication requirements on the plat with a cash dedication based upon the number of units multiplied by the residential rate in effect at the time the plat is released by the City for recording. • Applicant may pay the fee at any time after the final plat has been approved by the City Council, but it must be paid before the plat is released for filing with the County. The final cash dedication is based on the rate at the time the dedication is paid. Rates are reviewed annually by the City Council at their first meeting in February. This may affect the final cash dedication requirements. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. New Business, Item B Ben Jaszewski stated this is a grocery store and multi-tenant Subdivision TriCare retail building located on County Road 10 and Garland Lane, next to AutoZone. 5th Board Member Helvey observed that 15,000 square feet is pretty small for a grocery store. Motion by Board Member Coss, seconded by Board Member Helvey to approve the preliminary and final park dedication requirements on the Tricare 5th Addition plat Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 10 pursuant to Maple Grove Subdivision Ordinance, Chapter 30:18, Provision of Land for Public Use: • Applicant shall fulfil the park dedication requirements on the plat with a cash dedication based upon the acreage multiplied by the commercial rate in effect at the time the plat is released by the City for recording. • Applicant may pay the fee at any time after the final plat has been approved by the City Council, but it must be paid before the plat is released for filing with the County. The final cash dedication is based on the rate at the time the dedication is paid. Rates are reviewed annually by the City Council at their first meeting in February. This may affect the final cash dedication requirements. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. New Business, Item C Ben Jaszewski stated this is a multi-tenant medical office Subdivision Maple building between Niagara Lane and Maple Grove Parkway, north of Highway 610. He added that future plans are Grove Medical Office anticipated for this Park Service Area 5 that includes trails and a Building neighborhood park when residential development occurs. Motion by Vice Chair Ferm, seconded by Board Member Mielke to approve the preliminary and final park dedication requirements on the Maple Grove Medical Office Building plat pursuant to Maple Grove Subdivision Ordinance, Chapter 30:18, Provision of Land for Public Use: • Applicant shall fulfil the park dedication requirements on the plat with a cash dedication based upon the acreage multiplied by the commercial rate in effect at the time the plat is released by the City for recording. • Applicant may pay the fee at any time after the final plat has been approved by the City Council, but it must be paid before the plat is released for filing with the County. The final cash dedication is based on the rate at the time the dedication is paid. Rates are reviewed annually by the City Council at their first meeting in February. This may affect the final cash dedication requirements. Park Board Meeting May 20, 2021 Page 11 Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. Adjournment Motion made by Board Member Coss, seconded by Board Member Helvey to adjourn. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were six ayes and no nays. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jan Clark, Recording Secretary and Chuck Stifter, Director Parks and Recreation Board City of Maple Grove