Parks and Recreation Board

Maple Grove Parks and Recreation Board Regular meeting May 16, 2024 Regular meeting The regular meeting was called to order by Chair, Bill Lewis at 7:01 p.m. Board members present Present in the chambers were Chair Bill Lewis, Vice Chair John Ferm, Board Members Kelly Cunningham, Andy Mielke, Krista Kuhnly. Board members Board Members absent were: Ken Helvey and Deb Syhre absent Also present Also present in the chambers were: Council Representative Hanson, Chuck Stifter, Parks and Recreation Director; Ben Jaszewski, Parks and Planning Superintendent; Aimee Peterson, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director; and Angie Dehn, Community Center Manager. Approval of agenda Chair Lewis requested Item 7C be discussed prior to Item 7A. Motion made by Vice Chair Ferm, seconded by Board Member Cunningham to approve the agenda for the May 16, 2024 meeting as amended. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were five ayes and no nays. Motion carried. Public comments No requests were received. Special business No items present. Board member reports Board Member Kuhnly congratulated all who performed in the ice show this past weekend. She stated she really enjoyed the animated video that was sent out for the Community Center. Vice Chair Ferm reported he attended the OMGAA opening day celebration. He thanked staff for their support of the OMGAA event. Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 2 Chair Lewis explained he has been to Gleason Fields several times over the past weeks and stated he was extremely impressed by this facility. He commended staff for the manner in which they were maintaining the fields. Board Member Cunningham stated she has been walking and biking a lot of the city’s trails and indicated they were in great condition. Board Member Mielke reported he was at Gleason Fields on Tuesday night for baseball pictures and stated this was a tremendous facility for the City of Maple Grove. Staff reports Director’s report: Director Stifter provided the board with an update on the park development program. He explained, following the recent board work session modifications will be incorporated for the skate park and Lions pavilion once the final allocation is determined at the June 3 joint work session. The program budget will return for board approval at their June meeting. Director Stifter reported the 2023 annual report has been printed for the Park Board and will also be sent to City Council and posted on the city website. Director Stifter stated a Council/Park Board worksession would be held on Monday, June 3 at 5:30 p.m. where phase 2 of the Community Center will be discussed. He indicated the Park Board would also be invited to attend the Monday, June 17 Council worksession where the Park Board model will be discussed. Assistant parks and recreation director’s report: Aimee Peterson commented on the OMGAA event that was held at Gleason Fields. She thanked all of the Park Board members who were able to attend. Ms. Peterson stated a boulevard planting event was held this past weekend. Ms. Peterson explained the city held its first farmers market at Church of the Open Door last week and noted the space Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 3 worked well. She thanked the park keepers for putting up signage to assist residents with finding the new location. Ms. Peterson reported Tails and Ales would be held on Saturday, May 18 from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Central Park. She noted a Wags and Wiggles Walk would be held at 1:30 p.m. Ms. Peterson indicated the Juneteenth Celebration would be held on Wednesday, June 19 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Town Green. Ms. Peterson stated Beyond the Yellow Ribbon would be hosting a Memorial Day event at Central Park on Monday, May 27 at 12:00 p.m. Ms. Peterson reported the parks department had three summer interns that would be working at fields, on events and marketing over the next three months. Board Member Cunningham commended staff for hosting a variety of diverse events for the community. Chair Lewis thanked Church of the Open Door for partnering with the city on the farmers market. Parks and planning superintendent’s report: Ben Jaszewski provided the board with an update on Lakeview Knolls. He explained courts will be painted on Monday if the rain holds off. He anticipated this work would take one week which meant the courts would be available the following week. He stated footings have been installed for the restroom facility and this should be completed by June 10. Mr. Jaszewski provided the board with further information on the skate park relocation. He discussed the proposed timeline for this project and reviewed the manners in which the city would engage with the public. It was estimated the project could be bid as early as early 2025 with construction potentially starting the summer of 2025. Community Center manager’s report: Angie Dehn commented on the events that were hosted for Arbor Day. Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 4 Ms. Dehn commented on the cubing competition that was held at the Community Center. Ms. Dehn reported the Maple Grove Ambassadors held a Mommy, Tea & Me in the banquet room and had a great turnout. Ms. Dehn reviewed the list of upcoming events that would be held at the Community Center. Council liaison’s report: Council Member Hanson stated she had nothing to report. CONSENT BUSINESS Consent business Motion made by Board Member Mielke, seconded by Board Member Cunningham to approve the Consent Items as presented. A. Minutes –April 18, 2024 regular meeting B. Minutes –April 18, 2024 work session meeting C. Approve claims D. 2024 Winter recreation participation report E. 2024 First quarter Community Center participation report F. Fee waiver request – Maria’s Voice Candlelight Vigil G. Authorize requirement – recreation coordinator – athletics H. Subdivision – The Village at Arbor Lakes 16th Addition Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were five ayes and no nays. Motion carried. OLD BUSINESS No items to present. NEW BUSINESS New business, item C Aimee Peterson, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director stated Rotary banner proposal The Maple Grove Rotary requests a partnership project with the city to place banners around West Arbor Lake. The Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 5 program would utilize the 16 light poles that have double banner arms to display banners that represent the city and the Rotary mission. A total of 32 double sided banners would be displayed around West Arbor Lake trails. Eight unique banner styles would repeat four times to complete the trail loop. The Rotary would be responsible for all costs associated with the production of the banners. Board staff would install all banners. The timeline would have the banners in place for summer programming. Rotary Mission: We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. Ms. Peterson explained the Rotary has provided our community many hours of volunteerism and beautiful amenities. This request is another opportunity to partner with the Rotary. When this request was received staff had concerns with the messaging. Staff worked with the Rotary to modify the banner art and message so it was more community based. Staff continues to have concerns with the proposal in general. If the board were to agree to post one organizations signage it may be seen as an endorsement of that organization’s message and may encourage other organizations to ask for similar favorable spotlighting in a manner that the city or Park Board could not or would not want to accommodate. Ms. Peterson reported a distinction can be drawn between a banner carrying a message and a naming rights agreement or identification of an organization’s contribution to some feature or amenity. There is less concern about things that have independent utility to city residents (e.g. a pavilion or play area) or naming rights and advertising under contractual arrangements. Those things are viewed very differently than items that are, more than anything else, vehicles for communicating an organization’s viewpoint. Staff are grateful for the contributions the Rotary has made to our community but don’t feel it’s in the board’s best interest to allow banners with the organization’s message be displayed for an extended period on public land. Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 6 Conrad Grev, Rotary Club member, discussed the purpose of the banners, which was to educate and assist with a positive attitude while in the city’s parks, while also pursuing more Rotary members. He reported the Rotary would be hosting an event later this summer that would honor first responders and their families. Dale Bossen, Rotary Club member, commented further on how the Rotary Club was involved in the community by removing buckthorn and planting trees. He stated the Rotary Club was interested in posting these banners in order to gain new members. He reported the Rotary Club was a volunteer group made up of Maple Grove residents that works to better the community. Mr. Grev commented on the size and scale of the banners and estimated the banners would last 10 years. Vice Chair Ferm thanked the Rotary Club members for their presentation. He appreciated all of the great work the Rotary Club does in the community. He indicated he feared a project like this could set a precedent and would open the city up to other groups and requests. He stated he saw this project more as promoting the Rotary Club’s values, which may cause conflict in the future. He again thanked the Rotary Club for all of their involvement in the community, but stated for policy purposes, he would not be able to support a project like this moving forward. Motion by Vice Chair Ferm, seconded by Chair Lewis to deny the Rotary Club’s request for the banner project around West Arbor Lake. Board Member Mielke indicated he had many of the same concerns that were expressed by Vice Chair Ferm. He stated while he supports the efforts of the Rotary Club, he saw a conflict in the proposed banners noting this may set a precedent. Board Member Cunningham explained the Rotary Club was a great volunteer organization in the community. She indicated Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 7 she liked the new design versus the first design option. While she appreciated the banner proposal from the Rotary Club, she suggested the Rotary Club pursue another marketing campaign that would be more suitable to meet their goals of retaining new members. Councilmember Hanson stated this matter came before the City Council as well and noted the council recently passed a policy regarding the lighting of Town Green. She explained the policy that was approved was to assist with setting a precedent. She commented on how the City Council supported both the Rotary Club and the Lions, but commented on how a precedent could be set if the city were to allow the Rotary Club to post banners in the city. She discussed how the poles were to be associated more with Maple Grove and city activities. Councilmember Kuhnly stated she agreed with the comments that have been made. She encouraged the Rotary Club to turn the proposed banners into sandwich boards that could be posted at Rotary events, noting this may encourage residents to get involved with the Rotary Club. Chair Lewis thanked Conrad and Dale for attending this meeting. He appreciated how involved the Rotary Club has been in the community over the years. He encouraged the Rotary Club to continue to pursue sponsorships with other organizations in the community. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were five ayes and no nays. Motion carried. New business, item A Ben Jaszewski, Parks and Planning Superintendent stated at the 2024 Court replacement April 18, 2024 work session, the board discussed the future of program the tennis court replacement program, focusing on the potential addition of a hybrid with one tennis, two pickleball court model. This hybrid model increases the amount of dedicated pickleball courts within the system as two pickleball courts are gained for each tennis court conversion. The board directed staff to bring options and data regarding courts and comparable cities to a future Park Board meeting for further discussion and consideration. Staff conducted a review of the current park inventory and the system plan, determining future Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 8 facilities should include pickleball courts and existing tennis courts could be repurposed to accommodate both pickleball and tennis. Mr. Jaszewski explained all city-operated tennis facilities, with the exception of Maple Grove Senior High, have pickleball markings on the tennis courts. However, only three park locations systemwide have dedicated pickleball facilities: Lakeview Knolls, Central Park, and Gleason Fields. Currently, the park system features 44 tennis courts, with 28 of these courts having painted pickleball lines. This exceeds 27, the average number of tennis courts found in cities of similar size. Similarly, the average number of pickleball courts in comparable cities across the U.S. is 10. Trends indicate a significant growth in pickleball usage, with recent annual increases in participation of 50% according to USA Pickleball. This growth is expected to continue, necessitating the addition of more pickleball courts in neighborhood parks throughout the system to meet the anticipated demand. Mr. Jaszewski reported conversely, tennis has shown varying growth rates in recent years, with a lower growth rate of around 3% according to metrics from the National Park and Recreation Association (NRPA). Prior to the Covid pandemic tennis growth rates were trending downward. The map provided illustrates existing dedicated pickleball courts (green pickleball logo) and shared tennis and pickleball courts (black logo) across Maple Grove. Parks circled in green indicate potential locations for the hybrid model as depicted in Attachment C to be constructed when repaving the existing tennis courts. Additionally, planned neighborhood parks in PSA 5, PSA 6, and PSA 24 could also be considered for dedicated pickleball courts or the hybrid model. Boundary Creek, Elm Creek School, Cedar Island School, and Basswood Park, were identified as potential locations for introducing pickleball to an existing tennis court. The courts at these four sites are situated away from residential homes which is goal for pickleball court locations. Elm Creek School is scheduled for court replacement in 2024, Boundary Creek is planned in 2030, Cedar Island in 2035, and Basswood in 2041. The board may also consider additional courts at other park sites if more courts are needed. Furthermore, future phases at Central Park and a future park Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 9 improvement project at Weaver Lake Community Park could include new pickleball facilities. Mr. Jaszewski stated if the hybrid model is adopted for Elm Creek School, the total number of tennis courts system-wide would decrease to 43, while the total number of pickleball courts would increase to 26. If this model was utilized for the other three locations the distribution of courts starts to even out with 40 tennis courts and 32 pickleball courts by 2041. Staff recommends the 2024 court replacement project include the hybrid model tennis and pickleball court be implemented at Elm Creek School, as a test model for future planning efforts. Kerber Park courts are also scheduled for replacement this year and would be repaved as tennis courts with pickleball lines on one court. For future replacement projects the hybrid model will be considered on a case-by-case basis as the board reviews individual projects. Board Member Mielke thanked staff for the detailed analysis and staff report. He appreciated the fact staff had considered how close the courts were to neighboring homes. He reported he was supportive of the hybrid recommendation. Board Member Cunningham stated she tried pickleball last week and found it to be very fun. She indicated she lived in the Kerber neighborhood and she supported staff’s recommendation for this court. She suggested the plans for Boundary Creek be completed sooner rather than later. Vice Chair Ferm thanked staff for the thorough report. He commented on how the direction of the court impacts the noise. He requested staff investigate ways to mitigate noise as the courts are being redone. Mr. Jaszewski reported pickleball and tennis courts are typically north and south facing. He indicated he could investigate the noise from the courts as they are being redone. Chair Lewis indicated the Park Board was charged with managing a high degree of assets on behalf of the community. He stated he was extremely proud of the city’s recent park projects. He appreciated how staff was recommending park refreshes and renovations within this recommendation. He Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 10 also appreciated that this approach would be tested and that staff would be investigating noise levels. Motion by Board Member Mielke, seconded by Board Member Kuhnly to approve the modification of the double tennis court to a hybrid tennis/pickleball court model at Elm Creek School. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were five ayes and no nays. Motion carried. New business, item B Aimee Peterson, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director stated Regulatory park signage staff have developed a park guideline sign package for parks, program courts, and trails. The new signs are updated to include new and updated city ordinances. These changes included updated guidelines around cannabis use, assisted electronic bike use, and pet/dog leash guidelines plus give a fresh look in line with new city and department branding. Staff have established the location of each park sign throughout the park system. Staff are of the opinion; the number of signs could be reduced and the locations could be modified. A system wide map of the proposed sign locations will be presented at an upcoming board meeting. The design concept includes: • Park guideline sign to replace guideline sign at each park. • Court guideline sign to replace all tennis court signs and add to Gleason and Central Park pickleball courts. • Court guideline sign and pickleball program guideline sign for Lakeview Knolls pickleball courts. • Trail guideline sign to add to at trailheads and trail connections. Board Member Cunningham stated she supported the proposed design, font and colors on the signs. Councilmember Hanson explained she appreciated the fact the signs included a “Be Nice” statement. She suggested the trail signs have a curfew instead of trail hours in order to assist in curbing bad behavior. Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 11 Board Member Mielke indicated this was a huge endeavor for the city given the number of signs throughout the city’s parks. He stated he liked the look and design of the proposed signs. He also appreciated the fact the signs would have a QR code. Vice Chair Ferm stated he appreciated the sign layout and look. He asked if electric scooters were allowed in city parks. Director Stifter reported the city follows state statute when it comes to electric pedal assist bicycles. He explained these motorized bicycles are characterized within state statute by their power source and max speed. He indicated scooters were do not fall under that category because they are not pedal assisted. He understood the city received complaints on scooters and the police department worked to educate the public. Vice Chair Ferm indicated he liked Councilmember Hanson’s suggested to have a trail curfew instead of trail hours, but he anticipated those in the park after hours would not be reading the trail signs. For this reason, he recommended the trail sign language remain as recommended by staff. Vice Chair Ferm hoped that people would be able to self- regulate and be courteous when it came to sharing or rotating the use of the pickleball courts. Board Member Kuhnly suggested a bullet be modified stating “Motorized vehicles are not allowed, including electric scooters”. Board Member Cunningham suggested language be added to the restroom facilities to make the public aware those facilities are monitored by security cameras in order to deter vandalism. Chair Lewis supported this recommendation. Director Stifter stated some good points have been made regarding scooters and indicated the board may consider a work session to discuss vehicle types allowed on city trails. Vice Chair Ferm commented on how other communities have electric scooters for rent and they are used to zip people up Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 12 and down the street. He indicated he had an issue with electric scooters on trails because this could be unsafe. Board Member Mielke stated athletic people on a bicycle could be going just as fast as people on scooters. He suggested this issue be left to staff. Chair Lewis requested staff investigate how other communities were regulating electric scooters and report back to the board at a future meeting. He asked the board should still move forward with the court signs. Ms. Peterson requested the board approve the court signs and noted she would report back to the board with further information on electric scooters at the June meeting. Board Member Cunningham supported the board looking at a dog friendly park space in Maple Grove. Chair Lewis indicated the city did not have an off-leash dog park at this time. Ms. Peterson explained Three Rivers Park District had an off leash dog park in Maple Grove. Councilmember Hanson stated the electric collar language was a hot button. While she understood they were allowed, she understood some members of the council were against them while another member was for them. Ms. Peterson reported the main point was for residents to keep their dogs controlled within six feet of the owner. Chair Lewis suggested staff investigate how other communities were addressing this topic as well. Motion by Vice Chair Ferm, seconded by Board Member Kuhnly to approve the regulatory court signage design and direct staff to complete research and final design on the park, and trail signs for future Board review. Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were five ayes and no nays. Motion carried. Adjournment Motion made by Board Member Kuhnly, seconded by Board Member Cunningham to adjourn. Park Board Meeting May 16, 2024 Page 13 Upon call for the question, on a voice vote, there were five ayes and no nays. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Chuck Stifter, Director Parks and Recreation Board City of Maple Grove