Parks & Recreation Commission

CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS, DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION MEETING OCTOBER 19, 2022 The October meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. 1. Call to Order – Chair Bob Klepperich called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Roll Call – The following Commissioners were present: Chair Bob Klepperich, Commissioners: Jaffrey Blanks, Stephanie Meyer, Michelle Muller, and Amy Smith; absent: Commissioner Patrick Cotter, and Dan Sherer. Student Representative: Meg Murphy. Staff present: Parks and Recreation Manager, Meredith Lawrence, Recreation Program Coordinator Matt Colwell, and Public Works Director, Ryan Ruzek. 3. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 4. Approval of Agenda Motion Blanks/second Smith to approve the agenda AYES 5: NAYS 0 5.a Approval of Minutes from September 13, 2022 Regular Meeting Motion Blanks/second Smith to approve the minutes of the September 13, 2022 Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting. AYES 5: NAYS 0 6. Citizen Comment Period (for items not on the agenda) None. 7. Acknowledgement of Reports Chair Klepperich read the titles of the three updates (Par 3, Recreation, and Park Improvement Updates) and polled the Commissioners for questions. 7.a Par 3 Update Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence briefly reviewed the 2022 August Financial Report. She also provided a round report with data from 2018 through 2022. She reviewed the course report, noting that typically the course closes around November 1st. 7.b Recreation Update Recreation Coordinator Matt Colwell highlighted recent and upcoming recreation and programing opportunities and events. Commissioner Smith asked if additional volunteers are needed for the Trick or Teeing event. Mr. Colwell replied that he believed there were enough volunteers but any additional that may be interested could reach out to him. Commissioner Smith asked if the City is participating in a winter gymnastics program in coordination with Two Rivers High School. Mr. Colwell replied that there are not plans to hold a winter gymnastics program with the schools noting that they have been coordinating a gymnastics program with West Saint Paul in recent years and provided details. Commissioner Smith voiced concerns that many programs are moving to West Saint Paul and would like to see more of the city’s programs remain in Mendota Heights. 7.c Parks Improvement Update Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence provided an update on parks improvement projects and noted that the Bike Pedestrian Plan is almost finalized. She commented that the dugout work has not yet begun at the three parks and if not completed this year it would need to be done right away in the spring to be ready for the spring baseball season. She stated that staff has begun the process for the 2023 projects and provided an update. Commissioner Muller asked for clarification on the Wentworth warming house as she believed that was declined by the City Council. Ms. Lawrence stated that the Council denied the recommendation because there was not a plan in place for funding. She explained that in the preliminary budget discussions, the Council agreed on an amount for a warming house and then provided direction to demo the existing warming house and allow the use of a temporary trailer this year. She confirmed that the project has been scaled down to match the scale of the other warming houses and therefore it will not include bathrooms, water fountains or a large-scale meeting space. Chair Klepperich commented that Commissioner Blanks has volunteered to take his place on the skate park committee and noted that one additional member from the Commission would be needed. Ms. Lawrence stated that staff has reached out to the previous members to determine if they are still interested in participating. She noted that there are some new members that have reached out with interested as well. She stated that she would also like two members from the Commission to work on the RFP for the playground, similar to the Marie Park playground replacement process. Commissioner Meyer asked if there would be a possibility that additional funds could be allocated from the special parks fund for bathrooms in the Wentworth warming house. She stated that was a change that she did not fully appreciate. Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek commented that the cost to have that type of structure was upwards of $1,000,000 and that was why the scale was reduced. Commissioner Meyer recognized the cost increases post-COVID and asked if those increases are anticipated to remain. She stated that she would hate to go forward with a reduced project when the original concept was to have water and bathrooms. She stated that she would like the Council to consider that. Commissioner Muller agreed that access to running water is a service for the entire community. Chair Klepperich stated that was discussed with the City Council and at the budget hearing and those were the decisions made. He stated that they would have had a new warming house at Wentworth two years ago, but the decision was made to go bigger and better which became cost prohibitive and therefore they are back at the typical scale. He noted that the addition of bathrooms comes with a list of other costs that makes the project not feasible. He commented that they can certainly revisit this at a future meeting if desired. Mr. Ruzek commented that when he did the final walkthrough with the DNR, they recommended that the City apply for their grants for park improvements. He stated that perhaps that would be an eligible expense for the grant and noted that he would recommend that the City always apply for the DNR grant. Motion Smith/second Blanks to acknowledge the staff reports. AYES 5: NAYS 0 8. New Business 8.a MHAA Presentation Chair Klepperich stated that they have heard a lot from MHAA baseball/softball but not much from the other sports and therefore he and Commissioner Blanks believed this would be an opportunity to hear from other sports in the organization. Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence stated that representatives are present to provide input on their sport. Bryce Anderson, MHAA Lacrosse Commissioner, provided an overview on the youth lacrosse 2022 operations as well as the youth lacrosse coaching resources and requirements. He reviewed the 2022 youth lacrosse participation numbers in each age category and identified the parks and recreation assistance needs for Kensington Park. Chair Klepperich thanked Mr. Anderson for sharing this information. Commissioner Smith asked if lacrosse prefers playing on turf or grass. Mr. Anderson replied that in mid-summer they would not prefer turf, but it would be helpful in earlier times of the season. He stated that they are satisfied with Kensington. Commissioner Blanks asked the total number of kids participating. Mr. Anderson replied 66 kids this year. He stated that when he got involved eighth grade was the gap and continues to the be problem as there are not enough kids at that level. He commented that currently the seventh grade is a large class. Commissioner Muller asked if Two Rivers currently has a girls and boys’ team. Mr. Anderson replied that the school previously partnered with another school for those teams. He commented that many kids start lacrosse late, such as the high school level. Commissioner Muller commented that she walked through Kensington this summer and one of the coaches gave her son a ball to practice with. She stated that he enjoyed watching and has been practicing at home. Ms. Lawrence commented that MHAA owns the lacrosse goals. She noted that the City does provide soccer goals and therefore if the goals are in rough shape, perhaps it would be time for the City to purchase lacrosse goals. Mr. Anderson noted that he includes the goals and netting in his budget and agreed that would be helpful for the City to supply that item. He reviewed the different items that are included in the calculation of user fees. Andrew Katz, In-House MHAA Soccer Director, stated that their season runs mid-August through early October. He provided background information on the previous participation numbers of the soccer program, noting that the program has grown. They had to move to the District 197 fields as the City did not have space to accommodate their participants. He reported 945 kids participating in the 2022 season which is the highest level they have experienced. He stated that they have the largest number of kids at the youngest age levels, and it filters down as they move up. He noted that at least half of the kids in the program are from the zip codes of the local school districts. He explained that they are a very popular program and there are children coming from other communities to play here. He stated that MHAA offers the community rec program and then at the 5/6 grade levels they partner with the Salvo Soccer Club and those kids have the opportunity to play children from other communities. He explained some of the other benefits of partnering with the soccer club. He stated that in terms of how the City could assist; at this point they would ask for a stronger partnership between the City and SALVO to be established. He also asked for leeway on some of the tournament scheduling deadlines in the future. Commissioner Smith asked if it would help if Salvo was on the priority list at the same level as MHAA for field rental applications. Mr. Katz replied that would be a tough question because it would depend on the season. He noted that Salvo would have other field options in other communities. He stated that he would still prioritize the MHAA ask over the Salvo ask. Commissioner Muller commented that she thinks there was a disconnect with MHAA and Salvo this year, noting that families could not access team rosters on MHAA’s website anymore. She commented that it seems like Salvo is taking control. Mr. Katz replied that MHAA used Sports Engine like the rest of MHAA sports, but Salvo used a different system and wanted to move the MHAA teams to that system. He recognized that it did not work as intended. He stated that they will be reviewing that in the postseason review, along with other technical issues. Commissioner Muller commented that for families that have been in the community and have seen the program grow, they were very caught off guard this past year with those changes. She stated that she had a parent that felt strongly about moving fields back to Mendota Heights but recognized that there are not enough fields in the community to serve the program. She commented on the negative experience with the bathrooms this year at Heritage. Mr. Katz stated that they had issues with the portable bathrooms this year and will not be using that vendor again. He stated that he will forward that issue of confusion in receiving communication from Salvo versus MHAA. Commissioner Muller asked if Mr. Katz believes that MHAA will be able to keep an in-house program through sixth grade. Mr. Katz confirmed that they would continue to offer their in-house program. He noted that soccer has a large budget and subsidizes other MHAA programs. He reviewed the goals of the soccer program. Commissioner Blanks commented that the program is quite a bit larger than he thought and appreciated the information. He commented that they are doing great work and hoped that they continue to do so. Chair Klepperich thanked Mr. Katz for his presentation and for his service on the Planning Commission. He thanked both Mr. Anderson and Mr. Katz for sharing their program information with the Commission. 8.b Frozen Fun Fest Proposal Recreation Coordinator Matt Colwell stated that staff has begun planning for the second annual event, noting that some adjustments have been made to dates and activities. He reviewed the tentative event timeline as currently being discussed by staff. He asked that the Commission review the report and provide any additional input. Chair Klepperich asked where the bonfire would be held. Mr. Colwell replied that a park location has not yet been determined. Commissioner Smith asked if an ice-skating loop could be made. Mr. Colwell replied that he would look into the feasibility of that concept. Parks and Recreation Manager Lawrence noted that the question for that would be flooding, and whether that would be flooded the entire season or just for that event. Commissioner Meyer asked if these dates are locked in as this would be Presidents Day weekend and some families go out of town that weekend. Mr. Colwell replied that they would be open to other dates but noted that they chose these dates in order to avoid the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. Commissioner Smith asked if the City would be hosting any Valentine’s Day events. Mr. Colwell noted that the weekend before this event is the backup date for the Blade with the Blue event and therefore, he would not want to overlap those events. Commissioner Smith asked if there would be tee times for the snow golf. Mr. Colwell replied that he would envision that people would sign up for a tee time within the activity window, but nothing has been decided. Commissioner Muller asked if they are going away from the band and food truck. Mr. Colwell stated that he received feedback about that portion of the event and bands generally want a full heated tent which adds additional costs and therefore he wants to move away from that event style and focus on putting those funds towards community events. Commissioner Muller commented that perhaps a food truck could be paired with skating or the bonfire. Mr. Colwell agreed that there will be other details for these events that have not yet been worked on. Ms. Lawrence noted that the dates for the event will need to be finalized by November 1st in order to meet marketing deadlines. 9. Unfinished Business 9.a Ivy Hills Park Tennis Backboard Request Chair Klepperich noted that this item was discussed in depth at the last meeting, and this would be the time for the Commission to make its decision. Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence provided background on the request that was received for a backboard for tennis usage at Ivy Hills Park. She stated that the item was tabled at the last meeting with direction for staff to gather additional information. She stated that notice was mailed to residents abutting the park boundary on August 15th inviting them to the September meeting to provide input. She explained the purpose of a tennis backboard noting that staff has only received two noise complaints since the installation of the backboard at Marie Park. She noted that many parks in the metro area have backboards and complaints have not been brought to the attention of the City. She provided details on the estimated cost of $2,500 for the backboard, which would be purchased and installed by public works staff in 2023 and could be funded through the special parks fund. She reviewed the results of the noise test completed by staff on September 28th. She submitted the three emails received from residents providing input on this topic and identified where those residents live in comparison to the court location. Commissioner Smith asked if there was discussion at the last meeting about having a backboard at Friendly Hills in order to keep the parks equitable. Ms. Larwrence replied that was not discussed as they have been working on a request basis for backboards. She stated that if the Commission would like to consider that for Friendly Hills, she would want to ensure that homeowners are solicited for input. Commissioner Meyer commented that Marie Park is a special situation because it is tucked away and down a hill, therefore some things that work in that park do not work in every park. Chair Klepperich commented that the resident that is opposed to this request is directly adjacent to the court and therefore that is an issue that should be considered. Motion Meyer/second Blanks to recommend denial of the backboard at the Ivy Hills tennis court. AYES 5: NAYS 0 9.b Community Engagement Outreach Update Chair Klepperich stated that staff is in need of summaries of the outreach sessions in order to compile a report. Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence stated that an update was included in the packet noting that she was able to attend the Rotary meeting with two Commission members and she will return to the Rotary to provide an additional presentation in November. She noted that Commissioner Sherer has provided some summaries and requested that the rest of the Commission provide their summaries so that she can compile that data for review in preparation for the 2023 work plan. 9.c Parks and Recreation Strategic Planning Update Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence provided an update on the Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan initiatives. Commissioner Blanks asked if there is a goal number of participants for the volunteer program. Ms. Lawrence noted that the goal was to establish the program and get opportunities out to the community, therefore staff is happy with the results thus far. Commissioner Meyer asked if community members are being used to test the usability of the website updates. Ms. Lawrence noted that there is a committee of staff members of different levels to test and make recommendations to the website. Commissioner Meyer noted that perhaps that could be a remote volunteer opportunity for residents. 10. Staff Announcements Parks and Recreation Manager Meredith Lawrence shared the following announcements: • Warming house staff is needed and encouraged interested individuals to apply online • Other events can be found on the City’s website 11. Student Representative Update Student Representative Murphy commented that it was nice to hear about the different sports programs tonight. She stated that the warming house staff would be a great opportunity for high school students. She commented on the great items tonight that include the younger population in the community. 12. Commission Comments and Park Updates Commissioner Smith • Friendly Hills tennis courts are in high demand after the resurfacing, as are the pickleball courts • The dog park event seemed to be well enjoyed Commissioner Blanks • Parks are still busy, although activity is dying down a bit • Encouraged residents to get out and bike while the weather allows Commissioner Muller • Fall has been beautiful, and she has enjoyed getting out in the parks • Thanks people that volunteered in the event at Copperfield Ponds  • Noticed an orange cone at the skate park and was unsure if that was placed by the City or users Ms. Lawrence stated that she is not aware of any safety issues and therefore she would believe that was placed by users. Commissioner Meyer • Marie Park has been busy with pickleball • Thanked Commissioner Blanks for putting together two engagement activities that went well Chair Klepperich • Ivy Hills and Valley View were quiet today and in good shape 13. Adjourn Motion Meyer/Second Blanks to adjourn the meeting at 8:05 PM AYES 5: NAYS 0 Minutes drafted by: Amanda Staple TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc.