Parks & Recreation Commission

City of Oakdale, Minnesota -established 1974-- Department of Recreation 4444 Hadley Avenue North Oakdale, MN 55128 (651) 747-3867 julie.williams@ci.oakdale.mn.us May 13, 2022 Dear Parks and Recreation Commissioners: Enclosed is your packet of information for the regular Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to be held on May 17. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Oakdale City Hall Council Chambers, 1584 Hadley Avenue. The Oakdale Pickleball Club will be in attendance and would like to make a recommendation to the Commission. The commissioners will also be updated on current and upcoming park projects and recreation programs. Should you have any questions regarding the upcoming meeting, or are unable to attend, please feel free to contact me directly at (651) 747-3867. Sincerely, Julie Williams Julie Williams  AGENDA Oakdale Parks and Recreation Commission REGULAR MEETING MAY 17, 2022 7:00 PM Oakdale City Council Chambers 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. April 19, 2022 5. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION REVIEW a. OLD BUSINESS b. NEW BUSINESS i. Oakdale Pickleball Club Request – Oakdale Pickleball Club 6. OTHER a. Council Liaison Update(s), Koesling/Williams b. Commissioners Comments c. City Council Update, Ingebrigtson* 7. ADJOURNMENT *Items marked with an asterisk have no accompanying materials The next regular Parks and Recreation Commission meeting will be held July 19, 2022. There will be no meeting in June.  REGULAR MEETING PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION City of Oakdale April 19, 2022 CALL TO ORDER A regular meeting of the Oakdale Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Avenue, Oakdale, Minnesota. The meeting was called to order by Chair Lockhart at 7 PM. CALL OF ROLL On a call of roll, the following were present: Chair: Paul Lockhart Vice Chair: Glen Giacoletto Commissioners: Jan Cunningham Mark Giannini Freddie Jiles Steve Meyer Also Present: Jim Romanik, Public Works Manager Jeff Koesling, Parks Superintendent Julie Williams, Recreation Superintendent Jake Ingebrigtson, City Council Quorum Present: YES ☒ NO ☐ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Regular Meeting Minutes, March 15, 2022 A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER GIANNINI, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CUNNINGHAM TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 15, 2022 AS PRESENTED. 6 AYES 0 NAYS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN UPDATE – Jim Romanik Walton Ballfield 5 through 8 Rewiring - A contract has been signed with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH). SEH will determine the scope of the project and should submit a design by May 13. There are no plans in place for the previous wiring, and a wiring plan will be in place going forward. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APRIL 19, 2022 Page 2 Guthrie Park Shelter Reroofing – One bid has been received. Contractors have been behind and busy with projects. Mr. Romanik is hoping a second contractor will submit a bid in the next week or so to continue forward. Walton Skate Park – A contract has been signed with American Ramp Company to reseal and caulk the ramps before or after Summerfest. The parks crew will do temporary repairs on structures for safety until American Ramp arrives to complete the project. The ramps will look brand new. The slab is in pretty good shape and will have minor cracks patched. Skaters are out enjoying the park tonight. PARKS UPDATE– Jeff Koesling Field Maintenance – The weather has been an issue with rain tomorrow, and 50 to 70 degree temperatures for a few days will be followed by lows in the high 20s next week. Crews hope to get on the fields early next week if possible. Teams want to play and adult leagues are looking to start on May 1. A Toolcat sunk eight inches on the infield; fields won’t hold a tractor with the drag. It is frustrating that the ground in some areas is frozen solid. RECREATION UPDATE – Julie Williams Early Summer Newsletter – The early summer newsletter is now available online with summer program registration beginning Thursday, April 28. The full summer newsletter will be mailed to residents mid to late May. Mystery Egg Hunt – The past Saturday was a success with over 200 kids plus their parents and grandparents all bundled up in the chilly weather. Thanks to sponsors Keller Williams Realty Larry and Vickey Eberhard for providing donuts and doing a raffle for two new bikes. Best Snow Sculpture of Oakdale Contest – It was hard to choose from the nine participants who submitted creative entries. The winner was the Koenig family with a large glowing castle you could crawl through. Community Walk – 160 participants have signed up in the first two weeks for the walk season underway. The number is lower than normal and may be due to the colder weather. Warmer temperatures will likely bring out more walkers. Park Clean Up Week – Oakdale Recreation will provide trash bags and thank you gifts for volunteers the week of April 25. Call 651-747-3860 to choose a park to clean. Junior Master Gardeners – The annual program is taught by a Master Gardener and is full this year with 30 registered kids. Pickleball Courts – Courts opened for the season in March. Both May and June Pickleball Adult Lessons have filled with 20 players in each session. Warming House Report – Ice Rink Coordinator Nathan Timmons reported that the two portable warming houses were successful. There were lots of skaters at Eastside Park. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APRIL 19, 2022 Page 3 Commissioner Cunningham asked if there will be temporary warming houses next year. Superintendent Koesling predicted there will be, if the Commission recommends it, and decision is passed by the Council. They worked phenomenally, numbers were up, and it was a great year for ice once it was established after Christmas. Chair Lockhart added that the City is not in the stage of building permanent warming houses. COUNCIL UPDATE – Jake Ingebrigtson Walton Field Use – Councilmember Ingebrigtson asked Superintendent Koesling about the reasoning this year that the youth travelling baseball team doesn’t get to use fields at Walton Park when they did last year. Mr. Koesling informed that last fall, City Administrator Chris Volkers told Oakdale Adult Softball Association Organizer Curt Russell to fill up as many nights as possible because the numbers were down. Thursday nights were originally used by senior girls, who since disbanded. After Covid-19, the numbers were down and there were open nights. This year, the numbers are way up and there are not open nights. Chair Lockhart added that the Oakdale Athletic Association (OAA) is also fielding a lot of parent questions. The answer they are given is that the field use is purposed for adult play, and if there are open nights, they try to get OAA in there. Councilmember Ingebrigtson hopes that the development of Willowbrooke may offer opportunities for new fields in its parks. Mr. Koesling updated that he met with the developer last week. Willowbrooke will have a commons area and two smaller park areas. Willowbrooke will not hold a four field complex. The park areas are small and may not even hold one field. The park planning process will have three phases. One park will be planned at a time in consideration of funding, and there is a desire to involve surrounding residents in the planning process. Chair Lockhart also heard that open/common parks would be planned, versus field parks. Councilmember Ingebrigtson noted that as Oakdale develops its remaining land, the focus of park planning will be improvements to the parks we have. Mr. Koesling informed Commissioner Cunningham that a pickleball court is possible in Willowbrooke. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Park Tours – Mr. Lockhart will email suggested dates for the Commission to tour three parks. Parks will be selected based on playground age. Some older playgrounds were installed in 1995. The last park tour was in the fall. PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION APRIL 19, 2022 Page 4 Commissioner Meyer asked Superintendent Williams if the neighbors could be informed of the park tour, so that they have the opportunity to visit the park and share their comments. Commissioner Cunningham recalled being approached by residents with good feedback on past tours. Tree Board – Vice Chair Giacoletto informed that the April 30 Arbor Day Tree Giveaway has an online registration for the available trees. The event will be held rain, shine, or snow. Wellness 50+ - Commissioner Cunningham shared that on Wednesday, May 11, Fitness Instructor Susan Weum will teach how to use the Oakdale Nature Preserve Exercise Stations at her class Fitness Fun in the Park. Registration is at www.oakdalefun.com or 651-747-3860. There will also be a $20 Bike Maintenance Class at the Discovery Center on Monday, April 25 at 10 AM. To sign up, visit the Wellness 50+ Twin Cities Meetup page. The class will be taught by Kerri Kolstad from Wahoo Adventures, and include a bike ride to Gateway Cycle if it isn’t raining. ADJOURNMENT A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER MEYER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GIANNINI TO ADJOURN THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION, DATED APRIL 19, 2022, AT 7:21 PM. 6 AYES 0 NAYS Respectfully submitted, Laura Linzmeyer MEMORANDUM TO: Christina Volkers, City Administrator FROM: Julie Williams, Recreation Superintendent DATE: May 13, 2022 SUBJECT: May Program Update The following information is provided to the City Administrator and Parks and Recreation Commissioners as information only. There is no need for any official commission, council, or administrative action; but rather, this is an effort by staff to keep you informed of the Department’s day-to-day operations. 1. Summer Programs – The Oakdale Update will be mailed to residents late May and will also be available online. 2. Summer Staff - Summer program instructors have been selected and training will begin the first week in June. There are 4 returning staff and 5 new hires. 3. Summerfest Parade - The Summerfest Parade returns Friday, June 24 at 6 PM, travelling along 15th Street and Hadley. Returning parade-goers, please note this year's parade is on Friday (the parade had traditionally been on Thursday, and has been moved to Friday with the new event schedule). This year will celebrate Oakdale Fire Chief Jeff Anderson as the Grand Marshal, who recently retired after 41 years of service to the Oakdale community. Crowd favorite parade units including the St. Paul Clown Club, White Bear Lake Drumline, ISD 622 Marching Band, Zuhrah Shrine Legion of Honor, River City Rhythm, and the Twin Cities Metropolitan Pipe Band will all perform at the parade. 4. Summerfest 5K Walk/Run - The City of Oakdale Nature Preserve 5K will be held on Saturday, June 25, as part of the continued Oakdale Summerfest celebrations. Check in begins at 7 AM, race begins at 8 AM. This fun run is for walkers and runners alike, pets and strollers are even welcome. This is a great introduction to organized running, and fun for the whole family. Participants will receive a custom t- shirt from Big Frog T-shirts in Woodbury, as well as snacks and drinks at the finish line. We’ll be joined by Hope Church volunteers at water and food stations at race end. Parkview Chiropractic will provide free massages and adjustments. City employees have the opportunity to run this 5K for free as a wellness initiative. 5. Summerfest 3rd Lair Skateboard Contest - 3rd Lair is excited to bring their skateboard contest back to the Walton Skate Park this summer. The contest is sponsored by State Farm Agents Amy Brown Bob Lawrence. The competition will take place on Saturday, June 25. Registration begins at 11 AM with the contest beginning at 12 PM. Participation is FREE! 6. Amped Up Entertainment - Our always popular outdoor amphitheater series will kick off on June 16. The free, fun, and kid friendly program is held on Thursday mornings at 10 AM. The Raptor Center, Bruce the Bug Guy, Snake Discovery, The Jolly Pops, Story time & Craft with April from Osborne Books and Dazzling Dave Yo-Yo Master will all perform at the Discovery Center Amphitheater. 7. Summer Concert Series – The Summer Concert Series will begin June 15 with a performance by The Michael Handler Project (Classic Rock to Modern Country). Concerts are held on Wednesday’s beginning at 7 PM at the Walton Park bandshell. The series will conclude August 3. 8. Farmers Market - The Farmers Market will kick off June 1, running every Wednesday through October 12, 2 to 6:30 PM, in the Oakdale City Hall parking lot. The market will continue operate from 2 to 6:30 PM with the final 30 minutes optional for vendors. The market will have limited produce initially, but by mid - July we’ll be in full swing, with a large variety of produce and summer time products. Stop by for hot food on the spot from local food trucks, and stay for the Wednesday evening summer concerts in the park. You will find a full the full list of 15+ vendors and products available this summer on our website and Facebook pages at the end of May. We’re looking forward to another market season, and the continued growth of the community. 9. Artist of the Month - Painting Pals return for their annual May group art display at the Discovery Center gallery. Enjoy the variety, with styles ranging from vivid contrasting hues to gentle flowing watercolor, with scenery of local lake life to beautiful floral pieces. Each member is excited to show off two or more brand new pieces they have been busy working on. The local artists paint together weekly at nearby Gladstone Center. 10. Park Clean Up – 50 volunteers signed up to clean 10 parks during our annual Park Clean Up in April. Thank you to all volunteers who helped to keep our parks clean! Participants were given plant kits as thank you gifts.