Parks, Property & Streets Committee Meeting

1 PARKS, PROPERTY & STREETS COMMITTEE MINUTES 2 MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2025 3 (Approved) 4 5 Agenda Item No. 1. Call Meeting to Order and Roll Call: 6 The August 4, 2025 monthly meeting of the Parks, Property & Streets Committee was called to order 7 by Committee Chair Louise Howson at 1:00 P.M. 8 9 Committee Members Present: Committee Chair Louise Howson and members Denise Bhirdo, Nate 10 Bell, Mike Laszkiewicz and Jerry Ahrens 11 12 Staff Members Present: Village Administrator Julie Schmelzer, Parks & Streets Director Erik Linczmaier, 13 and Administrative Assistant Sarah Bertges 14 15 Others Present: Mary Weiss, Ellie Soderberg-Guger, Jill Wiebe, Ron & Lisa MacDonald, Ron Kane, Pete 16 Oleson and Mike DiIuLio. Virtually: Myles Dannhausen, Luke Roffler, Chris Schmeltz, J Jolles, Andy 17 Kurtz, and Todd Kruse 18 19 Agenda Item No. 2. Approval of Agenda 20 Chair Howson requested to amend the agenda to remove Item 5.a regarding Frontier 21 Communications' Sister Bay Area Fiber Project, as Mike Nelson was unable to attend and she said it 22 was important that he be present along with Todd Cruz [who was present]. This item would be moved 23 to the September 8, 2025, meeting. 24 Motion to approve the amended agenda made by Bhirdo, seconded by Laszkiewicz. Motion carried – 25 all ayes 26 Agenda Item No. 3. Approval of Minutes 27 Several corrections to the minutes were noted by committee members: 28 Jerry Ahrens noted that an action item was missing from the minutes regarding staff preparing a 29 standardized form and list of asks and costs for future events. Julie Schmelzer confirmed this was being 30 worked on. 31 Bhirdo requested several corrections: 32 ● On page 4, line 39: Change "parks commission" to "parks committee" 33 ● Add clarification that crops planted were corn, not hay as in the previous year 34 ● Remove lines 20-21 on page 6 regarding crosswalks from the binocular order section 35 ● On page 7, line 26: Remove "Cardinal roads" and clarify it should reference "Cardinal Court 36 North and Bluebird" 37 Motion to approve the minutes as amended made by Ahrens, seconded by Laszkiewicz. Motion carried 38 – all ayes 39 Agenda Item No. 4. Comments, correspondence and concerns from the public: 40 Howson asked if anyone would like to comment regarding a non-agenda item. Mary Weiss (2366 41 Parkview) addressed the committee regarding an event that took place at the Waterfront Park pavilion 42 two Saturdays prior. She described it as "2-3 times louder than anything that's ever been at the 43 amphitheater" and "easily the most annoying." She explained that the event was not music but a DJ 44 setup that went on for seven hours, driving away visitors from the waterfront. Ms. Weiss reported 45 that when homeowners confronted the performer, they were dismissed rudely. She called the non- 46 emergency police number but was told the individual had a permit. Ms. Weiss visited the village offices  Minutes of the August 2025 meeting of the Parks, Property & Streets Committee – Approved 1 and was shown the permit, which she believed contained misleading information. She recommended 2 references be required of all performances. 3 Michael DiIulio spoke about traffic safety concerns, particularly the dangerous crosswalk situation 4 downtown. He noted that children walking from the daycare center or crossing to the beach often 5 cannot be seen by drivers due to parked vehicles blocking visibility. He also mentioned that Country 6 Walk Drive, which now has a 4K kindergarten, should be designated as a school zone with appropriate 7 speed limits. Additionally, he discussed parking issues downtown, noting that people often park for 8 extended periods, limiting turnover for businesses. 9 Schmelzer noted three pieces of correspondence received: 10 ● A complaint about a "freedom of speech” event that occurred at Waterfront Park the previous 11 weekend by the event organizer of the Long Dayze event 12 ● A request to make the pedestrian walkway at Country Walk Lane and Highway 42 more visible 13 ● A complaint about people taking rocks from Pebble Beach, despite an ordinance prohibiting 14 this 15 Agenda Item No. 5. Presentation: Frontier Communications 16 [Agenda Item No. 5 was removed from the agenda and rescheduled for the September 8, 2025 17 meeting.] 18 Agenda Item No. 6. Discussion/Action Items 19 a. Operating Agreement; Friends of the Ice Rink; TKH Ice Rink 20 Schmelzer explained that the operating agreement for the ice rink had been reviewed by both parties' 21 attorneys with one minor change to the insurance portion. Miles Dannhausen confirmed the Friends 22 of the Ice Rink were satisfied with the agreement. 23 The committee discussed the financial terms of the agreement. The village would contribute up to 24 $50,000 annually, plus $2,000 for concessions, which reflects the highest amount historically spent on 25 the ice rink. Any expenses beyond that would be covered by the Friends of the Ice Rink. 26 Denise Bhirdo questioned the lack of an inflation adjustment in the 10-year agreement. Myles 27 Dannhausen indicated he would be open to discussing this in the future. The committee noted that 28 the agreement allows for modifications with mutual consent and that the Friends of the Ice Rink would 29 provide season updates. 30 Motion to recommend approval of the operating agreement between the Village of Sister Bay and the 31 Friends of the Sister Bay Ice Rink to the Village Board made by Bell, seconded by Bhirdo. Motion carried 32 – all ayes 33 b. Operating Agreement; SBAA; Annual Agreement 34 Schmelzer presented the annual Sister Bay Advancement Association (SBAA) agreement with minor 35 changes to the year and event schedule. She noted that Ellie from SBAA had also submitted the Fall 36 Fest parade rules and regulations as previously requested. Members requested a copy of the parade 37 rules. 38 Motion to approve the SBAA annual operating agreement as presented made by Bhirdo, seconded by 39 Howson. Motion carried – all ayes 40 c. Top of the Thumb Snowmobile Map 41 Pete Oleson from the Top of the Thumb Snowmobile Club presented their proposed snowmobile route 42 for winter 2025-2026. He explained their request to reinstate part of the former trail that would allow 2  Minutes of the August 2025 meeting of the Parks, Property & Streets Committee – Approved 1 snowmobilers to access the ice rink area. He emphasized the club's appreciation for the use of village 2 property and their understanding that route availability may change in the future. 3 Discussion included the need for safety measures such as orange netting to guide snowmobilers safely 4 around obstacles. The committee noted that future development might affect trail availability. 5 Motion to approve the Top of the Thumb Snowmobile Club route for winter 2025-2026 made by Ahrens, 6 seconded by Laszkiewicz. Motion carried – all ayes 7 d. Northern Grill & Pub; No Parking Request; Ron McDonald 8 Ron McDonald requested no parking be established on the west side of Country Walk Drive in front of 9 his property. He explained that cars were parking on what he described as a pedestrian path, 10 damaging his grass, and creating safety hazards for pedestrians including children walking from the 11 nearby daycare. 12 Discussion centered on the location of the public right-of-way versus Mr. McDonald's property line, 13 and whether his "No Parking" signs were placed on his property or in the right-of-way. 14 By consensus the committee ultimately agreed that no parking should be established on both sides of 15 the entire length of Country Walk Drive for safety reasons, and that the issue of school zone 16 designation should also be investigated. 17 Staff is to investigate the costs associated with the signage, and if it can be installed in 2025 to proceed, 18 and if not, the signs would need to be budgeted for. 19 e. Current Administration Building and Impact on Current Road Construction Project 20 Schmelzer explained that Robert E Lee is finalizing plans for the new road, with a public informational 21 session to be scheduled shortly after the committee's September meeting. She noted that the 22 committee needed to provide direction regarding the future of the current administration building as 23 it relates to the road project. 24 The committee discussed whether the administration building should be removed to allow for a safer 25 road design. Bhirdo recommended letting the engineers design the safest possible road without 26 constraints from the building, while Bell expressed concern about widening the road and potentially 27 increasing traffic. 28 Discussion also covered considerations for sidewalks, drainage, and pedestrian safety in the design. 29 Moving forward, some of the committee members would like to see the current width of the road stay 30 the same, adding curbs, gutters and possibly sidewalks if possible, and, design the road with safety in 31 mind, even if that means razing the current administrative building. 32 f. Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Encumbrance Resolution Options; Department of Natural 33 Resources; Luke Roffler, Grant Manager; Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program 34 Luke Roffler from the DNR joined to discuss options for addressing the Knowles-Nelson stewardship 35 encumbrance on the parking lot parcel next to the Dorr Hotel. He explained that to remove the 36 encumbrance, the village would need to provide replacement land that equals or exceeds the original 37 parcel in acreage (0.6 acres), value, and public benefit. 38 The committee discussed various options including using village-owned property near the community 39 gardens or sports complex as replacement land. Roffler clarified that the replacement land could be 40 property the village already owns and wouldn't necessarily need to be parking - it could be green space 41 or other recreational use, as long as it met the three requirements. 42 Motion to recommend to the Board pursuing an appraisal on the existing Knowles-Nelson 43 encumbrance to understand the exact value that needs to be replaced made by Ahrens, seconded by 44 Bell. Motion carried – all ayes 3  Minutes of the August 2025 meeting of the Parks, Property & Streets Committee – Approved 1 g. New Administrative Building Siting 2 The committee discussed the recommendation from an ad hoc committee to locate the new 3 administrative building at the site of the old Parks Maintenance Facility. This differed from the 4 committee's previous preference for the Logerquist property. 5 Howson, Laszkiewicz and Bell supported the ad hoc committee's recommendation, while Ahrens and 6 Bhirdo favored the Logerquist site. Ahrens reminded the group the property was purchased with the 7 building in mind, and has already been designed to fit the site. Bell corrected Ahrens by adding the 8 building was originally to go on the Wiltse site. Bhirdo reminded them the Logerquist site was second 9 on the ad hoc committee’s list, so it was still a favorable site. Howson argued she was never aware 10 the village was purchasing the Logerquist site, or that it was for the administration building, but admits 11 she was not on the Board at that time however. 12 Concerns were raised about the Parks Maintenance site including setback limitations, parking 13 constraints, congestion in the downtown area, and potential soil issues from previous dumping at the 14 site. 15 The committee also discussed building size, with Howson suggesting the current design was too large 16 and Bhirdo arguing that adequate space was needed for future growth. 17 Motion to engage Stantec to determine the setbacks on the parks lot for the September meeting if 18 possible, and to look at projected costs for stormwater management made by Howson, seconded by 19 Laszkiewicz. Motion carried – all ayes 20 h. Discuss Fireworks Ordinance 21 Bhirdo raised concerns about fireworks being discharged throughout the village around July 4th 22 without permits, despite an existing ordinance requiring them. The committee discussed the $200 23 permit fee and whether enforcement was feasible. 24 The committee agreed to include information about the fireworks permit requirement in the year-end 25 tax insert and to consider additional communication methods prior to July 4th. Howson, who is 26 developing the insert, agreed to add the information. 27 i. Review Binocular Order 28 Laszkiewicz reported on his research into binocular options for the village. He found that the Tower 29 Optics option, while popular and commonly seen in parks, was expensive (over $10,000) and not well- 30 regarded within the industry for its optical quality. 31 Alternative options included heavy-duty binoculars that could be tethered to a base at a much lower 32 cost (approximately $100 each), though they would require maintenance and possible seasonal 33 removal. 34 Schmelzer shared her report on quality, weight, strength, place of origin, and cost. One binocular 35 Laszkiewicz had mentioned at the last meeting was no longer available for outdoor use; one would 36 have to be shipped from Italy and be quite expensive; and one she commented looked “military”, with 37 some members in agreement. 38 Howson volunteered to call other communities using Tower Optical binoculars to gather feedback on 39 their experience, particularly regarding clarity and maintenance requirements. 40 j. Review Historic Signage Proposal 41 Schmelzer presented a design for historic signage created by a contractor who has designed similar 42 signage for Newport State Park and other communities. The design featured stone pedestals 43 supporting interpretive panels. The sign would be six feet long, and she noted the Historical Society 44 felt that width was not long enough, and she recommended perhaps the village have two six foot sign 45 boards. 4  Minutes of the August 2025 meeting of the Parks, Property & Streets Committee – Approved 1 Committee members expressed concerns about the width of the pedestals and the overall design, 2 suggesting modifications to make it more accessible and visually appealing. The committee also 3 discussed placement of the signs, noting that the proposed location near the fire pit wasn't consistent 4 with previous discussions. Schmelzer reminded them the location was yet to be field verified by the 5 committee. 6 Schmelzer agreed to work with the contractor on redesigning the support structure and considering 7 options for including multiple panels to accommodate all the historical information. The committee 8 supported either narrower stone mounts or the metal support be inside a narrower stone pillar, and, 9 agreed there should be two six foot wide sign boards. 10 k. Robo Mower Estimates 11 Following up on last month’s committee request, Linczmaier presented research on autonomous GPS- 12 guided robotic mowers. Linczmaier proceeded with all his research and mentioned that one 13 manufacturer, Yarbo, offered to provide a demonstration of their equipment at the sports complex. 14 He also noted that Segway would be releasing a new 5-acre unit in the fall. 15 Bhirdo noted that the Finance Committee had removed this item from the Capital Improvement Plan 16 for the next year and pushed it to 2027 due to budget constraints. After some discussion the 17 committee supported continued demonstrations to see if the product was right for the village, with 18 all in agreement if the village waits, the prices may drop. 19 7. Staff Report(s) 20 Linczmaier reported on the driveway cut in front of the Marina View Condos, and, that he was still 21 waiting on the driveway to be converted to traditional curb and gutter. 22 Schmelzer provided updates on the new Parks Maintenance Facility, noting it had received safety 23 clearance from McMahon and Alliance. The committee discussed holding an open house before staff 24 moves equipment into the building, with internet installation scheduled for September 11. 25 The committee tentatively planned for an open house in early September, with a time frame of 3:00- 26 6:00 PM to accommodate both working people and retirees. 27 8. Matters to be Placed on a Future Agenda or Referred to a Committee, Official or Employee 28 The committee discussed: 29 ● Cameras at Pebble Beach to address the issue of people removing rocks 30 ● Follow-up on binocular research 31 ● Robert E. Lee's initial plan for the September meeting 32 ● Stantec's findings regarding setbacks, if completed in time 33 ● The newly formed parking committee address various parking issues, including safety at 34 crosswalks 35 9. Next Meeting: Regular Meeting September 8, 2025, at 1:00 PM 36 a. Schedule Walking Tour – Pebble Beach 37 The committee agreed to schedule this at the next meeting. 38 b. Schedule Draft CORP Review 39 Schmelzer reported that the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan was nearly complete, with some 40 corrections still being made. She suggested scheduling a special meeting dedicated to reviewing the 41 plan. 5  Minutes of the August 2025 meeting of the Parks, Property & Streets Committee – Approved 1 10. Adjourn 2 Motion to adjourn made by Laszkiewicz, seconded by Howson. Meeting adjourned at 4:44 PM. Motion 3 carried – all ayes 4 5 Respectfully submitted, Sarah Bertges, Administrative Assistant 6