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4.3. SR 03-16-1998ity of iver Item #4.3. MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: Mayor & City Council PMaatr~l;~s ,19C~iy Admi~ SUBJECT: Boys & Girls Club Update Councilmember Thompson has been an active member on the temporary board of directors of the Boys & Girls Club. As everyone knows, the Lions Club is working with this organization for the construction of a facility in Lions Park that would serve the needs of both organizations. The two biggest challenges facing the board of directors at this time appear to be fundraising for the construction costs of the building and fundraising for operating expenses. The Boys & Girls Club directors had a meeting on Wednesday, March 4, and a finance subcommittee had a follow up meeting on Friday, March 6. Councilmember Thompson should be able to provide everyone with an update on the progress being made on this project. As the Council knows, peat was removed from the anticipated building pad in February and the city street crew is providing the fill material for this site. Weight restrictions are on city streets at this time so additional work from the city street crew is requiring half loads of fill material to be transported to the site. Attached for your information are articles from the February 18, and March 11, 1998, Star News regarding the construction project in Lions Park. Also attached is Page 4 of the February 17, 1998, City Council minutes when this project was last discussed. \\elkriver \sys\shrdoc\council\bysglsup .doc 13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425 Harold Gramstad of the Elk River Lions Club with designs for the new youth center. (Photo by Don Heinzman) Youth center construction will begin soon in park by Don Heinzman Editor Ground soon will be broken for a 12,000-square-foot youth center in Lions Community Park in Elk River. The Elk River Lions Club has pledged $150,000 for the facility, Phil Jachowiz which is expected to cost $500,000. Daryl Thompson, chair of the organizing committee, said, "We have visited with the bank officials and they are interested in working with US." An Elk River chapter of the Boys a.n.d -~- Girls \~Club · of America is. 15~ing'? fgrm'~d~'to program ~hctivi'tie~:'.for the drop-in center for youth. Plans are under way to raise $200,000 to start the chapter. ~We are in the process of working on some fund raisers and hopefully we will kick them oft after March 4," Thompson said. Phil Jachowiz, regional director of the Boys and Girls Club of America, was in Elk River last week. He said 200 Boys and Girls Clubs were organized in the country last year. Another 200 are being organized this year. In Minnesota, Boys and Girls Club chapters are being planned in Rochester and Red Wing. Once a club is chartered, grants are available, said Jachowiz. The drop-in program is directed to youngsters in grades seven to 12. Jachowiz said the teens want to be in a separate facility and to be served separately after school. The Elk River facility would have a gym, computer room, counseling rooms, a game room, education room, arts room and office space. Why are there so many com- munities starting clubs? Jachowiz said these days every kid is at risk. "If kids are le~ alone, they will find opportunities to do something," he said. The local board makes the d~'C~Si0ns'for ~ach chapter; the national organization is more of a support group. Charlie Blesener, who is the community education director, questioned if the Boys and Girls Club will duplicate some of the programs in place in this area. He asked what kinds of needs assessments have been made. John Fitzgerald, a member of the committee organizing a local chapter, said the facility and Boys and Girls Club chap- ter should enhance every youth program in Elk River. Thompson said that the club has its 501 C-3 status. River City Council Minutes Februar~v 17, 1998 Page 4 4.5. ASSESSED. COUNCILMEMBER THOMPSON SECONDED THE~J~ON. THE ARRIED 5-0. ~ thorizin.q Feasibility Study to Loop W~Tmain for Improvements to Guardian An.-'~ls Site ~ City Engineer Te~ M"~r-.~r requ~his issue be postponed until the March 16, 1998, Council m~~ COUNCILMEMBER F~B'ER MOVED TO ~ONE THIS ISSUE TO THE MARCH 16, MOTION'T~-- Boys and Girls Club Update Councilmember Thompson updated the Council on the Boys and Girls Club and Lions Club proposal to build a Boys and Girls Club building in the Lions Park. Councilmember Thompson indicated that the Boys and Girls Club are requesting that the city allow survey work to be done for a future lease or subdivision and that the city move forward with any legal work necessary for this land lease or subdivision transaction. He indicated that it is also being requested to allow the removal of peat material in the southeast corner of the park for the future building. Street/Park Superintendent indicated that his department would provide the labor to work on this project. Phil Hals indicated that the peat would have to be removed and clean fill brought in as soon as possible as road restrictions wilt be going on soon. He further indicated that the city's participation would have to cease if snow removal would become necessary. COUNCILMEMBER HOLMGREN MOVED TO ALLOW LAND PREPARATION TO BEGIN IN THE LIONS PARK IN ANTICIPATION OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB BUILDING PROJECT UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF STREET/PARK SUPERINTENDENT PHIL HALS, AND FURTHER MOVED TO APPROVE LIONS PARK AS THE LOCATION FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB PROJECT. COUNCILMEMBER THOMPSON SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 4.7. 4.8. 4.9. Utilities C~mission Update Utilities Com'~issioner John Dietz updated the C~:~ncil on issues discussed by the Elk River Utilitie'~ommission at its Febr~,~998, meeting. Community Recre~t~0n Annual Re~ff Community Recreation 'r~'r-' Jeft Asfah, presented the 1997 Community COUNCIL/~'MBER HOLMGREN MOVED T~CANCEL THE FEBRUARY 23, 1998, CiTY COUNC~MEETING DUE TO LACK OFA QI~UM. COUNCILMEMBER FARBER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARR'I~D 5-0. Wednesday, March 11, 1998/Elk River Star News/5 Ground is broken for youth center building Ground was broken for the future Boys and Girls Club building in Lions Community Park. At the controls of the bulldozer were Daryl Thomp- son, chair of volunteer Boys and Girls Club organizational committee, and Harold Gram'- stad, representing the LionS Club and also a member of the organizational commit- tee. Dirt was dug out and will be replaced with clean fill by the city of Elk River The ini- tial ground Work was donated by the Plaisted Cos. of Elk River. The building will con- tain 12,000 square feet. (Photo by Don Heinzman)