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INFORMATION 09-02-1998INFORMATION CONTINUED MEETING OF THE ELK RIVER ~ PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION HELD AT THE CRETEX OFFICE BUILDING TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1998 D FT Members Present: Chair Dana Anderson; Commissioners Dave Anderson, Kuester, Huberty, and Peterson Members Absent: Commissioners Olson and Westrum Staff Present: Phil Hals, Street/Park Superintendent; Pat Klaers, City Administrator 1. Call Meetin.q To Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the continued meeting of the Elk River Park and Recreation Commission was reconvened at 6:30 p.m. by Chair Anderson. 2. Discussion on Proposed Bond Referendum Commissioner Kuester distributed a 1998 park referendum campaign worksheet (attached to these minutes). The Commission reviewed and discussed the handout which included: · the purpose of the meeting which is to begin to organize for the campaign · a review of the 1997 referendum proposal and results · a review of the 1997 campaign strategy · a discussion on the 1998 anticipated campaign strategy · a discussion on six outstanding issues related to the 1998 campaign The six outstanding issues were discussed in more detail. The Commission expressed a need for a broader base committee for the campaign and suggestions were made for citizens to be added, including citizens which support the pool. This committee needs to be established immediately after the decision to move forward is made by the City Council. Duane Peterson volunteered to take the lead in working with city staff on the development of a public information video on the bond proposal. It was suggested that Burbach make his presentation to the Park and Recreation Commission and City Council on Tuesday, September 8, 1998, and that if the project moves forward, a public informational meeting be held Monday, September 14. Staff will confirm these dates or make other arrangements for these two meetings. Advice from Burbach will be required in order to set up two additional public presentations. Park and Recreation Commission Minutes August 18~ 1998 Page 2 The Committee decided not to pursue a phone bank due to all the other phone banks that we be put together for candidates this fall. The youth baseball, adult softball, and girls softball associations were identified as potential sources of financial support for the campaign. The current estimate of expenditures for outdoor park and recreation is $1,370,000. The draft proposal was presented to the City Council for their information in July and the proposal was a reduction from the 1997 referendum. Additional changes from the $1.37 million proposal include the following: · elimination of improvements to LaFayette Woods · a $5,000 increase in the Hillside 5th basketball court · elimination of the Babcock Trail · reduction in the railroad trail to ,$50,000 due to the grant · elimination of the Oak Knoll Trail · a reduction in the engineering costs by $23,000. The total proposal is $1.082 million at this time with the above changes. It was noted that the total may go up or down based on the estimate for the outdoor pool. At this time the committee needs to wait for the results of the Burbach feasibility study on the outdoor pool. In the meantime, support for a Steedng Committee needs to be generated, fundraising can take place, the video can be developed, Business Expo reservation can be made, and a request for a presentation to the Chamber of Commerce can be made. 3. Adiournment There being no further business, by consensus of the Commission the continued meeting of the Park and Recreation Commission was adjourned. The meeting of the Elk River was adjoumed at approximately 8:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Patrick Klaers City Administrator 1998 PARK REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN Purpose: to organize a get-out-the-vote campaign to vote yes on a proposed referendum on November 3 to allocate approximately 2.8 million for an outdoor swimming pool/water park facility and various enhancements of the current parks/trails system. A separate citizen's committee is required for this purpose. The City can use resources to educate citizens/voters about the proposed referendum-but cannot solicit their yes vote. 97 Referendum: The 97 referendum was the only item on the ballot of a special election held last Tuesday. Voters were asked to approve a 2+ million dollar referendum which targeted specific parks, trail sections, and playing fields for improvements with an average cost just under $2~. In spite of some indications-most notably the early returns from a referendum phone bank-that the residents were favorable to the referendum, the measure lost by 200 votes in an election which has 15% of the electorate voting. A number of individuals expressed surprise at the loss, especially since there was little open opposition to either the dollar amount or the proposed expenditures. 97 Strategy: The 97 referendum was directed by a small group comprised of Parks/Recre Commission members, City staff, and volunteer representatives from various local athletic associations. The group's strategy was to establish a public but low intensity profile so that the community would be aware of the referendum but not negatively motivated by it. Behind the scenes, the group would work to motivate blocks of people favorable to the issue to vote(baseball/softball/football/cross country ski advocate-etc). The group would use these sarne interest groups to man phone banks to identify people positive to the referendum-and then call them back to with reminders to vote. This strategy worked in part-but had three fatal flaws:(1) a number of high participation groups did not commit to the referendum process and so made no effort to get their people to vote, (2) those organizations which did co~nmit produced at various levels and (3) there were insufficient volunteers to mann a fully operative phone bank. On the positive side, the Committee raised approximately $2000 and did carry out the following campaign activities: Educational Motivational Campaign updates to the City Council Organized a phone bank which reached 60% of the potential voters: scripts provided-phones provided by the First National Bank and UPA An article in the Current(City Newsletter) Article in Community ED Brochure Insert in Elk River Utility Bills Signs in target parks Educational flyers Motivational Flyers-identical to educational except for additional words "vote yes on Sept 23" Support letter to editor from Mayor Display signs at First National Bank(main office) Chamber of Commerce, UPA Common Room, Cub Food and Councilman Darryl, Pat K, Phil H and JeffA invested many hours in campaign Flyer insert in Star News and Shopper-1 time Webb Page-good idea but no one had access code Participation in Community Ed registration day- motivational flyers handed out ~ Motivational flyers handed out at registration nights ./~,~Oj at area schools 98 Strategy: Assumes that a combination of water play area and select park improvements will win approval. Campaign has the upside of a guaranteed larger turn-out in November plus the ,-o~ia,,~l ho,oresidual benefits of some people more aware of the issues because of the 97 referendum. Campaign has several downsides: (1) a probable larger negative turn-out, and (2) a probable greater difficulty in such motivational techniques such as the phone bank working as well -due to the competition from both local and state-wide candidates. 98 campaign has several factors going for it: (1) Parks/Recre Commission park of the month has generated positive interest on the part of neighbors to these parks, and (2) Coverage of pool issues by Star News has generated positive interest as well. 98 campaign will not depend on local recreational organizations to carry referendum-a more representative community committee needs to be organized in next 2 weeks. Likewise-the Parks/Rec Commission needs to finalize the park improvement list in the next 2 weeks so that the Council can review' a combined water park/parks improvements package at the September 7 meeting. The 98 campaign will use most of the techniques used in the 97 with the possible exception of motivational flyers mailed out in utility bills and appearance at school registration nights(we are too late for these). The 98 campaign will have several new tools in its kit(1)..a~city produced video to run on cable featuring the pool and referendum and (2) a series ~__u~.r~public 2____ appearances featuring pool consultant David Burbach and his pool schematics and infro. Outstanding Issues: 1. What community representation do we need on the Steering Committee? Who are good candidates to recruit ASAP? 2. The Referendum Committee has the responsibility to script the video-who is a good person to do this? When are they needed(Pat K)? 3. What are the prime audiences to feature Burbach(who/where/when)? 4. How close is the Commission to reaching agreement on its portion of the package? When does Burbach present his findings to the Council/Commission? What is the process for putting the final combined package together. 5. The phone bank is a special task which needs a person whose primary responsibility is to recruit volunteers and locations, provide training and scripts, and insure that the bank is progressing. Who is the person(s) for this task? 6. Which athletic associations should be hit for financial support for the referendum? Which businesses should be tapped. Who can tap them? ~,i~,~ [4 Y"~ l[ ~ e~d,,~ I would anticipate that the businesses which contributed cash last year: First National Bank, Jerry' Hagen and Elk River Builders Association, as well as Youth Baseball, Men's Softball, and Women's Softball are likely candidates to tap again. I anticipate greater use of the Elk River Ministerium for publicity and volunteers. I anticipate that the organizational meeting for the Steering Committee will take place no later than Sept. 15-conditional on approval by the Council on a referendum package. On a final note-we have approximately $120 left over from last year's campaign. Woodlands Trails Park Orono Park Country Crossing 3" Mississippi Oaks Lafayette Woods Kidgewood East Deerfield IV IW_dlsid e 5'~ Meadowvale Heights East of 169 Park Warrhing House ' ' 2 - Open Shelters 1 - Rest Rooms 1 - Rest Room Add Playground Equipment Playground Equipment /,~Court _ ~ t Basketball Playground Equipment ½ Cou~ Playground Equipment 2 ½ Courts Add Playground Equipment Lights .. Add Playground Equipment Playground Equipment /~.Court - Playground Equipment ~ Court Playground Equipment ~"Court - Open Shelter Total Th/s Section Orono SoRball Complex Oak Knoll Cass Fields Funds to Purchase Park Land Trail Babcock Park to Downtown Riverwalk Phase II for Cass Fields Lion's Teen Center 1 Rest Room Combination Shelter/ Concessions/R~er 4 - Lighted Fields I - Combination Shelter/' Concessions/ 1 - Open Shelter Total Th/s Section Total This Section Trails /~ Rail Road Trail 4.5 miles 169 to Proctor Link 1.0 mile Country Crossing I 'A mile Oak Knoll ¼ mile Woodland Trails 2.0 miles I-[ighway 10 1.5 miles Total This Section Engineer & Design GRAND TOTAL $100,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 30,000 5,000 30,000 5,000 35,000 10,000 20,000 2,000 20,000 30,000 5,000 30,000 5,000 30,000 5,000 25,000 $537,000 $ 50,000 100,000 180,000 125,000 . 25,000 $480,000 100,000 50,000 100,000 150,000 $400,000 $200,000 70,000 15,000 25,000 125,000 75,000 $ 510,000 $ 73,000 $2,000,000 Io~ '~ ~09oo0