9.C.2. PRSR 05-09-2001 • � Item #9.C.2.
i1kkIj
River
MEMORANDUM
TO: Park and Recreation Commission
FROM: Michele McPherson, Director of Planning
DATE: May 9, 2001
SUBJECT: Consider Agenda Items for Meeting with the County Park Board
As the Commission may recall,we have established a meeting with the County Park Board
for Thursday,June 7, 2001 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sherburne County Government Center.
• Attached please find a recent article from Elk River Star News regarding a joint meeting
between the County Board and the County Park Commission.
Prior to meeting with the County, a list of possible agenda topics should be developed in
order to guide the discussion during the meeting. Possible agenda topics include:
1. Elk River County Park
2. Review the County's Park Plan
3. Identification of possible joint projects
4. Future (annual) joint meetings
Please think about possible additional agenda items for discussion at the May 9th meeting.
•
S:\PLANNING\MICHMC\PARKNREC\JointMeeting.doc
• Wednesday, April 11, 2001/ Elk River Star News / 7
•
Two discuss
future
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,..f county a
Park commission, county board meet in session
by Joni Astrup idents have lost their jobs everybody,not just you."
Associate editor and are barely making At the suggestion of
What is a county park? ends meet. Others are two- County Commissioner
How many should Sher- .parent families with both Arne Engstrom of Elk
burne County have? How parents working. River, a map of existing
big should they be? "I think parks are beauti- park land and trails in the
Those were some of the ful," she said. "I think county, including city
questions county commis- there's a lot of our people parks,will be put together.
sioners and members of the that can't make use of them Engstrom also urged the
park commission consid- as much as they would county to make the most of
ered during a joint meeting like." three "canoe trails" on the
last Wednesday in Elk She said there are many Mississippi, Elk and St.
River. needs facing the county Francis rivers.
While there were no deci- and parks are just one of "We don't have to acquire
sions on those issues,there them. them. They're there," he
did appear to be a consen- said. "They've been there
sus that communication How many parks? for thousands of years.The
between the two bodies Park Commissioner C. Native Americans used
could be improved. Perry Schenk indicated them. There's no reason
Park commission that the county should why we couldn't use them."
Chairman Dave Anderson make some decisions Debris and trees clogging
said they need an under- regarding parks. the river aren't a problem
standing of what the coun- "I think we have to decide, on the Mississippi, but can
ty board is looking for. personally now, how many be on the Elk and St.
Assistant County parks do we want? Where Francis. Engstrom said one
Attorney Tim Brausen do we want them?And then option would be to have a
attends some park commis- keep our eyes open on how work release crew from the
sion meetings and told the we're going to get them,"he jail clear some debris in
county, board: "They've got said. those rivers.
tremendous energy and Park Commissioner He also suggested the
tremendous ideas about a Derald Ewing said his No. county set aside canoe
lot of projects they would 1 problem is who is paying access areas.
like to do. . . They need to for parks. The two groups also dis-
hear from you today, board He opposes the park dedi- cussed a county trail plan.
members, what are your cation fee,which is a per-lot Anderson, meanwhile,
priorities?" fee paid when land devel- said the parks group has
Park commissioners also ops. The fee is $300 per lot been working on park
would like to know the rea- on cluster plats and $600 issues since 1992.
sons why the county board per lot on standard plats. He cited several accom-
turns down certain park Ewing said the first year plishments including:
recommendations. of the fee, 55 people paid •the Cox property in
Park commissioners, in $340,000, which is equiva- Becker Township, which
turn,were asked to present lent to $6,181 per person. includes the 140-acre Oak
their recommendations to "That's what gores me,"he Savanna Land Preserve
the county board in clear, said. "I think there should *the 30-acre Bridgeview
concise, written fashion on be a tax levy. . .Why should Park Reserve across the
a Request for Board Action this small group of people river from Monticello
form, with an explanation be funding the park sys- *Palmer Township park
of the action requested. tem?" *the effort to turn as
There also was consensus Meanwhile, County Board much of the former railroad
that neither body is inter- Chair Betsy Wergin of bed as possible into a trail
ested in using eminent Baldwin Township said the •the establishment of a
domain to acquire land for process of developing a park dedication fee
park purposes. county parks, trails and "As challenging as we
The meeting was a chance open space plan was very seem to be sometimes, our
for some to air their views controversial. hearts are as much in
on parks as well "We have to strike a bal Sherburne County as
County Commissioner ance," she said.". . . I still yours are," Anderson told
Rachel Leonard of Zimmer- represent that large num- the county board. ". . As
man said she worked for ber of people that said, much as we will disagree
30-some years and raised `Don't even develop a plan, on certain issues, I'd like to
three children and had much less buy a county thank the board for what
very little time to spend in park.' . . . If I disagree with has happened since 1992."
parks. you (park commissioners)
She said some county res- it's because I represent