2.0. PRSR AGENDA 02-07-1989 CITY OF ELK RIVER
RECREATION BOARD AGENDA
Tuesday, February 7 , 1989
7: 00 p.m.
Elk River City Hall Conference Room
1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER AT 7: 00 P.M.
2. CONSIDER THE 2/7/89 RECREATION BOARD AGENDA
3. CONSIDER THE 1/3/89 RECREATION BOARD MINUTES
4 . PUBLIC MIKE
4 .1 Local Snowmobile Club Representatives
4 .2 Other
5 . STAFF UPDATES FROM PHIL HALS, CHARLIE BLESENER, AND PAT
KLAERS
6. GENERAL DISCUSSION ON POSSIBLE LAWCON GRANT FOR 1989
DEVELOPMENT OF WOODLAND TRAILS PARK
• 7 . REVIEW OF CITY PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION
ORDINANCE
8. DISCUSSION ON ELK RIVER ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
9. DISCUSSION ON JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT
10 . OTHER BUSINESS
11 . ADJOURNMENT
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fE"ityof �J TO: RECREATION BOARD MEMBERS
lk River FROM: PAT KLAERS, CITY ADMINISTRATOR
DATE: FEBRUARY 3 , 1989
SUBJECT: AGENDA MEMO
The next City Recreation Board meeting is scheduled for 7: 00 p.m.
on Tuesday, February 7 , 1989, at the Elk River City Hall
Conference Room. Attached for your information is the proposed
agenda for this Recreation Board meeting, the draft 1/3/89
Recreation Board Minutes and a proposed Park and Recreation
Advisory Commission Ordinance for Agenda Item #7 .
Comments on the Agenda Items are as follows:
4 .1 Snowmobile Discussion - Board Member, Clete Lipetzky,
informed me that a representative from a local Snowmobile
Club will be present at this meeting to discuss with the
Recreation Board ways which the City can help accommodate
snowmobilers for their activities. Somehow the City needs
to help provide snowmobilers, with the opportunity to legally
enjoy their activities and we must cooperate with the
• snowmobilers in spite of the feelings that their activities
are sometimes incompatible with other winter activities.
With the anticipated purchase of the Burlington Northern
Railway running north and south through Elk River, there
appears to be an opportunity to provide snowmobilers a north
south route in Elk River that could take place right next to
a cross-country ski trail or winter hiking trail . I am not
sure what direction this discussion will take at this
meeting, but it is appropriate to begin communication with
this recreational group.
6. 1989 Woodland Trails LAWCON Grant - I have requested
Economic Development Coordinator, Dick Fursman, to attend
this meeting to discuss a possible LAWCON Grant for the
development of the Woodland Trails Park . Phil Hals has just
completed the LAWCON Grant for the Lion's Park . If such a
Grant is submitted in 1989 for the development of Woodland
Trails Park , most likely Phil and Dick would combine their
efforts in this endeavor. Most of the Recreation Board
members have particiapted in a tour of the Woodland Trails
Park and if this new park is going to be developed, funds
from outside the City must be obtained. We may be a year
premature in applying for development funds and it may be
more appropriate in 1989 to simply utilize the park as was
done in 1988 until we get more organized in our approach to
IPdeveloping this park . For example, the City still needs to
work with the Golf Course on some property exchange as part
of the Golf Course Driving Range is currently on City
Park land. However, it should be noted that there is
720 Dodge Avenue N.W., Elk River, Minnesota 55330 (612) 441-7420
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Recreation Board Agenda Memo
February 7, 1989
actually no legal entrance into this park as the easement
attained to County Road #1 is not currently passable and the
City enters the Park by way of the Golf Course. The City
does not want to put together a haphazard Grant application
and we do not want to put together anyhing but a complete
application because LAWCON Funds are only given once to any
given park . Immediate needs for Woodland Trails Park that
come to mind include the entrance to the park, a parking lot
(with lights?) , bridges over the creek, development of
hiking trails, cross country skiing trails, camping area
(with grills) , a sheltered area, picnic tables, etc. . .
7 . Park and Recreation Advisory Commission Ordinance
Attached for your review is a draft City Park and Recreation
Advisory Ordinance. This Ordinance will replace the
existing Park Board Ordinance. This revised Ordinance
clearly indicates that the Recreation Board is advisory in
nature much like the Planning Commission and cannot spend
funds or enter into contracts or hire employees. The
Ordinance reflects how the Recreation board has been
functioning for the last year or so.
8. Elk River Athletic Association - At the last two meetings, •
the Recreation Board heard presentations from Dennis
Carlson, Anoka-Hennepin Community Education Director, and
Dennis Palm, Brooklyn Park Park and Recreation Director.
Two reoccuring themes that both speakers discussed was the
need to develop an Athletic Association and the need for a
Joint Powers Agreement. An Athletic Association is
important in order to keep the voluntary network strong so
that all youth activities have responsible supervisors and
funds are available to operate its programs. I believe a
Recreation Board Subcommittee or Task Force should be
developed so that an Elk River Athletic Association can be
evaluated and investigated. Establishing a purpose or
mission statement for an Athletic Association is needed and
the Task Force needs to undestand how an Athletic
Association is developed, who participates, how it is
managed financially and what role the City and Community
Education Department plays in an Athletic Association. I do
not believe that such a project can be accomplished
overnight but it certainly needs to be evaluated as it
appears to be something that is long overdue in Elk
River.
9. Joint Powers Agreement - The other theme reviewed by both
guest speakers was need for a Joint Powers Agreement between
the City and the School District. I don't believe this
issue needs much discussion by the Recreation Board and the
Board should simply be advised that Charlie and myself will
be working on such a Joint Powers Agreement in the next few
months. This Agreement should clearly define the existing
relationship between the City and the School District. In
trying to put this relationship down on paper, other issues
r
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Recreation Board Agenda Memo
February 7, 1989
may surface that could strenghthen the recreation
opportunities for the youth in the area. Therefore, the
Joint Powers Agreement research may Cpen up more issues than
resolve. I think that the existing situation needs to be
described on paper and improvement o programs can then take
place in a manner that spells outlthe responsibilities to
all parties. Such an Agreement wi 1 help the School Board
and the Council understand why the pity may want to finance
a park improvement on school property and why the School
Board may want to receive financial participation for
recreation opportunities from governmental agencies outside
the corporate City limits.
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