7.0. PRSR 06-08-2016 '..>11*
City of
E1 Memorandum
River
To: Parks and Recreation Commission
From: Michael Hecker,Parks and Recreation Director
Date: June 8,2016
Subject: Director's Report
This report is a monthly highlight of department activities related to collaboration, strategic
planning, staff changes/developments, and park operations.
William H. Houlton Conservation Area
The William H. Houlton Conservation Area (WHHCA) Planning Committee meeing on May 23
decided that Saturday, September 10 is the grand opening date of the site. The grand opening
ceremony is being planned this summer with more details to follow. The paved parking lot is
currently being installed.
Park Maintenance Lead Position
Park Maintenance Lead Steve Stoffers will soon retire. We will be sad to see him leave. His last day
with the City of Elk River will be Friday,July 1.
Interviews for Steve's position were held on May 17. Three in house and three outside candidates
were interviewed. Park Maintenance Worker Josh Baas was offered and accepted the position. He
will begin work on June 27 working side-by-side with Steve Stoffers for one week. This means that
Josh's position has become vacant. The announcement for this vacancy is already advertised with
the closing date of June 8. We plan to hold interviews for this poition on June 30.
Riverfront Concert Series 2016
The first concert of the Riverfront Concert Series is Thursday,June 16. A reminder that the
Concert Series is nine consecutive concerts with the following dates:
June 16 Rockin'Hollywoods
June 23 Lamont Cranston
June 30 Whitesidewalls
July 7 Arch Allies
July 14 Dee Miller Band
July 21 Song Blast
July 28 Fabulous Armadillos
August 4 Church of Cash
August 11 Ladies of the 80's
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Hillside Park Volunteers
Parks staff met with new Hillside Park volunteers. One of the volunteers, Graydon Betts,is the
MORC Board Treasurer and an Elk River resident who along with Harriet Holasek has agreed in the
short term to take on some of the volunteer leadership at Hillside. Harriet and her husband
approached staff several weeks ago volunteering their family to adopt Hillside. She will now co-lead
with Graydon. They plan to begin with an assessment of Hillside on Monday and have designed
Mondays for a weekly"get together" trail work day for the volunteers. This is in addition to the
work they can do at the park on a daily basis.
Skate Park
The second series of design workshops for the Orono Park skate park project were held on
Thursday,June 2. To encourage attendance by potential users of the park,the first workshop
meeting was held at the Elk River High School right after school let out, and the second meeting
was held in the evening at City Hall. Overall we had 14 participants between the two workshops.
Spohn Ranch, the firm hired to provide the design services,presented the design draft which was
produced from feedback provided at the first workshop meeting and the Facebook page created for
the project. Overall both meetings were very positive with a high level of engagement and interest
from the participants.
Spohn Ranch will now update the designs and produce a cost estimate and construction documents.
It is anticipated that the design will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission at the
August meeting and then the City Council shortly after.
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