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9.0 PRSR 04-10-2024 Memorandum To: Parks and Recreation Commission From: Joe Stremcha, Assistant City Administrator/Business Services Director Date: April 10, 2024 Subject: Parks and Recreation Staff Report This report is a monthly highlight of department activities related to recent collaborations, strategic planning, staff changes/developments, and park operations. Recreation Manager Michael Hecker provided his letter of resignation dated April 5, 2024. “I have enjoyed working for the City of Elk River for the past twelve years. I am looking forward to the next phase of my life with early retirement.” Burr Oak The Burr Oak Park dedication was made to the city upon Carrol Bloomdahl’s passing in 2014 and made no mention of Virginia (his spouse). As stated in the park dedication, “Outlot E shall be used for park purposes upon the termination of the lifetime right of Carrol Bloomdahl to use Outlot E for agricultural purposes.” The county has this property recorded as owned by the city. Summer Program Registrations Registration is now open for summer programs. Trott Brook Barn Construction improvements are on schedule. Contractors are working on interior finishes and expecting the parking lot and trail overlay paving to be done by mid-May. Lion John Wright Park Playground Demo of the old playground was completed. New curbing is scheduled to be complete this week. Playground installation ‘could’ be done by the end of April. A ribbon cutting may be scheduled sometime in May. Minnesota Festival and Events Conference Karen attended this conference in Minneapolis on March 20-22. Some of the highlights were sessions on security and event management, insight on disability advocacy and how to ensure your event is accessible for all, and the importance of relationships concerning business and community stakeholders. Senior Center Memberships Registrations continue and are at 506 YTD. There were 629 total memberships in 2023 and we are on par with registration numbers at this time last year. Item: 9 Athletic Fields and Tournaments Our athletic field use has begun to ramp up with full use starting April 14. The playground shade netting at the Plants and Things Recreation Complex is expected to be installed on April 17. Elk River Youth Baseball's kickoff tournament is May 3-5. There are currently 62 teams registered and 70 is the maximum. Elk River Youth Softball's kickoff tournament is May 10-12. There are 56 teams registered, which is full. Summer Concert Series The performances will be at Rivers Edge Commons Park in partnership with our sponsor, the Bank of Elk River. The venue will change to the FT Center in the event of inclement weather. Below is our schedule of events:  June 13 - Junk FM (Kick off Summer with top 40 hits from the 80’s, 90’s and today!)  June 27 - World According to Garth (Garth Brooks tribute with a Country Western Party)  July 11 - Wicked Garden (90’s Grunge Era Inspired)  July 25 - Free and Easy Band (70’s FUNK)  August 1 - Fabulous Armadillos (All American Variety and Classic Rock)  August 15 - Arch Allies (Light up the Night with 80’s Hair Metal) Annual Park Steward Meeting Updates  Bailey Point Nature Preserve: There is significant beaver activity in the park. Public works shared what they learned regarding beaver habitat and how it is best to let nature take its course. The shoreline restoration dragging, and slit seeding was completed in the fall of 2023. We’ll start to see results with some moisture this spring.  Hillside Park: There are some new projects on the list at Hillside: o Construction of a beginner’s trail in the grassy area by the bike repair area. The trail is currently marked with white paint and goes through part of the parking lot. o The initial climb into section 3 may be rerouted due to erosion. This will add length to the trail. o The volunteer group also has a group of high school students working on refreshing the dual course in the powerline area. o The final project is the wood berms in section 4. The group is seeking volunteers for this and asking for park support to rent a post-hole digger.  Woodland Trails Regional Park: The volunteers are very pleased with the new shed and tools and appreciate the support of the Parks Dept in completing this project.  William H. Houlton Conservation Area: The evasive and buckthorn removal went well, and many bags were removed. Phase 2 of the seeding for erosion was completed with dormant seed. The trail restoration to the mouth of the Elk is complete and work will start on the Island this year. Trail Closure Ordinance Each spring, as the weather warms and the frost begins to leave the ground, our stewards post "Trail/Park Closed" signs at entrance points to the sod trails to protect the grass from damage while in a fragile state. Allowing an undisrupted start to the growth of the grass is important as the mature tree canopies in the summer shade the grass and slow its growth. We have had park users disobey the stewards' signs, which has resulted in potential conflicts between users and stewards trying to protect the park. The Council adopted an ordinance prohibiting the use of the trails at designated times that can be enforced by the police department going forward.