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04-10-2024 PR MIN ciryof Meeting of the Elk River Parks and Recreation Commission ^--� Held at the Elk River City Hall River April 10, 2024 Members Present: Chair Dave Anderson,Commissioners Joy Goodwin, Greg Loidolt,Mike Niziolek, Hal Stewart,and Jill Varty Members Absent: Ryan Holmgren Council Liaison: Councihnember Mike Beyer Staff Present: Assistant City Administrator/Business Services Director Joe Stremcha, Fanners Market/Special Events Coordinator Karen Wingard, Senior Planner Chris Leeseberg, Recreation Assistant Ali Wallace I. Call Meeting to Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof,the meeting of the Elk River Parks and Recreation Commission was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Chair Anderson. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Consider Agenda Moved by Commissioner Goodwin and seconded by Commissioner Varty to approve the Apri110,2024, agenda. Motion carried 6-0. 4. Consider Minutes Moved by Commissioner Stewart and seconded by Commissioner Goodwin to approve the March 13,2024,Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes. Motion carried 6-0. 5. Open Forum 6.1 Plat Review Process— Park Dedication Mr. Leeseberg went over the land use application process.The Parks and Recreation Commission and Planning Commission are recommending bodies and share their recommendations with the City Council and the Council will make the final decision.Applications are due the last Monday of the month.The following Monday,typically the first Monday of the month,there is a city-wide review meeting which includes all city departments and Elk River Municipal Utilities,to go over the proposed plat applications received for the month and staff can share their comments, concerns,and recommendations.The county and state also receive the information so they can have their input as well. The next step is presenting it to the Parks and Recreation Commission on the second Wednesday of the month.The Commission then makes a recommendation of land or cash and if applicable a trail and/or easement is required. Land dedication outside the urban service district,non-city sewer and water lots,requires a one-and-a-half-mile service radius, or a thirty-minute walk to a neighborhood Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 2 April 10,2024 recreation component according to the Master Plan. It would be a natural resource based linked to recreational trail systems and would provide minimal facilities,not looking for a full neighborhood park. Park dedication in the cash form is based on the number of new lots,not existing lots.The Trail " Master Plan is used to determine if a development needs a trail connection. In some cases,the location is specific or is a guide.This information is provided to the developer early in the process to help them create a design/layout based on the Trail Master Plan.The Planning Commission reviews the plans on the fourth Tuesday of the month, staff provides a recommendation for plat approval based on the comprehensive plan, ordinances,and site plan review meeting.The Planning Commission provides a formal recommendation to the council for plat approval. The Planning Commission does not evaluate park dedication needs.The Park&Recreation Commission meeting can occur before or after the Planning Commission meeting since they operate independently of each other,but both meetings need to occur before the City Council can review it.The planning and platting items are typically brought to the City Council on the 3rd Monday of the month. Staff provides the Council with the recommendations from the Parks &Recreation Commission,Planning Commission,and staff.The Council considers the recommendations and approves or denies the plat application. Mr.Leeseberg presented slides showing the Preliminary Plat Process and Simple Plat Process. If the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) disagrees with a proposed location of a park or trail they should act on the request and recommend that the item be moved to location"A". Staff will then work with the applicant to adjust the plans as needed before the City Council meeting or include a condition that the park shall be relocated as recommended by the PRC.The Planning Commission often makes similar recommendations, for instance,the location of a street or cul-de-sac. As a recap the Parks and Recreation Commission reviews Park Dedication and Trails/Easements,the Planning Commission reviews the zoning regulations, and the City Council reviews all recommendations and acts on the application. 7.1 Park Dedication — Natures Edge Business Park Fifth Addition Mr. Stremcha shared the staff report and let the commissioners know there is an existing paved bituminous trail that was constructed when the roadway was constructed so the second motion is not relevant. Moved by Commissioner Loidolt and seconded by Commissioner Niziolek to accept park dedication for Natures Edge Business Park Fifth Addition to be paid in cash, at the applicable rate for the final platted acres, at the time of recording. Motion carried 6-0. 7.2 Farmers Market Coloring Contest Mrs.Wingard presented the three options on a ballot for the Farmers Market coloring contest.There were 52 entries this year.The ballots were collected,and this was the first time there was a tie so Council Member Beyer submitted his vote as the tiebreaker.The winner is option C which was submitted by Savannah. INATURE 81 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 3 April 10,2024 Moved by Commissioner Stewart and seconded by Commissioner Varty to approve option C as the winner of the 2024 Farmers Market Coloring Contest. Motion carried 6-0. 7.3 Parks and Recreation Commission Ordinance Review Mr. Stremcha shared that staff would like to reclarify and confirm how each of the powers and duties will be acted on or implemented to ensure the successful fulfillment of the following recommended changes. • Assist with the promotion of city parks,trails,and recreational facilities. • Collaborate with external organizations to ensure the offering of an appropriate array of recreation opportunities for the youth and adults of the city. • Collaborate with city staff to ensure the proper maintenance and development of city parks, trails,and recreation facilities. Mr. Stremcha explained that for the first bullet point"Assist with the promotion of parks,trails,and recreational facilities"it would be helpful to discuss as a Commission how those will be acted on and if it's necessary to keep or would you want to remove it. Commissioner Loidolt said the intent is to not get in the way of but to promote events.The commission is not going out to sell the trails,parks,and recreational facilities. Mr. Stremcha said in the last revision vandalism was incorporated,is that something that's inherent --� based on the person wanting to make sure we promote things or not vanclali7e, or is that specific to this Commission that we're makylg it an initiative to address? If it's inherent in a civilian perspective versus a commission perspective,we should make note of that. Either include it because of x,y,z or remove it. Chair Anderson stated community connection is one of the key roles and thinks it should be a natural part of this role and thinks it should be left in. Commissioner Niziolek thinks all commissioners promote the parks and wouldn't be on the Commission if we didn't do this. Mr. Stremcha asked how that is different as a civilian versus a commissioner.What would be the different actions taken to fulfill the duty,beyond what a volunteer and the community would do? If the commission wants it in there,let's have a rationale behind it. How is it going to be executed? Council Member Beyer shared that assist with the promotion is a strong statement which means being an assistant and suggested changing it to support the promotion. Commissioner Loidolt said assist means you are required to be at the events to help with the promotion,but we are not required. Mr. Stremcha shared the next bullet point"Collaborate with external organizations to ensure the offering of an appropriate array of recreation opportunities for the youth and adults of the city."We need to define that specific role and responsibility for the duties. OIEREa er NATURE Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 4 April 10,2024 Commissioner Loidolt shared that this is asking them to do things outside of the commission and thinks it can be reworded. It is important that we do boast what we have but don't think it's a requirement. Chair Anderson asked what the wording was before it was changed.Mr. Stremcha thinks it was work with versus collaborate with. Commissioner Goodwin shared that the way she reads the statement is as if she's helping to make sure the city understands what other cities are doing and bringing to them to the Council. She doesn't feel it's the responsibility of the commissioner. It is helpful to brainstorm those ideas in a work session but it's not up to the commission to do the leg work and come up with the plans. Commissioner Hal asked if enable would be a better word to allow user groups, or clubs to come to the Commission to make a recommendation or state their wishes. Mr. Stremcha said from his perspective it would be the absence of the commission's roles and responsibilities would thus enable others to fill the void. It wouldn't necessarily be the power to enable others it would be a void that was left vacant by not having the commission fill that responsibility. It's not the power and duty to enable someone else,it's the power and duty for the commission to take action. Commissioner Niziolek thinks it's stated the way it is because if an external organization comes to the commission and wants something,we should collaborate and work with them to provide that recreational opportunity. Commissioner's discussed changing ensure to consider,and all agreed to change it to consider. The third bullet point"Collaborate with city staff to ensure the proper maintenance and development of city parks,trails,and recreational facilities"need to define. Commissioner Loidolt said that we have staff that are in charge of maintenance,and we should not tell them how to do their job. He thinks it can be reworded and be made softer than ensure. Chair Anderson shared this is the essence of what we do and thinks the word ensure should be replaced. Commissioner Varty suggested changing it to support Mr. Stremcha shared that park maintenance falls under the Council's purview under Public Works versus a regular presence. Commissioner Loidolt suggests removing proper maintenance,because the way it reads with the word ensure in it,we are telling the staff how to do their job. If ensure is changed to something softer then it is okay. Commissioners agree to change ensure to support. Mr. Stremcha asked if support would be through budget recommendations or suggestions.When we successfully fulfill the duties and responsibilities,what are you doing to ensure or support the proper maintenance and development of said parks. If this is your duty and responsibility,how are you going to fulfill that and what types of scenarios would that entail?What is the commission doing to make it actionable? Council Member Beyer shared that when it says to collaborate with city staff to ensure the proper maintenance and development of city parks, trails,and recreational facilities it means the commission is supporting the park plans, field plans,and assisting staff. Ensure is a very strong word and means you're in charge and support means you're part of a team to make a decision. iEIEI 11 NATURE Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 5 April 10,2024 Commissioner Niziolek thinks some verbiage is needed to collaborate with Sherburne County and adjacent townships and cities on potential park related issues such as trail connections,recreational facilities,and the Great Northern Trail. Mr. Stremcha suggested adding parks,trails,and recreational opportunities as part of the external organizations to bullet point two. External organizations apply to any kind of entity. Commissioners discussed the removing array from the second bullet point,and all agreed. The changes are as follows: • Support with the promotion of city parks, trails,and recreational facilities. • Collaborate with external organizations to consider the offering of appropriate parks,trails, and recreation opportunities for the youth and adults of the city. • Collaborate with city staff to support the proper maintenance and development of city parks, trails,and recreation facilities. Moved by Commissioner Loidolt and seconded by Commissioner Goodwin to recommend to the City Council to approve the revision to the reworded Parks and Recreation Ordinance. Motion carried 6-0. 7.4 Camp Cozy Park Natural Resources Management Plan Stremcha shared that at the last meeting it was discussed adding in some features.Those features are identified in the attached map.The plan was approved by the Commission in December 2023 with the revision based on the commission's recommendation. Moved by Commissioner Niziolek and seconded by Commissioner Stewart to approve the Camp Cozy Park Natural Resources Management Plan with the recreational amenities located on the map. Motion carried 6-0. 8.I Recreation Amenities Length of Season Mr. Stremcha shared staff would like to get feedback from the Commission on when is an appropriate time for seasonal amenities to be added or subtracted from the community. Historically,on April 1 or May 1, depending on the spring season, things start to roll out, such as pickleball nets,archery ranges, etc. From a budget perspective is the Commission okay with having one pickleball net up year-round to provide those opportunities? Is this something we want to consider for future budgets to incorporate those types of amenities with longer seasons or have the flexibility with staff making the judgment calls?What are the Commission's feedback and thoughts on the length of season for amenities? Commissioner Niziolek suggests taking the staffs recommendation. If the staff feels confident,they can put up pickleball nets early without damage then they should do that. Staff needs to be in charge and should listen to what the community has to say. r / EREO 8 1ATURE Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 6 April 10,2024 Mr. Stremcha shared that in the past,if there was a request to put the pickleball nets up in January, the staff would respond that we're going to wait until April 1.The direction we're looking for is if the Commission is comfortable with staff deviating away from the set policy of April 1. By extending the " season we're going to inflate our budget slightly because there will be more scenarios where the weather will cause more wear and tear on the equipment which may require replacing the nets sooner. The staff hasn't felt comfortable enough to make the decision. Commissioner Goodwin said this year was a unique season and asked if staff received calls from the community to have things put out earlier, such as pickleball nets. Mr. Stremcha said we did. Chair Anderson shared people drove everywhere to play pickleball for a few months and he thinks that giving staff the recommendation of flexibility and knowing that there is a cost that comes with it, is a good plan.The community should not have to call. Commissioner Loidolt agreed to give staff the flexibility and suggested staggering the nets and only putting up a couple so we're not replacing them all at the same time. Commissioner Goodwin asked if there are other amenities such as the splash pad that need to be considered for this. Mr. Stremcha said those are seasonally scheduled because of winterization with water freezing and the uncertainty.With pickleball nets,you can get by with a little more flexibility. Commissioner Goodwin asked if the staff needs a recommendation on the amount of time or if we can allow the staff to make that determination. Mr. Stremcha stated there is not a formal policy that states the spring season starts on April 1,so that is a staff-level determination. If the Commission doesn't feel like it needs to be a policy and wants to give staff the flexibility to make that determination within the confines of the budget they can.But if the budget were to be inflated for the 2025 season due to wear and tear increase that might need to be part of the recommendation this summer. Chair Anderson shared that if people want to play,they should be playing. 9. Parks and Recreation Manager Update Mr. Stremcha shared that the Recreation Manager position will be posted soon and will start the recruitment process over the next month or two. Chair Anderson shared that this past month Mr. Stremcha cleared up the status of the city park,Burr Oak. It was important for the Commission to see that the life estate of Carrol Bloomdahl was park dedication. Chair Anderson shared the Scout Island access is identified in public records and signage for the park boundaries will be installed. Commissioner Niziolek asked if an outside agency can review the natural resource inventory of Burr Oak to find out what is there. Chair Anderson suggested adding that as a discussion item to a future meeting. rrOhEBEi it NATURE Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 7 April 10,2024 10. Announcements II. Adjourn Regular Meeting Moved by Commissioner Loidolt and seconded by Commissioner Niziolek to adjourn the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission at 7:52 p.m. Motion carried 6-0. 12. Work Session The work session meeting of the Elk River Parks and Recreation Commission was called to order at 8:01 by Chair Anderson. 12.1 Athletic Facilities Master Plan Mr. Stremcha shared he wanted to reiterate some of the key points from the presentation at the last meeting.These are concepts and features that we want to include in the future.When we talk about tilting a field 10 degrees to the east,that is something that will come up with the construction of the complex and not something conceptually we're going to decide on today.The number and type of fields are the features that will help guide where the needs are. Conceptually as we look 10 years from now what do we want to see in these park improvements?We still need to look at how we're going to raise the funds. Commissioner Loidolt likes all the plans and has shown them to people and wants to start building them now.The baseball fields haven't been redone and need to be upgraded. Since the baseball field is in a big plan,he would like to see a smaller scale to get it done sooner because there is a need for a premiere baseball field. He asked if these plans have been shared with Elk River Youth Baseball. Mr. Stremcha said we based the number of fields from a study done last year.The overall thing to keep in mind with this plan is sequencing.We cannot do the construction at Oak Knoll until PT Complex has a soccer/lacrosse field.The improvements need to be sequentially done. Commissioner Niziolek shared that one of the things he struggles with is the amount of money spent on parking when looking at the recreation percentage. Mr. Stremcha said that stems from the concept of being okay with gravel,grass,or paved lots,the vision is that they are paved. Commissioner Niziolek is concerned that the big price tag on paving a parking lot versus providing a recreational activity. Mr. Stremcha shared the number of off-street parking spaces required for tournaments and utilization is no different than the FT Center.A significant portion of the property is going to be parking but the size of the budget for parking will be contingent on the level of service that's provided.The parking lots could start as gravel lots in phase one and then be paved in phase ten. Commissioner Niziolek is concerned about DAAC and moving it away from a 4-field complex. He feels that DAAC and Oak Knoll draw people into town and there is great value in that for our community. Mr. Stremcha shared that the future of the fairgrounds is unknown,and that parcel of land goes hand in hand with DAAC.There is hesitation in planning DAAC based on what could happen with the neighboring lot.The softball needs that were discussed with that user group were to consolidate their PouESEu s1 NATURE Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 8 April 10,2024 fields to have more organized tournaments in a specific location.When they looked at the fields and user groups,a lot of ballfields and lacrosse/soccer fields were in their home or niche,more compacted geographically.The current DAAC location could be used more as an interim recreational "-- complex that's more youth-driven based on the nature of those fields in being in such proximity that user groups don't prefer to use the west face field because of the sunset and other safety concerns. There are a lot of things that need to be improved at DAAC so rather than do that in a tight, confined space the feeling was to relocate and repurpose and combine the fields at PT Complex. Commissioner Niziolek asked if we're looking at the long term should the city make good statements about the fairground being of value to the city maintaining DAAC and expanding the complex. Commissioner Loidolt said that will incur extra costs and the city already owns the parcels, except the high school baseball field. Chair Anderson stated it's hard to see into the future,but he likes the idea of having baseball/softball on the PT Complex campus. Since there are three new Commissioners,he would like to see the utilization study findings on page one and then the implementation sequencing and strategy. Commissioner Stewart would like a sequence summary.They are interlocking puzzle pieces where one needs to occur before the next can occur,but he's concerned that if we fail on the front,we'll fail on the back.We need to ramp up the PT Complex first. Would like to build off of the phasing plan. In a perfect world these are the steps we want to follow but we need to look at off ramps if that sequence doesn't hold. Chair Anderson asked what the ultimate action item is down the road. Mr. Stremcha said we would want a mutually agreed upon concept that will be the pedestal for which the fundraising begins.When we talk about the next 10-15 years or whatever the Council deems as the appropriate timetable to move forward with the project,this is the vision for the complex to look like as a finished project. Conceptually this will be the number of fields,where lacrosse,baseball,and softball have a home, those are the concepts,not necessarily the finalized design that will go out for bidding.The plan will be tweaked and be refined over the next decade but it's not necessarily what will be built tomorrow. This will need to be clarified in the communication piece because once this ends up in the paper people will be asking how their tax dollars will be used,and that's not the narrative we want to communicate.This is what we want to see in the future. Council Member Beyer shared he's a big-picture guy and sees that we're trying to draw people into Elk River and we're growing at a pace that we need additional fields,but does Elk River want to grow?What happened to where the city meets the country? Do want to grow to the size of St. Cloud and Maple Grove or do we want to be Elk River?He wanted to throw that out because that's the question he's had when there have been great big proposals and want to build big residential areas where they want the city to buy them a water tower and sewer,which is fine if it's cost neutral,but we don't want put the burden on the taxpayers. It's great to have long-term goals but it has to fit into everything else in the city. He appreciates the time the Commission is taking to decipher this. Mr. Stremcha said this will go to the Council as an awareness piece,there is going to be a consistent conversation around what the long-term plan needs to be identified, from the standpoint of rebuilding what we have existing or expanding and what is the philosophical approach to both. 11VEIE1 11 NATURE Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 9 April 10,2024 12.2 Disc Golf Open House Discussion Recap and Next Steps Mr. Stremcha shared we received a lot of feedback and had good conversations regarding current concerns at Lions Park and we want to address them long-term. Other needs and wants were discussed such as the size and scope of the facility,the need for variety,more secluded,and 18 independent holes. He will put the information together and share it with the attendees.There were 9 community members present,with three of them being Commission members. Chair Anderson shared they brought what we needed to the table. Commissioner Stewart agreed and said they did a good job articulating what's important to them,things that he never thought about since he hasn't played the game. Chair Anderson clarified that Mr. Stremcha will summarize the discussion and it can be discussed at a future work session and mentioned that the future space can be discussed at that time.Mr. Stremcha confirmed five different spaces came up in conversation.As an awareness, these are the features that are desired and long term what are the things we want to incorporate, so during the budget process we can state that we need X dollars to facilitate this improvement project and where it falls within the next five years based on the capital outlay planning that we do. I I. Adjournment There being no further business,moved by Commissioner Loidolt and seconded by Commissioner Goodwin to adjourn the Parks and Recreation Commission work session at 8:37 p.m. Motion carried 6-0. Min s repare 'W ce. Dave A erson, hair Tina Allard,City Clerk 10 11 E B E 0 111 NATUR