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09-10-2025 Parks and Recreation Commission Packet Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting & Work Session Agenda Wednesday, September 10, 2025 6:30 PM Elk River City Hall ▪ Regular meeting in Council Chambers ▪ Work Session meeting in Upper Town Conference Room immediately following regular meeting 1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. CONSIDER AGENDA 4. CONSIDER MINUTES 4.1 08-13-2025 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes 5. OPEN FORUM An opportunity to provide comments and feedback regarding items not on the agenda. Information provided in Open Forum will not be discussed at this meeting; rather, the information will be referred to staff and/or scheduled for discussion at a future meeting. 6. PRESENTATIONS, AWARDS, AND RECOGNITION 6.1 Disc Golf - Burr Oak Park 7. PARKS AND RECREATION MANAGER UPDATE 7.1 Parks and Recreation Manager Update 8. ANNOUNCEMENTS 9. MOTION TO ADJOURN REGULAR MEETING 10. WORK SESSION Work Sessions are less formal meetings to encourage dialog. Official action or votes are not typically taken. At the conclusion of a discussion, a simple consensus provides staff direction for execution of the item. This portion of the agenda is audio recorded but not video recorded or broadcast. Work Sessions are open to the public; however, visitors who wish to provide input must be invited by the presiding officer, assume a seat at the discussion table and provide their full name and address for the official record. 10.1 Elk River Parks and Recreation Framework Plan - Introduction 11. MOTION TO ADJOURN Page 1 of 17 DRAFTMeeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission Held at the Elk River City Hall Wednesday, August 13, 2025 Members Present: Chair Dave Anderson, Commissioners Mike Niziolek (left at 8:37p.m.), Greg Loidolt (left at 8:15p.m.), Hal Stewart, Melissa Fermoyle(left at 8:47p.m.), and Commissioner Jill Varty (arrived at 6:45p.m.) Members Absent: Commissioner Joy Goodwin Staff Present: Parks and Recreation Manager Jeff Shelby, and Senior Administrative Assistant Dawn Larson 1.CALL MEETING TO ORDER Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the meeting was called to order at 06:30 PM. 2.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3.CONSIDER AGENDA Moved by Commissioner Niziolek and seconded by Commissioner Loidolt to approve the August 13, 2025, agenda. Motion carried 5-0. 4.CONSIDER MINUTES 4.1 07-09-2025 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Moved by Commissioner Loidolt and seconded by Commissioner Fermoyle to approve July 9, 2025, Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes. Motion carried 5-0. 5.OPEN FORUM 6.PRESENTATIONS, AWARDS, AND RECOGNITION 6.1 Summer Program Recap Presented by Recreation Intern Taylor Ryan Ms. Ryan presented a slide show summarizing her experience as an intern this summer in the Parks and Recreation Department. Eager Elks, Park-a-Palooza, Youth Soccer, Little Rays Day Camp, and Sunshine Explorers were some of the programs she highlighted. 7.ACTION ITEMS 7.1 Prairie Haven - Park Dedication Mr. Shelby presented his report. Moved by Commissioner Fermoyle and seconded by Commissioner Loidolt to approve the park dedication for Prairie Haven be paid in cash for two single-family parcels, at the Page 2 of 17 DRAFT Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes August 13, 2025 --------- Page 2 of 8 applicable rate at the time of recording and a trail access easement where the location and width will be determined by the City Council and staff. Motion carried 5-0. 7.2 Table of Contents - Elk River Parks and Recreation Framework Plan Mr. Shelby presented his report. Commissioner Niziolek asked if the table of contents page will have web-based links. Mr. Shelby stated that he believes that is the intention based on what was discussed at the previous meeting. Commissioner Niziolek asked if the links could also be tracked via the website. Mr. Shelby said that would be something our communications department could determine. He can confirm this with them and bring back that information at the next meeting. Moved by Commissioner Stewart and seconded by Commissioner Fermoyle to approve the table of contents for the Elk River Parks and Recreation Framework Plan as presented. Motion carried 6-0. 7.3 Park Usage Survey - Region 1 Mr. Shelby presented his report. Chair Anderson asked Mr. Shelby to review the questions under one of the parks listed in the survey with the intent that once approved and finalized it would be duplicated for all of the parks included in the survey. Councilmember Grupa asked the commissioners what they would do if they got feedback from the residents requesting amenities or upgrades that the city may not be able to afford and may even need to remove. Councilmember Grupa said he thought they were looking for just the usage of each park and how far the users lived from them. He is concerned about asking questions that give the impression something might be added and then the park might be completely removed. Commissioner Varty asked him if he wanted to remove the question. Commission Fermoyle said that if they are transparent with what they are trying to achieve, she thinks residents will understand. Commissioner Loidolt suggested they could state something that gives the message that there is no guarantee that these items will be added to the park. Commissioner Fermoyle said they could include a disclaimer at the end of the survey. Commissioner Niziolek said he thinks that, by the nature of the survey, they are drawing attention to the park. He thinks that usership will go up for a while right after the survey and then it will drop off. He also asked what the cost of the survey is and if they could do something different that would track the usership of the park and give quantifiable data such as visiting the site and recording the number of people present. Mr. Shelby said they could do whatever the commission decides. If the Commission wants staff to compare the cost of a postcard versus a monitoring type of technology, they could certainly explore that, but it is not an area of his expertise. He would also need a longer timeline to gather that information. Commissioner Niziolek said if this is something they are going to do multiple times they might save money if they invest in a more efficient way to monitor the presence of people in the parks to gather data. Mr. Shelby suggested that if the commission wants to switch gears, then that should be determined tonight so more time isn’t wasted on this survey. Commissioner Niziolek said he doesn’t think that doing the survey is the wrong thing to do, but that he feels there might be a better way of doing it. If this survey is significantly cheaper than he thinks, they should go with it, but if they have a better way of gathering quantifiable data that is cost effective, then they should explore that. Commissioner Fermoyle asked Commissioner Niziolek if he had any ideas of what type of equipment Page 3 of 17 DRAFT Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes August 13, 2025 --------- Page 3 of 8 other than a deer cam, that they could use for gathering data. He said there is so much technology out there today and everything is changing by the moment so he can’t speak to that. Chair Anderson said if they change things now, they would essentially be pushing the project out a year. Commissioner Stewart asked if the point of the survey is to count the number of people in the park or what amenities they are using in the park. Commissioner Niziolek said that he just wants to monitor the usage of the park to make the best decisions with the budget they have. Commissioner Loidolt said that he is concerned about citizens feeling like their privacy is invaded with a monitoring system and he is also concerned about vandalism to the units that are doing the tracking if they are portable. He is not in favor of this. Commissioner Niziolek said the city is already moving in the direction of monitoring, and the city would have to buy more units that are expensive. Councilmember Grupa said they have had vandalism in some of the parks, which is why the cameras have been installed. Commissioner Niziolek said he thinks that the data is all there and that we just have to use it. Commissioner Niziolek said based on the feeling he is getting he thinks they should just go with the survey. He says the Commission should strongly consider more objective ways to gather the data. Commissioner Stewart said that in the interest of transparency bullet points 19 and 20 address that this survey is about what the residents want but also reiterates that the city has a budget. Commissioner Niziolek asked if the sequence of questions is of significance in this survey. He wonders if the sequence could affect the answers they get. He would like to have data backing up the significance of the sequence of the questions. Secretary Larson pointed out that Mr. Shelby pulled these questions from a lot of current surveys that exist right now. Mr. Shelby shared that he reviewed many surveys from other communities that were looking for the same information. Commissioner Niziolek said that they should collect as much data as they can so more choices and more data is what he would like. Chair Anderson said that he agrees that Orono Park should be included in the survey. Commissioner Varty said she thinks the questions are in the standard order that you see in most surveys. Chair Anderson stated that the Commission has two surveys to choose from, one with Orono Park in it and one without. Commissioner Niziolek said he thinks they should collect as much data as they can and that information about another park is only going to help them make good choices. Chair Anderson said that he agrees that Orono Park should be included. Commissioner Varty agreed as well. Commissioner Loidolt said that he views Orono as a destination park and not a neighborhood park so he doesn’t think it should be included. Commissioner Fermoyle said she can email her suggested changes to the document to Mr. Shelby. Commissioner Loidolt said he thinks that residents will all choose Orono Park on question 25. Councilmember Grupa said that if they include Orono Park in the survey, the data will show in favor of recommending keeping Orono and getting rid of the other three parks. Commissioner Niziolek asked if question 25 can be reorganized to have the surveyor rank the parks in the order. Chair Anderson stated that the majority of the Commission want to include Orono Park in the survey. Commissioner Fermoyle said that she would like to rewrite the opening paragraphs of the survey. She wants to explain why the current model for maintaining the parks isn’t sustainable. She suggested varied options of what the paragraph could say. Commissioner Loidolt said question 25 doesn’t make sense because he thinks everyone will choose Page 4 of 17 DRAFT Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes August 13, 2025 --------- Page 4 of 8 Orono Park. He still disagrees with including Orono Park. Councilmember Grupa said he thinks there are problems within the first three parks in the survey and there are changes and decisions to be made about just these specific ones, not Orono. Chair Anderson said they are looking for usership. Councilmember Grupa said yes, but not Orono Park. Commissioner Loidolt reiterated that they already know people are using Orono Park, they need to find out how many people are using the other three in the survey. Councilmember Grupa said if everyone chooses Orono Park then they know what they are going to do with the other three. Commissioner Niziolek asked if they could put the parks in list format, for example most likely to use, least likely to use, etc. and then they would have valuable data. Chair Anderson suggested rank choice voting. Chair Anderson suggested that they change the way that question 25 is worded. Commissioner Stewart said that they need to change the question to get the answers they are looking for. In this case it is ranking the parks in order of lowest to highest or vice versa. Commissioner Loidolt said they all know that Orono Park will come in number one. Commissioner Varty said then what they are really looking for is what order the others come in. Mr. Shelby said that his suggestion would be to identify how 25 should be rewritten and then they can include that in the recommendation in the motion by approving the survey with the amendments. Chair Anderson said that one option would also be for Commissioners to send their suggested changes to Mr. Shelby, and he can bring the document back the following month for review. Commissioner Niziolek said it would take too long to get the survey out, and they wouldn’t get quality data. If they can’t get it going tonight, they should wait until next year. Mr. Shelby confirmed that the Commission wants to change the first paragraphs of the survey as well as question 25. They will go line by line. Commissioner Niziolek had concerns about the first sentence in the survey and felt that it was out of place. Chair Anderson said he believed it is fine where it is. The Commission agreed to change the first paragraph of the survey to the following: Park Usage Survey-Region 1 The City of Elk Rivers’ current model for maintaining parks isn’t sustainable long-term due to financial constraints. We need your help to make informed decisions about park spending for Country Crossings Park, Fresno Park, Mississippi Oaks Park, and Orono Park. We’re seeking your feedback on these parks to understand how residents use them. We’ve divided up our park system by region and we are asking for input on these parks closest to your home. (remove “this will be done citywide”) Your input will directly impact how we manage and maintain our parks for everyone to enjoy. The survey should take about 5-10 minutes to complete. Change Question 25: If the city had to make a difficult decision due to budget constraints, please rank the importance of playground structures in the following parks one through four with one being the most important. Remove “no preference.” Page 5 of 17 DRAFT Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes August 13, 2025 --------- Page 5 of 8 Moved by Commissioner Fermoyle and seconded by Commissioner Varty to approve the park usage survey number two including Orono Park with the modifications made in the first paragraph and question 25 for staff to conduct with residents. Motion carried 5-1. Commissioner Loidolt opposed. 8. DISCUSSION ITEMS 8.1 Bradford Park Mr. Shelby presented his report. He also shared that to his knowledge the park will not come online until 2026/2027. This discussion can serve as a refresher of what was discussed at previous commission meetings and to brainstorm ideas of what the park could look like. Chair Anderson said it is important for everyone to understand what part of the park space is programmable. He referenced the area on the left side of the proposed park area. He said they will be challenged by the topography of the trails versus the programmable part of the park. He would like to see the grading plan even if it is conceptual when this item is discussed again. Chair Anderson asked how many homes there will be in that area. Mr. Shelby said he believes each phase will have about 200 homes. Chair Anderson believes this will be a destination park, but it will be linear programming since the park will have a trail on both sides. Commissioner Niziolek said he thinks this map has been modified since the last time he saw it. He thinks it is different on the north side than the original one he saw. He would like to see the planned elevations on the northeast side. Commissioner Niziolek asked what the blue on the map was for. Chair Anderson said he believes they are stormwater ponds. Commissioner Niziolek is concerned about the slope and would like to see that on a map. Chair Anderson said that is not the programmable part that they are discussing tonight. Commissioner Niziolek said he would like to see the elevations and the topography to make sure they are making proper decisions. He believes how the trails tie into the land on the west side will impact the flat space and change their decisions. Chair Anderson said they can still talk about some of the amenities that they could potentially put on the left side. Commissioner Niziolek asked if a picnic pavilion is considered a programmable space. Mr. Shelby said they are just discussing options tonight since they have time. Chair Anderson said a shelter or pavilion is what he would like as well as water access. He also suggested a swimming beach, fishing pier and water access for kayaking. Commissioner Niziolek said that the quality of the water will be influenced by the shoreline work. If they don’t focus on that it won’t have quality water. It is a clean body of water right now so he would like to maintain that. Chair Anderson said that it will be affected more by the storm water coming into it than the runoff from the trails. Chair Anderson said that the shoreline is important, but it isn’t an amenity. Commissioner Stewart asked if there was a commission field trip to this space. Chair Anderson and Commissioner Niziolek have been out to the land already but would like to go again. Commissioner Stewart says that a visit to the property would enhance their discussions. Chair Anderson said seeing a grading plan and taking a tour would be good for the commission to do. Mr. Shelby can get information and see if he can arrange a tour in the Spring. Page 6 of 17 DRAFT Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes August 13, 2025 --------- Page 6 of 8 Chair Anderson suggested another nature play area. Commissioner Niziolek said acquiring the other side of the park would impact this entire site. He said there was a little rapid area in that area which could be a good place for kids to play in a nature area. He believes that water is a key component for children’s play and added that a five-foot elevation change with rocks in a water area is a natural attraction for kids. Commissioner Niziolek asked if they could talk to the developer about the possibility of having land on the east side of the park. He and Chair Anderson would like to have a grading plan next time they discuss this. In summary the Commission would like to have the following amenities considered for this park: Access to water Nature Play Pavilion 9. RECREATION MANAGER UPDATE 9.1 Recreation Manager Update Mr. Shelby presented his report. 10. ANNOUNCEMENTS 11. MOTION TO ADJOURN REGULAR MEETING Moved by Commissioner Niziolek and seconded by Commissioner Loidolt to adjourn the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission at 8:15p.m. Motion carried 6-0. 12. WORK SESSION Chair Anderson called the work session to order at 8:21p.m. 12.1 Elk River Parks and Recreation Framework Plan - Introduction Mr. Shelby presented his report. Secretary Larson reminded the Commissioners that they can send her the changes that they propose before the meeting, so it is in writing before the discussion. Commissioner Fermoyle asked if the goal of this product is to help with decision making or is it just an overview of Elk River. Mr. Shelby stated that the document is a guided document for decision making about what we would like to see over the next decade. Chair Anderson said to read the overview and that explains what it is. He feels that it is a lot of words and that is what he has trouble with. Commissioner Niziolek stated that he believes the word sustainable must be included in the Introduction. He suggested adding the word sustainability to the introduction under review after resource allocation. He said this plan will serve as the foundation tool for decision making, resource allocation, sustainability, and capital improvement projects over the next few years. He feels that the word sustainability has to jump out. Commissioner Stewart asked if they wanted to explain what kind of sustainability they wanted. He Page 7 of 17 DRAFT Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes August 13, 2025 --------- Page 7 of 8 thinks adding all of that is too much. Chair Anderson said that he thinks it is impossible to be sustainable, but he wants the plan to have ideas. Secretary Larson pointed out that this is the shortest introduction she has seen after doing research on other parks and recreation master plan table of contents. Mr. Shelby said that he could add a “strategic and sustainable vision” in the first sentence. The Commissioners agreed. Commissioner Niziolek wants to make sure that moving forward they can replace things they install so they aren’t burning future generations. Chair Anderson suggested they now edit the section under “Plan Purpose.” Commissioner Niziolek said there is a maintenance element that they need to address that they are not stating. They need to think about replacing everything they put in. They need a strategic framework for development and maintenance of present park amenities. He is concerned that the city is already struggling to maintain current facilities. Chair Anderson asked if this document will also serve as a guide for the commission. Mr. Shelby suggested it state “City Staff and citizen led commissions.” Commissioner Loidolt said that he would like a different word than “guides.” Chair Anderson suggested using the words “reference document.” Mr. Shelby suggested that it states, “serves as a reference guide for city staff, commissions, and elected officials.” Chair Anderson said that he doesn’t believe it guides the work of city staff. Commissioner Niziolek wants to add the words “collaborative missions.” He wants to make a formal effort to collaborate with private and nonprofit organizations. Mr. Shelby suggested using “partner collaboration.” Commissioner Niziolek left at 8:37pm. The Commissioners discussed where the collaboration should go in the list. Mr. Shelby suggested adding it as number six. He said that he could verify the language with Commissioner Niziolek and fill it in later. Chair Anderson said he thinks that strategic vision is a mouthful. Commissioner Fermoyle asked if they had all agreed on strategic vision being included in number one. He said that the next one is “guide capital improvements” and that doesn’t fit what he thinks capital improvements are. Commissioner Stewart asked how this list was decided upon. Councilmember Grupa stated that he thought this was based off what they talked about at the previous commission meeting. Mr. Shelby agreed. Commissioner Stewart would like to change capital improvement to capital expenses. Chair Anderson said that capital improvement is not a facility renovation, renovations would be a capital expense. He would like to add capital expenditure and park improvements. Commissioner Fermoyle left at 8:47pm. There was not a quorum at this point in the meeting. Commissioner Stewart said that there is purchasing brand new things and then repairing things. Chair Anderson asked Mr. Shelby to explain his budget. Mr. Shelby said they have the park improvement fund and park dedication. He said they could say “guide capital expenditures and improvements.” Commissioner Varty asked if they could move on to number three. She suggested that they stop there and reconvene next month since everyone is getting tired. Chair Anderson said that these types of discussions need to be done earlier. The Commission discussed Page 8 of 17 DRAFT Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes August 13, 2025 --------- Page 8 of 8 how to shorten the meetings. Chair Anderson said he thinks that these discussions need to stay in a work session. He said that this is a challenging process for part time volunteers. He said that previously when he was involved in this process a few of the commissioners were able to write drafts and send them back and forth to each other outside the meetings. Secretary Larson pointed out that tonight’s document is the summary of what was discussed at the previous meeting. She reiterated that reading the previous month’s meetings minutes will be particularly important going forward to make sure that the commissioners remember what was previously discussed. Commissioner Stewart asked if the version they reviewed tonight with the red corrections could be sent out before next month’s meeting, so the commissioners are reminded what has already been discussed and decided before the next meeting. This can be repeated after each meeting as progress is made. The documents will show the corrections in red. The Commissioners decided to bring back the document from tonight with the corrections in red to the next meeting, noting that they left off at number three. Councilmember Grupa suggested that Secretary Larson remind the Commissioners when she sends the next packet that they can send her discussion points or statements for the proposed discussion at the meeting, that way she has their corrections in writing before the meeting. 13. MOTION TO ADJOURN There were not enough Commissioners present to make a motion to adjourn. The meeting ended at 9:03pm. Minutes prepared by Dawn Larson. __________________ Dave Anderson, Chair ___________________ Tina Allard, City Clerk Page 9 of 17 The Elk River Vision A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity Request for Action To Parks and Recreation Commission Item Number 6.1 Meeting Date September 10, 2025 Prepared By Jeff Shelby, Recreation Manager Item Description Disc Golf - Burr Oak Park Reviewed by Jeff Shelby Joe Stremcha Action Requested None. Background/Discussion Earlier this year, Tim Schreder expressed an interest in locating a disc golf course at Burr Oak Park and offered to explore the course and test its viability. He has visited the park several times this summer after setting up a temporary course. He will share his thoughts and findings with the commission. Financial Impact None at this time Mission/Policy/Goal Opportunity to live, work, and play. Work with citizens to achieve goals. Attachments None Page 10 of 17 Memorandum To: Parks and Recreation Commission From: Jeff Shelby, Parks and Recreation Manager Date: September 10, 2025 Subject: Parks and Recreation Staff Report Senior Activity Center In August, the Senior Activity Center averaged 70 visitors per day, which is consistent with last August. We currently have 552 members. Memberships for 2026 will go on sale in mid-October. The Senior Center hosted Senior Day Out, an event sponsored by the SALT Council (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together). Area law enforcement agencies and senior organizations partnered to provide a day filled with informative presentations, lunch, a drone demonstration, and a K9 demonstration. Two daytrips took place in August, both filling within just a few days due to high demand. One was a scenic boat tour on Lake Minnetonka, and the other was a performance of The Church Basement Ladies at the Plymouth Playhouse. We now have three front desk greeters at the Event Center. Laurie Lopez joined at the end of August and will be volunteering every Tuesday morning. Interviews are currently underway for the Senior Activity Center Assistant position. Callie’s last day will be September 12. Events Beginning in September, the Elk River Farmers Market will run from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursdays. The outdoor market season continues through October 9. We have had a fantastic season so far, with a great mix of vendors and community groups attending. Vendor registration is now open for the indoor market season that will start on November 6. The fall scene display at Rivers Edge will go up on September 29. This is a continued collaboration between Parks and Recreation and DERBA. Page 11 of 17 Sports/Programs Fall men’s softball ended up with 10 teams for the season, which is consistent compared to other years for fall. We have The Overlook overseeing concessions as a trial run to continue for 2026. So far, it is going well, and participants are happy to have food and snack options available on site. The league will run through September 30, weather permitting. The fall women’s volleyball league is full at 16 teams and starts this upcoming Monday. Fields Football is in full swing and uses all three city fields five nights a week. Youth baseball is only using fields on Sundays this year due to lower enrollment, but it has been working out well for them. Youth softball is still in full swing with practices during the week and games/tournaments at the PT Complex every weekend since mid-August. The USSSA Fall State Tournament will once again be at the PT Complex October 3-5, which will wrap up our youth softball/baseball season. Northern MRPA Warren and Jeff attended the recent Northern MRPA meeting in Duluth to network and share ideas with other parks and recreation professionals in the region. They were given a tour of the city’s newly renovated waterfront plaza area, as well as a presentation as to how that project came to fruition. Summer Concerts Our final summer concert with The Fabulous Armadillos was moved indoors to the FT Center fieldhouse due to the weather. Over a thousand people attended and enjoyed both the performance and the concessions provided by FT Center staff, as well as the support provided by our concert series sponsor, The Bank of Elk River. FMR Paddle Event The Friends of the Mississippi had planned for a daylong event involving kayaking, education, and volunteer restoration activities at William H. Houlton Conservation Area, but the weather had other ideas. The kayaking was canceled, but they were still able to hold the educational and restoration portions of the event. 18 volunteers, including Vice Chair Stewart, participated in planting native leadplant plugs along the riverbank and heard from the FMR agricultural policy manager about how sound agricultural policy can benefit the river. Page 12 of 17 The Elk River Vision A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity Request for Action To Parks and Recreation Commission Item Number 10.1 Meeting Date September 10, 2025 Prepared By Jeff Shelby, Recreation Manager Item Description Elk River Parks and Recreation Framework Plan - Introduction Reviewed by Jeff Shelby Joe Stremcha Action Requested Discuss the Framework Plan Introduction Section. Background/Discussion At last month's commission meeting, the review of the introductory section to the Elk River Parks and Recreation Framework Plan began, but was not completed. Both the original draft as presented last month and the draft with some input (in red) are attached for review. Financial Impact None. Mission/Policy/Goal Opportunity to live, work, and play. Attachments 1. Framework Plan - Introduction DRAFT 1 2. Framework Plan - Introduction DRAFT 1 - Work Session Input Page 13 of 17 Introduction Overview The City of Elk River Parks and Recreation Framework Plan is a comprehensive, long-range guiding document designed to provide a strategic vision for the future of our community’s parks, open spaces, facilities, and recreational programs. This plan will serve as a foundational tool for decision- making, resource allocation, and capital improvement projects over the next 10 years. Mission and Values *Will be tied to City Council Mission and Values statement Community Profile *Will be developed with Communications and consist largely of data provided through multiple sources Plan Purpose The primary purpose of this plan is to provide a strategic framework for future development and decision-making. It is designed to be a living document that guides the work of city staff, informs elected officials, and serves as a public declaration of the community's vision. Specifically, the plan aims to: 1. Provide a Strategic Vision: Translate the community's priorities and aspirations into a clear, actionable vision for the parks and recreation system over the next decade. 2. Guide Capital Improvements: Identify and prioritize capital projects, such as park development, facility renovations, and trail connections, ensuring they align with community needs and are phased in in a fiscally responsible manner. 3. Inform Program and Service Delivery: Assess current recreational programs and services to identify gaps and opportunities, ensuring a diverse range of offerings that meet the needs of all residents, from youth to seniors. 4. Manage Resources Effectively: Establish a basis for effective resource allocation and grant funding applications by clearly articulating needs and justifying proposed projects with data and community input. 5. Engage the Community: Document the comprehensive community engagement process and serve as a tool for ongoing dialogue, providing transparency behind future park and recreation decisions. Planning Process The development of this framework plan was a multi-phase process spanning approximately 12 months, designed to be both data-driven and community-focused. The process was structured to ensure that the final document accurately reflects the needs, values, and vision of our residents and key stakeholders. Page 14 of 17 The major phases of the planning process included: Drafting and Visioning Community Engagement Needs Assessment and Analysis Final Review and Adoption This structured approach ensured that the recommendations within this document are not only aspirational but also practical, financially viable, and reflective of the community's collective will. Page 15 of 17 Introduction Overview The City of Elk River Parks and Recreation Framework Plan is a comprehensive, long-range guiding document designed to provide a strategic and sustainable vision for the future of our community’s parks, open spaces, facilities, and recreational programs. This plan will serve as a foundational tool for decision-making, resource allocation, and capital improvement projects over the next 10 years. Mission and Values *Will be tied to City Council Mission and Values statement Community Profile *Will be developed with Communications and consist largely of data provided through multiple sources Plan Purpose The primary purpose of this plan is to provide a strategic framework for future development, maintaining present park amenities, and decision-making. It is designed to be a living document that serves as a reference guide for city staff, commissions, elected officials, and serves as a public declaration of the community's vision. Specifically, the plan aims to: 1. Provide a Strategic Vision: Translate the community's priorities and aspirations into a clear, actionable vision for the parks and recreation system over the next decade. 2. Guide Capital Expenditures and Improvements: Identify and prioritize capital projects, such as park, facility renovations, and trail connections, ensuring they align with community needs and are phased in in a fiscally responsible manner. ****STOPPED HERE 3. Inform Program and Service Delivery: Assess current recreational programs and services to identify gaps and opportunities, ensuring a diverse range of offerings that meet the needs of all residents, from youth to seniors. 4. Manage Resources Effectively: Establish a basis for effective resource allocation and grant funding applications by clearly articulating needs and justifying proposed projects with data and community input. 5. Engage the Community: Document the comprehensive community engagement process and serve as a tool for ongoing dialogue, providing transparency behind future park and recreation decisions. 6. Partner Collaboration: Work with non-profit and community organizations to ??? Planning Process The development of this framework plan was a multi-phase process spanning approximately 12 months, designed to be both data-driven and community-focused. The process was structured to ensure that the final document accurately reflects the needs, values, and vision of our residents and key stakeholders. Page 16 of 17 The major phases of the planning process included: Drafting and Visioning Community Engagement Needs Assessment and Analysis Final Review and Adoption This structured approach ensured that the recommendations within this document are not only aspirational but also practical, financially viable, and reflective of the community's collective will. Page 17 of 17