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12-10-2025 PRSR Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting Agenda Wednesday, December 10, 2025 6:30 PM Elk River City Hall ▪ Regular meeting in Council Chambers 1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. CONSIDER AGENDA 4. CONSIDER MINUTES 4.1 11-12-2025 Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting 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. ACTION ITEMS 6.1 Park Dedication - Elk Ridge Center Seventh Addition 6.2 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan 6.3 E-bike and Electric Powered Device Ordinance 7. PARKS AND RECREATION MANAGER UPDATE 7.1 Parks and Recreation Manager Update 8. ANNOUNCEMENTS 9. MOTION TO ADJOURN Page 1 of 25 Meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission Held at the Elk River City Hall Wednesday, November 12, 2025 Members Present: Chair Anderson, Commissioners Goodwin, Stewart, Varty, Niziolek, and Loidolt Members Absent: Commissioner Fermoyle Staff Present: Assistant City Administrator/Business Services Director Joe Stremcha, 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 Loidolt and seconded by Commissioner Niziolek to approve November 12, 2025, agenda. Motion carried 6-0. 4.CONSIDER MINUTES 4.1 10-08-2025 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Moved by Commissioner Stewart and seconded by Commissioner Goodwin to approve the October 8, 2025, Parks and Recreation Commission minutes. Motion carried 6-0. 5.OPEN FORUM 6.ACTION ITEMS 6.1 Perkins Acres - Park Dedication Mr. Shelby presented his report. Commissioner Niziolek asked to review the map. He said the conceptual trail alignment is on the south instead of the north. He said he isn’t sure if they need to clarify when the property is developed to the west the trail will go to the north. Chair Anderson said it is just a conceptual drawing that is not site specific. Commissioner Niziolek said due to the location of wetlands to the south he doesn’t believe the trail would go there so he thinks they should mention it would most likely be to the north. He doesn’t want a developer to be surprised by that. Mr. Shelby said he believes that it has already been addressed by planning and is stipulated in the language when this was discussed in 2018. Moved by Commissioner Niziolek and seconded by Commissioner Loidolt to recommend that park dedication for Perkins Acres be paid in cash for one single family parcel, at the applicable rate at the time of recording and a trail access easement with the final location and width to be determined by City Council and staff. Motion carried 6-0. DRAFTPage 2 of 25 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 12, 2025 --------- Page 2 of 6 6.2 2026 Commission Meeting Dates Mr. Shelby presented his report. Commissioner Niziolek said if they are going to negotiate changes in dates of the Parks and Recreation meetings then he wants to consider changing the meeting date in October 2026 and 2027 since he won’t be able to attend the meetings in their entirety. Mr. Shelby said the change proposed tonight is due to the November 2026 commission meeting falling on a federal holiday and therefore the meeting can’t be held that day. Commissioner Niziolek said he is going to propose something different, if a holiday falls on a day when a commission meeting is normally scheduled, they will drop the meeting that month and call a special meeting if there is a need to discuss something. Commissioner Loidolt said that he thinks they should stick with the second Wednesday of the month for the meetings because November would be the only month they would have to entertain that issue. Chair Anderson said they would only have to make this change every seven years. Moved by Commissioner Loidolt and seconded by Commissioner Goodwin to accept the regular parks and recreation meetings on the second Wednesday of each month excluding the 2026 calendar which will be moved to Wednesday, November 4 since November 11 is Veterans Day. Motion carried 6-0. 6.3 Bleachers Purchase for Plants & Things Athletic Complex Mr. Shelby presented his report. Commissioner Niziolek asked if they should look at the budget to stay prudent. Mr. Shelby explained that this money would come out of the $35,000 annual sponsorship money for naming rights of the complex. Commissioner Niziolek asked if one of the next topics on the agenda will affect this decision. He asked if they could potentially package both issues. He wants to be fiscally responsible and make sure it works out. He asked if they could discuss the safety issues and circle back to this and then proceed to vote. Chair Anderson and Commissioner Goodwin suggested they make the decision now. Moved by Commissioner Loidolt and seconded by Commissioner Niziolek, that Park Improvement Funds be used to purchase new additional bleachers for the PT Complex. Motion carried 6-0. 6.4 E-bike and Electric Device Ordinance Mr. Shelby presented his report. Chair Anderson said he thinks this misses their intent considerably. He said it doesn’t include the details they discussed at the last meeting. He thinks they need to come up with a new draft that he would be comfortable passing. Commissioner Loidolt asked if staff wrote the ordinance. Mr. Shelby said yes. Commissioner Stewart said that he thinks they need to come up with a new ordinance draft because the one presented is too broad which makes it not enforceable. He also suggested adding something in the ordinance about playgrounds. Commissioner Goodwin said she is new to the process of creating an ordinance and asked if normally there are consequences written into an ordinance such as a fine. Mr. Shelby and Mr. Stremcha explained that the ordinance can contain whatever they want, being as vague or specific as they want. Chair Anderson suggested they table this topic until the next meeting and he, along with someone else, could work with staff to draft a new version. Mr. Stremcha suggested they make a recommendation from the commission appointing two representatives to work with staff to come up with a new ordinance and bring it back to the DRAFTPage 3 of 25 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 12, 2025 --------- Page 3 of 6 commission. Councilmember Grupa reminded them that the City Council will be reviewing this as well and will have a lot to add so the Commission should focus on city parks and trails. Chair Anderson said he would like to suggest that he and Commissioner Stewart be on the committee. Councilmember Grupa said he would like to see this done before the first of the year. Moved by Commissioner Stewart and seconded by Commissioner Varty to table the proceeding before them for the proposed ordinance for electric powered bicycles and other power assisted vehicles. Motion carried 6-0. Moved by Commissioner Goodwin and seconded by Commissioner Loidolt, that a committee be created consisting of three commissioners, Chair Anderson, Commissioner Stewart, and Commissioner Niziolek to work on an updated draft of the e-bike and electric device ordinance with Parks and Recreation staff. Motion carried 6-0. 7. DISCUSSION ITEMS 7.1 Safety at Athletic Complexes Mr. Shelby presented his report. Mr. Shelby explained that staff did some research and contacted several other cities that have field complexes and what they have done as far as safety precautions. Staff did not find other cities that are taking action to do so other than existing fencing or boulders. St. Paul was the only city staff ran across which had done something and it was in reaction to an event that had taken place. Commissioner Niziolek said he was at a neighboring city athletic complex within 10 miles of Elk River where vehicles were driving in and around on the soccer fields. He said he could see the potential for something bad to happen if this is allowed. This was not within the City of Elk River. Commissioner Varty asked if the people were dropping kids off or messing around. Commissioner Niziolek said they were dropping kids off. Commissioner Loidolt said it sounds like a localized incident and that it is being done on a common basis. He also pointed out that they had vandalism out at the PT complex a few years ago by someone driving on the football field and asked Mr. Shelby if there was anything recently. Mr. Shelby said not that he can recall. Commissioner Loidolt shared he is all for safety but sometimes when you put up barriers you also limit freedom. He said that what St. Paul installed looks highly expensive and well thought out. He asked if we have checked pricing with Plaisted’s, etc. or anything. Mr. Shelby said no we haven’t. Commissioner Loidolt shared that he understands the concern for safety but asked if we are going to protect all fields and would we stop at fields or do parks and playgrounds as well? He also appreciates that the PT Complex sponsors want to protect people and are concerned about their safety. Commissioner Stewart asked if we had someone that has a security or safety type of background to look at the facilities to do a boot on the ground type of assessment. Mr. Shelby said that they would want to apply that to all the field complexes if they were going to do that. He asked if they were going to make any sort of adjustments etc., do they want to do that at just one facility or have someone look at multiple facilities? Mr. Stremcha said this could be something simple like making a recommendation to have the City of Elk DRAFTPage 4 of 25 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 12, 2025 --------- Page 4 of 6 River emergency management staff Fire Chief Dickenson and Police Chief Kuhnly, do a generic safety assessment of our public infrastructure. Chair Anderson said that his recommendation would be to do nothing at this time. He cares about safety as much as anyone, but he said they are talking about potentially millions of dollars. Commissioner Loidolt said he agrees. Commissioner Goodwin said that St. Paul appears to be an outlier. She thinks that based on the feedback gathered from other cities it doesn’t appear to be an imminent threat or an emergency right now, so until it becomes a problem, she thinks they could wait on financing anything. Commissioner Goodwin does think an assessment would be valuable. Commissioner Stewart asked Mr. Shelby if the request was based on a specific incident that occurred. Mr. Shelby said no, nothing specific that he is aware of. Mr. Shelby said they are always mindful of security and protection of anyone that uses the fields, which is why they put together the EAP. They are open to any safety assessments. Commissioner Niziolek said one of the things that makes this special is that the Plants and Things Recreational Complex has a sponsor that is contributing money and if they feel that the expenditure of funds should be made for safety then the commission should listen to them and prudently proceed. He thinks that’s what makes this park different from the other parks, there are naming rights associated with it. Chair Anderson said the PT Complex is similar to the other parks and public safety is the same no matter where they go. Commissioner Varty said having someone come and assess safety should satisfy their request. Chair Anderson said his personal recommendation is to do nothing. Mr. Shelby said that what he is hearing is to have staff reach out to the City of Elk River emergency services staff to do a boot on the ground assessment starting on the PT Complex and bring that back. The Commissioners agreed. 7.2 Park Usage Survey Results Mr. Shelby presented his report. He shared that Country Crossings Park is the one seeing the most usage and engagement at this time of the three parks in the survey. If they were going to look at managing their funds responsibly and condense the playground structures to just one park in this region, Country Crossings would be the one to keep online. Mr. Shelby said the Country Crossings Park playground is not planned to be removed at this point, but the amenity has aged to the point where it cannot be repaired. Commissioner Loidolt pointed out that those surveyed reported they thought the amenities at Country Crossings were good. Mr. Shelby explained that there is a difference between what needs to be repaired as it ages and how it appears. Commissioner Stewart asked what they are going to do with this information now that they have it. He asked if they were going to rank the three parks and do a one-page summary of them ranked. Mr. Shelby said yes, then staff would reexamine the CIP plan and schedule and make recommendations to City Council about where money should be allocated. He said originally the CIP plan included replacing every single playground and that would be a difficult task to accomplish. Mr. Shelby said they need to get on track with what is doable. The original CIP schedule was set against the manufacturers recommended life span of each amenity. Commissioner Niziolek said that by looking at the numbers he thinks that 33 users a week out of the DRAFTPage 5 of 25 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 12, 2025 --------- Page 5 of 6 amount of people that live in Elk River is low. Commissioner Goodwin said that she doesn’t think that they conveyed the messages right in the survey. She thinks that based on their responses it’s hard to tell if they are just walking through the park with their dog or stopping to use the playground. She feels that they should have asked surveyors what they would eliminate instead of what do they want because the city can’t afford to maintain them as is. Commissioner Niziolek said that he thinks that 33 is a really low number when you think about the scope of the community and he doesn’t think the city can continue to have these playground amenities in all these smaller parks. He thinks it will be very expensive, and they don’t have the funds to support this. Councilmember Grupa said that the purpose of this survey was to figure out where to start if there is a need to start eliminating playgrounds. He said that based on this survey you would start on the bottom and go the other way. Commissioner Niziolek said when he was looking at these parks he didn’t see anyone in them. He asked what they can legally do with the park properties, such as what they could do to make the parks into places people would want to go to. Mr. Shelby said it depends upon how the park property was acquired by the city. Chair Anderson said they all probably came from park dedication. Commissioner Niziolek asked if they could plant them all with trees and just be done with it or place solar panels on them to power play items for kids. Mr. Stremcha said they could plant trees, but as far as solar panels he said potentially if they powered something with the purpose of recreation. He said for example, they have solar powered picnic tables. He said the survey feedback is giving the commission the information they need to prioritize what is done in the parks. Commissioner Niziolek said that the maintenance costs are significant as well. He thinks that mowing the parks every week when they aren’t used is a waste of funds when they could use those funds elsewhere. He said there is a deeper discussion that needs to be had about what park land can be used for. Mr. Shelby discussed some of the things that he learned about at conference about park programming. He said that those are things that they will discuss as they move forward with park planning. Councilmember Grupa said this is part of a bigger conversation. He said people always ask him how many parks the City of Elk River needs. He said that now they are talking about being eliminated because they are too much to upkeep. He said he is still learning the process of how this is all done. The Commissioners discussed how the process got started and how they ended up here. Chair Anderson agreed there is a lot of discussion to come, and they have already started on the park framework plan. Commissioner Niziolek said he wants to emphasize that these spaces are not going away and they have to figure out how to use the properties and be financially prudent. Commissioner Goodwin said the spaces aren’t going to change but the way we accommodate the spaces, and the structures may change but there are some creative opportunities in the changes that the community can be a part of. She is hopeful as communities change people will want to be outside and will consider some new ways to innovate these green spaces that are lovely and wonderful. 8. PARKS AND RECREATION MANAGER UPDATE DRAFTPage 6 of 25 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes November 12, 2025 --------- Page 6 of 6 8.1 Parks and Recreation Manager Update Mr. Shelby presented his report. He also shared there were prescribed burns at both the William H. Houlton Conservation Area and Bailey Point Nature Preserve that Commissioner Stewart assisted with. He added that the Waco St. to Concord St. trail connection is almost done. Chair Anderson said it is an important link in the master trail plan. 9. ANNOUNCEMENTS 10. MOTION TO ADJOURN Moved by Commissioner Goodwin and seconded by Commissioner Stewart to adjourn to the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting at 7:40 p.m. Motion carried 6-0. __________________ Dave Anderson, Chair ___________________ Tina Allard, City Clerk DRAFTPage 7 of 25 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 December 10, 2025 Prepared By Jeff Shelby, Recreation Manager Item Description Park Dedication - Elk Ridge Center Seventh Addition Reviewed by Jeff Shelby Joe Stremcha Action Requested Recommend, by motion, park dedication for Elk Ridge Center Seventh Addition be paid in cash for one commercial parcel, at the applicable rate at the time of recording. Background/Discussion The subject property is located within a Planned Unit Development (PUD) district. The applicant proposes to plat a 1.6-acre parcel for commercial use. As a result, the new lot is subject to the city’s commercial park dedication requirements. A public sidewalk does exist along the adjacent public street and provides pedestrian access. Park dedication is anticipated to be as follows, but will be determined based on the final acreage and at the applicable rate at the time of recording. Financial Impact Park dedication fees will be deposited into the Park Dedication Fund. Mission/Policy/Goal Support the growth and development of the community. Attachments 1. Location Map 2. Final Plat Page 8 of 25 Page 9 of 25 Page 10 of 25 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 6.2 Meeting Date December 10, 2025 Prepared By Jeff Shelby, Recreation Manager Item Description 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan Reviewed by Jeff Shelby Joe Stremcha Action Requested Discuss the 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan and recommend, by motion, amendments to the 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan for Park Dedication and Park Improvement Funds should changes be deemed necessary. Background/Discussion The 2026-2030 CIP was discussed during the Park and Recreation Commission Work Session in November. The discussed projects and dollar amounts are included in the 2026-2030 CIP. The City Council did approve city-wide 2026-2030 plan documents on December 1 along with the 2026 Budget. Staff presented plans as guided by the Commission's November Work Session consensus. The 2026 beginning fund balance for the Park Improvement Fund is $319,900. We receive $250,000 annually into that fund via transfer from the Municipal Liquor Fund. The 2026 beginning fund balance for the Park Dedication Fund is $706,700. Deposited funds vary year to year. Financial Impact Varies by project. Mission/Policy/Goal Responsible for every dollar - good stewards. Attachments 1. CIP 2026-2030- UPDATED DEC 25 Page 11 of 25 Page 12 of 25 Page 13 of 25 Page 14 of 25 Page 15 of 25 Page 16 of 25 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 6.3 Meeting Date December 10, 2025 Prepared By Jeff Shelby, Recreation Manager Item Description E-bike and Electric Powered Device Ordinance Reviewed by Jeff Shelby Joe Stremcha Action Requested Recommend, by motion, that the City Council approve the proposed ordinance for E-bikes and Electric Powered Devices on city trails and within city parks as presented. Background/Discussion The commission appointed commissioners Niziolek, Stewart, and Anderson to an ad hoc committee to work with staff on drafting an E-bikes and Electric Powered Devices on city trails and within city parks based on concerns raised by community members. Financial Impact Cost of potential park and trail signage and ordinance enforcement are to be determined. Mission/Policy/Goal Meet changing needs - agile. Attachments 1. Proposed Ordinance - Park and Rec Commission - DRAFT - Version 3.0 2. Use of Motorized Recreation Devices in Elk River Parks Page 17 of 25 CHAPTER 76: REGULATION OF ELECTRIC-ASSISTED BICYCLES, MOTORIZED RECREATION VEHICLES, AND ELECTRIC PERSONAL ASSISTIVE MOBILITY DEVICES ON PAVED CITY TRAILS § 76.01. DEFINITIONS. (A) Electric-Assisted Bicycle. The term "electric-assisted bicycle" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Minnesota Statutes Section 169.011, Subdivision 27, as amended. This definition includes all Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 electric-assisted bicycles with factory installed fully functional pedals. (B) Motorized Foot Scooter. The term “motorized foot scooter” shall mean any motorized foot scooter with handlebars, designed to be stood or sat on, and powered by an electric motor. (C) Motorized Recreation Vehicle (MRV). Any motorized vehicle which is not defined as an electric-assisted bicycle, motorized wheelchair, or snowmobile under Minnesota Statutes, and which is designed for recreational use. This shall include, but not be limited to, vehicles that resemble electric-assisted bicycles but exceed the 750-watt motor power limit or the 28 miles per hour maximum assisted speed limit. (D) Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Device (EPAMD). The term "EPAMD" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Minnesota Statutes Section 169.011, Subdivision 27, as amended. (E) Internal Combustion Powered Devices. The term “internal combustion powered devices” shall mean any device that is intended to be used for recreational purposes, including but not limited to scooters, bicycles, and skateboards, that is powered by an internal combustion engine. (F) Paved City Trail. The term "Paved City Trail" shall mean any designated bicycle trail, bikeway, multi-use trail, or shared-use trail which is surfaced with asphalt, concrete, or similar hard material, and is located upon public land and under the ownership, jurisdiction, or maintenance of the City of Elk River. For the purposes of this Chapter, the term specifically excludes streets, highways, and public sidewalks. Page 18 of 25 § 76.02. SPEED LIMITATIONS ON PAVED CITY TRAILS. (A) Applicability. This section shall govern the operation of electric-assisted bicycles, motorized foot scooters, and Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices (EPAMDs) exclusively upon any Paved City Trail. The operation of such vehicles on streets, highways, or public sidewalks shall be governed by other applicable City Code provisions and Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 169. (B) Maximum Limit. No person shall operate an electric-assisted bicycle, motorized foot scooter, or EPAMD upon any Paved City Trail at a rate of speed in excess of 20 miles per hour (mph). This speed restriction shall apply regardless of the maximum assist speed authorized by Minnesota Statute for the class of electric-assisted bicycle being operated. (C) Reasonable and Prudent Speed. Notwithstanding the maximum speed limit established in subsection (B), the operator of an electric-assisted bicycle, motorized foot scooter, or EPAMD shall at all times operate the vehicle at a speed that is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing, including, but not limited to, the surface condition, width, sight distance, and the presence of pedestrians or other users. (D) Yielding to Others. The operator of an electric-assisted bicycle, motorized foot scooter, or EPAMD must at all times yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians, runners, and other non-motorized trail users and shall decrease speed and give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any person proceeding in the same direction. § 76.03. OPERATION ON UNPAVED TRAILS, GRASS AREAS, PLAYGROUNDS, AND SKATE PARKS (A) General Prohibition. The operation of any electric-assisted bicycle (including Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3), motorized foot scooter, or EPAMD shall be strictly prohibited on any unpaved, natural surface, grass, or dirt trail, any playground (including nature play areas), skate parks, and on any unimproved park land or grass area located within the City of Elk River. Page 19 of 25 (B) Exception for Hillside Park. Notwithstanding the general prohibition in subsection (A), only Class 1 electric-assisted bicycles are permitted for use on the designated, unpaved recreational trails located within Hillside Park. (C) Continued Prohibition. The prohibition established in subsection (A) shall continue to apply to the operation of Class 2 and Class 3 electric-assisted bicycles, motorized foot scooters, and EPAMDs within Hillside Park. § 76.04. PROHIBITION OF MOTORIZED RECREATION VEHICLES AND INTERNAL COMBUSTION POWERED DEVICES. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter, the operation of any Motorized Recreation Vehicle (MRV), as defined in § 76.01(C), and the operation of any Internal Combustion Powered Device, as defined in § 76.01(E), is strictly prohibited on all Paved City Trails, all unpaved, natural surface, grass, or dirt trails, any playground (including nature play areas), skate parks, and any unimproved park land or grass area located within the City of Elk River. § 76.05. GENERAL EXCLUSIONS. The regulations and prohibitions set forth in this Chapter shall not apply to the operation of any manual or motorized wheelchair, scooter, tricycle, or similar device used by a disabled person as a substitute for walking. § 76.06. VIOLATION AND PENALTY. (A) Violation. Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor. (B) Enforcement. The Elk River Police Department, or any authorized Code Enforcement Official, shall have the authority to enforce the provisions of this chapter. Page 20 of 25 Use of Motorized Recreation Devices in Elk River Parks 🚲 1. Electric-Assisted Bicycles (Class 1, 2, 3) Approved Uses: • Allowed on paved city trails (speed limit: 20 mph). • Class 1 only is permitted on designated unpaved recreational trails in Hillside Park. Prohibited Uses: • Prohibited on unpaved/natural surface trails, grass areas, playgrounds, skate parks, and unimproved park land – Exception: Class 1 allowed on Hillside Park unpaved trails. • Class 2 and Class 3 prohibited on Hillside Park unpaved trails. 🛴 2. Electric Foot Scooters (maximum speed 15 mph) Approved Uses: • Allowed on paved city trails (must follow 15 mph limit and yield to pedestrians). Prohibited Uses: • Prohibited on unpaved/natural trails, grass areas, playgrounds, skate parks, and unimproved park land. • Prohibited on Hillside Park unpaved trails. 🛺 3. Motorized Recreation Vehicles (MRVs) & Internal Combustion Engine Devices Examples include: • Off-highway motorcycles • All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) • Off-road vehicles (OHVs) • Golf carts • Snowmobiles Page 21 of 25 • E-motos • Minibikes • Mopeds • Internal combustion scooters Approved Uses: • None specified. Prohibited Uses: • Strictly prohibited on all paved trails, unpaved/natural trails, grass areas, playgrounds, skate parks, and unimproved park land. 🤖 4. Electrical Personal Assistive Mobility Devices (EPAMDs) Examples include: • Segways • Hoverboards • Electric wheelchairs • Mobility scooters • Power-assisted tricycles • Electric rollators • Smart wheel attachments Approved Uses: • Allowed on paved city trails (20 mph max; must follow yield rules). Prohibited Uses: • Prohibited on unpaved/natural trails, grass areas, playgrounds, skate parks, and unimproved park land. • Prohibited on Hillside Park unpaved trails. ✅ Key Takeaways • Paved trails: – E-bikes (all classes), max 20 mph Page 22 of 25 – Electric scooters, max 15 mph – EPAMDs, max 20 mph • Unpaved trails: – All motorized vehicles prohibited – Exception: Class 1 e-bikes allowed on Hillside Park unpaved trails only • MRVs & combustion engine vehicles: – Completely prohibited everywhere • Mobility aids for disabled persons: – Always allowed Page 23 of 25 Memorandum To: Parks and Recreation Commission From: Jeff Shelby, Parks and Recreation Manager Date: December 10, 2025 Subject: Parks and Recreation Staff Report Senior Activity Center In November, the Senior Activity Center averaged 78 daily visitor check-ins. As of December 2, 108 memberships for 2026 have already been sold. We hosted a Member Drive and Open House on December 8. Parks and Recreation staff were onsite to assist with memberships, give tours, and answer questions. This was a great opportunity for seniors to explore programs, meet staff, and connect with fellow members. The AI presentation sponsored by Senior Community Services drew over 50 participants who came to learn more about Artificial Intelligence and how it may impact daily life. This alcohol ink art class was very popular, filling quickly and generating a waitlist. Cribbage is one of the newest additions to the Senior Center’s activity lineup. Over 15 people joined in on the very first day. On December 4, seniors enjoyed a festive outing to the Sidekick Theater to see A Christmas Carol. Community Events The annual Tree Lighting was a great success, with a strong turnout from the community. Children enjoyed writing letters to Santa and creating ornaments at the Parks and Recreation table. The ERLC choir filled the evening with festive caroling, and the Fire Department was on hand to kick off their annual toy drive. Kids can continue to drop their letters to Santa in the mailbox at Rivers Edge through Sunday, December 14 to receive a reply from Santa. Winter Walks at Woodland Trails will continue on the second Monday of each month through February. Attendance has been strong, and participants have shared positive feedback. Planning for Elk RiverFest 2026 is underway. The event is currently scheduled to run July 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Page 24 of 25 Sports/Programs Fall women’s volleyball just wrapped up for the season. The winter adult league season will start in mid- January. Women’s volleyball will have 20 teams at two locations, co-ed volleyball is full with 6 teams, and men's basketball is full with 6 teams. Apart from co-ed volleyball, the other leagues filled up within the first week of registration being open. The challenge we face is gym availability as the leagues cannot grow as we have reached their current capacity and availability. Registration for the Breakaway Hockey League is open. Anoka is no longer a partner in the league, but we are very excited about adding Coon Rapids as a new partner. Registration will close in later February with an anticipated start date of March 9. We are still in the process of hiring staff to work at the warming house at Handke for the winter. We are hoping to have skateable ice by Christmas break if mother nature cooperates. Once the ice is ready, we will be staffed Monday-Friday from 4-8pm, Saturdays 12-9pm, and Sundays 12-8pm. Fields Last month, the commission discussed the potential purchase of bleachers for PT Complex. The current volatility of the aluminum market is presenting challenges to obtain accurate pricing from vendors and the price that city staff has been presented with cannot be guaranteed from start to finish with the purchase. After multiple conversations with our vendor, it has been determined that staff will work with the vendor after January 1 to best determine a course of action and to obtain accurate pricing prior to approving the purchase. Summer Concert Series Staff recently met with the Bank of Elk River to plan the 2026 Riverfront Concert Series. The city is appreciative of the bank’s ongoing sponsorship of the concert series, and everyone is excited about the planned lineup for next summer. More details to come soon. Page 25 of 25