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7.1. SR 12-16-1996ITEM ?. 1. .ty of iver FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM Mayor and City Council Patrick Klaers, City A~nistrator December 16, 1996 Community Recreation Board Update Councilmember Roger Holmgren is the city representative on the Community Recreation Board. The Community Recreation Board is scheduled to meet the afternoon of December 16, 1996. At the City Council meeting on December 16, 1996, Roger or Community Recreation Director Jeff Asfahl is scheduled to give an update on recent Community Recreation Board activities. Attached for your information and review is part of the December 16, 1996 Community Recreation Board agenda packet. s:XcouncilXcomrecud.doc 13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425 Community Recreation Board Notice of Meeting Monday December 16, 1996 - 11:45 am LaRose's Pizza - Elk River (located at 508 Freeport Ave. ) near the old Pamida store please call Jeff at 241-3523 if you need clearer directions * Your attendance is always important! If you cannot make the meeting please arrange to send an alternate or notify me at 241-3523 that you will not be in attendance. Thank you! AGENDA A. Routine Matters: 1 .) Approval of past minutes 2.) Changes or additions to agenda 3.) Staff reports & updates: 3.A) Review staff reports 3.B) Youth Initiatives Update 3.C) January 9th Joint Meeting B. Items of Information / Discussion: 1 .) Field Development / Regional Planning: Review Proposed "Scope of Work" 2.) Update on personnel/payroll administration research 3.) Consider: Program Development Commission objectives / operation C. Other Business: - Set next meeting date: Consider meeting at 6:00 pm on Jan. 9th - Reminder of Thursday January 9, 1997 - 7:00 pm joint meeting with CE and ECFE Advisory Councils. - Other D. Adjourn Please see the reverse side for explanation of the Agenda items. Agenda Item Detail 9.1) Field Development / Regional Planning: At our September and October meetings we began to revisit our 1995 Long '~ange Planning goal that dealt with this area. At the September meeting you were presented with an inventory of community athletic fields in the District 728 area. Some of our individual communities have had experience with planning, developing, maintaining, etc. these facilities while other communities with respect to rapid and expected growth are just beginning their planning and dealing with their new found responsibilities associated with these types of facilities. At our October meeting we identified that the Community Recreation Board could and should be the vehicle in which joint partnerships be established between any number of communities or entities to cooperatively plan, develop, and manage these types of facilities. It was also suggested that these types of relationships with respect to developing facilities are usually top candidates when seeking grant funding. Since the October meeting I have learned that approximately $15-$20K would allow us to have a professional development consultant weave all existing recreational and park plans together and create one master plan for the region. This concept has been quite popular and history suggests that concepts such as this are good candidates for planning and implementation funding support. I am beginning to investigate possible funding sources. Additionally, with the recent school bond passing it appears that this is also a good time to get involved with the District to consider any partnerships with development of the recreational facilities associated with those schools. At the November meeting JA was asked to bring back a "Scope of Work" for Board consideration and discussion to help us formulate and define our objective. Please find enclosed a "MENU" of potential for consideration of developing the "Scope of Work". I will plan to review this at our meeting. B.2Personnel / payroll administration update: At the November meeting JA reviewed some of the inefficiencies associated with our payroll to recreation program staff. The Recreation Board directed staff to investigate streamlining this ~administrative function. It was agreed that the city of Elk River may be of some service with this function. Since the !ovember meeting I have discussed the likelihood with Elk River staff. They are interested in working with us to simplify [he payroll function. It was also determined that to modify our current system we needed to get counsel as it would relate to liability coverage and work comp. issues. Please find enclosed a memo from Dan Greene that suggests our next step. B.3) Consideration of Program Development Commission objectives and operation: At the November meeting JA was asked to bring this matter back for further consideration. Please find enclosed an outline of the objectives, benefits and operation. Please also find enclosed an article that further describes the benefit of these types of citizen bodies. I will also plan to give you an overview of our current program planning practice to help illustrate the benefit as staff view them. 11/19/96 COMMUNITY RECREATION BOARD Minutes Fr: 11/18/96 Attendance: J. Asfahl- Comm. Rec., Doug Thompson - Hassan, S. Slater - City of Dayton, G. Eitel - City of Rogers, Vern Heidner - City of Otsego, R. Johnson - Livonia, C.Blesener - CE, R. Holmgren - City of Elk River, J. Gongoll - lSD 728 Representatives absent: Zimmerman, The meeting was called to order at 12:00 by Roger Holmgren. A. Routine matters: 1 .) AD_Droval of past minutes: The minutes from10/21/96 were approved on a motion by V. Heidner, seconded by R. Johnson. Motion Unanimously Carried. 2.) Agenda changes/additions: None 3.) Staff Reports: JA reviewed the staff reports as presented with the agenda packets. 3.B) Ice Arena: J. Gongoll reported that the Elk River city council has requested that Jeff Asfahl be appointed to serve on the Arena Advisory Commission. On a motion by J. Gongol, seconded by G. Eitel the Community Recreation Board accepted the request by Elk River city council. Motion Unanimously Carried. B. Items of Information ! Discussion: B. 1) Field Development / Regional Planning: JA reviewed the past months consensus that dealt with the need/desire for shared facilities planning. JA has learned that approximately $15-$20 thousand dollars would allow us to receive professional service towards developing a regional plan. JA has been identifying possible funding sources. Possible Sources identified at this time are: DTED, Board of Innovation and Cooperation, CMIF, MRPA, NRPA, Miinegasco, Vright- Hennepin Electric Co-op, and possible local groups such as Lions, Rotary, etc. The board asked that JA structure an outline of the project so that we can determine what all we want considered as part of this project. We would then be able to develop a "Request for Qualifications" from sources to provide this plan for us. On a motion by J. Gongoll, seconded by G. Eitle, JA is to report back with a draft action plan / scope of work for consideration. Motion Unanimously Carried. B. 2) Personnel Committee Report' JA reported that work is still ongoing that deals with establishing an employment policy and wage scale range for the administrative staff. The board affirmed that this is necessary. JA also reported that recent changes/requirements associated with the payroll for our program personnel are becoming "un -user freiendly" ( time consuming, duplicative, inviting for trouble )for our office, the payroll clerks and our recreation program staff. JA was directed to research our options associated with making this function more efficient. Specifically, JA is to ask the city of Elk River for their interest in serving as our payroll agent for the Community Recreation Board. Vern Heidner reported at this time that the city of Otsego is reconsidering their need of the Finance Director position, and that that individual currently administers the payroll for our administrative personnel. With the potential for cost savings to their city they would appreciate this service being provided by another source. Vern also motioned to eliminate the need for supervision to JA from that position ( Otsego Finance Director) and have JA report directly to the Chair of the Community Recreation Board. Seconded by Jeff Gongoll. Motion Carried. B.3) Consider establishment of a Program Development Commission: JA reviewed the concept and general benefits to our program as outlined in the agenda item detail. The board asked that JA bring this matter back at a future meeting with more detail as to the scope of work, mission, objectives, etc. for further consideration. Other Business: Roger Holmgren noted that or program is nearly 5 years old and that he would like JA to put together a 5year report and suggest what we may, should, could etc. encounter in the next 5 years. All present thought this was a good idea. JA will plan to give that report next March - April. Motion at 1:10 pm to adjourn by Vern Heidner seconded by Roger Holmgren. . Motion carried. ~espectfully Subm~ Next Meeting to take place on: December 16th. - 11:45. LaRose's Pizza. Elk River 12/11/96 "rogramming: Community Recreation Board Staff Report for 12/16/96 - Current / Recent Activities: Many of the fall programs are complete or near completion. The Winter brochure goes to the printer on December 13th and will be delivered to residents on Jan. 1st. Winter program registration will take place on Jan. 11th. The following activities are on-going at this time: adult basketball league, women's volleyball, mens volleyball, indoor walking, outdoor skating lessons (to be held during Holiday break), skating club at the arena, open gyms. With the cold weather in November outdoor ice rinks are in good condition. Most seasons we are lucky to have ice by approx. Dec. 20th. Several rinks / warming houses have opened. Miscellaneous Updates: - Youth Initiatives: The "Youth Initiatives" process is very exciting. We continue to meet and have good meeting attendance. We have been meeting regularly since July. Our next meeting is scheduled for January 14th. - I expect that the Community Recreation Board will be asked to have representation on the School District building committee to plan for the new Junior High schools. - Ongoing research to accomplish what is needed for the personnel committee related to developing a policy and wage manual for administrative personnel. Alexandria has a program structure similar to ours and I have been in contact with them to learn how they handle their personnel administration. - Met with the leadership of the athletic associations that utilize outdoor facilities. We are helping them with the organization of their registration. They are very interested in the development of the outdoor facilities at the two new schools. Along with CE staff, we have again met with advocates of persons with disabilities to determine any program services .,~at we could help to provide. Several of our existing offerings can serve this population and there are several other programs that could be developed with them. We are again meeting with them on December 17th and January 23rd to continue planning. - Working closely with youth advocates on development considerations of a skatepark with the city of Elk River. - Investigating requirements / necessary policy on background checks of employees. - Working closely with the arena manager to further develop community recreation opportunities at the arena. 12/96 Community Recreation Board "FACILITY MENU" (CONSIDERATIONS FOR JOINT REGIONAL PLANNING) It seems logical that the study be very comprehensive and that actual implemeentation would be the result of priortization and project phasing. I have also listed traditonal private facilities that serve a recreatiialonal need within a community. Many overlap and are provided by either or. Mere identification of the existing private facilities would be beneficial. The primary objectives would be: - To inventory all existing recreational facilities - Identify potential and determine desires and priorities based on expected demands - Identify efficiencies of joint development and operations - Identify inefficeincies and develop a plan to resolve or eliminate future ineefifincies Traditionaly Municipal Facilities: * Baseball/Softball fields & Soccer/Football ( Complex ) * Ice skating rinks (outdoor -with boards and without boards ) * Indoor Ice arenas * Tennis Courts Trap / Archery range * Golf ( Championship & Executive ) * Cross-Country skiing * Sliding hill (potential to accommodate snowboarding) * Water access for swimming, tubing, canoeing, fishing, boating, Water skiing, etc. * Fishing piers * Outdoor pool/Waterpark * Community Center ( variety of amenities could be included, Examples:Theatre, meeting rooms, computer labs, gyms, tennis, youth center, fitness center, racquet ball/handball courts, Senior center, recreational and competitive type pools, etc.) * Passive use parks - Open spaces * Camping * Sand volleyball * Horseshoe / Shuffleboard * Snowmobile trail system * Bike trail systems * Entertainment bandshells * Skateparks (very new concept) * Entertainment bandshells raditionaly Private Facilities: * Batting Cages * Miniature golf * Skateparks ( new concept ) * Bowling alleys * Camping *Golf * Trap / Archery range * Skate park * BMX bicycling * Fitness centers * Camping * Pools ill FIRST NATIONAL INSURANCE OF ELK RIVER 716 MAIN STREET · SUITE 107 · ELK RIVER, MINNESOTA 55330 · (612) 441-2500 · FAX (612) 441-6714 December 2, 1996 Community Recreation Board Jeff Ashfault, Director 1230 School Street NW Elk River, MN 55330 Dear Jeff, This letter is a follow up of our meeting and conversations concerning the current status of the recreation board and future plans, as it relates to insurance coverages. In the offset of organizing the recreation board, we took the opportunity of calling the League of MN Cities, who is the current carrier for the cities of Dayton, Elk River, Otsego, Rogers, Zimmerman. The Independent School Dist #728, is insured with the School Board Association P, mgram. I sero copies of the information to the townships of Hassen and Lavonia. The purpose in filing the information concerning the structure of the rec. board with these insurance carriers and entities, was to make sure that, from a Liability and Work Comp standpoint, we were properly covering the board and it's operation. We had subsequent meetings with the representatives of the rec. board and gave them copies of the response letters we had from the School Board Association Program and League of MN Cities Trust. We were all comfortable that coverage would be provided, depending on the circumstances of the claim, through one of these organization. We understand that you are looking to make changes in your operation. In contacting the insuring entities, the recommendation was made that the recreation board secure the assistance of an attorney to make sure that all current and future contract agreements/amendments would be reviewed with the insuring entities of those communities to make sure that everybody is properly insured. I agree with that recommendation. An attorney would make sure any changes in your procedures are done in a proper manner. Once they have made their recommendation, then we can make sure our procedures are correct. appreciate reviewing these items with you. If you have any questions, please give me a call. Daniel ~B. Greene Business, Home, Auto, Life, Health, Disability