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Parks Commission Agenda Packet 05-24-2007 AGENDA PARKS COMMISSION May 24, 2007 - 4:30 p.m. 'To enhance community pride through developing and maintaining city parks with a high standard of quality" 1. Call to Order 2. Approve minutes of April 26, 2007 regular Parks Commission meeting. 3. Consideration of adding items to the agenda. 4. Citizens comments and requests. 5. Park Maintenance 6. Update on filling vacancy on Parks Commission. 7. Update on plans for recognizing Fran Fair's service to the City. 8. Adjourn. Parks Commission Minutes: 4/26/07 MINUTES PARKS COMMISSION Thursday, April 26, 2007 - 4:30 p.m. "To enbance community pride through developing maintaining City parks with a standard of quality.~ Members Present: Ben Hitter, Nancy McCaffrey, Larry Nolan, Rick Traver and Council Liaison, Tom Perrault. Members Absent: None Others Present: Seth Nelson, Parks Superintendent. 1. Call to Order. Chair Nolan called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. and declared a quorum present. 2. Approve minutes of March 22. 2007 reeular meetinl!:. NANCY MCCAFFREY MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH 22, 2007 REGULAR PARKS COMMISSION MEETING. BEN HITTER SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. Consideration of addine items to the aeenda. The following items were added to the agenda: 1) River Mill Pathway 4. Citizens comments and reauests. None. S. Park Maintenance. Seth Nelson submitted a listing of work completed. Saturday, April2Sth they will be planting trees at Groveland Park. Park staff has been working with Tim Maki on the Par West Disc Golf layout and they hope to have the installation completed in the next couple of weeks. Information about the new disc golf setup will be in the summer newsletter and on the City's website. Larry Nolan suggested distributing a flyer at Walk N Roll. Bike racks for the parks have come in and will be installed soon. The Parks Commission discussed where the downtown location the bike rack should be located. Seth Nelson will look at land owned by the HRA and determine if that site will work. 10. Discussion ofwroueht iron cemetery fence donation prices and auantity per person. At this time Public Works Director, John Simola arrived and the Parks Commission moved this item up on the agenda. Parks Commission Minutes: 4/26/07 John Simola indicated that the fencing removed from the cemetery was over a 100 years old. With the recent newspaper article on the fencing, it was felt there might be individuals interested in purchasing a section of it. Staff wanted the Parks Commission input on what price should be established and if there should be a limit on the amount an individual could purchase. The Parks staff has restored the pieces that are needed to go along the east side and some additional pieces for backup in case a section had to be replaced. John Simola stated the City has been getting inquiries from individuals if they could get a section of this fencing. Money generated from the sale of the fencing would be used for plantings at the cemetery. John Simola was thinking along the lines of$I50 minimum for a section of fund with an individual being limited to two sections offencing. There is approximately 30 sections of fencing and at $I50/section would generate revenue of approximately $4,500 to be used towards plantings at the cemetery. Larry Nolan suggested contacting an antique store see what kind of value there is on the fencing. The Parks Department would like to plantings put in at the cemetery this year. The cemetery maintenance contractor would like to see something installed that would not have to be weeded. Rick Traver though that laying plastic down with wood chips or rubber mulch would require minimum maintenance. John Simola thought they could place a limit (2 sections per person) for 30 days or whatever time frame the Parks Commission felt appropriate. After that time there would be no limit restriction. The fencing sections would be sold as is. Ben Hitter suggested limiting it to two sections per person until July 1, 2007. Parks Commission felt starting at $150 was reasonable unless discussions with the antique dealers would indicate that a different price would be more appropriate. 5. Park Maintenance - continued. Seth Nelson indicated Parks Department staff worked on an Arbor Day presentation at the school. Tree seedlings were furnished by Wright-Hennepin Electric and the DNR had prizes that were distributed to the elementary students. Seth Nelson stated this is a very busy time for them as they try to get everything ready for the year. They have gotten the water and irrigation systems for the parks ready to go and they had to prepared the ballfields for the first tournament which was held on the weekend of April 20th. He added that the conversion ofthe baseball field to softball is complete except that they want to replace the dugouts. Various groups have been working in the parks. The Girl Scouts are at Ellison, the Rotary Club at Otter Creek and the gardening group at East Bridge Park. In addition there were several groups who did clean up at the parks. Seth Nelson added that they are proposing to plant trees at Par Wes Park as a buffer between the residents and the disc golf. Nancy McCaffrey asked if the Adopt-A-Park form was something that needed to be completed each year. Seth Nelson felt as long as the group was working at the park there was no need to fill out a form each year. He indicated the Boy Scouts would like to take care of some plantings at the 4th Street Park. Parks Commission Minutes: 4/26/07 Some replacement boards for the Otter Creek Park Bridge were ordered and will be installed. They are looking to replace about seven boards. Larry Nolan asked about the basketball court at Groveland Park and Seth Nelson indicated that once the glut of spring work is done that will be one of the next projects that will be undertaken. The Parks Commission discussed the Sunset Ponds Park. In the development agreement it states that by August I, 2007 the developer is to have the park area covered with 4" of topsoil and graded out. There is money in the 2007 budget for playground equipment for this park. The City will, however, be seeding the park area and that is hoped to be done this fall. 6. Fillinl! Park Commission Vacancy. Although the City has advertised the vacancy on the City's website and in the papers, the City has not received any applications to fill the vacancy created when Fran Fair left. Nancy McCaffrey updated the Parks Commission on some of the individuals she had contacted. The Parks Commission would like to see someone on the Parks Commission from the east side of the City. Tom Perrault suggested a couple of individuals to contact. Larry Nolan felt filling the vacancy should be a top priority for the Parks Commission. 7. WalkNRoll. It was noted that the date for Walk N Roll was changed to June 16th. Larry Nolan, Ben Hitter and Rick Traver would possibly be available to man a booth for Walk N Roll. Larry Nolan would like to see a flyer about the Par West disc golf distributed at Walk N Roll as well as distributing the pathway map. Larry Nolan asked if about placing mile markers along the pathway. Seth Nelson will check into it further. The markers could placed at y,; or Y, mile distances. 8. Schedule Parks Tour. The parks tour would be done as a special meeting of the Parks Commission. The Parks Commission will do the parks tour on Wednesday, May 9,2007 at 4:00 p.m. The following parks will be looked at: I) Sunset Ponds; 2) Playground equipment at Pioneer Park; 3) Groveland Park; 4) Hunters Crossing; 5) Riverside Cemetery and sidewalk in the area; 6) Water Tower Park; 7) River Mill pathway - The portion just completed; 8) Xcel ballfields and Freeway fields; 9) Hillcrest Park and 10) East Bridge Park. 9. Discussion of recol!nition of Fran Fair for service to the City: The Parks Commission discussed placing a plaque at the East Bridge Park plantings honoring Fran Fair in recognition of her many years of services to the Parks Commission as well as the City. The event would take place at Riverfest. The Parks Commission discussed a possible site for the plaque and it was felt a site towards the entrance to East Bridge Park would provide the most visibility. Seth Nelson will get cost information for the plaque. Parks Commission Minutes: 4/26/07 Added Items: River Mill Pathway: Seth Nelson stated he had talked to a resident about the pathway and doing something with the area immediately adjacent to the pathway. Seth Nelson submitted pictures showing the area and he felt that planting the area with native grasses and wildflowers would be appropriate and would not require high maintenance. Welcome Sign: The welcome sign for the east side of town could not be placed in the location originally proposed because that was in the county right-of-way and the city land in that area was not adequate in size to place the sign. An alternative site would be in the area ofCR 39 and CR 75 by Cruiser's. Seth Nelson will do some further checking of the site. Union Crossings Outlot: When the Union Crossings development was approved, the developer was to be responsible for placing some plantings and benches on an outlot of the plat which is adjacent to the City's pathway. The Parks Commission questioned when this was going to be done. 11. Adiourn. RICK TRAVER MOVED TO ADJOURN AT 5:35 P.M. NANCY MCCAFFREY SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Recording Secretary Monticello Parks Monthly Completed Tasks May, 2007 - Garbage and bathroom run every Monday and Friday. - Chipping requests completed. - Cemetery stakings completed - All irrigation systems up and running - Herbicide spraying for weeds throughout parks - Playground inspections completed - Arrogating and overseeding completed at freeway fields and Pioneer Park - Refurbished old disc golf baskets - Maintenance of ball fields every day - Put docks in along front street and Ellison - Finished putting snow equipment away - Mowing and weedwiping throughout week - Watering trees twice a week - Chipping recently planted trees - Fixed leaks at Pioneer and Xcel ball fields - Put up new sign at Fire Dept. - Weeded and cleaned up planters throughout parks, Monticello signs and city hall. - seasonals and summer workers hired on - Junk day preparation - 1st round of Fertilizer applied to parks - Maintenance of mowers weekly - Replaced lights at Xcel ballfields - Replaced pitching rubbers and some bases at baseball/softball fields - clearing brush at par west for disc golf course - swept river mill pathway - Fixed irrigation head throughout parks - Straw and erosion control blanket added to pioneer Park - Repaired New Holland TN 55 tire and wiring - Hauled filled up to xcel ball fields washout - Removed straw bales from Mississippi Drive - Began Pathway inventory - Repaired roof vent on hill crest shed Parks Commission Tour Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - 4:00pm Members Present: Nancy McCaffery, Rick Traver, and Counsil Liaison, Tom Perrault. Others Present: Seth Nelson, Parks Superintedent 1 st Stop - Groveland Park: Looked at completed parking lot, trees planted and proposed site for basketball hardcourt. We discussed possibility of placing open air shelter in close proximity to play structure. There is no protection from the sun for the parents while children play at park. Also discussed placing a few BBQ grills within the park. 2nd Stop - Pioneer Park: Looked at new play structure and discussed the plan the parks department had to seed and blanket around structure. Also informed commission members on trails throughout park that cross country team uses and parks department maintains. Discussed issues about the bathrooms being locked and the plan to have automatic locking systems hooked up. 3rd Stop - Hunters Crossing:: Made sure sign was still there informing residents about future park. Looked at site and talked a bit about timeline of park, thinking that 2008 could possibly be start for this park. 4th Stop - Water Tower Park: Looked at site for parking lot to be constructed this year. All agreed that angled parking would be the best alterative for this site. Discussed removing cedar trees to protect scenic view for future. Discussion of connecting parks with green space. 5th Stop - East Bridge Park: Discussed placement of Fran Fairs dedication marker. All agreed that a custom etched stone set on the east side of the beginning of the pathway would be visible and attractive. Also discussed gazebo placement for park, thought that at the base of the hill on the south side of the pathway would be a nice place for it.