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Parks Commission Agenda Packet 12-18-1997 . . . -..;;::_. AGENDA REGULAR MEETING. PARKS COMMISSION Thursday, December 18,1997.4:30 p.m. 1. Call meeting to order. 2. Consideration of approving the minutes for the special meeting on October 30,1997 and the regular meeting on November 21,1997. 3. Add items to the agenda. 4. Discussion on East/West Bridge Park Design A. Sub-commi ttee report B. Information on possible riverfront project 5. Discussion on comprehensive park plan - Steve Grittman 6. Discussion on the blvd. tree planting project - Wanda 7. Discussion on National Guard/Community center. A. Tour - Robbie B. User Group Meetings - Wanda, Jeff 8. Discussion parks commission vacancy. A. Interview times 9. Added items. . . 3. MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING. PARKS COMMISSION Thursday, October 30, 1997.4:30 p.m. Members Present: Chairman Larry Nolan, Fran Fair, Earl Smith, Robbie Smith, Rick Traver Staff Present: Jeff O'Neill, Roger Mack, Wanda Kraemer 1. Call meeting to order. Chairman Larry called the meeting to order. 2. Add items to the agenda. There were two items added to the agenda: A. Tree planting B. Prairie West Park. Discussion on budget items for 1998. After a discussion on possible cuts in the parks budget the following changes were agreed on: A. Change the $75,000 budgeted in 1998 for soccerlbaseball fields at the NSP site to $40,000 in 1998 and $40,000 in 1999. B. Move the $20,000 for the Cardinal Hills Tot Lot from 1998 to 1999. These changed reduced the parks budget by $55,000. The Commissioners requested Jeff O'Neill advise the City Council, during budget discussions, the main emphasis for 1998 will be to concentrate on restoration of the river parks that were severely damaged in the storm. (If the City Council needs a suggestion on further budget cuts.) EARL SMITH MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BUDGET AS AMENDED, SECONDED BY FRAN FAIR. Motion passed unanimously. . The Commissioners requested an update on the council decisions at the next Page 1 @ . . . Special Parks Commissin Minutes - 11/4/97 meeting. 4. Address Oct. 16, 1997 agen.da it~ms (refer to previous agenda-attached), There was not a quorum at the Oct. 16,1997 regular meeting so the items from the previous meeting were discussed. 5. Consideration of approving th~ minutes fQr the re~ar meeting September 18, 1997. A MOTION WAS MADE BY EARL SMITH TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 18, 1997 MEETING. SECONDED BY ROBBIE SMITH. Motion passed unanimously. 6. Discussion on "Adopt an Area" Wanda Kraemer, DST, reported that in the spring there would be a campaign to have organizations and interested residents adopt and area to keep free of litter. Kraemer would be working with Monticello Community Partners and the Chamber of Commerce to publish the program. Kraemer gave an example of a girl scout troop that has "adopted" Hillside Cemetery (across from Maus Foods) and collects about five bags of garbage every two weeks. Kraemer added this project will be expanded in the future to add planting of flowers by volunteers. 7. Discussion on the comprehensive park plan.- Steve Qrittman Steve Grittman, City Planner, will attend the November meeting to discuss the park plan with the conunissioners. 8. Disc\1ssion on the Monticello Expo :Sooth. Wanda Kraemer, Development Services Technician, stated that help is needed at the City booth during the Monticello Expo this year. The City will be doing a survey collecting comments for the National Guard/Community Center and also there will be sign-up sheets for helping with spring plantings. The Expo will be Sunday, November 16,1997, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and the Commissioners can call Kraemer if interested. Larry Nolan volunteered to help. Page 2 @ . Special Parks Commissin Minutes - 11/4/97 9. DisC\l.sSiotl on the si~ed snowmobile trails. Wanda Kraemer, DST, reported she had asked Rick Wolfsteller, City Administrator and staff to the Police Commission, as to the status of the signed snowmobile trails. W olfsteller did not know if the trails would be signed for this season. The commissioners were concerned that if the snowmobiles trails were not signed people would be using the pathways. Larry Nolan volunteered to call Wolfsteller and discuss the issues. 10. Update on City Council meeting: Pathway - The City Council approved purchase of a machine to clear the snow from the pathway and the skating rinks. 11. Update on National Guard/Couununity Center. Jeff O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, reported the task force for the National Guard/Community Center would be interviewing the top three architect firms the following week. Robbie Smith, the Parks Commission representative, would be . attending the interviews but the meeting was open to the public. 12. Update on 4th Street Warmin.~ House: Roger Mack, Parks Superintendent, reported that the window had been installed in the 4th Street Warming House. Mack was waiting for the Hockey Association to submitted the bids for the inside repairs as agreed to at the fall meeting. 13. Discllssion regarding Bridgeview Plat. J eft' O'Neill, Assistant Administrator, discussed the possibilities of Bridgeview Plat, an area ofland directly across the river from Monticello. This area is one of the last remanent of undeveloped land along the Mississippi River. O'Neill requested the Parks Commission to state their support/or non-support of preserving a portion of the property for a public park. This would be an area park targeted at keeping the land in the natural state. The Commissioners were given a two page "draft" resolution" regarding Bridgeview Plat. O'Neill informed the commissioners of a public meeting on Nov. 18, at 7:00 p.m. at the River Inn. This would be a joint meeting with Big Lake Township, Becker Township, Sherburn County, DNR, City of Monticello, the developers, and anyone interested in attending. . Page 3 @ . . . Special Parks Commissin Minutes - 11/4/97 After discussion, ROBBIE SMITH MADE A MOTION TO SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION FOR THE BRIDGEVIEW PLAT DEVELOPMENT, SECONDED BY RICK TRAVER. Motion carried unanimously. 14. Added items. A. Trees - Planting of boulevard trees was added to the agenda. Mter a short discussion a subcommittee was formed to order 900 trees for a spring planting project. The committee was Earl Smith, Rick Traver, Fran Fair, Roger Mack, and Wanda Kraemer. The committee would meet on November 4, at 3:30 p.m. to decide type and size of trees to order. After the trees are ordered the committee will organize volunteers to help with distributing information to residents, organizing locates, Roger Mack, Street and Park Superintendent, informed the commissioners that a grant for trees in both Ellison and Bridge Park had been applied for. The DNR Forester for the Monticello area had met with city staff and assisted with the completion of the grant. B. Prairie West Park - The Commissioners discussed that the mowing of the park area was still not completely defined. Earl Smith and Jeff O'Neill scheduled an on site meeting November 10th at 4:30 p.rn to clarify the boundaries. 15. Acijoum ROBBIE SMITH MADE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING SECONDED BY EARL SMITH. Motion passe unanimously. Wanda Kraemer Development Services Technician Page 4 ~~ . . 4. . MINUTES REGULAR MEETING - PARKS COMMISSION Thursday, November 21, 1997 ~ 4:30 p.m. Members: Chairman Larry Nolan, Fran Fair, Earl Smith, Robbie Smith, Rick Traver Staff: Jeff O'Neill, Roger Mack, Steve Grittman, Wanda Kraemer 1. Call meeting to order. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Nolan. 2. Add items to the a~enda. A. Lions Park B. Bridge Park 3. Consideration of approvin~ the minutes for the special meeting October 30, 1997. The minutes we not available will be included in the December agenda packets. Con~atulatin~ Robbie Smith on the new little seedling. The commission members congratulated Robbie Smith on his new arrival. 5. Discllssion on comprehensive park plan. - Steve Grittman Steve Grittman and Dan Sjordal, City Planners, distributed a schedule for the comprehensive park plan, based on one meeting per month, with the public hearing and adoption April 16, 1998. He explained that if the Parks Commission desired an earlier completion time there would need to be special meetings added. Next Grittman reported the policy plan is the first and most critical part of the park and trail planning process. In order to develop a plan for the City, the policy plan is a strategic management tool which reflects the community's general beliefs toward recreation facilities and services and provides detailed guidance on park/trail development and standards. He asked for clarification on the following list of questions: A. What is your perception of the types of park activities or opportunities that are lacking within the City, or is the current system generally satisfactory in providing the need of the public? Page 1 (ii; . . . Parks Commission Minutes. 11/21/97 Answer: Lacking are: playgroWld equipment, enough ball fields in the future, hockey rinks, a place for rollerblading and skateboarding. B. The park inventory suggest that Monticello is currently made up of several small sized community and neighborhood parks that are dispersed throughout the City. Should the City continue with this approach, or should efforts be made to establish larger parks that provide greater levels of service in regard to recreational opportunities? Answer: The Commissioners agreed there should be neighborhood parks with tot lots, basketball hoops, picnic area but there should be a few larger regional parks established that have everything in one place. C. Park dedication is currently used to develop parks that are related to new residential growth in the City. There have been funding concerns in regard to both new parks and the maintenance of existing one. If park dedication fees are inadequate should they be raised and/or should additional funding be sought for parks from the City's general fund? Answer: The Commissioners discussed adding a park fee to industrial and commercial permits (similar to residential), charging for reserving shelters and parks, collecting fees in leu ofland where a park is not needed, a park referendum, and separating park fees to a separate fund. D. The City currently holds the River Days celebration in Ellison Park. There has been discussion regarding the need for more acreage for the City celebration. It is doubtful that additional land can be added to the park or that a new park can be developed along the Mississippi River. Should the City: Continue River Days at Ellison Park, Move the celebration to a larger park away from the river, integrate River Days into the downtown arealBridge Parks. Answer: The Commissioners discussed moving Riverfest to Bridge Park and closing off a portion ofW. River Street for the celebration. This would allow the celebration to be by the river yet move the traffic out of the residential area and into downtown. E. The City's current proposed trail plan is generally comprehensive throughout the City. Are there areas that should be connected that are of concern? How should crossings along Broadway and State Highway 25 (to the southwest portion of the City) be achieved? Page 2 0P . . . Parks Commission Minutes. 11/21/97 Answer: The Commissioners discussed the following areas as crossing concerns: crossing Hwy 25 at the bridge over the Mississippi and along 25, County Road 75 by Prairie Road, and Washington by the High School. The following were a few possible solutions mentioned: a pathway that went from East to West Bridge Park under the Mississippi Bridge, a pedestrian overpass on Hwy 25 (by 1st National Bank), a tunnel under County Road 75 by Prairie Road, signal lights by Washington. The State Hwy 25 and County Road 75 are heavily used for traffic to cross the river so there will always be difficulty in these area for pedestrians until safer crossings can be constructed. 6. Report from sub-committee regardin~ spring tree planting. Roger Mack, Streets and Parks Superintendent, reported that the sub-committee had met and ordered 880 trees to be planted in the boulevards in the spring. The next step will be discussed at the December meeting. 7. Discussion on the December meeting schedule. The Commission decided that to keep the comprehensive plan on schedule the regular meeting in December meeting should be conducted. 8. Updates: City Council meeting/parks maintenance position. Roger Mack, Street and Park Superintendent reported the Council had approved a parks maintenance position. This person's primary responsibility will be skating rinks, trials, and park maintenance issues. Bridgeview Plat. Wanda Kraemer, DST, reported the Bridgeview Plat meeting was well attended by county, township, city, DNR, developers, and interested land owners to discuss preservation of a 50 acre parcel on the Sherburn side of the Mississippi. It is not know at this time what the next step will be however Becker township has expressed an interest in working on preserving a portion of the development for a natural park area. Community Center/National Guard Training Center - Wanda Kraemer, DST, gave a brief update that the task force would be meeting on November 25 with the architect to review the schedule. There will be a tour on Friday, December 5 for the task force to observe the quality, design, and talk to community center directors at a variety of centers. Page 3 GC) . . . Parks Commission Minutes - 11/21/97 9. Added ite:Qls. A. Lion's Park - Mike Lundquist, Lion's Club representative, was in attendance to confirm the Lions dedication to "adopt" the Klein Farms park area by a commitment of manpower hours for maintenance and construction projects and possibly financial assistance. Dan Sjordal, City Planner, commented that he had reviewed the plan and the trails were designed according to the contour of the land and location of parking lot and park amenities. After a short discussion, EARL SMITH MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONCEPI' PLAN PRESENTED BY THE LIONS, SECONDED BY FRAN FAIR, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE LIONS ARE GOING TO CONTRIBUTE MANPOWER HOURS TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARK. Motion passed unanimously B. Bridge Park - The Commissioners discussed revisiting the concept plan that was designed for Bridge Park before the July storm. The commission expressed dissatisfaction with the original plan and decided to meet at a separate meeting on this issue. Earl Smith, Fran Fair, and Roger Mack volunteered to work on the project and to contact MCP, Monticello Community Partners, for added input. 10. A<ljourn A MOTION WAS MADE BY ROBBIE SMITH, SECONDED BY RICK TRAVER, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. Motion passed unanimously. Wanda Kraemer Development Services Technician Page 4 GJj) . . . These are minutes from the sub-committee meeting for East/West Bridge Park. River Parks Improvement Meeting December 4, 19974:00- 6: 15 Fran Fair's House Present: Fran Fair, Earl Smith (Parks Commission), Roger Mack (Streets and Parks, City of Monticello) and Pam Campbell (Design Committee chair, MCP) Irrigation Systems in all three River Parks Install an irrigation system in East Bridge, West Bridge, and Ellison Parks. Roger will contact John Simola to determine where to tap into a water source. It would be logical to connect to the main water lines near the hydrants. Discussion followed whether to contract the job to an appropriate company or have the City do the work. Roger will get quotes from P&H, Toro etc. for both approaches. West Bridge Park Remove block building, possibly even this winter season if the blizzards are fewer than last year. Roger will check the council minutes to find if an ok is needed to proceed. Remove parking lot from south east comer. People may park on Walnut Street, on River Street, and in the parking lot across River Street. Take out existing playground equipment including spring toys and swing set. Plan new playground space where parking lot was. The new equipment will be ADA accessible and probably surrounded by a concrete sidewalk. Have the playground structures chosen in 1997 re-quoted, add a swing set to the bid. Plan a means to raise the surrace inside the gazebo for entertainment purposes. The platform may be permanent or removable. The intent is to create a better visual line for the audience during city gatherings similar to Take a Break. Investigate terracing the hill along Hwy 25. The area needs to be made accessible for maintenance. Roger will consider whether the city workers should do it or have it contracted out. ModifY the interior of the warming house to facilitate food serving from the structure. Roger will design and build comer units that can be installed for serving use during the summer gatherings such as Walk and Roll and Take a Break. These units can be removed and the benches replaced for winter warming house use. Ellison Park Needs the playground structure upgraded. East Bridge Park Install two picnic tables on the upper end of the Park near the parking lot. Define a north entrance to Monticello As discussed in the Revitalization Plan, the entrances to the city should be defined. The north entrance, where Hwy 25 travels between East and West Bridge park, is an obvious place to use remaining bridge railings and possibly street lights to define this entry. The Design Committee will include this in the 1998 work plan. @) . . . p.2 1999 Considerations Design a sloping path through East Bridge park along the River Street side to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to use the pathway under the bridge and avoid crossing Hwy 25. A retaining wall would be necessary along the path. The space between the retaining wall and River Street could be used for flower planting competitions, (The competition has been suggested to City staff.) To be determined is whether the path would be blacktop or crushed limestone. Blacktop would not wash out as limestone might, but may encourage excessive speed by wheeled users. This project may need an engineer to design a proper slope. Explore the possibility of encouraging flower bed competitions in East Bridge Park along River Street. A group from Buffalo has contacted city staff looking for space. @) . . . DEC-16-1997 10:58 N MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: RE: FILE NO: NAC 612 595 9837 P.02/1~ NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS COMMUNITY PLANNING ~ DESIGN - MARKET RESEARC'" Monticello Parks and Recreation Commission Members Dan Sjordall Stephen Grittman 15 December 1997 Monticello - Comprehensive Parks Plan 191.10 Attached is a draft Policy Plan for the Monticello Comprehensive Parks Plan. Please review for discussion at the 18 December meeting. We will likely only be able to review a portion of the policy section due to the agenda for the meeting. In addition to Policy Plan review, we will be reviewing the needs for the EastIWest Bridge Park with MCP representatives, reviewing park and trail issues, and continuing discussion of the park and trail master plan. Stephen Grittman will be unavailable to attend the meting on the 18th. Please call me, Dan Sjordal, with any questi.ons or comments oJi;.the"lTIeeting. -,-' 5775 WAYZATA BOULEVARD, SUITE 655 ST. ~OUIS PARK. MINNESOTA 56416 PHONE 6 12.596-9636 FAX 6 12-695.9837 @ r TR~E B" PLANTING . "DRAFT If . Oder 900 Trees for Blvd tree planting Call nurseries for availabilty Wanda, Roger Fran, Rick, Earl Develope Liturature Call other cities for examples 51. Cloud Wanda Distribute literature Door -to-doo r Land Q'Lakes Choi r Mail Contact Organizations Get an idea of interest and capabilites Planting Locations Drive each block and Roger, Wanda mark tree location on city map Contact Gopher 5t. Location of trees Dig holes for trees Contact NSP for Wanda timeline and costs Contact other companies with post- hole diggers .~ November 25,000 Dec-Jan 2 wks before planting Jan-March Jan-Feb April-May Dec.-Jan Jan-March '~lV!tY.;:I::j:LLTailk:I:i:L<L<:'::B~~P9Q~!~nIY.;:iximl!nn$i~~$l< . Water before planting Contact Fire Dept and Public Works Jan. Planting Contact public works Roger, Wanda Jan-March Work with organizations for trucks Private companies Cover with woodchips Find trucks, woodchips peoplepower Concessions & En1. Contact busines for food donations Ask Fred Culp?? Contact MN(f1ood help) I~ . . . 1101 Club View Drive Monticello, Minnesota 55362 December 10, 1997 RE: RESIGNATION FROM PARKS COMMISSION Dear Members of the Parks Commission: This letter is to inform you of my resignation effective December 18, 1997 from the parks commission. The reason for my leaving is due to the appointment to the planning and zoning commission. I am very excited about the new challenge ahead but am also sad to be leaving the parks commission. It has been very rewarding working with such great committee members. Best wishes to you all in 1998. Please call if I can be of assistance. Sincerely, &./a:7f Robbie R. Smith ~ ($)