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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-05-19 PACKET 04.A.iii.REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING ITEM # DATE 5/19/10 PREPARED BY Community Development Howard Blin ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT STAFF AUTHOR COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST Receive and place on file the approved minutes for the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission's meetings on January 11, 2010 and April 12, 2010. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Receive and place on file the approved minutes for the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission's meeting on January 11, 2010 and April 12, 2010. BUDGET IMPLICATION $N /A $N /A N/A BUDGETED AMOUNT ACTUAL AMOUNT FUNDING SOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION ACTION DATE ❑ PLANNING ❑ PUBLIC SAFETY ❑ PUBLIC WORKS ® PARKS AND RECREATION 4/12 & 5/ 10 ❑ HUMAN SERVICES /RIGHTS ❑ ECONOMIC DEV. AUTHORITY REVIEWED APPROVED DENIED ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ❑ MEMO /LETTER: ❑ RESOLUTION: ❑ ORDINANCE: ❑ ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION: ❑ LEGAL RECOMMENDATION: MOTHER: Approved minutes of Parks Commission meeting on 1/11/10 and 4112/10 ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS 4 City Administrator Date COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: APPROVED ❑ DENIED ❑ OTHER City of Cottage Grove Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Commission January 11, 2010 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a regular meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission was duly held on the 11th day of January, 2010. Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Members Present: Ken Brittain, Keith Kleinsasser, Paul Poncin, William Schumal, Maureen Ventura, Ryan Simmers, Krystal McCalvy, Derrick Lehrke Members Absent: None Others Present: John Burbank, Senior Planner Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Manager John McCool, Senior Planner APROVAL OF THE AGENDA A motion was made and seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried. APROVAL OF THE MINUTES A motion was made and seconded to approve the November, 2009 minutes. Motion carried. OPEN FORUM None OLD BUSINESS A. Clearwire — EMCF — Antenna request — Woodridge Park Dockter explained the City has been approached by a representative from Clearwire Wireless Broadband about the possibility of leasing an antenna site at Woodridge Park. At a technical re- view meeting, staff identified the original proposed location of the 100 -foot monopole tower on the west side of the tennis /basketball courts would not be the most appropriate location. An al- ternative location adjacent to the parking lot was proposed. The original proposal was to replace an existing 30 -foot high light standard. The new location suggested by staff would replace an existing 70 -foot tall light standard. It would be located on the south side of the existing hockey rink. In addition to solving potential user conflicts, the new location would provide better access, not have as big of a height difference, and not significantly change the elevation analysis. A small at -grade equipment enclosure would be located near the pole. Dockter presented a dia- gram explaining what the pole would look like. The City would receive an annual rental fee for the installation of the tower and equipment. If the location and lease are approved, it is recom- mended that any lease proceeds be directed to the park trust fund with Woodridge Park receiv- ing a priority on use of the funds. McCool stated there would be a six -foot high chain link fence Parks Commission Meeting Minutes January 11, 2010 Page 2 of 4 with screening at the base of the pole, which would be a means of preventing people from climbing the pole. City ordinance requires the equipment cabinet be placed inside a building; Clearwire is proposing mounting this 20 -inch by 30 -inch box to the pole. McCool asked the Parks Commission if the City should require that the equipment box be placed inside a building or if make considerations for this project. Brittain asked if this would be a "receive and then re- transmit tower." McCool answered it is a microdish, which would beam to another dish. Brittain asked if there would be any hard lines to the pole other than AC power. McCool responded no. Ventura asked how high the box would be mounted, noting the hazards of children playing with the box. McCool responded it would be close to the ground so technicians could access the panel easily. Dockter added the pole is next to a hockey rink; if the box is placed high, it could become a target for players. He noted the pole would add additional lighting for the area. McCool then reported the City received a call from a second carrier requesting a monopole in the same location. The City informed this company they must work with Clearwire on co -loca- tion. He stated there have been different interpretations of the intent of the ordinance, noting that the mounting of communication devises on existing structures is accepted. However, he is not clear if the replacement of a 30 -foot pole with a 100 -foot pole is considered an existing structure. McCool explained that the ordinance was written for large structures like water towers. Because of new technologies, the City must define what the ordinance allows. He noted that the ordinance allows for wireless communication in parks but only on existing structures. Ventura asked staff look into it further before proceeding. Schumal asked if the pole would include ladder pegs for light replacement. McCool stated they would replace the lighting with a cherry picker. Brittain stated he would not consider this an existing structure and the wireless company may need to get a variance to install the pole. Ventura agreed with Brittain. Poncin stated he is dis- appointed there will not be a storage building as previously discussed and asked if there would still be the possibility of a building for athletic equipment and storage. Dockter responded the problem with a building on the south end of the park is a large drainage ditch and storm water drainage area. Brittain made a motion to recommend approval with an added condition that a variance would be required for the new pole. Motion carried. B. Hamlet Park Phase II Improvements — 2010 Update Dockter updated the Commission on work being done on the south side of Hamlet Park, noting that grading of the pond is now complete. A large amount of excess material was left after this grading, which the contractor was expected to remove before July 31, 2009. The material was not removed, but it could be used to grade future parking areas this spring. He then reported the new trailway received a layer of class 5 material and will be paved by September 1, 2010. Grading of future parking lots has been started and will be finished in the spring. C. Bikes Belong — Grant Application Dockter introduced a federally- funded grant opportunity that staff would like to explore. The grant is handled thought the national Bikes Belong Coalition, which is sponsored by the U.S. bi- cycle industry with the goal of putting more people on bicycles more often. The maximum grant request is $10,000 with no required match ratio. The City is seeking $10,000 towards a trail project that would run in the west central corridor from Jamaica Avenue to the Kingston Park/ Indian Boulevard school campus with a total cost of $308,000. The City Council authorized sub- mittal of a $281,000 DNR grant for this trailway, which was submitted in November. The appli- cation for the Bikes Belong grant is due February 26, 2010. Prior to submitting the application, the grant request will be sent to the City Council. Dockter added the purpose is to increase Parks Commission Meeting Minutes January 11, 2010 Page 3 of 4 biking awareness and encourage bicycle participation. Only 10 to15 percent of the applications will be funded. A motion was made to recommend that City Council authorize staff to apply for the grant. The motion was approved. NEW BUSINESS A. 2010 Meeting Schedule Dockter submitted the 2010 commission meeting schedule for approval. The meeting will be held the second Monday of every month. B. Park Dedication Fees — 2010 McCool stated 15 communities in the metro area were surveyed last summer regarding park dedication fees for the 2010 development season. Woodbury was the only city surveyed that proposed increasing these fees. Their proposal is to increase from $3,000 to $3,600, which is a 20 percent increase. The remaining communities surveyed, including Cottage Grove, did not in- crease park dedication fees in 2009 and will not increase them in 2010; one community reduced their fee. The primary reason for this decision is the poor economy; cities cannot justify raising these fees when development has slowed significantly. Staff recommendation is to not increase the park fees at this time. Brittain stated one of the reasons the fees had increased over the years is because land had increased in value. He agreed with staff to not increase the fees at this time. Motion to not increase the park dedication fees for 2010 was approved. D. Flood Plain Ordinance & Mississippi River Critical Area — Rule Making The MRCCA regulations have been in place in Cottage Grove and in cities in the region that are along the Mississippi River since the early eighties. These regulations were unchanged since the initial state legislation adoption. Some were unclear and hard to enforce. The newly adopted statutes establish a process in which the Minnesota DNR can utilize the rule making process to fine tune the MRCCA regulations and districts boundaries internal to the MRCCA. McCool stated the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on January 25, 2010, pertaining to the flood plain ordinances. New floodplain maps were provided to the city from FEMA. These maps identified new boundaries for the Mississippi River Hazardous Area or flood plain. There is effectively no change to the boundaries but the city is modifying the ordinance provided by FEMA. The staff is using the FEMA model and implementing it into the current ordinance as it relates to flood insurance. Dockter stated at the last state legislative session, the modifications that were made regarding the regulations on the Mississippi River Critical Area included minor verbiage changes. The City Council and the Planning Commission will review these changes. REPORTS The Recreation Department submitted their winter reports. Completed projects included fina- lized 2009 facility use numbers, served hot chocolate at the annual tree lighting and Santa walk, sold tickets at East Ridge High School for the home opener hockey game, hired for warming houses, attended Woodlands holiday party, and held Winter Break Bash. COMMISSION COMMENTS Grossklaus updated the Commission on upcoming park facility improvements. The Hamlet facil- ity improvements include new windows, hockey boards, and lighting. Pine Tree Valley improve- ments include new flooring and bathrooms. The Ice Arena will receive a new sign and heat in the west rink. The total for upgrades and replacements are around $330,000.00. Kleinsasser Parks Commission Meeting Minutes January 11, 2010 Page 4 of 4 asked why the arena was built with no heat. Grossklaus responded that it was an effort to keep the project within budget, but heat was always intended to be added in the future. COUNCIL COMMENTS None STAFF COMMENTS None ADJOURNMENT A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 7:39 pm. City of Cottage Grove Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Commission April 12, 2010 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a regular meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission was duly held on the 12th day of April, 2010. CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Members Present: Keith Kleinsasser, Paul Poncin, William Schumal, Ryan Simmers, Krystal McCalvy, Derrick Lehrke Members Absent: Maureen Ventura Others Present: John Burbank, Senior Planner Zac Dockter, Parks and Recreation Manager APROVAL OF THE AGENDA A motion was made and seconded to approve the agenda. Motion carried. APROVAL OF THE MINUTES A motion was made and seconded to approve the January 11, 2010 minutes. Motion carried. OPEN FORUM None ACTION ITEMS A. Prescribed Burning of Prairie Restoration Sites Dockter stated that the city is proposing to perform three prescribed burns of prairie restoration site this year. He explained that this process would burn off the vegetation that was left over from the previous season, provide those nutrients back into the soil right away, and kill off the weedy, woody species that can't be taken care of with mowing. The goal would be to do this every three to six years on an as needed basis. The three sites are Oakwood Park, Pine Summit Pond on the southeast corner of 65th Street and Meadowgrass Lane, and along Hardwood Avenue on both sides of the street south of Hidden Valley. A letter has been sent to all residents notifying them of the plan and informing them of tonight's meeting. There was no one from the neighboring areas in attendance at the meeting to discuss the proposed prescribed burning program. He noted that there would be a fire truck on site during the burn. B. Community Center Update Burbank updated the Commission on the actions to date of the Community Center Task Force, including looking at what currently exists in the city, centers in other cities, potential locations, funding, amenities, and possible partners. Parks Commission Meeting Minutes April 12, 2010 Page 2 of 4 C. Dog Park Burbank gave an update on the proposed dog park. He reported that as part of some land trans- actions that were occurring in the industrial park, the landowners were approached about the city leasing 14 acres of land just north of the compost site on Glendenning Road. There is a verbal agreement for a five -year lease with renewing options and the city's only obligation would be to cover a portion of that 14 -acre parcel's property taxes. The Woof Pack, a group that formed after the initial discussions a couple years ago and is looking at incorporating as a non - profit, would take care of fencing, pick up of waste from the site, spread woodchips in the play areas, and all the daily maintenance. The city's involvement would be minimal after the initial establishment. In- itially a permit would not be required to use the facility. The proposed site has a rolling terrain with flat areas that slope down to a pond. There would be a walking trail leading down to the pond. There would be two fenced play areas, one for small dogs under 25 pounds and one for large dogs. Burbank noted that the site is in a more seclude location and is adjacent to railroad tracks with trains running about every half hour. There was a question about what the site was used for in the past. Burbank responded that going back to 1945, it was just pastureland. It was asked where the water in the pond comes from. Burbank responded that he believes the pond is spring fed. The plat for Langdon Village shows it as Lake Isabella, but it is not currently named that now. There is also a ravine that runs in that area so it is just natural runoff. A motion was made and seconded to recommend approval. Motion passed unanimously. Burbank noted that the sug- gested name for the park is the Cottage Grove WAG Farm Dog Park. The entity that owns the property is the William A. Glendenning Trust, hence WAG Farms. D. 2010 Park Capital Improvement Projects Docktor explained the 2010 park capital improvement projects. It was asked if the trail down by the river is still planned. Burbank stated that the trail along Ideal Avenue was included as part of the 2010 pavement management program. E. Arbor Day Event 2010 Burbank reported that the City of Cottage Grove Arbor Day event is being held at the Public Works facility on Saturday, April 25, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. There will be 150 trees given out to the first 150 residents. There will be a variety of different vendors and free paper shredding for Cottage Grove residents. F. Highlands Park Tree Planting He stated that there will be a community tree planting on Saturday, May 8, at Highlands Park, with lunch to follow. G. North Ideal and Nina's Park Master Planning Dockter discussed park planning for Nina's Park and North Ideal Park, asking the Commission if the equipment should be replaced at North Ideal Park, which is just a short distance from Nina's Park which recently had the play equipment replaced. It was asked if there could be a smaller playground. Dockter stated that it is pretty minimal playground, with only a slide, a couple climb- ers, and things to hang on. McCalvy stated that she thinks a playground is needed there because she sees kids playing on it all the time. Burbank stated in the past the Commission discussed mixing up the equipment in the different parks. There was a suggestion to rotate the equipment between parks every few years. Dockter asked the Commission for ideas to discuss at future meetings. Parks Commission Meeting Minutes April 12, 2010 Page 3 of 4 H. Annual Meeting Burbank stated that he included with the packet the 2010 bylaws for the commission's review. He stated that the bylaws need to be read twice so next meeting they can be adopted. He stated that the officer elections should be held. A motion was made and seconded to nominate Poncin for Chair. Motion passed unanimously. A motion was made and seconded to nominate Lehrke for Vice Chair. Motion passed unanim- ously. PRESENTATIONS A. Ash Borer — Steve Bowe, City Forester Bowe presented information to the Parks Commission on the emerald ash borer control program. It was asked if the city was just treating boulevard trees. Bowe responded boulevard and park trees. There was a question if the city was planting any more ash trees on boulevards. Bowe re- plied yes. It was asked if the city or a contractor would be injecting the trees. Bowe stated that the city would have two crews with two different methods. There would be one injection per tree every three years. B. Recreation Department Operations — Molly Pietruszewski Pietruszewski gave an overview of the recreation department budget. She asked if the Commis- sion had any questions or comments. It was asked what the vehicles are used for. Pietruszewski responded for staff to drive to parks and programs, but not for transporting children. There was a question if the vehicles break down so often, would it be more cost effective to pay mileage for using personal vehicles. Pietruszewski stated that could be looked at. Dockter noted that 10 years ago, the recreation department only covered about 25 percent of their expense budget and now over 50 percent of the budget is covered through revenue. It was asked if the city receives any federal or state money for programs. Dockter responded no, but Washington County does fully subsidize the Woodlands program, and this year the department will get a staff person from the county to help run one of the programs at a city park. Burbank asked if the health of the trees documented. Bowe responded all the trees that were inventoried have a condition rating. REPORTS None PARK PLANNING /MANAGEMENT EDUCATION MATERIAL Burbank reported that the National Park Service has an event coming up on May 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Science Museum regarding the river. COMMISSION COMMENTS Simmers stated he attended the CGAA meeting last month as the Parks Commission liaison. Springs sports are starting up. A lot of kids are going out for baseball and softball is down a little bit. They are working out field scheduling issues due to the addition of the East Ridge Athletic As- sociation. There were discussions about putting lights at some of the fields. Dockter stated that has been discussed in the past noting that it is hard to put lights into an existing facility as resi- dents in adjacent homes don't want the lights. However, lights could be added when Hamlet is expanded. Parks Commission Meeting Minutes April 12, 2010 Page 4 of 4 There was a question about the bike grant that was applied for. Burbank responded the city did not get approved. It was asked if there was anything the city or commission could do to encour- age more biking for adults. Burbank and Dockter responded that discussions could start at an upcoming staff meeting. It was asked if the property by Camel's Hump was for sale. Burbank responded that the Gonyea Land Company owns 10 acres southwest of the Timber Ridge subdivision. They currently have approval for 12 single family homes. With the slowdown in the housing market, they approached that city to buy that property for additional parkland. In 1997 the city picked up eight acres in that area for the Camel's Hump Park project. Given the asking price and the amount of land the city currently owns in that area, the city administrator opted not to pursue it at this time. COUNCIL COMMENTS May 1 is the household hazardous waste collection event at Public Works. STAFF COMMENTS Burbank reported that the city received an energy grant from the state, funded by the federal government, for $54,000 with a $25,000 match from the city to replace light fixtures and bulbs in city buildings to ones that are more energy efficient. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.