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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-05-08 MINUTESCity of Cottage Grove Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Commission May 8, 2006 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a regular meeting of the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission was duly held at West Draw Park, 7050 Meadow Grass Avenue South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on the 8th day of May, 2006. ROLL CALL Chair Bob Davy called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. New member discussion. There was a motion by Kleinsasser to appoint Sheri Yaritz to the open Commission position, seconded by Poncin. Motion carried. MEMBERS PRESENT: Bob Davy, Keith Kleinsasser, Paul Poncin, Ryan Simmers, Sheri Yaritz MEMBERS ABSENT: Bill Haluzak, Karla Bigham, City Council Liaison OTHERS PRESENT: John M. Burbank, Senior Planner Zac Dockter, Ice Arena /Park & Recreation Manager APPROVAL OF AGENDA Agenda approved as presented. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Poncin to approve the April 10, 2006 minutes as mailed, seconded by Simmers. Motion carried. OPEN FORUM None OLD BUSINESS I A. Arbor Day Update Dockter gave a brief update of the operations at Arbor Day and said the event had a poor turnout because of the weather. However, the event was successful in that many vendors Parks Commission Minutes May 8, 2006 Page 2 of 4 showed up and there were some folks that made it through the weather and attended the event. We hope to continue this on an annual basis. Davy, Poncin and Simmers all worked the event at the Parks Commission booth. They also provided some input into the operations of the Arbor Day event. B. Park Map Review Dockter handed out the new park maps and mentioned that they will be on sale at City Hall, the Parks and Recreation offices, and Public Works for $1. The reason for the sale of the maps, as opposed to giving the maps away, is simply to recoup costs. This was an item that was driven by the City Council in that the maps cost about $2,000 a print and they would like to see some of that money recouped. NEW BUSINESS A. Kingston Memorial Garden Jan Purcell, 9499 — 79th Street Court, gave a proposal on donating a memorial bench to the City of Cottage Grove to be placed at Kingston Park. She wishes the bench to be placed at the Kingston garden near the building with a plaque in memory of a citizen who recently passed away. Purcell stated that she would work with the City landscape interns to create a planting design for that garden. She would look for donations from family members and local nursery companies to do some additional planting. The Commission discussed the idea of this setting a precedent for other memorial gardens. Dockter said that a donation program is in the works right now and perhaps a memorial garden and benches should be a part of it. The Commission discussed the item and wanted to make it clear that they would accept a memorial bench, but not a memorial garden. Poncin made a motion to allow Purcell to gather funds for a memorial bench and additional funds for plantings at the Kingston Park garden. Seconded by Kleinsasser. Motion carried. The Commission also asked that the plantings and design be worked out with the landscape interns to assure that City staff is not performing any extra or undue maintenance at this gar- den. The Commission also wanted to ensure that this garden is not treated any different than any other garden throughout the City. The plans will be brought back for the Commission to review the plans for a fall planting. B. Budget and G. 2006 Proiects Dockter provided some paperwork on how items are budgeted and how he keeps track of equipment replacement. He highlighted some of the issues he'll be looking at in 2006 to be placed in the 2007 budget. Those items include replacing the outfield fencing at Lamar; Ideal and Pine Tree Pond basketball courts; Hamlet hockey rink boards; North Ideal Park play equipment; Woodridge Park bull pens; Kingston west playground equipment (replacement of the slide and wood fiber); Highlands and Hearthside roof repair; trail kiosks and benches; Highlands Park Trail Phase 1; and Oakwood Park south end development. Dockter also de- scribed where funds for each of those projects go and explained how the funding works with the Park Trust Fund, the Building and Equipment Replacement Fund, and the Park General Fund. Dockter requested that Commission members who have requests for any other items Parks Commission Minutes May 8, 2006 Page 3 of 4 they feel might need addressing in the 2007 budget bring it to his attention by the June Commission as the budget process will begin in mid June. D. District 833 Field Improvements Dockter and Burbank reviewed the overhead photo of the Ice Arena, Park High School, and Crestview campus and explained that there are three projects that will affect the layout of the ball fields and green space between the Ice Arena, High school and Crestview Elementary. The three projects include upgrading the high school softball field (Title IX issue), potential ice arena expansion, and replacement of the Crestview playground equipment. All three projects have led City and School District staff to contemplate reorganizing the whole cam- pus and green space area to see if it can be better utilized. A landscape designer has been hired to work with that area and come up with some ideas. More information should be avail- able at the next meeting in June. E. New Programs Dockter highlighted some of the new programs and reviewed some past programs that will be coming up this summer from the Recreation Department. He also mentioned that in June the Recreation Department will be doing a presentation on the Parkside program that will be running out of the Parkside Complex near the City Hall and Library. REPORTS A. Golf Division No comments. B. Ice Arena Division No comments. C. Parks Division No comments. D. Recreation Programming Division No comments. E. Planning Commission No comments. F. Historic Preservation No comments. Parks Commission Minutes May 8, 2006 Page 4 of 4 G. Council Agendas No comments. H. Monday News No comments. No comments. PARK PLANNING /MANAGEMENT EDUCATION MATERIALS None COMMISSION COMMENTS None COUNCIL COMMENTS None STAFF COMMENTS Dockter mentioned that he recently learned that a natural resources inventory was performed in 1998 and wanted the Commission to know it was a great document: In the future, for educational purposes, staff will be bringing to the Commission highlights of those areas that need to be pro- tected by our City. Any of the Commission members who would like to review that document should call Dockter. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Yaritz, seconded by Poncin to adjourn. Motion carried. Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 P.m.