09-19-06 PTRC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

PARKS, TRAILS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING SEPTEMBER 19 2006 Page 2 of 8 • Committee Member Williams asked if PTRC members would be made aware of various workshops with enough lead time to work it into their schedules if members wanted to attend. Ms. Barton replied she would get the schedule out to members. Ms. Olson asked it there was a limit on the number of how many can attend. Ms. Barton stated there is not a limit and is not limited to just PTRC or staff. She has included the Council and is open to anyone from the community who might have an interest in having an active role in participating. Committee Member McClung asked that the Planning Commission also be included and if they were not already on the list. Committee Member Straumann stated that in April 2005 there was an active living in Ramsey County kick off. The second event will be on October 26"' and is sponsored by the League of Minnesota Cities. That event will take place in the evening. Committee Member Straumann will get more information to the committee. Committee Member Williams asked if the role of the committee is to react to things that are developed by staff/others. Or is the committee expected to be proactive and have discussions before the fact and come up with recommendations for consideration by the Council or whom ever to be incorporated into the plan. Ms. Barton stated the Committee would be doing both. Obviously, there will be things staff will bring forth to the PTRC for input and recommendation,but as Committee Members participate in workshops or other activities that come forward,that may generate some activity on your end. Committee member Williams asked who would design the format for the four community meetings. Would it be a staff function or something the Planning Commission and PTRC should be working on together? Ms. Barton stated that it would be handled by staff. Staff will also be working with a consultant, hired by the City, who will be assisting with the comp plan update process. The Blue Cross Blue Shield grant will help pay for those costs. Committee Member Williams asked for clarification on what this grant would pay for. From what he understands the Blue Cross Blue Shield grant is an extra and not intended to pay for the City's normally required update by the Metropolitan Council. It is intended to ensure that the active living components are incorporated into the plan. Ms. Barton replied it overlaps. It will cover added activities but also some activities that the City would have already been required to do, such as the community meetings. The grant will pay for a portion of the cost of the meetings, but we have also budgeted monies for those meetings since they are a requirement of the comp plan update. Committee Member McClung stated Committee Member Williams raised a good point. Since we are able to roll some of the comp plan meetings into meetings required for by this grant, it is important that the focus on active living does not take a back seat to the comp plan update. Ms. Barton stated she didn't think Blue Cross Blue Shield would let that happen. They are going to be working with us hand in hand and reviewing sections and they have TA's that will be specifically assigned to us. 4. TCAAP UPDATE The General Services Administration accepted our offer to purchase and it is now being taken to the congressional committees for approval. We anticipate getting a favorable response back by the end of October. We are also in the process of working with the development team to contract with a number of consultants to assist with the various processes we need to move forward on: including the characterization, the AUAR, the master plan, and the frame work vision. Our current version needs some tweaking, defining and adjusting. She and Michelle Wolfe spent the day with Ryan Co. staff interviewing four teams to act in that capacity. The search has been narrowed down to two teams. Hopefully we will