08-19-25 PTRC-Cancelled -No Quorum

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Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – July 15, 2025 Page 2 Committee Member Rogers said she is excited about being able to see things fit together so it doesn’t feel so haphazard. We can see it all laid out and we will know what’s yet to come. Park and Recreation Manager Skalicky is excited that this can be the guiding document for PTRC, Parks, Public Works, City Council and members of the public. Everyone is on the same page. Council Liaison Rousseau is looking forward to a governance document for Staff to look at for the foundational pieces for our Park System Plan and they can use it over the next decade. Committee Member Johnson is excited about a system that encompasses everything. It will be nice to have a common vision. Committee Member Julius is excited to see some differentiation come to Arden Hills. What we want to be known for can be connected through this plan. Chair Dietz likes the documentation and he’s also interested in the public engagement piece. Committee Member Acosta is excited to see how there is more structure and a common goal for our parks. Committee Member Seemann is excited to have a shared vision and a path forward. Committee Member Hilding likes engagement with casual park users and getting them to think about it more. Committee Member Olson is excited about the public engagement part. She looks forward to seeing Arden Hills parks move into 2025 with some cool things. Committee Member Jacobson thinks it’s great we will have a comprehensive document with engagement. It’s been such a struggle for PTRC to determine what we should focus on. This will help fine tune the work of this committee. Committee Member Nazir Ahmed is excited to see what the documentation looks like and excited for her kids to be able to enjoy the parks. Casey Byers said that one thing that is fun about the planning process is getting kids involved. There are school age kids who will remember this process and then they can see the improvements take shape. It is exciting to see things come full circle. All of the comments shared by Committee Members align with the goals and anticipated outcomes of this planning process. The Plan will wrap up in the spring of 2026. The inventory and analysis pieces are complete. The parks have been documented, and the community engagement stage is rolling out. They are beginning to evaluate the information we already have like demographics, the National Rec and Park Association (NRPA) benchmark analysis. They are comparing our park system to other systems in the United States with similar populations. Once the survey is complete, they can begin to compile what the community is saying. They can analyze that against what the NRPA metrics say and start to formulate some general themes and recommendations that can inform the outcome of the plan.