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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-26-05 PTRC ! j ,--A EN HILLS AGENDA PARKS, TRAILS, & RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2005 **7:00 P.M. MEETING** ARDEN HILLS CITY HALL 1245 WEST HIGHWAY 96 1. Call to Order and Roll Call 2. Approve Minutes: March 22, 2005 Minutes 3. Council Update— Gregg Larson 4. Parks and Trails Update—Tom Moore 5. Recreation Update—Michelle Olson 6. Park Tobacco Policy—Dave McClung 7. PTRC 2005-2009 Priorities • A. Funding B. Process 8. County Road E A. Upper and Lower Freeway Park Access Discussion B. DNR Funding Review 9. Next Meeting Agenda 10. Adjourn Attachments: 2005-2009 Priorities March 22, 2005 Meeting Minutes Tobacco-Free Parks Policy Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda and Minutes A quorum of the City Council may be present at this meeting. z t • 2005 - 2009 PRIORITIES 1. Elmer Anderson trail naming policy. 2. Walkway under railroad connecting Tony Schmidt Park to Perry Park and trails. 3. Trail along Old Snelling from County Road E to Highway 51, Highway 51 to Highway 96. • PMP reconstruction from Old Snelling to Highway 51 is scheduled for 2007 4. Trail through Northwestern College. 5. Trail from Northwestern College to Old Snelling 6. Trails within the Highway 10-96 re-construction. 7. Trail/Sidewalk along west side of Lexington from County Road E to 694. 8. Trail along North Snelling from Briarknoll to Highway 96. 9. Bridge and trail on County Road E 10. Replacement warming House at Freeway 11. Replacement warming House at Hazelnut 12. Replacement warming House at Valentine • 13. Off Leash Dog Park 14. Trail along Lake Valentine Road(Valentine Park to Mounds View High School) Updated: 1/25/05 • April 14, 2005 City of Arden Hills Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee 1245 West Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112 Dear Park, Trails, and Recreation Committee Members: At your April Park, Trails, and Recreation Committee meeting, we will be coming to present information on tobacco-free parks. We will also be presenting our request that you make the Arden Hills parks, trails, and recreation areas tobacco free. Attached is our Policy Request and the"Policy Maker's Guide to Tobacco-Free Parks, • Playgrounds, and Athletic Facilities." This information will help you understand more about why we think it is important to have tobacco-free parks. Please look it over prior to the meeting so that you are familiar with it. We look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have. Thank you for your time, Nicole Holm Christina Florey Suzanne Florey Peers Acting to Challenge Tobacco (PACT) students Mounds View High School DRAFT 4/15/05 City of Arden Hills, Minnesota Parks and Recreation Tobacco-Free Parks Policy Policy Statement: The City of Arden Hills is committed to the quality of life for all residents of the city; therefore,we believe that: 1. Tobacco product use in the proximity of children,youth and adults engaging in or watching recreational activities is unhealthy and detrimental to the health of others. 2. Tobacco products once consumed in public spaces are often discarded on the ground, posing a risk of ingestion to young children and animals and cause a litter problem requiring additional maintenance expense. 3. As parents, coaches, and leaders we are role models, and the use of tobacco products around youth has a negative effect on their lifestyle choices. 4. The prohibition of tobacco use at the City's recreational facilities serves to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Arden Hills. Tobacco-Free Park Policy: The Arden Hills City Council finds that the use of tobacco products in city recreational facilities, which include all city parks and trails,is detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Arden Hills. No person shall use tobacco products on city-owned parkland,park facilities, open space, or trails, except within the confines of a vehicle in a designated parking area or an adjacent public street. This policy will become effective immediately upon the date of adoption by the City Council Compliance Procedures: Emphasis on enforcing the Tobacco-Free Park Policy will be through voluntary compliance, and will include: 1. Appropriate city-owned parkland, park facilities, open space, and trails will be signed. 2. City staff will meet with activity organizations, group leaders and coaches to discuss the policy and to distribute flyers with the Tobacco-Free Park Policy, as well as notify residence through the local media and the City newsletter. 3. City staff will make periodic observations of activity sites to monitor compliance. 4. Athletic associations and groups that utilize City-owned facilities must commit to • enforcing this policy during all scheduled activities. • Y ARDEN HILLS, MN PARKS AND RECREATION SUBJECT Arden Hills Parks and Recreation Tobacco-Free Policy INTRODUCTION Before focusing on Tobacco, consider our parks. Parks are available for sports, play equipment, skating rinks, picnic areas for family or work get togethers, and trails. Parks should be known for their fresh air, natural beauty, and safe, clean environment. Tobacco use does not fit into any of that. POLICY STATEMENT The City of Arden Hills Parks and Recreation Department is committed to the quality of life for all its residents therefore we believe that: 1. Tobacco product use in parks takes away from the clean environment that should be ensured, by polluting air and littering. (objects which are not biodegradable" 2. Tobacco product use in the proximity of children, youth, and adults engaging in or watching recreational activities is unhealthy and detrimental to the health of others. 3. Adult's use of tobacro products, who are seen as role models, may have negative effects on youth's lifestyle choices. TOBACCO-FREE FACILITIES No person shall use tobacco products on city-owned parkland, park facilities, open space or joint city/school district properties. COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES The emphasis on enforcing the Tobacco-Free Park policy is through voluntary compliance: 1. Appropriate city-owned parkland, park facilities, open space or joint city/school district properties will be signed. 2. Peers Acting to Challenge Tobacco (P. A. C. T) members will make periodic observations of activity sites to monitor compliance. 3. TFYR (Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation Initiative)will provide 100 12"x 18" metal blue is and white tobacco-free signs for free. 7 A Policy Maker's Guide to Tobacco-Free Policies for Parks, Playgrounds and Athletic Facilities TOBACCOC, TH RECREATION ��s PROVIDING TOBACCO-FREE RECREATION FOR YOUR COMMUNITY Playing Tobacco Free: Tobacco-Free Policies For Park & Recreation Facilities Tobacco-free park and recreation The Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation Initiative areas promote health Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation(TFYR) is Minnesota's statewide • Parks are established to promote healthy activities. The recreation-based tobacco prevention program that assists recreational purpose of park areas is to promote community wellness, groups in promoting healthy tobacco-free lifestyles. TFYR offers and tobacco-free policies fit with this idea. assistance in tobacco-free policy development and implementation • Secondhand smoke harms everyone. Secondhand smoke and also distributes materials that promote the tobacco-free sports message throughout Minnesota. is a human carcinogen for which there is no safe level of exposure. Exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate health consequenses such as asthma attacks and other res- Policy adoption assistance piratory diseases. & FREE signs available through TFYR • Secondhand smoke is harmful in outdoor settings. Ac- TFYR offers municipal park&recreation departments techni- cording to Repace Associates,secondhand smoke levels in cal assistance in tobacco-free policy development. To help with outdoor public places can reach levels as high as those policy implementation,TFYR provides 12"x 18"metal blue& found in indoor facilities where smoking is permitted. white tobacco-free signs for FREE to Minnesota cities that adopt • Cigarette litter is dangerous. Discarded cigarettes pol- comprehensive tobacco-free policies for their outdoor recreational lute the land and water and may be ingested by toddlers, facilities (limit 100 per community). pets,birds or fish. • Tobacco free policies help change community norms. To qualify for the signs,the tobacco-free policy Tobacco-free policies establish the community norm that must include: tobacco use is not an acceptable behavior for young people • A list of all the facilities it covers. or adults within the entire community. • A statement that all forms of tobacco use are prohibited. • An enforcement plan that includes " • Why are Minnesota cities adopting •, a)community and staff notification;and tobacco-free park policies..? Tobacco-Free Sins b)signage. g • Most Minnesotans support tobacco free park and rec- reation policies. A 2004 University of Minnesota survey Contact TFYR staff(see below left)for policy adoption assistance. found that 70%of Minnesota residents support tobacco-free Once a policy has been adopted in your community, send a copy of park and recreation areas. In addition, 66% of golfers and the policy and a completed sign order form to TFYR. Download an 73%of families with children support these policies. order form from our web site at<www.ansrmn.org>. • Policies provide consistency among community athletic facilities and groups. The majority of community sporting Minnesota Cities with Tobacco-Free events are held at either city or school district athletic facili- outdoor Recreational Facilities ties, and nearly all school districts prohibit tobacco use on • Aitkin • Eden Prairie • Nwd Yng America • Andover • Edina • Owatonna their entire grounds.Also,many community athletic associa- . Anoka • Elk River • Pelican Rapids tions have policies but use city recreation facilities and would • Aurora • Eveleth . Plymouth • Austin • Faribault • Prinsburg benefit from a city-wide policy. . Baxter • Fergus Falls • Ramsey • Biwabik • Golden Valley • Richfield Policies reduce litter and maintenance costs. In a 2004 • Bloomington • Grand Rapids • Robbinsdale • Brainerd • Hibbing . Rochester survey,58%of Minnesota park directors in cities with poli- Breckenridge Hoyt Lakes 0 Rock County cies reported cleaner park areas. • Brooklyn Center • Int'I Falls • Roseville • Buhl • Kent • Sartell Tobacco free environments promote positive community Champlin Luverne 0 Savage • Cloquet • Mahtomedi . Shoreview role modeling and protect the health, safety, and welfare of Cohasset Maple Grove Spicer • Coon Rapids • Maplewood • St. Cloud community members. • Crookston • Marshall • St.Paul • Duluth • Monticello • Virginia • Eagan • Morris . Willmar Association for Nonsmokers--Minnesota • Eagle Lake • Mountain Iron • Wolverton 2395 University Ave.West,#310 • New Brighton • Zimmerman St. Paul, MN 55114-1512 (651)646-3005;tfyr@ansrmn.org Youn9 A April , . .,Qrrg Tobacco-Free Park & Recreational 0 Facilities in Minnesota (Park Policies & City Ordinances) 40, METRO AREA (22 Anoka Maple Grove Andover Maplewood Bloomington New Brighton Brooklyn Center Plymouth Champlin Ramsey Coon Rapids Richfield Eagan Robblusdale Metro Area Eden Prairie Roseville Edina Saint Paul Golden Valley Savage Mahtomedi Shoreview 40 GREATER MINNESOTA(40 Hoyt Lakes 24 Pelican Rapids 12 COUNTIES Altkin I Crookston 13 International Falls 25 Prinsburg 38 1.Rock County Aurora 2 Duluth 14 Kent 26 Rochester 41 Austin 3 Eagle Lake 16 Luverne 27 St Cloud 43 Baxter 4 Elk River 60 Marshall 30 Sartell 45 81wablk 5 Eveleth 18 Monticello 31 Spicer 48 Brainerd 7 Faribault 19 Morris 32 Virginia 49 Breckenridge 8 Fayal Township 20 Mountain Iron 33 Willmar 50 Buhl 9 Fergus Falls 10 Norwood Young Wolverton 59 IS 60 0 0 Cloquet 6 Grand Rapids 22 America 35 Zimmerman 51 Cohasset 11 Hibbing 23 Owatonna 36 0*1m "WAMN W January 2005 r wwwwrm,mg Frequently Asked Questions Y m a Ma about Tobacco-Free Policies for Park Areas in Minnesota . n.', &hat is current Minnesota state law on In addition to signs, cities notify their community smoking outdoors? members in a variety of ways: local media, city There is currently no state law that regulates tobacco newsletters, policy reminder cards, recreation program use in outdoor areas. brochures, policy statements sent to sports associations, and coaches'trainings. Are local governments able to enact policies restricting tobacco use? Are existing policies working? Neither federal nor state law prohibits local governments Yes! According to a 2004 University of Minnesota survey from regulating tobacco use outdoors.' of Minnesota park directors in cities with such policies, 88/o of park directors reported no change in park usage What is the difference between a park (no loss of park users), 71% reported less smoking in policy and an ordinance? /o parks, and 58 reported cleaner park areas. In general, ,nark policies are rules regarding city-owned What effect do tobacco-free park policies park property that are established by the city park board have on youth? and are often approved by the city council. Generally, Research has not been completed on this particular those who ignore park policies do not receive a fine, but topic, but in general, tobacco-free policies help prevent are asked to refrain from using tobacco or leave the premises. youth tobacco use, particularly by providing adults the opportunity to be tobacco-free role models throughout City ordinances are city council enactments that regulate the community.3 people or property and carry a penalty such as a fine for What other benefits result from tobacco- violations. Ordinances often originate from a recommendation passed by the city park board.2 free policies? Cigarette filters are not biodegradable, so they do not Or both park policies and city ordinances, tobacco use decay and cannot be absorbed by the environment. A Is prohibited on city park property. policy reduces park and beach litter and protects toddlers from ingesting filters that are discarded. In Should a policy cover all property and Minnesota, smoking-related debris accounted for 52% of activities or just youth events? total debris during a 2003 coastal cleanup.4 In Minnesota, both types of policies exist, but the recent Will policies keep some people from using trend is toward "all property" policies because they may be simpler for citizens to understand, rather than to City parks? determine which activities qualify as`youth events." Tobacco-free policies for public park areas ensure that all citizens have a healthy recreational environment. How do other Minnesota cities and People go to parks to exercise or relax, not to use townships enforce their policies? tobacco. Smokers work, shop, travel, and reside in Minnesota cities and townships with tobacco-free park smoke-free environments every day. No court has mined that smoking is a constitutionally protected deter policies post signs in their park areas that announce the deters policy. These signs provide cities with the ability to rely on community and self-enforcement. Many tobacco Aren't tobacco-free policies for parks a users look for"no tobacco"signs. These signs empower needless regulation? everyone using the parks to provide friendly reminders about the policy to violators. Signs also help to eliminate These policies are similar to those prohibiting alcohol the need for any law enforcement presence. The and litter or requiring that pets be leashed. It is the majority of Minnesota cities with policies have received duty of policy makers to enact policies that protect the their signs free of charge from Tobacco-Free Youth health of their citizens. Recreation. 3 Perry,C.(1999).Creating Health Behavior Change:How to Develop Community-Wide Programs for Youth.Thousand Oaks,CA:Sage Publications. innesota Attorney General Mike Hatch.(5/4/00).Legal opinion letter to Peter 'The Ocean Conservancy.(2004). International Coastal Cleanup 2003 Vogel. Minnesota Summary Report.[Online].Available:http://www.coastalcleanup.org. 1 League of Minnesota Cities.(2003).Handbook for Minnesota Cities.[Online]. 'Tobacco Control Legal Consortium.(2004)."Legal Authority to Regulate Available:http://www.Imnc.org/handbook/chapterO7.pdf. Smoking and Common Legal Threats and Challenges." April 2005 • TOBACCO . FREE YOC A w.an-vmn.org City-Owned Outdoor Recreational Facilities Model Tobacco-Free Policy WHEREAS, the City believes that tobacco use in the proximity of children and adults engaging in or watching outdoor recreational activities at City-owned or operated facilities is detrimental to their health and can be offensive to those using such facilities; and WHEREAS, the City has a unique opportunity to create and sustain an environment that supports a non-tobacco norm through a tobacco-free policy, rule enforcement, and adult-peer role modeling on City-owned outdoor recreational facilities; and WHEREAS, the City believes parents, leaders, and officials involved in recreation are role models for youth and can have a positive effect on the lifestyle choices they make; and WHEREAS, the tobacco industry advertises at and sponsors recreational events to foster a connection between tobacco use and recreation; and WHEREAS, cigarettes, once consumed in public spaces, are often discarded on the ground requiring additional maintenance expenses, diminish the beauty of the City's recreational facilities, and pose a risk to toddlers due to ingestion; and WHEREAS, the City Park & Recreation Board determines that the prohibition of tobacco use at the City's recreational facilities serves to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of our City. Section 1: Tobacco use prohibited in outdoor recreational facilities No person shall use any form of tobacco at or on any City-owned or operated outdoor recreational facilities, including the restrooms, spectator and concession areas. These facilities include [insert specific facilities here, e.g. playgrounds, athletic fields, beaches, aquatic areas, parks, and walking/hiking trails]. Section 2: Enforcement 1. Appropriate signs shall be posted in the above specified areas. 2. The community, especially facility users and staff, will be notified about this policy. 3. Staff will make periodic observations of recreational facilities to monitor for compliance. 4. Any person found violating this policy may be subject to immediate ejection from the recreation facility for the remainder of the event. Section 3: Effective Date This policy statement is effective immediately upon the date of adoption. Appropriate City Official Date M: M M W E nf ig,orang� and' Publiazin 0 Your Toba cco-Free: Pa rk Polky- A well publicized policy informs park users about the reasons why the policy has been adopted and helps enforce the policy by reducing violations. Let Community Members Know Post Signs About the Policy The most important way to In addition to posting signs,park and recreation staff has used a variety publicize your tobacco-free policy is of means to educate citizens about their tobacco free policies: by posting signs. 0 Staff notification of the new policy and setting procedures for If you have not done cRt handling violations. "Help Enforce Our Policy"handouts,p. 2. so already, contact 0 Bookmarks or small notification cards explaining the policy Tobacco-Free Youth distributed by park staff or community members to park Recreation to order users. Sample cards from Luverne, MN and bookmarks from Anoka County, metal tobacco-free signs. MN,pp. 3-5. The following locations are Articles in a local or regional newspap--r, as the result of a suggested places for posting your news release or reporters'coverage of city council meetings. cco-free signs: Draft news release,p. 6 Park and recreation department and city newsletters. • Fencing around playgrounds Sample city newsletters from Shoreview,MN, and Ramsey, MN,p. 7. and fields • Backstops Recreation program brochures, catalogs, and announcements. • Picnic shelters Sample recreation program brochure from Richfield, AM,pp. 8-9. • Restrooms Rulebooks or policy statements that are distributed to sports • Concession stands league administrators, coaches, officials, parents, and Parking lot entrances participants. Sample notification letter,p. 10;Sample team schedule,p. 11. • Beach entrances • Lifeguard stands Other fact sheets or educational articles about tobacco and • Hiking trail entrances secondhand smoke distributed at coaches' meetings, in • Skating rink warming houses mailings, or through newsletters. Sample articles,pp. 12-14. • Postings on the recreation department's or city's website. Ask for Assistance! 0 Public address announcements at recreation events, or public service announcements on local radio stations or public access These groups will assist you in cable channels. Sample announcement,p. 15. publicizing your tobacco free policy: * Kick-off celebration or community event with tobacco-free • Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation, pledges, activities, etc. Potential dates for this event: (651) 646-3005, ffyr@ansrm April 3—Kick Butts Day; May 31—World No Tobacco Day; Thursday Your local tobacco-free coalition prior to Thanksgiving—Great American Smoke Out. Sample pledges,p. 16;Sample community events,p. 17. • Your local public health agency Please note: computer artwork files are available from TFYR for the tobacco free sign image.