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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-20-24 - PTRC MinutesCITY OF ARDEN HILLS PARKS, TRAILS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2024, 6:30 PM ARDEN HILLS CITY HALL CALL MEETING TO ORDER Committee Chair Jill Anderson called the August 20, 2024 meeting of the Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee to order at 6:30 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Jill Anderson, Committee Members Dan Dietz, Kerri Seemann, Lacy Loosbrock, Emelia Rogers, Kate Olson, Nancy Jacobson, Elizabeth Johnson OTHERS PRESENT: Recreation Supervisor Matt Johnson and Council Liaison Emily Rousseau, Guest Speaker Steve Erler ABSENT: Committee Member Tim Nelson 1.APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Committee Member Dietz moved and Committee Member Olson seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as presented. The motion carried (7-0). 2.APPROVAL OF MINUTES A.July 17, 2024 PTRC Minutes MOTION: Committee Member Olson moved and Committee Member Dietz seconded a motion to approve the meeting minutes as written. The motion carried (9-0). 3.REPORTS A.Council Liaison Update Council Liaison Rousseau reminded that the Rotary Club had reached out to partner with the City on some things. Some of the committee members had visited the Rotary Club and provided some ideas to Elenore, the Rotary president. She thought we could do something bigger. She said Shoreview has an Adopt-A-Park program. All their parks and four of their trails are adopted by residents. Council Liaison Rousseau along with two committee members and a resident looked at what might be a bigger project. Cummings and Crepeau were considered. City Staff thought Crepeau might be the better option of those two. A list of task/project ideas were shared with Elenore at the Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 2 Rotary Club. Elenore pitched the idea to the Rotary to pilot an Adopt-A-Park program through the Rotary. Elenore is open to attending a meeting to discuss a long-term program that is practical and sustainable. Some of the Rotary members walked the Crepau Nature Preserve. They thought that since it’s tucked into a suburban neighborhood and has no parking they would prefer to adopt a more visible, well-traveled location because this would be a public image project. Council Liaison Rousseau wanted the Committee’s opinion on Cummings Park. Committee Member Olson said her issue with selecting Cummings is that would a great park for Boston Scientific to adopt, if we move forward with a full program. Discussion ensued regarding possible parks. Freeway Park vs. Cummings was discussed. Council Liaison Rosseau asked for volunteers to take photos and make a task list of what needs to be done at Freeway and Cummings Parks. The Rotary could choose which one they would like to work on. Committee Member Olson wondered if anything happened with the ice rink at Freeway Park. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said that was not in the budget. Committee Member Olson asked what the money from Spring Lake Park was spent on. Council Liaison Rosseau answered a fence was built. Committee Member Olson volunteered to take photos at Freeway Park. Committee Member Olson asked if there was any discussion regarding Hazelnut. Council Liaison Rosseau said they would like to adopt Hazelnut but with the Great River Greening there’s a lot happening there right now. It would be too difficult to coordinate the two. Committee Member Olson wondered if the boards need to be re-painted. She thought the Rotary may want to put up a banner after the boards have been re-painted. It would be a high visibility location, but it’s small park for them to start with. She thought Cummings would need a lot more work with the buckthorn. Council Liaison Rosseau said they are looking to do something more than just buckthorn and want volunteers of all physical abilities to be able to participate. She will update Elenore at the Rotary Club and let her know Freeway Park is the Committee’s preferred park to pilot this program. Council Liaison Rosseau said there will be a Special Work Session on August 26th at 5:00 to discuss the Minnesota Tournament and Wellness Center. Council Liaison Rosseau said that Councilmember Holden and Mayor Grant are spearheading the Hazelnut parking lot. They will meet with the church this month with the hope to negotiate a land sale. The reason for the slow movement is because of the size of their board. Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 3 Council Liaison Rousseau updated that Council considered the proposal by Public Works Director/Engineer Swearingen to add staffing in the different phases. The council is still considering the proposal and looking at budget. She thought the phasing of what he is proposing is possible. This proposed position would take some of the tasks from Public Works Staff and leave them available to work on bigger projects. Committee Member Olson asked if the Council is working on the budget for next year. Council Liaison Rosseau confirmed. She explained the preliminary budget is set higher and then fine tune it, as needed. She said you can’t change the preliminary budget amount to a higher amount than the preliminary budget amount, but it can be lowered. Committee Member Olson wondered if it was already too late to have something in the budget for next year, since it hasn’t been proposed. Council Liaison Rosseau wondered if there was anything specific the group wanted to discuss. She said a place holder of $10,000 for Pickleball nets was allocated. She is happy to discuss any other items. She thought moving forward, the committee should look at August to have discussions on the following year’s needs. 4. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Trail and Parks Projects Update Recreation Supervisor Johnson discussed the church and city property for that parking lot. He noted that it is not the City’s parking lot. Discussions are underway to purchase the property and then update. It is not a budget issue, rather a real estate issue. It needs to be done. Recreation Supervisor Johnson updated that the Safe Routes from Mounds View High School to E-2 to Valentine Road and Old Highway 10 is paved. There are a couple minor punch list items to wrap up, but the trail is usable and fully open. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said Floral and Arden Manor Parks projects are complete and open. Recreation Supervisor Johnson stated the Lake Johanna Boulevard trail study was completed. We didn’t score well. Committee Member Jacobson asked if the committee could see the trail study. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said yes. He would reach out to City Staff for a copy. Committee Member Olson asked if Staff are following up on the project to see who was awarded funding. She read the final design is set for 2028. She stated the trail is not a definite thing. She wondered what the committee, staff and residents need to do to help make sure the trail gets funded. Recreation Supervisor Johnson stated he will request that information from Assistant Public Works Director Miller Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 4 Recreation Supervisor Johnson said Arden Manor Park construction was not awarded any additional funding. The courts project could not move forward because this. Arden Manor is on the list to request funding for 2025. Recreation Supervisor Johnson updated there was an outreach event on Thursday, August 8th regarding Arden Oaks and Freeway Parks. It was not as well attended as a similar event held in the winter. He reminded there is a QR code that links to a survey that takes just a couple minutes to complete. The survey seeks input on how best to maximize the available funds. Recreation Supervisor Johnson stated the PMP project is underway. That included pond dredging, water main sewer upgrades, mill and over lays, spot curb replacement. He stated input is requested regarding the Floral Park storm drain from the baseball field. They have to start planting. They need to use the trees that are pre-approved. The plan is to use 25% each of Honey Locust, Kentucky Coffeetree, American Elm and Hackberry. He noted that if the committee members had any input it could probably be implemented but they want to start planting soon. Committee Member Jacobson stated she drove past the site. She updated that it’s a nice park with trails in the neighborhood. The trail starts at the street and it is wide open. A lot of trees have been removed. There is some turf, but no trees or shade. Neighbor homes are visible from the trail. She asked if the neighbors have requested any screening. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said no. Committee Member Jacobson presumed the neighbors are okay with just regular overstory trees. She noted it was probably woodsy. She thought the planting could be more organized from the beginning near the street, where the trail begins. Then the planting could be more irregular further down the path. She thought having Oaks in the mix would be good. These are all big trees. She thought mixing in some understory trees would be a good idea. Committee Member Dietz stated he’s familiar with that area. He stated originally both sides of the trail were lined with Ash Trees. The drainage area was open. They didn’t take out too much there. That is designed as a water garden so planting may restrict the flow. He asked how much room there is at the side of the trail. He thought it would be nice to include Spruce Trees. He thought that would provide screening. Discussion ensued regarding what was there before and how that parcel was maintained. Committee Member Dietz stated for a Spruce Tree you would need about 15 feet from the edge of the trail to the trunk of the tree. If there is room, he thinks a grouping of Spruce Trees would help break it up. He asked about planting near the neighboring homes. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said he assumed there would be a desire to have enough of a gap that the trees won’t cross property lines into the residential yards. Committee Member Jacobson said she noted two or three users just in the short time she was there. It seems like a well-used trail. Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 5 Committee Member Olson stated she walked the trail after the trees were removed and she was surprised to see a house so close. She hadn’t noticed it before due to the screening the previous trees provided. Recreation Supervisor Johnson pointed to a graphic that showed survey results for Arden Oaks; stating Option 1 was the preferred option, with Option 4 being second. He discussed the color options, noting which colors were selected. Committee Member Olson asked if there was any way to know if the respondents to the survey were immediate neighbors to the park. Recreation Supervisor Johnson thought they were asked if they were residents, but didn’t think the survey requested the resident’s precise address. Recreation Supervisor Johnson shared survey results from Freeway Park. He noted Option 4 was the preferred option, by a large amount. Committee Member Olson asked if there was more space at Arden Oaks. Recreation Supervisor Johnson stated some of the details in the presentation material, like the amount of swings, can be ignored, as part of this discussion. Some upgrades are required, as some of the swings are not up to code because they are too long. He noted that as you update any playground program, you must replace any that are not up to code. Recreation Supervisor Johnson shared the color choice for the park. He noted that the comments mentioned it would be nice to have space for the teenage group to still utilize the park. Some options would be longer slides, zip lines and bike racks. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said some residents commented on the playgrounds getting smaller. He reminded that prices are getting higher. Committee Member Olson thought we need to raise more money at the City. Committee Member Jacobson asked if any of the designs were geared toward the teenage group. Recreation Supervisor Johnson confirmed. They are all 5-12. He also said all of the options are about the same cost except Option 1. There is no price for that yet. Committee Member Olson shared that the people she spoke with liked Option 1 because of all the shade it provides. There is no shade at all on Option 3. She noted one resident that lives across from this park is a daycare provider. She uses the park a lot and having shade is important. Discussion ensued regarding removal of trees at Freeway Park. MOTION: Committee Member Olson moved and Committee Member Jacobson seconded a motion to recommend to approve the design that residents like best. The motion carried (9-0). Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 6 Committee Member Rogers asked to discuss the ice rink. There is a whole list of things that need to be done and to hear there is no money for those projects is confusing. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said on the Park Improvement Plan shows how the money is allocated for each park. He thinks the amount for this park is $250,000. Council Liaison Rousseau said it came to Council and there was a budget, and items were removed line by line. There was no consideration of accessibility or additional pieces. Committee Member Olson wondered if there is a person who would reach out to businesses to see if they would donate money to the foundation to help cover fences or bushes. Council Liaison Rousseau didn’t think there is currently anyone who does that. She said that could be something to include when adding a new position in the Park and Recreation Department. She also thought that, as the EDC is starting to reach out to businesses, that might be a good resource. She said Council never discuss bonding to increase the value of what we’re getting. There could be other options. She wonders if a better option would be to stall this project for a year and put the Master Parks Plan together and save up some money for the park. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said the Master Plan includes updates that are required in the 25- year plan. Basically, this is a window to do more at these parks but it’s budgeted to do the minimum required. Council Liaison Rousseau said she asked the consultants what happened at Floral Park. They replied that we’re getting what the HOAs pay for it’s not the stuff that cities normally buy. Committee Member Olson said there is a really nice play set at Lake Valentine Road. She said Johanna Marsh has a small play set, but it’s nice, too. She feels those parks weren’t getting the minimum. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said the City definitely got more for our money before the pandemic. Council Liaison Rousseau said during budget discussions the Council wanted to put an additional $50,000 aside each year for these items. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said basically every two years there are two parks being improved. Committee Member Rogers asked if a park is slated to be upgraded, she wonders who decided that $250,000 is the right number. Recreation Supervisor Johnson replied it’s from the Park Improvement Plan. That was the allocated amount that was predetermined years ago. Committee Member Rogers asked how many years ago the Park Improvement Plan was written. Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 7 Recreation Supervisor Johnson did not know that information. He said a Park Master Plan will avoid issues like this. He said there seems to be a missing link since 2014, as very little has been done with parks since then. Committee Member Jacobson thinks Freeway Park is really, two parks. The upper and the lower. She is hearing there is only money to improve the lower park. She thinks the upper park is extremely visible. She remembered a conversation about hard surfacing the rink so it could serve a dual purpose in the winter, as well as, in the summer. She understands that surface would take the entire budget for the park. There is no funding for both parts of the park. She said playground equipment is easy. You pick the location and put the play structure in. The upper part of the park is more complicated. She thinks if this park won’t be reevaluated for 25 years, maybe the improvements should put on hold until the City can improve both parts of the parks at once. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said the 25-year plan is only for the playground equipment. Committee Member Anderson asked if there was discussion of use of the park. She thinks the upper part of Freeway Park seems to be used more widely among city residents than the lower portion. The bottom part is used almost exclusively by that neighborhood. Council Liaison Rousseau said the Council is in budget discussions and are talking about different numbers regarding Public Works vehicles/equipment, adding funding for Pickle Ball nets or adding that Park Manager. They are hoping to avoid shocking residents with the levy. There is $75,000 in the budget to have a consultant complete a Master Parks Plan. However, she said there isn’t much money budgeted to implement that plan. As the budget discussions continue it would be a good idea to try to add some more money for implementation. She believes it’s 0.5% levy increase for every $26,000. Adding $50,000 for that would equate to a 1% increase to the levy. She will bring it back to Council. Committee Member Rogers asked if there is any way to adjust the amounts on the 25-year plan, or is it specified for just playground equipment. Recreation Supervisor Johnson confirmed it was just equipment but he believes the potential cost has already been factored into it. He believes the plan goes out to 2030 but basically every two years, two parks will be improved. He stated the consultant from Bolten and Menk said $250,000 is the bare minimum you would want to spend on a playground upgrade. Committee Member Loosbrock wondered if Rotary would take on the hockey rink and could permanently sponsor that. They could provide landscaping and make it look good. Council Liaison Rousseau said it would make sense to request that the Rotary agree to a 1- or 2- year commitment. There are discussions regarding Adopt-A-Park. She sent an email to Shoreview. That contact said it is an easy process to manage that program. Committee Member Loosbrock admitted it wouldn’t fix everything, but it would, at least spruce it up and make it look nicer. Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 8 B. Work Group Updates Chair Anderson asked if anyone had any Work Group Updates. Committee Member Jacobson said and inventory for the National Nite Out was submitted. She checked with the City and said there were two responses. Committee Member Johnson said this was the first year that people came to the Shoreview Community Center to get the block party kits. In the future she thought Arden Hills should have a table there to help direct people. Committee Member Olson asked if the Arden Hills block captains picked up their kits there. She wondered if Shoreview was also there. She asked how the pick-up program worked. Committee Member Johnson believed there were five cities distributing the kits to their residents. The Sherriff’s department oversaw handing out the kits. They had different kits for different cities. The program was successful and they will do it again next year. Some of the other cities had a table specific to their community. Committee Member Olson asked if the block leaders’ email addresses are available to email them a reminder. Recreation Supervisor Johnson didn’t think that information was available and thought a Facebook announcement would be better. Committee Member Olson updated that the Lions Club event was a huge success. They didn’t collect attendance information. She thought signs at the entrance would be helpful as some people walked past and weren’t aware if it was a public or private event. She didn’t know the Lions’ budget for the event but everything seemed to go over really well. She shared the different activities that were available for participants. It was a great event. She suspects the Lions will rotate between Arden Hills and Shoreview every other year. It was a relatively easy and affordable event that was well attended. Committee Member Olson and Committee Member Rogers met to discuss ideas for 2025. She thought if the suggestions are items the Committee wants to discuss, they could gather more information before the next meeting. Committee Member Rogers said the big picture is that we need to focus on 2025. It’s important for everyone to be brainstorming in preparation for 2025. Committee Member Olson thought an Earth Day event in the spring could be successful. She said Earth Day is April 22. She noted that Easter is on April 20 in 2025. That could mess things up as there is an Easter Egg Hunt. She didn’t know if adding an Earth Day event would be too many events. She said this could be a simple event, at one park. Volunteers could clean and weed the park, there could be education on supporting pollinators, local businesses could be invited to be involved. She thought it makes sense to have a simple event to start and if the event is successful it can be built up in the future. Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 9 Committee Member Olson proposed a City-supported garage sale. This is already being done by two residents who run the event through Facebook. Surrounding cities do this. She said City Staff would take the reservations and create a map. The City would promote the event. A banner to help get the word out would be relatively inexpensive. Committee Member Olson said she has been to several of New Brighton’s Discover-Your-Parks days. They are amazing but appear to be expensive. She thought a Discover-Your-Parks passport could be an affordable alternative. Residents would receive a passport with the names and addresses of all the parks. Each park would have a station with picture or a word associated with the passport program. Families would visit the parks and write what picture or word they found. When they have completed the entire passport they would bring it in to City Hall and get some small prize. One idea they thought of was a nice water bottle. A local business may be willing to sponsor the program to help with funding. Committee Member Olson said a Discover-Your-Trails event could be an option, too. She thought guided walks on the trails could be successful. Volunteers could take people on a guided trail walk in the fall or winter. Participants would meet at an agreed upon time and date and the guide could help introduce them to the trails. If this program were to move forward, the request would be to update the trails map so it only includes the built trails, not the future trails to avoid confusion. Committee Member Olson also thought the Fall Soccer Jamboree could be extended for an extra week. Committee Member Olson added that there is support for the Adopt-A-Park program. Committee Member Olson said adding food vendors to events, where it makes sense, can enhance the experience of the events. There would be no cost for that. It would just be finding a food truck that would like to attend the events. Committee Member Olson said her group tried to focus on affordable events with minimal engagement because it would be difficult to find support for a bigger event like the Lions Club hosted. Creating these events in baby steps could pave the way for an actual Discover-Your-Park event in 2025 or a 5K run in 2025/2026. Committee Member Olson used the Earth Day event as an example. She wondered how much time would the City need to coordinate an event like that. Or would it be the committee members promoting the event. She didn’t know if there was enough time. When would staff need to know about the event in order to prepare for it? Recreation Supervisor Johnson said he would need information by January for an April event. Committee Member Olson asked if City Council would need to approve an event. Recreation Supervisor Johnson said it would depend on how the committee wanted to market the events. It could go in the activity guide listed as a special event. He is in support of all of the ideas. Free family events are what residents want. The community picnic is a great example of a low risk, high reward event. Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 10 Committee Member Olson stated the Lions Club did 90% of the work to facilitate their event. She isn’t sure if the City has the capacity to support an event like that. She is asking where the balance is between the City running an event and the PTRC. Council Liaison Rousseau said she thought if we are talking about more staffing needs then it would have to go to the Council to give direction. They would want to know details. Is it passing out trees that people can go home and plant them. She’s not sure what the Earth Day event would entail. Committee Member Anderson said it seems like you need an entire year to plan an event. She would presume you would need a precise proposal by August so it can be discussed when the budget is being fine-tuned. Committee Member Olson said the thought is to start small. Committee Member Olson understands these 2025 ideas are smaller scale projects. She thought for a bigger scale project there would need to have a plan in place early. She thinks the planning will need to be way in advance of any event. Committee Member Jacobson wondered if a fund could be established for these types of events so there wouldn’t need to be so much advance notice. That money could be used exclusively for these events. Council Liaison Rousseau thought it wouldn’t be an issue for the Council to approve $500 for an event like this. They recently approved $120 for Karth Lake to get ice cream for a gathering to discuss the lake. She said it’s more about finding time to get it in front of the Council and the lack of efficiency in the meetings to get through things in a timely manner. She thinks the PTRC sometimes gets pushed to the wayside when other timely events need to be discussed. Committee Member Rogers asked is the PTRC a recommending body to direct the City to pursue these events. Or by recommending the events, are the PTRC taking on the responsibility to plan the events. The answer to that question may change the conversation based on the committee members’ capacity. Recreation Supervisor Johnson stated that the Parks and Recreation Department is him. If the proposed staffing additions are approved, it will allow us to explore a lot of these options. He supports the ideas. The issue is finding time with other tasks that need to be done. He said if we plan and Earth Day event right after the Easter Egg Hunt there is no break. Other tasks need to be completed, too. Committee Member Rogers said she doesn’t know some of the basic things so she isn’t even sure what questions to ask. She was unaware that Recreation Supervisor Johnson didn’t have a staff to help. Recreation Supervisor Johnson stated he has part time people in the summer and some in the winter for warming houses. Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 11 Committee Member Olson clarified that those people are hired for a specific job and wouldn’t necessarily help fill the Easter eggs for the egg hunt. There needs to be the infrastructure to support those types of activities if more events are desired. We can’t just wish for things. Committee Member Anderson agreed that clarification on what the PTRC purpose is, would be helpful. That was on the agenda. If the role of the committee is to make recommendations and then implement the programs/events, that needs to be made abundantly clear. In order to maintain an engaged committee, the ideas that are recommended need to be accepted within a reasonable time. Discussion ensued regarding the time constraints on the current meeting and the need to move along on the agenda. C. Great River Greening Update Committee Member Seeman updated that the Great River Greening project was passed, the project has begun and they are implementing the plan. Council Liaison Rousseau specified who the neighborhood captains for the three parks are. D. Floral Park Tree Planting This item was discussed earlier in the meeting. 5. NEW BUSINESS A. 2025 Chair Position Chair Anderson indicated that she will be stepping down when her term ends. She asked if anyone was interested. If more than one person is interested, it will be decided by a vote. Committee Member Dietz asked if Staff knew how many committee members were at the end of the term limits. Council Liaison Rousseau said she isn’t concerned about the term limits. If there were no space for other people to come on, she would be more worried about it. She said if it’s specified in City Ordinance it may need to be changed. Discussion ensued regarding term limits and being removed from committees. Committee Member Olson said she thinks term limits were added. She thinks it’s odd to limit committee participation but there is no term limit on City Council. B. Arden Hills Greening Presentation Steve Erler began his presentation on Arden Hills Greening. This is a group of Arden Hills residents looking to improve the biodiversity of our parks and neighborhoods. This will be accomplished through community outreach and hands-on work. Arden Hills Greening was founded in December of 2023. The group formed after members met with The Friends of Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 12 Minnetonka Parks. That group organizes resident volunteers to help manage and maintain Minnetonka parks. That is the model for Arden Hills Greening. Arden Hills Greening held it’s first meeting on December 15, 2023. Since that first meeting, they continue to meet monthly. There are 21 members on the email list and there are typically six members at the in-person meetings. The mission is to build community and shared stewardship of public and private open spaces. Thereby improving the biodiversity and resiliency of our parks and neighborhoods. The group is engaged in two types of activities to include, outreach/education and removal of invasive plants, especially buckthorn. The public outreach and education activities have included initial website development where resources can be shared with homeowners. The group has a public Facebook page. They have conduced three free land management classes at City Hall. The topics of those classes were 1) Buckthorn ID and Management, 2) Native Trees and Shrubs and 3) Native Flowers. They distributed information regarding buckthorn and other invasive species at Chatham Trails in conjunction with the Goat Browsing in June and July. They have conducted informational pop-ups at four parks for pollinator week. They provided educational information and activities at the Penny Carnival in July. Land management information was provided at the Karth Lake Ice Cream Social. Arden Hills Greening conducted two invasive plant mitigation events this year. Native Plantings in Hazelnut Park in April and May. They monitored the goats in Chatham Trails through June. A group of four resident volunteers monitored the goats from June 9-July 5. This consisted of walking the fence line twice a day. They ensured the fence was intact, the goats were okay and provided status updates to the contractor and the Public Works Department. They provided leaflets to the residents in Chatham before the goats arrived. They placed self- service literature distribution boxes, adjacent to the goat pen, to educate about Buckthorn. It was a combination of public education and hands-on mitigation. Cooler weather and fewer bugs make better working conditions. Arden Hills Greening will be clearing buckthorn regrowth and planting grasses and forbs at Chatham Trails where mature buckthorn has been removed in previous years. Resident volunteers have been clearing buckthorn on Chatham Trails since the fall of 2021. Buckthorn infestation is a major problem in our parks. Buckthorn mitigation is a major focus of Arden Hills Greening. Having seen the scope of the problem, there is a need for a larger, more organized, sustainable effort to confront it. Arden Hills Greening hopes to focus on recruiting and organizing resident volunteers. He is asking for recognition for their group. Education and outreach activities need exposure beyond their website and Facebook page. The group would like to place event notices and occasional information articles in Arden Hills Notes. The group believes recognition from the PTRC will lend some credibility to their requests. Volunteers are making noticeable buckthorn Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 13 mitigation progress in Chatham Trails Park at minimal cost to the city. While their progress is noticeable, they are just beginning. The Public Works Department has supported Arden Hills Greening by providing herbicide to kill the roots and stumps and by picking up and disposing of the cuttings. They are very appreciative of that collaboration. The group keeps Public Works informed of their activities and try to allow adequate lead time when making requests. This approach works with just a few people working in just a few sites. In the future, they would like to work with the PTRC and Public Works to develop and define a process for working together. Adopt-a-Spot is an idea that may be worth exploring. It would be similar to the Adopt-a-Park program but on a smaller scale. It would be like the work they are already doing. Arden Hills Greening would like to work with the City to define what such a program may look like and get it started. Steve Erler thanked the Committee for their time and asked if anyone had questions. Committee Member Olson asked if the group has 501C-3 non-profit status. Steve Erler replied that they do not. There have been discussions and they will pursue that when they feel the time is right. He has been through that process with other organizations he has worked with. As a group, Arden Hills Greening has decided to put that off for now. Committee Member Olson asked how the group is funded. Steve Erler said there is no funding. They have a bank account but there are no income streams, at this time. Committee Member Seemann noted the only income was $14 raised at the Penny Carnival. That does not offset the hundreds of dollars spent on printing flyers. Steve Erler said the project is being funded by members of the group, right now. The group shared appreciation for the members spending their own money. Committee Member Anderson said the idea of Adopt-a-Spot or Adopt-a-Park has come up in this committee a couple of times. She thinks there is a good foundation to start talking about that. It could help all these entities come together to do this work. She thought the PTRC’s role could start with the organizational piece and make a proposal to the City Council about what this could look like. Committee Member Olson asked if the Friends of Minnetonka Parks runs the Adopt-a-Park program or if it is city-run. Committee Member Seemann wasn’t sure. She knows the group works closely with the City’s Natural Resources Department. Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 14 Committee Member Olson likes the Adopt-a-Spot option. She believes a lot of cities have similar programs and it’s as simple as having an application online. The City typically manages those programs. She would support the PTRC looking into this for the 2025 plan. If there is interest from other groups who want to adopt a park, that would be helpful. Committee Member Dietz said he and his group do a lot of work at Floral Park and they could do so much more if they had more volunteers. Council Liaison Rousseau asked if volunteers were needed for certain days. Committee Member Dietz there are projects to be done. There are certain tasks that people are more apt to volunteer for. Committee Member Olson asked how a group like this would get into the Arden Hills Newsletter. She said there have been discussions regarding volunteer recognition in the newsletter. That would be a great spot to highlight this organization. She used the example that she would recognize Committee Member Seemann for a volunteer spotlight and in that article the Arden Hills Greening organization can be highlighted and contact information provided if other residents wanted to volunteer. Council Liaison Rousseau said that the newsletter did promote Rib Fest, which is facilitated by an outside organization. The Rotary’s Hopps and Vine event was also promoted in there. She believes that precedent would allow for this organization to be promoted, as well. She will email the Newsletter Council Liaison Fable and say she would like to highlight Arden Hills Greening and she can copy Steve Erler and Committee Member Seemann. Committee Member Olson thinks that highlighting the organization is important. She also believes that some people don’t have the time to volunteer but would be willing to donate money. She suggested the Arden Hills Foundation could help with collecting and distributing donations. She thinks before the group promotes themselves, they should figure out a way to collect donations. Steve Erler asked if it would be important for them to organize as a 501C-3. Council Liaison Rousseau noted that Rib Fest, Arden Hills Foundation and Rotary are all 501C-3 organizations. She thought registering Arden Hills Greening as such could add legitimacy to the organization. Council Liaison Rousseau said she has looked at the Friends of Minnetonka Parks website during this discussion and the concept seems great. They have lots of volunteer opportunities with dates, times and locations for the events. She would be interested to learn how many volunteers they get from outside their own group. Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 15 Discussion ensued regarding difficulty reaching volunteers for these groups. The committee thanked Steve Erler for his time and stated discussions will continue. C.Adopt a Park Chair Anderson said there was not enough time to discuss item, in detail. The next meeting should allow time for this discussion. Council Liaison Rousseau asked committee members to email her their ideas and suggestions for the Adopt-a-Park program. She will compile the information and bring it back for further discussion. D.Pickle Ball Nets Committee Member Olson asked which parks are on the list in the next two years to be redone. Recreation Supervisor Johnson replied Ingerson and one other but he will have to look up which one. Committee Member Olson said she thinks Arden Hills should have a park that has dedicated Pickle Ball courts. She asked what is needed. Recreation Supervisor Johnson showed the committee three options for nets. Discussion ensued regarding surrounding communities and what type of nets they have. MOTION: Committee Member Rogers moved and Committee Member Dietz seconded a motion to recommend the higher quality, anti-theft net. The motion carried (9-0). Chair Anderson said the rest of the items will be pushed to Unfinished Business on the next agenda. E.PTRC Handbook Discussion F.Student Feedback G.2025 Work Plan Discussion Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee – August 20, 2024 Page 16 MOTION: Committee Member Olson moved and Committee Member Dietz seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried (9-0). 6.NEXT MEETING A.Tuesday, September 17, 2024 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m.