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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-18-06 PTRC Minutes ~ . ~~HILLS Approved: CITY OF ARDEN HILLS PARKS, TRAILS, AND RECREATION COMMITTEE MEETING TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2006 7:00 P.M. ARDEN HILLS CITY HALL 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Henry called the April 18, 2006 meeting of the Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee to order at 7:00 p,m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Bill Henry, Committee Members Lanny Baumann, Joani Werner, Rich Straumann, Dave McClung, Cindy Wheeler, Roger Williams and Steve Zi1mer. OTHERS PRESENT: Michelle Olson, Parks and Recreation Supervisor; Tom Moore, Operations & Maintenance Director; City Council Liaison Gregg Larson, and Bonita Sullivan, Recording Secretary. MEMBERS NOT PRESENT: Committee Members Jim Crassweller, and Derrek Hames. . APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Committee Member Zilmer motioned, seconded by Committee Member Baumann to approve the Agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES . Approve the February 28, 2006 Minutes. MOTION: Committee Member McClung motioned, seconded by Committee Member Zilmer to approve the February 28, 2006 minutes as presented, The motion carried unanimously. 3. COUNCIL UPDATE Council Liaison Larson provided the Committee with the following City Council Update: . Council approved the Tree Removal Contract, which was divided into two contracts. One contract for accessible trees, which was awarded to 4 Seasons Tree Care; One contract for non-accessible trees, which was awarded to Fritz Tree Service. . Council approved the expenditure funds and advertisement of bids for the Highway 96 Beautification project. Project includes 186 trees and 3,600 plants and an irrigation system. . Plantings will be done on both sides along the Highway 96 Boulevard. Project will cost approximately $200,000.00. Noted that bids came in at less than expected. Parks, Trails, and Reereation Committee Meeting April 18, 2006 Page 2 of 8 . . Couneil approved a one-year Sign Moratorium to allow Staff one year to rewrite the sign ordinanee. . The City has agreed to rejoin the I-35W Corridor Coalition. He explained that the Coalition ineludes a group of communities along the freeway eorridor and has a focus on transportation. He stated that the membership came to $5,340.00 for 2006. . Reviewed TCAAP negotiations. City Staff and Developers met with General Services Administration in Boston, No agreement yet on base value. Negotiations are still in process. . Ridgewood PMP is moving forward. Council approved the plans and speeifications for PMP and also approved advertisement of bids. The first notiee was published last Friday, April 14, 2006. Cost for the project was $1,794,000 and is now at $1,918,000. Still need to resolve the Beaeh Association assessment. . Reviewed the Hamline Avenue Traffie concerns. Diseussed with Ramsey County Traffic Engiueering and bottom line is that the traffic and stop/waits don't meet warrants. No further action is planned by the City. . Couneil approved DeSCO Solutions, an Indiana firm, as the eontractor for the Economic Development Plan. The project carries a four-month timeline and will cost $10,000.00. DeSCO will help to develop a marketing plan and also help to clarify what Arden Hills has to offer. 4. PARKS AND TRAILS UPDATE . Mr. Moore provided the Committee with the following update: . In the process of converting to the summer routine. Have started maintenanee and sweeping of the trails. . Will begin street maintenance with plans to repair and seal cracks. . Cummings Park tennis eourt has developed frost heave crack. Plan to crack seal the tennis eourt. . Turf management and maintenanee is in progress, currently aerating and will being seeding shortly. . In process of beginning the maintenance for twenty perennial gardens. . In the process of hiring seasonal part-time staff. . Two staff members recently attended training on managing and caring for diseased trees. . Hired a seasonal position to handle flowers and prairie grasses within the City. Committee Member Zilmer asked if the City plans to be more proactive in addressing the diseased trees, Mr. Moore explained that because of problems with the City sewer maintenance, staffs focus would be more involved with the sewer maintenance issues throughout most ofthe summer and diseased trees would be addressed as they have time. Committee Member Baumann asked if it would be possible to utilize volunteers that could help with the removal ofthe diseased trees. Mr. Moore explained that utilizing volunteers could be . difficult because there is a lot involved with addressing diseased trees. He reviewed the process and issues that have to be addressed with the Committee noting that volunteers would probably Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee Meeting April 18, 2006 Page 3 of8 . not have the kind of training that it would require. Committee Member McClung asked for an update on the May 20th Flowering Planting Day and asked if the PTRC is still planning a tour with City Council. Mr. Moore confirmed that the Flower Planting Event for the City of Arden Hills is scheduled for Saturday, May 20, 2006. He stated that they are currently reviewing what should be done with the existing twenty gardens noting that there would be a new garden site this year located at Floral Park, northeast of the tennis court. Mr. Moore stated that he would discuss the park tour with the City Administrator to determine if the Council is still interested in the tour. He stated that he would update Chair Henry and suggested that the Committee work through a tour that would systematically address issues for each of the City parks. 5. RECREATION UPDATES Ms. Olson provided the Committee with the following update: . Received an anonymous phone call from a resident that reported vandalism to the new Cummings Park Pavilion. There was no sign of forced entry noting that the individuals either had a key or the door was left unlocked. Discussed this with staff and no one was . aware of a missing key or any doors being left unlocked. Staff plans to keep a close watch on the building. Damage was done to the roll-down door in the kitchen; some ofthe bricking and tables were spray-painted; one of the sensor lights was broken; toilets were plugged and the thermostat was broken. Currently in the process of getting an estimate for the damage and will turn in as a claim; Noted that the police were able to pull fingerprints and plan to pursue. . Staff plans to discuss how to best protect the building; Options include re-keying all locks and possibly installing a security system. Will update the PTRC with final cost estimates. . Receiving a lot of applicants for the summer positions. Deadline is Friday, April 21, 2006. Thc plan is to have all staff hired by early May. . All after school programs are going well. . Celebrating Arden Hills event planning is beginning to pick up. Tickets to sell will be available at the next PTRC meeting. 6. PTRC Vision Statement Review Chair Henry stated that the PTRC Vision Statement is on the April 24, 2006 City Council Agenda to be considered for approval and adoption. He encouraged strong Committee representation at the City Council meeting. Committee Member Williams stated that he is unclear as to what the Mayor is envisioning for a neighborhood park. He slated that it is his hope that it would encompass all of the parks and . trails within Arden Hills Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee Meeting April 18, 2006 Page 4 of8 . Committee Member Wheeler stated that she is also concerned noting that it seems to be a narrow focus. She asked if this is an attempt to get community buy-in. Chair Henry clarified that it is an attempt to gain Council buy-in and reviewed with the Committee. 7. Review of Warming House Memo Ms. Olson stated that staffis tentatively scheduled to go before Council at the May 8, 2006 meeting. She provided the Committee with examples for their review noting that she met with the City Administrator who had two options to add for consideration: the first option would be to move an existing warming house from Cummings Park and Valentine Park to Hazelnut Park and Freeway Park; the second option would be to tear down the buildings and rebuild into a similar design. She stated that she is in the process of getting estimates for the second option. She i stated that Staff tried to approach every option at each park noting that the Building Inspector did go out to the parks and the inspection packet is included for the Committee's review. Ms. Olson reviewed the costs options with the Committee. She also indicated that Staff has recommended removing the warming house at Valentine Park, maintain the rink without staffing and utilize the mobile units for Freeway Park and Hazelnut Park. MOTION: Committee Member Williams motioned, second by Committee Member Straumann to recommend and support Staffs recommendations for the warming . house replacements. Motion carried 7-1 (Nay-McClung). Committee Member McClung stated that he is not in support of not replacing the warming house at Valentine Park. He expressed concerns stating that they need to address the flooding and repair the problem. Ms. Olson stated that Staff has had URS review the area in the past to help determine how they could fix the flooding problem at the park. She stated the estimate was very high and this has been the reason the playground has not been replaced in the past few years, even though it has been scheduled for replacement. The grade and elevation of the park causes complications to maintaining quality ice and the warming house. 8. Dog Park, Website, Bocce Ball Chair HeillY stated that Committee Member Hames provided him with the information on the dog park options and suggested that the Committee review the information and be prepared to discuss further at the next PTRC meeting. Chair HeillY suggested that they include a link on the City website that would provide the Community with an opportunity to provide Staff and Council with their suggestions and comments on what to do with the City Parks and Trails. He suggested including a statement in the City newsletter directing the community to the City website and including an explanation that . the City website provides the Community with another means of communicating with staff and Council. -.-.---- Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee Meeting April 18, 2006 Page 5 of8 . Chair Henry suggested that the PTRC consider placing a Bocce Ball court in a couple of the parks. He asked Mr. Moore ifit would be possible to get an estimate of what it would cost to install a Bocce Ball court. Mr. Moore stated that he would have Staff research the costs and provide the Committee with an update. 9. Ramsey County Parks Review - Rich Straumann Committee Member Straurnann provided the Committee with an update on what is happening with the Ramsey County Parks. He reviewed the Ramsey County Parks report and recreation map noting that the report would also be available on County website and would also include several of the maps. He indicated that Tony Schmidt Park is close to being designated as a Regional Park noting that it is now referred to as Regional Park in the system plan. He noted that the park is also included as an addition to the map layout of the trail system. He provided an overview of the Highway 96 Regional Trail System. 10. Active Community Planning Grant Karen Barton, Community Development Director, provided the Committee with copies of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Active Community Planning Grant application for their review. She explained the purpose of the grant noting that this is only a draft and would like feedback from . the Committee. Committee Member McClung asked ifthere are any requirements or expectations of the City with respect to what the City would do after this process. He explained that he is concerned that whcn it comes to updating the Comprehensive Plan that he wants to be sure that there are no strings attached to the grant. He clarified that he is not opposed to the grant but he would prefer to see them use City funds versus being tied to a grant. Chair Henry stated that it appears that Blue Cross has been very straightforward with what they are trying to achieve noting that he does not see where Blue Cross would have preemptive power over the City outside of taking the grant back. Community Development Director Barton stated that Blue Cross is expecting the City to incorporate some of the active living principles and policies into the Comprehensive Plan and the City's Zoning Code once it has been approved. Committee Member Williams reviewed the Blue Cross expectations provided from the draft noting that applicants are expected to have an active Comprehensive Plan that is specifically designed to encourage active lifestyles within the City. Chair Henry noted that the application indicates that the vision is identified as the PTRC's vision and clarified that this is not the PTRC's vision, but it is their recommendation to the City that it . become the City's vision. He suggested that there be a stronger acknowledgement of what the active principles are and how they tie in to what is being discussed. Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee Meeting April 18, 2006 Page 6 of8 . Community Development Director Barton stated that staff asked Blue Cross to clarify what the active living principles are noting that the response has been included on Blue Cross Blue Shield's website, and is very vague. Chair Henry stated that there are several references to what it would mean to the built environment adding that staff should be addressing more of the natural resources versus the built environment. Community Development Director Barton assured the Committee that this has been addressed, and that both areas are important for active living. Chair Henry suggested more discussion around recreational use and functional use for the trail system. He stated that the discussion should include connecting the City of Arden Hills' resources to outside trail systems. He stated that the City should work to make the case that the City of Arden Hills has the potential to be connected to a broad array of resources, and surrounding jurisdictions. Committee Member Williams refereuced page five, where it states that the dedication of incorporating active living would be supported by City Council. He stated that we should be sure that is accurate. Community Development Director Barton stated that this is included in the framework addressing TCAAP, She noted that a report, completed in 1996 shows survey results indicating that the majority ofresidents were in support of incorporating active living principles. . Community Development Director Barton stated that the grant application is due April 28, 2006 noting that final decisions would be made in July 2006. Committee Member Williams asked if any thought has been given to linking this with Ramsey County Active Living. He asked if the City would be able to collaborate with surrounding communities and Ramsey County. Committee Member Straumann stated that Ramsey County is currently in the process of giving grants to communities for reviewing bike and trail systems. He indicated that the first round is already done and that meetings are scheduled for May. Committee Member Williams asked when the budget would be available to review. Community Development Director Barton stated that the request was for approximately $50,000, adding that the City has matching funds of approximately $25,000. She explained that this would fund training and their work with the TA's on incorporating active living principles, She indicated that there were two different RFP's issued on the same date. Chair Henry expressed concerns stating that this should not be used as replacement funds for Arden Hills to pay staff to incorporate this into the Comprehensive Plan. Community Development Director Barton clarified that this would fund a portion of her time to work on the . process. Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee Meeting April 18,2006 Page 7 of 8 . Committee Member McClung asked ifthe City plans to use a consultant to assist in the development of this update to the Comprehensive Plan. He reviewed the past process with the Committee noting that there would be other City funds available to fund work on other aspects of the Comprehensive Plan and clarified that this would not be all ofthe funds spend on updating the Comprehensive Plan. Council Liaison Larson clarified that when Council approved the plan for this they did not discuss the funding amounts. He suggested that it would be a better application if it also outlines, within the proposal, what the money would be used for in addition to staff costs. He stated that the application would not be very attractive if it only shows that the City is going to use it to cover Staff costs. He suggested that Staff should also involve the community in this process. He suggested including the No Smoking in Parks Ordinance as a part of the application and including trails that would help to expand the trail cOilllections. He suggested that when talking about TCAAP that they not only focus on the City portion, but also include the National Guard's portion that could be open for public use. Chair Hemy asked Community Development Director Barton to clarify how she sees the PTRC's role in this process. Community Development Director Barton explained that she sees the PTRC being involved in the Comprehensive Plan update process. She stated that PTRC members would also be welcome to attend the meetings Blue Cross plans to hold with the community. She encouraged the PTRC to attend the meetings. . Committee Member Williams asked about partnerships with other communities and organizations noting that he did not see anything in the draft that discusses a cooperative collaboration. He suggested opening this to further input beyond staff when developing the draft. He stated that this would help to get people from the community involved in formulating the City's Comprehensive Plan and it would also energize residents to become more involved in using what is included. Community Development Director Barton stated that several public hearings would be held in addition to neighborhood meetings and meetings with local businesses. Council Liaison Larson stated that it is very important to name the groups and organizations that are involved in the community so that Blue Cross can see the collaborative effort between the City and Community. Committee Member Wemer suggested that verbiage be included in the grant that would clarify the fact that this would be a benefit for all populations of the community. Council Liaison Larson suggested discussing the population breakdown noting that the idea of active living is important here because this is an aging City, He stated that the population and distribution is a bit different from other Cities in the area. Committee Member Wheeler referenced page four stating that it talks about incorporating the . City's desire for an active lifestyle for higher density housing and mixed-use developments and noted that this is not very clear. She suggested clarifying further how it would benefit the City. Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee Meeting April 18, 2006 Page 8 of8 . Committee Member McClung suggested clarifying the process the City plans to take and to include the community education process and what information would be provided to the community with respect to the Comprehensive Plan. 11. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Committee Member Wheeler motioned, seconded by Committee Member Baumann, to adjourn the meeting at 8:45 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Bonita Sullivan TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc. . .