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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,June 9,2014 Page 13 ment person and provide expertise with tree preservation as the City redevelops parcels with existing mature trees. As the Tree Board, Commissioner Doneen stated that they would be more than willing to engage with the Planning Commis- sion in cross-efforts and endeavors for a reasonable tree preservation plan. Councilmember Willmus asked Commissioner Doneen if, in his involvement with the Natural Resources and Trail System (NRATS) portion of the Renewal Pro- gram if he saw continued work with the PWETC on some issues (e.g. water quali- ty and tree preservation), recognizing that there were commissioners on the PWETC that were passionate about those topics as well. Commissioner Doneen recognized that potential, but having worked with that group already, opined that his best sense was that a specific charge should be pro- vided rather than an ongoing relationship, whether with the Parks & Recreation, PWETC, and/or Planning Commission, and at the discretion of the City Council for a specific task and recommendation. Chair Holt concurred, noting that the NRATS was looking for a more proactive approach and specific direction from the City Council to develop action steps. Community Center Commissioner Terrance (Terry) Newby noted that there had been considerable discussion in the past, including public surveys in 2011 and 2014, all identifying strong public support for the idea of a community center. Commissioner Newby opined that the next step for the Commission was guidance from the City Council as to whether they were charged with moving forward to pursue this further, or if it should remain on the back burner as not being a top priority. Given the expanse of the issue and amount of time it could consume, Commissioner Newby sought direction in relationship to the other priorities of the Commission at this time. Over time, Councilmember Willmus noted that the City Council was aware of the interest and survey data providing a fairly consistent message from the communi- ty for a community center. Councilmember Willmus advised that he'd be inter- ested in learning more about how the City would propose to close the operational funding gap. Even with the City of Shoreview and Maplewood community cen- ters, and their business models, Councilmember Willmus noted the annual finan- cial gap (e.g. $300,000 for Shoreview Community Center) and how those gaps could be addressed if the project were to move forward; or how to offset that gap to keep the facility going. Councilmember McGehee noted that, as long as she'd been a resident, this had been an issue; and that was the reason for her being outspoken with the Parks Re- newal Program, that the buildings should have been funneled into a community