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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNRRC Minutes 12-2005 City of Hastings Natural Resources and Recreation Commission Minutes December 13, 2005 6:00 pm 1)Roll Call at 6 pm: Commissioners Christenson, Brown, Popp, Rohloff, Vandehoef and Vaughan, Parks and Recreation Director Bernstein and Superintendent Smith. 2)Approved November meeting minutes. Motion by Vaughan. Seconded by Brown. Passed unanimously. 3)Director Bernstein handed out departmental updates to the NRRC members for their review. Also included with the updates was a history of the ice rink flooding since 1980. 4)The NRRC meeting schedule for 2006 was passed out and set. 5)2006 NRRC Goals: Director Bernstein asked the NRRC if a few goals should be set for next year for the Commission to work on. This would make sure that the NRRC and the Parks & Recreation Department are on the same page and are working together. Commissioner Christenson recommended that each commissioner come up with 3-4 goals over the next month which will be reviewed at the January meeting. 6)Fountain Meadows Development: Director Bernstein explained that this development will be at the site of the old KDWA tower. The NRRC was asked if the Parks & Recreation Department should request land or cash dedication for the townhome development. Sunny Acres Park, Tuttle Park and Cari Park are all in the area and there is also a nice bike trail that connects the area. Commissioners Christenson, Vaughan and Vandehoef all recommended taking the cash dedication. MOTION: Commissioner Vaughan motioned to receive cash dedication in lieu of land for the Fountain Meadows Development. Seconded by Commissioner Popp. Approved unanimously. 7)Vermillion Park Well Drilling / Well House Building: Director Bernstein told the NRRC that well drilling has been approved to take place in the southeast corner of Vermillion Falls Park and that the drilling is to commence shortly. There will be a well house on the site that will be similar to the one that is currently located on the north side of the tennis courts. Plans for the well house will be brought before the NRRC for approval in the future. Director Bernstein also mentioned that there are plans for the park shelter to be re-roofed next spring as well. 8)Summer Softball: Geoff Maltby has run the summer softball program as an independent for about 10 years now. He approached the Parks & Recreation Department after last season and expressed interest in having the City run the program in the future. This would give the Parks & Recreation Department complete administration of the program and would give us greater control of our park facilities. Director Bernstein explained that the league fees would remain similar to the fees charged in previous years. The current Joint Powers Agreement states that $26 from each player is paid to Community Education, but the City should still make a small profit by running the program. The maintenance costs are covered by the City regardless of whether or not we run the program. Commissioner Rohloff stated that running the summer program would really be a boost to the fall softball program. The NRRC expressed concern over the payment that is to be made to Community Education, since the program will be run completely by the City. Director Bernstein said that he was planning to meet with the Community Education Director and the City Administrator to discuss the agreement. MOTION: Commissioner Vaughan motioned that the City assume the administration of the summer adult slow pitch softball program. Commissioner Vandehoef seconded the motion. Passed unanimously. 9)Greten Park Equipment Update: Director Bernstein received an estimate back from Miracle Recreation Equipment regarding the possibility of adding more equipment to Greten Park. The plan includes a small tot lot and 2 tot swings. The cost of the additional equipment is about $12,000 including installation. The Parks & Recreation Department could probably do the installation and this would save about $1,750. Commissioner Brown asked what other 2006 expenses have we already committed to that this project would compete with? Director Bernstein hasn’t gotten the final 2006 budget back at this point and will know more in January. The NRRC decided to table this issue until the January meeting when the final budget has been approved. Director Bernstein will give a report at that meeting on what was initially recommended and what was actually approved in the budget. 10)Lions Park Water Main: Director Bernstein informed the NRRC that the east side of Lions Park will be dug up this summer to install a new water main. This will affect some activities this summer, such as soccer and possibly lacrosse. Superintendent Smith said that we aren’t sure how long the construction will take. The question was raised whether we had ever heard back from Hope Lutheran Church about the parking lot they wanted to construct. At this time, we have not and are still waiting for them to contact us when they would like to proceed. 11)New Business -Commissioner Christenson asked about the maintenance of the cross country ski trail this winter. Superintendent Smith explained that we currently have a contract with Dakota County to groom the trails for us. They will come on an as needed basis when we contact them. We are charged per time and will limit calling them out to 5-6 times per season. -Commissioner Christenson mentioned that the East Hastings Improvement Association is starting th preparations for the annual 4 of July Celebration. They are looking for any volunteers that would like to get involved. Director Bernstein requested that his name be added to the meeting contact list. -The Holiday Train was a good success again this year! The City had a good presence at the event – the fire department put out a generator with spotlights, members of City Council were there, and there was also a good police presence. The food shelf donations filled 2 truck loads. 11) Old Business - Skate Park Task Force & Pool Business Plan Meetings: Commissioner Vandehoef reported that the Skate Park Task Force meetings have been going well. There has been a lot of good dialogue. There is also good representation from the City Council, NRRC, City Staff and City Residents. Commissioner Vandehoef believes that no matter what recommendations the Task Force comes up th with, it will be a hard sell to City Council. The next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 20. st Commissioner Rohloff reported that the 1 meeting for the Pool Business Plan went well with lots of nd energy. The 2 meeting had decidedly less energy and so it is being considered by Director Bernstein to hold future meetings with only Parks & Recreation Staff and then bring recommendations before City Council. Commissioner Christenson asked what the goals of the meetings are. Director Bernstein explained that we are just trying to determine if the pool is operating in the best possible way in all of its facets and see if there are any areas where we could improve our business practices. - Lake Isabel Update: Three engineering firms were interviewed to see about possible improvements to Lake Isabel. Barr Engineering is the firm that will be recommended by staff. Barr Engineering will show us a proposal of what can be done in the next five years and how much it will cost. Director Bernstein also mentioned that he is applying for a grant from the DNR for a boat launch at Lake Isabel. - Sand Coulee Update: Superintendent Smith reported that the Friends of the Mississippi have sub- contracted with a contractor to remove invasive species (primarily buckthorn) from the Sand Coulee. The $15,000 grant we received in 2005 will cover the expense. - Memorial Tree Program: Plaques are currently displayed in the Volunteer Room at City Hall. Director Bernstein is planning to bring up the issue with City leadership to see if the plaques could be moved to the Parks & Recreation building or to a more visible spot within City Hall. Commissioner Christenson mentioned that if the plaques were more prominently displayed, it might increase the number of memorial donations. MOTION to Adjourn. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 10, 2006. Adjourned at 7:36 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Kristin Behrens