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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 1, 20150 1685 CROSSTOWN BOULEVARD N.W. • ANDOVER, MINNESOTA 55304 • (763) 755 -5100 FAX (763) 755 -8923 • WWW.CI.ANDOVER.MN.US Regular Park & Recreation Commission Meeting October 1, 2015 7:00 P.M. 1. Call to Order 2. Resident Forum 3. Approval of Minutes (9117/15) —Regular Meeting 4. Consider Park Dedication Requirements/Catchers Creek 2 n Addition 5. Update of Reassigning of Funds and the 2016 -2020 Park Capital Improvement Plan 6. Update on the 2016 -2020 CIP Replacement/Repair of Play Structures 7. Consider Replacement of Picnic Shelter at Rose Park/14 -13 8. Outstanding Items/Maintenance Update • 9. 10. Chair's Report 11. Adjournment 11 1 00 -1-M) - � jr PARKAND RECREATION COMMISSIONREGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 1, 2015 MINUTES A Regular Meeting of the Andover Park and Recreation Commission was called to order by Chair Stenzel on October 1, 2015, 7:00 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Commissioners Present: Chair Shane Stenzel, Vice Chair Jim Lindahl, Commissioners Ted Butler, Sarah Elstrom, Alisa Lewnau, Angela Marinello and Mark Miskowiec Commissioners Absent: None Also Present: Jim Dickinson, City Administrator Assistant Public Works Director, Todd Haas RESIDENT FORUM No one appeared to address the Commission. APPROVAL OF MINUTES — September 17, 2015 Minutes Motion by Lewnau, seconded by Marinello to approve the minutes from the September 17, 2015 Park and Recreation Commission Meeting as presented. Motion carried on a 6- ayes, 0 -nays, 0- absent, 1- present ( Lindahl) vote. CONSIDER PARKDEDICATIONREQUIREMENTS /CATCHERS CREEK 2ND ADDITION Mr. Haas reviewed this item is in regard to reviewing and determining the park dedication requirements for the proposed preliminary plat of Catchers Creek 2nd Addition. A copy of the preliminary plat was provided for Commission review. The Developer had the option by City Code of presenting a sketch plan to the City for review but decided against this opportunity. He indicated the location of the development on a map. Regular Andover Park & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes — October 1, 2015 Page 2 • There is an existing park (Hickory Meadows Park) to the northeast of the area being considered for development. There is also a park north of Andover Boulevard NW called Prairie Knoll Park. A map of the area was provided showing where both parks are located. Staff is recommending the park dedication be cash in lieu of land. The developer and/or a representative have been invited to attend the meeting to answer any questions the Commission may have. The Park and Recreation Commission is requested to review the proposed preliminary plat an d rovide direction on the park dedication requirements for the proposed Catchers Creek 2 Addition. Commissioner Miskowiec stated since there are two parks close to the new development he would agree cash in lieu of land would be appropriate. Chair Stenzel asked if there is sidewalk or trails connecting the new development to the existing parks. Mr. Haas indicated the location of the existing trail along Prairie Road which will provide users of the trail to have access to Bunker Hills Park. Motion by Butler, seconded by Lewnau, to recommend to City Council for the proposed • Catchers Creek 2a Addition cash in lieu of land for park dedication requirements. Motion carried on a 7 -ayes, 0 -nays, 0- absent, vote. UPDATE OF REASSIGNING OF FUNDS AND THE 1016 -2020 PARR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTPLAN Mr. Dickinson presented a brief summary of the reassignment of tax levy dollars from the Park Improvement Fund to the Parks Maintenance Budget in the General Fund as part of the 2016 City of Andover Budget/Levy. The presentation focused on the rationale behind the reassignment of funds and how the funds are intended to be expended. Mr. Dickinson noted in the packet for the September 17`h meeting there was an error and the amount dedicated to replacement and maintenance is $90,000 rather than $80,000 as stated. Background for the Discussion: History of the supplemental Park 1Wrovement Funding: In 2002, City Council committed $50,000 in tax levy to underwrite park improvement projects as recommended by the Park and Recreation Commission and approved by City Council. That levy was intended to be a supplemental source of capital funding for park projects as development started to slow down and minimal park dedication funds were available. As of 2015, that levy was up to $61,500 of which $15,000 is designated • towards miscellancous items that come up throughout the year. Regular Andover Park & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes — October 1, 2015 Page 3 • New direction of the Fundine With an emphasis on maintaining/preserving parks the City currently has, through the 2016 Preliminary Budget/Levy approved by the City Council, $46,500 was re- assigned to the General Fund to focus on Park's maintenance/replacement items. The $15,000 will remain in the Park Improvement Fund to take care of miscellaneous items that come up throughout the year that the Park and Recreation Commission will continue to participate in. A total of $90,000 proposed 2016 tax levy ($46,500 combined with an additional $43,500 of General Fund levy funding) will now be identified as part of the General Fund levy to replace playground equipment, fences, pedestrian bridges in parks, parking lot reconstruction, etc. The Parks Maintenance Department will determine which replacement items have the highest priority through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Any unused funds will be specifically designated or carried forward for park replacement items. If a park is to be reconstructed as recommended by the Park and Recreation Commission and approved by City Council through the CIP process, the Park and Recreation Commission will work with the Parks Maintenance Department to determine which items are replacements and which items are considered new and/or enhancements to determine the mix of funding sources to accomplish the project. $90,000 will go into the General Fund for parks replacement and maintenance. It will carry its own balance unspent funds carrying over each year. In 2014, the City Council • had a community survey done. Part of the polling indicated a very high grade given to the parks. There was a high grade for the number of parks within the City. Parks and Open Spaces were combined and 82% thought there were enough parks and 11 % said there were too many. The identifier was given that the City was ok as far as the number of parks. Mr. Dickinson stated earlier in 2015 the Council met with the various Commissions within the City. The message on needing to focus on the parks the City currently has came across loud and clear to the Council from the Park Commission. In general, the community feels parks are a basic service. There was a strategic plan developed by the Council, which includes fiscal goals. One of the goals was to focus on long -term sustainability. There are limited resources and priorities that need to be set so dollars can be stretched as far as possible. Another goal was to maintain the assets appropriately. Continue to focus on positive relationships with youth and athletic associations. Continue to look at the park dedication study and review everything on the list of amenities as they may not be current. Maintaining the current rails is also a high priority for the Council with a focus on improving rail connectivity. Close to $300,000 of replacement costs was developed for replacement in parks. Adding additional parks adds to maintenance costs. There has only been one employee added in the past few years for the City and that was a parks maintenance employee. Council looked at where money was spent in the last 10 -12 years on parks. Investments • in improvements through the end of 2014 were $6.2M on parks and $1.6M on rails. There continues to be a significant investment in the parks systems. • Regular Andover Park & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes — October 1, 2015 Page 4 Funding for playground equipment replacement has come out of Capital Reserve Fund since 2004. A total of $500,000 went to parks out of the capital reserve funds rather than for vehicles and equipment as the funds were originally intended for. The Park Dedication study is a moving document and it needs to be regularly updated and then adhered to. Mr. Dickinson encouraged the Park Commission to look at it and update it as needed. Chair Stenzel thanked Mr. Dickinson for coming in and giving the explanation of where Council is coming from. Commissioner Miskowiec asked where the Park Commission fits into the maintenance fund. He asked if the Commission has any input on the maintenance fund. Mr. Dickinson stated Parks Maintenance Department currently prioritizes the list, that prioritized list should be integrated into what the Commission is working on. The Parks Maintenance Department and Park Commission should work together and compare the priorities. New and maintenance lists need to be brought together through the CIP, and complement each other. Mr. Dickinson stated more money is going into parks maintenance than what was done is last year. The funding is dedicated and will roll over into future years. Commissioner Miskowiec stated the two budgets are separated and asked if they could be combined. Some projects are not entirely replacement or maintenance. Mr. Dickinson stated projects like Rose Park should consider a mix of as park maintenance and new park improvements. Commissioner Butler stated he appreciates Mr. Dickinson sharing the broader context of this issue. The Commission is not looking at constructing new parks but rather looking to make tangible improvements to existing parks. The Park Dedication Study is important. It will never be a perfect tool because every time it is updated the City is only collecting from developments going forward. Commissioner Butler is still concerned about what he sees is more than just a five -year problem. There will always be replacements and improvements that need to be done. Chair Stenzel asked about the $300,000 list for replacements. Mr. Dickinson stated the Parks Maintenance Department is working to prioritize the list. Chair Stenzel stated $300,000 identified over 5 years and the Parks Maintenance Department will be given $90,000 to cover those. Mr. Dickinson stated there are other additions that will need to be made to the list. Chair Stenzel stated in 2002 a Comprehensive Park Dedication Study was done that would take us to 2030. There are 15 years left to go and another $9M is needed to get to where we need to be having amenities within the park system. Chair • Stenzel stated he does not know how much more development dollars will be available. Regular Andover Park & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes — October 1, 2015 Page 5 • Mr. Dickinson stated since 2010 $2.2M has been spent on parks. We have utilized grants and one time funding to develop parks. Mr. Dickinson stated in 2002 about 150 homes per year were being built. The new norm now is around 50 homes per year, so the 2030 projection needs to be adjusted accordingly. Commissioner Lewnau left the meeting at 7:33 p.m. Chair Stenzel agreed development has slowed and there are limited acres remaining for development. The Commission needs to have a conversation regarding regional versus community park needs. The Commission had gone to the Council stating they need a replacement fund plan. Fields need to be re- constructed. He does not want to have the replacement fund come out of the maintenance costs. There also are a number of small items needed in the neighborhood and regional parks. Chair Stenzel stated there was a Council discussion on Prairie Knoll Park about parking. The reason people are not parking in the north lot is because the parking lot is not paved and there are no trails to the fields. He asked for a definition of replacement. Mr. Dickinson stated a flow chart is being developed that will help explain the funding sources. Mr. Dickinson stated a lot of good things are happening and in a few years, a lot should be completed. There still may not be enough money for everything that we want • to have done. He stated it will take time for the new process to take hold. Commissioner Butler stated regarding the $90,000; $46,500 comes out of the park improvement fund. $48,000 was a recurring allocation for playground equipment replacement. The Parks Maintenance Department also has $25,000 for miscellaneous park replacement items. He asked if there is more money being put toward parks. Mr. Dickinson responded there is more money going to parks maintenance as dedicated funds. Commissioner Butler stated he would like to see a list of the expenditures over the last few years. He wonders if funds aren't just being reclassified. Mr. Dickinson stated the funds used for playgrounds were to be used for capital equipment, additional money is being brought to the table, so both capital equipment and parks maintenance items can be funded. Council has requested a 4% levy increase with a portion of the tax levy being dedicated to Park Replacements. Chair Stenzel stated the CIP should remain as it currently stands. UPDATE OF THE 2016 — 2020 CIP REPLACEMENTIPEPAIR OF PLAY STRUCTURES Mr. Haas reviewed this is an update of the 2016 — 2020 CIP Replacement/Repairs of Playground Structures. • Depending on which City Campus Master Plan concept drawing is recommended and approved by the City Council, the location of a new playground structure on the City Regular Andover Park & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes — October 1, 2015 Page 6 • Campus will most likely be located elsewhere from its current location. In the previously proposed CIP, the playground structure at Purple Park was proposed by Park Maintenance Department to be replaced in 2016 along with the replacement of the playground structure at Pine Hills South Park. With the request from the neighborhood of Forest Meadows Park to install playground equipment, the Parks Maintenance Department is recommending to the City Council to revise the CIP to replace playground equipment at Pine Hills South and install playground equipment at Forest Meadows Park since it has been 10 years since the equipment was removed and was never replaced. Mr. Haas stated the Commission should have the discussion about the shelter for the new City Campus Complex. The Commission will be asked to attend a meeting to review the Concept Plan. Parks Maintenance is suggesting the proposed rebuilds be as follows: 2016 — Pine Hills South & Forest Meadows 2017 — Shadowbrook East 2018 — Chesterton Commons Mr. Haas stated the Commission may wish to have a neighborhood meeting for input or create a subcommittee of residents. The consensus of the Commission was a survey be • done of the neighbors regarding these equipment rebuilds. CONSIDER REPLACEMENT OF PICNIC SHELTER AT ROSE PARK114 -13 Mr. Haas reviewed the Park and Recreation Commission is requested to consider replacing the existing picnic shelter at Rose Park. The Park and Recreation Commission has indicated interest in replacing the existing picnic shelter with a new shelter to match the Verizon building that was constructed this past summer next to the water tower. The existing picnic shelter metal roof is leaking and would require the existing roof to be removed and replaced with a new metal roof. The estimated cost to replace the existing shelter with a new shelter is about $20,000 - $22,000. Approximately $4,400 would be funded by the Parks Maintenance Fund and the remainder would need to be funded from the Park Improvement Fund. It the Park and Recreation Commission recommends approval of the replacement, this will be forwarded to the City Council for their consideration. The Parks Maintenance Department has indicated that the currently 2015 budget would be able to fund the $4,400. The Commission could consider using excess funds from the Kelsey Round Lake Park Master Plan. The budget for professional services to prepare the Master Plan was $50,000. The contract approved with W SB was just under $20,000 • leaving approximately $30,000 available. Mr. Haas reviewed on- projects and other items of interest along with the weekly parks maintenance update. Chair Stenzel stated the City of Minneapolis Parks Department Website is a page with pull down menus for submitting requests. CHAIR'S REPORT Commissioner Marinello stated the Andover Fire Department Open House will be held on October 10, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. —1:00 p.m. The Regular Meeting of the Park Commission will be moved from October 15d to October 22nd beginning at 6:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Lindahl, seconded by Elstrom, to adjourn the regular meeting at 8:05 p.m. Motion carried on a 6 -ayes, 0 -nays, 1- absent (Lewnau) vote. • Respectfully Submitted, Regular Andover Park & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes — October 1, 2015 Page 7 Commissioner Miskowiec stated he agrees it should be done at some point but questions whether it is a priority from the Park Improvement Fund. He does not feel it is a top priority. Chair Stenzel stated he would like to see a list from maintenance on their priorities and the Commission look at the list and determine their priorities. He would prefer to hold off on this as the picnic season is over and there is not a dive need to build a shelter today. Commissioner Butler stated it would be nice to finish this park. He asked about the Verizon agreement with there being a split of the monies. Mr. Haas stated those funds could be used for the shelter. Mr. Haas does not know if any payment has yet been received and he will research and report back to the Commission. Commissioner Butler would be in favor of tabling this until further information can be obtained. Mr. Haas will do farther research on the value of the existing shelter. A nice structure would finish the park very well. Commissioner Lindahl stated he agrees it would be nice to finish that park. Motion by Miskowiec, seconded by Butler, to recommend to table consideration of the existing picnic shelter at Rose Park and whether or not it needs to be replaced until further information is provided. Motion carried on a 6 -ayes, 0 -nays, 1- absent (Lewnau) • vote. REVIEW OUTSTANDINCITEMS /MAINTENANCE UPDATE Mr. Haas reviewed on- projects and other items of interest along with the weekly parks maintenance update. Chair Stenzel stated the City of Minneapolis Parks Department Website is a page with pull down menus for submitting requests. CHAIR'S REPORT Commissioner Marinello stated the Andover Fire Department Open House will be held on October 10, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. —1:00 p.m. The Regular Meeting of the Park Commission will be moved from October 15d to October 22nd beginning at 6:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Lindahl, seconded by Elstrom, to adjourn the regular meeting at 8:05 p.m. Motion carried on a 6 -ayes, 0 -nays, 1- absent (Lewnau) vote. • Respectfully Submitted, Regular Andover Park & Recreation Commission Meeting Minutes — October 1, 2015 Page 8 Debbie Wolfe, Recording Secretary PmeSaver off'Site Secretarial, Inc. \J 0