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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP February 8, 2000 "-'V u~ ............, \...U'................ a-la-CV CITY of ANDOVER SPECIAL ANDOVER CITY COUNCIL MEETING - FEBRUARY 8,2000 MINUTES A Special Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by Mayor Jack McKelvey on February 8, 2000, 6:33 p.m., at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota. Councilmembers present: Don Jacobson, Julie Johnson, Mike Knight, Ken Ortte1 Councilmembers absent: None Also present: Assistant City Engineer, Todd Haas Park and Recreation Chairperson, Dave Blackstad INTERVIEW PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION CANDIDATES The Council interviewed the following candidates for the Park and Recreation Commission: Paul Anderson Jim Porter Richard Snyder Paul Holtzlider Dennis Coombs Mark Christofferson Dave Blackstad Todd Moen David O'Toole Richard Klakeg Tom Johnson Joseph Waalk Beth Schutz The candidates were asked about their backgrounds and why they applied for the position, their opinions on the most important issue relating to parks and recreation facing the City the next five years, what they feel the parks are lacking, their ability to attend regularly scheduled meetings, conflicts of interest, how to maintain a balance in the use of the parks by organized sports versus open uses by the general public, the greatest asset of the parks in the City and why each felt he/she should be chosen as a Commissioner. Paul Anderson - has lived in Andover f:Jr 10 to 11 years; is married and has four children; uses the parks and trails quite a bit; wants to learn about Andover and is interested in actively participating in the community; feels the important issues facing the City are increased growth, the demand for Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - February 8, 2000 Page 2 (Interview Park and Recreation Commission Candidates, Continued) (Paul Anderson interview, continued) parks, maintenance and improvements and vandalism; feels the parks have to be available to everybody; feels a wide variety of activities that are cost effective and benefit the City should be provided; thinks the park near him gets a lot of use but is not familiar with the rest of the City; would like to see some wilderness activities and more nature areas developed such as trails with wood chips and cross country skiing; does not have a problem attending the Commission's meetings; belongs to no associations nor has any vested interest that would be a conflict of interest; feels the trail system is the City's biggest park asset and is excited about having the trail down to Coon Creek by his house; doesn't see a problem balancing the use of the parks between organized sports and the general public; feels parks have to be available for everyone to use; feels he should be picked because he wi!! always give an honest answer and wi!! always show up for the meetings; has no hidden agenda and will base decisions on merit, though he doesn't have a lot of knowledge about the parks. Jim Porter - has been a resident of Andover for 9 years; has a young family and would like to get involved with the community; feels the most important issue is providing more accessibility and activities for the people; would like to see sand volley ball courts, more picnic areas and more family oriented activities; started parks are geared primarily toward younger children and would like to see more picnic tables, volleyball and basketball courts, etc., where families can come to for a good time; really likes the trail system in the City; feels more parks are needed; is able to attend the meetings; would like to see other parks in the community geared toward adult and family activities such as the community park in New Brighton; should be chosen for the position because he has a young family and has a lot to offer the Commission; would like to be part of organizing and providing opinions regarding the parks in the City; would definitely be interested in having his name on a list for any other resident committees that may be formed; is opinionated but has no conflict of interest. Richard Snyder - feels more is being done in the parks than is necessary; sees parks not being used all day other than organized sports; would like to see where some cuts could be made to save some taxpayer money; has only used the parks a few times while training for the Fire Department; didn't think there is anything more that he would like to see provided in the parks; does not have a conflict of interest and is able to attend the Commission meetings; noted the trail system in Wisconsin uses Class 5, feeling it is ridiculous that the trails are paved, raping the earth of the oil for the asphalt; feels Class 5 trails are far better. Paul Holtzlider - has lived in Andover four years and is a life-long Minnesota resident; has always been active in outdoor and recreational things; was involved in park and recreation activities in Minneapolis; wants to get involved as he settles into this area and enjoys and recreational aspect; protecting the green spaces without hindering growth and development wi!! be the City's challenge in the next five years; feels a place is needed for recreation and to have community activities and bring people together; uses the neighborhood parks that have been upgraded with new equipment the last year and feels the continued upgrading of equipment is important; is not familiar with the recreational aspect of Andover's programs but would like to see a building as an activity center with Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - February 8. 2000 Page 3 (Interview Park and Recreation Commission Candidates, Continued) (Paul Holtzlider interview, continued) a pool, gym, etc.; would not have a conflict attending the Commission's meetings; is a proponent of local control and listening to what the residents want in the parks; would like to hear what the people want regarding the development of regional parks through calling or by survey; is satisfied with the trail system and would like to see it expanded as the City grows; felt he should be chosen for the position because of his interest and willingness to dive in and get involved; is a project manager at work and has the ability to run meetings, checking with others, seeing that ajob gets done; feels his biggest asset is he loves to learn, Dennis Coombs - grew up on Bayfield, Wisconsin; is interested in the position because it is the first time he's had an opportunity to get involved; plans on staying in the City long enough to get involved in the community and has always wanted to be involved in the community he lives in; feels the greatest issue over the next five years is keeping the parks maintained with new equIpment, though everything is a money issue; has lived here since May and does not live near a park; has not yet become familiar with the City's parks but does use the county park and some of the trails; is not aware of anything that would be a conflict of interest; does not yet know what the parks are lacking; works in the private sector now but did work in the public sector for four years; would be interested in volunteering on any other committee if not chosen for this one; has some expertise in water quality; felt he should be chosen for the position because he is eager to become involved and is very qualified; will think the issues through and get them accomplished and is highly motived; is able to make Thursday evening meetings. Mark Christofferson - lives west of Round Lake; has two children; works for the City of Coon Rapids in the Street Department; has lived in Andover for five years; wants to make it a better place for his family and everyone else; feels the most important issue facing parks is development and making sure they are all up to standards for safety for the children; would have no trouble with the Thursday evening meetings; feels the City offers a lot in terms of parks, so he can't think of anything specific that is lacking at this point; would hope there is nothing that would prevent him from making a fair recommendation; noted the trails in Coon Rapids are well used and felt Andover's trail system is fabulous, allowing people to get out for fresh air and good exercise; is satisfied with the park system from what he has seen, though there is a problem with the one in his neighborhood because of the citizens abutting it; felt he should be chosen for the position because he is qualified for it; has a lot of interest in the park system because he uses it with his children; has experience with the parks through his employment; feels he can help Andover with ideas that Coon Rapids uses; has extra sources of ideas that could be brought forth for the City, though not necessarily to use; would absolutely like to have his name kept on file for any other committee to serve on as he would like to volunteer his help. Dave Blackstad - stated the City does have a few volleyball courts but the Commission is looking at adding more; didn't feel his association with other groups conflicted with his making decisions on the Commission; noted the scheduling of the fields is done by the two associations and the Commission simply rubber stamps their proposals; stated there has been a very good working Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - February 8, 2000 Page 4 (Interview Park and Recreation Commission Candidates, Continued) (Dave BIackstad interview, continued) relationship between the associations the last several years; felt without more parks, it will be difficult to provide more for the general public because of the large number of organized sports teams using the fields; because of the growth in organized sports, it may mean the fields are used every evening of the week including weekends; explained how field usage is assigned, first to the youth organizations and then to others; didn't feel there would be a problem with residents using the shelter and a field for family events unless there is another tournament at that time; thought the fields on the north side of Crosstown Boulevard would be available for family events; noted another shelter on the south end of Sunshine Park plus a volleyball court and horseshoe pit are being planned; has gotten input from residents through neighborhood groups regarding equipment in their parks; noted a survey was done regarding the trail system plus one done several years ago; hears from many residents as he is out in the parks during the summer; noted dogs have not been regulated other than at Sunshine Park; pointed out the difficulty with having dogs at Sunshine Park because of the noise and because there are so many people; noted most cities with major complexes do not allow pets in them; felt most softball tournaments have up to half of the teams from Andover, though in some cases it depends on how many Andover teams qualifY; stated the outlying fields at Sunshine Park are generally available for the residents to use; felt the message center that will be put at Sunshine Park will help people to know what is happening and what is available; explained the trail fund is planned to be used for the ultimate goal of the trail system to connect Bunker Lake Boulevard to Kelsey Park and other parks in the City; hears the desire for an ice rink, thinking an indoor rink or a dome will be needed if the high school is built in Andover; noted ice time has been a big issue in the past. Tom Moen - moved to Andover last year; has always been active in activities and in student government through high school and college; has three children; didn't think one could complain unless one is involved and he is interested in the parks; is not that familiar with Andover's park system yet; felt as the City grows, it will be important to remember the need for open spaces; does not have a problem attending the Thursday evening meetings; is going to remove his application from the Planning Commission as he is more interested in the Park Board; feels the park behind City Hall is very inadequate and that it is important to gear parks toward families; felt decisions on developing active organized park facilities versus passive, nonorganized park facilities should be based on what the community actually wants, not on what a few vocal people want; would very much like to serve on any other committee if not chosen for the Commission; chose Andover because he likes the community and wants to work to keep it a nice place to live; has been a natural leader and feels leadership is important on committees; is not easily intimidated and is willing to stand up for what is right; could not think of anything that would result in a conflict of interest. Dave O'Toole - felt the most important issue facing parks is funding to refurbish the older parks and to keep up with the growth and provide services for the new residents; would like to see a skate park and a parks coordinator but all is depending on funding; discussion has been on user fees to help with the funding issue, possibly for the use of the fields; didn't know how to finance the parks when development slows and there is a drop in park dedication fees; noted Anoka has a large sum of Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - February 8, 2000 Page 5 (Interview Park and Recreation Commission Candidates, Continued) (Dave 0 'Toole interview, continued) money in the bank and the interest is used for parks; observed bond issues for parks are difficult to pass, though the City may want to try again in the future; seems people in the urban areas want parks more than those in the rural areas; pointed out because there is such good participation in organized sports, Sunshine park is very heavily used, which was the intent of the park; possibly one field could be left exclusively for neighborhood use; thought one source of revenue may be to charge teams for tournaments, though that may not bring in much more than to maintain the fields; stated the number of Andover teams in the state tournament could be none to as many as 8 or 9, depending on how many teams qualifY; does not belong to any organized sports organizations any more; did belong to organizations when he started Sunshine Park to provide facilities for the kids of Andover; felt the Commission tries to provide facilities needed for all people, recognizing that green spaces, picnic and other recreational activities are what builds the community; foresees parks with wading pools for children, a fully staffed learning building with activities, arts and crafts, etc.; noted a parks director would coordinate those activities as well as the 3,500 kids in organized activities; pointed out much of the scheduling of activities is now being done by the assistant City engineer; thought the City could start the position of parks director by hiring an intern from February or March through the summer from 2 or 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.; agreed it may be possible to share a director with another City. Richard Klakeg - recently retired from the air force and moved to Andover where his wife was born and raised; has lived here since April, 1998; doesn't have the 20 years of roots or depth of knowledge about the City but doesn't bring an agenda either; intends to stay in the community and would like to put something back into the town to make it a better place; would like to see continued development of the neighborhood park theme and the community trails, though he hasn't seen the master plan; would have no problem attending the Thursday evening meetings; has no conflict of interest; is not familiar enough with the overall long-range goals to comment on what is needed in the parks but has never seen so many softball leagues in his life; explained his background in the air force as a planning coordinator and executive officer coordinating multi-agency activities and writing plans for crisis action teams; felt he could help the Commission come up with an answer that helps everybody to win; would be willing to serve on other committees if not chosen for the Commission. Tom Johnson - works in the City's Parks Department; feels the parks are the City's best public relations tool where people like to go to have a good time; stated the parks are in poor shape needing new equipment and replacing old equipment; felt it is embarrassing to watch the Park Board meetings as they and the Council are butting heads; felt the Commission needs to agree with the Council's decision, as some of their decisions are not well thought out from what he has seen; stated 39 parks in the City have playground equipment and when development stops, the funds will no longer be coming in; stated they are behind now in replacing old equipment, fences, etc., which are no longer safe for the children; was frustrated that the Commission did not even investigate the paving of the Hidden Creek's parking lot when the street project was done, speculating it will be much more expensive to have it paved in the future; stated the maintenance of Class 5 parking lots is much higher than paved ones; was also frustrated with the Commission's consideration of Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - February 8, 2000 Page 6 (Interview Park and Recreation Commission Candidates, Continued) (Tom Johnson interview, continued) installing a tile floor in the trophy room of the Concessions Building in Sunshine Park which he felt was a waste of money because no one uses that room; stated many day care providers take their children to the Coon Rapids Lions Park which indicates people are willing to drive to a regional park which has nice equipment; felt more neighborhood parks are not needed as most people have nicer playground equipment in their own back yards; suggested that money be used to improve regional parks instead; did not think it would be problem serving on the Commission even though he is a City employee in the Parks Department; felt the Commission needs more direction and that he could assist them in understanding what is going on and how long it takes to maintain things; noted he would be only one voice and the Commission only makes recommendations to the Council; stated the Commission seems to argue and complain about the Council's decisions, using the issue of park dedication as an example; would have no problem attending the Commission meetings; pointed out Kelsey Park is a wonderful nature park that should be expanded upon with trails going to it; felt parks are nice in the high density areas but are not necessary in the rural areas, nor do those residents want them. Joseph Waalk - moved here with his wife a few years ago; is a field trainer, health inspector and human resources employee for Leeann Chins; applied for the position to get more involved in the community; has skated at City Hall a few times, used the trails and has driven around the City to become familiar with the parks; grew up with neighborhood parks and a lot of family involvement and would like to see that in Andover; noted community nights out with basketball or volleyball and other activities are great and he would like to see that as the City grows; would like to see more designated areas away ITom the snowmobiles and traffic on the streets; noted many people do want parks close by and he would love to see one in his back yard; felt the greatest asset of the park system is that as a growing community, the neighbors are asked what they want done in the parks; felt the trails are good but could be better; is going to be interviewed for the Planning Commission opening as well but would be more interested in Park and Recreation; has a degree in kinesiology emphasizing in athletic training and sports medicine, feeling the kids need to be actively involved; would like to see something for the kids open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. where they could paint, play floor hockey, etc., and parents could play games, socialize, etc.; would not have a problem attending the Commission meetings; has no conflict of interest; would like to still be involved if not chosen for the Commission and would be interested in whatever comes up. Beth Schutz - has worked for Honeywell for 15 years and lived in Andover for 6 years; saw the advertisement for the opening and wanted to get more exposure as to what Andover is doing; uses some of the parks, roller blades, walks, bikes; is in favor of more trails and more parks; felt the biggest issue facing the City is developing the land before the parks can be evaluated and the proper space provided; wants to join the Commission to evaluate the areas, where the trails and park system should go; felt there should more awareness of the issues of what is going on with the parks, that the residents should be more informed through the newsletter and cable TV; would be in favor of more tennis courts because she plays a lot but also felt there are not enough basketball courts; felt the trail system seems to be lacking; possibly a nature area like Springbrook can be developed; (Interview Special Andover City Council Meeting Minutes - February 8, 2000 Page 7 Park and Recreation Commission Candidates, Continued) (Beth Schutz interview, continued) would not have a problem attending the Commission meetings; has no conflict of interest; is an objective person without a hidden agenda; applied to get more involved in the community; may be interested in serving on other committees depending on what they are but would really like to get involved with the parks; has a lot of experience with teens and would be interested in serving on a resident committee for the community center. APPOINT TWO PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEMBERS The Council reviewed the applicants and expressed their choices, finally narrowing the choice of candidates to those with the most votes through the process of elimination. (Councilmember Orttel left the meeting at 9:55 p.m., concerned that a seated Commissioner apparently is not being reappointed and alleging a deal was made outside this Chamber, which is something he does not agree with.) Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Johnson, to reappoint Dave O'Toole and appoint Paul Anderson as Commissioners, terms to expire December 31, 2002; and to appoint Dave Blackstad as first alternate and Richard KIakeg as second alternate. Motion carried on a 4- Yes, I-Absent (Orttel) vote. APPOINT CHAIRPERSON AND VICE-CHAIR FOR YEAR 2000 Motion by Knight, Seconded by Jacobson, to appoint Jim Lindahl as Chairperson and Tom Anderson as Vice Chair for the Park and Recreation Commission. Motion carried on a 4-Yes, I-Absent (Orttel) vote. Motion by Jacobson, Seconded by Knight, to adjourn. Motion carried on a 4- Yes, I-Absent (Orttel) vote. The meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m. Respectfully .s.u~mitted" , '~~~ c~~L Marcèlla A. Peach Recording Secretary