HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 05City of Lakeville
Administration
Memorandum
To: Mayor and City Council
From: City Administrator Justin Miller
Parks and Recreation Director John Hennen
Date: February 27, 2017
Subject: Indoor Athletic Facility Discussion
During the 2017 City Council retreat, it was agreed that the topic of constructing an indoor
athletic facility be discussed at a future work session. Since the date of the retreat, city staff
met with ISD 194 staff to discuss potential areas of collaboration and shared needs in regards
to indoor athletic facilities. The school district is currently in the process of finalizing their
Long Term Facilities Report which will better identify their needs regarding athletic facilities.
During a special meeting in December to discuss Park Dedication fees, the city council heard
from several representatives of local youth athletic associations that there is a need for an
indoor turf facility to accommodate their winter/inclement weather needs. Currently teams
travel to surrounding communities (Rosemount, Savage, Dundas, and others) for indoor
practices and games. The local high school athletic teams also have a need for indoor
training space when outdoor fields are unavailable due to weather or field conditions.
The City of Lakeville and ISD 194 have experience in jointly funding and operating athletic
facilities through the Lakeville Arenas JPA. This agreement spells out the manner in which
both Ames and Hasse Ice Arenas are operated and also includes contractual obligations from
the Lakeville Hockey Association. This may be a template for how additional indoor facilities
could be structured.
If the council desires to move forward, staff recommends that a committee be established
with the following charge:
1) Identify need (types of facilities, size of fields, etc.)
2) Provide estimate of rental fees paid by local groups to area facilities
3) Identify competitor locations and detail benefits, drawbacks, and sizes
4) Evaluate local sites capable of supporting such a facility
Makeup of this committee could include the following stakeholders:
1) City and ISD 194 Representatives
a. Two City Council Members
b. ISD 194 Board Members (number at their discretion)
c. City staff would include Parks and Recreation Director and City Administrator
d. ISD 194 staff
2) Athletic Association representatives
3) Park, Recreation and Natural Resources Committee Representative
4) Shayne Ratcliff, Lakeville Arenas Manager (to provide perspective on current JPA with
ISD 194)
This group would be tasked with reporting back to the City Council within 120 days.
Depending on the results of the report, the city council could then discuss next steps.