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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-16 CITY OF LAKEVILLE PARKS, RECREATION & NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES April 16, 2025 Committee Chair Weberg called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Members Present: Holly Weberg, Steven Henneberry, Daniel Volkosh, Shahid Nadeem, Pat Sauer, Mark Engler, Vicki Schwartz, Renee Brekken Members Absent: Saima Ali Staff Present: Parks and Recreation Director Joe Masiarchin, Recreation Manager Susan Johnson 1. Election of Officers Committee Members appointed Weberg as Committee Chair, Henneberry as Committee -Vice Chair and Volkosh as Committee Secretary; each will serve a one-year term. 2. Introduction of New Committee Members New committee members Brekken, Engler, Sauer and Schwartz provided the committee with information on their backgrounds and interests on being on the committee. 3. Approval of March 19, 2025 minutes A motion was made by Volkosh, seconded by Henneberry to approve March 19, 2025 minutes with a correction to the approval of minutes motion as identified by Committee Member Volkosh. Ayes: unanimous 4. Citizen comments No citizens were present. 5. Recreation & Heritage Center Strategic Plan | Presentation Recreation Manager Susan Johnson provided an overview of the Strategic Planning Workshop that staff from Recreation, Heritage Center, advisory committee members and members of the Active Adults completed. The workshop was facilitated by Aurora Consulting who also met with staff on a third day to develop an implementation plan. The two-day workshop started with a discussion of the departments’ current reality including staffing, programs offered, facilities, membership and other items. The second day identified future goals and where the department would like to be over the next five years. The 12-month implementation plan that was developed includes a variety of action items that have been assigned to staff members for completion. Progress reports will come back to this committee periodically as well as updates to City Council. Staff will review the implementation plan and re-evaluate after a year to map out the next four years. This could be a staff exercise or bringing in a consultant again to facilitate the process. Staff has already completed a Mission-Money Matrix for programming, scheduled monthly department progress meetings and updated the scholarship and volunteer webpages. Staff clarified that larger scope facility needs would fall under the Parks, Trails and Open Space Plan. A request for proposal for an updated park master plan has been published and a new plan will be developed over the next year. This portion of the strategic planning process was specifically for programming. Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources committee Meeting Minutes, April 16, 2025 Page | 2 Committee Discussion: • Do the associations and other users utilize City facilities and is there a benefit to that? Yes, some associations utilize City fields, there is a cost per player fee that the City assesses or other rental fees if the groups are not associated with a youth sport association. These fees primarily go to maintenance costs recovery. • What is the rationale for facility and program fees not leading the market, especially at some of the higher quality facilities? Staff aims to strike a balance between what users are willing to pay while also maintaining accessibility. In some instances where the fees are not accrued in the Parks and Recreation budget, there is less of an incentive to raise fees but staff is open to periodically reviewing them and making adjustments where necessary. • Fees and waitlists at the Heritage Center were also discussed, staff has been looking at the current fee structure to determine where changes can be made. Staff is not seeing extensive waitlists for Recreation or Heritage Center programming. • How is staff allowed to pursue donations for larger projects? Historically, projects are put through the planning and design phase then approved by Council prior to staff soliciting donations. Staff has worked closely with various civic organizations, businesses and non- profits on securing donations for larger projects. In most cases, this is through direct solicitation, but the City has also been approached with project proposals, i.e. the beach removal and pollinator garden installation at Valley Lake Park. • The scholarship program changes were discussed, already 13 applicants have applied for program support in 2025. The process has become more accessible with an online application process, staff clarified the requirements and flexibility of the program. Additional funding sources were identified, future support opportunities could be made available at community events, performances at the Arts Center and other events held there. • Committee members asked how they could participate in the process? Staff indicated that gathering feedback from the community, sharing ideas, providing commentary during progress updates and participating in these types of discussions are the best ways to support the process. Motion was made by Henneberry, seconded by Volkosh to recommend approval of the Recreation and Heritage Center 2025-2030 Strategic Plan as presented by City Staff. Ayes: Unanimous 6. Kensington Park Playground Replacement Staff shared the resident feedback and preferred concept as chosen by the Kensington Park neighbors. An online survey was available to residents via QR code through April 11, Option 1 was chosen as the preferred concept. The play structure will be removed and the timber container will be replaced with concrete for easier maintenance and improved accessibility. The preferred option offers a smaller tot lot and 5+ play area. In addition to a new play structure, trails and benches are also part of the improvement project. Committee Discussion: • Can the plans be modified based on the comments that are received? Yes, staff will review the comments and if there are recurrent themes, make adjustments before final designs are created. • What happens to the old structures? With these two structures, a third-party company will remove them and refurbish if they are able to. In cases where this is not feasible, the equipment is disposed of. • How are replacements determined? Play structures are on a schedule that is based on safety and repair feasibility. Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources committee Meeting Minutes, April 16, 2025 Page | 3 • Are other amenities considered? New amenities are included in the master plan, identifying community needs based on feedback. Staff review service areas and the amenities currently located in those areas to determine if new amenities are needed. Motion was made by Schwartz, seconded by Sauer to approve the Kensington Neighborhood Park preferred concept based on community feedback and as presented by City staff . Ayes: unanimous 7. Marion Fields Park Playground Replacement Staff shared the resident feedback and preferred concept as chosen by the Marion Fields Park neighbors. An online survey was available to residents via QR code through April 11, Option 1 was chosen as the preferred concept. In an effort to offer new and different amenities, staff selected a different vendor than the Kensington Park vendor. Committee Discussion: • Will the sandbox be replaced? The sandbox is being removed, it has presented a maintenance challenge over the years and accessibility obstacles. • Is the play structure ADA compliant? No but does have accessible ramps and the fibar meets ADA standards, poured in place is not typically used in neighborhood parks but there can be areas where the material is used similar to the Land of Amazement. • More shade trees were recommended. Staff indicated that the trees around the play area need to be established and will be more effective when they are. Motion was made by Engler, seconded by Nadeem to approve the Marion Fields Neighborhood Park preferred concept based on community feedback and as presented by City staff. Ayes: unanimous 8. Staff Report • Future Meeting Location: With the expansion of the board, staff recommended moving to the Lake Marion Conference Room for future meetings. The room is set up for presentations and has space for citizens. The next meeting will be scheduled there to give it a try. A request for proposals for the Parks System Master plan was sent out on April 15. Contractors have until May 20 to submit their proposals for staff review. Staff will make a selection by July 10, and the new 10-year plan will be slated for completion by October 2026. Staff will be presenting to this committee for feedback throughout the process. A bid opening for Spyglass Park Phase II will be hosted in mid-May. 9. Lakeville Area Active Adults Committee Appointments Since the Lakeville Area Active Adults Committee is a subcommittee of this committee, members facilitate the interviews for appointments. Interviews for open committee spots were hosted prior to the regular meeting. Renee shared an overview of how the committee serves and what they advise on. They contribute new ideas, gather feedback from groups and advise on happenings at the Heritage Center. The members are heavily active in volunteering. There were three applicants this year to fill three open positions, two returning and one new committee member applied. Motion was made by Henneberry, seconded by Weberg to appoint all three applicants to two- year regular terms on the Lakeville Area Active Adults Advisory Committee. Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources committee Meeting Minutes, April 16, 2025 Page | 4 Ayes: unanimous Motion was made by Henneberry, seconded by Sauer to adjourn the April 16, 2025 meeting. Ayes: unanimous 10. Adjourn Meeting 7:45 p.m.