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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-07 CITY OF LAKEVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING JUNE 7, 2000 ITEM #1. Call to order. The meeting was called to order in the Lakeville Council Chambers by Chairperson Larson at 6:00 PM. ITEM #2. Roll call. Present were L. Lulf, R. Boldus, J. Larson, C. Wanless-Sobel, P. Messinger, and alternate K. Manias. Committee members H. Lovelace and J. Berg were absent. Also present were Park Director Steve Michaud and Recording Secretary Judi Hawkins. ITEM #3. Approval of Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee minutes of May 17, 2000. The minutes of the May 17, 2000Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting were discussed. There were no additions or corrections and the minutes were approved as printed. ITEM #4. Citizen comments. There were no citizens present for items not on the agenda. ITEM #5. Staff reports and summary of current projects. This item will be taken up after Item #6. ITEM #6. Continue discussion to consider an ordinance amending Title 5 of the City Code concerning Restraint of Dogs. Parks and Recreation Advisory Chair Jeff Larson opened the discussion by stating that the two previous meetings concerning this issue have been for the purpose of receiving input from the general public. The purpose of this agenda item is for committee members to discuss the issue and determine whether to make a recommendation at this time or wait until more information has been gathered. Chair Larson stated that the Chief of Police is reviewing the ordinances of other cities, especially the areas of length of leash, the Canine Good Citizen® Test, and other options that are working in other cities. Committee member Lulf suggested that some undeveloped city owned property could be designated as a dog park or there could be a specific time where dogs could be walked off-leash on the trails, such as one hour before or after sunrise and sunset. This would not pertain to parks. In addition, the ordinance could specify either a flex leash could be allowed, or a short leash. Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Minutes of: June 7, 2000 Page -2- Committee member Manias stated that from an enforcement perspective, a stricter leash ordinance would be easier to enforce. If a flex leash were allowed, owners would have to be able to reel in their dogs, which is not an easy task with some large dogs. Regarding land set aside for a dog park, Manias questioned how that could be monitored for cleanup, etc. other than possibly citizen volunteer supervisors. Manias also stated that there are many responsible pet owners and well-behaved dogs. Committee member Boldus stated that the many responsible dog owners should not be penalized. He would support a leash ordinance and allowing the flex leash. He is not opposed to setting aside a dog park area, but would like it to stay cleaned up so that it can continue to be used by the public. Mr. Boldus stated that his property adjoins a bike trail and he is aware of how many people do not obey the ordinance to clean up. Committee member Wanless-Sobel has forwarded articles to Steve Michaud regarding a similar issue in New York City and how it was dealt with in that city. Residents there formed a dog club and only those dog club owners are allowed to let their dogs run in the park. Club fees go towards maintenance and supervision of the dog parks and members also volunteer their time. Unfortunately, the volunteerism did not seem to be reliable. Committee member Messinger feels it is important that the ?voice control? option be removed from the ordinance. She would support the flex leash option, specified times on the trails and would also like to see the grass hockey rinks be made available for running and training. Messinger would also support the opportunity for dogs to be certified with the Canine Good Citizen® Test, giving them the privilege to walk off leash. Committee member Larson stated that due to growing pedestrian traffic he feels strongly that dogs should be leashed on trails and sidewalks, however, is not opposed to dogs off leashes in parks. In some areas along the trails there might be adequate space to allow dogs out on a longer leash. Larson stated that he is also in favor of using rinks for running dogs but suggested that the area at Ritter Farm Park that was purchased recently might be a good training area for hunting dogs. Parks and Recreation Director Steve Michaud stated that the area by the freeway frontage road near Ritter Farm Park entrance might be more favorable than an area within the park. There are other areas within the city where people might also be allowed to practice dog-training drills. Michaud believes that the Police Department needs to have the ability to enforce a clear and understandable ordinance. The 15 acres that were recently seeded at Casperson Park might be available as well as other areas. He feels that allowing dogs to run at Ritter Farm Park is the worst possible scenario due Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Minutes of: June 7, 2000 Page -3- to the wildlife habitat and people not cleaning up after their dogs. If dog areas were designated, there would have to be some rules established. In addition, the public would need to be well informed if a new ordinance or dog certification program were instituted. A grant is currently being pursued by the Lakeville Police Department to increase the number of Park Rangers from three to five, which might assist with dog ordinance enforcement. Staff suggested that a recommendation be put off until the Lakeville Police Dept can pass along additional information. Committee members agreed that any new ordinance should be kept as simple and easy to understand and enforce as possible. Staff agreed that the several grass hockey rinks would also be suitable off-leash dog areas. With the proper signage, the area near the freeway at Ritter Farm Park could also be considered. Those sites would need to be reviewed regularly to make sure owners were cleaning up after their pets and following other rules. Future development at Casperson might eliminate that area. The perimeter of King Park could also be considered for use during times when it is not being used for baseball. The future th extension of 185 Street adjacent to King Park will make that site more accessible. The Canine Good Citizen® Test was discussed. It is proposed to require that dogs be leashed at all times unless they have been certified by the test. Committee member Manias felt enforcement would be difficult if the police could not immediately determine if a particular dog was allowed to be off leash. Chair Larson stated that he feels dogs should be leashed at all times on trails and sidewalks. Committee member Messinger feels the ordinance should allow dogs to be on a longer flex leash unless other pedestrians are approaching or within a specified distance. She suggested a campaign to educate the public be started when dog licenses become due so that information can be distributed when people purchase new licenses. Manias feels there should be no differentiation between park and trail in the ordinance as far as where leashes are required, as it would make enforcement more difficult. Committee members Boldus and Wanless-Sobel stated they would support dogs being leashed on trails at all times. Committee member Lulf feels the Canine Good Citizen® Test is a better solution than his earlier suggestion concerning designated times for off- leash dogs. Chair Larson asked citizen Len Libbey, P.O. Box 823, if he had any further information on the certification. Mr. Libbey explained that certified testers from the American Kennel Club or other dog clubs conduct the tests. The typical testing fee is $5.00 and the certification is good for the life of the dog. Dog obedience training to prepare the dog, however, can cost between $60.00 and $150.00. Violators are usually charged with a petty misdemeanor and their certification is revoked. Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Minutes of: June 7, 2000 Page -4- Doug Ringeisen, 18876 Joplin Avenue, questioned the use of King Park. He is opposed to dogs loose in the parks and also stated that King Park is near a busy roadway. He is afraid that people will not clean up after their dogs and it could be overused by people from other communities who would bring their dogs to the park. Staff stated there would be specified times when the park could be used for dogs. Mr. Libbey suggested that a special resident permit could be issued so that non-residents could not be allowed to use the park as a dog park. Larson suggested that a permit could be available at a higher cost for non-residents. Chair Larson asked for Committee members? opinions about the flex leash and if it were to be allowed, what the maximum length should be. Committee member Messinger stated that what should determine the length would be an acceptable distance between the dog and other pedestrians. She feels it is important to specify in the ordinance that the leash can be extended but that the dog needs to be reeled in when another person is present. Committee member Manias feels that the leash should be short enough to ensure no physical contact is possible with another human being. Staff believes that no distinction should be made between parks and trails and the same ordinances should apply to dogs at any location, with the possible exception of designated off-leash dog areas. Committee members decided to continue the discussion on the dog leash ordinance when further information is available from the Police Department, setting a possible th Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting date of July 19 to proceed with the discussion. ITEM #5. Staff reports and summary of current projects. Staff reported that registrations for recreation programs have been very busy with ? many programs getting ready to begin. The Tutewohl family has signed a mediated agreement for the City of Lakeville to ? purchase 40 acres of property. The property will be brought into the MUSA by July 1, 2002. Rich Pelletier has been hired to fill the position of Assistant Parks and Recreation ? th Director, and will begin on June 19. Mr. Pelletier has most recently worked for the City of West St. Paul and spent several years as a Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee member in Burnsville. The position of Lakeville Area Arts Center Coordinate has also been filled. ? Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Minutes of: June 7, 2000 Page -5- The owner of the Bury property on the west side of Lake Marion has contacted the ? City of Lakeville with a proposal to sell the property. Staff will keep committee members informed of any negotiations that take place. Staff is working with the coordinators of the Ride the Wind Bike Tour which will ? utilize some Lakeville streets. A parade permit will be issued by the Police Dept. pending completion of a standard investigation. rd Antlers Park beach opened on Saturday, June 3 and Orchard Lake and Valley Lake ? th beaches are scheduled to open on Friday, June 9. Beaches will be open daily from noon to 8:00 PM, weather permitting. Due to the moratorium on development, the park dedication fund has not received ? the revenues expected. Because the fund is diminished, allocations for the three new playgrounds may not be available. When the moratorium is lifted in July, new park dedication fees will be in effect. A subcommittee of Jeff Larson, Pat Messinger and Bob Vogel are discussing a ? possible recommendation that would increase the commercial/industrial park dedication fees. Committee members will receive a report for discussion at their next meeting. nd ITEM #7. Review preliminary and final plat of Paradise Hills 2 Addition and make park dedication recommendation to City Council. nd Paradise Hills 2 Addition preliminary and final plat consists of 28 single-family lots and five outlots and is located south of 192nd Street, north of Lakeville High School. Since the Park and Open Space System Plan does not identify park property in the area of this plat, staff is recommending a cash contribution at the old rate of $1,325 per lot to satisfy the Park Dedication requirements. The City is constructing eight-foot wide bituminous trails on both sides of Ipava Ave. and an eight-foot wide bituminous trail on the south side of 192nd St. as part of the Ipava Ave. improvement project. The City of Lakeville will fund all trail projects through the park dedication fund. Committee member Messinger was disturbed by the fact that 3.4 acres of trees were being removed to make way for this plat. Chair Larson asked if the trail along Ipava Avenue from CSAH 50 to County Road 64 could be paved as part of this project. Staff stated that any permission for a trail to cross the railroad?s property would require the installation of a cross-arm, which would cost approximately $100,000. Right of ways have been established along Ipava for future trails and some funding has been set aside for this future project. 00.15 Motion was made by Messinger, seconded by Wanless-Sobel, to recommend City nd Paradise Hills 2 Addition Council approve the preliminary and final plat of and require a cash contribution at the rate of $1,325.00 per dwelling unit to satisfy the park dedication requirements. Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Minutes of: June 7, 2000 Page -6- Motion passed. ITEM #8. Unfinished business. There was no unfinished business at this time. ITEM #9. New business. The next meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee will be the annual park tour. Several sites were suggested for the tour including the Tutewohl property and the Bury property. The meeting will begin at 5:30 PM from Ritter Farm Park. Jeff Larson mentioned that he would be out of town and unable to attend. th The first meeting of July is scheduled for July 5. Since this falls during the week of Pan-O-Prog and in order to accommodate those who may be on vacation for the Fourth of July holiday, it was suggested the meeting be cancelled. 00.16 Motion was made by Lulf, seconded by Boldus, to cancel the July 5, 2000 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. Motion passed. ITEM #10. Announcements. The next meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee is scheduled for June 21, 2000, beginning at 5:30 PM from Ritter Farm Park. ITEM #11. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 8:10 PM. Respectfully submitted, _____________________________________ Judith R. Hawkins, Recording Secretary ATTEST: _____________________________________ Jeff Larson, Chairperson