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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-13• PARK BOND REFE~RENDUI~T K FORCE NIDVUTES JANUARY 13, 1994 The first meeting of the Park Bond Referendum Task Force convened at 7:00 PM on January 13, .1994. Mayor Duane Zaun welcomed the assembly and congratulated them on being. selected to this group which will be so important to the future of the commumty. He emphasized to the group that they should keep cooperation in mind and their responsibility to the entire community. a asked the committee to look at the needs and projected growth of the community, to feel free to ask any questions they may ave, and to have fun along the way. The City Council and tZie community appreciate their time and commitment. Task force chair Kevin Illa introduced City staff and members of the task force became acquainted by stating their ,names and representative group. Kevin went on to give a brief history of acquisition. and development in the Lakeville park system. Needs are beginning to exceed available facilities especially in the areas of athletic facilities and neighborhood arks. In addition, the Parks and Open Space System Plan identifies the need ~or an additional community park to be developed in the northeast sector of Lakeville, however land has not yet been acquired. Because of these and other growing needs, council authorized the formation of a task force to determine if a bond referendum would be appropriate. Parks and Recreation Director Steve Michaud thanked the task force members for being present. This very diverse group will determine if needs exist in many areas, not only athletic facilities. A variety of experts will present information at the next few meetings and it is very, important that task force members have this basis of knowledge for their decision making process. Steve also thanked the task force members for their commitment to the community. Steve introduced Jon Gurban, MRPA Executive Director, who has worked on several bond referendums in the past . and has produced an informational slide presentation designed to assist with a successful referendum. Jon stated that a bond referendum is an opportunity for community members to come together on something positive and invest in the future of the community. It is a chance to leave a legacy and provide for future generations. The process requires strong leadership and superior organization and administration. Four main factors in promoting a bond referendum are: 1. Content -what will the referendum actually contain? The criteria should be based on need and popularity. The task force needs to develop project lists and priorities. 2. Cost -what will it cost the average homeowner, and what is the comfort level of the community 3. Timing - putting the question to the voters at an appropriate time, preferably without other questions on the ballot. 4. Promotion -create the vision and convince the masses. From his exper- ience, Mr. Gurban suggested afive-week campaign and stressed the need to identify the supporters, and "spend time where you re going to win. " • Park Bond Referendum Task Force Minutes January 13, 1994 Steve Michaud discussed the possibility of using referendum funds as matching funds for grants, stretching the dollars to their ultimate. He cited county trail funding and other grants such as LAWCON, LCMR, and State Outdoor Recreation grant programs. Staff introduced Alan Brixius, Vice President of Northwest Associated Consul- tants. Mr. Brixius discussed his experience in the evolution and growth of Lakeville and shared some demographics with the task force. He stated that Lakeville is a city of predominantly single family homes, with 80 % of homes being single family, 7 % multiple dwellings, and 13 % manufactured home communities. According to the 1990 census, 92.7 % of Lakeville households consist of families, with an average of 3.44 people per household. As of 1990 the agge distribution for Lakeville residents showed 37 % under the age of 20 and 58.5 ~o ages 20 to 59. Mr. Brixius discussed the Lakeville schools' growth projections. Actual growth exceeded anticipations. The Met Council now predicts construction of 600 housing units pper year, for an estimated population of 40,000 by the year 2000. The 201D MUSA line was also discussed and how it will affect growth and development, patterns. The Parks and Open Space System Plan and the Comprehensive Trail Plan updates identify acquisition and park development areas and issues. Mr. Brixius feels that Lakeville needs to be aggressive from both an environmental and user standpoint in setting aside property for parks and preservation as it is developed. Staff discussed how social and demograpphic issues are constantly changing and how this affects. park planning. The philosophy of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Comnuttee and the City Council has been to acquire designated land at the time of development, however, because of land speculators purchasing more and more undeveloped property outside the MUSA, future purchases are certain to be more costly. -'The Parks Department also constantly .receives requests for more neighborhood parks, which has caused them to reexamine their philosophy of service areas and neighborhood parks. Staff introduced Dr. Bill Morris of Decision Resources, who has conducted several surveys in Lakeville and also worked with the City's Growth Management Task Force and with Independent School District # 194 on recent school referendums. Dr. Morris explained that the most recent Lakeville survey not only looked at the quality of life of Lakeville residents, but also polled respondents on a possible bond referendum. Ninety ercent of survey respondents rated Lakeville parks excellent or good, while 6~% said they would favor a bond referendum. Lakeville voters are inclined to be fiscall conservative and their comfort zone appears to be $15-16.00 per year. Only 25~ of survey respondents said they would not favor an increase in their taxes, which is a relatively low percentage. Dr. Morris discussed what role Decision Resources would play in the preparation of a bond referendum, if in fact that is what is decided. Kevin Illa discussed the agenda which has been prepared ,for the January 27th meeting. A packet will be sent to task force members with copies of some of -2- Park Bond Referendum Task Force Minutes January 13, 1994 the statistics which were discussed at this meeting. It was also requested that the task force receive information from the Parks and Recreation Committee of what their specific recommendations to the City Council have been. Other recent and pending bond/levy referendums were also discussed such as ISD #196 the Farmington school referendum and the recent ISD #194 levy referendum whic~i narrowly passed. Mary Liz Holberg consented to be vice chairperson of the Task Force. The next meeting of the Park Bond Referendum Task Force will be held on Thursday, January 27, 1994, at 7:00 PM, in the North Meeting Room of Lakeville City Hall. GSM/jr •