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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-01-18 PRC PacketAGENDA CITY OF MAPLEWOOD PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING Wednesday, January 18, 2012 7:00pm Meeting Council Chambers - Maplewood City Hall 1830 County Road B East 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Approval of Minutes a. December21,2011 5. Visitor Presentations a. 6. Unfinished Business a. 2012 Parks and Recreation Commission Goals and 2011 Annual Report 7. New Business 8. Staff Presentations 9. Commissioner Comments 10. Adjourn — (9:00 p.m.) CITY OF MAPLEWOOD PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Meeting Minutes Wednesday, December 21, 2011 7:OOpm COUNCIL CHAMBERS — MAPLEWOOD CITY HALL 1830 COUNTY ROAD B EAST 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Schmidt indicated that there was a quorum and called the meeting to order at 7:03PM. 2. ROLL CALL Commissioners Commissioner Craig Brannon, present Commissioner Don Christianson, present Commissioner Peter Fischer, present Commissioner Dan Maas, present Commissioner Bruce Roman, present Commissioner Therese Sonnek, present Commissioner Roy Adams, present Commissioner RJ Erhardt, present Chair Kim Schmidt, present Sta Parks Manager, Jim Taylor, present 3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Commissioner Fisher moved to approve the agenda. Seconded by Commissioner Christianson Ayes: All The motion passed. 4. APRROVAL OF MINUTES a. November 16, 2011 Commissioner Christianson noted that the minutes stated that he was present when in fact he was absent. 1 Commissioner Christianson requested clarification under Commissioner Comments. He would like "Commissioner5onnek noted that she would prefer planning meetings to not always be on a Tuesday" be corrected to "Commissioner5onnek noted thatshe would prefer scheduling of neighborhood meetings to not always be on Tuesdays." Commissioner Erhardt moved to approve the minutes as amended. Seconded by Commissioner Brannon The motion passed. 671& M aL 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 7. NEW BUSINESS a. 2012 Parks and Recreation Goals and 2011 Annual Report Ayes: All Abstain: Christianson Jim Taylor, Parks Manager, presented the 2011 goals and the progress that has been made. He also discussed all of the 2012 projects that are currently scheduled. Commissioner Fischer distributed the draft of the 2011 Annual Report. i. The Commission discussed the Parks and Recreation Commission Goals of 2011 and made amendments to the wording of their goals. ii. The Commission discussed the draft of the 2011 Annual Report and made changes. iii. Setting of 2012 Parks and Recreation Goals The Committee discussed and brainstormed potential 2012 goals. 8. STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. Update on Gladstone Savannah Jim Taylor, Parks Manager, updated the Commission on the project, and stated that City Council approved the Master Plan and is moving forward. City Staff are also going forward with grant writing and are planning for Phase I. 9. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Adams wanted to recognize the Maplewood Community Center Staff for an outstanding job. His son's birthday party was held at the Maplewood Community Center along with many other events that day. The building and the parking lot were full; however, inside the Maplewood Community Center everything ran smoothly. As a community member he thought that they did an outstanding job. Commissioner Adams also thought the Maplewood Community Center is doing a remarkable job with staffing and wanted to take the time to acknowledge that. Commissioner Sonnek wanted to point out that tomorrow is the shortest daylight day of the year. Everyone had time left after the meeting to enjoy the parks, which would have closed about five hours prior if the park hours would have not been changed. Commissioner Roman wanted to make a comment of the Gladstone Savannah Master Plan. He is very impressed with the way that it was handled. Going through the entire process with the Commission's input and the input through neighborhood meetings, he thought that is was a great thing how they really listened to what the people had to say. He was pleased that they listened to the suggestions and came up with a plan that makes most of the people happy. He also wished everyone a Merry Christmas. Commissioner Brannon recommended that the Commission reviews their goals quarterly. Commissioner Christianson commented on the difficult process of getting the Maplewood Community Center built. Many people argued against it because they thought it would not be used and was a waste of time and money. He noted that it was very nice to hear what Commissioner Adams had to say about the Maplewood Community Center and their dedicated staff. He also wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Commissioner Fischer noted that he was on the website and the agenda was from November and the most recent set of minutes was from July. He requested to get the website updated. Commissioner Fischer commented about the Open Space Policy or how the Parks are going about encroachments onto property. This has been an issue with some of the parks in the past. At Prairie Farm, Commissioner Fischer noted that it looked like some of the backs of the townhomes off of Woodlynn seemed to have the grass and some of their sheds almost underneath the power lines. He thought that it may look like it was over the borderlines over there. He would like to know what the policy is and how the issue is addressed. His recommendation was to check the boarders of the south side of Prairie Farm. Jim Taylor, Parks Manager, commented that they work with Code Enforcement and send out a Cease and Assist Order to the resident. The order states a certain number of days that the homeowner has to correct the issue. Commissioner Erhardt had a difficult time find the Water Aerobics Schedule. She wanted to know if there was a way to make it easier to find. Jim Taylor, Parks Manager, stated that he would speak with the MCC about this and see if the schedules can be more accessible on the website. Chair Schmidt wanted to say thank you from the Friends of Maplewood Nature Center for having their calendar out again. She encouraged the Commission to pick one up at the Nature Center and support the Friends of Maplewood Nature. Chair Schmidt thanked the Commission for allowing her to be the Chair this year, she is advocating for fellow committee members to step forward to be the Chair. She thinks that it is a good learning opportunity for people. f07�e1�aL�111 :�i!IJilgi!11 Commissioner Brannon moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Christianson The meeting adjourned at 9:21pm Ayes: All Next meeting is January 18, 2012. AGENDA REPORT TO: Parks and Recreation Commission FROM: Jim Taylor, Parks Manager SUBJECT: 2012 Parks and Recreation Commission Goals and 2011 Annual Report DATE: January 12, 2012 INTRODUCTION In compliance with Article II, Section 21.20 of the Maplewood city ordinance, the Maplewood Parks and Recreation Commission is required to submit an annual commission report. In addition to this report the Parks and Recreation Commission needs to provide a list of 2012 goals to the City Council. DISCUSSION An updated draft copy of the report submitted by Commissioner Fisher has been attached as well as the brainstorming list of 2012 goals RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the Parks and Recreation Commission review the 2011 Annual Report and discusses the 2012 brainstorming list of goals. In addition staff recommends the approval of the report to be brought to the council at the February 13 meeting. Attachment: 1. Annual Report 2. 2012 Brainstorming List February 2012 Dear Mayor and Council Members, In compliance with Article II, Section 21.20 of the Maplewood city ordinance, the Maplewood Parks and Recreation Commission hereby submits its 2011 annual report and 2012 activity plan. We reviewed the accomplishments of the past year and discussed the various programs and activities we wish to pursue in the coming year. Our continuing goal is promoting city parks, open space, community center, quality inclusive recreational programming and maintaining a quality park system geared to the continually changing demographics of our community. We are happy to have implemented a small dog activity area at park. This is the first step in addressing the residents' needs for dog activity areas and will continue into the future as we review the feedback from the past year. This past year has also witnessed the combination of parks programs in the City of Maplewood and North St. Paul. Attached is a recap of our 2011 goals and a list of goals for 2012. We would be happy to meet with the City Council to address any park issues. Respectfully submitted, Kim Schmidt, Chairperson Roy Adams, Commissioner Craig Brannon, Vice Chair Donald Christianson, Commissioner JR Erhardt, Commissioner Peter Fischer, Commissioner Daniel Maas, Commissioner Bruce Roman, Commissioner Therese Sonnek, Commissioner Parks and Recreation in Maplewood is a large area covering trails, active parks, passive parks, open spaces, indoor parks (community centers) and greenways. In addition it covers recreational programming that range from active athletics to drama on stage to neighborhood events that help tie our city together. The Maplewood Parks and Recreation Commission provides advice and makes recommendations in all of these areas plus we are charged with the following duties: Formulate policies for approval by the City Council. Advise the council and manager as to the minimum qualifications for the position of Director of Parks and Recreation. Aid in coordinating the Parks and Recreation services with the programs of other governmental agencies and organizations. Interpret the polices and functions of the Parks and Recreation department to the public. Make periodic inventories of recreation and park services that exist or may be needed and interpret the needs of the public to the City Council and the Director of Parks. Recommend for adoption standards on land acquisition, facility development, program and financial support. The Following served on the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2011 Kim Schmidt, Chairperson Roy Adams, Commissioner Craig Brannon, Vice Chair Donald Christianson, Commissioner JR Erhardt, Commissioner Peter Fischer, Commissioner Daniel Maas, Commissioner Bruce Roman, Commissioner Therese Sonnek, Commissioner Parks and Recreation Commission Goals for 2011 1. Develop a relationship with the MCC. The Commission toured the MCC and had several meetings with MCC Staff to become better educated about the financial and maintenance issues that the MCC faces. The City also updated the pool and locker rooms areas. The Commission will continue quarterly meetings with the Community Center Staff. 2. Continue to look for a suitable site for a Dog Park. During the year a mini Dog Activity area was established at Four Seasons Park. This is something that will be evaluated this winter and used a foundation for addressing Maplewood's needs in the future. The Commission is still looking for a large suitable site for a large dog activity area. 3. Parking funding (referendum) and alternative funding sources. The Commission had a discussion with staff, but no action was taken. Staff has been developing the establishment of a community foundation to help address the capital needs of Parks and Open Space. This will carry over to 2012 for further discussions. 4. Research collaboration efforts for community gardens. Staff worked with collaboration efforts at Harvest Park and with two area schools. The Commission visited the Edgerton Community Garden site and felt there was no need to expand community gardens further at this time. 5. Cultural events (collaborations). Staff developed a number of concerts and recreational efforts with the City of North St. Paul. - Cultural programs and funding for these programs. - Joint community events with North St. Paul. 6. Community Events - Research the possibility of joint community celebration with NSP celebration by 2012. Staff has been working with North St. Paul to develop two joint community events for 2012. 7. Legacy Park - Reach out to the community to adopt the park. There was nothing accomplished on this goal the past year. The five year capital improvement plan does not allocate any funds for addressing the needs at this site. 8. Improve Parks and Trail maps. A pocket trail map was developed at the beginning of the year. 9. Priorities for the open space master plan. Staff spent the year evaluating all Open Space sites and is preparing a report, for developing Open Space priorities, to be presented to the Commission in 2012. 10. Explore sustainable natural resources operations - Turf management more no mow areas will be added during 2012. Staff is exploring more sustainable efforts for maintaining turf on active recreation fields. - Recycling - containers were placed in most parks. The program has been successful and will be continued. - Beaver Creek restoration was started this year and will continue into 2012. - Fish Creek - Kept involved in the discussions and support of the purchase of the Fish Creek Open Space area. This is now in the fundraising process to help pay for the purchase. - EAB - Reviewed and recommended adoption of the EAB for Maplewood Parks and Open Spaces. The tree inventory is finished in the parks and will be used with the EAB plan going forward. 11. Explore social media. Both the Recreation Department and Community Center have established Facebook pages. 12. Have a Parks / Open Space tour. No large tour was done. The Commission did several small tours. 13. Greenway plan, education and tour. There were three small education tours with some participation. There was one large tour planned, but cancelled when no one signed up. 14 NSP = Learn what we are doing now and how we can expand (a meeting). - During the year the Commission received regular updates on joint efforts with the City of North St Paul. During the winter months the Commission meets at the North St. Paul Community Center to learn more about the facilities and what collaborations would be occurring. In addition we addressed park modifications at Western Hills. Reviewed the feasibility study and plans for the Trout Brook Trail. Reviewed and recommended a proposal for an experimental treatment basin at Wakefield Lake. Approved a Master Park Plan for Goodrich Park. Recommended changes to the Parks Ordinance to update park hours. Reviewed Ramsey County master plans for the Phalen - Keller Parks. Engaged in the master plan development for the Gladstone Savannah, Gloster Park and Flicek Park area of Maplewood. Reviewed and recommended approval of the second phase of Joy Park improvements. Reviewed and recommended improvements for Gethsemane Park. The Commission also reviewed and made recommendations on several property swaps /easements with park property. Discussed the improvements to Highways 61 & 36 and English interchanges and the impacts on Harvest Park. Parks and Recreation Commission Goals for 2012 Parks Commission Brainstorming List 2011 Carry -Over 1. Continue Collaboration with the MCC with Quarterly Meeting 2. Evaluate Pilot Project and Continue to Evaluate 3. Seek Alternative Funding Sources 4. Review and Evaluate Community Garden Program 5. Schedule Cross Cultural Events in the Park (Work with Human Rights Commission) 6. Music in the Parks (Cultural) example: African Drumming 7. Improve Parks and Trail Maps 8. Expand Social Media Resources — Gather input from the public. QR Codes 9. Plana Parks Tour 10. Joint Meeting with North Saint Paul 2012 Brainstorm 1. Develop Fish Creek Master Plan 2. Explore a City Wide or County Wide Referendum (Renewal) 3. Meet the Commission at the Park 4. Legacy Park — With the library (Music etc.) 5. Name Legacy Park 6. Signage 7. Brainstorm Collaboration with County for at Risk Youth 8. Address Handicap Accessibility in Parks (Inventory) 9. Commission Become Engaged with Fundraising Opportunities