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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-09-16 PRC Packet AGENDA CITY OF MAPLEWOOD PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING Wednesday, September 16, 2009 7:00p.m. Council Chambers - Maplewood City Hall 1830 County Road BEast 1. Call to Order 2. RollCall 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Approval of Minutes a. August 19, 2009 5. Visitor Presentations 6. Unfinished Business a. Community Gardens b. Park Funding Options 7. New Business 8. Commissioner Presentations a. Subcommittee Reports 1. Dog Park 9. Staff Presentations a. Environmental and Natural Resources Committee Update b. Natural Area Greenway Committee Update c. Fish Creek Natural Area Greenway Ad Hoc Committee Update d. Sustainable Maplewood Update e. Legacy Tot Lot Update f. Lions Park Update 10. Commissioner Comments 11. Adjourn - (9:30 p.m.) Next meeting - October 21, 2009 CITY OF MAPLEWOOD PARKS AND RECREA nON COMMISSION MEETING Wednesday, August 19,2009 7:00 p.m. COUNCIL CHAMBERS - MAPLEWOOD CITY HALL 1830 COUNTY ROAD BEAST 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Fischer indicated nine commissioners were present; there was quorum. 2. ROLL CALL Commissioners Commissioner Craig Brannon, present Commissioner Don Christianson, pre Chair Peter Fischer, present Commissioner Dan Maas, present Commissioner Mary Mackey, present Commissioner Carolyn Peterson, present Commissioner Bruce Roman, present Commissioner Therese Sonnek, present Commissioner' idt, present Staff Parks M Community an, present Director DuWayne Konewko, present 3. APPROVAL OF Commissioner Fischer requeste itions or corrections to the agenda. Commissioner Peterson requested to present an update on the Environmental and Natural Resources subcommittee and the Greenway Task Force. Commissioner Roman made a motion to approve the agenda, as amended, and was seconded by Commissioner Mackey. The agenda was unanimously approved. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-July, 2009 Corrections: 1. There were eight of nine commissioners present at the July meeting; the minutes stated seven commissioners were present. 2. "Mackey" is the correct spelling of Commissioner's Mackey's name. 1 3. Regarding the sentence about the governing factions for the community gardens: Commissioner Roman had "asked if this statement was correct", instead of "said this statement was correct". 4. The sentence regarding the sites for the community gardens should read "Chair Fischer said the commission had discussed recommending sites, but the final decision. . ." 5. The "Name the Park Contest" sentence should read: "Sunset Park, as part of the naming process, conducted a "Name the Park" contest...." 6. The sentence "They also plan to have a survey sent to neighbors" should read "Working through staff, they plan on sending out a survey to neighbors". 7. In one paragraph, Commissioner Roman was speaking, not C 'ssioner Christianson as the minutes stated. 8. In the sentence "the bike trail goes through Harvest Par a much worn area", should be corrected to read "the pat much worn area". 9. "Bruentrup" Farm is the correct spelling for the farm. 10. "Friends of Maplewood Nature" is the correct name for this group. A motion was made to approve the minutes by Commissioner Brannon, see ed by Commissioner Roman. There was one abstention. The motion passed by a vote of 8 to I. A. Discussion of Park Developmen rovement Funding 5. VISITORPRESENTATIO 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS-th 7. NEW BUSINESS ubman stated Maplewood par development is funded through taxes lied twelve other communities in July, 2009 inquiring how their ed, and there were e-mail comments in the commissioner's n. Commum Parks Director Konweko said there is currently a PAC Dedication overs park development and redevelopment. There is also a five year Capit ent Plan (CIP) which is in place through 2014. The PAC Fund and a state s etermine what those monies may be used for. He suggested in spring, 2010, before e CIP discussion, the commission bring ideas to the City Council as to how they plan to maintain and develop the parks system. He reminded the commission of Council member Nephew's idea regarding the electric franchise fee. The commission had discussed raising that fee and using proceeds for park maintenance. There had also been discussion about a park user fee; a referendum, and the bond for the referendum that was voted on by the tax payers in 1993. The last payment for that bond will be in 2014. He suggested diverting some of the money currently being used to pay for that into a park maintenance account. With regard to a general levy, the Council allocated levy money into the CIP in 2009, which is currently being used for trail 2 maintenance and resurfacing tennis courts. Mr. Konewko will put together a packet of information for the commission for the next meeting. He went on to quote state guidelines on using funds for park development, redevelopment, and maintenance. Commissioner Maas talked about the ways in which other communities redeveloped and maintained their parks. They were, among others, obtaining grants and donations, a cell phone tower, street levies, and liquor store taxes. Chair Fischer stated there are 36 parks and 14 open spaces for a total of 50 sites in Maplewood. Playground equipment has a life span of 18-20 years, and said there are many parks currently in need of repair. The discussion continued to include the cost of a typical playground structure, replacing trails within the parks, resurfacing ball courts and blacktop, and other areas in need of repair. Director Konewko stated that Parks Manager Tau assessment He will have a report in October, 2 intern and they plan to visit every park and a fields, and courts. They will rank them, figur what the needs are. Mark Bradley, 2164 Woodlyn Ave., a Maplewood res suggested that the commission and staff look at the various parks and how they are being utilized as they are set up now. He also suggested getting sponsors for arks to advertise their businesses, and using sp 'ds for maintenance. Parks anager Taubman said they are discussing rs for some youth and adult ball fields. commissioners regarding levies, referendums, arks, trails, and open spaces, and the franchise gran ations, and Community Development and y work diligently pursuing grants. Regarding donations . groups, he has been in contact with the Lion's Club 's Park, and he believes they are willing to be ood Nature have had success with grants. There was other quality oflife in citi fee. There was a quest Parks Director Konewko from non profits and philant regarding the redevelopment at involved. He said Friends of Map Commissioner Christianson said in the past Maplewood has had development and building that sustained the city. He suggested the city adopt a plan for home buyers; in that they would pay a few hundred dollars for the parks in their area when they moved into a neighborhood. This would be a fairly consistent source of revenue. Parks Manager Taubman and Community Development and Parks Director Konewko will discuss the funding issue with their colleagues and bring more information back to the commission. Mr. Konewko said the City Council is supportive, and hopefully they can devise some solid plans to pursue a permanent funding source. Commissioner Sonnek stated she utilizes state parks and purchases state park permits. She suggested that Maplewood could institute a $10.00 sticker and solicit for Friends of Maple wood Parks. Mr. Konewko said he would speak with the Friends of Maplewood Nature 3 regarding this user donation. He concluded with two thoughts: 1. He would encourage everyone to re-read the Capstone Project, which has good information; some of it speaks to surveys; and 2. At some point they need to look at the economy scale and approach neighbors in Rosedale, Little Canada, and Woodbury for support. Mr. Konewko stated Shann Finwall, the Environmental Planner for Maplewood, is pursuing her Master's Degree, and one of her papers is on funding sources. In September she would like to give a presentation to the commission. She has been working on the Capstone project, and chose a program that she would like to evaluate. She felt that the Parks and Recreation commission could use a good evaluation due to funding issues, organizational uses, and recent loss of the Park Director. Over the last seven weeks she has been doing research, interviewing experts, and looking into various funding sources. She said over and above property taxes, the Miunesota Legislature limits types of funding sources that local governments can use. There is a Ie y limit over the next three years which allows the city to increase levy limits to 3. he said that hopefully they can come together to think of creative funding sour r the future. B. Review of 2009 Commission Go. which the commission had . ssioners received. Staff had included a summary of the goals discussi at the July, 2009 meeting, and it was in the packets th Chair Fischer asked for discussion of the material distribut stated that the items were objectives that the ion had set forth earlier in the year, and staff wanted to make sure the commi od the proper time lines. This information will be used when pI balance ofthe year. Commissioner Pete . . n had discussed meeting with the Open Space Technical Advisory T Chat tated they are looking forward to input from that group as they de a priority list as to which items the Parks Commission should be working on. Co . ner Peterson asked if the members were familiar with the Friends of Maplewood Na he had met with them in conjunction with the Environmental and Natural Reso s Task Force. If the commission wanted to meet with them, she would try to arrange it. Chair Fischer said Ron Cockriel is part of that group and has attended their meetings several times. Director Konewko said Environmental Planner Finwall will provide an update on this in September, 2009. C. Discussion of Parks Commission's Role with the Maplewood Community Center Chair Fischer asked what the main issues are with regard to the Community Center. Commissioner Schmidt suggested walking through the community center, meeting managers, see the condition of the building, see how the programs are working and how the space is being utilized. Chair Fischer stated the community center came into being in the late 1980's when there was a strong movement among citizens saying they needed a place to come together for recreation and meetings. It evolved from that without the use 4 of general funding dollars, but using creative use of taxing and financing. Chair Fischer asked several questions to consider, and discussion ensued regarding the issue. There was discussion and questions from the commission regarding some residents were against the community center from the beginning; they did not want to spend the extra money. He recalled that the general consensus was that the community center should eventually break even. He also said rumors were that the Parks Commission was not doing their job of watching over the community center. He reiterated that the commission needed to determine what their goals were for the community center, if they were neglecting their duties, and how much the commission should be involved. Director Konewko said the council had a good discussion recently about finances at the co unity center, and every council person indicated they realized that breaking even was reality, and they were willing to fund it as long as an honest effort was being ma se as much revenue as possible. The consensus was if the commission has some knowledge of wha ppening at the community center, it would be helpful. The commission members to pported going on a walk through the center to see how things are going, and to re a report periodically. More discussion ensued regarding the community center and role the Parks Commission should play. Commissioner Mackey said as a new commissioner, she thought it was their role to oversee center. If the commission could create a task force or subcommittee, or act as a liaison, uld be able to determine what their role is. Most of the commissioners agreed th fer to have a periodic report. Commissioner Christianson said when . ssioner; he received a large packet and policies that described what th ission's Ie was in the connnunity center. Chair Fischer said two to three yea , they were receiving reports in terms of memberships and revenues, and occasionall received information on policy changes. What he felt has happened is the sy has broken apart, and they lost that connectio ed someone to pull this back ogether about how they connect with the comm . Konewko said that he would schedule a tour in October or Nov 8. SENTATIONS A. Report: Dog Park ted they had a meeting in August, 2009; the members went through a part ofthel presentation and what it would entail, and discussed elements in the park that will be needed. They suggested that they give their final presentation in October, 2009. The subcommittee's next meeting will be at Maplewood Room at the City Hall on September 2nd at 7:00 p.m. He said everyone is invited to come and share their comments. The subcommittee will have one additional meeting on the first Wednesday in October, 2009. Commissioner Schmidt said they plan to work with staff to obtain visual aids and maps of the city showing the parks. Mr. Konewko stated he would obtain maps for the members. 5 B. Report on Environmental and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Greenways and Greenways Taskforce Commissioner Peterson said they have been meeting each month, getting information out to citizens regarding where the greenways are located, their value, the watershed districts, water quality and other features. They are also giving reports to the special Greenways Commission, which is working on the southern Maplewood greenways. The Environmental and Natural Resources Greenway Task Force is working on other greenways in Maplewood. She said as part of this work on the commission, Ron Cockriel and herself went to a meeting at the Legislature where there were people present from all over the state working on these issues. She said there were many speakers and at the end they had observers ask questions or tell about what their particular community has been working on. She said Mr. Cockriel and herself reported what they were working on with the greenways. 9. STAFF PRESENTATIONS A. Gethsemane Park Lease Mr. Konewko stated the City Council authorized th ion of this lease agreement in April for a period of 12 months, and the lease is set to . eon April 30, 2010. The city is currently paying Gethsemane $2200.00/month for leas hat park space. Chair Fischer asked ifthere is any credit available on this money. Konewko said one of the provisions in the lease a t was if City Council would authorize the purchase of the park property, the cit re all of the money and it would be used to offset the purchase price of ewko said this money comes directly from our PAC fund, and our atto n appropriate funding source for a park lease. He also said there is an th parties have; a 30 or 60 day notice to terminate the lease; an gu lks about ending that lease agreement. One of the commissioners at a decision should be made, and if the city does not buy the park, the money wil dy have been spent. Mr. Taubman stated they should continue with the lease until Jan 2010, and in the event they are not moving forward with anything, the Parks COmmiSSI could make a recommendation to council. He will bring this item back in January, 2010, and in March, 2010 be ready to provide council with recommendations on what to do going forward. One ofthe commissioners asked what other activities are available at the park. Mr. Taubman said he would get back to the commission in September, 2009 with regard to that. He wasn't aware of much use of the grounds except for winter skating and a few baseball practices in spring. There were other questions regarding use of the gym at the church and other items. This discussion is to be continued in 2010. B. Lake Links Trail ~ Mall Segment Mr. Konewko said with regard to the proposed aligument of the trail going through the Maplewood Mall, it was decided that County Road D would be used, with that particular piece completed by the end of2010. The other piece of the trail coming out of the Lake 6 Links Trail exiting from the east side ofthe farm, connecting with the existing trail by Joy Park should be completed by the end of 2009. C. Other Opportunities at Maplewood Nature Center: Buckthorn Removal Project at Vista Hills Park, Saturday, October 24th from 9:30 a.m. until noon. The pulling component for adults will be held from 12:30 until 2:00 p.m. The Nature Center is sponsoring a demonstration on how to remove buckthorn; on Saturday, September 26th at the Nature Center from 10:00 to 11:15 a.m. Deer Management program: October 14th from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Maplewood Nature Center. er about riding a bike on , or anywhere. Staff Large buckthorn removal project in con' Park: Saturday, November 14th, 9:30 this information in commissioner's pa assure everyone they are taking every p features built into the trail; especially at the Commissioner Sonnek asked if there ever was an the sidewalk on the portion of the trail on County R will have an ans 's in September, 2009. . ect from Eureka, however will have that here will be a report to the commission as had the Legacy Park site mowed. Steve Kumer will prepare ough estimate as to what the dimensions are; there is plenty and room to play football or Frisbee. Mr. Taubman met ayground vendors, he is meeting another vendor on Friday, August 19th, d he will put together a proposal. One vendor has a more modern design and the other is more traditional. They will schedule a meeting with the community in early September, 2009. There is $80,000 allocated for the project; $50,000 for the playground equipment and the balance will be needed for benches, curbing, enclosing the area, trail addition, landscaping, and seeding. He said they will revisit this space and design a Master Plan. They will be soliciting for names for the park, and looking at installation in October, 2009. Maplewood staff will hopefully install the equipment and the company will provide a person at about $750.00/day for three~days to oversee the installation. 7 Lion's Park Redevelopment Update Mr. Konewko said they are on schedule for this redevelopment; they talked about two proposals and plans and decided on Plan B which was the rainwater gardens. There will be a final plan developed and will be brought to the Parks and Recreation Commission in September, 2009. 10. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Sonnek said there is a large pile of debris in L furniture and television sets. for the community ubman stated he t sometime eople. He him of Chair Fischer stated that they will look at the final reco e a gardens, possibly having a neighborhood meeting in September. would encourage the commissioners to go to Goodrich Park on their 0 during the week and observe the park in the evening regarding the crow will e-mail the pictures to the commission which Commissioner Peterson s Goodrich Park. Commissioner Roman stated Rams the "Adopt a Highway" program. because many of the trails are in the p has an "Adopt a Trail" program, similar to uggested an "Adopt a Park" program, Commissioner Braunon stated that one 0 crosswalk on Walter Street coming out of trail in Little Canada. Mr. Konewko said the Sl s agreed with Bruce about the "Adopt a Trail" program, especially ounty Road D, where it can get very dirty. He mentioned another someone dumped a couch in Kohlman Creek, and it has been tho Mr. Konewko said they would look into this. n to adjourn the meeting at 9:35 p.m. 8 MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: DATE: Parks and Recreation Commission Ginny Gaynor, Maplewood Natural Resources Coordinator Doug Taubman, Park Manager Community Garden Design September 9, 2009 TO: FROM: INTRODUCTION A 2009 goal for Maplewood staff is finding a city-owned site for a community garden. At the July 15, 2009 Parks Commission meeting, the Commission asked staff to prepare a concept drawing for a garden at Goodrich Park and a garden at Edgerton Park. At the August 19, 2009 Parks Commission meeting, commissioners raised concerns about parking at Goodrich Park. Based on that discussion, staff has focused on Edgerton Park and prepared a concept plan for a community garden at Edgerton Park. DISCUSSION Edgerton Park, a youth athletic park, is adjacent to Edgerton School. The school district owns the south half of the park and the city owns the north half of the park (see map, Attachment 1). The city maintains the park and the parking lots, and schedules the ball fields. The proposed site for the garden is in the northeast corner of the park (Attachment 2). There is enough space in this area to have 60 15' x 15' plots. At a previous Parks Commission meeting, a suggestion was made to use a water tank the first year, instead of installing water and other infrastructure. This would enable us to make sure the site was going to work well before we made a major investment. Staff supports this concept and the concept plan below is for a trial community garden in 2010. If the site works well, water and other infrastructure could be added in the future. Staff visited several community gardens in St. Paul and based the concept design on ideas gathered during those visits. A map of the 2009 Parade of Community Gardens is attached in case commissioners are interested in visiting a few community gardens on their own (Attachment 3). Concept for Trial Community Garden at Edgerton Park Location: The garden would be located in the northeast corner of Edgerton Park. Access from the parking lot to ball fields would be maintained through the playground, and north of the playground. The garden would be about 20' from the northern property boundary. A few apartment windows look over the garden, but most of the garden backs on a garage. Plots: Plots would be 15' x 15', arranged as shown on the drawing (Attachment 2). There are 4 rows, with 15 plots per row. The drawing shows 60 gardens, and uses an area 72' x 233'. Only 40 plots would be installed the first year since it will b~ difficult to provide water to more than that with a water tank. Paths: The paths between rows are 4' wide and would be planted with cover crop and mowed a few times during the season. The area around the garden would be mowed lawn and serve as a path around the garden. Stakes would be posted at all plot corners. Plots would be continuous within a row. This format of no path between gardens within a row is used at the St. Anthony Community Garden. Advantages include: 1) more land is dedicated to garden, rather than paths; 2) there are fewer paths to maintain; 3) there seemed to be fewer weeds between gardens. Water: The 2010 trial garden would use a water tank, which would be filled by staff as needed. For a permanent garden on the site, we would want water spigots. There is a water main on the west side of Edgerton Street with a stub-in near the parking lot. There is no water main on Bradley Street. Parking: There is a large parking lot immediately to the east of the proposed garden site. The lot is used for school events and for ball games. It has more than adequate parking for a community garden and staff does not believe a garden would impact parking for other events. Edgerton School: Staff has contacted Becky Berkas, Principal of Edgerton Elementary, and hopes to meet with her on site this month. The principal was interested in the potential opportunities a garden would provide and has some concerns as well. Special Plots: If desired, one or two large plots could be reserved for special projects (ex: summer youth group, food shelf garden by volunteers, etc.). Management of the Garden: In the past, staff managed the community garden. There is interest in having a volunteer garden council manage the garden. Information on this and on garden rules will be provided at a future Parks Commission meeting. Plans for a Permanent Community Garden If the site works well in 2010 and we want to make it permanent, we would plan for a garden with the following: 60 garden plots for rental, water system with spigots, fence and/or shrub hedge around garden, compost bin, small gathering area, and sign. Many amenities can be added in future years such as arbors and other structures, perennial crop beds, artwork, kiosk or notice board, shed or locked tool box. In addition, there is an excellent opportunity at this site to develop native habitat plantings or low-maintenance gardens in the transition zone between the community garden plots and the play areas. These could be developed in conjunction with school programming. Staff recommends that we install a trial community garden at Edgerton Park with 40 plots and a water tank. RECOMMENDATION Staff requests that the Parks and Recreation Commission makes a recommendation on whether to have a trial community garden at Edgerton Park. Attachments: 1. 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(l)~ Q) Q)"O ~::~~ ~ ~.EeQ)a; ~-g c.~:5 ~.E-gCi3.s ....3:tUO"'-o mo-oUJc Ol....O:c;ro .~~Et-b c.......... .'c E cB iD;::J Eg-a-:5E o m._ 0 E o~g?~8 .8 Ie .z- ~ ill -- Q) -0 c: -0 -cr.; E m ~ ~~a;- ~:B~ '" " ~ c:c:.c ~ :5 ~ '" ~ " '- >.-- "-.0 ill ~~~ 81 U E 15 -!;;; E ~ ~ 8 5..~ ~ w _- iD CI') .8 -:t::~-o ~ ~ ~ "'''''' c " -'= .~ 'c 15 "E~f5 ro '" '" '" "'''' ~ g :!1 2' .~ 'E ~ '" 00 " ro ~ '" .0 c 0 -'B " -0 0 C a. " -0 E 0 " oS 0> " '" 0> I>- c " c -'= .Q " 7ii 0 " >. !E " " >- '" " '" -" c " '" (:0 'i'i '" c > '" ~ "E c '" " '" .s :z @ " <( MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: SUBJECT: DATE: Parks and Recreation Commission Shann Finwall, AICP, Environmental Planner Review of Park Funding Options September 9, 2009 for the September 16 Parks Commission Meeting INTRODUCTION During the August 19, 2009, Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, the commission began a discussion about park funding. This memorandum is intended to expand on that discussion with examples of local government revenue sources available for funding park development and maintenance, examples of innovative city park funding researched by staff recently, and an update on the park acquisition funding discussion held by the Fish Creek Natural Area Greenway Ad-Hoc Commission in August. BACKGROUND Park Access Charge (PAC) is collected with building permit fees for all new construction in Maplewood. According to Minnesota Statutes, section 462.358, these fees can only be used for the acquisition or development of parks, not ongoing maintenance. Ninety-five percent of Maplewood's parks and trails were acquired and developed with PAC over the last 30 years. The city increased PAC rates in 2005 based on a comparison of other Twin City PAC rates at the time, which reflected that Maplewood had been undercharging this fee for years. The current fee is $3,540 for a single-family residence and prorated based on density for town homes, duplexes, and multi-family residences. Comparatively, this is a 30 percent increase from fees charged by the city eight years ago (2001) when the fees were $1,090 for a single-family residence. The current commercial rate is 9 percent of the fair market value of the land. That rate has not changed since 2001. According to the Maplewood Comprehensive Plan (Draft May 2009), Maplewood is largely developed with only an additional 2,500 people projected to move into the city. Less development means less PAC available for park funding. With the slowing economy very little redevelopment has taken place to recoup PAC lost through development. Also, with the city's vast amount of park land and the aging park infrastructure, maintenance of the city's parks are becoming more expensive. Maplewood had never established a sustainable and dedicated funding system for park maintenance. The combination of the reduction in PAC and the increase in park maintenance expenses has created park funding difficulties for the city over the last few years. DISCUSSION Capital Improvement Plan A city's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is intended to coordinate the planning, financing, and timing of major equipment purchases and construction projects. It gives the city council the flexibility to proceed with the proposed projects based on the political, economic, and financial realities of each year. Once a city's CIP is adopted, the projects scheduled for the next year are included in the proposed budget. The focus of Maplewood's 2010-2014 CIP is maintenance and protection of the city's existing assets, buildings, and streets/infrastructure. The CIP reflects that the park development fund, which is funded by PAC, is showing a continued slowing of revenues as the housing market and building of commercial and industrial facilities slows due to the economy. For this reason, a number of park development or redevelopment projects have been delayed or deferred from the requests of the parks and recreation commission. Local Revenue Sources According to the League of Minnesota Cities 2009 Budget Guide for Cities (July 2009), city revenues in the state come mainly from property taxes and general and categorical state aid. Over the next three years revenues generated from property taxes will be restricted with the state's imposed levy limits. There are several special levies allowed beyond the levy limits, but in order to raise levies specifically for park funding would require voter approval. Beyond property taxes, state aid, and PAC, Minnesota law greatly restricts the available types of local revenue sources for park funding. For example, unlike some states, local governments in Minnesota may not impose an income tax. In addition, without specific legislative authority, cities may not impose a local sales tax and those cities that have been granted this tax option are usually for specially designated purposes. Following are some of the other forms of revenue sources authorized through state statute: Local sales tax - requires legislative authority. Only Duluth has a sales tax for general use. There are 27 other local city sales taxes which are dedicated for specific purposes and projects within the city, such as conference centers, etc. As of May 20, 2008, this option is even further hindered by the removal of a city's ability to promote or hold a referendum for local sales tax. Special assessments - a charge imposed on a property for a particular improvement that benefits the owners of those selected properties. This could include a business or park improvement district which covers the costs to improve and equip parks, open space areas, playgrounds, and recreational facilities that increase land values of adjacent or nearby property owners. User fees - adopted by ordinance. This could include park fees, such as requiring stickers to park vehicles in city parks, or fees to rent park facilities. These fees should represent an equitable fee based on ability to pay. Franchise fees - a franchise fee can be imposed on a utility service to raise revenue or defray increased municipal costs accruing as a result of maintaining utility operations. The revenue from franchise fees can be useful in maintaining and protecting the public right-of-way. Many cities in Minnesota impose franchise fees; most put revenues from the fees into the general fund, but some dedicate the funds for a specific purpose. Maplewood began collecting a $.50 per month electric franchise fee from all electricity users in 2005. This revenue covers electricity and maintenance costs for street lighting and traffic signals. 2 Local lodging tax - up to 3 percent tax on gross receipts of lodging sales (95 percent of the gross proceeds from the tax must be used to fund a local convention or tourism bureau for marketing and promoting the city). Licenses and permits - fees for licenses, services, and ordinance violations. This should not be viewed as a significant source of revenue but rather a fee to cover administrative costs. Tax Increment Financing - captures new taxes on development over a period of time. Tax increment financing cannot be used for public parks or facilities used for social, recreational, or conference purposes. Gambling tax and fund - Cities may impose up to a 3 percent local gambling tax on licensed gambling organizations in order to cover the cost of regulating lawful gambling. A city may not use these tax revenues for any other purpose. Cities may also require organizations conducting lawful gambling to contribute 10 percent of their net profits derived from lawful gambling to a city-administered fund to be disbursed for lawful purposes. Such funds cannot be used for the benefit of a pension or retirement fund. In 2009 Maplewood collected a total of $46,000 in charitable gambling tax funds. The funds are awarded to non-profit organizations with the designation of serving the citizens of Maplewood by a vote of the city council. These funds could also be specifically designated for park funding. Municipal liquor stores - This revenue generating option is only available for cities with a population of 10,000 or less, or who had established municipal liquor stores before July 1, 1967. Administrativefines - A new law as of August 1, 2009, allows cities to issue administrative citations for traffic violations where the speed of the vehicle is under 10 miles per hour, stop line violations, or for vehicle equipment. The fine must be set at $60 per citation, which is shared with the state. Forty dollars per citation remains with the city, with one-half of that required to be used for law enforcement purposes. Payment in lieu of taxes - Some of the heaviest users of city services are churches and other tax-exempt entities. These entities will often have an interest in seeing that city services, such as parks, remain strong and are therefore willing to voluntarily pay something for the services they use. Many cities have successfully negotiated payments in lieu of taxes from these entities. Cost Reductions/Efficiencies/Collaboration In tough budget times it is also important to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. The Sustainable Maplewood Neighborhood and Mini-Parks Project, conducted by the University of Minnesota Environmental Science's students last year, recommended several efficiencies the city could undertake in our parks, such as converting unused turf grass to native plantings to reduce mowing. Following are other examples of cost reductions and efficiencies that can be used for park development and maintenance: Regional services within city parks - Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121, subdivision 14 defines regional recreation open space as "" .Iand and water areas, or interests therein, and facilities determined by the Metropolitan Council to be of regional importance in providing for a balanced system of public outdoor recreation for the metropolitan area, including but not limited to park reserves, major linear parks and trails, large recreation parks, and conservatories, zoos, 3 and other special use facilities." Regional recreational activities to be accommodated by the regional parks system should meet the following criteria: 1. Be strongly tied to high-quality natural resources and to the distribution of these resources around the area. 2. Require a land supply and acquisition effort generally found at the regional level. 3. Be reasonably, feasibly, and safely accommodated without detriment to existing uses as determined through master plans for facility improvements to accommodate the use, or through regional park implementing agency policy board decisions on park/trail use management issues. 4. Be protective of the environment/ecology of the site and not negatively impact its natural resources. In 2009 regional parks received funding from three pieces of legislation. In omnibus environment, energy, and natural resources finance bill, funding was increased by $520,000 over the current biennium for the operation and maintenance of the park system. Revenue from the lottery in lieu of sales taxes increased to slightly more than $5 million in each year of the biennium. From the environmental trust fund, regional parks received about $1.3 million for land acquisition. Using park bonds, the council must match two-thirds of this allocation. The combination would make more than $2.1 million available for land purchases. Finally, funding from the new Minnesota Legacy program will provide approximately $27.7 million in the next biennium to the Metropolitan Council for distribution to park implementing agencies. According to the Metropolitan Council's 2030 Regional Parks Policy Plan (June 28, 2006), there are plans to expand the current regional park system to nearly 70,000 acres including seven new regional parks. Trails will increase from 170 miles of trails open to the public today to 877 miles by 2030. Miles of new greenways corridors will provide natural linkages between regional parks in Scott, Dakota, and western Hennepin County. Carver County will have two new regional parks. Anoka County will have a regional park in its northwestern corner, a park that has been planned since the inception of the regional park system in 1974. Maplewood has two regional parks and several regional facilities which are all administered by Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Department. There are no new regional parks or facilities planned in Maplewood in the near future. But with the additional funding sources as mentioned above, the city should look for opportunities to implement recreational facilities within city parks that could be deemed regional, such as connections to regional trails. More shared services and facilities with other governmental units - There are several examples of shared services and facilities in the Maplewood parks organization. Roseville and North St. Paul School Districts have an agreement with Maplewood to jointly manage school and community facilities both indoors and outdoors. This agreement was expanded in 1995 to include a gym at Edgerton and Carver Elementary Schools with jointly shared expenses. Maplewood provides administrative services to manage the aquatic program for White Bear Township; provides administrative staff, lifeguards, and maintenance staff for Bellaire Beach and White Bear Township. And Maplewood provides administrative services to manage the aquatic program for Oakdale. The city should continue to look for opportunities to work with our adjacent communities to create efficiencies. 4 Adopt-a-park program - Adopt-a-park program is an excellent way for citizens, community groups, churches, or businesses to make a personal contribution to the community. Programs can range from the inspection and reporting of illegal dumping, graffiti, unsafe playground equipment, and general maintenance issues; care for trees and native plants; engaging in and assisting in special park projects; or removal of buckthorn and other invasive plants. These programs increase public awareness of the importance of protecting natural resources, generate pride in parks and water bodies, and demonstrate a commitment to the community. The city currently has a volunteer monitoring program for its 14 neighborhood preserves and for yearly park clean ups, but there is great potential for expanding this program to include more of a focus on parks and maintenance. Park Advocates - The power that local citizens can have in shaping livable communities through engagement and investment in local parks is often understated. One important model in developing community ownership over our public spaces is through the creation of a park friends group. Friends groups are generally formed by a group of citizens with common interests in the stewardship of local parks. Their activities can range from fund raising and volunteer work to significant operational support. At times, friends groups form on a temporary basis to support development or conservation of a specific park. A friends group designated for the support of the agency is not affected by the day-to-day political pressures. It can do many things an agency cannot easily do, particularly in the private fund raising arena and in the area of obtaining grants. Grants usually require a local contribution and when funds held by a friends group are used for the local share, the money is leveraged to a much larger value. This process is attractive to potential donors as they can expect more for their contribution. Regional parks just gained an advocate this year with the formation of the Regional Parks Foundation of the Twin Cities. Formation of the foundation will allow area residents and donor organizations the opportunity to do more to support the regional parks system. The foundation will raise money and accept donations to buy key parcels of land for regional open spaces, trails, or park reserves; support stewardship efforts for regional parks and trails; and demonstrate support for the regional park system by area residents and other interested persons and organizations. The Friends of Maplewood Nature were formed in 2007 as a nonprofit organization for the benefit of the community. Friends of Maplewood Nature compliments tax dollars spent on management of Maplewood's natural areas and the nature center's educational programs. An advocacy group similar to the Friends of Maplewood Nature could be formed to help fund Maplewood parks. Comparisons Other cities within the Twin City Metropolitan Area are experiencing the same park funding shortfalls as Maplewood. Doug Taubman, park manager, researched other similarly sized and aged suburban cities to determine what types of revenue sources these cities use (other than PAC) for park development, redevelopment, and improvement. Seven cities responded to the survey, all of who state that they are also experiencing a reduction in PAC fees and noted how their cities were dealing with park funding: 5 Brooklyn Park - Dedicated funding from general fund, sale of surplus park land, leasing park land for cell towers. Fridley - Dedicated funding from general fund. New Hope - Street and park levy (above operating levy). Richfield - Revenue from city-owned liquor stores. Roseville - Considering a park improvement referendum. Sf. Louis Park - Park improvement levy (above operating levy). South Sf. Paul- Dedicated funding from general fund, bonding for regional facilities. In addition to those mentioned in the city survey, following are additional examples of innovative city park funding researched by staff recently: Champlin - To offset outdoor recreational facilities for youth athletics which are administered by volunteer associations, a separate fee is included in the registration fee to cover the city's operating cost. A fee which is currently $17.50 per participant per sport is charged to all participants, $7.25 goes to the general fund to help offset operating costs, the balance of $10.25 is deposited into their park reserve fund and set aside to address capital improvements in their park system that benefit youth athletics. Glendale, Arizona - Citizens get involved by directly assisting park and recreation commissioners, each of who is assigned a number of city parks and trails to inspect twice a year. Their inspections include looking for graffiti, unsafe playground conditions, and general maintenance issues. Minneapolis - The Minnesota State Legislature approved legislation that allows the City of Minneapolis and the park board to adopt a joint park dedication ordinance that would provide for a fee on new residential and commercial industrial development to support park rehabilitation, renovation, and expansion within a certain distance of the new development. Moorhead - Shared ice arena. The city constructed the Mighty Ducks indoor skating rink facility and leases it to associations for $1 a year. The associations run all of the programming for the residents of Moorhead. New York City - Bryant Park Corporation - Bryant Park is an eight-acre park that abuts the New York Public Library. The park is owned by the New York City Parks Department and managed by the Bryant Park Corporation who is a nonprofit, private management company and a cooperating business improvement district of neighboring property owners. It is the largest effort in the nation to apply private management backed by private funding to a public park. Prosser, Washington - Community awareness. The community is being made aware of the park budget issues and offered opportunities to voice their comments and concerns through the city's website and public forums. This has helped ease the negative budget aspects with the public. " 6 Rockville, Massachusetts - Contract mowing. The city does a combination of contract mowing and in-house mowing. The contractors mow the right-of ways, which are less technical and have less interaction with residents. The city maintains the parks and areas closer to private homes to ensure that they are inspected regularly and held to high customer service standards. St. Francis - Considering selling excess parkland. The St. Francis city council directed the city attorney to look into the legal issues surrounding the sale of some of the city's 83 acres of park land. Much of the park lands are small parcels interspersed in relatively new housing developments. The purpose of the sale of the smaller parks is not to take away from the city's park system, but to reallocate for the greater good of the park system. The city states that they would benefit from the reduction in park maintenance costs, receive a revenue boost from the sale, and tax-exempt park land would become subject to property taxes once sold to a private developer. St. Francis City Attorney Scott Lepak, in an August 13, 2009, staff report outlined his legal research into the matter. Mr. Lepak notes that cities have the authority to acquire real property for various purposes. Once acquired, cities are generally free to dispose of the land as they see fit, including through a sale. However, where a city has acquired land through dedication for a specific purpose (i.e., PAC) the city is generally restricted from using the land for a different purpose or from selling it. Sf. Paul- Construction of the Rice and Arlington Sports Dome. The dome is a 120,000 square foot athletic facility which can accommodate year-round softball, soccer, and baseball. The city built the dome, and leases the facility and its day-to-day operations to Inside Sports. Woodbury/Plymouth - National sporting events. Woodbury and Plymouth constructed and maintain park facilities in order to attract national sporting events, which bring in revenue for the cities. Fish Creek Natural Area Greenway Ad-Hoc Commission On August 28, 2009, the Fish Creek Natural Area Greenway Ad-Hoc Commission discussed funding options for acquisition of open space land within the Fish Creek Greenway. This discussion may prove useful as the Parks and Recreation Commission continue researching feasible park funding options. Funding options discussed that were deemed to be applicable to park or open space acquisition in the Fish Creek Greenway: 1. PAC (park access charge) 2. Property taxes a. Levy limits b. Referendum (voters approve tax for specific purpose) 3. Improvement district (business district, park district - only those in the district are assessed) 4. Licenses and permits 5. Franchise fees 6. Gambling tax and fund 7. Sale of city property 7 8. Other Fees (i.e., environmental utility fee, impact fees) 9. Remediation fines 10. Grants 11. Donations 12. Legislative funds 13. If greenway is significant regionally, may be eligible for regional funding sources 14. County partnership 15. Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District partnership 16. Other partnerships (friends groups, etc.) Funding options discussed that were deemed not to be applicable to park or open space acquisition in the Fish Creek Greenway: 1. Local sales tax 2. Local lodging tax 3. User fee 4. Municipal liquor stores 5. Administrative fines 6. Payment in lieu of taxes 7. Tax increment financing CONCLUSION Parks around the country are facing unprecedented financial challenges that few in the park profession could have envisioned 20 years ago. Park funding in the past benefited from increasing property values, non-referendum sources of taxes, and more lenient tax limitations established through the legislative process for most of the United State's park history. In addition to the park funding challenges, the way parks were designed years ago may not meet the park needs of today. As an example, parents rarely send their children alone with other children to play in parks as they did years ago. Under current economic conditions and the community's changing park needs the Maplewood Parks and Recreation Commission should continue to look for more innovative ways to reduce expenses, create sustainable park funding that doesn't depend on property taxes or PAC, and plan and develop parks and recreation programs that meet the community's current and future needs. 8