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040897RICHFIELD COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION Tuesday, April 8, 1997 MEMBERS PRESENT: Auchstetter, Dietl, Erlander, Gilhousen, Krohn, Loweth, Scaglia, Schaefer, Ticen, Ulmer, Walker OTHERS PRESENT: Council Member Rosenberg; Administrative Services Director Devich; Recreation Services Director Blank; staff members Hjortaas, Payne MEMBERS ABSENT: Anondson (ex) M I N U T E S The meeting was called to order by Chair Gilhousen at 7:03 p.m. in the Conference Center at the Water Plant. Motion by Ulmer, second by Erlander to approve the minutes of March 11, 1997 as written. Motion Carried. Gilhousen requested July 7 for the joint City Council, Community Services Commission Study Session and asked for suggestions on topics Commissioners would like to discuss at that time. All Commissioners are asked to bring two items for discussion by the June 10 meeting. Gilhousen read parts of the ordinance pertaining to setting out trash the night before collection. She and other members of the Commission have noticed trash has been set out earlier than the ordinance permits and there was conversation on the types of containers residents use. A letter will be sent to the City Manager who will pass the information on to the Inspections Department. Committee Reports MRPA: No report. There was a recent article from MRPA about Coon Rapids using vo-tech students as volunteers using cars loaned from a local dealer and driving through the parks. The cars look like squads and has made residents feel more safe. FOWL: Dietl passed around raffle tickets for Commissioners to purchase at $5 each for the 1997 FOWL spring dinner/show being held April 25 at the Decathlon Club in Bloomington. First prize is round trip airfare and one week at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado. Second prize is an original piece of art from Wood Lake and third prize is a $100 savings bond. He invited all members of the Commission to attend and/or reserve a table. Community Services Advisory Commission April 8, 1997 Page 2 Dietl brought forward the suggestion from the FOWL Board that a revision be made in the FOWL bylaws to change the dates FOWL terms end from January to May. This way if current members are not reappointed it does not disrupt the flow of the work necessary to arrange the spring dinner, which is FOWL’s largest fund-raiser. A question was asked if FOWL funds are audited to which Devich answered they are city funds and get audited as such. 76th Street East of I35W: The Commission will be asked to make a recommendation to Council on a preferred design that would be a bikeway on the south side with parking bays on the north side and landscaping. The task force has not identified a time for construction of this project. The project could be built in segments beginning west of Lyndale Avenue. Master Park Plan Sub-Committee: This group is awaiting reports from the golf course task force and the reports from Brauer and associates. Brauer could be done by the end of May. The ball field draft will be reviewed by school coaches and brought back to the ballfield task force before it goes to the Master Park Plan Sub-Committee. Two open houses are scheduled for May 7 at Richfield Junior High School and May 14 at Richfield Intermediate. They will be from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and are being held to gain input from the residents on ideas and suggestions about a possible combination of a new indoor pool and gyms, meeting space, exercise and fitness facility and other suggestions. Interviews have been completed with Public Safety, Park Maintenance, Administrative Services, the City Engineer, Wood Lake Manager and Community Center Manager for ideas and suggestions. The intent of this committee is to plan for the next five to ten years rather than provide a quick fix within the next year. The Richfield Lake project could supply potential opportunities for housing but will not significantly change the parkland. Enterprise Funds Report Devich distributed City Manager’s final draft recommendation of the 1998 Capital Improvement Budget and Capital Improvement Program for 1999 through 2003. He explained details of this report and answered questions on the funding of the Maintenance Facility. Devich explained some money came from 77th Street acquisitions, the sale of the Lampert site and $1 million in existing utility funds. The Utilities will office in this facility and should also pay rent. The concept has been approved but contracts have not been approved. Council will approve the consultant in April. Community Services Advisory Commission April 8, 1997 Page 3 The Master Park Plan Sub-Committee is discussing options on how the anticipated $4,000,000 from the sale of Rich Acres and New Ford Town parks could be most efficiently be used. The money from this acquisition is not designated to be spent on anything in particular. MAC is in the fifth and final phase of purchasing and cannot build the new runway until all of this land has been obtained. April 22 will be the concurrent meeting of the Planning Commission and the Community Services Commission. It would be advisable to take action on the 1998 Capital Improvement Budget and Capital Improvement Program for 1999 through 2003. Al Payne distributed information on the pool at its present state and showed estimates on its renovation. The cost to refinish the pool structure, replace gutters with stainless steel, replace main pool recirculation and inlet piping, replace filter system with high rate sand filter, new bathhouse, replacement of pool deck, replacement of wading pool with activity pool and interactive play activities would be around $1,585,000. If a new zero depth activity pool were built including a leisure pool, bathhouse and interactive play activities, the estimated cost would be $2,520,000. He also included in this report graphics and descriptions of play activities available. Other communities have told Payne more money can be made if there is a zero depth pool with activities for families. There are presently over 100 inground pools in Richfield. Recreation Services Report Blank distributed a Recreation Services Report. She mentioned the open houses in May will be advertised in the quarterly brochure, the S&I, Sun Newspaper, City Hall sign, Richfield Bank sign and the Hub sign. The May CSC meeting has typically been a bus tour. The Commission decided they would like to take the bus to see what other communities have in the way of Multi Recreational Centers with enclosed pools, meeting rooms, gyms, and other amenities. Payne will list communities that would be of interest to this group and pass along to Blank. The Master Park Plan Sub Committee has asked to be included in this tour. Payne will schedule a tour of communitiy Centers for the tour on the regular CSC meeting on May 13. Community Services Advisory Commission April 8, 1997 Page 4 Other Items Gilhousen made a motion that the CSC be represented in the Richfield Expo on May 31 at Augsburg Park. Second by Loweth. She asked for volunteers to talk about Sheridan Park, using the park shelter model as a visual. Auchstetter referred back to the January 9, 1996 CSC meeting where there was a motion to eliminate or reduce playground fees. He mentioned that he had spoken with MaryKaye Champa and she confirmed the fees are still being charged. It was explained that it was a staff recommendation and it had been approved by the Council. Auchstetter then asked what can be done to eliminate these fees and was told a letter could be written to the City Manager stating the CSC wishes to eliminate summer playground fees for 1998, if that is their wish. Motion by Auchstetter to eliminate summer playground fees. Second by Ulmer. Motion carried 7 - 1. Adjournment Motion by Auchstetter, second by Erlander to adjourn. Motion Carried.