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2009-01 CSCRICHFIELD COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, January 20, 2009 Richfield Community Center (7000 Nicollet Ave) PRESENT CSC Members Gordon Vizecky, Greg Mangold, Sarah Till, Gary Ness, Joe Springer, Joe Hoover, Mike Christian, Rodney Schmidt, Jim Lunderby Staff Jim Topitzhofer, John Evans Planning Commission Rick Jabs ABSENT CSC Members Gerry Charnitz Council Liaison Fred Wroge Call to Order Vizecky called the meeting to order at 6:59 pm. Approval of Minutes Christian moved, seconded by Springer, to approve the minutes of the regular November meeting. Approved, ayes all. Other Items Christian asked about the possibility of developing a closer relationship to youth athletic organizations (liaisons from other organizations). Jabs agreed, saying that the City and youth athletics would benefit greatly from closer contact. Topitzhofer said that this idea will be raised at the annual youth athletics meeting with the City. Staff Reports Recreation Services Topitzhofer told the group that, because of anticipated cuts in local government aid from the State of Minnesota, there will be significant cuts to the operating budget (7-10%). He said that staff will discuss it with the Council at a study session on Friday. He said that the goal has been to make cuts that impact programming the least, especially low-cost programs. Discussion Items Skate Board Facility Location Evaluation Topitzhofer said that, after last month’s CSC meeting, other potential sites were identified that met the criteria for a skate facility: Vets and Donaldson. He asked the group to score these two other sites (and Augsburg, if they wish to keep it under consideration) based on the criteria listed. Topitzhofer showed the Donaldson site. Schmidt asked if the Donaldson parking lot is still slated to be moved when the 35W redevelopment has been completed. Ness said that it would affect the parking lot access point, but not the lot itself; also, it’s a project that is 20 years away. Ness said that a concern about Donaldson would be the number of baseball tournaments, which bring a great deal of traffic and activity. Jabs asked what preparation would need to be done; Topitzhofer said that a soil test would be done, some utilities might have to be avoided, etc. Lunderby asked about the hard hockey surface and movable ramps; Topitzhofer said that Roger wanted the feel of concrete and permanent features, not portable. Springer asked if users would behave badly with kids and other people around; Jabs said that the crowd might actually deter bad behavior. Topitzhofer showed the Vets site. He said that the close proximity to the Ice Arena would be a great benefit for skaters to access bathrooms. He said that staff monitor the area practically seven days a week, so there would be more constant attention from staff at this site. He said that there are underground utilities that would have to be avoided at this site; the pump house has electricity, so a light could be mounted there. Jabs said that he thinks this choice is the best, with the Arena and its staff already on-site. Hoover said that he’s concerned about the safety of the site because it’s an island in the parking lot. Christian wondered if there would be parking issues on the east side of the lot. Ness said that most skateboarders would skate to the site. Topitzhofer pointed out that only the Augsburg site has some hilly terrain, which would compliment the design, where contours would have to be made at the other sites. Hoover asked if Donaldson and Vets are central enough. Lunderby asked if east would be considered because the YMCA Skate Park is already on the west side. Jabs asked how important the existing hard surface will be to the cost of the facility. Topitzhofer said that the other sites may need hard surfacing, but existing contours could be incorporated into the facility. Topitzhofer said that Council Member Wroge sees a conflict with the library at the Augsburg site. Vizecky said that the same users would be using the Arena; Hoover said that the Arena is already designed to handle rougher athletic usage. Ness said to consider Heredia Park, which would have great access to supervision from Public Safety, close proximity to Portland Avenue, etc. Vizecky asked if users at the Augsburg location could be directed to the Community Center, rather than the library. Topitzhofer said that the building is not open on weekends, there may not be water access for a drinking fountain, etc. Jabs said that, regardless of location, a certain standard of conduct could be actively enforced. Topitzhofer reviewed the score sheet. The group agreed to rate the questions on a 1 to 10 scale with no weighting of questions. CSC Members rated the sites differently. Vizecky asked if the facility could be built in stages to try the facility for one season. Ness and Vizecky said that involvement of Roger Schmidt and the community of users would be crucial. The majority of members favored Augsburg as a potential location for the facility. Topitzhofer said that he will take the consensus of the group’s discussion back to the Council. Capital Improvement Plan: 2010 to Beyond 2013 Topitzhofer asked the group to prioritize the projects listed and consider which items could be postponed in order to pay off our own debts from the pool project. He said that, with some direction from the group, staff will revisit the plan and consider all opinions (the vets park sign was considered low priority, the skate park is considered high priority, opinions varied on other items). Action Items Change March Meeting Date Schmidt moved, seconded by Springer, to move the March meeting to March 3. Committee Reports City Hall Task Force: Jabs provided the report. Honoring All Veterans Memorial: Schmidt and Topitzhofer provided the report. Lincoln Planning Team: Topitzhofer reported that Celebrations Commission: Topitzhofer provided the report. Wrap-up gathering on January 22. CHSPC: Till provided the report. Expiring Terms Lunderby will not be reapplying Adjournment Schmidt moved, seconded by Till, to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 9:02 pm. Next Meeting Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Richfield Community Center January 20, 2009 DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CSC.