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2009-03 CSCRICHFIELD COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, March 3, 2009 Richfield Community Center (7000 Nicollet Ave) PRESENT CSC Members Greg Mangold, Sarah Till, Gary Ness, Joe Springer, Mike Christian, Gerry Charnitz, Reed Bornholdt, Michele Thompson Staff Jim Topitzhofer, John Evans, Karen Shragg Planning Commission Rick Jabs Others Kevin Busch (Busch Architects); Members of the Lincoln Task Force ABSENT CSC Members Joe Hoover, Rodney Schmidt Council Liaison Fred Wroge Call to Order Ness called the meeting to order at 6:59 pm. Approval of Minutes Mangold moved, seconded by Springer to approve the February 17 minutes, with edits suggested by Mangold. Approved, ayes all. Action Items Lincoln Athletic Complex Renovation Concept Plan Topitzhofer acknowledged Jabs, Chair of the Lincoln Task Force. Jabs acknowledged the other members of the Task Force in attendance, as well as architect Kevin Busch. Busch presented the renovation plan that was approved by the task force (they had considered at least five different options), which featured four fields, a concession building, and a playground in the middle. Busch said that four bathroom fixtures for women and three for men are proposed in the central building. Busch said that the group has discussed getting the cost estimate down to $1.5 million from the current estimate of approximately $1.7 million. Busch was asked about lighting; he said that the parking lot and some pedestrian-type areas are lit. Ness asked about the trees that would need removal; Busch said that it’s possible that some of the trees along the west edge may need removal, but hopefully, it will only affect trees that may need removal anyway. He also said that some trees on the south end will need to be removed for the parking lot, as well as others for drainage purposes. Topitzhofer asked for the reaction of the group. Ness said that the plan appears to be a significant improvement to the park that will also affect the programming at the site. Bornholdt asked about the locking policy; Topitzhofer said that the CSC will discuss that later in the meeting; he said that other fenced Richfield athletic fields are locked. Christian said that the playfeatures will be accessible at all times. Topitzhofer said that the group met prior to this meeting to discuss cutting costs; Christian said that the group hopes that bids will come in lower than expected. Topitzhofer was asked if there are any things in the project that staff or volunteers could do to save money; he said that there may be ways, but much of it needs to be done by a contractor who can provide a warranty to the City. Charnitz asked what kind of public comments were received on February 25; Jabs said that the comments were largely positive, with a few questions about parking, which, Jabs said, is an issue for which the athletic associations will need to take more responsibility. Topitzhofer said that enforcement of parking laws would be stepped up to prevent parking violations, especially at the beginning of each season. A member of the task force said that parents and coaches will need to communicate to determine ideal overflow parking situations and to promote carpooling. Another member said that, with this more efficient, structured parking plan, overflow parking may not be as heavy as it currently is. Charnitz asked if the path from the north side of the complex could be scaled back to save money; Busch said that this path design was especially favored by the maintenance staff. Schmidt moved, seconded by Christian, to recommend Council approval of the Lincoln Renovation Plan as presented. Approved, ayes all. Discussion Items Athletic Complex Locking Policy White said that a survey was taken of several other municipal park and recreation departments. White said that 16 of Richfield’s parks are accessible to the public for a baseball/softball-type use. White explained that parks and fields aren’t always use as intended. He said that baseball/softball fields often need to be dragged after heavy usage, and are often used as off-leash dog facilities and leave dog waste behind. Charnitz asked if fields would be locked year-round, all week, etc. White said that fields are usually locked before, during, and after the season. Topitzhofer said that, at a minimum, the fields would be locked all the time during the season. Ness suggested trying to leave a field unlocked after the season; Jabs agreed that it could be tried. Charnitz said that it would be a shame to prevent any pickup players from being able to play. White said that the City is operating with minimal personnel and even maintenance issues that seem small can be very time-consuming. He said that seeding a field requires keeping people off the field. Topitzhofer asked Charnitz if he would be comfortable with locking the fields during the season; he said yes, adding that he’s in favor of testing the results of unlocking fields after the season. Christian said that staff may need to be flexible because there isn’t much extra green space outside of the fences at Lincoln. He said that staff may need to determine a way to leave at least one field unlocked some of the year. White agreed, saying that there is more space to play outside of the fences at Roosevelt and Donaldson. Christian said that there is a lot of summer left after the seasons end, so some access for pickup games would be great. Jabs suggested that testing an unlocked field could be tried at Roosevelt, rather than Lincoln because of the new turf. Charnitz asked about signage regarding dogs; Topitzhofer said that there is signage saying that dogs must be on a leash. Topitzhofer said that the group seems to be suggesting opening one field at Lincoln in the off-season next year; this year, the fields will not be locked at all. Staff Reports Recreation Services Topitzhofer introduced Wood Lake Nature Center Manager Shragg to talk more about the bike trail being proposed in the arterial study to run alongside the east side of the Nature Center. Shragg explained that the Nature Center has three miles of walking trails fitted into 150 acres. She said that the mission of Wood Lake’s trails are to provide encounters with the natural world; she said that bikes would be an incompatible usage. She said that fitting bike trails into the space would require tree removal, which is adverse to wildlife habitat; staff even converted a section of the park on the east side to forest that had previously been used by bikers. She said that Wood Lake promotes bike safety and use through their bike hikes, and any biking outside of the fence would be fine, but within the park boundaries, biking would not work in Wood Lake. Ness said that if the bike trail does run along Wood Lake’s east side, down Lake Shore Drive, and up to the Richfield Lake area, it may even raise awareness about Wood Lake. Topitzhofer announced that Joe Hoover has resigned from the CSC in order to focus more on work. Shragg mentioned the 19th Annual FOWL Dinner on Friday, May 1. Topitzhofer said that, in response to the State’s budget deficit, a full-time staff person was cut in Recreation Services. 2010-2014 Capital Improvement Plan Topitzhofer said that the Council directed staff to postpone capital projects in 2009, concerned that the public may not approve of such projects in a year when budget cuts are being made. Topitzhofer said that several projects previously proposed for 2009 have been postponed, focusing on repaying the pool and Lincoln renovation projects. Christian asked about the park maintenance items being cut back to $50,000 for a few years; Topitzhofer said that this would be spent in case of emergency or a safety-related improvement. Christian moved, seconded by Schmidt, to recommend Council approval of the 2009-2014 capital improvement plan as presented. Approved, ayes all. Committee Reports Transportation Commission: Charnitz provided the report. FOWL: Bornholdt provided the report. Honoring All Veterans Memorial, Inc: Schmidt and Topitzhofer provided the report. Planning Commission: Springer provided the report. Adjournment Schmidt moved, seconded by Mangold, to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:32 pm. Next Meeting Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Richfield Community Center March 3, 2009 DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CSC.