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2013-06 CSCJune 18, 2013 REGULAR COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, June 18, 2013 Richfield Community Center (7000 Nicollet Ave) PRESENT CSC: Gerry Charnitz, Greg Mangold, Arlan Nelson, Andrew Seffrood, Reed Bornholdt, Terry Heinze, Tracy Hollenback STAFF: Jim Topitzhofer, John Evans ABSENT CSC: Michele Thompson, Bob Shotwell, Dan Edgerton, LuAnn Werner COUNCIL: Edwina Garcia PLAN COM: Tom Rublein Call to Order/Approval of Minutes Charnitz called the meeting to order at 7:02 pm. Nelson moved, seconded by Bornholdt, to approve the minutes of the regular May meeting. Approved, ayes all. Other Items Topitzhofer added the Community Garden Relocation discussion item. Staff Reports Topitzhofer reported on the Honoring All Veterans Memorial Day Ceremony on May 27. He also reported that the Council has directed staff to proceed with proposals to bring the MN Magicians hockey team to the Richfield Ice Arena and arrange a public hearing to for the issuance of bonds for the Arena site improvements. Discussion Items Community Garden Relocation Topitzhofer said that the Richfield Community Gardens is located at 59th Street and 28th Avenue on Metro Airport property. The plots sell out each year, but there have been thefts at the site and it is located a good distance from Richfield, making it less convenient for maintenance and for Richfield residents. Topitzhofer said that he had considered Adams Hill Park as a potential location, but asked the group for their thoughts. Hollenback asked if the site would be fenced and if there would be a budget for that; Topitzhofer said that it may be fenced and there would be several one-time expenses, like water spigots and fencing. Nelson mentioned that Adams Hill is mostly gravel underneath the grass; Hollenback said that it’s prone to flooding, which may be a negative. Bornholdt asked about Garfield Park; Topitzhofer said that it’s Richfield’s most under-utilized parks. Seffrood said that Adams Hill is heavily-used by families and some athletic groups, so he would not want to disrupt that type of usage. Hollenback said that it’s a favorite sledding hill and even some cricket play, but the building area is under-utilized. Topitzhofer said that the building will be demolished someday. Charnitz asked if the northeast corner of Roosevelt Park would work. Topitzhofer said that it could work; it’s visible, has parking, water, and the City just bought the northeast lot. He said that some other parks, like Taft and Donaldson, may have space. He said that he would put together a site score sheet with different criteria for the group to consider. Summer Concerts Site Survey Topitzhofer showed the group a draft of the survey that volunteers (some CSC members) will hand out at the park concerts that are held at Veterans Park and Lyndale Gardens. He said that the Lyndale Gardens site has quite a bit of brush, long grass, and uneven ground at the site where a stage has been proposed; if maintenance can’t prepare the site, the concert may be held in the parking lot. He asked if the survey was clear. Hollenback suggested more direct subjective words rather than numbers for the ratings to provide a clearer response to the different qualities. Charnitz suggested that the poster boards of different band shells not show any projects that are outside of the scope or budget of what Richfield is considering. Topitzhofer asked for volunteers for each night; Heinze, Nelson, Bornholdt, and Charnitz said that they would try to attend all of them. Hollenback said that she can attend July 24 and August 2. Mangold suggested putting it in context of these sites being proposed band shell sites. Charnitz suggested that Jim get up on stage and mention the site evaluation process as the reason for the survey. Boating Access to Bodies of Water in Richfield Topitzhofer said that, in response to the questions from resident Ken Severson at the last CSC meeting, he considered the difficult or unsafe access to many of Richfield’s stormwater ponds, particularly those surrounded by private property. Heinze recalled that Severson mentioned that other surrounding communities allow boat access. Hollenback said that there must be different limitations and laws, like the size of a body of water, the size of a boat, etc. Charnitz asked about the plans for Taft. Topitzhofer said that the plans for changes at Taft would include boat access and would involve ordinance changes regardless of any changes in boat-access laws at other bodies of water. Topitzhofer asked if the group would recommend that he pursue more information about boat access on other bodies of water. The group, by consensus, said that, considering the plans for Taft, Topitzhofer should not pursue allowing access on other bodies of water in Richfield. Charnitz said that he mentioned access to Wood Lake Nature Center, in particular, but environmental concerns might forbid it. Topitzhofer said that Nature Center Manager Karen Shragg made it clear that the natural habitat would be disturbed by boaters on Wood Lake. Nelson said that many of Richfield’s bodies of water may be considered unsuitable for swimming and human contact because they are run-off ponds filled with various harmful chemicals. Topitzhofer said that Severson asked about inconsistencies in the law; Mangold suggested that it may be worth reading about inconsistencies in the law. Hollenback said that she would be curious to hear what Edina’s water access laws are. Bornholdt said that the proposed project at Taft, including the landing construction, is a response to his question about allowing boat access on a body of water in Richfield. Organized Garbage Collection Charnitz said that he wanted to review what happened with the vote at the May meeting. Topitzhofer said that he approached the City Attorney with the circumstances of the vote and she determined that the motion did not pass. Hollenback asked for clarification on DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CSC. June 18, 2013 what the new State laws now allow. Mangold said that the passage of the State law allows for the City to approach current haulers to ask for a proposal for an organized hauling program, rather than needing a Council resolution to proceed. Mangold said that it would still require a public hearing to adopt organized hauling. Charnitz said that, perhaps in advance of future votes, any members who feel under-informed should get the necessary information rather than abstain. Others suggested that a member always has the right to abstain from a vote for any reason. Hollenback said that she understood Charnitz to mean that any member who needs information regarding an upcoming vote should ask for it and prepare to vote. Nelson said that it’s valuable to look at what other cities have done or considered and learn from them. Seffrood asked if the Council is aware of the fact that the motion failed in May; Topitzhofer said that they are aware and Council Member Edwina Garcia was present for the CSC vote in May. Action Items 2014-2018 Capital Improvement Plan Revision Topitzhofer said that he had made a few adjustments after the last CSC meeting, pertaining to some of the safety-related items that the CSC had moved up in priority, and the revised plan requires an additional vote. He said that staff examined the Vets Park play equipment up close and, after pulling some unsafe equipment, determined that the project should wait until next year after soil studies and public meetings are held. He said that, with some other projects adjusted, the current proposal is the most feasible way to address the projects according to how they have been prioritized. He asked for a motion to adopt the revised capital improvement plan. Hollenback moved, seconded by Nelson, to adopt the revised capital improvement plan. Approved, ayes all. Committee Reports Band Shell Committee: Bornholdt provided the report; mentioned the surveys at the concerts. Topitzhofer asked the group if there were any objections to inviting members of the Band Shell Committee to help hand out surveys (no objections). Arts Commission: Topitzhofer reported that a sculpture made out of bicycles is being considered for the Art Center. He said that the Friendship City Commission is proposing a sculpture from Heredia, Costa Rica, for Heredia Park. He said that the Arts Commission is also considering a statue of a hockey player at the Ice Arena as part of the improvements there. Next Meeting/Adjournment Regular July Meeting Tuesday, July 16, 7:00 pm, Richfield Community Center (7000 Nicollet Ave). Hollenback moved, seconded by Nelson, to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:46 pm.