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2014-03 CSCMarch 18, 2014 REGULAR COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, March 18, 2014 Richfield Community Center (7000 Nicollet Ave) PRESENT CSC: Carolyn Engeldinger, Crystal Brakke, Arlan Nelson, Reed Bornholdt, Terry Heinze, Michele Thompson STAFF: Jim Topitzhofer, John Evans COUNCIL: Edwina Garcia ABSENT CSC: Dan Edgerton, Tracy Hollenback, Teresa Kruse PLAN COM: Tom Rublein Call to Order/Approval of Minutes/Introductions Charnitz called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the regular February meeting. Approved, ayes all. Members introduced themselves to new member, Engeldinger. Staff Reports Recreation Services Topitzhofer reported on the following: Roosevelt Park Shelter Donation: Richfield Baseball Inc. will be donating funds to construct a new park shelter at the park. MN Magicians & Arena Improvements: Arena improvements are progressing, but parts of the project are on hold at this time; some aspects of the project are more expensive than anticipated, so it will be resumed in future phases. Nelson suggested better marketing to get the word out about Magicians games. Community Gardens: The Gardens will not be relocated at this time, but stealing and trespassing will be curtailed by issuing photo IDs and with enforcement help from airport police. Heavy water use will be controlled with timed water spigots. Also, bilingual sings regarding trespassing laws will be prominently posted. Open Streets at Penn Fest: Blue Cross Blue Shield will not give us a grant this year, but the Council approved funding for 2014. Action Items Appointment of Liaisons (continued from February) In absentia, Edgerton volunteered to be the Transportation Commission Liaison. Engeldinger volunteered as the liaison to the Planning Commission. Thompson moved, seconded by Brakke, to appoint Edgerton and Engeldinger to these assignments. Approved, ayes all. Discussion Items Taft Fishery Grant Application Topitzhofer said that a grant was received from the Minnehaha Watershed District to make improvements to the Taft Lake area, including vacating the road around the lake and installing inlets, filters, and other infrastructure that will improve the quality of the stormwater stored in the lake. He said that the MN DNR has adopted the lake as a neighborhood fishery and has stocked the lake for the past three years. He said that staff has applied for a DNR grant to fund other fishery improvements, including improvements to the existing pier, installing of shoreline blocks for casting from the shore, new walking path, and possibly construction of a park shelter. He said that the hope is to attract families who fish together as a recreational activity. Brakke asked if there would be funds left over from the $120,000 with the picnic shelter. Topitzhofer said that, with the shelter and the hiring of a consultant to do project management, that will use all $120,000. Brakke asked if the DNR has indicated Richfield’s chance of getting the grant. Topitzhofer said that the DNR are very involved with improvements to Taft Lake thus far, so that may help our chances. Nelson said that the DNR has dredged and stocked the lake for many years, so they have great interest in the site. Topitzhofer said that Home Depot has been very involved with our Ice Fishing Derby and may get involved with the construction end of the project, as well. Topitzhofer said that the improvements emphasize access to the lake and promoting the ease of access for recreational purposes. Veterans Park Play Equipment Topitzhofer said that the play equipment is 23 years old and the replacement of play equipment typically involves holding a neighborhood meeting to find out their preferences, but Veterans Park is classified as a community park with broader interest than a neighborhood meeting. He said that, for a playground of this size, he suggests a different process, where a subset of the CSC would make recommendations to the larger group regarding the equipment, then the public can be invited to provide their input. Brakke asked if there may be disadvantages to following a different process. Bornholdt said that residents who live closest to the park may regard the park as belonging to them; Garcia and Thompson said that some of these residents may discourage a broader segment of the public from voicing their opinions. Engeldinger said that, considering that it’s replacement of existing equipment rather than new construction, there may not be as much controversy about the project. Topitzhofer said that many of the neighbors closest to the park regard the park as a wildlife sanctuary and are vocal about the impacts on wildlife at the park. He said that staff will post questions about the project on Richfield Connect and use the feedback to assemble an RFP, then have volunteers from the CSC help score the proposals based on the RFP. He said that the project would not disrupt the 2014 play season. Committee Reports Band Shell Task Force: Bornholdt provided the report. He said that fundraising efforts are underway. FOWL: Brakke provided the report. Planning Commission: Garcia provided the report. Arts Commission: Thompson provided the report. Next Meeting/Adjournment Regular April Meeting Tuesday, April 15, 7:00 pm, Richfield Community Center (7000 Nicollet Ave). Thompson moved, seconded by Nelson, to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:10 pm. DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CSC.