2017-06 CSCRICHFIELD COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION
DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CSC.REGULAR COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Richfield Municipal Center (6700 Portland Ave)
PRESENT
CSC: Reed Bornholdt, Art Felgate, Anne Basso, Michele Thompson, Emma Nollenberger, Dan Smieja, Lisa Rudolph, Carolyn Engeldinger, Joannette Cintrón de Núñez </wCOUNCIL: Edwina Garcia
STAFF: Jim Topitzhofer, John Evans </w:t
ABSENT
CSC: Danielle Indovino Cawley, Darwin Schaeferlane < </PLAN COM: Rick Jabs </SCHOOL BOARD: Crystal Brakke
Call to Order
Chair Bornholdt called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
Approval of Minutes
Rudolph moved, seconded by Smieja, to approve the minutes of the regular May meeting minutes. <Approved, ayes all.
Basso moved, seconded by Rudolph, to approve the agenda for tonight’s meeting. Approved, ayes all.
Staff Reports
Recreation Services
Topitzhofer reported on the following:
Memorial Day Event: <Good speaker, some rain, but went well.
Pool Opening: Good numbers so far.<
Temporary Crosswalk Projects: Pilot crosswalk projects have been setup< on Nicollet Avenue by the library.
Staff Master Parks Plan Workshop Summary: Reviewed the notes from the staff brainstorming workshop. These and other notes will be compiled and brought to the CSC for further feedback.
Action Items
Taft Lake Kayak & Canoe Launch
Topitzhofer reviewed the proposed kayak and canoe launch being proposed for Taft Lake, in cooperation with Three Rivers Park District. He said that an ADA-compliant walking path was
installed from Bloomington Avenue two years ago and that path would lead down to this launch, which has rollers and railings; the equipment would be reservable online and self-service
at the site. Rudolph asked if the City would incur any expenses; Topitzhofer said that the City would not have maintenance responsibilities. He said that the agreement hasn’t been determined
with Three Rivers yet, but the City would write in some kind of compensation if maintenance or repair was necessary, since Three Rivers would get the revenue from it. Rudolph asked if
watercraft would be inspected by the DNR at this site; Topitzhofer said that he will ask about that when he contacts the DNR about changing our ordinance to allow watercraft. Felgate
moved, seconded by Basso, to approve the Taft Lake Kayak and Canoe Launch Concept Plan. Approved, ayes all.
Discussion Items
Capital Improvement Plan
Topitzhofer reviewed the mandated replacement of the existing refrigeration system at the two rinks and its impact on the City’s capital improvement plan. He said that the mandate dominates
the capital improvement project and makes other projects nearly impossible for several years to come. Topitzhofer said that he has been looking into a park dedication ordinance, which
would allow the City to tack on a fee to residential or commercial development to help fund park development and improvements. He said that, when the State of Minnesota passed the park
dedication statute, Richfield was fully developed, so it’s a tool that has been used primarily by newer, developing communities. Topitzhofer recommended postponing the arena refrigeration
item from the capital improvement plan and revisiting the plan. Basso asked how significant the fee would be for developers; Topitzhofer said that the fee is determined by each City
and would be based on a City’s needs and how much funding is still needed, after liquor store revenue, for park capital improvements. Smieja said that developers are probably familiar
with these fees from other communities. Felgate asked if existing businesses would be affected; Topitzhofer said no, just new developers approaching the City with projects, who would
pay a one-time park dedication fee, based on square footage for commercial and number of dwellings for residential. Felgate asked if any business types would be exempt; Topitzhofer
said that the City can determine how to apply the fees. Brakke said that the key might be to find an amount that would meet our needs, but wouldn’t dissuade development from happening.
Topitzhofer said that the revision of the Comprehensive Plan is a perfect time to introduce a park dedication ordinance. Smieja asked if we have a list of comparable communities, like
inner-ring suburbs, and their dedication fees. Topitzhofer said that there is a well-kept list of area cities that use park and trail dedication fees, like Edina and Bloomington. Cintrón
de Núñez said that Richfield is a desirable market for development, so we can probably afford to ask for these fees. Felgate agreed that there is a need for more funds, with the available
amount dropping to $150,000 for the foreseeable future. Topitzhofer said that the City is at their cap for bond issuance and won’t be able to introduce a bond referendum until 2021.
Rudolph said that there may be opportunities for the City and the School District to work together on projects, like a community center. Topitzhofer said that he will postpone the arena
refrigeration project; in 2020, the old refrigerant can no longer be purchased and would have to be stockpiled. Rudolph asked what the plan will be for the Arena. Topitzhofer said that
we should revisit the capital improvement plan without the Arena project and see where we sit for available funds. Felgate and Brakke agreed that this is a better way to assess the need.
Felgate said that it would be a bad situation to upgrade the rink and find that we are lacking in funds to even maintain the parks. Brakke said that it may also be short-sighted to
rush into selling the Arena without evaluating the lost revenue over 10 or 20 years. Basso and Smieja said that it could be that the community is changing and the Arena may not be serving
much of Richfield’s residents anymore. Engeldinger said that Richfield has a rich hockey legacy from decades ago. Basso, Smieja, and Felgate wondered if this nostalgia was enough to
keep the Arena publicly-owned. Topitzhofer said that the Arena still does serve many of Richfield’s residents and preserving ownership of it may still be viable.
Committee Reports
Transportation Commission: Felgate provided the report.Friends of Wood Lake: Engeldinger provided the report.
Planning Commission: Cintrón de Núñez provided the report.Arts Commission: Rudolph provided the report.
Friendship City Commission: Topitzhofer reported on the upcoming statue dedication ceremony on Saturday, June 24, for the new Sofia sculpture in Heredia Park.
Next Meeting/Adjournment
Regular July Meeting </wTuesday, July 18, 7:00 pm, Richfield Municipal Center (6700 Portland Ave)
Adjournment </w: Rudolph moved, seconded by Cintrón de Núñez, to adjourn. Meeting adjourned by consensus at 8:13.
June 20, 2017