2024-03 CSCRICHFIELD COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION
DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE CSC.REGULAR COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Richfield Municipal Center
PRESENT
CSC:Adam Kerekes, Tessa Johanson, Hayley Tompkins, Grace Bronken, David Vrieze Daniels, Mike Devane, Jeff Klein, Kris Anderson, BJ Skoog
STAFF: Karl Huemiller (Recreation Director), John Evans (Secretary)
ABSENT
CSC: Jessica Johnson-Kreps, Jim Reilly
CALL TO ORDER/APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chair Johanson called the meeting to order at 7:05. <Johanson moved, seconded by Devane, to approve the minutes of the February 20 regular meeting. Approved, ayes all.
STAFF REPORTS
Recreation Services
Huemiller provided the staff update:
Scott Ramsay retiring. Recruiting for that position and interviewing for recreation manager position.
Splash pad contract awarded. Scheduled to open in July.
Wood Lake Building Project making progress. RFP for construction manager.
Working on Donaldson Park; applied for a grant for the play equipment.
Seeking feedback about design ideas for the Donaldson building. Will apply for Hennepin County Facilities Grant.
Local Sales Tax information public information campaign is underway.
Skate Park expansion should start in the next few weeks.
Fee Assistance Program. $14k allocated to people, about $2,500 used towards programming.
Maple Syruping at Wood Lake is wrapping up (very early this year)
Adult Basketball League is wrapping up.
Rain barrel sales begin soon.
Roosevelt Park Cell Tower: talked with Verizon about site plan. 494 project will affect the intersection near the park, as well as the sound wall on the edge of the park, so the tower
is on hold.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
2025-2030 Recreation Capital Improvement Plan
Huemiller provided a summary of the plan. He outlined the plan to update the parks master plan, which was last updated in 2018. Many of the facilities have changed since then, as well
as the needs of the community. Adams Hill Park playground was postponed to 2027 after a master park plan can be established. Huemiller said that the playgrounds are monitored with a
goal of replacing them after 25 years, so they are in rotation throughout the city (21 play lots). Anderson asked about the dredging of Adams Hill Pond; Huemiller said it will begin
in Fall 2024. A member asked how a project is determined for the major maintenance item. Huemiller said that, for the general major maintenance items in the plan, staff makes an ongoing
assessment of infrastructure needs and can even make use of liquor store revenue as matching funds for grants. Anderson said that neighbors are looking to do improvements at Jefferson
Park; are grants an option. Huemiller said that the City will work hand-in-hand with them to define the project, apply for grants, etc. Anderson said that grassroots efforts like these
may be a way to approach projects in the future. Skoog asked if the major maintenance items will be affected by the Local Sales Tax, if that’s approved. Huemiller said that it may change
a few things, but those are ongoing maintenance items that are too expensive for the operating budget, like a recent compressor that needed replacing at the Ice Arena for $5,000. Any
major maintenance funds that aren’t used can be placed in reserves to spend in future years. Devane asked how this plan differs from last year’s plan. Huemiller said that a few of the
play equipment replacement projects have been pushed out a little further, mainly to re-address those after the parks master plan is complete. A few of the park building removals and
park shelter constructions were combined and labeled as Major Maintenance items to give ourselves more flexibility to alter the plan between now and then. Devane asked if tennis court
resurfacing will always include Pickleball striping. Huemiller said that court resurfacing is so expensive, the discussion was put on hold for a while. Huemiller said that he would return
with it in April for the CSC to consider recommendation of approval.
ACTION ITEMS
Friends of Wood Lake Board Reappointment
Vrieze Daniels, seconded by Skoog, to reappoint Patrick Bergin to the FOWL Board. Approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
TRANSPORTATION – Devane
PLANNING – Kerekes
ARTS – Skoog
SUSTAINABILITY – Anderson
OTHER/NEXT MEETING/ADJOURNMENT
Huemiller said that staff has discussed opening multiple gates around the Wood Lake perimeter fence, like at Bryant Avenue, Emerson Lane, and a few other locations. Vrieze Daniels said
it seems like a good thing to offer more access; he suggested some trial openings to see how it goes.
Regular April Meeting: Tuesday, April 16, 7:00 pm, Municipal Center (possible meeting at a park in May)
Adjournment: Meeting adjourned by consensus at 7:57 pm.
March 19, 2024