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09-26-2023 PRC MinutesCHANHASSEN PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 Chair Vasatka called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. City Manager Kim Meuwissen administered the oath of office for the new Youth Commissioner, Nischay Pattanashetty. MEMBERS PRESENT: Don Vasatka, Chair; Heather Markert, Vice Chair; Dan Eidsmo; Matt Kutz; Jim Peck; Scott Pharis; and Youth Commissioner Nischay Pattanashetty. MEMBERS ABSENT: Rob Swanson. STAFF PRESENT: Jerry Ruegemer, Park and Recreation Director; Adam Beers, Park Superintendent; Priya Tandon, Recreation Manager; Mitchell Czech, Recreation Supervisor; Jodi Sarles, Rec Center Manager; Mary Blazanin, Senior Center Coordinator; and Kim Meuwissen, City Clerk. PUBLIC PRESENT: None. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Commissioner Markert moved, Commissioner Peck seconded to approve the agenda as presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 7 to 0. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: Jerry Ruegemer, Park and Recreation Director, apologized for tonight’s weather, which canceled the park ribbon-cutting event, which will not be rescheduled. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS: None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. Approve Park & Recreation Minutes dated August 22, 2023 Commissioner Pharis moved, Commissioner Peck seconded to approve the minutes of the Park and Recreation Commission meeting dated August 22, 2023 as presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 7 to 0. GENERAL BUSINESS: Park and Recreation Commission Minutes – September 26, 2023 2 1. 2023-2024 Ice Skating Rink Location Recommendations Mitchell Czech, Recreation Supervisor, shared the staff recommendation to flood 11 ice rinks at six locations, with four staffed warming houses. Staff recommends eliminating the warming house at Roundhouse Park due to limited use. It previously hosted modified hours on weekends and there were only 28 people who visited the rink during the staffed hours throughout the season. The remaining rinks will remain the same in terms of hours. He reviewed the expenses of staff wages and rink maintenance from last year. He also reviewed the letter sent to residents in the Roundhouse Park neighborhood and shared neighborhood feedback regarding the closure. Commissioner Markert asked if the hours and amenities for each ice rink location are identified on the website. Mr. Czech shared that this information, along with ice conditions, is placed on the website and on social media. Commissioner Markert recommended sharing a map of the city with the ice rink locations marked to help residents. Mr. Ruegemer shared there is an ice rink map and page on their website. Commissioner Markert recommended also placing this information on social media. Commissioner Kutz asked if the financial savings from the Roundhouse Ice Rink could be placed into maintenance for other ice rinks with increased warming spells. Mr. Czech shared that the money would be allocated to the general fund. He stated staff does overnight ice rink flooding, but since the rinks are on blacktop surfaces there is only so much staff can do during warm spells. Commissioner Eidsmo asked how the blacktop surfaces are utilized during the off-season. Mr. Czech stated there was some usage, such as roller hockey, but limited groups use the spaces. Mr. Czech shared blacktop surfaces are used because they are the most cost-effective. Mr. Kutz stated they had previously discussed painting the surface white or using liners. Mr. Ruegemer explained color did not make a large difference. The asphalt surface is best for creating the rinks since it is porous. Chair Vasatka asked about the lighting for the family rink at Pioneer Park, which limits usage to before 5 p.m. He asked what it would take to place modified lighting at the park. Mr. Ruegemer explained he met with an electrician at Pioneer Pass to consider lighting options at the ice rink. The labor would be $6,800. He did not know if this would be viable, but it could be considered as a budgetary item in future years. Mr. Ruegemer also explored solar options but hasn’t found a good solution. Commissioner Markert moved, Commissioner Scott seconded to approve the Park and Recreation Staff’s recommendation for the ice rinks for the 2023-2024 season. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 7 to 0. 2. Request to Install a Sand Volleyball Court at Pheasant Hills Park Park and Recreation Commission Minutes – September 26, 2023 3 Mr. Ruegemer shared a resident request from Ms. Walstrom to add a sand volleyball court to Pheasant Hills Park. The park hosts a playground, picnic shelter, basketball court, and a trail. Mr. Ruegemer stated there were previously sand volleyball courts at various neighborhood park locations, but these were removed due to limited usage. There are sand volleyball courts at community park locations. Pheasant Hills Park does not have a parking area, which creates a challenge for access to the sand volleyball court. He stated installing the sand volleyball court would take limited resources. Commissioner Markert asked if this would be located on the grass portion at the park. She did not want to eliminate the grass area. Mr. Ruegemer stated there are sometimes unscheduled soccer practices at the park. Commissioner Peck asked if the court would be lit to help with usage. Mr. Ruegemer stated it would not be lit. Chair Vasatka asked about the condition of the other neighborhood sand volleyball court at Chanhassen Hills Park. Mr. Ruegemer stated it has weeds growing in it, which could indicate limited use. Commissioner Kutz asked where the community sand volleyball courts were in relation to this park. Mr. Ruegemer shared Lake Ann was the closest option. Commissioner Pharis asked how requests like this were normally handled and if there were any studies completed. Mr. Ruegemer stated they would consider requests and sometimes they receive multiple requests. Commissioner Markert asked if there could be communication sent to the neighborhoods to ask about the interest in the courts, and whether that would be worthwhile. Chair Vasatka stated the cost could be larger than installing the court and asked how frequently the community courts were utilized. Mr. Ruegemer stated these are getting used often. Chair Vasatka shared it would be more beneficial to include a new sand volleyball court where there would be parking so other residents could utilize the amenities. Mr. Kutz agreed. Mr. Peck said the requester should show neighborhood support for the idea. REPORTS: 4. Senior Center Quarterly Update Mary Blazanin, Senior Center Coordinator, is giving her Senior Center Quarterly Report first, item H4. She reported that all of the summer Senior Center trips were sold out and the larger events were well-attended, such as the Lions Picnic and riverboat cruises. She shared that there are educational classes offered year-round, but fewer during the summer months. The classes were well-attended over the summer. She mentioned the helpful partnership with Tech Help and the Sheriff’s Department, and the art classes. Ms. Blazanin discussed the issue of rising food costs affecting seniors’ budgets and a new partnership with Humanity Alliance. The Commission on Aging is interested in working on the issue. Mr. Kutz mentioned leftover food from community events. Commissioner Markert stated Park and Recreation Commission Minutes – September 26, 2023 4 the school system has extra food and she wondered if the Senior Center could benefit. Ms. Blazanin did not know if this would be a good fit at this time for the Senior Center to manage. 1. Recreation Center Quarterly Update Jodi Sarles, Rec Center Manager, stated the air conditioning was fixed in the facility. Some new weight equipment is on order. They hosted Community Day on August 19. This was not as well- attended due to the heat, but was enjoyed. The Barnyard Boogie was successful with 100 more attendees than last year. They are holding 24 dance classes with 188 enrollments, with 41 new dancers. The pickleball lessons have started. The outdoor pickleball courts have been fixed. She shared the Bone Adventure with Chucks and Don’s is ongoing for pet owners. Next Wednesday is the Healthy, Fit, and Thriving Expo for healthy aging. Carver County Public Health will be offering flu shots and updated Covid shots. Commissioner Peck asked if individuals scheduled a time to play pickleball at the outdoor courts. Ms. Sarles stated people rotate and use their paddles to claim a court for the next game. 2. 2023 Lake Ann Park Concession and Watercraft Rental Evaluation Mr. Czech shared that paddleboard rentals are the most popular rental. The Grey Duck Outdoor partnership for paddleboards continued and they look forward to continuing that next year. They also have new additions: a tandem kayak, digital menu boards, and a partnership with Boba Tonka Bubble Tea. The Square credit card readers have continued to be a beneficial feature, accounting for 63% of revenue. Reinstating the Concession Manager position was valuable, and he hopes to fill this position again next summer. He wants to consider paddleboard lessons or paddleboard yoga for next summer. Another idea is an evening option next year where individuals can rent boats later than 6 p.m. on a trial basis for one night a week. Commissioner Markert asked if it would be helpful to have a how-to video on an iPad for paddle boards if they could not find someone to host lessons. Mr. Czech stated his staff is trained in the basics to get individuals started, but lessons could help increase customer comfort with use. Chair Vasatka asked why we do not own the paddleboards, while we own the other watercraft. Mr. Ruegemer explained the upfront costs of the paddleboards were high when they originally started renting them, and partnerships were a cost-effective way to test the waters. Chair Vasatka asked if we were ever sold out and needed to rent more or less paddleboards. Mr. Czech shared the paddleboards were only all rented out simultaneously on two occasions. Mr. Czech also highlighted the rental company provides all the maintenance and storage for the paddleboards. 3. Park Maintenance Quarterly Update Adam Beers, Park Superintendent, stated the South Lotus playground was installed about a month ago and the neighborhood is happy with it. They received the playground for Sugar Bush Park and Recreation Commission Minutes – September 26, 2023 5 Park and are removing the previous playground so they can install the new playground soon. The baseball field at Lake Susan has been redone. Magic Turf helped restore the baseball field to help prevent injuries and improve the playing experience. The Chanhassen Athletic Association is donating $5,000 toward the restoration. Bandimere Park Field 1 is currently out of circulation for maintenance. They are working on fall fertilizing, tree pruning, and irrigation shutdown. He stated seasonal employees do a lot of work to help with park maintenance and are an important part of the operation. Commissioner Markert shared there was a lot of excitement for the Sugar Bush Park playground and asked for the installation date. Mr. Beers stated within the next two weeks, weather permitting. Commissioner Eidsmo asked if the Baseball Association had discussed baseball scoreboards with staff. Mr. Beers said there had been no active discussion. Commissioner Eidsmo said someone on the Baseball Association board had talked about paying for new scoreboard equipment. 5. Lake Ann Park Preserve Update Mr. Ruegemer stated they will likely go to bid for the project in November of 2023, to begin work in late winter. The City Council approved the Phase 2 funding for this project last night. He stated the boardwalks and bridge at the Preserve will be done in 2024. The boardwalks’ initially proposed lengths were reduced after soil sampling, which will help save costs in the project. He plans to share a longer update at the next meeting and the next steps of the project. He explained that playground and trail project funding originally planned for next year will go towards the Lake Ann Park Preserve in 2024, so those projects will likely see updates in 2025. COMMISSION MEMBER COMMITTEE REPORTS: None. COMMISSION MEMBER PRESENTATIONS: None. ADMINISTRATIVE PRESENTATIONS: None. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Markert moved, Commissioner Eidsmo seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 7 to 0. The Park and Recreation Commission meeting was adjourned at 7:27 p.m. Submitted by Jerry Ruegemer Park and Recreation Director