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10-24-2023 PRC MinutesCHANHASSEN PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 24, 2023 Chair Vasatka called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Don Vasatka, Chair; Heather Markert, Vice Chair; Jim Peck; Rob Swanson; Scott Pharis; and Youth Commissioner Nischay Pattanashetty. MEMBERS ABSENT: Dan Eidsmo, Matt Kutz. STAFF PRESENT: Jerry Ruegemer, Park and Recreation Director; Priya Tandon, Recreation Manager; Mitchell Czech, Recreation Supervisor. PUBLIC PRESENT: None. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Commissioner Peck moved, Commissioner Markert seconded to approve the agenda as presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 6 to 0. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: None. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS: None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. Approve Park & Recreation Minutes dated September 26, 2023 Commissioner Pharis moved, Commissioner Swanson seconded to approve the minutes of the Park and Recreation Commission meeting dated September 26, 2023 as presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 6 to 0. GENERAL BUSINESS: 1. Lake Ann Preserve Update Jerry Ruegemer, Park and Recreation Director, shared a project update on Lake Ann Park Preserve. He reviewed aerial photos of the Lake Ann Park Preserve along with neighborhood and road developments across the period of different years. The initial concept and feasibility study for the project have been completed. The design is almost completed, and they plan to go to bid in December. Mr. Ruegemer stated they are starting the permit review process and received a Park and Recreation Commission Minutes – October 24, 2023 2 $250,000 DNR Trail Connection Grant to help cover the costs for the west boardwalk. They received a $158,000 grant to go towards invasive species removal in the project. He shared they are pursuing a Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant over the winter. He reviewed the soil boring results and how they impacted project design. Mr. Ruegemer communicated the project priorities along with the requirements for bridges by the Army Corp of Engineers. Chair Vasatka asked if the trail would have a dead end or feed into a trail loop. Mr. Ruegemer stated the trail will have a dead end with future possibilities of a trail loop. He does not want the trail to intersect with current private property. He shared the existing trail from the north will be fully completed as well. Chair Vasatka asked if the water levels would change and if that would impact the trails. Mr. Ruegemer stated this is not a common occurrence and he is not concerned about the trails flooding. Chair Vasatka asked if Lake Ann drained anywhere. Mr. Ruegemer stated the watershed district is working on a water project to address the drainage and explained the drainage pattern. Chair Vasatka asked if wet areas would be woodchipped or dirt. Mr. Ruegemer stated they considered crushed limestone, but individuals enjoy the natural environment. Chair Vasatka suggested wood chipping in place when trees are cut down. Mr. Ruegemer stated from past experiences, they would not take this approach. Mr. Ruegemer pointed out parking lot access. The parking lot is needed, but a large change for the neighborhood. The parking lot must adhere to ADA guidelines with the slope. The parking lot has 8 to 9 spots. He explained the layout of the trails throughout the preserve. There will be multiple entry points and construction entrances throughout the project. The boardwalks are not designed for a dump truck to go across the boardwalks but will have additional weight support for one-ton trucks for plowing in the winter. Mr. Ruegemer stated the City Council had dedicated $1.3 million to the project. In addition, $1.1 million was added for phase 2 of the project. Lake Ann Preserve will be completed in 2024 and the funding sources are accounted for through the general fund reserves and grants. In future budgets, they could consider amenities such as a fishing pier. Mr. Ruegemer explained the permit fee was paid to the DNR for the boardwalk. He is working with the Met Council so they have access to their interceptor and necessary manholes. He is also working with the watershed district to ensure setbacks and water runoff are properly considered. Commissioner Peck asked if electric bikes would be permitted on the trails. Mr. Ruegemer stated they would not ban electric use, but no motorized vehicles would be permitted. He shared they would be aware of the speed of electric bikes. It is hard to enforce different requirements if they are set. Park and Recreation Commission Minutes – October 24, 2023 3 Commissioner Markert asked what communication was going out to the public regarding the timeline of the project. Mr. Ruegemer stated they updated the park project website. He stated they should check in with the public and share additional information via social media. He has received emails with questions from residents. Commissioner Pharis asked if staff are receiving pushback from residents on the west side regarding the parking lot. Mr. Ruegemer shared this parking lot was previously established prior to the neighborhood development. Commissioner Swanson asked how many bids are often received for the project and if there are factors other than the low bid considered in the decision process. Mr. Ruegemer shared they have some discretion on this based on past experience but the low bid is most often selected. OLD BUSINESS: None. REPORTS: 1. Halloween Party Preview Priya Tandon, Recreation Manager, shared the Halloween party will be held at the Chanhassen Recreation Center on October 28 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This is open to children 12 and under. There are carnival games, trick-or-treating, a live comedy show, hayrides, and crafts. They are anticipating around 800 parents and children attending. Local businesses and high schools are assisting with the event and trick-or-treating. The cost of the event is $6 per child. The special event registration is lower than anticipated, but often people show up and pay the day of the event. The event has been advertised on the city website, social media, advertisements, and through elementary school communication. They are launching an event recap survey to gather feedback and incorporate event improvements. They are going to seek information about where event attendees heard about the event to enhance communication for future events. Commissioner Markert asked if the event would be indoors or outdoors. Ms. Tandon shared that the Halloween party will be indoors, except for the hayride and an additional photo station. The activities will be spread out indoors to help with crowd control. Chair Vasatka stated he appreciated the idea of asking where individuals heard about the event. He was surprised at how successful the boards on the streets are for advertising. Commissioner Markert shared the elementary school communication only displays the first six announcements and parents have to click into the communication to see additional events. Ms. Tandon shared they were the second event in the elementary communication. 2. 2023 Picnic Season Evaluation Park and Recreation Commission Minutes – October 24, 2023 4 Mitchell Czech, Recreation Supervisor, shared the picnic season has concluded. There were 116 picnics held throughout the season. These included family reunions, weddings, graduation parties, and more. The most popular site was the Lakeside Pavilion. Multiple sites generated over $16,000 of revenue and hosted over 10,000 picnickers. He stated there were 65 out of 116 online reservations. Individuals can make reservations online, by phone, by email, or in person. Individuals who reserve the facilities fill out a feedback form. They do not schedule the two pavilions at Lake Ann in June or July during athletic tournaments due to parking restrictions. A few reservations were impacted by the heat index and the air quality index. Mr. Czech reviewed the critiques from the feedback survey. Some individuals stated they were concerned about debris and others requested half-day reservation options but half-day reservation options would be difficult with current facility crew staffing. 3. Establish 2024 Picnic Reservation Fees Mr. Czech stated the reservations will open on Tuesday, January 2. There is an additional maintenance fee for groups of over 100 people, which allows for additional trash and picnic tables. The staff believes these rates are reasonable. Mr. Czech recommended maintaining the full-day rates and not providing half-day options due to staffing availability. The reservation fees were last increased in 2020. He did not recommend increasing the rates as they are aligned with neighboring cities' rates. Chair Vasatka asked if any neighboring communities do half-day reservations. Mr. Czech stated Chaska offers half-day reservations. Chair Vasatka asked what staffing would be needed to make these half-day reservations possible. He suggested allowing the concession workers to help with the rental turnover. Mr. Czech stated the concession workers do not have the tools necessary to help with the trash. Chair Vasatka stated if there were half-day reservations, there would be additional financial gain to help offset the costs. It is a disservice that 3 of the pavilions are shut down multiple weekends due to athletic tournaments, so allowing half-day reservations would be a significant improvement. He suggested exploring half-day reservations for the most popular picnic shelter. He recommended including a question about half-day reservations in the next evaluation. Commissioner Markert asked about the size of the trash receptacles at the pavilions. She also asked about the cost of an industrial-sized dumpster for the summer months to assist with turnover. Mr. Czech stated the current trash receptacles are a similar size to a residential trash bin, but during larger groups, they provide additional receptacles. Mr. Czech was concerned about the aesthetics of an industrial-sized dumpster. Chair Vasatka asked if there could be a storage facility to hold the receptacles to help with turnover while still maintaining the aesthetics. Mr. Czech stated he would check with the maintenance crew about staffing. Park and Recreation Commission Minutes – October 24, 2023 5 Commissioner Markert asked what neighboring towns charged for a half-day reservation. Mr. Ruegemer stated Chaska charges approximately $75 to $125 for half-day rentals. Chanhassen facilities are larger. Mr. Ruegemer shared that the enforcement of half-day rentals might be difficult. Mr. Czech stated there would have to be a staff member to help enforce rental times. Commissioner Markert suggested posting a reservation schedule to help with rental enforcement. Commissioner Pharis asked about considering alternate locations for the weekends of the athletic tournaments. Mr. Ruegemer stated there might be possibilities with the development of the Civic Center. Mr. Czech stated the tournaments provide generous revenue for the community and the city. Mr. Ruegemer shared that the Chanhassen Athletic Association donated $5,000 towards the development of the baseball outfield at Lake Susan Park. These tournaments provide revenue and donations for the city, even with the loss of revenue for the reservations. Chair Vasatka stated his concern is offering the amenities for residents. He questioned how to meet residents’ needs and offering other shelter locations in the future. Commissioner Markert moved, Commissioner Peck seconded to approve the Park and Recreation Commission Staff’s recommendation to the City Council to approve the 2024 reservation fee for group picnics. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 6 to 0. COMMISSION MEMBER COMMITTEE REPORTS: None. COMMISSION MEMBER PRESENTATIONS: None. ADMINISTRATIVE PRESENTATIONS: None. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Pharis moved, Commissioner Swanson seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 6 to 0. The Park and Recreation Commission meeting was adjourned at 7:16 p.m. Submitted by Jerry Ruegemer Park and Recreation Director