PRC 2010 04 27
CHANHASSEN PARK AND
RECREATION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
APRIL 27, 2010
Chairman Daniel called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Jeff Daniel, Steve Scharfenberg, Tom Kelly, Scott Wendt, Glenn
Stolar, Elise Ryan and Cole Kelly
STAFF PRESENT:
Todd Hoffman, Park and Rec Director; and Jerry Ruegemer, Recreation
Superintendent
2010/2011 CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR APPOINTMENTS.
Daniel: We will start with any nominations. We can go from right to left. Elise, anybody you’d
like to nominate?
Ryan: Is there anybody that wants to be it?
Daniel: Anybody who would like to be Chair or Vice-Chair? I’ll work it’s way down. Steve?
Scharfenberg: You know, no.
Daniel: There we go. Scott.
Wendt: No thanks.
Daniel: Tom.
Tom Kelly: No thanks.
Daniel: Glenn?
Stolar: No.
Daniel: Cole?
Cole Kelly: I’m pretty new.
Daniel: Okay. Elise.
Ryan: I’m pretty new as well.
Stolar: I put forth a nomination of Jeff Daniel for Chair.
Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Kelly: Second.
Stolar moved, Kelly seconded to appoint Jeff Daniel as Chairman of the Park and
Recreation Commission for 2010/2011. All voted in favor and the motion carried
unanimously with a vote of 7 to 0.
Daniel: Alright, Vice-Chair. Let’s make a nomination. I will nominate, let’s see here. Steve
Scharfenberg.
Stolar: Second.
Daniel: Any objections?
Daniel moved, Stolar seconded to appoint Steve Scharfenberg as Vice-Chair of the Park
and Recreation Commission for 2010/2011. All voted in favor and the motion carried
unanimously with a vote of 7 to 0.
Daniel: Steve it is.
Hoffman: Did he accept?
Scharfenberg: Sure.
Daniel: It’s a back-up role Steve.
Scharfenberg: I understand. I’ve served it before.
Daniel: Tom was it 2 years ago weren’t you Tom?
Tom Kelly: Yep.
Daniel: We had Thor last year so.
Stolar: Steve were you 3 years ago? Weren’t you it one year?
Scharfenberg: Yeah.
Daniel: Yeah, you were 3 years ago when Glenn was. Alright, so we have everyone here.
We’ve got our new 2010. I gladly accept the position of Chairman again so thank you very
much. We will move on. Actually I don’t know Todd if this would be the time where we can
welcome Mr. Cole Kelly to the commission.
Hoffman: Absolutely.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: Cole I want to thank you for your interest as well as welcome you to the Park and Rec
Commission here in the city of Chanhassen.
Cole Kelly: Thank you.
Daniel: And we look forward to working with you.
Cole Kelly: Yep. I look forward to working with all of you also.
Daniel: Excellent. So certainly if there’s anything else, don’t hesitate. This is always an open
forum during our discussion so if there’s anything that you want to, any ideas you may have, we
always welcome them.
Cole Kelly: Okay.
Daniel: Alright, approval of agenda. Is there anything that needs to be added or deleted at this
time?
Hoffman: We don’t want to skip the second half of that item.
Daniel: I said roll call.
Hoffman: Welcoming back.
Daniel: Oh, right. Tom, welcome back. Tom how many, what year is this now?
Tom Kelly: This will be 10, 11 and 12.
Daniel: Wow.
Hoffman: Yeah, awesome.
Daniel: We’ll be naming it the Cole Kelly, or the Tom Kelly position. So welcome, the Kelly’s
are welcomed back to the, welcome to the Park and Rec Commission. Alright, approval of
agenda.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:Scharfenberg moved, Wendt 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:
st
Ruegemer: The opening day ceremonies this coming weekend on Saturday the 1. Games about
8:00 in the morning til about 7:30 at night. Fields 1 through 6 out at Lake Ann Park.
Daniel: Opening.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Ruegemer: Opening day ceremonies. We’re going to throw out the first pitch and then play the
first games of the season.
Daniel: Oh for baseball. Little League baseball. Gotch ya.
Scharfenberg: And softball.
Ruegemer: I’m not quite sure who’s throwing out the first pitch.
Tom Kelly: Okay.
Ruegemer: Oh, I do know. It’s Jack Jensen and somebody else. I’ll let you know when it
comes to me. I’ll let you know later.
Daniel: Okay. Alright, thank you Jerry.
VISITOR PRESENTATIONS:
None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:Stolar moved, Scharfenberg seconded to approve the
verbatim and summary minutes of the Park and Recreation Commission meeting dated
March 23, 2010 as presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with
a vote of 7 to 0.
CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENT OF COLE KELLY TO A THREE-YEAR
COMMISSION TERM AND RE-APPOINTMENT OF TOM KELLY TO A THREE-
YEAR COMMISSION TERM.
Daniel: I think we just covered that. All in favor, yes absolutely. So again we want to welcome
Cole and, Cole to our commission. This will be your first year as commissioner and then Tom,
since you’re starting year 10, again welcome and if there’s anything else you guys would like to
share outside of what we just talked about earlier. I suppose we could move on to review park
and recreation commission bylaws.
REVIEW PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION BY-LAWS.
Hoffman: Thank you Chair Daniels, members of the Commission. Our by-laws were last
reviewed I believe, this is a 2003 document and so we want to update it 3/10 of 03. We wanted
to make sure that as a commission you had an opportunity to review your by-laws. Take a look
at your duties, election of officers, your procedures and see if you needed to make any changes
or noticed any missing information. Just a good time to review our meeting times have been
7:30 since the beginning of park board meetings. Special meetings can be called by the Chair.
Attendance. Council looks for 75% attendance. You’re made up of 7 board members that has
your terms. A quorum is a 4 person quorum and then whenever a quorum is not present no final
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
or official action shall be taken at a meeting. So if you have any questions, comments or
additions, changes, staff will note that and bring those to the attention of City Council.
Daniel: Do we need to sign that as well right now Todd too?
Hoffman: Sure.
Daniel: Okay.
Hoffman: After you approve it.
Daniel: Alright. Why don’t we take a quick minute here guys if you want to review, just to go
over anything that may stand out or anything that you may see that you may have questions on or
want to change.
Cole Kelly: I wasn’t sure what the Section 6.2(f). I have an idea what it means but I didn’t quite
get exactly what that meant so I wanted some clarification on that to see if it should be in there or
shouldn’t be in there.
Stolar: What I interpreted it to mean is when someone’s presenting at a public hearing we don’t
go into our discussion.
Cole Kelly: Okay.
Stolar: We can ask questions of them but we should not discuss the issue while they’re
presenting is how I. You know because as we have a public hearing we’re getting their input…
Cole Kelly: Right. No, I understand that.
Stolar: …in front of them that might help.
Cole Kelly: It says there’s no dialogue among the commissioners giving information regarding
the particular proposal. It’s just, the wording isn’t, just had me confused.
Stolar: Yeah.
Daniel: Oh I see what you’re, I see what you’re saying Cole. And essentially, and Glenn’s right.
If there is a public debate where for example when we had those issues.
Stolar: The skate.
Daniel: The skate parks or it could be when we had the rain gardens that were going into Kerber
Pond and there were a number of citizens, or a number of people here, homeowners had some
concerns. Essentially what we did is just took the opportunity to you know field questions from
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
them and listen. A debate took place after so I mean, although you know certainly there may be
opinions but no action is decided upon.
Cole Kelly: So basically it means that we’re just sitting and listening.
Daniel: Correct.
Cole Kelly: Okay.
Daniel: That’s an example.
Hoffman: Then your input comes in (g). Under (g).
Daniel: Yep.
Cole Kelly: Okay.
Hoffman: They don’t want you trying to alter the public comment in the middle of the public
comment and making some sort of a altercation one way or the other.
Ryan: So then should it not read, there should be no dialogue among the commissioners
receiving information regarding the. I mean isn’t it.
Cole Kelly: Yeah I would say the giving is kind of what threw me off.
Ryan: Right.
Tom Kelly: How about if it says commissioners will be limited to asking questions of the
petitioners prior to the closing of the public hearing? Is that what it’s, is that what it’s intended
to say?
Hoffman: Well it’s really intended to say there should be no dialogue among the commissioners
regarding the particular proposal during public comment.
Daniel: Maybe we could just get that, that’s a good point.
Hoffman: I’ll ask the attorney to clarify it.
Daniel: Say clarify it and then we’ll, we can talk about it at our next meeting. Would that be fair
Todd?
Hoffman: I’ll just put it in the Admin Packet.
Daniel: Okay, good.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Stolar: But you know just from, it’s our understanding, as long as it means what we’ve talked
about here. That’s what we’re looking for is just fix the working to reflect what concept.
Hoffman: And if that is the attorney’s understanding we’ll modify the wording. Put it in your
Admin Packet and you can approve it as a part of your next meeting.
Daniel: Okay, why don’t we do that. So why don’t we move to, delay a vote on the by-laws?
Stolar: The only question I have.
Daniel: Oh, go ahead Glenn.
Stolar: I just have one question on the procedures. We generally follow Roberts Rules of Order.
Is that though something required of all public commissions that you have to state it that way?
Hoffman: Generally?
Stolar: Well no it says, you know it shall be followed but we don’t actually follow strict
adherence to Roberts Rules.
Hoffman: So should we ask him if that’s okay to put generally?
Stolar: Or say that or take it out. Do we even need it?
Scharfenberg: Or as appropriate.
Stolar: Appropriate, something like that.
Scharfenberg: Something like that.
Stolar: Giving us the option to invoke it if we need to to control the meeting but Jeff’s pretty
good at keeping us on balance.
Hoffman: Okay.
Daniel: But it’s not just.
Stolar: But it’s not like a parliamentarian who sits there and makes sure we don’t…
Daniel: Right, exactly. Go ahead Steve.
Scharfenberg: Okay. Under 4.2, the third paragraph. I don’t know if we strictly adhere to that
rule either. I seem to recall that the Chairperson has made motions in the past. Do we just strike
that? Is it necessary? I don’t know.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: Well typically.
Cole Kelly: Typically if you’re going to follow Roberts Rules that’s pretty normal. That’s
normal rules.
Daniel: Yep.
Scharfenberg: Okay.
Cole Kelly: So I mean not that you have to follow it but that’s the standard.
Scharfenberg: Right.
Hoffman: So then you would either strike it or abide by it.
Daniel: Well I mean to put things in perspective, I don’t think I’ve made a motion. I’ll wait for
one of the other. I’ll call for a motion but I won’t make a motion. I don’t think Glenn you did
when you were the Chair.
Stolar: I did a couple but that was where I was helping to pull together the wording so I think
what we ought to do is just the Chairperson can pull together the wording and someone else can
make the motion.
Daniel: Sure. I think that’s fair.
Stolar: Because the Chairperson’s often listening to what people are saying and then putting it
together and structuring it.
Scharfenberg: And then the last one is 7.4 on the back. Maybe this is just a senior moment for
me but I don’t necessarily remember us doing this every year.
Hoffman: No.
Scharfenberg: So if it’s in there then we either have to do that or we say as raised by staff or.
Daniel: Yeah, because this is the first time we’ve, at least in my tenure.
Stolar: In Tom’s career he’s seen it.
Daniel: I think Tom may have invented it.
Cole Kelly: Maybe we should put in there something it should be reviewed every 5 years unless
the commission sees a need to do it before that.
Stolar: I think that’s reasonable.
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Hoffman: Okay.
Tom Kelly: One more too. Under 3.2. Is there really an oath. Every appointed member shall,
before entering upon the charge of his or her duties take an oath that he or she will faithfully
discharge the duties of this office. I don’t remember taking.
Hoffman: Which one is it?
Tom Kelly: That’s 3.2. The second to last sentence.
Daniel: Well this office, won’t it be more recognized under an elected position?
Hoffman: Well.
Daniel: I’m saying which is different under procedures than commissions.
Hoffman: Yeah, that’s the council. We’ll strike that and see if.
Daniel: I have no problem if we take an oath at the beginning, you know at the beginning of a
term or in April or each new term that a commissioner may start.
Hoffman: Yeah. The council takes an oath. I’ve not seen anybody else.
Daniel: I don’t know if Planning Commission does.
Hoffman: I don’t recall. They may. We’ll strike that.
Daniel: Okay. Get an opportunity to clean this up.
Hoffman: After 7 years there ought to be something.
Daniel: Well the good news is we have a lot of these ideas already on tape so. How do you want
to address this Todd?
Hoffman: Table it until May.
Daniel: We’ll table it, okay. Let’s do that.
Hoffman: Do a motion and a second. Take a motion to table please.
Cole Kelly: A motion that we table this until we get the lawyer’s opinion on the wording.
Tom Kelly: Second.
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Cole Kelly moved, Tom Kelly seconded to table the Park and Recreation Commission By-
laws until the City Attorney provides an opinion on the wording. All voted in favor and the
motion carried unanimously with a vote of 7 to 0.
Daniel: And that will move under old business Todd then? Next meeting.
Hoffman: Yes.
Daniel: Okay.
ESTABLISH 2010 COMMISSION GOALS.
Daniel: It was so much easier when we had last year’s goals. Then we could see whether we
accomplished them or not. Do we have that Todd?
Hoffman: You do not. This is new for the commission.
Daniel: Okay.
Hoffman: The commission has been asked from time to time to produce goals but not recently.
And now the council has asked for their joint meeting with you in May. That you present them a
list of goals. It can be short or long but a list of 2010 goals that you would like to accomplish as
a commission for 2010 and then you’ll be reviewing them with the council to see how you did at
the end of the summer. So make your timing appropriate. That’s their directive to staff to
review with you as a commission.
Scharfenberg: One more time, would you say that again Todd? They want us to establish the
goals in May and they’ll review them when?
Hoffman: They’re going to review these goals with you in May and then you’ll get back
together probably in September. Maybe October and talk about how it went for the summer.
Scharfenberg: So these should be short term goals.
Hoffman: Yes.
Scharfenberg: Not necessarily long term goals.
Hoffman: Correct. Yeah. Annual or even in this case yet, annual goals.
Scharfenberg: Okay.
Hoffman: Yep, 2010 goals.
Scharfenberg: Okay.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: Alright let’s, you know we had done something similar to this I think about 3 years ago.
Wasn’t it 2-3 years ago?
Stolar: Well we did it, yeah whenever we went with the council. A joint planning session we
had a list of what we wanted to do. It was before the dog park because that was on it. Wasn’t it?
Or was it.
Daniel: No, it was after. Right after the dog park.
Stolar: Right after the dog park. That was the lights were on it for Lake Ann.
Daniel: For Lake Ann, yep.
Stolar: Yeah, some things like that.
Hoffman: Two different ways to look at this. You can look at it as goals or discussion topics
with the council. You’ve always established discussion topics with the council for your joint
meetings so you can look at this as discussion topics and label it goals or vice versa.
Daniel: Well why don’t we start out with some ideas. And I guess they could be as specific to,
Todd can they be specific to a particular capital improvement projects that we want to see
followed through or could it be to, as well as new ideas or new goals or agendas that we want to
try to create for 2010? So either one of those are fine, correct?
Hoffman: Correct. You want to affirm something you already had or if you want to start a new
conversation about, if it sounds like a good project with the council.
Daniel: Alright Elise, I’m going to start with you.
Ryan: Luckily I came prepared.
Daniel: Yes.
Ryan: While you guys all write your’s down right now.
Daniel: Ouch.
Scharfenberg: Yikes.
Hoffman: Or ask to see your list.
Ryan: No, I have two fairly small ones. The first one is, I had mentioned to Todd about a survey
but got pulled back a little bit and what I would like to have put on our web site is a place for the
community to go to, if they have a concern about a park or a trail that they notice when they’re
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with their kids or running along a trail where they don’t have to make a big you know phone call
to Todd and make it more formal where I think that might turn some people off or intimidate
some people just to be able to go onto the web site. List the location that they found an issue.
Have their name. Their contact information and then what that concern, issue, danger that they
might have found on the trail or the park. The reason why this came up is, you know now that
it’s spring and I’ve been at the parks with the different friends and their kids, you start to come
across you know noticing things on the equipment and it would be nice for them to be able to put
them in touch, you know be able to go to a web site and just enter the information and make it
easy and have that go to somebody at the city and then have it you know, whoever needs to
follow up with it can follow up with it but I’d like to see something on our web site with that.
The second thing that I know we do it to some degree now but I think at all major events within
the community, be it the Fourth of July or something like a ChanJam or the Easter Egg Hunt, to
have a little bit more of the philanthropic stand to it so make sure that people are always bringing
food or we’re raising money for you know a charity. Donating clothes or blankets during the
wintertime just so you know we’re doing a community event for the community. I think it would
be nice if Chanhassen and it’s citizens did something for you know for other organizations as
well so I’d like to see a little bit more of an emphasize put on some philanthropic as well.
Daniel: Yeah, that’s a good plan. You know like at ChanJam. You know John, as part of the, to
reduce your fee to get in you know if you donate food. That’s one way of it. Todd, do we have
anything during Fourth of July festival?
Ruegemer: We haven’t at this point.
Stolar: No, but now we have at the, well I don’t know if we’re going to do it next year again.
The raffle was done by charities last year.
Daniel: Yeah. So that was I guess an example of what we were doing.
Ryan: Right, and I know we talked about at the, like the Christmas, you know the holiday
lighting we were going to do you know bring a gift and put it in, you know by the Christmas
Tree.
Daniel: I think it’s a very good idea.
Ryan: But you know just have a little bit more focus because I think we do a lot for our
community and I think this is a fairly giving community so it’d be nice to have people have an
opportunity to give back so.
Daniel: You think something a little more highlighted, focused and formalized per event?
Ryan: Right.
Daniel: Okay. Excellent. Thank you Elise. Anything else?
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Ryan: Nope. Those were my two things.
Daniel: Very good ones. Cole.
Cole Kelly: The things I’m interested in seeing are that, our sporting events of Chanhassen
Athletic Association, park and rec, sports. Continue to stay successful and are successful, you
know especially since we have a new high school they’re going to have more needs and we have
more needs of lower level groups of athletics and I’ve been, I’m not sure how it’s working right
now because I’ve kind of been out of that realm since my youngest is now a sophomore in high
school, but I’d also like to see if the park and rec and CAA talk, if they overlap anywhere and if
there’s something one can do better than the other, that they do it possibly instead of the other
one. Or just have some meetings of the minds type of thing you know so those, that’s kind of
where my interest lie. Especially with the new high school we have, we need some good feeder
programs and we need things to work from the bottom up so that’s kind of where, that’s what my
thoughts are.
Daniel: Okay, excellent. Glenn.
Stolar: I have three. First one is, I like the idea of us trying to get a new park feature or a major
rec program every year. That’s less the commission and more the staff but I like that idea of
trying to bring something new in every year like we brought the dog park one year. The lights at
Lake Ann. Just still trying to find something that will increase participation every year. Just
figure out what that is and work towards that. And I like the idea of Frisbee golf might be it this
year, right? That’s one that seems like it could be a good one to get.
Daniel: I think that’s a great one.
Stolar: But as a commission we should try to promote one new activity or feature every year.
I’ll always say this. I would like us to always try to maintain a minimum of $1 million dollars in
our balance in our CIP fund. In the projections right so you know if the 5 year projection says in
year 5 we’re blowing a million, I’d like us as a goal to try and not have that happen so that we
keep a million in there. And then the last thing is, and again we’re doing this already this year
but I think I’ve had this, we talked about this before and I’d like us to trying to do at least one
thing where we demonstrate environmental best practices in our parks in conjunction with the
Environment Commission and department. We did the rain gardens over at Lake Ann. We did
the rain gardens over by Kerber Pond over there. This year we’ll do the tree planting at the Lake
Ann with the Arbor Day celebration so I’d like us.
Daniel: That’s in 2 weeks.
Stolar: That’s in 2 weeks, yeah. I like us constantly having one of those events, one event or
demonstration activity.
Daniel: Okay. Excellent. Tom.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Tom Kelly: You guys took all mine. Two specific things. There was talk about maybe a half
marathon coming through Chanhassen and I would really like to see if that can get some steam.
We have some great paths. We have some great rolling terrain here. I know we have the Dave
Huffman Run in September but Maple Grove puts on a very successful half marathon in May.
There’s another very successful one in Richfield. I think this setting would be really good for a
longer distance run to show off, to show off all the stuff that we’ve been doing to the city. Show
off the second best city in the country. Second one more specifically is kind of a semi passion of
mine. I would love to start an Ultimate League for kids out here. I know there’s a very
successful one in Howard County, Maryland and I know a person that is active in that and I just
think that could be, whether it’d be through CAA or the Rec Center or stuff, I think that is a
great, that’s a great sport that gets kids running a lot. It’s as much running as soccer and I just, I
would like to kind of just see if there can be any research done, and I’m willing to do it if there
were someone to help but see if we could sustain some type of program. It’s like, it’s not, it’s
Frisbee Golf. Disc Golf is great. It’s a lot of fun to play but this is even a more active and there
wouldn’t be any capital investment. You just would need fields and just figure out how to build
this league. There really is, so those are two things that have been in the back of my mind for a
while.
Scharfenberg: Tom can you expound on that? You said Ultimate League.
Tom Kelly: Yeah, what ultimate is, is you play on a field. It’s about 70 yards long. About 40
yards wide. End zones are 20 yards deep and the idea is that you throw the disc, Frisbee, but it’s,
we call it a disc. And once you catch it you cannot run anymore so you hold the disc and you’ve
got 6 people making all kinds of cuts up and down the field and you score by catching the disc in
the end zone.
Stolar: If you’ve not played it, it’s a great sport.
Tom Kelly: Yeah, and I just think it’s, I’ve played a lot and I think it would be great to get kids
playing it at a younger age because they’ll really get some running and I think they’d enjoy it.
Scharfenberg: Sounds like it’d be a good thing for Jodi and those guys to throw in, you know
not maybe this summer because it’s already planned but next, as a summer activity next year you
know as a first time thing.
Tom Kelly: Yep. First time so.
Ruegemer: There’s a lot of Ultimate Frisbee clubs like at the high schools and I know there’s an
Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Apple Valley first part of August every year.
Tom Kelly: Okay.
Ruegemer: It’s more for like high school aged kids.
Tom Kelly: Okay.
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Ruegemer: But I know that there is a, you know I call it an underground world of.
Tom Kelly: Oh definitely.
Stolar: It’s a club sport. I don’t know if it is here but in Illinois it’s a club sport with the high
school kids…
Ruegemer: I know it’s out there right now and I know MRP has talked about doing, that’s kind
of where that tournament is in Apple Valley. It’s an MRP event to kind of increase exposure to
that.
Tom Kelly: I know there’s an adult league that plays up in Blaine. There’s pick-up games all
over the city but I know that my friend out in Howard County, he’s on, they put together a youth
program. A co-ed youth program that supposedly is pretty successful out there.
Ruegemer: Yep. We as an RSM and RSC member, Recreation Sports Commission, we’re
trying to do an Ultimate Frisbee series within you know kind of the, you know a lot of the county
parks, some of the county parks have some of that system and some other areas have you know
courses and that sort of thing so we’re trying to kind of put some stuff together. It may or may
not happen this summer yet but in the future we’re looking at that.
Tom Kelly: Okay. Need any help with that I would love to get involved in that. I enjoy that
sport more from Lacrosse so that’s all I had.
Daniel: Okay Tom, great. Scott.
Wendt: Kind of along the lines of Elise’s. Ideas with the web site. Making sure the
community’s engaged. Make sure that stays up. Easy to use. And we can also do like a
Facebook fan page or something like that. I know the City has one. We could do park and rec
fan page. Help out with the community engagement a little bit. And then one thing that kind of
stuck with me from when we did the bike ride last year with Met Council’s Transportation
Advisory Board. One of the people mentioned to me that downtown, when we came through, we
came from the pedestrian bridge or over that direction. Up past Goddard School and then
through downtown we were kind of cutting in and out. We were on the sidewalk and it’s kind of
the most direct way through town and she mentioned it wasn’t, we didn’t have a very good route
to cut right through town. People probably don’t feel comfortable going right down on a main
street so maybe think about that. Make downtown a little bit more bike friendly. Maybe just, I
don’t know if we can paint, do anything or work with whoever we need to to get a line there so
where people can feel comfortable to bike down the side without cutting in and out of parking
lots and on the sidewalk because they’re technically not supposed to bike on the sidewalks right
so, but.
Hoffman: Don’t see it too often.
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Wendt: Yeah, exactly so.
Hoffman: In downtown at least.
Daniel: Okay, great. Steve.
Scharfenberg: Just a follow up on Scott’s. I would like to see, I know last year we didn’t get to
do the bike ride with council and with I think other commissions so I’d like to still see that
happen this year. And I’ll go for the low hanging fruit. The disc golf. If that’s going to be a
possibility this summer, at least as a goal. And then ultimately the last thing would be, is it
Herman Park? You know just to look at that again. I know we’ve looked at it years in the past.
Maybe to do something with that and to come up with a plan to you know make that into some
sort of park that really is used.
Daniel: Okay, great. Thank you Steve. I was just thinking about Herman Park the other day too
and what could be done with that. From my point, you know 2, actually 3 but 2 areas I think still
need to be considered as goals are expansion of recreation. Of the recreation options especially
with regards to the community center. You know and obviously Jodi’s doing a good idea but
certainly what type of new ideas. What are some ways in which we can attract other venues and
she’s got some fantastic ideas but that’s the most important portion of what we’re doing here and
it’s one thing we can’t lose sight on I always believe. It’s a great asset that we have at the city
and I’d like to see us continue to expand ideas you know from ChanJam to, one of the comments
I get is, you know the $50 for the kids birthdays, you know type of things. How do we continue
to promote that within the City but more importantly how do we continue to keep that venue
filled? And again I think we’ve really come a long way even the last several years as far as
keeping the, or at least seeing I think expansion and growth and opportunities there. Second, and
this is something that it kind of inspired me from last year but it’s just an idea and I don’t know
Todd where we stand on it from the City by-laws but I do believe that if there’s any expansion
with city dollars, any reconstruction of any roads or streets within the city, there should be a by-
law that there is, if there’s not a path now, that all new construction there is to be sidewalks
placed. You know when we redid Laredo. I think that was, you know that’s a classic example
that had sidewalks all the way through but Yosemite, out by Lake Lucy Road didn’t have them.
And even though they tore up the whole area, there was room there for us to put a sidewalk and
that’s heavily used. So I mean if there’s something that we can do from a by-law within the city
that if, trails are going to be an important asset to our community. Even with streets, simple
things such as street reconstruction, which happens. You know whether it be a simple side road.
if it’s a small sidewalk like they did where you can put sidewalks that people walk on normal
city, even small streets. Cul-de-sacs. Whatever it may be, so if we have that, at least it’s an
option to continue and really expand our trail system and keep kids off the road. Especially for
walkers and it’s just a lot, people are much more comfortable. You know even Devonshire
which is a road that we’re connected to, that has a lot of traffic, even though it’s just a simple
street in city terms. You know it doesn’t have quite what Laredo may but you know we get a lot
of people cutting through and you can sit there and point to almost any street or any
neighborhood in which you have similar type of through ways so I mean if the City’s going to
invest the dollars, if the taxpayers are going to have to invest through their portion of those, of
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that project, then I think there should also be some sort of law where we have to have, or least
by-law where we you know trails, park trail. Not park trail but a sidewalk is going to be
included one way or the other. That’s just a thought and I don’t think that’s nothing mandatory
right now but certainly something I would hope that council would consider someday so. So
anyways I think we got some great ideas here and ones we can certainly go off of. Todd, I mean I
don’t know.
Hoffman: Did you have 2 or 3 Jeff?
Daniel: I had, those were the 2. The third one actually was, I guess was covered by a few other.
Hoffman: Okay.
Daniel: And quite frankly the one I really liked based off what you saw here is the disc golf.
You know Bandimere’s good. There’s a lot of space out in Lake Ann. Well actually there was
the third. You know more promotion of our major parks. Bandimere with the disc golf is a
classic example and taking a look at investment. What can we do to get Lake Ann going. City
Center’s another one but that’s tied with the school so, but what can we do to get those, more
people attracted to those major parks. You know we have softball. We have Little League. We
have the park, soccer, football but then outside of those traditional programs so I don’t know
again with Lake Ann, that’s another beautiful place where you have the opportunity possibly to
implement disc golf but you know where do you squeeze it in is the problem, and Bandimere,
that’s squeezing it in.
Hoffman: We looked at Bandimere and Lake Ann. Bandimere’s got significantly more room
than you do at Lake Ann ballfield area is really the only area that you’d be able to look at and
you’d be right on the fields.
Daniel: Well and the other option is to go through the woods and that’s a pristine area and you
don’t really want to mess with that.
Hoffman: Yeah, you could carve out 9 holes if you wanted to start cutting down the woods.
Daniel: Oh yeah, real easy. It’d be a beautiful 9 holes. There’d be a lot of protest on all those
old oaks and maples going down.
Hoffman: So I’ve got 15 ideas. If you want to pick…number of 10 and try to fill your list or it’s
up to you.
Daniel: Well let’s decide. I mean what are some good, solid goals, I mean let’s say from a
number standpoint that we could accomplish as a commission. Or at least that we could start to
push forward. Do you want to do all 15 or should we may whittle it down to 5? 7? 3? 10?
What’s manageable?
Cole Kelly: I think 5 to 7 is more manageable. It’s nice to have a lot of ideas.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: Sure.
Cole Kelly: But you’ve got to make it manageable and how do you quantify. You know if you
have too many it gets harder to quantify how you’re going to be successful.
Daniel: Say Cole just for quick, I just want to make sure, could you clarify a little bit further
what, some things that you wanted to accomplished just so I, just so it’s a little bit clearer and a
little more defined.
Cole Kelly: Well I, you know I’m still trying to figure out everything this commission does so.
Daniel: Sure.
Cole Kelly: I’ve been on the web site reading through but you know my interests are seeing that
the CAA and that the sports and rec through the city remains successful and maybe can become
more successful and maybe they do some talking to see if there’s any synergies between them or
if one group can do something better than the other group, that they’re not duplicating because
it’s, you know now that we have our own high school we need reasonable feeder programs. And
if the coaches are smart they’ll want to get involved but that’s not something we can control.
Daniel: Okay.
Cole Kelly: But I just, you know when I was involved with them they were very good programs
and I don’t know where they’re at now because I’m not involved but I just want to make sure
that they’re doing as well as they can and that there’s some kind of meeting of the minds
between the groups.
Daniel: So to say cooperation, organization amongst the different athletic associations?
Cole Kelly: Yep. Right.
Daniel: Whether it be, what’s the Chaska/Chanhassen, what’s that soccer association?
Ruegemer: C/C United.
Daniel: C/C United. Tonka United because that’s part of our.
Cole Kelly: No, I’m talking about just in our city.
Daniel: Oh but Tonka United’s within our city as well.
Cole Kelly: Yeah but Tonka United is, we don’t have, I don’t think we have traveling. That’s
traveling soccer.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Stolar: No it’s also local. It’s also local.
Daniel: Yeah, but Chanhassen Athletic Association which is, as well as, I don’t know. I don’t
think Chanhassen, that’s not part of hockey anymore is it?
Ruegemer: Isn’t what?
Daniel: Hockey. That’s all separate.
Ruegemer: Well yeah, there’s the hockey association is separate from CAA.
Daniel: Okay. But I understand what you’re saying so basically a focus as well as united
communication between all the organizations that support the local high schools which include
Chanhassen and Minnetonka. So is that fair to say Cole?
Cole Kelly: Yeah, that might be a better way to put it.
Daniel: Okay. Just want to make sure. So then I agree. You know because we want, I mean
that’s the reality I think you know. Athletics is part of this recreation, or is park of this park and
recreation commission is an important aspect of it. You know it gets the kids out. Gets them out
doing something other than sitting around causing trouble so. And obviously it’s more important
than that. It’s making sure that the high school has the proper support as well so.
Tom Kelly: That’d be something like invite the presidents of these associations in to talk with us
about what they’re doing and how they’re communicating with the high schools?
Daniel: Yeah.
Ruegemer: It’s important to remember that a lot of our Chanhassen kids attend other high
schools other than Chanhassen. We’re part of the Minnetonka school district. Some go to Holy
Family. Southwest Christian so it’s, you know I think we need to have kind of a global view of
not focusing everything into you know our high school here but there are other options for…
Daniel: What percentage of our kids go to Minnetonka? Is it 40?
Ruegemer: Percent? Yeah, between 40 and 50 percent.
Daniel: So you’re almost looking almost at half.
Tom Kelly: Some can be going to Chaska too if they opt to go.
Daniel: If they opt to go to Chaska. Yeah. Or Eden Prairie. So my point being is that when
you’re looking at within the school district boundaries, we support both Chanhassen and
Minnetonka so we need to consider, you know we have to take into consideration both those
programs. So absolutely. Whether it be South or East Tonka Baseball all the way down to
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Chanhassen’s baseball league. I mean that’s just an example. Softball. Steve, for you guys.
Alright, great. Thanks again. I appreciate it. I was just looking for a little more clarification.
Cole Kelly: Sure.
Daniel: I just want to quick throw out, let’s just keep an open discussion. if there’s anything that
stands out that says you know that’s a great idea right now, please throw them out.
Stolar: Well and I was trying to think, we can even group some of these together because I think
the idea of adding you know a few recreational opportunities, be it Ultimate Frisbee or some of
those others, seems like that’s something that every year we end up talking about it and trying to
find it. Whether it’s stuff to promote within the Rec Center, with Jodi’s…but it seems like that’s
kind of a measurement, we want to increase the number of new recreational opportunities or
usage opportunities within our park and rec facilities. And then you know we have 3 ideas
underneath that that we can look at. That one just seems, and then I think the second one I
thought of as groupings is the whole communication issue. Is there ways to improve our
communication? Coordination with CAA. Improving the web site for both outward and inward
communication. So it seems to me like that’s another grouping there of, that will increase our
interaction and communication with the community and we have a couple, 3 or 4 ideas that were
put together as to ways in which we can actually execute against that goal.
Daniel: So increase recreation activities.
Stolar: Is one.
Daniel: Or better communication or increase communication amongst the, okay. So that’s two.
Stolar: Between the Park and Rec Commission, department and the community and Tom’s idea
as an example of bringing CAA just to a meeting a year or just have an open forum with them
coming in.
Tom Kelly: This could be specific examples. Not just saying communicate effectively. We
actually have…
Stolar: Input forum. We have the Facebook idea for just specifically park and rec. You know
some of these I guess Todd I would say, as an example, one of these you said hey guys what we
really could do is a couple of you guys in the technology can get together and work with us on it.
That’s where the commission can get involved.
Tom Kelly: I’m not sure what a fan page is.
Daniel: I don’t even have a Facebook account.
Stolar: Actually that you can make even for a project for like a high school student. They could
come in and do it far better than most of us sitting here.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Hoffman: You can start the dividing if you like and then we’ll, let’s see we have web site
improvements twice so that’s a combination. Bike ride.
Scharfenberg: Well Glenn you had new park feature. I mean if you want to make that the disc
golf.
Stolar: Well I’m saying that’s a part of, yeah. I combined that in with that. The new park
feature. The expanded recreation opportunities. Disc golf or Ultimate Frisbee, those are all
increasing utilization of the park and recreation facilities with new ideas and, or new programs.
Daniel: Really and Glenn, I think you really touched on something. There’s really 4 I think
goals and that’s you know, we’ve talked about recreation activities. Communication. Park
features and I think we can include one for trail features. So I mean those are the 4 areas of
improvement that we could set goals to and try to accomplish. Then we can have sub, you know.
Stolar: And under the park features would be the Herman Park review, right?
Daniel: Exactly.
Stolar: What can we do with that? And I’d say the trail feature would be the downtown bike
situation as well as, you know the bike ride is, that kind of is amongst all of those because it’s
kind of communication and promotion, recreational activity and it’s also looking at the trails.
Daniel: Anything special with sidewalk policy for trail features.
Stolar: The sidewalk policy.
Daniel: You know again, these are just some of the things we can categorize. So you’ve got
some general, general topics that will then be, then they’ll have specific achievable goals under
each one. So then it’s a lot more manageable. That gives us 2 topics to talk about each section
with the council and it makes I suppose concise and easy for them to follow.
Stolar: And then as far as achievement, to the point that we can’t do 15. If we have 4 of them
grouped under 1 theme and we hit 2 of them, well that’s. You know we can’t hit all 4. There’s
no way but let’s at least group them together and, because opportunities like disc golf come
without us evening knowing it, and then we can make it happen.
Daniel: And that’s a park feature you know. Disc golf. Herman Field.
Hoffman: Pick a favorite. We’ll start at the top. Go to 5 or 7. Herman Field. Web site survey
and web site improvements. Sport synergy. Special events give back. Promote a new park
feature which comes into disc golf. Maintain a million. Environmental best practices. Half
marathon. Ultimate League. Bike Ride. This is a bike ride with the council and commissions.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Downtown bike improvements. Disc golf. Expansion of rec programs at the Rec Center.
Sidewalk policy and promote major parks.
Cole Kelly: Well I think the web site issues are easy to quantify…
Daniel: I think that’s a fantastic, you know really what it comes down to, I’d say it’s more like a
web site survey or web site, it’s kind of a communication. That’s something that you can put
into, you can build right in. It’s a very simple tool to build in and that’s just an automatic email.
You can put a few categories that they can select from or, you know that loads right into an
email. It can be sent right to you Todd or Jerry. To John, I’m sorry. It goes right to John. He’s
not here. All the complaints. But you know call in’s too. I mean there can be positive.
Stolar: Make it a senior center project.
Daniel: Sure.
Stolar: As part of their web training they can go ahead and do that. You know if they have the
computer training courses.
Ruegemer: There you go. Cross programming.
Hoffman: Jerry will jot this down and then we will formulate them. Have our professional proof
readers upstairs take a look at them and then we’ll present them to you and the council, and if we
miss…you’ll have to explain to the council that you meant something else but I think we should
be able to do a pretty good job.
Daniel: Disc golf, go ahead. I think that’s an important one. I mean that’s easy. The only
problem is, where do we identify costs and capital money for it.
Tom Kelly: Well we’ve always had…
Daniel: It’s been pushed out. Where does it stand within the 2010 CIP? Yeah, we’ve got to
look at things already promised for 2010.
Stolar: Because it’s been in there for many years.
Hoffman: It was there and gone. They can amend the budget. That’s an easy goal to obtain if
you want to do it.
Daniel: Okay.
Stolar: And I think the web site communication is an easy goal and I think the someway figuring
out the better, and I hate to use the term better coordination because I know Jerry you do a ton of
coordination with the local athletic associations but I think it’s, what we want to do is set up,
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
create a situation where there’s more direct general interaction between the commission and the
athletic associations.
Daniel: And really what it comes down to is giving them the opportunity of all the athletic
associations, like you say from softball to lacrosse to come in and tell us what their needs are as
well so that we can, and like you said I agree with Glenn. Jerry, you and the whole staff, you
guys do a fantastic job because you are on it and that’s, and I think it will give us as a
commission to get a better understanding their needs as well and hear. I mean Steve’s intimate
with it because you’re, you have the softball aspect. Tom, you have lacrosse. Glenn you know,
you have baseball.
Stolar: I know East Tonka.
Daniel: Yeah, as well as I know South Tonka so you know, I guess South Tonka would be tied
to Cathcart. That’s really about it but more importantly what else can we, what else are they
looking for? But give them the opportunity to come in and discuss it and openly solicit them on
it.
Hoffman: If you add up what they invest in the community, it’s a larger business than parks and
recreation.
Daniel: Oh yeah.
Hoffman: You hear from us a great deal about the part that we do. You might as well hear from
them more about what they’re offering up to the community because if you have, if you use the
word synergy, if you have any synergy back with them that possibly impacts the whole
community, you’re doing good work so I’d go for that. That’s three.
Wendt: The two bicycle things can be combined into one. Use the council commission bike ride
to identify improvements that can be made to downtown.
Daniel: And that’s something achievable within the summer.
Wendt: Yep. I think the maintain million dollar budget is something we’ll definitely be doing
anyway.
Daniel: Here’s my only concern about that, and I on principle completely agree with Glenn.
From a political standpoint, what does the council see that money also as and they may have
different views on that so it’s a good idea. I think we should probably, I mean if we want going
forward but I don’t, Todd are there any by-laws in the city that, how’s that react? Is that money
accessible to general fund as well or is it strictly set aside for park and that’s it?
Hoffman: Well it’s park dedications that, there has been identified at some point, some points in
the past have reserve and that is no longer in there so it’s been there before but not there now.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: Okay, but it’s malleable. It can change if it wants to?
Hoffman: Sure.
Daniel: The City Council can change that and use it toward general fund if they want.
Hoffman: Yes.
Daniel: Okay.
Hoffman: Well, not towards the general fund. They can use it towards any park project.
Daniel: Oh, but it can’t be used to go cover.
Hoffman: No. Park dedication money is for park improvements only.
Daniel: Got it. Perfect. Okay, I just wanted to clarify that.
Stolar: State statute.
Daniel: Oh, even better. Great, well then maybe we should do that. Maybe it should be a
million dollars so we have a reserve. I think that probably would be a good idea. It’s something
that we’ll give the council at least think about. I mean what do you guys think?
Cole Kelly: Well I kind of like that marathon. Half marathon idea. Getting our city name out
there.
Hoffman: We can put 8 and 13 together.
Daniel: Very good. That will work.
Hoffman: That’d be 5 in. You can pick 2 more if you go to 7 or keep going.
Daniel: Well I mean 6 and 14 are more I guess policy issues. That the council would have to
have direct vote on. Correct?
Hoffman: Well, yeah those are goals I mean. Everybody can say you want to maintain a million
dollars. Everybody, and it doesn’t have to be by policy. Just an understanding that when you get
to that point and you start to take a look. You know each year, right now by policy you’re not
doing it based on our revenue projections and your expenditure projections so this would be a
deviation from that because we are, based on our current budgeting, go below a million dollars in
that fund. I mean a sidewalk policy, that’s one of those things where you’re going to have to feel
strongly about it because it would be a significant public debate. And it happens now when
roads are improved, for example the roads down near Meadow Green Park. Some of the
residents wanted sidewalks. When the road went in Lake Susan, or excuse me, what’s Karen in?
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Chanhassen Hills. They went in. They wanted a sidewalk but they, what council basically says
if you can get a majority of signatures from the people on that street, we’ll build a sidewalk. It’s
never happened.
Daniel: Okay.
Tom Kelly: Because they had to pay for it too, right? As part of the assessment, their
assessments would go up.
Hoffman: No by practice what’s been happening, if there’s a sidewalk there it’s been replaced.
If there’s a trail, it’s been replaced. But on Lake Lucy the trail did go from on street to off street
and that was approved by the council.
Scharfenberg: You know I’ll throw this one out. It’s not up on the board and you know Todd
you referenced this as discussion topics or talking points. You know one that’s kind of, it isn’t
really filtered through our committee but I think we’ve had some literature on it in the past is,
what does the council think about banning smoking in parks? You know it’s something to ask
them about. Is that something that’s important to them? That they would want us to pursue or
talk about or maybe they’ll just say kind of like the social.
Ruegemer: Host ordinance.
Scharfenberg: Social ordinance, maybe they just don’t want to tackle that right now. I don’t
know. But it’s you know something just to kind of throw out to them. Is that something that
they think they would like us to pursue or.
Daniel: Let’s go straight to the source. What would the feedback be from the softball league if
you banned smoking in the parks?
Ruegemer: You know I don’t know that that’s necessarily a big. You know I think generally
smoking as kind of a society is kind of declining just with you know kind of generations of
people maybe not smoking as much. I don’t view that as a big problem there. If you take away
the beer at softball, now that’s…
Daniel: And you know quite frankly I think most of that, with exception of probably recreational
use. I mean if you’re, you know those people are at Lake Ann beach or Lake Susan. Probably at
one of the beaches or just out at a family event. I mean that’s probably where it’d be more of a
problem and I mentioned softball as well but outside of your, you know your sporting events
such as Little League or softball, I can’t remember a parent smoking there at all. I’m sure it has
happened. I’ve just never seen it.
Hoffman: Yeah, the last time it was discussed at the council was 5, 6, 7 years ago.
Ruegemer: Yeah, I’d say about 2003 or 4 I think maybe.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: And what was the feedback then?
Hoffman: They didn’t want to work on it.
Daniel: Okay.
Stolar: Well I guess one thing I think this year we should look at Herman Field, and I don’t
know if you want to maybe combine that with one of the recreation opportunities. I guess we
have to find out what we do with Herman Field but you know that to me I think prepare for
Herman Park. We need to figure out what we want to do with that. It’s a great space that’s just
under utilized. I guess that was one I would think if we could put it as a goal, and then what we
can do is look and see how, you know have some ideas and recreation opportunities. Are there
things we can do there?
Scharfenberg: I would say to the council that’s kind of something that’s going to take us more
than 3 to 4 months to come up so that’s something we’d like to study for you know at least.
Stolar: A year.
Scharfenberg: A year.
Stolar: So 2010-2011 type of thing.
Scharfenberg: Yeah. Long term goal.
Daniel: Well I think, I mean I hope the council understands too. I mean for us to establish goals
now, or at least with our meeting. When’s our meeting with them Todd?
th
Hoffman: May. May 10.
th
Daniel: So for May 10 to, at the end of summer. That gives us 3 months to accomplish specific
goals. I mean we realistically based off of, especially some of the projects that we have
established in the CIP for example. You know some of these won’t be accomplished until the
end of the year so what we really would need is a full year to evaluate the success of any goals
that we establish.
Hoffman: Sure.
Daniel: I think they’d be reasonable and understanding of that and agreeing and most of, you
know some of these can be accomplished. Disc golf and web site and you know rotating, getting
some of the organizations to come through and meet with the commission. Those can be done
relatively shortly if we have to but again I think it’d be more effective if we were to do it over
time for some of the more broader based ones so we’ll explain that to them.
Wendt: Actually it could be to review Herman Field or solicit ideas from Herman Field.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: Yeah again that’s.
Hoffman: You’re prepared to wake the sleeping giant.
Daniel: For a few homeowners out in that area.
Hoffman: It’ll be larger than that. We have exciting meetings and it’s a worthy topic but it is a,
Herman Field is a sleeping giant who is asleep right now. Bring it up, it will fill your chambers
again.
Daniel: Well that’s alright. It’d be a good debate. I mean we haven’t had a good public debate
since well the rain.
Hoffman: And there a couple of issues there. There’s a neighborhood issue but then it’s also
the, you’ll have to broach the topic of how you’re going to interact with the regional park
because right now the number one use at Herman Field Park is to access the regional park. Lake
Minnewashta Regional Park and it is not an approved use in their master plan and so you’re
going to have to have discussions with Carver County about the fact that the highest use of our
city park is for people to get into your park and you don’t recognize that as an approved use.
Right now it’s a cut in the fence.
Scharfenberg: And maybe, and maybe that’s again part of one of our goals is that we need to be
able to talk to the county park about again they have the land. We have some cash. You know is
it a matter of building trails in that grants access and that’s something we want to look at to give
those people access into the regional park. I don’t know.
Daniel: Well I think the, I assume the county from a park standpoint wants to have it all, have all
traffic funneled into one location. Through one location. Through the gates.
Scharfenberg: Well I’m sure they do but if you can.
Hoffman: Not necessarily but the trails they have in this area are cross country ski trails. Not
walking trails and that’s been their issue but they recognize that this is a neighborhood access
point and so they’ve not closed the cut in the fence and it’s both summer and winter. In winter
it’s a cross country ski access. A dog walking access. Those trails are not for dog walking either
but in the winter it’s probably 75% dog walkers, 25% cross country skiers that are coming from
the neighborhood into the regional park. And then in the summer it’s mostly walkers that are
accessing through that trail and it could be improved and it would be a benefit to the
neighborhood but it’s going to take some investment of time and…
Daniel: Well I think if Herman Field’s going to be one of the items we’re going to focus on,
should we all agree on that then? That it’s Herman Field. Or Herman Park. It will require
another visit I do believe out there so we can get some ideas but we can establish that once we…
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Hoffman: Back in the sleeping giant. That’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Wendt: What have we got as far as the environmental best practices? Do we have recycling
every, in most parks or at Lake Ann?
Hoffman: Most community parks.
Wendt: Okay.
Hoffman: It would be something I would refer that to the Environmental Commission perhaps
and have a joint meeting with them and talk about how we can do that. Recycling in all parks is
a challenge because of the comingling of trash and recycling but I think it’d be a good topic of
conversation and perhaps schedule a joint meeting with, a picnic with the Environmental
Commission to talk about that.
Scharfenberg: A good summer one to do.
Hoffman: Yeah. Do it between the two of you.
Scharfenberg: Yeah.
Hoffman: Because that kind of stuff is in there, within their realm and within their council goals.
Okay, so things you’re not going to take on now. You’re not ready for smoking or are you?
Scharfenberg: No.
Hoffman: Okay.
Daniel: It’s a good idea to certainly talk about.
Hoffman: Any clarification on 15, promote major parks? You’ve got the disc golf going.
Daniel: That falls into it. I mean you can put, throw disc golf under promotion of major parks
since you know we’re looking at Bandimere.
Hoffman: Sidewalk policy. You know it’s, it’s definitely a topic of conversation. I’m not sure.
Daniel: The council’s willing to take it on right now?
Hoffman: Well you or the council.
Stolar: I mean to me part of it is, as we do this bike ride right, we’re talking about the overall
experience past the city, right.
Hoffman: Bring that in.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Stolar: Bring that in as just go, if we stop somewhere and have you know a boxed lunch or
snack with the council we can talk about some of the things we’ve seen in trails which includes
downtown. Includes a sidewalk policy. Things like that.
Daniel: Sure.
Hoffman: Your, I’m not sure if all the commissions are aware. The history of why some new
neighborhoods don’t have sidewalks is because when Mayor Chmiel was here, he would not
approve neighborhoods with sidewalks. He lived in a neighborhood that did not have sidewalks
and so he advocated for sidewalks not happening in neighborhoods and so if you go back about
the days when Mayor Chmiel was here leading the council, you did not have sidewalks go into
many of the neighborhoods or most of the neighborhoods that were platted at that time and so
that was a policy of the council at that time that now is coming back in Chanhassen Hills where
they wish they would have sidewalks, or some people do. They don’t have sidewalks and some
of the other neighborhoods as well. Okay. Let’s see, maintain a million. What are you going to
do with that one?
Stolar: We can take that off.
Hoffman: Okay. Best practices is going to go over to the Environmental Commission. Ultimate
league. We’ll throw it in here with this stuff.
Daniel: Yeah.
Stolar: Yeah.
Hoffman: Promote new park features. You’ve got that one covered, right?
Daniel: Yep.
Hoffman: Special events. Give back at our special events. We do it right now at a couple so if
we could do that at a staff level if you wanted. Just look at more ways or if you wanted to talk.
Stolar: Well I think we should put it as informational for the council that we’re looking at it,
don’t you think? I mean it’s something we should look at.
Hoffman: Eight. Seven, thank you.
Daniel: We’ve got seven.
Hoffman: I’ll put save so the night janitors don’t take that away. Jerry’s got them but we’ll
verify them tomorrow.
Stolar: Where’s your camera? Take a picture.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Hoffman: Good idea. Want to make a motion and a second to confirm those and that will go
with the list to the council.
Daniel: Do we want to list individually each one of those points in the motion or should we just
say motion to.
Hoffman: You can paraphrase them, yeah or as discussed.
Daniel: Alright. Hang on a second here. That will help but I will just go ahead and call for a
motion of, let’s just have a motion for 2010 Park and Recreation Commission goals.
Stolar: So moved.
Cole Kelly: Second.
Stolar moved, Cole Kelly seconded that the Park and Recreation Commission approve
their 2010 goals as discussed. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with
a vote of 7 to 0.
RECREATION PROGRAM REPORTS.
2010 EAST EGG CANDY HUNT EVALUATION.
Ruegemer: Thank you Chair Daniels. What seems like it was so long ago. The event. We’ve
had a great year with nice weather. Had about, over about 200 kids registered for the event. We
had 106 pre-registered. 90 came that day. You know just a fun time again out there. We had a
pretty nice day. No rain. Sunshine. It was dry out in the fields north of the Rec Center, which
was nice. Had new entertainment this year with Kid Power with Rachel and she did a great job
and was very entertaining and engaging with the crowd with that so that was kind of nice. You
know had volunteers again from the high school Key Club. The new Chanhassen High School
Key Club so we continue to get decent volunteers for that. You know one thing that we’re going
to take a look at for next year is potentially changing the venue on that. We had talked about it at
a staff level to maybe change it around a little bit. Maybe generate some new interest on it. We
seem to be somewhat stagnant with the event right now. We’re you know 25 plus years with the
event. We started originally at, up here at the elementary school. City Center Park. Moved out
to the Rec Center in 1995 with the opening of the new recreation center and that’s where we’ve
had, the Rec Center is a great building for us and serves you know, if not most our recreational
needs out there. It’s nice to have the gym for back-up in case of rain or inclement type of
weather. Snow. That sort of thing here too so those are the type of things that we’re discussing
at a staff level. We talked about bringing it back up here to City Center Park to kind of change it
around a little bit. Potentially kind of do away with the entertainment portion of that event. If
any of the commissioners have been out there this year or in the past, it seems like a lot of people
are there at 9:00, you know 10 after 9:00. They go line up by the back doors waiting for the
candy so here we’re spending you know $300 to $400 or $500, $600 on your entertainment and
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
50% of the people that are there are watching the entertainment so people are so focused on the
distribution of the candy that they kind of skip other components or portions of the event so
we’re talking about that on the staff level. You know is it time maybe just to say you know
what, maybe we reallocate those resources to either, we talked about doing some, like some type
of raffle and invest some of those dollars into raffling off door prizes or some sort of gift
certificates from local businesses. Donations from local businesses. You know toys from you
know Creative Toys or that sort of thing and just kind of keep people’s interest that way. Get rid
of the entertainment and then just kind of focus on the, if people want to come just for the candy,
you know maybe it’s time that we take a look at that as well so we’re kind of talking about that
at a staff level and certainly would welcome any input from the commission tonight on that.
We’re certainly open to any suggestions that the commission would like us, what direction they
would like us to go in the future with that but that’s something that we’re you know kind of
kicking around right now for that so and certainly you know we like to keep moving forward
with it. New programming type of things and kind of not fall back on, well this is the way we’ve
always done it. What can we change. We’re kind of taking that approach with a lot of our
programming right now. Kind of keeping it fresh for the community and moving in new
directions with that so. That’s kind of one of the kind of major components. You know
volunteers are still a key to the success of our event with the Key Club or different city staff,
other members of the community that want to come out and volunteer. Certainly the commission
with that. Like I said raffle’s part of that. What other, some other communities do with, they
hand out bags to all participants that come with raffle tickets inside so then we can kind of
stream on that process. We’re looking at kind of new ways to kind of engage and I don’t know if
that’s just, if we can record the numbers somehow so we’re not reading you know 500 raffle
prizes and people have to wait. People get impatient if they have to wait and we’re looking at all
those type of things to kind of make that an easy process and a fun experience for our community
and participates for that so just kind of a breakdown of revenues and expenditures and you know
it seemed like we’re kind of in that $500 range a little bit. You know differences between the
revenue and expenditures right now and you know if that the entertainment cost right there of
breaking even potentially for next year. Certainly we’ll look for ways to increase sponsorships if
that’s the way we go. Get donations for the raffle portion of that if that’s where the commission
would like us to go next year we certainly can do that so I’ll entertain any type of questions right
now. Comments.
Daniel: Alright. Go ahead Cole.
Cole Kelly: How many years have you had entertainment there now?
Ruegemer: Pretty much since the inception of the, did it start with Cinnamon Sticks up here.
Hoffman: Yeah, it’s been since it was at the elementary school.
Ruegemer: Yeah so.
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Cole Kelly: It’s hard to tell what the difference in attendance is. Also, what do you think of the
parking situation if we move it to City Center? Does that make it harder for people to get there
with the parking situation versus what you have over at the Rec Center?
Ruegemer: Yeah. There is plenty of parking around the perimeter of the park, whether it be the
city hall parking. You know the school site and that sort of thing. Parking to me isn’t a big
issue. It’s nice having the flexibility of indoor facilities at the Rec Center and that’s one of those
kind of major things like okay you know, if we give up that component of it then we’re a little bit
more at the mercy of the weather, which you know this year was great. It was a little bit, it’s
thnd
April but we’ve had Easter Egg candy hunts in March. Like March 20. March 22 where
we’ve had 6 inches of snow the night before. We’re not hiding eggs.
Cole Kelly: Have you explored this in the past of having Chanhassen Elementary open up their
gymnasium should we move it here? And is the school district amenable to that or not? And
obviously I know the school district if you open up something, you have to pay an employee to
be there so but I would assume that might be an option.
Ruegemer: Yeah. And we’re kind of exploring a lot of those things right now. I’m sure we can
work out something with the building monitor. We have a pretty good relationship with the
school district 112.
Daniel: Great, thanks Cole.
Hoffman: Other ideas? If you’ve been to other Easter Egg events or candy hunts. The whole
thing about the downtown is just to bring it back into the core of the city where more people
would be interested to come down and then do their other errands. The Rec Center’s a little bit
more removed.
Wendt: I like the sound of that. It’s always fun when they have the, the library has their dog
parade and the other events that we do. I like the idea of moving it back here.
Daniel: Well and the one that the church sponsors down in Excelsior. I mean that’s a mad
house. That’s probably 4 times the size of Chanhassen just based off of that and they do it, you
know they’ve got the racket on the Commons area for the Easter Egg hunt there but I mean it’s
just basically a mad house and they’ve got it separated. They actually do a pretty good job
because they do separate it by age group. I don’t know Jerry if that’s what you guys do as well.
It’s been a few years since I’ve been out to the Chanhassen one but you know outside of that
they’ve, you know they coordinate with the fire station and you have a couple vendors there so
it’s pretty similar in layout to what you guys are doing. No entertainment per se but that actually
works, I think it’s a great way to keep the kids entertained so if anything it’s, you guys got more
activities, more things to do which is good.
Ryan: Well I went with my family and I thought it was fabulous. You guys did a great job. It
was very well organized. We weren’t sure if we were going to be able to make it so we didn’t
pre-registered and I thought it was very easy to understand where to go and it was, the volunteers
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
were great and you moved through the line. I thought the entertainment, I don’t know what it’s
been like in years past but I thought that group really was phenomenal. I mean everybody was
up dancing. Kids had a great time. I thought they did a lot of interactive games which was fun.
Get the kids moving and the parents moving and the props that they had, I thought that was great.
Maybe instead of just labeling it an Easter Egg hunt, because then people only assume that
they’re going to come and get candy thrown at them and then get to pick it up off the ground.
Maybe it’s more of an Easter party. I think the idea of having some sort of a raffle or just have
maybe a dozen big ticket items that people can you know, you can raise money for and get those
donated and have people, I mean you can try to raffle those off because you had, where the face
painting was, you know there was a lot of empty space or un-used space there. Have more for
people to do as opposed to just entertainment or waiting. Let them wander around. Maybe have
some sort of scavenger hunt. You can go to another facility that they can do, you know find
golden eggs in certain locations and bring them and put them in the basket. You know
something along those lines but overall I thought you did a great job and we really wanted to win
that golden egg and we were on a sugar high for about 2 weeks. But no, I thought you did a
great job and I really think that the entertainment makes it fun for the kids and the family and it’s
not just about going and getting candy so from a parent perspective it was nice to have the music
there.
Daniel: Alright, thanks Elise. Any more questions or comments for Jerry? If not, thanks again
Jerry for another successful program with the Easter Egg hunt. Moving on to ChanJam 2010.
2010 CHANJAM EVALUATION.
th
Ruegemer: Third annual ChanJam was held Friday, April 16 at the Rec Center. Attendance
was slightly down again this year for that. I think we had around 400 last year. 235 this year.
You know we kind of simplified the food portion of that. Instead of having two vendors last
year, like last year we went down to one food vendor. Put him in a different location hopefully
to kind of increase visibility and kind of change around times a little bit to hopefully you know
start a little earlier to kind of get kids in there and to buy foods and try to kind of change things
around a little bit to make that you know kind of everybody happy with that. We did have bands,
we had bands from the Chanhassen High School, Chaska High School, Minnetonka and Holy
Family this year so a lot of talented kids out there. It’s just amazing just how musically talented
the kids are when it comes to that. A lot of them have very impressive stage presence up on the
stages and they’re wise beyond their years that’s for sure with that so. The winning band was
Silence Only Comes on Tuesday and that was from Minnetonka High School so they’ve been
rd
invited to play on July 3 to open up for Casablanca Orchestra so we’re kind of coordinating
rdth
with the bands right to get everybody kind of lined up for the 3 and the 4 celebrations with
that. John really worked very hard you know kind of coordinating with all the different high
schools and advertising and getting everything lined up. He’s had some really nice experiences
in the past. They’ve brought to the city as it relates to you know kind of holding and hosting
these type events so John did a great job. It really does go smooth once everything is there with
the stage set up and the sound quality and the video itself. John continues to do a very nice job
with that. Dan Scout and Partners in Entertainment was there to kind of provide all the
knowledge and the equipment to kind of make sure that everybody, the sound board is good. All
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
the mics are set up and all the amplifiers and all that kind of stuff is, all the technical stuff is
ready to go. It’s a great set up and a very nice, large stage for that. Bring all the, basically all the
amps and the drum set, everything else, basically all the people that play or participate just
basically plug in and that’s it. They don’t have to mess around with bringing in a lot of
equipment. Just basically the guitars and the drums. The drummer can bring his sticks and if
they want to have a certain cymbal or whatever that they want to use, they can do that but you
know for the most part, 90-95 percent of the equipment that they would use is there on stage so
it’s really, I think really a first class event. It’s really I think is impressed. You know I think the
fans are impressed that show up. It’s a great venue to have that. Just to have fun. It’s a positive,
positive experience for kids. There’s not enough opportunities for kids to play at arenas or
places like this and I think people really enjoy that. With that. To kind of go with Elise we did
have the food shelf donations out at the Rec Center for the ChanJam so everybody, anybody who
brought something got $1.00 off their admission so we brought 47 items down to the CAP
agency for that so, and I know I think Jodi just did something with that too, was it the garage
sale?
Hoffman: Garage sale.
Ruegemer: So we brought down more food items to the CAP agency as well so you know as a
staff we’ll also take a look at that too. See if we can increase the visibility of that to help out,
people in our community that are maybe going through some tough times with that. Again we
certainly plan on continuing ChanJam in the future. Again kind of it seems kind of our theme is
you know what can we do to increase participation? Is it different types of marketing? Is it
different formats? Is it change of venue? Is it time to look at the high school or look at other
high schools to kind of, maybe it’s a rotating high school thing per year. Maybe next year we go
to Minnetonka High School. We go to Chan. We go to Chaska. To kind of you know, one thing
with the Rec Center, it’s neutral ground and with that but you know that’s something we can
incorporate of changing venues. Going around to different places so everybody kind of has their
chance to host if we can coordinate that with all the different school districts and schools so all
things that we’re you know looking to kind of look at into the future was the judging was
successful this year. Kind of changing formats on that versus having solely audience, kind of a
decibel level or audience level meter to gauge that so. Just looking at different you know groups
to come in for volunteering. Just evaluation process. Looking at more of a kind of a permanent
emcee situation. It’s nice to have somebody up there kind of introducing different bands. Kind
of engaging the crowd, that sort of thing. I think we’re have a good number that 8 to 10 bands I
think is kind of where we want to be just for allowing time. You know 6:30 to 10:00 or kind of
that time frame. Give everybody about 15 to 20 minutes per set to play. I think that’s a good
time for the bands to showcase kind of their music and that’s really solely kind of what it is. A
lot of people aren’t playing cover songs. They’re playing their own original music so it’s a great
way for you know for the kids and the bands to kind of express themselves musically and it’s,
the concept is a very successful concept and we’re going to continue to promote this. Promote
this program but we should find ways to increase our participation just so everybody has a
quality experience with that so.
Daniel: Alright. Thank you Jerry. Any comments or questions? Steve?
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Scharfenberg: My daughter went and she really liked it. She had a good time again this year.
Thought it was great. Jerry just a, to dovetail on your conversation about different possible
places to play and that. You know one possibility to look at, I know it’s maybe a very remote
possibility is maybe to approach Prince and their studios about that. I mean to think that a band,
thinking that they’d be able to play there would you know maybe get you to draw more people.
More that way and people being able to get in and be able to see in there. Something to maybe
think about and they may see it as a philanthropic thing you know allowing to use that space.
And if you approach them and say hey, along at least those lines, hey we really want to raise a
goal of, we want to raise $500 to give it to PROP or you know part of this and then approach
them from that aspect of it, they may be more tuned into that. That yeah, we like that idea so
something just to throw out. I just thought about that so.
Daniel: I think that’d be a real, I mean I was trying to think Steve where else would be a site and
you hit it right on the head. I think that’s a fantastic idea. I mean again it will be all depend
upon their reaction at Paisley Park but when you’ve got one of the top premiere recording studios
and plus sound stage right here in Chanhassen, I mean you want to talk about exciting. You have
the opportunity to play at Paisley Park and every one of those kids know what that place is about.
Regardless of age group so that’s just a thought. I know you guys must have some contacts or if
you don’t John will be very busy, but certainly something to consider. I don’t know.
Hoffman: I was going to ask you guys if you had any contacts.
Daniel: No.
Stolar: What about the emcee, Dave Ryan?
Daniel: True. I think either way you’d be able to find out, I mean someway, somehow through
building inspector. Tax collector. Somebody knows. Maybe that might be a way which we can
deduct a couple… Help him on that. Okay. Thank you Steve. Scott.
Wendt: No. Good job.
Daniel: I’m going to save you last Tom. Elise.
Ryan: Nothing.
Daniel: Cole. Glenn? Tom.
Tom Kelly: It was a lot of fun. I was amazed at how quickly, having because my first question
to John was you know are we going to hear a band for 15 minutes and then watch them set up the
new band for the next 15 minutes but the way they had it set up, it was boom, boom, boom.
John’s selling himself short. I mean he is, he’s probably as good as Dave Ryan up there if not
better so I thought John, seriously I thought he did a great, a great job there. It was, I thought I
would hear more covers. I was actually surprised at the number, I believe they’re new songs
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
that, of the original songs. I thought I would hear more covers. The attendance is, it says 235
but I don’t know if we ever had 235 people in that room at once. It seemed a lot less than that.
Daniel: One of my points.
Tom Kelly: People are coming and going a lot. Maybe the way they had it last year with the
audience voting, maybe that encouraged to stick around for the whole performance so they can
vote on their favorite band which was the first band or second band as opposed to hearing their
bands sing and then leave. But I thought it was a lot of fun but John did an outstanding job and it
was a good time.
Daniel: Yeah, and I had a chance to go as well and I was sitting out in the bleachers. My only
comment, if it does happen to be in that venue again next year, in the gymnasium, turn the stage.
All the adults and everyone else were sitting out, out in the stands, the bleachers.
Tom Kelly: That’s because you didn’t want to go in the mosh pit.
Daniel: Exactly and that was one of the greatest laughs of all time. And then quite shocking but
you know some of the ideas, and everything Tom just stated about John’s efforts into that, it was
great. Natural born promoter. I mean he just understood how to work the whole situation. He
worked well with the bands. Had a chance to talk to him quite a bit you know in between and he
th
was a busy man. Very busy. I’ve seen him work February Fest and 4 of July and he was
running back and forth. That was, he may not admit it but it looked like he was working harder
there just for that little event than all the major ones so he did a great job. Some of the thoughts
as far as something that maybe you could also include, as far as interest too with the bands or get
more bands in there, have the opportunity since you have all the equipment there, the digital age,
you can record these things. I don’t know if they did that or not but in essence to put them out
there in either MP3 format or some sort of format out on Chanhassen’s web site where you can
go listen to it. Just as a sampling. Whatever it may be. You know with permission obviously of
the, of those who are participating. Or even put out a disc. You know something like that or
something, or even go into iTunes. I mean download an application. You can just about put
your music anywhere. Even in a Facebook page for park and recreations. I mean something to
that effect so that if people want to go listen and hear what they may have missed or they can go
back and hear their favorite band again and play or they can go out and self promote, this is an
opportunity for them to do that. Also video. You Tube. I mean just to throw something out
there and throw it in digital format and maybe John can spend, it’s not that difficult but if do
some editing and maybe show the top 3 or 4 as a promotional. This program for next year by
leaving it out in You Tube and you can reference them to go check out last year’s winners or
first, second and third place because I saw a few parents and other kids.
Hoffman: There’s probably some out there right now.
Daniel: Well I’m sure there is but if you look, I think I only saw like one from a couple years
ago. That’s when I looked about 3-4 months ago so again if that’s something that City can
sponsor. I don’t know if we have the equipment though.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Stolar: You can get the schools. I’m sure they have video clubs…
Daniel: Oh yeah. I mean tie into them.
Stolar: Oh yeah.
Daniel: To go and really film this. I mean a good opportunity.
Stolar: A good project for one.
Cole Kelly: A project for a class.
Stolar: Yeah, that’d be perfect.
Daniel: So, and then Steve hit it right on the head. Oh, I’m sorry. Tom you hit it right on the
head. The, what can we go to keep the kids in there? Moving the food in there. I don’t know.
Something to keep them, all 235 students or 230 you know students in there the entire time and
how do we do that? I don’t know. That’s something certainly we could certainly have some
discussion on or certainly if John and Jerry and if you guys can think about what, what type of
feedback. Even getting some feedback from those who participated in the bands. Hey, what can
we do to keep your audience here the whole time? And John’s talked to these kids. He has their
phone numbers and he might be getting some feedback but that’d be great. I mean if you had
235-300 kids there at once, the entire time or at least you know the last, at that level for the last
half as kids start to come, I think that’d be great so, I had a blast. Shocked at the talent and
shocked at a couple of music piece selections, especially the heavy metal. That was fantastic.
Just from a pure comical standpoint. As you can tell I’m getting old now too. I had a buddy of
mine and we were rolling in the stands so, great job though. I’ll just say it was a great job. A lot
of fun.
Hoffman: Thank you.
Daniel: Alright. And then let’s move onto the Memorial Day ceremony coming up here.
ADMINISTRATIVE:
CHANHASSEN MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY.
Hoffman: Mark your calendars. That’s all. It’s noon on Memorial Day.
Daniel: Okay, thank you. And then they have again it looks a lunch afterwards at the Legion.
Okay. And we’re going to move onto commission member committee report unless I’m missing
something.
Hoffman: 6(b).
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: Oh 6(b), I’m sorry. Other upcoming dates.
OTHER IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES.
nd
Hoffman: There’s a correct I want to make you aware of. May 22 for Farmers Market. Is
stndth
opening day for the Farmers Market. Not May 1 so mark May 22. And then May 10 is our
joint meeting and I think it will be at 6:00 in the Fountain conference room so mark that. And
just want to make sure that you remind yourselves that, as an appointed commission you’re
doing a great deal of the work to bring these activities to the community so take pride in them.
Bring your friends and family. Show them off. Each one of these has a little bit of your
fingerprint on it and you should take pride in that so thank you for your efforts and we’ll see you
at the events.
Stolar: I have a couple questions. Our meeting is what, the Tuesday after Memorial Day or the
one before that?
Scharfenberg: It’d have to be the week before.
Hoffman: It will be the.
th
Stolar: 25.
th
Hoffman: 25.
Stolar: Okay. And is that one that we’re going to be, we had talked about maybe intentionally
going to see the public works building as a pre-session or are we just going to use the open house
instead?
Hoffman: Your choice.
Stolar: Because we had talked about potentially doing it and I was thinking something, have an
open house. We can just, anyone who wants to go to it.
Daniel: Well there was a city open house that we had a couple years, what 3-4 years ago?
Hoffman: City open house for?
Daniel: I think just all the different commissions and stuff and maybe…
Hoffman: Well this is down at the new public works.
Daniel: Oh, gotch ya.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Stolar: We had talked earlier at our May meeting we would go early to see the public works
building because it would be open.
Daniel: Gotch ya.
Stolar: I’m seeing now that they have an official open house we could just go then as opposed
to…
Daniel: Okay.
Hoffman: That’s a Saturday morning 9:00 to noon.
Daniel: Okay.
Scharfenberg: What’s the date of the first concert? June?
Daniel: We’ll be covering that in May.
thth
Ruegemer: I want to say it’s like the 10 or the 15. Somewhere in that range.
Scharfenberg: Okay.
Ruegemer: You’re putting me on the spot.
Scharfenberg: Yeah.
Cole Kelly: Thought you had those memorized.
Ruegemer: I will when I see a magnet. What Tom’s going to grab is, we had some sponsorship
dollars with Sign Source and they gave us kind of in kind services every year to use for banners
or for signs or whatever. We allocated that money this year towards refrigerator magnets for the
concert series so we had 750 to 1,000 made up for that. We’re going to give some you know at
the Rec Center, from here. Take more to KleinBank…
Hoffman: Great little promotion tool.
Ruegemer: We’re hoping that we’ll increase the visibility of the program. Get some people up
here to enjoy some great music so.
Scharfenberg: And are they going to, Jerry just remind, are they going to, I think somebody was
doing food last year. Are they going to do that again this year?
Ruegemer: We’re still trying to work out some of those details right now so.
Hoffman: Last year it was the School II Bistro. I don’t know if they’re coming back.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Scharfenberg: Okay.
Hoffman: You can bring your own wine and bring your own picnic basket.
Tom Kelly: Just a question on one of these bands. Red Path. Is that the same person who was
the?
Hoffman: Lauren?
Tom Kelly: Yeah.
Hoffman: (Yes). They had a good showing last year.
Daniel: Okay, anything else?
Cole Kelly: I just want to make you a note, the joint meeting I’ll still be on vacation. I won’t be
back for that just so you know.
Hoffman: Okay.
Daniel: Thank you Cole. Alright, let’s move on to commission member committee reports.
COMMISSION MEMBER COMMITTEE REPORTS: RED BIRDS BASEBALL
OPENING DAY.
Daniel: Elise, you want to take a few minutes and quick talk about what’s going on with the Red
Birds?
Ryan: Sure, I’d love to. Well it’s actually happening. We have, I haven’t been here for a couple
meetings to give you an update but we had our first practice game as I talked to many of you
before the meeting, but we had our first practice game this past Saturday and we have a great
team of young guys. All really excited about you know playing town ball for Chanhassen. Great
coach. Just great group of people so it was fun for us to sit. You know luckily it didn’t get
rained out but it was really fun for all of us to sit in the beautiful facility and look out and see our
guys on the field because back in November when we sat down and first sat around a table and
looked at each other, we weren’t so sure that this was actually going to happen so it was kind of
a dream fulfilled for all of us to see that it came together the way that it has and we’ve gotten, as
many of you have seen in the paper, has gotten great press over the past month. I think we’ve
been in the Villager almost every week. The Mayor and City Council have been extremely
supportive in everything that we’ve done. Personal emails. Phone calls. Just really supporting
you know anything we need. They’re there for us. They get back to us right away. We came
down to this past City Council meeting and you know the Red Bird came. You guys handed out
hot dogs and Cracker Jacks before. Todd Gerhardt showed up in his Chanhassen Red Birds t-
shirt for the meeting so everybody was pretty pumped up and we asked them all to attend and
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
asked the Mayor to throw out the first pitch and he said he’d love to. Somebody said make sure
it’s better than the President.
Scharfenberg: I don’t know, I’ve seen the Mayor throw out the first pitch…
Ryan: Well he’s been practicing, I know that. I think he threw out the first pitch at the high
school game, right?
Hoffman: High school.
Ryan: And the City Council all wants to be there to see him throw out the first pitch. That’s
what they’ve been emailing me. They’ll be there for sure so we’re going to make sure that we
thank them for their support and you know acknowledge them on opening day. As well as on
rd
opening day, which is May 23 at 2:00 we have invited, or we’ve been in touch and I know
Todd has been as well with former Red Birds players so we’re trying to get the word out that we
want to have Red Birds come down and wear their old uniforms and jerseys or whatever
memorabilia that they have, to bring it down to the facility so that’s all kind of, and we’re still
figuring out an agenda for opening day. That’s what our meeting tomorrow night is going to be
about. Just figuring out those details so as soon as I have any of that information I’ll forward it
onto your guys. I know we’re going to do some events pre-game and that kind of stuff but you
know like I said I’ll get back to you. We’re still really working hard on volunteers and
sponsorships. We’ve had you know, we probably have about a dozen sponsors so far. I don’t
know if you’ve seen these. These are our, you can pass them down. These are the, what we’re
going to hand out on game days. They’re going to be our game day brochures so what we’re
selling inside of them is the advertising space and then the insert card is going to be, on one side
it’s going to stay the score card but on the flip side where there’s sponsorship opportunities,
that’s going to be the roster and stats and what not so we’ve had a lot of success selling this
brochure. People are real excited about getting their name out and letting them know that they’re
sponsoring the Red Birds and the community so we’ve, you know we always need more
sponsors so if any of you have a checkbook. We need the sponsors and volunteers. If you know
of anybody you can certainly contact me. You can also go to our web site as well but yeah, it’s
been great. It’s been a lot of fun and we’re excited. We have a couple more practice games
before the opening game but we’re certainly well on our way.
Daniel: Outstanding.
Ryan: Yeah.
Daniel: One recommendation, and obviously you know we all expect, if you could send out an
email just I guess as a formal invite as well.
Ryan: Sure.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: Just so we can all acknowledge and I think that way we can get the commission
involved. Not that we wouldn’t do anything participatory but I think just to let us know and I
rd
know it’s the 23, which is a Sunday.
th
Ryan: Yes, Sunday at 2:00. And then we’ll also like on the, like for the 4 of July festivities
we’re going to have a float in the parade and the team, you know the guys on the team are going
to be on the float and they’ll be involved with that with the game that evening.
Hoffman: I can get you a photo, the Red Birds had a float. The old Red Birds had a float about
8 years ago I think.
Ryan: Oh really?
Hoffman: Yep, they had a float in our parade so they just said, let’s have a float so they brought
out all the old players and they had a float. I’ll get you a photo of it.
Ryan: Oh that’d be great.
Daniel: Great job on the pamphlet too and I love the idea of the score card. That’s fantastic.
Should be available for everybody to go out during the game.
Ryan: Yeah, it will be.
Hoffman: You made the Mayor’s breakfast presentation this morning. So he had a slide on the
Red Birds at the Chamber Breakfast presentation by the Mayor.
Ryan: Oh great. Yeah, he’s been great. He’s been a big supporter of us for sure. Which is nice.
So that’s it. If you have questions or comments.
Daniel: Anything for Elise?
Stolar: Just one real quick. Thank you for representing this commission on it. You’ve done a
lot of great work so thanks.
Daniel: And not only that, I think obviously you had a lot of fun doing it.
Ryan: It has been. It’s been great. It’s been a fun group and like I said it’s, it was really cool
this past Saturday to see everybody out on the field and know that Chanhassen has a town ball
team. It’s a cool feeling that’s for sure.
Daniel: And you can put it on the resume. Not too many people have are part of the, what
would it be called, the board of directors for a baseball organization.
Stolar: What’s her name that owned, Margaret Schotte that owned the Cincinnati Reds.
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Park and Recreation Commission - April 27, 2010
Daniel: That’s right.
Ryan: Well.
Daniel: Alright, great. Again Elise, thank you very much.
Ryan: You’re welcome.
Daniel: And you have don a fantastic job. I can’t say it enough and it’s going to be exciting. I
mean it’s, you know it was something I brought up several years ago and to see you guys carry it
through and you know it’s a lot of work and something that’s, boy it’s quite an undertaking what
you got done. Getting it accomplished.
Ryan: And it would be poor of me not to, I forgot and I should have not but thank you both to
Todd and Jerry because they have been extremely helpful in everything that we’ve done so, from
the scheduling Jerry I know has been on the phone probably about 50 times a day so thank you,
and then Todd is unbelievable knowledge of everything that’s going on and his support, none of
this would have happened without your guy’s support so thank you to both of you very much.
Hoffman: You’re welcome.
Daniel: Great, thanks Elise.
Hoffman: Everybody’s talking Red Birds. It’s going to be an electric day. It will be one of
those days that will be very memorable and it will stick in people’s minds into the future. It’s
interesting to think, if you look back the real history of the Red Birds is really less than 15 years
and so we are living off of 15 years of baseball history that is almost 40 years ago so that’s how
much that…pumped into this community and now to bring it back is going to start to recreate the
same kind of energy. It will be something new for our community. I’ve always said, you know
the Cubs had it. The Vic’s had it and when we went down there to watch those games you know
we were just an out of towner down watching their fun activity that their town enjoyed and so
it’s great that it’s going to be back here for our community.
Daniel: And really you know Chaska’s done a fantastic job of establishing a brand with their
baseball. For amateur baseball down there and we’ll have to continue expanding our own
identity. Our own local community baseball team that we can rally around so. Alright, thanks
again. Any other committee commission member presentations?
ADMINISTRATIVE PACKET.
Daniel: Is there anything specific Todd you want to highlight in the packet?
Hoffman: The history of the Red Birds. Right there. Everybody’s jumping on the band wagon
so, now that it’s coming back, the old timers are taking advantage and reminiscing which is
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great. The original pitcher and catcher from the first game we hope will be there. From the first
game at High Blake in 1947.
Daniel: Okay. Well with that said let’s get an adjournment going so motion to adjourn meeting
unless there’s anything else that needs to be discussed.
Commissioner Scharfenberg moved, Commissioner Wendt 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.
Submitted by Todd Hoffman
Park and Rec Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim
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