PRC 2004 03 04STAFF PRESENT:
Recreation Supervisor;
Superintendent
CHANHASSEN PARK AND
RECREATION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
MARCH 23, 2004
Chairman Stolar called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Glenn Stolar, Susan Robinson, Amy O'Shea, and Tom Kelly
MEMBERS ABSENT: Jack Spizale and Paula Atkins
Todd Hoffman, Park and Recreation Director; Corey Hoen,
Susan Marek, Recreation Center Manager; Dale Gregory, Park
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: O'Shea moved, Robinson seconded to approve the agenda
as presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 3 to
0.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hoffman: I'd like to announce that the Easter Egg Candy Hunt is coming up on April
10th, this Saturday at the Recreation Center from what time Corey?
Hoen: Starts at 9:00 a.m.
Hoffman: 9:00 a.m.
Stolar: Alright, any other public announcements?
presentations.
VISITOR PRESENTATIONS:
Hoffman: Tony's going to talk about the Miracles for Mitch.
Tony: Good evening.
Hoffman: You're going to introduce yourself and.
Tony: Because it's recorded?
Hoffman: Yep.
Tony: Alright, we'll do that.
Hoffman: Your address and name.
Okay, seeing none, visitor
Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Tony Schiller: My name is Tony Schiller and ! live at 6580 Trundle Circle, and wanted
to thank you for the opportunity to share with you an event that we're hoping to bring to
Chanhassen. In 1973, had a gentleman stop at our house, family friend by the name of
Frank Weathering and he literally changed my life on that particular day. A couple years
earlier ! was on the same baseball team as Paul Molitor and that was pretty cool. Paul
was the pitcher. ! was the catcher for about an hour and then the cuts came out, and after
being cut from several teams ! gave up on sports and got to a point where ! was really at a
vulnerable, difficult place in my life and then along came Frank. And he knocked on the
door and said come on Tony, let's go jogging. And no 15 year old kid wants to go jog
with some 50 year old guy wearing black socks but ! did and while we ran and talked, he
shared with me that he thought ! had a talent and no one had ever said that before. And
he suggested that ! go out for the track team at my school, which ! was still pretty
frightened to do, and that Monday night the track coach walked up to me, out of the blue
and said hey kid, why don't you come out for the track team. We have a meet tomorrow,
you can run the mile. I'm not sure how all that works but Frank literally changed my life
and ! know ! would not have gone out for that team, probably wouldn't have had coach
asked had he not stopped and asked me to run and ! share that story with you because !
think we're at an unbelievable time in our history with kids and their place of
physicalness. You know the team sports will always thrive. They will always do great,
and really even if the park, as a board, chose to never be involved in team sports, they're
going to do great. But there are all sorts of athletic intelligences and ! never knew that !
had a profound athletic intelligence. I've gone on to race all over the world, on five
continents. I've been in every kind of competition you can imagine in long distance
racing and have won 5 world triathlon titles. And over the years I've had all sorts of
opportunities to be involved in an event and I've always volunteered in one form or
another but never really put myself really into one, and then came along this chance with
Miracles for Mitch. You might know about Mitchell Chapokas. But his father, Steve
who's been involved in the foundation and ! have been talking and I've had for many
years this idea of being involved in a kid's triathlon and ! don't know if you've ever seen
one but it is unlike any other kind of sporting event that you can imagine. Just a
fundamentally different kind of experience and we've come up with the idea on an event
that we want to have at Lake Ann Park that we think will be a phenomenal event that
would really put, ! think in a way the park on the map and introduce the park and the city
predominantly to the kids of this area. But we're also really reaching out to some
specific kids. Kids typically that you wouldn't see come to Chanhassen. Kids of color.
Kids of disadvantage and some kids that are even physically or physically disabled or for
that matter ill, giving them a chance to race so ! can answer any of your questions about
the purpose and the mission behind the foundation and also the work with the race. But
as it sits in our vision, we literally will have a day where we turn the park into this blaze
of orange and celebration of Mitch, this kid that was the brain child for, and inspiration
behind the Miracle of Mitch Foundation. You might have seen some of the things that
happened last year with his funeral and the amazing day, but we literally want to bring
hundreds of kids to this experience, and really have a phenomenal day. Basically want to
see what we need to do to get this happening because already we have several people that
want to be involved as volunteers and funders, if you will, along with a number of
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
corporations and media that want to get involved as sponsors and partners with the whole
event. And I'm involved in it, I guess almost as the race director but definitely involved
from the standpoint of being the person that's going to kind of brain child the physical
elements that go into a triathlon, with all my experience, 200 events. And so those will,
my involvement will be a great, and of course all the people in it are volunteers, so that's
the vision. I think we, what we're really trying to do is introduce kids to the idea of a
different kind of physical play. Actually the idea of endurance, and I should point out,
one last thing. Well this is actually a race number I use, there we go, but all the kids will
be wearing the number 1. And so we're going to have this thing be a real celebration of
participation and finishing. It's not a competition, and everyone we've talked to in the
media absolutely loves the idea. We're not making a politically correct statement. I love
competition. I live for competition, but this day is really about expressing kind of the joy
of physical movement, and we want to really celebrate kids being out there participating
and cheer every single kid onto the finish line and they're all going to be receiving
medals and the whole thing is meant to be a celebration of doing something physically
challenging, and one of the things that you're going to see when you're out there, because
you won't be able to stay away on this particular day, is kids that are just literally raving
and smiling ear to ear over what they've experienced in this day because I've been
involved as a volunteer in about 10 kids triathlons and every single one is the same thing.
They draw a different kind of kid. Kids who haven't, we'll still get our elite athletes that
will show up and do well, but they draw kids that would never do other things and it
takes them so much courage to start, and when they're finished they are so proud and it
really opens their eyes to what they can do. And that was what happened to me in 1973
and it changed my life so I think it's going to be a pretty powerful day. We'd like to call
it a day of Miracles. And our slogan is Kids Racing for Kids who Can't. All the kids
will be raising money, a fund raiser to support the foundation and so we'll have people
probably knocking on your doors saying will you support me. I'm raising money for the
Miracles of Mitch, which is a foundation that gives back all the money to families that
have children who are terminally ill and really helps the family through that difficult
time. Paying their house payment. Putting food on the table. Literally taking care of
bills that are coming in as a result of this troubling time that they're going through, so it's
a pretty important cause and we think that this could become eventually the major
fundraiser for the event with some pretty major sponsors getting involved so that's the
big picture and I wanted to share it with you. I wanted to do it at Lake Ann, I should tell
you. I've been here for 10 years. This is the eleventh year in town. 16 years out in the
area and I trained at Lake Ann. Todd, probably sometimes worries about me because I
swim across the lake and that, but I've never had a problem. I never even had a cramp or
a moment, but I've always looked at this park as this unbelievable place, far superior a
park to any that I've raced at in all my events everywhere I've gone and I've always
thought it would be the perfect site for a triathlon and pretty proud that the one we would
bring into it is different than any other triathlon that exists too. So I think what you want
to do with the triathlon or an event like this, you want to really determine your scope and
our scope on this is an experience for the kids. It's not really about competition or world
class performers or anything of that nature so we know pretty much our mission and I
think the venue is going to be incredible. I really don't want to go anywhere else ever
Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
with it. I think the park can handle this thing growing and being a big deal for years to
come so that's my big picture and I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have.
Robinson: Yeah I've got a few. First of all I just want to say I think this is great that
you're doing this for kids and for the Miracles of Mitch Foundation. I was out there
when they had their garage sale last year and got to meet the parents and some of the
family so it's just a really neat family so I think it's great that you're promoting this.
How many kids do you anticipate, or do you want to get for the first year? I'm just
curious. Do you have a number in mind?
Tony Schiller: Our numbers are big and bold but oddly enough, or not oddly enough,
coincidentally, and smartly on our behalf, the week before the City of Edina will have it's
event that comes to Minnesota once a year the Iron Kids, which is a national series put on
by a bright company and that particular event is held at the big pool there and that
presents, in fact all their events that they do across the country are put in pools, and
there's a certain safety element that's associated with that, but also kids have to swim
across the deep end and that frightens a ton of kids from doing it. And I've gone around
the country at these races and watched and I've hardly ever seen kids that aren't great
swimmers or pretty darn good swimmers even attempt it, and so we're taking that part of
it away. And we're going to recruit some of those kids, we have a plan simply to, if we
need kids, we will recruit from their event. They drew about 400 last year, primarily
though a competitive event. Their slogan is Everyone's a Winner, however they really
emphasize the medals for who wins and who places, and we're going to change that
atmosphere, because frankly when I watched it, I've seen the same thing happen. It's the
little kids who are physically mature that win, and the kids who aren't physically mature
just kind of get lost in the shuffle and so we want to really have this be different in that
respect, and the kids know who's, they know if they were one of the fastest kids and if
that's important to them, they can do it. So to answer your question Susan, I think that, I
think we could realistically have as many as 500 and probably will have to at some point
do a cut off, although we're going to pick and choose to a certain extent. Bringing in a
certain number of kids that we want to make to have the right mix and so, which is a little
bit odd. You don't typically see that picking and choosing but we're going to do it, and
what we, our vision is to actually bring as many as 50 kids or so from the inner city on a
bus and as you can see with the idea, and that might not happen the first year, that many
but we can grow to where the kids are literally going to get a whole package of things.
They're going to have to do a little work in preparation for this, including some exercise
and, but they're going to be rewarded and we're going to hand pick the groups that we're
working with to reward these kids and, with some pretty neat prizes, including a bike so
there's a lot of elements of it that are coming together. As far as the numbers though, I
think 500 can be done. We'll be doing it in groups. All the kids will be starting in like
size groups based on gender and based on age so we'd have 7 year olds all going
together, and they won't go as far as the kids that are 11 or 12, and they would all start
together so there's, it really eliminates the intimidation factor, boys against girls. We
don't really have that going on so that's.
Robinson: And I have another question. Thank you. Where do you see the future, do
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
you see this an annual event or do you see this as something that's going to be repeated
every few years or is it just a one time thing?
Tony Schiller: No, it's an annual. Last year we had, it was the third year of the Iron Kids
locally and they jumped to 400 and they had 290 repeat entrants from the previous year,
so these kids come back. And so that's one of the challenges. You get obviously a lot of
the kids that get involved are going to want to do it again so, but ! think as I've even
stated with the foundation, ! think an event serves it's purpose or when an event has
served it's purpose and no longer has the same inspiration, it's probably lived it's course.
A good event that can have that same inspiration that, the impact is still strong and still
has the fire for what it was originally missioned for ! think deserves to live on. And once
people are not doing it for the right reasons, ! think you do move on but ! think it has a
chance to have a real longevity to it. We also picked late August because, for a lot of
reasons. The kids will be talking about it when they go back to school. Beyond that, the
opportunity exists to ! think have kids preparing for it, and for that matter it's kind of a
slow time in the park ! think at the end of the year too. So hopefully it starts to kind of
have an open period. ! know things are really hopping in June and July, especially before
the 4th.
Robinson: Good. I just have one more question for you and that's more of a practical
question. Who is going to provide, is the City or is the foundation going to be providing
the, like the patrol that's needed to direct the kids and the safety aspects?
Tony Schiller: Well, it really becomes a team effort but our involvement, or I guess our
willingness to receive is huge. So to the extent that the city would partner with us, you
know whether that became an official partnership or whether it was simply a leasing of
the park or whatever the case is, ! guess we also know that how late this is in getting
started, but we have a big team. There's interest that's really led by a number of people
that are involved in the local churches and so we think we're going to have, if you
noticed even the time, ! think it's on there, starting later in the day and that's to
accommodate some of the churches that might not wish to have their morning services
interfered with, so kind of an afternoon type of an experience. But we, ! expect to have a
huge number of volunteers and we're going to have, I've already begun my recruiting
efforts with my triathlon friends and know of oh, as many as two dozen people that have
already told me they won't race that weekend or that day. There's a couple events out of
town that they're going to skip to want to be here participating so we're going to have
some really good, talented athletes being there to volunteer and encourage the kids, and
so that part of it, ! think we're going to have a lot of volunteers. That's certainly along
78th, we need some patrols and whether that's with the police. There's not that many
stops. You know there's what, two intersections, three that you have to deal with but !
don't think it's going to be a big deal. And the kids will only go on the one, on the north
edge of 78th on the roadway there. They wouldn't be crossing into traffic. They
wouldn't need a lot of room so there'd be room for, certainly room for traffic one
direction anyway, if not two way traffic so. And typically ! think people would go
around it. In fact at the what, right here at Powers, to just stop cars coming in. Saying
there's a race here. Why don't you take Highway 5. People would do that as opposed to
Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
turning on the frontage road, unless they needed to be on it so I don't think that's a, I
don't think we'd see a huge amount of traffic that day, but.
Robinson: Okay, thank you.
Kelly: I'm just curious what, I think it's great. Incredible idea. I know this commission
was able to get a kids fun run tacked on to the Dave Huffman 5K every September and
that's been a pretty decent event, but to have a triathlon here would just be phenomenal.
I'm just curious. What routes have you, obviously the swimming's going to happen at
Lake Ann but what routes are you envisioning for both the running and the biking? I
know you said West 78th Street. Would that be for the biking and you'd be running on
the path that kind of goes halfway around Lake Ann?
Tony Schiller: Actually I think the run portion would probably go that way. The only
challenge that we have with the park for little kids is it's pretty hilly. I mean an actual
route would be to take them up to the high point, the roadway with the little island turn
around. That'd be really a nice natural turn about for running but I think kids will
struggle climbing the hill so I think the pathway that heads up to the north beach is really
an easy route and you almost get a half mile, and Todd can correct me if I'm wrong but
we want to get basically a mile for the older kids so we'd probably take them up to the
roadway and they might have those kids climb the hill. You have to get to the top and
then turn around and head back and then the younger kids would go a little ways out on
the trail, come back and. The other option would be, and I don't think this one works as
well, would be to send kids out the direction towards 78th and then take one of the right
hand turns onto the crushed rock or trailway back. Do you know what I'm talking about,
where it heads down to the west side of the beach and then across the beach but the
problem there is we start getting intermingled kids. Kids coming out of the water and
kids finishing the run because waves will be going all day, so I think it's better to have
everything going different directions. So I'm thinking the best route would be on the trail
out and back, and the trail's wide now. So we would probably have potentially even
streamers the whole way so kids would run on one side of it and then have the turn
around for the younger kids and what we'll do is we'll have a break of 20-30 minutes.
Probably after the young kids have gone and finished, and then the older kids would go,
or vice versa, and that way all the volunteers know who to send back at what point. But
we're not too concerned about kids cheating, if they cut the course. That will happen.
Someone will turn around and go I'm not going to keep running. And that's the beauty
of not having competition. We don't have to worry about officials and judges and
disqualifications and all that so, that should cover the run. The bike course, I haven't
finalized the thoughts on it perfectly as to what makes the most sense. We're used to
going on the right side of the road so if we went out on the right side of the road,
immediately turned right onto the trail, on 78th and then stayed on the trail going west,
and eventually turned around and then went on the shoulder. Then again we're going the
opposite way on the road coming back, which isn't a big deal either. Or we go the other
way and go on the road. Take a right hand turn and head down, and then come back on
the shoulder. And so either way, but the main issue I would have is making sure there's
no head on traffic so that no one's sharing the same lane. And it might be easier to, Todd
Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
and I talked about this too, the idea of using, what's it called Todd? I guess the Eck
driveway in effect. A little east of the intersection, or the entrance to the park. So if you
can think of it being a T course on 78th. That way we can avoid having kids ever on this
trail together, or turning towards each other. There'd be separation. You would get on
the trail at one point, and then come back in on the trail at another point and then we'd
have the island separating them at that turn, and that's the only point. If you can avoid
having head on accidents with the kids on the bikes, which is really pretty easy to do in
this circumstance. You heighten, you know you always have the potential of a kid skids
and falls over and gets scratched. Luckily we have ambulances close by, and anytime
you do any kind of event, there's the possibility that someone crashes so you want to
cover those bases but ! think if you can eliminate the natural places where people would
bump, it really becomes pretty safe.
Kelly: We're using the two under passes or was that too far away?
Hoffman: ! don't think you need to.
Tony Schiller: No, and that becomes more dangerous ! think.
Kelly: It does? Okay. ! thought maybe you go underneath Bluff Creek and come back
the other one but no, okay.
Tony Schiller: ! think the hard turns could be problematic for some kids, and then at the
same time you potentially still have to get two way traffic then.
Kelly: Yep.
Tony Schiller: So if we can avoid two way traffic on the trails, it's you know a much
better thing ! guess. Overall the, it isn't even so important the distances. ! think kind of
laid out distances that would seem to be natural for the kids. They can do these distances
and even if they have to walk. One of the things that we have, which ! think is going to
be really fun is people who are physically challenged in any which way are going to be
able to have a guide that goes through the course. An adult triathlete with them and so,
and we may do that with tandems, where we'll have some tandems there or even
potentially with a kid that's physically disabled, even put them in a trailer and they get
towed along or a trailer bike, so there's a lot of ways that kids that don't have the same
abilities are able to participate and ! think that's going to be one of the charms of the day,
is that those kids, even, ! mean we're thinking even if we had to take a kid that was say a
paraplegic and put them on a float and help them get through the water with them
splashing. What the heck. We just don't care. We just want to have them out there
participating. And then if they were pushed in a wheelchair, or walking on crutches or
combination thereof, all of it's good so. And the neat part of the vision behind this is,
with all the events I've done and seen with kids participating, you don't need a huge
number of such kids to have it be a life changing event for everybody. You need a
certain number of them, and so, and we don't want to exploit those kids but ! think you
need to have a few to make everyone realize wow, if they can do this, ! can do it. But we
Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
want to have some presence of that there because I think it's an important piece. We
think we can reach a number of kids, one way or another, through the media message that
comes out about this and we got no idea where that goes yet, but hopefully that becomes
something where there's a way to repeat the event in some forms, and even more kids get
to see it and be part of it so.
Kelly: Thanks. Thank you very much. Thanks.
Tony Schiller: Thank you.
O'Shea: I've got 4 or 5 questions. And ! too think it's a fabulous venture so, ! think it
sounds great.
Tony Schiller: Great, thanks.
O'Shea: But to go a little bit further than Susan kind of about volunteers. How many
volunteers typically you know do you need on the course, that type of thing? Roughly
for this size event.
Tony Schiller: Well you never can have too many, and a big aid in this whole process is
USTA, which I'm very closely involved with. United States Triathlon Association and
so they have all the guidelines and all the work and we will have a sanctioned event
which includes paying all of 75 bucks, and ! think it's 50 cents a kid or something like
that that we have to pay to them for the insurance so if a kid was uninsured, their family
was uninsured and they had an accident, they would have full medical coverage through
the race, and through the federation. But they have an entire booklet that they would
provide to us when we sanction and includes all the information. We're going to way go
over the top on that, so to answer your question without specific know how, ! will follow,
we will follow the guidelines there but I've also, all these events, the biggest challenges
we're really going to have is kids that are looking and going where do ! go, where do !
go, and so oddly enough the more we can create actual pathways with physical lines,
streamers and everything else where they're actually tunneling through, it just really
makes it a simple kind of thing so ! envision a lot of visual guidelines that keep
everybody going and then a person at every interchange that you can imagine. So along
the route in the water, we literally will never have a spot where there isn't an adult so
we're going to create a human wall that goes outside so that no kid could get too deep in
the water and one of the fun things with this is they will go through the water running and
splashing. ! shared with Todd that the kids who are the best swimmers will win the swim
portion. The kids who can't swim, that's okay, they can run through the water. They'll
have a harder time moving but they'll be able to get through it but we'll have a guided
area and they literally won't be able to get out of it. We're going to make sure of that
because ! think, and probably one of the things that we will do, which is really important
is have a Saturday safety check, registration day where they likely would come and we
would have walk through's in the water and have the kids kind of learning the whole
course on Saturday, which is really a nice thing for them to do. Have their parents come
out and see what's going to happen and so.
Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
O'Shea: And ! know it's hard to give the exact numbers, I'm just thinking that, ! know
that's a big part of the event.
Tony Schiller: Absolutely.
O'Shea: And ! just want to make sure that there's communication. Who's responsible
for all the volunteers.
Tony Schiller: We already have, ! nominated or defined 14 committee heads and already
have volunteers for all those positions and there will be a committee head for the swim
course, a committee head for the bike course and a committee head for the run course,
and each one of them has an entire network that we're working on and getting through
the churches is going to be really a big adult network for us.
O'Shea: So it sounds like the responsibility of volunteers is going to be, you're going to
spearhead that.
Tony Schiller: Oh yeah.
O'Shea: ! was just looking at, you know that there aren't any surprises along the way that
Todd's staff, all of a sudden has to recruit somebody, volunteers or something that you
know that wasn't, just was not clear. That all of a sudden it falls on the staff so that's
why I'm asking that. Trying to figure out who's responsible.
Tony Schiller: It's a great question and ! think it really is about the integrity of the event
and pulling offI guess the work load that we're committed to so... ! only have a handful,
as for waiting approval. Once we get our approvals, then they're going to pay to have it
printed and actually there's a printing shop that's doing it at no charge but they want to
be involved so we've got a printing company involved already to give away printing and
we're got a design person that's been involved so we've got, already got someone that's
volunteered for registration and someone that's volunteered for each of the committee
posts so it's pretty impressive.
O'Shea: And you have interest, you also incur some costs with something like this.
What percent of the donations do you think will go to cover the costs? ! know it's
hard...but say they just did the minimum of $50. Of that $50 per entrant, do you expect 5
percent or do you think it's going to be 20 percent? I'm just seeing how much actually
goes to the Miracles for Mitch.
Tony Schiller: Well, we'd like to have it be 100 percent with the sponsors taking care of
the actual event costs. That would be the ultimate goal and, but overall the, and we
haven't come up with a fine budget yet for it and, but ! think the, again the numbers of
the registrations and where they've come, there are, ! guess what ! could, how ! best
could answer that is the event is either successful in it's marketing or it's not. And the
events that are successful, and it's always tough for the first year to land your major
Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
sponsors such as a Target or a Medtronic, you know big name bank, insurance company
or the like. We will probably see those type of sponsors, whether they're involved the
first year ! don't know. But this isn't, to my way of thinking it isn't the type of event
where you're going to see the major sponsors being Chanhassen Culvers and the
Chanhassen Health Club and what not. That would be great if they're involved in some
form or another but ! think you're going to see major companies involved and that's
going to change the flavor of the money back, so this first year we're hoping to make
money and cover our costs.
O'Shea: Just one more. Are you concerned about parking at all?
Tony Schiller: ! have, Todd has talked about that with the overflow potential that it can
happen on grass. ! haven't seen what that looks like or if it's a doable thing. ! think you
have to obviously be concerned about the park and what that will look like. We, ! would
consider, ! think it's a natural tie in, see if ! can get Eck to support us and at least for
parking and it's such a short walk through the fields of Eck down into the park. If they
would partner on something like this. ! don't know if that's their style or not but ! think
that's a natural place for a lot of overflow and ! think they'd be done with their park by
the time people would start to come in. We've also talked about potentially just having
shuttle service, or wherever we would have to go. ! know when Prince has had his big
deals, they've had ! believe the big field across the way and then we could bring the
people underneath the road but that's a bit of a walk so, but ! don't think it's a deal
breaker but ! think it's something we have to.
O'Shea: Worry about.
Tony Schiller: Yeah.
O'Shea: Okay, thanks. Those are my questions.
Stolar: And ! apologize to think, we all are very supportive of this but ! do want to be
quick on my questions too. Just going along with the parking and volunteers and those
questions. ! think this is great. ! think my wife will probably volunteer. She's a
triathlete. She's probably going to help on this. And ! hope my 7 year old will want to
participate. Don't know yet. But ! think for this first year it may be worth figuring out,
based on the number of volunteers you have for some of these other ones, just potentially
limit the number of people who get involved. Just so we have control and understanding.
I'm not saying with a small limit but leaving room for the special guests that you're
inviting and trying to bring in. Just a thought and work with the city to figure out what
makes sense because there are some issues you don't, you really don't learn about until
you do it. But you also don't want to have it out of control that first year, and ! think it is
going to be a great event. ! don't know, you might even want to hit Tom here for his
experiences with Dave Huffman Run, some of the things they learned in their first year
but this is a great event for the city and ! appreciate you doing it. ! don't have any
other...
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Tony Schiller: ! guess ! should, ! am certainly not the end all, be all expert and have
really, really good sources that will be management, event management people that are
going to be ! guess really valuable to me and people who have done tons of events and so
! certainly will plug those folks for the big issues and then we already have a couple of
the...directors from other events that said they would volunteer so they're going to be
really invaluable as well so.
Stolar: And I think, I don't know Todd if there's anything that staff would like to
mention on this but it's a great event and I'm really glad you brought it in front of this
commission.
Tony Schiller: Thanks. Appreciate you giving me such a...
Stolar: We're all excited about it. It's going to be great.
Hoffman: I'll go through the logistics of what you need. This is visitor presentation and
what the commission has to decide, or give staff input on is whether or not you want to
recommend that there is any partnership or sponsorship from the city in this event. It will
require a special event permit from the City Council and you need to determine whether
or not there's going to be a cost for that special event permit. That plays back into the,
whether or not there's a sponsorship or partnership. There's road closing coordination,
which will require input from our engineering and public safety department. A lifeguard
contract, or an agreement for that date, either with a contractor independent of
Minnetonka Community Services or Minnetonka Community Services. Restroom
facility agreement. Waste removal agreement and then parking coordination, so those are
the logistical issues that ! see.
Stolar: One of the other things, given the late timeframe of the year, it can be very hot
then, and ! don't know if that's through the sponsorship or the city. My biggest fear is
dehydration or those sort of things for the kids. Especially kids who may not have ever
done anything like this before so.
Hoffman: Yeah, there's the ambulance on site which will obviously be a part of the
event.
Stolar: ...water tables and all that.
Hoffman: Oh they'll have that all.
Tony Schiller: All the race amenities will be taken care of. And ! should identify, just
with the Huffman event, that ! think what happens that's different from a run race with
this is there, the beauty, you're right, there's been a...but the beauty of it is the
vulnerability that the kids have taken on and the repeated victories of being able to start
the race is a victory. Being able to get out of the water is a victory and getting on their
bike, getting off their bike, and then actually taking off and so they're going through all
this experience and there will be kids that push themselves really hard, we know that but
11
Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
the majority of the kids, the majority of the kids have never really done anything like this
and they'll have a moment where they'll see a water stop and they'll stop and potentially
if it's hot we'll have a hose out spraying them and they'll stop and pour water over their
head and they'll walk for a little while but it's really not that long of an event. Even the
little kids are able to finish it in about half an hour and so that isn't a real big concern,
and theoretically people could walk the whole thing or bike very slowly so if they wanted
to take a very, very long time, that would be fine too but I've never really witnessed in all
the experiences of this being a, I don't think there's too many kids that are strong enough
mentally to push themselves to a point of dehydration at that age so, but it can happen.
And then the volunteers have to be aware of it so if they see a kid in trouble, you know
that sort of thing to help them in whatever way.
Stolar: Getting over heated in some way of being out there.
Tony Schiller: Yeah, and you communicate that throughout the day certainly if you're
having a 90 plus degree day. You change everything about how you're giving
instructions and pacing out the day so.
Stolar: Does anybody have recommendations for staff or discussion? You know for
what we should do?
Robinson: I guess I just have a question for staff about what the sponsorship exactly
entails on the part of the city. What we would recommend to the City Council that it
would entail or, like the Huffman Race is sponsored, co-sponsored by the city, right?
Isn't it partly?
Kelly: It is partnered with the city? Because Jerry, yeah Jerry's involved.
Hoffman: That event would do fine without sponsorship as an independent. I have all
the confident in the world that they can pull it off. It's more of a question of, there's
costs involved that will be associated with the event and where do you want those to fall?
Do you want to charge those off against the event or do you feel that the city should be
involved in that, and that's a recommendation you have to make to the City Council.
Really what we're up against here is a timing issue. Traditionally visitor presentation
would be brought back to the commission and that would be at your April 27th
commission meeting, and then for May l0th City Council approval at the earliest. And I
know they're trying to set things up. We've at least penciled the date, August 22nd as
open for the event. We do not have any picnics scheduled that day, any other events
scheduled that day, so there's coordination things that need to occur. And it's just an
issue of your comfort level, whether or not you want to let this thing, let staff run with
this right to the City Council or if you want to have a full report from staff and from the
applicant for the event at your next meeting before you vote.
Stolar: One of my thoughts might be, you ask them and inform us at the next meeting...
You can get our opinion now but I don't think you have to wait, depending on what the
opinion is here, until our next meeting for approvals but we would like to be informed I
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
would assume. So what are your thoughts? Should staff, is there a particular approach,
and we can open a motion also.
Hoffman: You have to amend your agenda, or add it to the agenda.
Kelly: This is where ! get confused. Can ! make the motion to amend the agenda to
discuss this tonight? Is that what we need to do?
Hoffman: Sure.
Kelly: ! make a motion to amend our agenda so we can further discuss the Miracles Kids
Triathlon tonight, Tuesday, March 23rd.
Stolar: Is there a second?
O'Shea: ! second.
Stolar: Any discussion? Okay, what we'll do, I guess where would you like to place it,
in new business ! assume?
Kelly: Yeah.
Stolar: Okay, why don't we do that. And then let's take a vote actually, I'm sorry.
Kelly moved, O'Shea seconded that the Park and Recreation Commission amend
their motion to include discussion of Miracles for Mitch Kids Triathlon Race under
new business. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of
4to0.
Stolar: I guess it is 3.5 under new business. Okay so it will be a moment, if you don't
mind staying. ! don't think there's going to be much discussion on those couple of these
items. Alright, any other visitor presentations? Seeing none, let's move to approval of
the minutes.
Kelly: I'm sorry, would it be better, ! mean do you mind sticking, hearing it or would
you prefer to have your reports go first so you can get out of here?
Hoffman: They'll be involved if it happens.
Kelly: Alright.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Robinson moved, Kelly seconded to approve the
verbatim and summary Minutes of the Park and Recreation Commission meeting dated
February 24, 2004 as presented.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
APPROVAL OF CITY CENTER PARK SIGNAGE.
Hoffman: Thank you Chair Stolar, members of the commission. The skate park was
opened today, so the activity has increased at a very rapid pace. One thing we want to
clear up on behalf of the sheriff department is signage in front of city hall between here
and the library at the new City Center Park concerning the appropriate uses at that
location for transportation and recreation. We've taken a first run, some wording for a
sign and it would say City Center Park, this area designated a pedestrian mall. Bikes,
skateboards, scooters and motorized vehicles prohibited. And then I've identified some
locations on the site map that you have for approximate sign locations. I'd like to hear
your input on the wording and then also if you have any changes to that. One concern
that we, was brought up is that there are motorized transportation devices that people do
need and we don't want anybody to feel excluded so how do we make sure that we
account for that.
Stolar: Any questions, comments? Amy.
O'Shea: Well yeah, ! do have some. You need inline skates in there.
Hoffman: Yeah we do.
O'Shea: But...they're going to come up with something that we haven't thought, and !
thought of the person with a disability too, but could you just put, ! was thinking couldn't
you just say this is a walking area only in wording that would accommodate someone like
in a wheelchair you know. ! have handicap accessible yeah, but I'm worried that we
could list, keep listing things and kids are going to come up with something that is just a
prime location in finding and that type of thing so ! don't know, do you think somebody
would...just a walking area only.
Robinson: I've seen signs that say foot traffic only. ! don't know if that's wording
that' s, foot traffic only.
O'Shea: ! don't know. ! don't know, but ! did see that inline skates need to be there for
sure.
Stolar: The other thing is, prohibited is a strong word because bikes are allowed to be
walked across there to park their bikes.
O'Shea: Yeah. So...walking traffic. ! worry about foot traffic because they have skates
on and they're on their feet. So that would be the only thing, and then somehow make
sure that people that maybe are in a wheelchair or whatever it might be feel included.
But other than that, and this may come up on a different, ! almost think they're going
to... ! think there's going to be damage done and ! think it's going to be easier to have
cameras and have it on tape to be able to prosecute than have them pay for their damage.
It really is attractive for.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Hoffman: We've got some pretty good scouts on the upper level. Tipped me off today.
O'Shea: ! mean like at midnight and ! can see them already you know, again I'm for
skate park. ! think it's a great event so it's not ! don't like the sport. It's just that it's
very, if! was young I'd come up with a way to slide on that rail...
Hoffman: So City Center Park, this area is designated as a pedestrian mall. Walking
traffic only?
Stolar: Walking and special needs traffic. ! don't know how we want to, because, or
maybe people just ignore that, which hopefully they would if they're in a wheelchair you
can just go. Tom, any comments?
Kelly: ! would, ! mean ! think walking traffic only would be the best. ! mean it's, is it
implied that someone in a wheelchair can still use the park? ! mean that's common
sense, right?
Hoffman: Walking traffic and special needs vehicles only. It's all encompassing.
There's a variety of different kinds.
Kelly: Okay. That sounds fair.
O'Shea: Yeah, ! think that's better than listing.
Hoffman: Tell you one thing, law enforcement likes things that are listed no better than
things that are listed yes, but they'll get over that.
Stolar: ...because there's so many different things that it could be listed.
Hoffman: ! thought ! had them. Inline skates. They'll invent a new one this year
though.
Robinson: Yeah, there will be something else.
Marek: That's why ! think you can't list them. Next year there will be something new
that the kids will have and the next year and the next year.
Hoffman: City Center Park, this area designated a pedestrian mall. Walking traffic and
special need vehicles only.
Stolar: Sounds good. Do ! have a motion to support the amended wording?
Kelly: ! move to support the amended wording.
O'Shea: ! second.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Kelly moved, O'Shea seconded that the Park and Recreation Commission
recommend that the wording on the City Center Park sign read, City Center Park,
this area designated a pedestrian mall. Walking traffic and special need vehicles
only. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 4 to 0.
Gregory: Todd, what are we going to have for dog signs... ?
Hoffman: Down here?
Gregory: Yes.
Hoffman: We could put the same ones we've got up here probably. No dogs. They all
walk through there, and we'll wait and see if they stop. Typically it's the ballfields where
they go. We took a lot of complaints this spring once the snow melts off, you get a lot of
dog complaints.
INITIATE DISCUSSION; 2005 PARK AND TRAIL ACQUISITION AND
DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP).
Hoffman: Chairman Stolar, members of the commission. This is just to start the
conversation. We have significant turn over. Three new members coming on in April.
We have a conversation coming up with the City Council in April, and so what I wanted,
to start, let's just, we'll talk about what we currently have included in there. What we're
doing this year. What we're doing this year is a trail at Highway 41. The Highway 41
trail connector and it's going all the way down from Coulter Boulevard, or excuse me,
West 78th in that location. West 78th Street, near the Pulte Homes north to Longacres.
And then 3 playground projects. The Bandimere playground for the younger children
and then a replacement at Lake Ann at the ballfields and a replacement at Meadow
Green. At that location. As far as parks and trails, those are the capital items for this
year. Identified in 2005, there's 3 items. Interpretative signage at Kerber Pond Park for
$10,000. $55,000 for playground replacement at Curry Farms Park, and then $115,000
for playground replacement at Lake Susan Park. Passed out, at least to the members that
are kind of remaining and the others can look on a, what's called the City of Chanhassen
Wood Playground Structure Safety Assessment which was completed in January. It
includes the playgrounds, two of them that we're doing this year and then two for Curry
Farms and Lake Susan next year. Our recommendation is that we've increased the
investment in those sites and that's mainly due to the accessibility needs of these
playgrounds now with at least 50 percent of the play amenities need to be accessible and
that requires an additional investment. We're also going to request, or recommend to the
commission that you recommend to the council speed this up. We really want to see this
done in 2 years. Currently it's programmed over a 5 year time span so we'd like to see
some changes in that area. And so those are, that's what's programmed currently for this
year, 2005. We want to hear from commissioners on what your thoughts are as we
continue to shape our recommendation to the City Council.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Kelly: Can ! ask a quick question? There's more money going into City Center Park
from 2006, 2007? $375,000.
Hoffman: That's yeah, programmed for the future. Yep, for 2006-2007.
Kelly: For?
Hoffman: Up here. It was programmed for a building. I'm not sure if that will remain.
Kelly: Okay.
Stolar: Is that all that is, is just the building?
Hoffman: (Yes).
Stolar: And then you also made a change at the Rice Marsh Lake Park where we talked
about moving that up to next year.
Hoffman: The playground?
Stolar: Yeah.
Kelly: We also talked about, ! know this winter we talked about a thick ice rink at
Bandimere. Would that fall under capital improvements or is that a totally different
budget?
Hoffman: It depends on what it's going to be. If it's going to be the purchase of
equipment to create a set of boards, that would be under park maintenance equipment, or
you could purchase it out of capital. Probably not. If you're going to build something
physical, then it's going to be a land improvement. It would fall under the capital
improvement.
Kelly: Alright.
Stolar: Do we you bring that up again though because ! didn't understand the options
when we talked about it, because we did talk about alternatives... Any other questions
for Todd or staf~ From the new member standpoint, you're going to go over this with
them or, because we're meeting with the City Council before our next meeting with them.
Hoffman: We meet on the.
Kelly: 26th.
Hoffman: 26th, yeah. We'll invite them in. They can just come and participate.
Stolar: Any questions? Okay...
17
Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
MIRACLES FOR MITCH FOUNDATION KIDS TRIATHLON.
Stolar: Okay, so. We added an agenda item with no particular motion. Let's start at
some discussion Tom. You go first.
Kelly: Well I'm all in favor. I'm all in favor of it. I would love for staff to start working
on those items Todd that you mentioned, waste removal and all that stuff. I'm just not
sure what the city's commitment should be. If there should be any, if we should
recommend any monetary commitment coming from the city or if we just donate the
space. ! don't know if we should ask if one of the commission members be a part of the
actual organizing committee just so someone on the commission is informed on a weekly
basis you know what's happening and everything with the race. Those are my thoughts
when we talked about it. ! don't know if we even have money to give towards this event.
Hoffman: Again ! don't think it would be cash outlay but sponsorship of the activities, or
the expenses that they would incur.
Stolar: Except for like special lifeguard time, that would be a cash outlay potentially.
And potentially the over time for staff, police staff, those sort of things.
Hoffman: There's a variety of things, yeah. Additional waste removal. Portable toilets.
Stolar: So those would be cash outlays that are currently unbudgeted, correct?
Hoffman: Correct.
Kelly: And would the city be open, make sure the city wouldn't be liable for any
accidents if someone, if a tragedy happened there, ! wouldn't, ! would hope that the city
wouldn't be sued. Wouldn't be open to a suit if something.
Hoffman: Sure we would. It would just depend on your level of involvement. Once you
give a special event permit, you're accepting the risk associated with that event. If you
sponsor it, you're accepting additional risk and so we would just be named as an
additional insured on the event, similar to any other event.
Kelly: Okay.
Stolar: That obviously, or would that be possible given how you're taking out the
insurance, if the city were to participate. You're getting it through the Triathlon
Association.
Tony Schiller: Inthe booklet. Insurance? ...
Stolar: Yep.
Tony Schiller: This is actually.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Stolar: Those sponsors listed.
Tony Schiller: Yeah, would sanction the race providing insurance for all involved race
management, volunteers, sponsors and participants. And that's actually how it's worded
in the federation guidelines. But as far as that goes you're, yeah, as Todd mentioned
here, potentially liable at any level if there's an earthquake that goes on in the event. A
kid gets swallowed up by concrete, you're liable. It's the city that caused the earthquake
so that could happen at any level but ! just wanted to ask one thing, and throw it in the
discussion that would maybe Todd has an answer to this. What would be the easiest
thing to get approved in terms of a fast turn around and would it require a greater length
of time if we're talking about outlays of resources?
Hoffman: Absolutely. Always the easiest thing to get approved is a straight forward
special event permit where they're paying all the additional costs and once you get the
sponsorship question involved, then we don't have these, as Commissioner Stolar
mentioned, these would be unbudgeted expenditures. The council would have to approve
a budget to do that and that may not put them in a comfort level where they would want
to be without some initial conversation on a longer term basis. This thing's happening in
August. That's a very short time frame and when people are on a short time frame, you
just ask for a special event permit and continue. Present the event independent of the city
and if the city wants to get involved in a future time, they can certainly do that. Other
than that you allow these people to work through city staff to make the things happen that
need to happen. They pay for the additional restrooms. They pay for the additional
garbage. They pay for the additional lifeguards and the event sponsors pick that up.
Tony Schiller: ! thought I'd put in a personal, I'm speaking way out of scope for the
people involved but ! think my vision has been one, we do a great job and city.., so to the
extent that we could turn key this thing and start running with it, that would be probably
our primary objective tonight obviously so.
O'Shea: ! don't think the city should be given any costs is my feeling. And ! take it, I'm
assuming that' s, the staff is behind this.
Hoffman: Oh absolutely.
O'Shea: Okay. ! just want to make sure ! read that.
Stolar: ! might make a suggestion, and it seems like you're talking about there may be
multiple motions here. ! don't know if ! want to say it that way but there's certainly is,
first of all let's talk about whether the commission agrees that this should get a special
event permit. That we agree with the event. That we're supportive of that maybe, and
then separate that out from some of the other discussions we've had, does that sound
reasonable?
O'Shea: Sure.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Robinson: I'd like to make a motion that the, make recommendation the City Council,
that the city staff issues the special event permit for the Miracles Kids Triathlon.
O'Shea: ! second.
Stolar: Discussion? Todd, is that consistent with an approach that would work for you?
Hoffman: You bet.
Robinson moved, O'Shea seconded that the Park and Recreation Commission
recommends that the City Council approves a special events permit for the Miracles
for Mitch Kids Triathlon event. All voted in favor and the motion carried
unanimously with a vote of 4 to 0.
Stolar: It carries unanimously. Okay, so then there's a second question of how involved
the city should be as far as a sponsorship was the other item ! heard on the discussion,
and if ! understood correctly Tony, that isn't necessarily something you need tonight.
You just want to get the ball...
Tony Schiller: Correct. And to the extent that it delays the proceedings, it would
probably be counter productive I would say.
Stolar: Does anyone want.
Hoffman: We would require no other direction and we could move forward.
Robinson: Yeah I was going to say, let's leave it like that.
Stolar: That would be the only motion then and I would add to my request then that...
bring this up for discussion to understand a little bit more of our different options.
hopefully at our City Council meeting or special session on the 26th, hopefully they'll
already have taken action.
Hoffman: It will be on the agenda that night.
Stolar: Okay. So then we would talk to them about it that night. Okay. Great. Thank
you again Tony.
Tony Schiller: Thank you very much and ! guess when it comes right down to it,
whatever involvement in terms of whether it's City Council would like to have the Mayor
and other people involved publicly, making a presentation or whatever, ! mean we can,
it' s not a big deal to have some people, some official ceremonial involvement so anyway.
Stolar: I think my advice working with Todd, I think the idea is much like what we did
with Dave Huffman. And that was always compared of maybe asking one of our, a space
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
for one of my commission members to participate...bring it up our next April
meeting.., if it' s okay. ! don't mean to jump into your band wagon.
Tony Schiller: Absolutely, ! think this could have easily gone to a place like Minneapolis
and ! think it's the type of event that the City of Minneapolis could absorb and could be a
big deal. And ! understand the logistics of getting something like that but ! also think it
has a different kind of flavor here, and we want it to have a Chanhassen flavor so that's
what ! like about it so. So, and it's my understanding then that it still needs to go
through.
Hoffman: City Council.
Tony Schiller: Additional studies to accept the permit.
Hoffman: 26th. And we'll send you a staff report.
Tony Schiller: Great, thanks.
Gregory: Do you have a plan for inclement weather on that day?
Tony Schiller: Yeah. That happens in all the triathlons. This past summer the State
Championship became a duathlon which du as in two versus tri as in three so we
cancelled the swimming and don't let anybody in the water if there's lightning. The rule
is 30 minutes has to pass without any sign of lightning. Fortunately we also have the
weather tower and we can be in communication wit them if there's any kind of storm
fronts that they identify, lightning in the area. No one goes in the water. And you delay
and delay and potentially postpone. You might turn it into a walkathon if it was a hard
rain and you didn't want the kids on the road, that type of thing so. It's not important
enough to send people out but ! think, I've been in some pretty heavy rains and you still
can be outside. Especially in August so, cross our fingers.
Stolar: Then ! have a couple of final comments. One, ! hope you'll come back and talk
to us again about this as it progresses.
Tony Schiller: Absolutely.
Stolar: And ! hope that you'll seek us out for volunteers.
Tony Schiller: Thank you. So would ! want to put myself on the agenda for the City
Hall meeting or not at this point? Would ! need to be there?
Hoffman: Yes. You're in the route now. You're in the system.
Tony Schiller: ! don't mind having you have a couple of these but we wanted to hang
onto a few if, whatever you need.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Hoffman; I've got one upstairs. Thanks Tony.
REPORTS: SELF SUPPORTING PROGRAMS.
3 ON 3 BASKETBALL.
Hoen: Thank you Chair Stolar, members of the commission. The spring adult 3 on 3
basketball league is scheduled to start this Monday, March 29th at the Chanhassen
Recreation Center. We have 10 teams signed up for this spring, which is 2 more than last
year so that's definitely a good thing. The schedules have all been completed and mailed
out. All 10 teams are going to play in one division this spring, and the regular season
games will be played until May l0th. The league will conclude with a post season
tournament that we scheduled for May 17th and May 24th. And that tournament will be
single elimination with a consolation bracket. And Jerry has also included a schedule for
the entire spring season.
Stolar: Thank you. Any comments? Questions? Alright, thank you.
RECEATION CENTER.
Marek: Commissioners. Yeah, we had a little brief discussion before the start of the
meeting regarding the first broken back board out at the recreation center. That actually
did occur in the school gymnasium, not the rec center gymnasium. But needless to say it
was a rec center patron who did damage that and it happened on a Sunday evening at
6:00 p.m., and the replacement plans were made by noon on Monday and replacement
occurred Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. so we were back in business and we didn't
have to cancel any sporting activities, either through the school district or at the
recreation center. So we kept things going there but kind of a hefty price tag for one of
those. Total cost was $1,350.
Hoffman: We are seeking restitution from them.
Marek: But that's the first time in 9 years and I did talk with one of the maintenance
people in the school district and they've only had one of them break in the school district.
One at the high school and that's it so it's not a common occurrence, and we hope we
don't see it again for a long time. Along the lines of replacing worn items, we did
manage to get all of the pads and cushions on the strength machines replaced, and this is
after 9 years, so that equipment's been hanging in there for a long time. Been a little bit
of a boost now. Looking pretty clean. Looking pretty good. Excel Interiors here in
Chanhassen did a 24 hour turn around on the reupholstery of those pads. So they did a
really good job for us and we certainly appreciate that. Coming up is the summer for us
at the Recreation Center. Pretty slow foot traffic over the summer and so along with
budget restrictions we closed the recreation center on Sundays throughout the summer.
That's a new closure for us this year. Along with that will be the two week shut down in
August for floor resurfacing. So with those two closures involved, it cuts about $10,000
in staff wages. So that's what's going on there. Just to let you know what that Sunday
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
closure might mean. I was looking over our records, we probably average about $12.00
or revenue per Sunday over the summer, so we hope that we don't get a lot of complaints
on this closure. And we won't be missing out on too much revenue. Also coming up at
the Recreation Center, it's all about dance from here until the first week in May. Big
dance recital coming up, Let's Go To The Movies at the Eden Prairie Performing Arts
Center on May 1st. I have recruited judges for both the afternoon and the evening
performance, so you're all off the hook. But we're looking forward again to another
successful recital, and once again it will cap off our dance year which makes between
$50,000 and $60,000 in revenue a year. So it continues to be a big program for us. !
think we'll see some growth in it in the next year also. Other than that, big news coming
at the recreation center, we get staff training on our new software system first week in
April, and this is the software that handles all of our facility reservations, as well as the
registration for all of our programs, so brand new software. Training first week in April
and then we have to be good to go for our summer registrations coming up, so we're
pretty optimistic and that we're tackling this during our busiest registration period. But !
know we're going to do fine with it.
Hoffman: Big change is online registration. People can be at home and register online
for a Chanhassen Park and Recreation programs. Pay with their credit card and they're
in.
Kelly: Would that also include, like ! know, you have the Kevin Lynch Basketball
Camp. Would that also include that one as well, even though that's kind of a third party
that comes in.
Marek: As long as it's a program that the Park and Rec is sponsoring, it would be
available on our site. So ! think we're going to be quite challenged by that and definitely
under the gun as far as timing goes so we're going to have to hop to it.
Hoffman: April 6th and 7th. They fly here from California and run us through the training
and then ! think they let us go.
Marek: Yeah, once they're trained they'll be done. ! have to take all my knowledge and
disperse it to my 14, you know...out at the recreation center so I'm a little more stressed
out about that part of it.
Hoffman: There's truth in that.
Stolar: Any questions for Susan?
O'Shea: Good job.
Stolar: Thanks.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
PARK AND TRAIL MAINTENANCE.
Gregory: Good evening. For the staff skating rink season, kind of got off to a slow start.
We didn't get started until January 1st. We always try to get going before Christmas
break. Well now this year it didn't happen. It was a little less than we usually would
have in that area. We usually try to up in the 60 days of skating, but we were only at 50
this year. So we were a little bit shorted on that. On the back of your report ! did give
you a report on all of the closings and openings of, since 1982 season. Compared to see
where we've been there. The past 4-5 years we've been, it's actually been going later
into December and into January than what we did in the past. Back in the 80's and 90's
there. ! apologize, ! didn't get a report put together on the cost for this year. ! did not get
it done in time to get into your paperwork there. Total for this year was $17,758 for all of
the, basically the overtime and the equipment and that. And we compare that the last
year, which we ran 60 days, it was about $22,400 last year.
Hoffman: We'll include that in your next Administrative Packet.
Gregory: I can put that in. I have them for the last 4-5 years if you'd like to have them
all, of all the costs we've incurred for them. Also this year we had an early freeze up on
the lakes. It didn't help us for our skating and that but on the lakes and that we did, and
we got snow which basically gave us a year that we were looking at having our aeration
system in. When we get early snow on the lakes and it stays, the oxygen level goes down
on Lake Susan and it did happen this year. We started to get pretty close to the level and
working with the fellow from the DNR on it, we made the decision to put the aerator in
and that and we did do that on the February 19th. The lake never did get down to a point
where the fish or anything were in danger so we did start it up early enough and that for
that so we didn't have to worry about that. We are involved in two other projects this
year and that's the trail pavement management program and tree inventory program. You
may have heard about this last time too and we have been going around and inspecting
trails and Dean Schmieg, my foreman and that, he is running that program and he already
has all the trails north of Highway 5 completely inventoried and measured out and
everything and south of Highway 5 and that he's got them all measured out but as soon as
everything gets cleaned off, snow's all gone and everything, he can go out and start
evaluating the cracks and dips and all that sort of stuff, that's got to be done. But it was
kind of interesting and that. ! mean we've come up with well there's 20 plus that we
have south and that. Now he informed me the other day that's up to like 22 or just about
23 so we've got about 25 miles of trails and it's kind of equally on north of 5 and south of
5. So that, we're involved in that one. The tree inventory program, Dean is also involved
in that one and Brad Morris is working with him where we will be inventorying and
actually using a GPS system to mark on the maps exactly where all of our trees are in the
parks and we're going to be doing main street and also going out on 78th Street to the
park and that. All those trees. So they're involved in that. They've got that started.
They were both at school today and tomorrow. They've got 2 days of school just on tree
inspections and Dean is also being re-certified as our official tree inspector for the city so
they're keeping up on that classes. The other things that we're still doing and that yet,
we're still working on the park equipment all along, weed whips all that sort of stuff.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
We've got just about all of it done. We've just got a few of our smaller Toro 72
lawnmowers that have to be done yet but other than that, we're pretty well set for the
summer lawn mowing, when that starts up. Okay, what else? We've also been building
a couple of sets of Lacrosse goals for Jerry. He went out and got prices and found out
what they cost and he come to us and we did it for a little of nothing for him in the winter
time, that's when we re-built them. So we got that all set up for him. They've also gone
through and done a safety inspection on all the playgrounds. Well the ones that aren't
getting taken out but. They've gone around so everything that, everything that has to be
done, we'll have that done before summer. Before the kids are on it. We've been getting
quite a few for seasonal help. It's amazing and that. ! mean we've got it on the internet
as far as needing seasonal help and that. ! thought, ! think ! counted 10 or 11 applications
already on that site. Every day there's some coming in. And we start that interview
process this week. We've gone through most of them and we've got some really good
candidates this year. It's really encouraging this year, so we should be up in full staff and
that when we need to get cutting grass. They just got done with the wood duck houses,
inspection on those. We did get a handout as far as our wood duck houses too that we've
done in the past years and you noticed that it went down. It went down to 43 percent, but
the biggest reason for that is we've added 7 houses this past year and those were new
houses and generally they don't get used the first year. They like to get weathered and
really broken in out there. After they get older than that, they get used and so ! expect to
see that number going up in the future but if we take that equation of 7 out of there, we
would be up in the high 50's again so we really didn't lose anything. Let's see. Also the
senior men's club last week, we had those out to the park shed. They built 15 more wood
duck houses and 15 more bluebird houses for us so they've been doing a good job of
keeping us up on everything we need there and that so. That's all I've got.
Stolar: Thank you Dale. Any questions?
Kelly: Where are the Lacrosse goals going to go?
Hoffman: Which field?
Kelly: Yeah.
Hoffman: In the Lacrosse fields. I'm not sure. Bandimere.
Gregory: Well one of them is planned for out at, from what I've been told, out at Park
Road. They're going to use that as a combination and soccer goal, or soccer field and
Lacrosse field.
Kelly: Okay.
Gregory: And ! think the other one is down at Bandimere for sure.
Kelly: Yeah, ! know the high school plays there. The high school actually all last
summer had the lacrosse goals kind of off to the side because ! think at least both the
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
boys and the girls played their games there. Is Jerry going to start a 30 and over men's
lacrosse league? Is that going to come down the road? ! know one person that would
sign up.
Hoffman: He's being challenged with field reservations, no doubt about that. These
multi use fields, it gets to be difficult. And there's a lot of coordination between park
maintenance and Dale and Jerry to make sure that we're not over using these fields. And
as commissioners, if you ever see it, the thing that really hurts us the worst is when
they're out there playing during non-playable conditions. During rains so just pull over.
Say, hi I'm a Park and Rec Commissioner here in Chanhassen and you know you really
shouldn't be playing because we need, that's what we need is more responsibility on
those fields. That's when they take the worst beating so.
Stolar: Alright. Any other reports?
ADMINISTRATIVE: ESTABLISH DISCUSSION POINTS FOR APRIL 26TM
JOINT MEETING WITH CITY COUNCIL.
Hoffman: Coming up for an hour and what the City Council would like to have the
commission prepare some talking points. We've identified 5. You can select those 5 or
talk about other items if you wish. What are the good things that have happened last
year? What projects are you looking forward to? What seems to be working? What's
not working for the commission, and what suggestions or recommendations would you
have for the future. Take those or others, and it really didn't take many talking points
with the one hour so don't feel overwhelmed.
Stolar: Susan, we'll start with you any thoughts or suggestions for Todd. ! assume
you're looking...
Hoffman: You bet. We've got to make a list so ! can forward it to the council.
Robinson: Not right now. I have to think about it.
Stolar: I guess I have a thought first. I'll go first. The one thing ! thought that was
effective ! believe was the movement of the playground replacements to the general city
budget. ! mean ! think that, it really helped take something off our plate so to speak, as
far as worrying about it being a park dedication fees and the whole maintenance issue.
At least for now. And ! thought that was really a good thing that happened this last year.
Those got funded.
Hoffman: Why don't we take them by number so everybody can go through all of
number l's. What do you think the good things that happened last year. That's one.
Stolar: And ! think the festivals are always, Feb Fest and 4th of July. The events that you
guys all do and support them are tremendous. ! think that's the thing that...is just the
way we're able to do these fun things that our citizens love.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
O'Shea: ! think probably the completion of the 101 trail, did that happen this past year?
Hoffman: Yeah, 101 north.
O'Shea: Yeah, ! think that was a big. ! guess on that, just a continuation of the trails
being connected. That is a priority to the city it seems. ! think too, didn't you get the
closest you've ever come to your budget? ! mean didn't that happen? Didn't you report
that you.
Robinson: That was 2 years ago.
O'Shea: ! thought it was.
Robinson: ...close on 2003. ! thought ! had seen it.
Stolar: That was 2002 though...but we saw that in 2003 so...
Hoffman: Completion of City Center Park was a big one.
Stolar: Jump to number 2?
Robinson: Another thing too was the additions to the skate park that were made. How
about getting the steps redone out here so they're, so you can walk down them now.
Those steps that they had to remake.
Hoffman: They're still not done. The heat doesn't work.
Robinson: Oh really?
Stolar: Okay, projects we're looking forward to.
Kelly: Playground replacement. Looking forward to that.
Robinson: Yeah, that was my top one too.
Stolar: I'm looking forward to the farmers market.
Hoffman: Lots of calls on that. We get a call a week.
O'Shea: ! think too, just...another community center, whatever shape that might take.
Just keeping that alive. Maybe indoor fields or might be a facility...
Kelly: Or with the school, working with the new high school. Proposed high school
could be pretty good.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
O'Shea: Yeah, whatever the partnership is.
Kelly: On the community center, I read that Lifetime's going to attempt to have an IPO.
Is that going to speed up or slow down any type of purchase of land in Chanhassen, or is
that still way up in the air?
Hoffman: Well right now they've been blocked a piece of, or they're been beat out
actually. The piece of land they were looking at was bought by a company called
Advance Fitness. We met with them this week. They propose to build a 95,000 square
foot fitness center there, and then a variety of other uses. Office and restaurant and retail
type of uses.
Kelly: Oh really. Where was that piece of land?
Hoffman: Just west of Paisley Park. So you go across the street. Prince owns the corner
and it's the next 40 acres is the property that they've at least retained.
Kelly: So Lifetime is not coming. Right now they may not be coming to Chanhassen.
Hoffman: Lifetime is mad and they got beat so I'm not sure if they're going to be
coming or not.
Kelly: Is this a chain? This place that bought it or is it a.
Hoffman: Advance Fitness is a new venture by the gentleman who, by the name of
Richard Bjork.
O'Shea: Is he local?
Hoffman: Yes. Owner ofMLT.
Stolar: Go onto number 3. What seems to be working?
Kelly: ! think having a commission member at the working sessions or the City Council
should be a really good thing. ! don't know if that's happened a lot yet but ! think that
potentially could be a really good thing.
Hoffman: Okay.
Stolar: I don't know, it's hard to tell but I can't compare it to anything else but it does
seem like we have the ability to have access to the City Council. I'm not sure to your
point that make it even broader. I'm not sure how much we take advantage of it but it
does seem to be working if they're willing to have us. Talk with us.
Hoffman: You're meeting with them more.
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Stolar: Yeah, like I said, I have nothing to compare it to but it seems to be working.
O'Shea: Yeah, very open communication lines.
Stolar: Which was one of the things we talked to them last year that we wanted and I
think it worked. I think they're met our demands. Seems to be working to get one of our
former colleagues on the District 112 Board. That always helps. But I mean I think
that's maybe starting to work. I think we're going to have good dialogue now with
District 112 also. What's not working?
O'Shea: I can't think of anything.
Kelly: Yeah, I think the solution to what wasn't working is our new communication with
the City Council. I think that fixed the problem from last year that probably wasn't
working.
Stolar: I'd say that we just need to keep following that...but I think communication will
set that forward this year so maybe that's a suggestion or recommendation for the future
as we continue this so when things start to become more of a trusted advisor to the City
Council. I think we are one now. I think we need to become more of one. More
proactive in that.
Robinson: So you just answered number 5.
Stolar: I guess that's an answer. I also wanted to say, what seems to be working and I
can't say this enough is that the staff figures out ways to still deliver just by, with
financial situations. It's impressive. Anything else?
Hoffman: Okay, great. Thank you.
COMMISSION MEMBER COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Kelly: No. I'll have one next month though.
Stolar: Were the appointments made at the last meeting? Was anyone in attendance?
Hoffman: I can go over those.
Stolar: Do you know yet?
Hoffman: City Council acted last night to appoint Tom Kelly and Jack Spizale to 3 year
terms. There are two year term limits so it's your second and final term unless you're
extended by special authority of the City Council. The 2 year terms, appointments were
made to Kevin Dillon and Anne Murphy. And a 1 year term was made to Steve
Scharfenberg so we have 3 new people coming in. Kevin Dillon, Anne Murphy and
Steve Scharfenberg. Incumbents Tom Kelly and Jack Spizale coming in. So we'll be
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
back to 7 members in April and we'll invite those members to the joint meeting with the
council. Prior to that I will have met with them and gone over a variety of things as far as
bringing them up to speed. Introduction.
Stolar: Then I think we also, and that's.., chair and vice chair.
COMMISSION MEMBER PRESENTATIONS.
Stolar: I'd just like to thank Susan and Amy for their great work. It's been fun. We will
miss you. You've been active and very effective commission members. Appreciate it.
Wish you well.
O'Shea: I've enjoyed it so thank you for the experience.
Robinson: Yeah, it's been great.
Stolar: Thank you. Anything else?
ADMINISTRATIVE PACKET.
Stolar: Todd, did you want to comment on that CAA letter.
Hoffman: Well I support the CAA. It's an issue that is getting more attention as of late
and it has to do with how fields and facilities are distributed throughout the communities
so, until we hear what their response is from the district and from the City of Chaska,
we'll wait to hear and tell you more.
Stolar: Just a question, and I'm not sure if this would be, would it make sense that one of
the things for us to maybe do is to meet once a year maybe with the Chaska commissions.
Talk, and I don't know if you do that as staff. Just because we do have so much shared
stuff out there. More so than Minnetonka, although we do some sharing with
Minnetonka.
Hoffman: Well you could meet with your school districts and your cities. We meet as
professionals, as Southwest Park Directors on a quarterly basis to talk about some of
these issues.
Stolar: Maybe it'd be something to discuss among the staff people for us to determine, or
for the directors to determine if that's something that makes sense. I read this and it said
well, it doesn't seem logical. It's hard to tell exactly what the issue is from the letter so I
don't want to pre-judge but if it's something that we, you think would be effective for us
to do via communication or just talking or anything like that, we'd be willing to do that.
Hoffman: None of these issues are quite, how do you say it, parochial in nature and one
meeting, basically may not break down all of those issues regarding those. How fields
and facilities are coveted community by community. The district no doubt has a very
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
strong connection to the City of Chaska, due to the role that this city has played in a
variety of their facilities and so I'm not going to say we're at a disadvantage but we're
certainly in a different position than the City of Chaska regarding school district. But the
district treats us very similar, if not identical because when we build facilities in our
community, they afford us the same opportunities that they're affording Chaska, with
joint powers agreements, ability to reserve and schedule space and so it's just the fact that
! think we have so fewer, the number of facilities, we have only 2 in the district and
Chaska has 8 or 9 so the idea of the tables being turned towards the Chaska
organizations, sporting organizations, city, can easily be seen and ! think that's what
you're seeing and there is some frustration with Mr. Jensen.
O'Shea: ! think any support we could give too because Jack and all of the other
volunteers, ! mean we have to remember these people are all volunteers and they're
giving a lot of time and I'm sure that's part of the frustration is when you hit roadblocks,
and again I'm not saying right or wrong because ! don't know the situation at all, but !
really commend their efforts at this because it's all volunteer positions these people do,
and work really hard at it. So I'm sure it's frustrating for them.
Stolar: Any other questions on the administrative packet?
O'Shea: ! have just, just a curiosity one. Who's...where's the second addition going in?
Hoffman: It's a gentleman named Dale that lives down there, owns the pizza shop in
town. It's the house off of Galpin, so the house just as you're driving north. It's got the
gravel driveway and.
O'Shea: On the corner?
Hoffman: No, just past the creek. So you go north of the creek and then sort of on the
right hand side there's a single family home there.
O'Shea: Oh yeah, just recently sold.
Hoffman: Yeah, that property.
O'Shea: Oh, and what are they doing there?
Hoffman: Some townhome and twin homes.
O'Shea: Oh, so it's an individual didn't buy it?
Hoffman: A developer bought it. Klingelhutz Development.
O'Shea: Oh, and the house will go then? Wasn't that the old Hennessey?
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Park and Rec Commission - March 23, 2004
Hoffman: Hennessey, that's it. It will stay. The house will stay and they'll just tuck
some other houses in.
O'Shea: How many homes are going to be built there?
Hoffman: Does it list? Does it say? Quick 3.
O'Shea: 3 and that will be, what did you say?
town homes that are bought already.
3 lots.
That's single, or what are they, detached
Hoffman: It's amazing. It doesn't take a lot of land.
O'Shea: ! just was curious. ! live right around there and ! thought where the heck was it.
Stolar: Anything else?
Hoffman: No goose removal. Make note of that. That will generate.
Stolar: And the Lion's donation. Thank you to the Lion's. Alright, seeing no other
questions, is there a motion to adjourn?
O'Shea moved, Robinson seconded to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor and
the motion carried. The Park and Recreation Commission meeting was adjourned.
Submitted by Todd Hoffman
Park and Recreation Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim
32