PRC 2006 11 28
CHANHASSEN PARK AND
RECEATION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
NOVEMBER 28, 2006
Chairman Scharfenberg called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m..
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Steve Scharfenberg, Jack Spizale, Jeff Daniel, Anne Murphy, and
Paula Atkins
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Glenn Stolar and Tom Kelly
STAFF PRESENT:
Todd Hoffman, Park and Rec Director; and Jerry Ruegemer, Recreation
Superintendent
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Murphy moved, Daniel seconded to approve the agenda as
presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5 to 0.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Hoffman: Tree lighting ceremony on Saturday night. 5:00.
Ruegemer: 5:00 City Center Plaza. Santa Claus will be there again. Some performers from the
Dinner Theater are going to be singing Christmas Caroles and holiday songs.
Hoffman: And from what we hear, they're worth the price of admission alone. They're from
what production?
Ruegemer: I can't remember what it is.
Hoffman: The Christmas show or the Christmas Carole so they're bringing their whole troupe
down from the Dinner Theater to perform free here at City Center Park that evening.
Ruegemer: So we'll have a bonfire going and the Chamber you know will has refreshments and
cookies and stuff again so it should be fun. Fun event. Dress warm.
Hoffman: Saturday night is the Shelter Box camp out, out at the Recreation Center sponsored by
the Rotary and then Sunday morning is the Breakfast with Santa and that's an annual event
sponsored by the Rotary in cooperation with the City of Chanhassen. It starts at 8:00 and goes til
1:00.
VISITOR PRESENTATIONS:
Dick Mingo: Good evening. My name is Dick Mingo. 7601 Great Plains Boulevard.
Downtown Chanhassen. 49 year resident, coming up on 50 of Chanhassen. Very glad to be with
you folks again tonight. This is my second trip here and getting back to what we proposed that
Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Chanhassen consider building a number one baseball field in this community. I think you've got
a good start with the ballpark down at Lake Susan. There's only one rule or adjustment I had
seen about the ballpark and that's the fact that the center field fence was 350 feet and I would
think we should, if we would go ahead with something there, it probably should be pushed back
to at least 375, which would be very easy to accomplish since there is room there. But this is a
little concept that a gentleman put together for us with the grandstand and I'm going to pass
around, I might just mention this. One of the things that got me going on this, I keep reading in
the paper about all of the hiking trails in Chanhassen. Trail after trail after trail and I drive
through this community a lot and I look on those trails and I look on these trails, where are the
people that use these things? It turns out, as I investigate here, Todd tells me I think I'm roughly
correct that Chanhassen's already spent something like $12 million plus dollars on hiking trails in
this town. Plus the maintenance of those trails costs us about $80,000 a year. I am proposing
that perhaps we think about spending about a million dollars, give or take a few bucks to build a
number one ballpark. And what I would propose is that we think about building a nice
grandstand. Doesn't have to be anything major in size. Put some top notch dugouts in the
ballpark. Put a nice lighted scoreboard up, and then of course put up lights so we can play night
baseball. With the new Chanhassen High School going in very shortly, in what is it 19, or 2009,
they will be needing a home field and if they'd have lights they could play night ball games in the
month of May and the early games in June before the tournament starts. The field could also be
used by the JV team because being an old coach, I've coached for 33 years in Minnesota High
School baseball, the JV team generally plays at home when the varsity's on the road, and vice
versa. So it would give them a nice field and in the summer we'd have our own Chanhassen
Legion team playing there and I believe we would also have a number of senior Babe Ruth teams
that probably would want to use that field. I would not feel that we would want a lot of little kids
playing there because you run into scheduling conflicts then with that. The grandstand that I'm
going to propose, and by the way we are, Chanhassen is one of the few towns in this whole
county that does not have a lighted ballpark with a grandstand. If you've ever been to Chaska,
Chaska's got an…grandstand but one of the great ballparks, amateur ballparks in the State of
Minnesota. With lights, fences and that old wooden ball stand. Hamburg has got a really nice
ballpark. I went out and took a few pictures here. The Hamburg ballpark by the way was pretty
much built with donated labor from the local townspeople. Real neat concrete structure and
there has been, that has concession stands in there, etc.. This is also a new park, a new
grandstand rather, the park is still old. This one is from up in Norwood. And by the way
Norwood's, they're now one town Norwood-Young America but when they were separate towns
were great rivals and they still are. Young America has an old wooded grandstand in their park,
so they've got two lighted fields right in Norwood-Young America. Hamburg has a nice one.
Victoria has a nice lighted ballpark. They're working on upgrading the grandstand there too.
Waconia's got a lighted ballpark, and then the one that I recommended that we possibly copy is
one in Watertown. Brand new park. It was designed by a gentleman named Janick from
Zimmerman, Minnesota and I'm going to pass around a view of the back view of it, which has
got a real nice patio out in front of it. It was set up with several nice concession stands. Very
nice toilets in the grandstand. Here's a little side view. And then lastly I had blown up so you
can see the actual grandstand that has been built out there, and this was built by the way by
Booger Tice from Tice Construction from right down the road in Carver, Minnesota. And he
would very gladly come up here but I just felt we weren't going to have that many questions at
this point in time for him. But this would give you an idea of what that nice ballpark in
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Watertown, what a grandstand looks like. And then…copy of the landscaping around that
ballpark in Watertown. You have in front of you a listing by the way of the costs, and we got
this from the park and rec department up in Watertown of the construction of their ballpark. I
think they got by very reasonably because, if you look at that, the total price was somewhere
around $446,000 but a number of those things we already have in down there at Lake Susan.
The paving for the parking lot is already in. Just was enlarged down here. Connection,
disconnection, concession stand. We would not have any disconnecting. Sprinkler systems
Todd tells me is already in. That was included here. And the parking lot construction was some
$8,000 so right there the expenses would be about $50,000 less than what the sheet that you have
in front of you would show. The other point I want to make about this, if we wait any longer, as
you are very well aware in following the Twins stadium and the University of Minnesota
stadium and the proposed Vikings stadium, construction costs are going up constantly because of
the increase in cost of steel and concrete. China has taken most of that with their tremendous
expansion and modernization program that they have in that huge country. So I recommend that
we consider going ahead and get moving on this. Making some plans in putting up a real nice
ballpark for this community that we can be proud of. In addition that grandstand I think could be
used occasion. You're talking about some kind of a little concert or… It'd be a great place for
people to go sit in the grandstand, and by the way I would also recommend here that we've got a
couple of little…that could be put up here and here where…and by the way that grandstand I'm
showing you would very easily be conducive to adding on. Putting wings on it so that it could be
increased in size. But still that would be a nice, neat place to have some little concert and you'd
have the lights on, do some things at night for other activities right there in the park, since you've
also got a great little park right there with the lake behind it, etc.. I think it'd be a scenic park.
The question's been raised about parking. Right behind the left field fence and across the street
you've got quite a bit of parking in a plant there that I think is now closed, isn't it? Isn't it sitting
empty? I'm sure there'd be no difficulty if we had a weekend baseball tournament, allowing the
overflow parking in there. Plus up on the hill you've got the Rosemount and Anderson that has
just recently put a huge parking lot on the west side of their building there. And again there I
think if we'd ever have some kind of a tournament that would need overflow parking, we could
work out a deal there to park in their lot and have a small little shuttle running people down to
the ballpark and from the ballpark back up to the stands. So overall I think this would work out
beautifully. The backstop that we currently have down at the ballpark, by the way amazingly is
51 feet wide. That grandstand that you see from Watertown is exactly 50 feet wide. It would fit
perfectly behind the present backstop that we have. We'd have to move a few trees that are in
behind because they'd be in the grandstand area but that wouldn't be any problem I think to do
with the big spades that we've got. And then put in nice new dugouts, which we do not have
down there now, and as I say, a scoreboard, things like that. And I think we could get some
community help on this. I think the American Legion would possibly throw in to help pay for a
scoreboard. The Minnesota Twins have got some community funds that a guy could go after,
and I'm a little bit aware of that since I've worked for the Twins for 18 years traveling around the
Upper Midwest putting on baseball clinics for little pumpkins throughout the state and then the
surrounding areas, as well as doing the same thing in Ft. Meyers, Florida in the wintertime. Are
there any questions anyone has? That's my request and I would hope that possibly you people
would look favorably on it and put it on your agenda for something to think seriously of in the
next year or two and we'd get a town team baseball team going there, and I think it wouldn't be
too long that we'd probably also have one of your Over 35 teams from the local area that would
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
be interested in playing in that park, which would be kind of neat. I'm going to be a little old for
that but I've still got baseball in my blood.
Daniel: Dick what are the, what type of movement has your group started with regards to
contacting local businesses as well for support? Besides the American Legion.
Dick Mingo: To be very honest with you, I really haven't contacted any businesses. I talked
about it a little bit with some of our Legionnaires and I just think that man back here behind me
is one of our Legion members. Very active and I think…could get some pretty good help,
especially out of our pull-tab operation. I think you're aware that they have…give the City of
Chanhassen what percent of our take is it that we have to give you people? And that's not too
bad. We are limited to…we could donate it for park. For this pull-tab, the State's very fussy.
We could not donate it to like a town team baseball. The Legion team, high school team, yes.
But they have a strict rule that you can't do it for people that are 18 or over but for a
ballpark…we can use some of our funds for that. And gosh, every month we give away
thousands of dollars that we're forced to by the State. There's rules that a certain percentage has
to go to various activities. And the Legion has been very good about that. So I think we'd get
some help there. Without a doubt. I haven't, like I say, approached any businesses but that
would be one of the next steps too.
Scharfenberg: Any other questions? Jack.
Spizale: How much time would there be for other organizations or teams or the City to use that
park? Would the tournaments and things take up 3/4 of the time or half the time or how much
open time would there be?
Dick Mingo: Well, town team baseball generally, if they get into a league, generally they're
playing, you know if it comes right down to it, you're playing one home game one Sunday. The
next Sunday you're away. Home, away, home, away, home, away, and so you've got some time
there, but again if you've got…like an American Legion team, they might be playing there that
Sunday when the town team's out of town and so on. Town teams generally play about 3 games
a week. Tuesday, Friday, Sunday, and that can fluctuate a little bit. But again that would be
evening ball. There'd be no reason you couldn't be playing a game in there at 2:30 or 4:00 in the
afternoon. Play a double hitter.
Spizale: During the week probably in the evening it'd be open for other uses?
Dick Mingo: I see no reason why, but again I would think that our, the minimum age I would
want to see play in there would be about 15. Babe Ruth kids, because the other kids they'd be
playing on smaller diamonds anyhow. I think you've got enough fields, right Todd for the
younger group? To fit those others in. Your Little League and Junior Babe Ruth or whatever
that we'd have.
Hoffman: Not always.
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Dick Mingo: Not always huh. I know we've got a lot of kids. That's why I think there's a great
future to have our own teams. Home grown kids playing right here in Chanhassen in a nice
ballpark. A nice setting and that is a nice setting. One of the advantage, another advantage I see
of that park location is, once in a while some communities when they put up lighted ballparks,
the people around raise hell about, the lights keep me up at night, which is a bunch of baloney
because most of them are up watching television til midnight anyhow but down there we really
don't have any immediate, adjacent to our homes and houses that I see that interfere with that.
It's basically businesses around there. Plus it sits kind of down in the hollow, which also helps in
that respect.
Scharfenberg: Anne, any questions?
Murphy: Nothing.
Scharfenberg: Paula.
Atkins: I understand there's the Legion team league and then a town team league, is that what it
is?
Dick Mingo: Right, right. Exactly.
Hoffman: There's other leagues as well.
Dick Mingo: Right, there'd be other leagues too. Like.
Atkins: Over 35 and stuff.
Dick Mingo: We'd hope to possibly get, I know Eden Prairie for a number of years now has had
an Over 35 team, and pretty good team. A lot of those guys would probably come back and play
here, because some of them are old Chanhassen players. Like Harry…65 years old or
something, or older, and he's still playing. But anyhow.
Atkins: Well, I'll remember.
Scharfenberg: I think one of our concerns Dick with the Lake Susan site is that it's a multi-use
facility already with you know the park shelter and now with the updated playground there, plus
you have the boat ramp and that facility and you know putting a facility of that size, expanding it
would really tax that park. That's one of our concerns I think that we've talked about in looking
at increasing the size and putting a ballpark there, so that's one of the concerns we've had with
that Lake Susan site. I agree with you that it is a beautiful site. And the other concern from us as
a park, is that we look in terms of our financing and financing projects, we look at least 5 to 6
years down the road and we have a lot of our money tied up already for projects you know over
the next 5 years. Some of that putting lights at Lake Susan. I mean at Lake Ann. We're going to
do that within the next year?
Hoffman: Next year.
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Scharfenberg: Within the next year we're going to increase our lighting at those fields to
increase our uses so, those are just a couple of the concerns as a Park and Rec Commission that
we have in terms of looking at you know increasing financing of a larger ballpark at Lake Susan.
Dick Mingo: Yeah, I don't see where it's going to affect your size because the grandstand is
behind the backstop, and that isn't really affecting any other part. You've got a lot of room down
the left field foul lines for batting cages and so on. There'd be a bullpen area…and that wouldn't
affect any. Your tennis court's out here, quite a ways away. We shouldn't affect the tennis courts
at all.
Scharfenberg: Yeah, I don't think I'm sorry if I kind of misspoke. I didn't mean in terms of the
size of the facility itself. I just meant with the parking that would be necessary you know for a
Sunday game, anticipating the type of crowd that you would have, and we also have a multi-use
there with you know, people renting the park at the shelter you know, given the parking lot size
right now, would be I think very difficult over the summer to try to accommodate all the things
that go on at that park already, plus putting a ballfield and hosting the type of events that you're
talking about there.
Hoffman: It'd be an occupancy issue and so, it's just going to be a choice. If you want to play
town baseball or baseball at Lake Susan, you're going to chase some other things away, and that's
just a choice that the town and the commission would have to make a decision on.
Dick Mingo: Well I appreciate your time and I sure would also appreciate you giving serious
thought to this. That we try to develop and get ourselves a number one facility here in
Chanhassen. What are we, the largest community in all of Carver County and we're down…as
far as baseball is concerned.
Harold Lund: Yeah I'm Harold Lund. As far as…been involved with many things in
Chaska…but there's a lot of…you take Norwood-Young America. The facilities that look like,
for people down there, they've got a ballpark. They all seem to get along fine. I think as far as
boats…but those are things you know that are really minor…But I get around to a lot of places
…metropolitan areas and I see how…it's kind of fun…So you know I could sit here and talk all
night and I can see that you've kind of got your mind made up but…
Scharfenberg: Well I appreciate Dick and Harold that you've, coming here and presenting this
stuff to us tonight. I don't think we've made up our mind on anything. We would all like to you
know, see a facility like this available. The question is again, as a commission we have to
prioritize the dollars we have available and putting that together and you know also making sure
that if we build a facility this size, that there would be a town team to put together. I know you
guys came to us several months ago and talked about you know the Victoria team coming here.
You know I don't know whether it's still a possibility or not. I don't know where that all sits but
you know with, Todd what we would need to do is put this on for an agenda item at some point
and continue this conversation again. Is that kind of what you're thinking? Okay.
Dick Mingo: Thank you.
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Scharfenberg: Alright, thank you. And I didn’t mean to cut anybody out. Did anybody else
have anything else?
Spizale: I've got maybe one. Dick?
Hoffman: One more question for you.
Spizale: How did these other communities finance their parks? Was it basically.
Dick Mingo: Watertown they tell me what they did, they passed on for every new building that
goes up, there's, what is it? $1,000, I don't know what you call that. $1,000 fee.
Hoffman: Park dedication fee.
Dick Mingo: Yeah, dedication fee and that went to pay for this…in Watertown and it was highly
successful…city government.
Hoffman: We have the same fee.
Dick Mingo: Yep, okay. That's where most of it come from. And then they also, in addition to
that their local Lions Club, like we've got over here, they put a huge picnic shelter. Picnic tables
in it and so on so people could come there so they're sharing the ballpark with that kind of
facility. Out at Young America they've got a great big like dance hall where they have
their…that's down their right field foul line. Big building for dancing and celebrating that they
have so they get it all. Everything works out for them so. Having gone through this when I was
playing in my younger days, they've got a lot of great community celebrations that go on with
baseball. Just tie the two together. Help bring people into town.
Hoffman: I've had both you guys in the office and I appreciate your comments. Nobody's got
their mind made up Harold so please make sure of that, but I think what I've told you both is that
it doesn't just take the two of you or a park direction or a park commission to build a ballfield. It
really takes an entire community, and these folks have made a recommendation for a 5 year CIP
totaling $2.4 million dollars. Much of that is dedicated already, and there's some park
dedication, so there are some commitments, over half of that money is committed. You can't
free it loose, and so now you're talking over 5 years and you might have maybe a million dollars
that you can play with, and they've, or that you can invest, and they've already made some other
commitments. So if you get the community organized and get them to City Hall, and get talking
about a baseball field and get some cash put together and start to work with the commission and
then also know that the commission's got to make some sort of a recommendation to the council,
if they choose to. Then you might be able to get something done, but it takes a pretty significant
effort, and the town has to embrace it or it's just not going to happen. It's got to be a community
effort to make it happen.
Daniel: Well I think you hit it right on the head Todd. I think there's more to it than just talking
to the commission, which certainly as I expressed last time you two were here, you know I'd be
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
extremely excited about seeing, especially bringing that type of, that level of baseball back to
Chanhassen, which we haven't had the opportunity since the Legion field has been closed several
years ago, and you know there are, between what the City can offer, both in private financing as
well through I would assume a, I think a good grass roots effort to talk to the Rotary Club. To
get local businesses involved. As well as you know again the Legion's a perfect example of that,
but also Lions, which I know that they have contributed significantly to the Park and Rec
Department. Or at least to our funding so between that and in addition to getting the word out, I
think that's probably going to be my, if there's a suggestion as well, and whether it be through the
Villager Newspaper or some other means, to let everyone know and advertising at the Legion.
Something to that, you know starting some sort of fund that I think a lot of people can start, and
then it will give us an idea of where we can head and how serious this really is, because this type
of investment, I know Todd and everyone else here, that's a huge investment. We're talking it'd
be the single largest investment out of our CIP fund. Is that basically true Todd? I don't think
there's anything that equals that type of, that amount so. You know I would be thrilled to help
you out in any way we can.
Harold Lund: I think if we would also put a committee together to approach the business
community south of 101 and then come back with something more fuel for you folks, that would
help defer the cost of this project, and I don't see any problem. I really don't. I think most
people that, if you present it right to them…or have some meeting at school or something.
Explain to these parents about what we're trying to do in this community. It's a ball game.
Nobody's going to hand you that million dollars.
Daniel: …the City Council is, an understanding of what exactly it's going to cost us. What it's
going to cost the community. I mean we're not only talking about bullpens and dugouts and
scoreboards and realigning the fences, but we've got maintenance issues. Again parking I think
is another critical issue that will be addressed. All those things but again, and I certainly don't
want to get caught in what happened in Victoria where there's some support issues as well I think
from the City. Inbetween the City and the town folks, I want to make sure that communication
and relationship is solidified. Again a lot of things have to happen, or have to be understood
before we can move forward, but as I stated from my perspective, I think it's exciting. I really
do, but this is just kind of a first step as I see it in this process, and eventually we'd like to reach
the point where we have a solid proposal with good financing and something that the City could
either match or possibly examine from a budget standpoint to progress forward.
Harold Lund: A lot of work to be done, I realize that.
Daniel: Yep.
Harold Lund: Dot all the I's.
Daniel: Exactly.
Scharfenberg: Thank you gentlemen, we appreciate it.
Harold Lund: Well thank you.
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Spizale moved, Murphy seconded to approve the verbatim
and summary minutes of the Park and Recreation Commission meeting dated October 24,
2006 as presented. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5
to 0.
2007 PICNIC RESERVATION FEES.
Ruegemer: Thank you. We talked about this item, or the Park and Rec Commission reviewed
the picnic valuation last month. We had kind of formed some conversation regarding an
additional category with the business type of rates during the kind of noon hour for team
meetings. We had talked about that. There's been an increased number of businesses, like
Rosemount and other types of local companies that have been going down and using the park
over the lunch hour for team lunches or staff types of outings. What staff put together is a new
category. I included the Chanhassen businesses only, and kind of what I did is I took the
Monday through Thursday rate of $130 for businesses and kind of gave a discount on that.
Approximately 30% for a new rate of $90 kind of for that because of that time frame during the
course of the week, Monday through Thursday. I felt that that was you know appropriate and
certainly if the commission would like to take a look at that, and either lower the price or the
percentage or raise it. However you would see fit. Staff would be open to opinion or
suggestions on that. I really do feel the rest of the fees are fine the way they are. They're
included within the packet of information that was included with your information tonight. It is
staff's recommendation that the Park and Rec Commission recommend to the City Council that
the 2007 group picnic reservation fees remain the same as the same level of 2006 with the
exception of the additional new category of the Chanhassen business rate of $90.00 and that
would be a Monday through Thursday date.
Scharfenberg: Discussion anyone? Paula?
Atkins: No.
Scharfenberg: Jack.
Spizale: No.
Scharfenberg: Jeff.
Daniel: No.
Scharfenberg: Anne.
Murphy: No.
Scharfenberg: Okay. Then can I get a motion to adopt staff's recommendation for the park and
rec fees, or picnic reservation fees for 2007.
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Atkins moved, Daniel seconded that the Park and Recreation Commission recommends
that the 2007 group picnic reservation fees remain at the same level as 2006, with the
exception of the addition of a new Chanhassen business rate of $90.00 for Monday through
Thursday. All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously with a vote of 5 to 0.
RECREATION PROGRAM REPORTS: 2006 HALLOWEEN PARTY EVALUATION.
Ruegemer: First of all I want to thank all the commissioners that gave of themselves that
evening and it was a very successful event again. You can see first hand you know how many
people are attending. The people do thoroughly enjoy themselves out at the event. We tried
some new entertainment this year, which we tried some different games and tried to kind of give
it a little bit of a new feel to it again so. Approximately about 700 children and parents did
attend the event. The hayride certainly seemed to be a hit at all time so yeah, they kind of go
around the campus of the recreation center, and that's always a very, and I was on the very last
ride of the night and I know the hay wagon was full yet at that point so it's busy from start to
finish so that is a fun event for the people because a lot of people don't have that opportunity to
ride a hay ride so. And the horses are very nice as well. Entertainment was new. Face painting
is always very popular. The Lions always seem to be a pretty good distance with that, so we
have added additional face painters to kind of help lessen the lines and that for that area. It really
does work out nice having the gym and the school. We kind of have all the games on that side
and has the divided wall there and the entertainment and that on the other side, not to interfere
with each other so. Let's see we had refreshments, that sort of thing set up. Certainly we started
with the scary room on that Friday, Friday morning. That usually gives us enough time to go
through that process. Get everything set up so we're not really racing…to get all that completed.
We had a great number of Key Club students again this year help out with that event. I think
they really do enjoy helping out and getting dressed up and you know kind of dividing up
between the refreshments, the games and the scary area as well. They do a great job for us.
We're very fortunate to have them involved with that. We get off pretty easily. Buy some pizza
for them and some soft drinks and they're there all night so it works out really nice. Nice for us
so, and I think Nate, for his first Halloween Party too did a nice job kind of coordinating
everything. Make sure all the details and that were in place. We certainly had enough candy and
we did return some even too so, which is good, but general comments are kind of listed on the
back page…go through all them but just, always looking ahead to improving the event. The little
details that certainly make the difference and if there's any questions from the commission, I
certainly would entertain those at the time but thanks again for being out there. Your help is
very much appreciated.
Scharfenberg: Any questions for anyone?
Spizale: I thought it went very smoothly. It really helps as we've been doing the last couple
years, is having those people supplying us with the extra candy. That just was a nice, smooth. It
was just a nice flow. And I think the Chaska High School Key Club, they just seem to be a great
group of kids. They're really into it. Nice kids. We give them a special thank you in some way
don't we? I'm sure we do.
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Ruegemer: We've presented them with a Certificate of Appreciation in the past. We certainly
can do that again.
Spizale: Yeah, I'm always impressed every year.
Scharfenberg: Any other comments? Okay.
BLUFF CREEK TRAIL STORM SEWER AND TRAIL RECONSTRUCTION.
Hoffman: Thank you Chair Scharfenberg, members of the commission. This is a public
improvement project to replace an undersized culvert crossing on the Bluff Creek trail. Some of
you may be familiar with this location, and the rain events such as we had today, it was over top
on a routine basis in providing, or creating both a hazardous situation on that trail. And then also
causing some maintenance concerns. This trail was constructed as a condition of approval by the
developer back when the Stone Creek Addition was put in, and those culverts were undersized at
the time some 10 to 15 years ago. Lori Haak, our Water Resources Coordinator has been
working with me on this project and under the Surface Water Management funds are providing
the funding and our park maintenance division is providing the labor and the installation. We've
worked with a consulting engineer, Marcus Thomas from Bolten and Menk on the design. So at
this point I'll make you aware of what's going on. Some of you may have been there in the past.
The other culvert which is undersized is just south of here but is not a critical situation so that
one will be postponed until sometime in the future.
Scharfenberg: Is it, Todd is it on the trail? Is it that one where it's at the bottom of the hill?
There's always a sign there because it's either cracked or, is that the area right there?
Hoffman: It's the trail at the bottom of the hill and let's see. The easiest way to get to the, it's the
underpass on Coulter Boulevard, yeah Coulter, and then you just go south there. And there's a
pond.
Scharfenberg: Okay, it's at the end of that row of townhomes at the bottom of the hill.
Hoffman: Yep.
Scharfenberg: Okay. So by just putting in bigger culverts and.
Hoffman: Putting in bigger culverts will keep the water underneath and it won't over top the
trail. And what we're seeing is erosion on the trail. Our primary concern is a safety concern.
Get these 1 and 2 inch rains and you get that water over topping and if you lose somebody down
that trail crossing with that water, you could have a potentially dangerous, or a deadly situation.
Scharfenberg: You know further on the trail past the railroad underpass, they redid those
culverts but I mean we still have overflow at that area if it's a real heavy rain.
Hoffman: I've not seen it.
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Scharfenberg: Oh, okay.
Hoffman: The overflow at that location.
Scharfenberg: Oh, okay. I think it has, or it still does occasionally on some real heavy rains but.
Hoffman: Yeah you size that for most events, but you can't size them for, really no use to size
them for every event.
Scharfenberg: Yeah, okay. And that will be what, done this summer?
Hoffman: It will be done yet this year.
Scharfenberg: Oh, okay. Alright.
Hoffman: I have a second item that I passed out. I apologize I didn't mention it during our
approval of the agenda. Pioneer Pass LLC is, was the proposed developer of the Pioneer Pass
development where this park was going to be acquired. So that park is currently on hold. It's
this circle here representing that neighborhood park. Pioneer Pass went through two different
development proposals. D.R. Horton backed out and then this group, the Pioneer Pass LLC.
Because of the soft housing market they're not finalizing the plat, and as a part of that we had a
requirement for a 4.72 acre park site, neighborhood park site. If you recall you went through
that, so that's no longer being acquired at this time. So I wanted to make you aware that that is
not a done deal.
ADMINISTRATIVE PACKET.
Hoffman: Appropriate that there's an article on the importance of capital projects. That speaks
to a ballfield and a few other things.
Murphy: Just curious, what was the damage at Lake Ann? What was done?
Ruegemer: For the apology? That was just in October sometime, just doing some joy riding out
there. There's really no damage to the turf but we had a very alert UPS driver out there informed
the police of the activity that was occurring at that time and they did catch the kids out there so.
Hoffman: In the act.
Ruegemer: In the act.
Atkins: How about that big, didn't we get some big graffiti on the concrete at the park shelter I
saw yesterday.
Ruegemer: Oh, just recently?
Atkins: Well I just saw it yesterday. It might have been there for a while.
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Hoffman: Which shelter?
Atkins: It's a big tag. The pavilion on the park.
Hoffman: Lake Ann?
Atkins: Yeah.
Hoffman: Okay.
Atkins: On the wall up, right up from the bathroom. It's a big tag. It's about 3 feet high.
Ruegemer: They've done that before. They came back. I saw it yesterday, or Jack and I were
out there on Sunday.
Scharfenberg: Alright, any other business that the commission has? Our meeting for December
th
is scheduled for Tuesday, the 12, is that right?
Hoffman: Yes. Start early.
Scharfenberg: And start at.
Hoffman: 6:00 probably. 6:30.
Scharfenberg: Okay. I know right now tentatively I'm scheduled to be out of town so I won't be
here. I think Jack also sent an email that you're going to be out of town.
Spizale: I think I'm going to be in. Yep, I think I'll be in.
Scharfenberg: Alright. So. And I don't think there were any arrangements here as to what
finalized plans for afterwards. Houlihan's? Okay. Alright.
Hoffman: Anne, I don't know if everyone's heard your announcement.
Murphy: Well I don't know, that will probably be my last meeting because we are being
relocated so, yeah. It all just came up suddenly but we just found out we're being relocated for
my husband's job so we'll be moving to Michigan. Probably for 3 to 5 years and then probably
be back here so, I'll be seeing you guys in 3 to 5 years again.
Spizale: So you can buy dinner?
Hoffman: We've got to buy her dinner.
Murphy: Yeah so I'll probably be mid-January. Hopefully if our house sells. Yeah, it's a big
move.
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Park and Rec Commission - November 28, 2006
Hoffman: We'll say goodbye in December. Her vacant position is already advertised. It's on the
web. It will be in the Chan Villager so you'll be interviewing some people. We could fill it in
April but we might as well give a person a chance to fill. I think it's the last remaining 2 years is
what it will be, because you served 4 right? In the beginning.
Murphy: Is it 4?
Hoffman: Well 2. Yeah, the first 2 and then 1 so you've served 3 I think. You finished out
another term so somebody else is going to finish out your term.
Murphy: And I'm glad. Hopefully we'll be back in Chanhassen so, someday.
Hoffman: So we'll say goodbye in December as part of our meeting and our social and we'll meet
at Houlihan's. Start early that night. 6:00 or 6:30 and then go to our social from there.
Scharfenberg: Can I have a motion to adjourn?
Daniel moved, Murphy 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 Rec Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim
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