PRC 2006 12 12
CHANHASSEN PARK AND
RECREATION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
DECEMBER 12, 2006
Chairman Stolar called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m..
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Glenn Stolar, Jack Spizale, Tom Kelly, Paula Atkins, Jeff Daniel,
Steve Scharfenberg and Anne Murphy
STAFF PRESENT:
Todd Hoffman, Park and Rec Director; Jerry Ruegemer, Recreation
Superintendent; Nate Rosa, Recreation Supervisor; Tom Knowles, Recreation Center Manager;
Susan Bill, Senior Center Coordinator; and Dale Gregory, Park Superintendent
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
The agenda was approved as presented.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS:
None.
VISITOR PRESENTATIONS:
None.
RECREATION PROGRAM REPORTS:
2006 TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY EVALUATION.
Rosa: Thank you Chair Stolar and commissioners. The tree lighting ceremony happened on
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Saturday, December 2. It was a bitter cold night so that kind of reduced the number that we
had there, but the people that were there enjoyed it. I want to bill out two really special thanks
out. One to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater for bringing some live, in costume carolers, which
was a last minute addition. That was like a $1,000 comp that they did on us so I mean that's
pretty nice there. And then thank you to Mark Halla also with the Mustard Seed. He provided
Santa Claus and himself as an elf free of charge this year so usually that's a service we paid the
previous person in the past but this year they said you know what, we'll do it for free. So from
that we had roughly 75 people in attendance. It went pretty well. We added some different
colored lights this year. Dale's crew did that so we thank them for that. Added different colored
lights this year rather than the standard ones, and you created a lot of rave reviews from that.
That's about it for the tree lighting ceremony. Any questions?
Daniel: Just I attended and it was a very nice event. A little chilly that night but it went really
well. It was very nicely run.
Rosa: It's the one cold week.
Daniel: I said on Saturday, last Saturday, I said kids, let's…
Stolar: Alright, thank you. Nate you want to talk about the winter programs?
Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
2007 WINTER PROGRAMS REPORT.
Rosa: Next up is the 2007 winter programs. If you remember at all, and you may not, all of
them are actually similar to last year. Actually all of them are the same. We did have to cut
back on two programs. One being the Timberwolves game, just because it fell on December
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28, and we already have another program going that day so it's nothing we could double up on.
Another one is the Disney on Ice but those actually, because of the way the rotation went, don't
come until February and March so that's something that we have coming in our future book,
possibly to a night. Other than that you'll see it broken down to preschool programs, youth
programs, and adult programs. And it is what it is I guess. Is there any questions with that?
Stolar: No. Alright, thank you.
RECREATION CENTER REPORT.
Knowles: Thank you. For my report this month I would just ask the commissioners to sort of
glance through my first several paragraphs. They deal with the day to day operations at the rec
center which are basically in pretty good shape. We're doing fine out there on a daily basis.
However I would like to direct more careful attention to my final paragraph, 2006 in review
wherein the news is not as good. Apparently for 2006 we have done a decent job of containing
our expenses. It looks like we're going to fall well within our budget for expense side of things.
However our revenues certainly will fall well short of expectations for 2006. Largely I think this
is a reflection of the fact that this is the first full year that Lifetime Fitness has been opened up
down the road. There are also other fitness operations that have opened up within the
community or expanded recently and it's taken a little bit of a slice out of our business. More so
than I really expected actually. Be that as it may, it's an unfortunate situation. It's something I'm
not happy with but it does sort of lend itself to further discussion on what we can do in the future
to sort of increase our numbers, both in revenues and bodies to the building. I've begun some
ongoing discussions with a couple people who are running exercise programs that we can, that
can be brought into the recreation center. Hopefully get more people involved in exercise and
fitness that way. One of which is a fellow that, actually Nate and I have talked to about doing
some golf programming. He's also recently received his certification in personal training so I
think that might be a good fit for us. Some sort of nitch programming or nitch fitness kind of
program that we can offer. At any rate it's a year ahead of us I think is a year of challenge for us.
I think we may be looking at changing some directions out there at the rec center. Like I say,
the process has actually begun but I would solicit any opinions from any of the commissioners or
any of the city staff who has any thoughts at all about what we might do with the ultimate goal of
you know enhancing our services that we do provide out there so, I'm on the city email system.
My prefix is tknowles and I would certainly welcome any comments or suggestions that you
might have.
Stolar: Okay. Does anyone have any that they want to bring forth now?
Spizale: I think you're moving in the right direction. I'm thinking of something that other
businesses, centers don't have. Golf is a great idea. But I think you're moving in the right
direction, to have some things that nobody else has.
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Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
Knowles: Right, it's exactly you know, I mean we can't go toe to toe with Lifetime Fitness.
There's just no question about that, and but you know some of this nitch programming may be an
opportunity for us.
Stolar: I was thinking senior. When I first read this I was thinking senior programming.
Knowles: Well, yeah Susan and I, we can get into that a little bit more. We've kind of broken
down some barriers about getting seniors out to the rec center with that line dancing program that
we brought on this past year.
Stolar: I was thinking like, if you think about it, what you want to try to do is find markets not
served by the Lifetime's of the world. You know there's focused personal training for seniors as
an example. A weekly fitness thing geared towards them and golf fits in that too you know. Get
everybody out there the week before the golf season starts you know. Exercise to get your golf
swing ready.
Knowles: So yeah, I anticipate looking at things like that. I think that's an excellent idea and I
think as I say, I think we've sort of broken down some of the barriers about getting seniors out to
the fitness center, or the recreation center in the first place so maybe we can expand upon that
and maybe get them out there for some physical training.
Stolar: The other thing I was thinking that Lifetime doesn't offer is focused classes so at
Lifetime you've got to go through this 6 or 7, and same thing at the rec center. You've got to get
your test thing and then you've got to do this and this. But if someone just has a particular focus
that they want to have happen or particular you know, basically part of their body or a particular
cardiovascular or they want to build up strength in their legs, you know similar to the kind of the
golf idea too. Just offer that you have specialized personal training courses that are different
than going through the whole rigamarole.
Knowles: Right.
Murphy: I was just curious, are those yoga and Pilates classes pretty well attended?
Knowles: They're holding their own. They're not bursting the walls by any means but we're
holding our own with those classes.
Murphy: Because those are also extra charge at Lifetime. I mean if you go to Lifetime, you
have to pay for those.
Knowles: Right, right. Right, so we're holding our own in those areas.
Scharfenberg: Tom, what are we talking about in terms of the numbers? You talk about a
significant, what are the numbers financially?
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Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
Knowles: Well on the revenue side I seem to recall our numbers were projected about $175,000
I believe in revenue for the year, and it looks like we're going to come in at somewhere between
$125,000 and $130,000.
Scharfenberg: Now is that just for the fitness room or is that, when you say revenue, is that for
the whole rec center?
Knowles: That's the total package for the rec center.
Scharfenberg: Okay.
Knowles: My feeling is that the largest part of that shortfall does involve the fitness area, both
the group fitness classes. The personal training and our daily visits to the fitness room.
Stolar: And do room rentals themselves…
Knowles: Room rentals are okay. They're holding on.
Stolar: Is there a back log there? I mean…ask the question, do we take fitness out and put room
rental in?
Knowles: Well, you know anything is open to discussion. I actually had one person suggest to
me that we might even want to expand our dance program and close up the fitness room and put
the dance, another dance studio in there. I mean anything is really open to discussion.
Scharfenberg: I would like, or at least request that as a commission we put together maybe an
extra session where we meet together with Tom. Kind of like a brainstorming session. Try to do
that within the next, you know if we could do it in January sometime. Just so that we can sit
down and brainstorm and maybe talk about some goals or long range plan with respect to the,
you know fitness area.
Stolar: That'd be helpful. Can we have a working session prior to our meeting maybe in
January?
Hoffman: Sure.
Stolar: Does that work for the commission?
Knowles: Excellent. Thank you.
Stolar: Any other final questions? Thank you. Good idea Steve.
Scharfenberg: Maybe Tom ahead of that meeting you could send to us just some information. I
don't even know what it is right off hand, in terms of what the budget was for last year. What the
revenues were. Maybe what's projected for the coming year and some of that stuff that we can
just kind of look over and then have some talking points available for that meeting.
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Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
Knowles: Absolutely.
Scharfenberg: Okay.
Hoffman: We'll include that as a part of the packet.
Stolar: Great. Thank you.
Hoffman: And as you're thinking forward to frame that conversation, for those who were around
at the time that the rec center was constructed, it was constructed basically as a meeting facility
and then as a really, there was a lot of needs that just weren't being met at the time. The
community was growing. There was not a fitness center here. We were running out of meeting
space. There was no place for the community to get together. There was no, we were limited in
gyms and so we just tagged on this extra facility on this elementary school, and it ran very well
at a fairly high level due to the fact that it was the only game in town. So now you take the one
component out, which is one room and kind of the whole fitness component. Personal training.
All those things that were not around anywhere else and now they're here in full force obviously.
You know just it visualized our one little fitness room compared to a Lifetime Fitness show
floor, fitness floor and you've got not even anything comparable as Tom had stated, so. It's not,
you can look at it in a variety of different ways. I always seem to look at it as an opportunity.
It's an opportunity to change something of the rec center. You know we could take those
machines right out. Take walls down. We could keep the machines there and change up the
program. But the recreation center, we're not there to, enterprise function. It costs about
$250,000 to run the building. The highest revenue year of any was probably around $160,000
over the years, and so now with the loss of the fitness revenue, you know we're losing some of
that revenue so, as a part of that brainstorming, are we here to make up revenue or are we here to
provide, find the other nitch, the other thing that is missing, because that is what the rec center
came here for in the first place and what's missing in our community and should we provide that
service back so, that's kind of framing the thought process as we move forward in January.
Stolar: So actually it would be helpful if there have been some suggestions or unmet needs that
you're aware of, to throw that into the mix of the discussion. Things that you know that people
are seeking for us to offer as a community.
Scharfenberg: That's what I was going to say. I was just thinking, when was the last time we
surveyed any of the people that come through there, just on a, what is it that you like about it? Is
there something that you would change? You know something like that would be nice to have
that potentially prior to that meeting if we could do some sort of informal survey of the people
that show up.
Daniel: Yeah, I'll say as far as one thing that I think would be beneficial, and we can certainly
talk more about that during this off session, would be the promotion as well. I mean there's, I
think good promotion as far as some of the programs that are offered that the city sends out, but
outside that you know for example, some of those people who rent some of the rooms. They
have clinics, they have other things that they certainly want to talk about, and I don't know how,
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Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
either a web site or if there's a place somehow which you can let the community know on a short
term notice versus some longer term planning that the rec department puts out as far as some of
the activities. But I think that would be certainly beneficial. Maybe provide an opportunity to
increase traffic, which in turn probably increase opportunities for people to come and look at
those type of rooms or facilities for renting.
Knowles: Thank you.
Stolar: Okay. Anything else? Susan.
SENIOR CENTER REPORT.
Bill: I'd like to start off by talking about our annual holiday party. We had it last week and good
and bad to say we, this year we outgrew the senior center. We had 94 people in attendance so we
had it at the American Legion and it was a wonderful event. That is the only event that I really
foresee or plan to take off site. Community Bank sponsored it to help keep the costs down. Bill
Traxler and Theresa…were there. Wonderful time. They really enjoyed mingling with the
people and being there and it was just a great event. Last year I think we had 75. This year we
had 94 and I even had to cut a few people off at the end so it was a really, really nice event.
Other things that are going on, I spoke about it in the past. My technology classes. We had one
in November called Gadget, Gadgets and More Gadgets and Best Buy, the manager from the
Best Buy store in Eden Prairie and…special agent came and they did just a wonderful
presentation. We had 20 plus people in attendance. Geek Squad does have an office in Byerly's
so that was really nice. We did try to work with Radio Shack here in town but I couldn't, it just
didn't work out. So anyway, that was wonderful. And then I've had three other technology
classes. All of them have been great. I've had great feedback. We'll look to do one again in the
first quarter of the new year and I think we'll focus on Spyware, Anti-Virus information and
some stuff like that. People really enjoy…having up to date and current information. The Senior
Commission has a fall open house every year and last year they had…64 people in attendance.
The topic was transportation. Transportation is an issue that surfaces oh, a couple times a year.
So Southwest Metro came and talked as well as Carts and Door to Door Transportation provider
for Carver County for…medical appointments and they do some other services. So they talked
about what they could and could not provide. …double edged sword where people talk about
wanting more transportation, but when it's offered it's not utilized. So it was a really good open
discussion and Sharmeen coordinated it and did a great job. My monthly lunch box specials also
this fall went great. We had Governor Al Quie to talk about riding his horse from Canada to
Mexico and he was still able to walk after. …but he was really a good speaker and people really
enjoyed hearing about his adventures. Then I had other speakers and then tried to do
entertainment and speakers on local topics of interest so those have been going great and that
will continue into the new year. My greeting, recycled greeting card program. Sold over 900
cards and it's like a quarter or 50 cents so that program is really, really going well. A group of
women just love making them and it's been a real nice component to the program. Then lastly,
one thing I want to highlight, I'm big on community relations and working with other businesses
and agencies and I've been trying to get a relationship and a dialogue going with District 112
Community Ed. Talking about we have some space available during the day because a majority
of their programs occur in the evening because they utilize school space. And let them know that
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Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
if there were anything ever appropriate to older adults, that we could work together so we are
dialoguing on that. The one thing that we started with is shared advertising. I've got my
defensive driving classes and extended trip and the new Augsburg College trip and the District
112 booklet, and I did an insert in my newsletter of…classes that they're offering that would be
appropriate to older adults. And the book came out last week. I had phone calls today for
defensive driving classes, which is pretty good. So that's our good relationship and I'll continue
to nurture that. And the last thing, I said the other was the last thing. Lastly our choir the
Chanolaires are having a concert next Tuesday. They're a wonderful, wonderful group of
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performers so it's December 19 at 1:30 if anyone has an hour free. Join us for our Christmas
concert and cookies and coffee and hot chocolate.
Murphy: Is it here?
Bill: It's here. It will be in the senior center so.
Hoffman: They like to have an audience.
Stolar: You said it was 9:30?
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Bill: 1:30. 1:30 on December 19.
Stolar: Great. Good, thank you. Any questions? Alright.
PARK AND TRAIL MAINTENANCE REPORT.
Gregory: Thank you. Well this past quarter and that we've been working hard at trying to
complete a lot of our projects that we had ongoing in the summer and that. Lake Susan parking
lot expansion has been completed, along with the trail system around the park has been, part of it
has been redone and overlaid. We've got it sodded. It's completely all done down there. That
also, it really looks nice. The only other addition I see as some trees down around the play
equipment and that area around the sod areas and putting, get some trees in there in the future.
Curry Farms, we completed that project also. The trail system is overlaid down there. Going up
the hill up to Knob Hill, we added that trail in there. And we also have done the same thing
there. We've got that all seeded, graded and we also added 12 trees down in that one so,
hopefully we're out of there for a little while down there now so get out of your hair down there.
Daniel: And it turned out really well. Now the new trees, are they out where you kind of dug
out, where the trail goes up?
Gregory: They are, presently they're kind of around the play structure. Out away from the play
area and that right now. There isn't anything out in that open area. We're keeping that as open
area.
Daniel: Okay. I've got to pay attention. I was just down there Saturday.
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Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
Gregory: Bandimere Heights down there, we've also removed the old play equipment down
there. That basketball court has been put in and the only thing we got put down there yet is the
actual basket hoop and that, and the pole. Bluff Creek we've got the hockey rinks completed out
there. That we've milled all that and we black topped everything and that so that turned out
really nice. We'll get quite a few years out of that now. That's looking pretty nice out there. At
least it will put back in some of the use for inline skating. The Lake Ann project, the road
reconstruction out there is basically completed. They did get all the seeding and everything in.
They did get mulch down and really the only thing left will be in the spring will be the planting
of the shrubs, flowers, whatever it calls to be going into the water gardens. Talked with Lori
today and she's working with somebody who's actually gone…and so hopefully that will get
finished in the spring. We did work on a couple of our trails out by Holiday Inn Express. Bluff
Creek we did have water issues on those two trails where water continually drains from hills
flowing across the trail created water problems. Got real slippery on the trails and that so we did
go in and do some drain tiling and directed it away from the trails. A couple things that we also
worked on and that since, since I wrote this and that is the, we had a water issue on a trail out in
Stone Creek. It had a small cover. We have a holding pond out there and that and the water,
whenever it rains an inch, two inches of rain the water continually drains over the trail. We end
up closing that trail every time we get a couple inches of rain. The culvert underneath was just
undersized so we worked with Lori Haak in Water Resources and she came up with a plan. Had
it drawn up what we had to do and everything else, so basically they paid for it and we took out
an 18 inch culvert and we replaced two 48 inch culverts so we shouldn't have any issues of water
over the trail anymore. We did finish that project, just about finished it and that. We have the
culverts in and come spring we have to realign the trail a little bit and blacktop that. So we did
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get that part of it done too so. And we start flooding after December 5…so everything was
really going good for the week. We flooded around the clock until Friday and everything turned
on us. We didn't expect it to last this long so all we can do is wait. I looked at the 10 day
forecast today at work and doesn't look good. I mean even on the inside, the next 7 days is just
warm weather so.
Hoffman: We'll be starting over.
Gregory: All we can do is wait til we get cold weather again. Brought the warming houses in
today. I don't know if any of you noticed them or seen them and that. Nate went with different
warming house this year. Instead of the Satellites that are up on wheels. He came up with
another option of one that just sits down on the ground, so we don't need any steps or anything
like that and I think it's going to be a good improvement and that for it. That's all I have.
Stolar: Thank you. Any questions?
Rosa: And I'll just add to that quick, the shelters on that. I think Todd came up with it so I can't
take the total credit since you referred to me. But another thing with that is, it's one complete
open base structure. Last year's structures had a door we could close and he could close himself
in the office, which did happen from time to time. They shut the light off. Well this way it's just
one big open base so the attendants can see and view the entire time so that actually should help
with us on issues related to that too.
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Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
Stolar: Great. So is like one of those over at Lotus, North Lotus then?
Rosa: Yep.
Gregory: There's one at North Lotus and there's one up here.
Stolar: Thanks.
ADMINISTRATIVE: RESIGNATION OF ANNE MURPHY.
Murphy: Well gosh, I didn't prepare a speech but I'm sorry to leave and I really enjoyed working
on, I really was excited when I got this position and it's been great. Boy when you move to other
cities you don't realize until you leave how great the parks and trails are here. They really are.
You don't see the interconnecting trails. We don't, we're looking for houses and we're like,
where are all the trails? You have to drive to the parks. It's really different. It's really unique. I
think this area is really unique. I really enjoyed working with everybody, especially Todd and
Jerry and everybody's really professional so I'm going to miss it. Hopefully we'll move back
some day.
Stolar: Are you going to join a commission while you're out there?
Murphy: Well I was thinking about it but you know I don't know. The parks, it's all different in
different states but their parks and rec commissions don't seem to quite have the funding that we
have in this state. I don't know, every state's different but I'm moving to Michigan and they
don't, some areas are more interested in it than others and some are more well funded than others
but, never as good as Chanhassen.
Hoffman: Interesting to hear. Good message and the same message that Mayor Furlong brought
home from Reno. Mayor Furlong and City Manager Todd Gerhardt went to Reno for the
National League of Cities Conference and Tom came home and gave a presentation last night
and just Tom's overall comments was you know, even though we have certain issues that we
have to deal with here, they're minor and pale in comparison to what he heard about from other
states and so he said I think we should just feel really blessed here in Chanhassen and had those
same comments.
Murphy: They really don't have the interconnecting trails with other places. They just kind of
end and then oh well. There's nowhere to go so.
Stolar: Have a little certificate for you Anne. Thank you. Certificate of Appreciation presented
to Anne Murphy for your dedication and contributions to the City of Chanhassen while serving
on the Chanhassen Park and Rec Commission from 2004 to 2006 and a volunteer Meals on
Wheels driver. From Mayor Furlong. Thank you very much. And we'll miss you too on the
commission and wish you all the best and definitely look forward to your coming back and
returning.
Murphy: When we, we keep saying when we come back.
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Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
Stolar: Does anyone else have any comments?
Spizale: Anne, I'd just somebody new to help with the dog park.
Murphy: I'm sure somebody else.
Stolar: Well Jack, you've got to carry the weight right now. Alright, well Anne we'll catch up
when we're adjourning after here. I guess does anyone have any additional items from the
administrative packet?
Daniel: I had one question. Regarding the application for Chan/Chaska Hockey Association.
Do they pay for using the facilities at City Center and at Bluff Creek?
Stolar: No.
Daniel: Just because it's, they don't know if given the weather, is that something we've never
explored with them or?
Ruegemer: You talking for outdoor ice time?
Daniel: Right.
Ruegemer: No. We haven't charged any groups for using outdoor ice time. Chaska or
Minnetonka…
(There was a tape change at this point in the discussion.)
Hoffman: …change it up a little bit. We had some concerns. We met with them. They're not
going to pick the riders up on the street. They're going to come through the parking lot and so
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that people don't have to go across West 78 Street at that location. We also have a short joint
powers agreement that the council will view at their next meeting, which is going to be in
January, that we're going to sign between the two parties. It's a temporary thing but it seems to
be working out so far.
Stolar: And they will put a light in the.
Hoffman: They're going to put a solar light.
Stolar: That'll be good.
Hoffman: Just as some added safety and lighting in the park area.
Stolar: Good. I'm glad we're able to do that.
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Park and Rec Commission - December 12, 2006
Hoffman: Yeah, they're out of room down here and they're waiting for their new park and ride.
If you take a drive down Lyman you can drive right up into where the park and ride is going to
be. It's pretty interesting view from that location. You can see their slip lane and going to be a
big facility.
Stolar: Any other questions or items?
Hoffman: I'd just like to thank the commission for all your hard work this year. For challenging
staff. I also would like to thank all of our staff. I think on a yearly basis we take on projects that
are challenging and rewarding and benefit the community so it was another good year of
projects. We never seem to run out and we're still going today and I just didn't think we'd be
working on capital improvement projects in mid December but as long as the weather
cooperates, we'll move onto the next one and find something else so we'll soon be into 2007 and
then we'll have to pick it up from there so again, thanks to all the commissioners. All your
volunteering. All your effort. Without your support the park and recreation department just
would not be what it is so thank you.
Stolar: Thank you guys too. We do appreciate all that you do for us. With that, do we have a
motion to adjourn?
Scharfenberg moved, Murphy seconded to adjourn the Park and Rec Commission meeting.
All voted in favor and the motion carried unanimously.
Submitted by Todd Hoffman
Park and Rec Director
Prepared by Nann Opheim
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