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City of Hastings Natural Resources and Recreation Commission Minutes March 14, 2006 6:00 pm 1)Roll Call at 6 pm: Commissioners Christenson, Brown, Popp, Schommer, Vaughan and Vandehoef, Parks and Recreation Director Bernstein and Superintendent Smith. Absent: Commissioner Rohloff 2)Approved February meeting minutes. Motion by Brown. Seconded by Vaughan. Passed unanimously. 3)Setting Agenda: Director Bernstein requested two additions to New Business – Levee Park Public Review and Lions Park Shelter Bid. Commissioner Christenson requested that Greten Park be considered under Old Business. Agenda item #10 (WHEP presentation) was moved to the beginning of the agenda. 4)WHEP – Water Quality Presentation: Joe Beattie, Team Leader for the Wetland Health Evaluation Project in Hastings, made a presentation to the NRRC. The presentation was also filmed by the Local Cable Access channel. There are four main goals of WHEP: 1) Volunteers receive skills to identify and analyze biological health. 2) Educate on the importance of wetland health. 3) Provide reliable date to local decision makers. 4) Work to improve wetland health. There are four areas that are th monitored in Hastings – Stonegate Road, Lake Rebecca, Sand Coulee, and 180 St. Marsh. The macroinvertebrates and vegetation are monitored at each site. The presentation showed how they are collected for analysis and gave current Hastings data for 2005 and earlier. Anyone wishing to volunteer for WHEP was encouraged to contact either Joe Beattie or Parks Superintendent Kevin Smith. The website for WHEP is www.mnwhep.org 5)Director Bernstein handed out departmental updates to the NRRC members for their review. Commissioner Vaughan mentioned that he really likes the new park signs that have gone up. Superintendent Smith informed the NRRC that four more park signs would be placed this year along with an interpretive sign at Old Mill Park. Director Bernstein mentioned that a letter had recently been received that expressed concern over the dilapidated Civic Arena sign. That sign is scheduled to be replaced in 2007. 6)Park Dedications: Director Bernstein passed out copies of the League of MN Cities regulations, the City of Hastings ordinance and a survey of various city park dedication fees. Commissioner Brown was curious where it specifically states that park dedication money must be spent in the specific ward in which it was acquired. Commissioner Christenson stated that the City Attorney had advised that this is the way park dedication money was to be handled and referred the NRRC to the League of MN Cities Subd. 2b, point number 3, under “statutory requirements.” Commissioner Brown would like to see it in writing and so Director Bernstein will make sure that the NRRC receives a complete copy of the ordinances regarding park dedications. 7)Xcel Energy Light Poles: Director Bernstein passed out copies of a letter from Xcel Energy stating their position to no longer maintain the trail light poles in our trail system due to repeated acts of vandalism. The letter also stated that in 2002, the City Council had passed a resolution to accept financial responsibility for poles damaged by vandalism. Director Bernstein mentioned that the broken light poles in Levee Park won’t be replaced until after the proposed redevelopment. Superintendent Smith said that all new light poles will be aluminum and should be more difficult to vandalize.