HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRCMinutes-20110308
City of Hastings
Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes
City Hall Council Chambers
March 8, 2011 – 6:00 pm
Roll Call at 6 pm:
1) Commissioners Schommer, Miller, Garrett, Juntunen, Hedin, Smith, and Schossow, Parks &
Recreation Director Bernstein, Maintenance Supervisor Likes
February Minutes:
2) Motion to approve minutes as presented by Smith. Seconded by Schossow. Passed unanimously.
Setting Agenda:
3) Bernstein added “Flood Information” to the agenda under New Business. Miller added “Neighborhood
Meetings” under Old Business.
Departmental Updates:
4) Departmental Updates were reviewed with the commissioners. It was noted that there were
some comments made by the public when we closed our outdoor ice rinks on February 21, 2011. Due to the extremely
warm temperatures the week before and the 12 inches of snow that came over the weekend, the ice was deemed unsafe
to skate on. For budgeting purposes, the target closure date each year for the rinks is President’s Day, so staff did not
close earlier than usual this year. Some years, we are able to stay open a little later in the season, but this always
depends on the weather and the amount of budgeted funds remaining for the year.
Parks & Recreation Survey:
5) Staff met with Decision Resources to discuss the type of information desired for the
survey. They are now putting together a series of questions which should be ready for review around the first week in
April. The survey is expected to be about 70-80 questions and will take approximately 20-30 minutes. A random
sampling of 400 residents will be given the phone survey. Miller questioned if the length of the survey was too long to
do over the telephone. Bernstein explained that Decision Resources has 23 years of experience and they get a 90+%
return on their phone surveys. When they make the phone calls, if it is not a good time for the resident, Decision
Resources asks when would be a better time and will call back at the time requested by the resident.
Joint Powers Discussion Update:
6) The Joint Powers Committee, which has representation from the City and School
District as well as community members, has been meeting to review the current Joint Powers Agreement. Article 5,
which deals with “Program Funds”, is still under review. There has been good participation on all sides and when the
committee is ready with a draft agreement, Bernstein will bring it forward to the PRC for review.
Sand Coulee Property Sale:
7) The Sand Coulee property was given to the City as part of the Tuttle development
primarily for the purpose of establishing a water retention pond. The property has high value as it was discovered that it
is the only sand prairie in Dakota County. The City has been having difficulty maintaining the property the way it
deserves. The Minnesota DNR has proposed to purchase this property and make it a Scientific & Natural Area. The City
would still retain an easement to give access to the pond for maintenance. The DNR is offering the City $2,000 an acre
for a total of about $52,000. Likes mentioned that the Friends of the Mississippi and the DNR have done a lot of work
restoring and maintaining this area already, as they are more knowledgeable about the appropriate care required.
MOTION:
Smith motioned to recommend selling this property to the Minnesota DNR, keeping an easement for City
access, so that the DNR can restore and maintain the sand prairie. Seconded by Miller. Passed unanimously.
Year End Report:
8) The department has put together a report highlighting the various projects and activities undertaken
in 2010. This report is done in-house, so it is inexpensive. Schommer commended staff for a great job in putting this
information together. He mentioned that this report is helpful to the PRC in reviewing the various activities done by the
department and offering suggestions or commendation as appropriate. Smith was especially interested in the section
about the Emerald Ash Borer and asked if it had progressed any closer to Hastings. Likes explained that at this time, the
EAB has not come closer to Hastings and that all maintenance staff in the department have been trained as EAB First
Detectors and can respond to residents’ concerns about EAB. Miller asked if the report was on the City website. The
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report will be going before City Council on April 4 and will be posted on the website after that.
New Business:
9)
Flood Information:
- Bernstein and Likes reviewed some historical photos and data regarding past flooding and
informed the PRC that current predictions project the waters to reach 24.5 feet this spring. In 1965, the water
crested at 25.9 feet and in 1969, at 24.3 feet. The Lock & Dam Road would be under water at 19 feet, and so the
Army Corps of Engineers has requested to use the dike trail for access to the Lock & Dam if necessary. In 2001,
flooding eroded quite a bit of the dike, so the Corps of Engineers plans to do some work with poly and sand bags
to prevent that this year. Likes also mentioned that rip rap has been added since the 2001 flood, which will also
control the erosion. The culvert at Lake Rebecca will remain open to hopefully avoid the Lock & Dam Road from
washing out. Some rough fish may come into Lake Rebecca, but the DNR has agreed that this is for the best and
they will monitor the lake after the flooding and see what can be done about the fish. Staff is preparing for the
possible flooding – the viewing scope at the overlook, campfire area at Lake Rebecca, and swinging benches
along the Mississippi will all be removed and stored until after the flooding. The canoe rack and benches in the
parks are cemented into the ground, so they will remain in place. Staff will also remove materials from the kiosk
along with the glass doors to try to prevent damage.
10) Old Business:
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- Neighborhood Meetings: The neighborhood meetings for Cari and Westwood Parks will be held on April 19 and
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26. Staff has not sent out any letters to the surrounding neighborhoods yet, but this will be done soon. The
meetings will most likely be held at City Hall due to the uncertain weather in April.
MOTION to adjourn.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 12, 2011; City Hall Council Chambers
Adjourned at 6:46 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Kristin Behrens