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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNRRCMinutes-20070508 City of Hastings Natural Resources and Recreation Commission Minutes May 8, 2007 – 6:00 pm 1) Roll Call at 6 pm: Commissioners Miller, Nelson, Popp, Rohloff, Schommer, Vandehoef, and Vaughan, Parks and Recreation Director Bernstein, Superintendent Smith 2) Approved April meeting minutes. Motion by Rohloff. Seconded by Popp. Passed unanimously. 3) Setting Agenda: Director Bernstein added “YMCA Request to Waive Park Fee” under New Business. He also added “Tobacco-Free Parks”, “Lake Isabel”, and “Eagle Bluff Park Discussion” under Old Business. MOTION: Commissioner Rohloff motioned to approve the revised agenda. Seconded by Popp. Passed unanimously. 4) Departmental updates were passed out to the commissioners. Adult Summer Softball has begun and has about the same number of teams as last year. Superintendent Smith mentioned that the shade canopies at the Aquatic Center have been installed. This will provide shade and additional deck space by the concession stand and will also provide shade at each of the lifeguard stations. Commissioner Vaughan asked if the softball umpires are city employees. The city contracts the umpires through the Hastings Umpire Association. 5) Electronic Message Board: Director Bernstein informed the NRRC that there is a proposal to replace the current school district manual message board with an electronic version. The new sign would replace the current sign at Todd Field, and would have the same V-shape. In discussions with the School District, one side would be run independently by the city and one side would be run independently by the school district. If there is an important message to be posted, either side can make a request to the other party to post it on both sides of the sign. The sign can be updated via computer or by a phone call if necessary. Each side will hold up to 150 messages. The cost of the sign, including installation, is around $35,000. The city owns the land the sign sits on. Commissioner Vaughan expressed concern that there are guidelines developed so that only community-related messages are posted. Director Bernstein replied that criteria would be built in if this proposal moves forward. The School District would like to install this sign in 2007. They would pay the entire amount up front, and then the city would repay half of the cost in 2008 out of the administrative budget. MOTION: Commissioner Rohloff motioned to bring forward a recommendation to City Council to move forward with the plans for the electronic message board and to develop message guidelines. Seconded by Vandehoef. Passed unanimously. 6) Trail Maintenance: There is $35,000 in the 2007 budget for trail maintenance. The total work that the Parks and Recreation Department was hoping to get done this year would cost about $14,000 extra. So, staff will work to prioritize the work that will be done and cut extras that can wait until next year. 7) Park Dedication Use: Director Bernstein has canceled the proposed meeting with the Parks and Recreation st Committee of Council on May 21 to discuss park dedication funds. He will be rescheduling it for another time, and will advise the NRRC when this occurs. 8) Youth First: City Council approved the plan for the City to assume the operations of Youth First. This program will be under the direction of the Parks & Recreation Director, Barry Bernstein. The current Youth First Coordinator, Ann Grotjohn, will possibly be housed out of the Parks & Recreation Office. Commissioner Miller asked about the funding of Youth First. Director Bernstein explained that Youth First has enough money left to pay the coordinator’s salary for the next one to two years. After that, staff will have to re-evaluate the situation. Youth First will fall under the Parks & Recreation budget. Youth First is a national movement. Most chapters have disappeared due to lack of funding. Hastings Youth First started eleven years ago and is one of the few chapters that remain. 9) Upcoming Meetings: Director Bernstein suggested that for the June NRRC meeting, the commissioners take a bus tour of all the city parks in preparation for the budget meeting with the Parks & Recreation Committee of Council in July. The NRRC requested that staff advise the most important places to tour, based on upcoming budget recommendations and park improvements. 10) New Business - YMCA Request to Waive Park Fee: The YMCA requested to rent Roadside Park for an event they’re having, but they would like to have the park rental fee of $26.63 waived. Director Bernstein asked the NRRC who we should charge to reserve parks and who should have the fee waived? Commissioner Schommer felt that fees should never be waived, as they are very reasonable and go to pay for the cost of electricity and staff time to prepare the facility. Commissioner Vaughan and the rest of the commissioners agreed that this is an issue that needs further discussion to come up with guidelines. The NRRC agreed to waive the fee for the YMCA this time, but to discuss the issue further at an upcoming meeting. 11) Old Business - Hastings Area Swim Team 2007: Director Bernstein informed the NRRC that a compromise has been worked out with HAST and that HAST seems pleased with the concessions that were made. - Tobacco-Free Parks: The Tobacco-Free Parks Policy was approved by City Council on 5/7/07 with a vote of 5-1. Director Bernstein mentioned that the appropriate signage will be going up soon. - Lake Isabel: City Council approved the financing of the entire Lake Isabel project for this year. With the money the city had already set aside for this project, the $10,000 that the East Hastings Improvement Association has gathered, and the DNR grant, the additional funds needed amount to about $115,000. City Council decided that 50% of this money would come from Ward 1 park dedication, with the th remaining 50% split between Wards 2, 3, and 4. Director Bernstein anticipates a start date of July 9 and a completion time of September-October of this year. - Eagle Bluff Park Discussion: A couple of the neighbors in the Eagle Bluffs area inquired as to the status of the ½ basketball court that they had requested. Director Bernstein thought that we had been waiting to hear from the neighborhood as to the direction they wanted to go in terms of park improvements. Commissioner Schommer recalled that at the neighborhood meeting at the park, the neighbors directly on each side of the park were very opposed to a basketball court going in. If it did go in the park, they wanted some sort of natural barrier on each side of the park to prevent basketballs from rolling into their yards. Some of the commissioners thought that the neighborhood had been leaning towards a simple picnic shelter the last time this issue was discussed. Commissioner Vaughan said that this neighborhood should go through the formal request process that the NRRC has developed. Staff will send the neighborhood association the appropriate forms. - Parkkeeper I Position – The Parks & Recreation Department received approximately 70 applications for the Parkkeeper I position. This is the position that will be split between Parks Maintenance and the Civic Arena. Staff interviewed 10 of the applicants this week and will be making a decision shortly. 12) TRAC Bus Tour: The NRRC took a TRAC bus tour of Lake Isabel, Lions Park, and the Hastings Family Aquatic Center. th Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 12, 2007. Adjourned at 7:34 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Kristin Behrens