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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/02/2010 CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE September 2, 2010 Minutes of the September 2, 2010 Apple Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. PRESENT: Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Chair Russ DeFauw, Committee Members Cindy Hart, Matthew Mittelsteadt, Darrell Retka, Brent Schulz, Lee Strom and Patrick Sullivan; Parks and Recreation Director Randy Johnson; Public Works Director Todd Blomstrom; Valleywood Golf Course Manager Jim Zinck; Recreation Superintendent Scott Breuer; Department Assistant Dorene Perkins Monn; City Engineer Colin Manson, Assistant Engineer Dave Bennett. ABSENT: None ITEM #1. Committee Chair DeFauw called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ITEM #2. Approval of Agenda MOTION: by Darrell Retka, seconded by to approve the agenda with Pat Sullivan, the addition of Item 5.A.1. Galaxie Park Pond. VOTE: Yes – 7, No – 0 ITEM #3. Audience – 10 Minutes Total Time Limit – For Items Not on the Agenda No one present to speak. ITEM 4. Approval of the Minutes for May 2010. MOTION: by , seconded by Cindy Hart, to approve the May 2010 Lee Strom meeting minutes as presented. VOTE: Yes – 7, No – 0 ITEM 5.A. Agenda Items – Welcome New Member Brenton Schulz Welcome and introduction of the Committee’s newest member Brent Schulz. Mr. Schulz has been a resident of Apple Valley 25 years. He is a residential real estate broker, property manager, and rental property owner. He participated on Apple Valley’s 2010 Trail and Sidewalk Study Task Force. - 1 of 8 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE September 2, 2010 ITEM 5.A. Agenda Items – Galaxie Park Pond Public Works Director Todd Blomstrom and City Engineer Colin Manson were present to talk about flood mitigation, measures staff is working on, the process and what impact that may have on the park system. August 13, 2010 Apple Valley received what is classified as a severe storm, 4.5” of rain in approximately three hours. It was not an isolated storm; the amount of rain was received over a large area of the City. There was flooding along Cedar Avenue and city streets, storm water ponds that reached very high levels, and a lot of concern. Flooding issues are categorized either as Short Term flooding, defined as very intense where the catch basins can’t take in the water and it typically lasts an hour or two; and Long Term flooding, defined as where the storm water ponds reach high levels. Engineers design storm water ponds for flood storage and engineering standards are set for these. Apple Valley has approximately 200 ponds. While Apple Valley didn’t receive the 6” of rain called for in the “100 year” storm standard, it did exceed the rain intensity typically designed for. th Areas of flooding included drainage issues by Garden View Drive/140 Street and an isolated issue south of Alimagnet Lake. The primary issue was the storm water pond located in Galaxie Park. In a “100 year” storm the pond is expected to bounce about seven feet. During th the August 13 storm, the pond rose about nine feet. Several homes in the area and a cul-de- sac were flooded. City Council has given staff a directive to find a strategy to manage a “100 year” storm. Engineer Colin Manson gave an overview of options the City is looking at, some of the strengths and challenges, potential solutions and ideas to limit the issues encountered similar th to August 13. Survey crews have verified the low opening elevations. Ideas considered include lowering the normal water level of the pond to gain additional capacity, increased storage capacity within Galaxie Park, increased storage capacity up stream, and clearing the outlets of debris, etc. th The water discharge from Galaxie Park Pond flows to Fischer Pond off 147 Street, north of Kohl’s department store. That pond is already at capacity. Water then flows south into Lakeville. Discharge limit rates are applied by Vermillion Water Shed to water leaving Apple Valley. The City is capped at that location. There is no way to increase the flow out of the Apple Valley system. City Engineer Manson outlined potential areas to increase storage within Galaxie Park. More storage means less peak at the high water level during the intense storm events. Expanding the northeast part of the pond could be considered but it is more costly and gives “less bang for the buck.” Another area of consideration is the south side of the pond that encompasses a significant area of the playfield and green space within Galaxie Park. The two goals are: 1) looking at - 2 of 8 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE September 2, 2010 increasing flood storage within a park; 2.) work on a balance in terms of maximizing the storage with the ultimate goal of reducing those peaks during storm events. Staff is not looking at an option expanding the entire pond into the park area, but analyzing the opportunity to drop the grade of the play area approximately five feet. They would ensure that it is maintained above the normal water level of the pond so that the ballfields, ice rink, basketball court area can be utilized. There is a similar situation at Johnny Cake Ridge Park, where the pond floods into the field area during the infrequent large rain events, but doesn’t stay long enough to kill the turf. The two areas under consideration are separate geographically, but Staff doesn’t believe there is a one single solution. The balance would be how much can the grade be lowered, still preserve the facilities and their usefulness, and not have a major impact. The pond elevation is going to be controlled by the pond outlet. The actual storage usefulness of a pond is when it bounces upward; so it’s storage above the normal water level that provides the benefit. Digging the pond deeper will add more water, but the pond will always find its normal level based on the outlet elevation. Director Johnson has been working on the project proposals with the engineering staff and believes it is feasible. In terms of flood mitigation, the City operates a storm drainage utility fund specifically for this type of project. It is collected as a line item, storm drainage utility fee, on residents’ utility bills. Staff is not recommending any major financial contribution from the Parks and Recreation Department. In terms of schedule, Staff anticipates there wouldn’t be any construction until Spring 2011. After meeting with the neighbors, Staff will come back to the Committee with their findings, and will also be communicating with City Council. Questions by the Committee include: How long will it take? How long will the park be out of commission? What kind of remediation plan? Sustainability? ITEM 5.B. Agenda Items –Park Naming Policy At a workshop in June, Staff committed to City Council that the Committee would review the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee’s Park Naming Policy. The current policy was adopted by the Committee in May 2003 to deal in a fair and equitable way with the many requests from the public regarding park naming. The Committee specifically called out for discussion Item 1. “Parks may be named for the deceased after 50 years have elapsed from the time of death………” Committee Members - 3 of 8 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE September 2, 2010 Retka and Mittelsteadt recommended reducing the timeline and Chair DeFauw supported the suggestion. MOTION: by Russ DeFauw, seconded by Darrell Retka, making a change in the Park Naming Policy from “ Parks may be named for the deceased after fifty years have elapsed from the time of death.” to “Parks may be named for the deceased after one year has elapsed from the time of death.” and recommending adoption of the Park Naming Policy by City Council DISCUSSION: Committee Member Strom’s point of clarification that the Committee wants the City Council to adopt the policy. Chair DeFauw stated that he would like to make it a recommendation and have City Council act on it because ultimately the Committee cannot name a park by themselves. It goes to the City Council and they, as the peoples elected representatives, are going to make the decision. VOTE: Yes – 7, No – 0 ITEM 5.C. Agenda Items – Robert L. Erickson Park The Robert L. Erickson Park dedication ceremony is scheduled for September 25, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. Robert Erickson served the City as a member of the City Council, Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee. The 3+ acre property has previously been named “public open space.” It is located north of Tintah Park and south of Summerfield Park. The area functions as an overflow water storage space in a significant rainfall, but normally it is dry with vegetation a majority of the time. It has an asphalt path and is mowed by the Park Maintenance crew. The public is invited to attend the dedication ceremony on site. ITEM 5.D. Agenda Items – Valleywood Golf Course Mid-Season Report Valleywood is one of the City’s enterprise operations. Course Manager Jim Zinck presented the “three-quarter season” report. The numbers presented are Finance Department numbers through July. Since taking over the golf course operations in 2007, Mr. Zinck has worked on creating more revenue and revenue opportunities at the golf course. Staff is fairly happy with where Valleywod is so far. The numbers are reflective of what staff has done over the years. The course is up in revenue approximate $23,000 through July. - 4 of 8 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE September 2, 2010 Staff started in 2007 to zero in on getting more golfers through the door. In 2008, they looked more intensely into the food and beverage part of the operation. Staff has taken care of the big growth areas so this year’s focus was on the golf shop. Competitors has implemented policies Valleywood has previously done and the operation is not seeing the big substantial jumps in the rounds of golf; but staff is very encouraged with the overall revenue and how it’s all working out. Mr. Zinck noted that the expenses are up a little because anytime you’re selling more product you have more cost involved. The golf part of the revenue is associated with a fixed cost that doesn’t vary a lot, but as they sell more merchandise they purchase more merchandise. Revenue projections presented are based on solid numbers. Staff wants them to be as close to accurate as possible. Budgeting, purchasing and staffing are based on revenue goals. Staff keeps a close eye on the reports and make adjustments as they move into the late part of the season. Valleywood finished 2009 with approximately $85,000 profit for the year and staff expects to be in that ballpark again in 2010. With the profits, Valleywood has been able to invest in some much needed equipment. As a result, they’ve incurred a little more depreciation. The Challenges haven’t changed: providing good service is number one. Committee comments: Staff is doing a great job. Valleywood is a high quality golf course, obviously an asset. The City owns it, the bonds are paid for. They do some neat things environmentally there. It’s green space that everybody wants to preserve. We actually make a profit and don’t ask the taxpayers to subsidize the operation. In the golf profession, in this economy, if you’re up a dollar you’re out-performing the market substantially. Even private clubs are near bankruptcy. Public course are down, the golf market is down. We’re out performing the municipal market, private market, and modest-end country clubs. This is terrific and it validates decisions made over the last few years. ITEM 5.E. Agenda Items – Quarry Point Park Usage Recreation Superintendent Scott Breuer presented the Quarry Point Park updated. The th athletic complex opened in June 2010. It’s located at the corner of 160 Street and Pilot Knob Road. It has two full sized baseball fields, two youth sized baseball fields, four full- sized soccer fields with the flexibility to be marked as eight junior sized fields or sixteen micro sized soccer fields. Between the athletic complex and the transit station there are 550 parking spots available. The transit stations peak hours are during the day and the athletic complex peak hours are 6:00 p.m. to dark. The primary users are Eastview Athletic Association and Valley Athletic Association. - 5 of 8 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE September 2, 2010 Staff has received many positive comments from the youth athletic association board members, coaches, players, parents, people across the street that use the underground tunnel and the trail that connects the park, and people on site. Committee Member Retka spoke with people using the complex and reports that people love it. The season summary shows an estimated 16,500 participants during June and July. Staff anticipates greater numbers next year when the fields will open approximately April 15 with the other city fields. Quarry Point Park has taken some of the load off the neighborhood parks. Committee comments: Questioned how the turf conditions held up this year, being so new. Mr. Breuer reported that it was excellent and only sees it getting better as it gets more of a root structure. When asked the status of the playground equipment, Director Johnson reported that the equipment has been installed and he expects by this time next week they’ll have the shade structure up. Chair DeFauw stated the citizens of Apple Valley should understand that Quarry Point is local government at its best. The land was donated to Apple Valley by Dakota County. It houses a water tower with communication antennas on top and a Park-and-Ride. We have a first class recreation complex as part of a bond referendum that was built on time and under budget. ITEM 5.F. Agenda Items – Aquatic Program Report Recreation Superintendent Scott Breuer presented the Aquatic Program updated. This is another operation that the City tries to run at least close to even or at a small profit if possible. The pools closed for the season in Sunday, August 29. The report shows numbers from Finance Department as of August 20, 2010. The tube slides and lazy river have been wonderful additions to the Aquatic Center. They receive many positive comments. Numbers show, as of August 20, more than 61,000 in attendance. Staff anticipates meeting revenue projections. The pool is very weather dependent and this year the weather has been very good. Between Apple Valley Family Aquatic Center and Redwood Pool the City employs about 150. Committee Member Strom commented that, from his experience, the Aquatic Center staff does a nice job. They go out of their way to make sure everybody is having a good time. th Committee Member Schulz questioned the August 29 closing and Recreation Superintendent Breuer responded that the struggle is to have enough staff on duty to keep the patrons safe. - 6 of 8 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE September 2, 2010 Many of the lifeguards and senior staff are college age or teachers and they’ve gone back to school. The last week staff is down to a skeleton crew. Redwood Pool has a very successful and outstanding teaching program. The season is basically the same as Apple Valley Family Aquatic Center. As of August 20, the pool has hit 78% of its estimated revenue budget. Attendance has been just over 8,000. Diamond Brite was applied to the pool shell prior to opening. The pumps, heaters, and filtration system are all in good working order. Staff estimates the pool could be sustained for another five to ten years. Chair DeFauw stated that Redwood is a facility that is not going to make money on its own. The City has put just enough capital into it to keep it in proper working order. In perhaps five years, it is another facility to take a look at and make some hard decisions. The hope is to provide citizens access to a nice pool at a reasonable price, and make enough money at the Aquatic Center to be somewhat on par as self-sustaining on aquatics in total. ITEM 5.G. 1. Agenda Items – Verbal Updates – WiFi Towers in Parks Director Johnson reported the Wildwood Park neighbors were against the proposed tower and the application has been withdrawn for the park. The proposed Hayes Park tower was approved by City Council. It will be co-located on a hockey rink standard. The company is negotiating a lease agreement through the City Attorney’s office. Galaxie Park’s tower process has been put on hold due to the potential lowering of the park grade. The towers are installed on what’s called line-of-sight and it’s undetermined what the level will be yet. The application may be revisited in the spring. ITEM 5.G. 1. Agenda Items – Verbal Updates – Trail/Pathway Study Russ DeFauw, Cindy Hart, and Brenton Schulz were part of the panel. Chair DeFauw summarized it was a process of looking for gaps and voids in the existing trail and bikeway paths, and prioritizing, when and if the money becomes available, where the additional trail and bikeways would get the most “bang for the buck.” Committee Member Hart reported they (consultants) asked for input from the committee volunteers and they were surprised a lot of the group didn’t think the downtown ring-route was a good bike option. The consultants listened and came up with a plan, if there’s every money. ITEM 6.A. Other – Director Johnson presented a copy of the Sunday, August 29, 2010 Star Tribune article from the Home section. Each week the newspaper spotlights a different community and this past - 7 of 8 - CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE September 2, 2010 week it was Apple Valley. The Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for two of the five items listed; Valleywood Golf Course, and Adult Recreational Leagues. Other items listed were Lebanon Hills Regional Park, Minnesota Zoo, and Apple Place Bowl. ITEM 6.A. Other – Next Meeting Date – November 4, 2010 Next Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. ITEM 7. Adjourn There being no further business, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting was adjourned. MOTION: by Lee Strom, seconded by Darrell Retka, to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 p.m. VOTE: Yes – 7, No – 0 - 8 of 8 -