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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/18/1994 . , � � iTEM #3. CITY OF APPLE VALLEY PARKS AND RECREATIflN ADVISORY COMMITTEE January 18, 1994 Minutes of the Apple Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee held January 18, 1994 ati the Apple Valley Community Center. PRESENT: Chairperson Greg Kopischke; Committee Members Raya1 Bakke, Russ DeFauw (a►riv«Iatapp+�a;7nratcly6.•�t5p.n�) Johri D�Rieo, David Gross, Tina Rankin�a�+-rw�arapp��trr�tely7:15p.»r.), and Laura Steadman; Gity Council Member Tom Goodwin; Parks and Recreation Director Rax�dy .Tohnson; Park Mair►tenance Superintendent Tom Adamini; City Planning Aepartment Representative Scott Hickock; VAA Representative Jeff Krause; RAAA Representatives Mike Kern and Steve Reischauer. ABSENT: Charlie Maus. Item #1. - Chairperson Greg Kopischke called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m. Item #2. • Approval of Agenda. MOTION: by David Gross, seconded by John DiRico to approve the agenda as presented. VQTE: Yes - 5, Na - 0 ITE.�i #3. - Approval o£ December 1993 Minutes. Spelling correction on page #2, paragraph #3 - change "Amory" to "Armory." MOTION: by David Gross, seconded by John DiRico to approve the minutes with the spelling correction. VOTE: Yes - 5, No - 0 1 • � ' , ITEM #4.A. New Business - Park Dedication Expenditure Request for 1994. Randy Johnson outlined the process for park dedication fund expenditures. . . Approximately every five years the Committee and staff compile a park master plan. From that master plan, a list of things are determined to be important to the park system each year. The last park master plan update was in 1991; it's scheduled again in approximately three years. Scott Hickok has been in the City of Apple Valley Planning Department for five years. Because of recent shifts within the department, he will now be the city liaison to the Advisory Committee. Mr. Hickok discussed his projections for 1994 in terms of potential park dedication funds. There are three major anticipated projects not included in the numbers breakdown. These are in the early stages of approval and all in the sand and gravel operation areas. The sand and gravel operations will be paying park dedication fees over the course of two to three years as the building permits are pulled for the houses. At the January 13, 1994 City Council meeting the issue of funding of the new athletic complex arose. Councilmember Humphrey proposed and City Council passed a motion that the funds for purchase of the land ($440,000) be taken out of existing park dedication, and the creation of a new park improvement fund with a beginning balance of $250,000. Mr. Johnson distributed copies of information regarding Councilmember Humphrey's proposal. Gouncilmember Humphrey is suggesting the creation of two funds - one for land acquisition and one for park improvements. Gouncilmember Humphrey's motion was tabled by the City Council until the next Council meeting. As of January 1, 1994 the park dedication fund balance showed $713,500. The McNamara property has not yet been purchased, the paperwork is being processed and should be completed in the next two to three weeks. After the purchase, the park dedication fund balance will be approximately $273,500. The City Planning Department projects $190,000 of income for 1994. Question was raised as to where will the source of funding for the park expenditures come from once the large project developments are completed throughout the city. There has been some discussion by City Council and staff toward aliocating in the area of $150,000 to $200,000 annually for park improvement from what is now known as the capital improvement fund in the City of Apple Valley budget. Parks would be competing with the Police, Fire and Public Works departments to divide those moneys that come from property taxes, called annual capital improvement dollars. In the short term, staff doesn't anticipate any problems; but long term (five years, etc.) is a concern. Another source of funds for park development is the general obligation bonds. The City of Apple Valley will acquire the land for the additional athletic complex and the next step will be to take a bond issue referendum to the citizens in the Spring of 1995. It would be prudent of the Park Department staff and Advisory Committee members to put together a list of 2 � . . • • projeets for this bond issue to get a "leg-up" rather than trying to just "keep up." Suggestion was made that if there is going to be an athleti� complex built, some of the neighborhood park improvement projects that can be foreseen arising in the next three to four years should also be included. Mr. Johnson requested Committee endorsement of the park dedication fund expenditure list �or 1994 to take to City Council. Eight items have been identified as critical from the park master plan to compile the expenditure request list. Staff may return to the Committee for additional funds in April or May for other projects. Using the general guidelines from the park master plan that state each neighborhood should be served within a half mile radius of a park, there are no neighborhoods which will be unserved. The southeast corner of the city is yet to be determined, development could be 25 years into the future. As it develops, the city has the opportunity to take park dedication. Russ DeFauw addressed the issue of cutting the total expenditures close to the margin and sacrificing safety. Tom Adamini assured the Committee that safety is not being sacrificed, individual items are addressed as they come up. There will be a point in time when items are past the maintenance stage and need ta be replaced. Mr. DeFauw stated that once the MeNamara property purchase is completed, and there are no major park iand acquisitions foreseen well into the future, if we are deferring maintenance and thereby depreciating the value of the current assets, the $500,000 fund balance in park dedication should be reassessed. City Cou�cil abolished the $500,000 balance at Thursday's meeting. Greg Kopischke clarified that the $254,000 park improvement fund from the city's general fund �s a step toward looking at an increased capital improvement amount as the facilities age. Once all of the major facilities are built and begin to age, thsre wiil begin to be a disproportianate amount of dollars going toward maintenance of those faciiities rather than improvements. The $500,000 fund was important for acquisition of facilities. The expenditure request list was compiled by staf£ with the intention of those things needed early in the year prioritized first on the list with the intention of re-evaivating in April or May; staff may ask for more £unds for additional projects at that time. MOTION: by Russ DeFauw, seconded by David Gross to approve the park dedication 1994 expenditure requests as submitted; if more funds are available, Committee would like to see more maintenance projects like asphait and equipment. DISCUSSION: David Gross questioned where the income for improvements will come from in the future. There has been a struggle the last few years to get the $107,000. 3 • • Randy Johnson stated that the potential is that it could be a budgeted item. This is the "capital improvement" part of the park maintenance budget. The maintenance department budget is almost $1 million a year. Other cities have similar programs, with the two funds - park acquisition and park improvements. VOTE: Yes - 7, No - 0 ITEM #4,B. New Business - Park Maintenance Work List. Each fall the Park Superintendent, Park Foremen, Dfrector of Parks and Recreation, and the Recreation Supervisor conduct site inspections at each park. This year the City Administrator joined the group. A list of items is compiled from these site visits, from citizen phone calls and Committee recommendation of important projects for the work list. The list involves special projects above and beyond the usual day to day projects like mowing the grass, etc. The Park Maintenance Annual Report should be available for review during the next Advisory Committee meeting. Summer seasonal staff levels for 1994 will remain approximately the same as 1993. VAA and RAAA field usage fees for 1993 went directly back into the park maintenance budget to purchase grass seed, fertilizer, etc. The fees also helped offset staffing costs for weekend tournaments. ITEM #4.C. New Business - Williams Pipeline Tree Removal. This was an information item for the Committee. Williams has held the easement through Findlay and Faith parks since the 1930s. They will begin the tree clearing project shortly. ITEM #S.A. Old Business - Athletic Complex Purchase. (Review of the information from the beginning of the meeting. ) Last Thursday the City Council made and approved a motion that funds to purchase the athletic complex be placed in a special fund. Council Member Tom Goodwin stated that the $440,000 from the current park dedication fund and future dedication money that comes from the gravel operation areas as they come in, will go back to the capitol improvement account to cover the park land acquisition. The park dedication fund will be abolished; the City Council's intent in 1986-87 when they established the $500,000 minimwn amount for the park dedication fund was to have the money available when land became available. Tom Goodwin has reminded the City Council that even with the land purchase there will still be ongoing expenditures. Councilmember Goodwin gave credit to Mayor Branning for supporting the 70 acre land purchase for the youth athletic complex. City Council's position is that any development of the land should come from a bond issue. In consideration of the Independent School District #19b $72 million bond issue referendwn scheduled for March 8, 1994, 4 , . � . recommendation is for a city bond issue referendum to take place no earlier than March of 1995. Reality is that the first fields could then be playable in 199b. ITEM #S.B. Old Business - Arena 2nd Sheet af Ice. City Council talked about the 2nd sheet of ice at their worksession. Mayor Branning wants the Councii to come back for a vote the second City Council meeting in March. Councilmember Goodwin and Randy Jahnson have met with the ho�key group and they feel that the potential for building a 2nd sheet of ice looks as good as they have seen it. The City of Apple Vaiiey would build an olympic size sheet of ice attached to the existing sports arena. The City would own and operate the building and the School District would provide the land. However, they cannot make a commitment until after the March 8, 1994 bond issue referendum. They don't want any negative light on their platform. The City would issue revenue bonds backed up by the City of Apple Valley bases on the amount of revenue generated fro� th� operation. Debt services pius so�e of the operation expenses would be cover�d with the revenue projected by Arena Manager Gary Pietig and Randy Jahnson. There would be approximately a $100,000 shortfall each year that would need to be covered from the City's general fund. This breaks down to approximately $5.00 per year per average house in Apple Valley. A 2nd arena would be more than just a sheet of ice; during the off season is could hold indoor soccer, dog shows, etc. No additional full time staff will be needed to operate it. The current arena staff would be responsible €or both locations. ITEM #b.A. Other - Volunteer Opportunity. The first Ring-Around-the-Arts Festival was held in June of 1993. This year the festival will be held the third weekend of September. Randy Johnson is the Site and Logistics Chairperson for the festival. He ext�nded an invitation to the Advisory Committee members and/or their friends and aequaintances to participate in the festival by volunteering to Goordinate the after-festival volunteer's party or sta£fing of the volunteer headquarters. Anyone interested should contact Randy Johnson. The City of Apple Valley will be taking applications for summer seasonal employment during the next month. Approximately 150 staff are hired to help operate the park system during the months of May through Saptember. Committee recommendations for good potential staff are helpful. Mike Kern of RAAA submitted an application to Randy Johnson for appointment to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Coc�nittee. Next Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for February 15, 1994 at 6:30 '' p.m. Royal Bakke may be uaable to attend. 5 � � ITEM #7. - Adjourn. There being no further business on the agenda, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee was adjourned. MOTION: by Royal Bakke, seconded by Russ DeFauw to adjourn the meeting. VOTE: Yes - 7, No - 0 j 6