[0:01] All right. All right. I'd like to call the order this meeting of the Imvergrove Heights Parks and Recreation

[0:14] Advisory Commission for Wednesday, September 10. Welcome everyone. We'll begin with roll call. If you're here, please

[0:31] Louisa Tores, Sandy Crichtonson, Abby Heidmick is ill and excused. Luke Johnson, you just made it.

[0:45] He's here. Bill Skar, here. And Tracy McCullier, McKay, is on a trip. So that rounds off the group.

[0:55] First order, tonight of business, will be a presentation by L. Van De Huff, who is our

[1:02] recreation coordinator.

[1:03] It's going to be talking about active older adult programming.

[1:06] Welcome, L.

[1:09] Thank you.

[1:11] Thank you.

[1:12] Thank you.

[1:13] Thank you.

[1:14] Thank you.

[1:19] We probably would have been part of the ISD-1929, going to be a committee.

[1:25] I'd like to start with one fact.

[1:27] It won't last here.

[1:28] It won't apply to those people on the participating

[1:31] in our actual little programs, connecting them to activities,

[1:34] or in friendships and educational experiences.

[1:37] But here's something about what one single class,

[1:40] a social event, and how to truly write someone's day

[1:43] or even change the way they approach it up from the seat.

[1:45] And I had this year on the fly today because British day there was a lady that I could see

[1:51] I forgot a piece or sit on the table and I see her in a parking lot search and do her first try to find a piece

[1:57] I could see her shed a car, I could bring out their daily piece, thank me, but then there was this older gentleman that

[2:03] He's been kind of bridge quite a bit and he's very competitive

[2:07] I think years and years ago, I've heard rumors he's been kicked out of several other places

[2:12] because his competitive nature and other places that they played bridge

[2:15] We've kind of got him calm down, but as I was coming back in, he catches me, he's like, hey, I had this hand

[2:21] because he's had really bad weeks here lately. And had this hand, he goes, it was past past past past past, comes to me and goes, I had to do clubs.

[2:29] He goes and luckily enough my partner matched what I had. I had a really great day and he goes out the door just a smile in a way.

[2:35] And it just kind of, one of those things that he makes to think, you know, yeah, what we're doing makes an impact and it's great to see that,

[2:42] even though he probably struggled the five or so years ago when he first started playing

[2:46] Brids there. So that being said kind of segue into kind of our season, if you

[2:52] will, that's starting this fall with kind of our active aging week that we do every year.

[2:57] That's kind of a national active aging week that this year's October 6th through 10th.

[3:02] New we've kind of been doing different themes every year around that week, so we're doing slow

[3:06] down and shine mindful living as kind of the theme for this year. So we're offering

[3:12] is a craft project with Sponsor by Alina.

[3:15] Etna, she's been doing that for a couple of years with us.

[3:18] Landmark tours, they highlight what they have to offer both nationally and internationally.

[3:24] They do great trips with, you know, the bell all the bells and whistles

[3:28] and have a chapter on that goes with them.

[3:30] And pretty much top-notch travel experience with them.

[3:34] We're doing Wisdom and Wellness with a soundbath experience.

[3:37] We're calming, we're a story of soundbath,

[3:39] It's about relaxation and mental clarity.

[3:43] Wednesday, we kind of set aside for our fitness programs.

[3:46] So mindful movement is what we've called that.

[3:50] So all of our fitness classes are kind of being highlighted on that Wednesday.

[3:54] Thursday, we're doing what's called moments that matter.

[3:56] And this is kind of something new that I'm excited about.

[3:59] Hopefully, we get off the ground here this winter.

[4:01] It's dementia-friendly activities and caregiver supports.

[4:05] We've got a panel with a Colleen French.

[4:07] she actually is an ex-invergrove resident.

[4:10] She's rubbed here back in the day,

[4:12] and she's excited to hopefully get this up and go on.

[4:14] She's from dementia friends, our partners of Darts.

[4:18] And then we also have someone from Serenity Homecare

[4:21] that outside of doing things the older adults with Homecare,

[4:24] personally, effects her because her husband

[4:25] has dementia.

[4:27] So we're working to create some dementia-friendly activities

[4:31] as winter and spring.

[4:32] Also, at the same time, having some caregiver support

[4:35] that Darts can kind of help out with that as well.

[4:36] So we'll have some information about that on that Thursday and then we're going to end

[4:41] a week with some of a bingo celebration outside of that, just kind of highlighting some

[4:47] enrichment in our education classes.

[4:50] We try to mix it up all throughout the year.

[4:51] I don't like to continue having the same thing, so we like to kind of mix it up every year

[4:55] and offer different educational classes throughout the year.

[5:00] So, highlighting some of the ones we've done over the last years, making the most of, like, Medicare plan and how to navigate through that, who will inherit the mess, this kind of how you can do practical state planning on the road to safer driving.

[5:14] We did a pretty cool collaboration with Dakota County Library. I was kind of fun to part of their anniversary celebration earlier of spring. We kind of highlighted some of those things that we did with them. We did how to use library apps, engage with them with some creativity with,

[5:29] was they are project and also a paper bag luminaries.

[5:34] Linedancing contents would be very popular.

[5:37] So what we've done new with that is we've had kind of the same poor group of people.

[5:41] But we've growing from there and we're getting new people.

[5:44] So we've split up and added an advanced beginner and now having a beginner class

[5:49] because we're kind of growing that program as well.

[5:51] So it's because we've been, what is that?

[5:53] Linedancing?

[5:54] Oh, a line dancing.

[5:56] But you see people do that?

[5:58] Yeah.

[5:58] waiting dances and whatnot.

[6:02] So, then health and wellness sessions, you know, we're receiving, we did a hearing

[6:06] assessment, keep losing my keys, was another one just kind of knowing a difference between

[6:11] what's normal, memory loss and what actually is the signs of maybe dementia and Alzheimer's

[6:17] and that just kind of highlight some of the enrichment classes we've done over the year.

[6:22] Another big thing we do annually is our healthy living fair, that's always the third Wednesday

[6:26] of April, which was April 16th this last year or currently this year is 2025, but we had 37

[6:33] vendors, which is just five more we had last year. We estimated about 170 participants that

[6:38] came through there. In addition to the vendor fair, we also do breakout sessions in the

[6:43] communities. And we kind of strategically staggered in a little bit better this year to where they

[6:48] don't overlap and run congruently so someone could actually go to all of the sessions. But highlight

[6:53] some of those that we had, some great attendance at this year is just gut health hormone balance,

[6:58] meditation, and sound healing, healthy eating, we did internally with one of our fitness

[7:03] staff, another one that's always really popular that we love having is gardening tips with Marsha.

[7:09] She's actually a local master gardener who also has been a longtime render out at our community

[7:15] garden sale held. So she does a fabulous job, it's always very popular, and then you're

[7:19] of the awareness we had that day, and that's also a wonderful collaboration that myself and

[7:27] the fitness team work to put together. So our senior club, they're still holding on. They

[7:32] got a hundred members and probably close to 20 of them over 90 years old, which is pretty

[7:37] phenomenal. They continue to do their monthly lunchons. They average about 48 to 50 people.

[7:43] highest participation is usually the summer months, but this last year was December

[7:47] holiday luncheon. They continue to have interest with sponsors that come in just

[7:53] a table there and just give them information and some of them are outside of just

[7:57] providing them information to kind of take it and run with it and decide it to

[8:02] help MC the bingo when they do that and they've stayed to help serve when there

[8:07] are the lunches and help clean up and whatnot and a couple of them actually just

[8:11] donated, then provided a dessert for them as well.

[8:15] So that's been working out very well.

[8:17] Actually, one of the people that helped out with the Bingo

[8:21] calling, we had a couple of the school board members that

[8:23] came and really wanted to call it Bingo for them too,

[8:25] which they thought was pretty cool.

[8:29] Another thing we've done with them

[8:31] is doing some off-site lunchons that we started last year

[8:34] over at the New Fire Hall, which we tried to carry out

[8:39] in this year at Highlight and showcase our new self-belly shelter but unfortunately the weather

[8:43] didn't cooperate it was a rainy day and we had to head at him or grill master Brian

[8:48] could make his on vacation we had Joe that helped grill out and we still made the best of it

[8:54] and they kind of highlighted showcase some of the stuff that we got new with the park systems

[8:59] and some of that stuff that's going on in our park department so unfortunately we could showcase

[9:04] And hopefully we'll maybe try to do that again next summer, but they really do like kind of doing something a little bit different outside of their norm.

[9:12] They also kind of help with the card games, the weekly card games and being there kind of host and get set up and make coffee and stuff like that.

[9:20] So if those continue to go five days a week, one of our newer ones hand and foot that's on Fridays, that's actually the one most of the tenants is stayed pretty normal.

[9:30] that one actually has grown over this last year, so it's kind of fun to see that one doing

[9:35] well, one of our newer card games that we've offered. So kind of to tie back to some of the

[9:40] interdepartmental things we do, I always like to try to help for have some of the other departments

[9:45] work with us, so we did coffee with the cop this fall and then moving forward this winter actually

[9:51] had a realtor reach out to me. That's wants to do a series of educational things, but one of the

[9:56] she's going to work with is a pleased department again in doing um

[10:00] Stamps, I don't think you can offer that enough because it's ever changing and they're always trying to, unfortunately, take advantage of our seniors and all real adults.

[10:09] Also, the fire department always comes the first luncheon in January to the senior club and kind of talks to them about being safe in your home, fire safety, things like that, just kind of more of a casual safety type message that they like to give and and we do that in their January luncheon.

[10:29] Talk to Mark and our IT department over summer picnic and I hoping to convince him to do again another little IT session and kind of helping seniors with being comfortable with iPads and smart phones and technology and whatnot

[10:47] So hope and maybe get that either this spring or maybe the summer again because it's been a few years since we offered that so

[10:54] So, some new programs, fall fast was last year the first time we offered, we had a great success with that, so we're excited to be offering that again this year, and that's a collaborative with St. Paul Farmer's Mark, and it's out there every Sunday throughout the spring summer fall, if you will, to the end of October, and then also with the School District that collaborates on that. So, great community event, and perhaps be a wonderful day for residents to have some fall fun.

[11:19] IST-2099 partnership, as I mentioned with that, we added with the senior club luncheon, the

[11:26] high school choir came and sang at their December luncheon, and it was fabulous.

[11:32] They had a great time, and unanimously voted to have them come back.

[11:37] So we're excited to have them come back in this December.

[11:42] Also have a new director with the communication department, Chad.

[11:46] And when I met with him, we first started, we kind of brainstormed a little bit, some new ideas

[11:50] and different things we might try, but until he gets his feet wet, till the school's, your

[11:55] starts, gets up and going, we're probably looking to do some things late, spring or summer,

[12:00] kind of based on what we've loosely brainstormed and I first initially met him.

[12:06] With the line dancing, that instructor also approached me about wanting to do kind of a larger event to kind of promote to line dancing, so we'll be looking to do that here later this fall.

[12:16] She kind of helped out with someone a friend or hers that did a large amount like that down at the Harriet Island somewhere down at St. Paul.

[12:22] It was like a huge event. I think we've done something similar.

[12:25] It's like fitness with like a big zoom in class like that in the gym, so she's wanting to do something to that extent to kind of help promote our line dancing.

[12:33] Pickable, we added a ladder lead this year, so unlike just pairing up the doubles, that's

[12:38] pretty standard.

[12:39] Now with Pickable, where you go off the points, it's not wins and losses.

[12:44] So kind of the point is, where you basically are playing the same level of people every week,

[12:49] and you kind of move up and down the standings or the ladder, if you will, based on how many points.

[12:54] You could actually have a losing record, but if you're two losses, you got 14 out of the 15 points,

[13:00] you still got quite a few points. So the wind loss doesn't always really correlate to how good

[13:05] you are in the standing. So that went fabulous and they bugged me to open up another one to

[13:12] do in the fall. So we're going to take advantage of lights over at Skyby Park and have just a

[13:17] small little quick fallie that we're going to do over at Skyby. So they're ready to fire me to get

[13:23] registered for that. Also with that with the pickle ball that continues to be very popular,

[13:28] open and drop in that we do in the winter spring over at the community center and then our

[13:34] bronzy league that we kept the same actually increased from 12 to 16 teams year.

[13:39] So that continues to be very, very popular.

[13:42] So in addition to that, kind of some other programs just to highlight before I end here.

[13:49] RTS Thompson Park in the Grove South St. Paul day trips continue to be very popular,

[13:54] including the overnight extended day ones.

[13:57] When I kind of wanted to highlight, it was kind of cool.

[13:59] We had a mobster trip down to Minneapolis to kind of talk about the old Prohibition Days

[14:03] and the lady dressed up in Prohibition Eric Garvin, she narrated the whole thing and we ironically

[14:09] had a participant that was an author that had like relatives or ties, kind of to that era

[14:14] and kind of helped with the narration, a whole thing and there was just some great, great

[14:18] discussion and everybody just had a blast with that whole trip, but they are still very popular.

[14:25] sleeping mats for the homeless, every other Tuesday, they make the sleeping mats for them and

[14:30] it's been over 400 mats that they've made and they get about 40 people that come every

[14:36] other Tuesday, which is great. Driver safety class again, they kind of revamped and change

[14:40] how they do things and their numbers have been pretty good and you don't have to do the initial

[14:44] eight hour class, they like just to have only do four hours to get their 10% discount. So those

[14:49] classes are also doing very well and then we have the happy feet foot care that they're twice

[14:54] month as well. So what clubs do? Continue to have deep.

[15:00] Police in attendance, and what was kind of cool last Tuesday? A couple of days ago, I actually had

[15:04] steal a bunch of chairs from the meeting room two in a legion room because they had a huge crowd.

[15:10] And I had to throw in another table in there. So it's kind of cool to see that fiction book

[15:13] club growing and having to throw in some more chairs into the legion room for them for their club

[15:18] to meet. So kind of talk a little bit too about maybe trying to open it up instead of just 55

[15:22] class maybe making it just for adults, because I know there's, you know,

[15:27] 19 to 50 somethings that also like reading and being in those book clubs, I don't know if

[15:31] the daytime will prevent them from that, but we might look at opening up the ages for that as

[15:37] well. So, you know, I kind of threw a lot out there. That's kind of a quick snapshot of some

[15:42] of the things we've been up to at the senior center. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you

[15:46] would have. Are there any opportunities for teams or middle school students to interact with

[15:52] in your community in terms of, you know, over weekends or volunteer opportunities?

[15:58] That's actually one of the things that Chad and I kind of briefly touched on.

[16:02] I was wanting to do kind of some more of that intergenerational stuff and how we can make some of that work.

[16:07] But we did kind of briefly touch on that.

[16:09] But again, our initial discussion, there was this kind of brief, you know, he had just got started

[16:13] and we just kind of brain stormed and it was kind of an introductory meeting.

[16:16] But once a school year starts, you know, on speed,

[16:21] we'll get into some more discussions about newer programming

[16:24] and things like that.

[16:25] So that's a great idea.

[16:27] Yeah, thank you.

[16:27] Good question.

[16:30] We've got a lot going on now.

[16:32] Yeah.

[16:32] How about all of that?

[16:33] I'm dizzy just hearing it all.

[16:35] I don't know.

[16:36] You keep it all going.

[16:37] Would you say that you have kind of a core group,

[16:40] but it kind of does a lot of the different activities.

[16:43] You have, do you pull in a lot of different people

[16:45] depending on it?

[16:46] I would say a core UC regularly, but to that point, like, bridge two weeks ago, it was bursting

[16:55] at the scenes.

[16:57] And the new people I saw, I mean, bridges probably by far are most attended card game.

[17:02] But what I saw was interesting, it was that people were bringing friends, but I also saw

[17:06] a handful of people.

[17:07] I think it was a table worth of people that I normally see that come on those every other

[17:12] Tuesdays for the math and they can go.

[17:13] So you know they're seeing it or talking to friends or see friends and I saw some people that are coming there for something else that are now coming for bridge

[17:21] So by and large it's quite a few of the same people that are doing a lot of the same things, but you know there's certain ones that are only there on one day a week

[17:30] And there's others that are there three to five days a week so

[17:34] In our good mix are there I'm excuse me are there ways that things are publicized the group the things that you're doing other than through the

[17:42] publication here at there and as in the outside advertising or yes we also

[17:47] advertise to the type, try district brochure. It's a try district

[17:51] collaborative with Invergrove South St. Paul. So it gets out to all three of

[17:56] those communities. Those brochures pretty much coincide with when ours come out

[18:01] it's a little bit different about a week or so apart but for the most part

[18:04] they're brochures come out the same time that ours do. That's okay. Great other

[18:09] questions. So the sleeping mats are those from the plastic bags? Yes. Do you ever need plastic bags?

[18:19] I hasn't totally say yes because I don't want to resoundly say yes and have my office full of them as

[18:28] if you could continually drop them off.

[18:32] So yes, they will accept bags, but they certainly

[18:36] have enough just by word of mouth.

[18:39] Then advertising, if you want to slip

[18:41] some over in my office, I'll gladly give them

[18:44] to them on Tuesdays, every other Tuesday.

[18:48] But other questions?

[18:50] No, I appreciate all you're doing, I feel like that's

[18:54] a community that definitely needs attention.

[18:57] and we should all be caring for and utilizing for sure.

[19:02] So, thank you.

[19:04] Thank you.

[19:05] Thank you.

[19:06] Thank you.

[19:06] Good luck for the programming.

[19:08] Thank you very much.

[19:09] Thanks.

[19:12] All right.

[19:13] Moving into announcements, we have the annual Commissioner

[19:17] Appreciation Derrick coming up Tuesday, September 23rd.

[19:21] So be sure and mark that on your calendar.

[19:24] The council really appreciates being able to recognize those of us that have

[19:30] volunteer to be on these commissions and be sure in RSVP and I haven't done it yet myself but I

[19:38] noticed the card asks for that. So be sure and do that so that it knows you're coming. It'll

[19:42] be a self-value park shelter from 5 to 8 p.m. on the 23rd. October meeting will be Wednesday the

[19:52] at 7 p.m., and November we're going to have a work session on Wednesday the 12th.

[20:00] At 5 p.m. in sort of a surprise agenda at this point. Did you want to say anything more about that, Adam?

[20:07] No, I'll be in the presentation. You'll be key. Okay, we come out. Great.

[20:12] All right, so the next item is the consent agenda. All items are considered routine have been made available to all of us.

[20:20] At least two days prior to the meeting, items will be enacted then in one motion. There's two items.

[20:25] No separate discussion unless commission member is citizens to request in which event the item will be removed from the agenda and considered a normal sequence.

[20:35] So the two items are the approval of tonight's agenda and the approval of the minutes from August 13th meeting.

[20:43] So I'd entertain a motion to accept those two items.

[20:47] So moved. Second. Second, Sandy.

[20:50] All right, move to seconded to accept the two items on the consent agenda, all in favor,

[20:57] taken by by saying aye.

[20:58] Aye.

[20:58] Any opposed?

[21:00] Okay, that passes.

[21:01] Now, we come to public comment.

[21:03] We have a couple visitors here.

[21:05] I don't know if you're going to be part of this, but we provide an opportunity for the public

[21:08] to address the commission.

[21:10] I don't know if it's not an agenda.

[21:11] I've generally lived at three minutes, although we're a little bit loose on that.

[21:15] So welcome.

[21:16] Would you introduce yourself, please?

[21:18] Sure.

[21:19] address Bob Murray, 6852, Bolvian Trail, Adam Urban, 6881, Bolvian Trail.

[21:27] Thanks for having us back appreciate it. We were here a while ago and asked a couple

[21:33] of things and you came through on a couple of things and appreciate that. We had a dumpster

[21:39] that was kind of on site. Well, it was on site again. You graciously enough put a fence

[21:45] around it, got that out of view, and that was great.

[21:48] So thank you.

[21:49] Second thing we have is the outhouse.

[21:52] We thought the outhouse was going to be behind a fence

[21:56] or a barrier too, and that didn't happen.

[21:59] And then talk with that and earlier on for the meeting

[22:01] because we didn't want to point side

[22:02] of it, so we told them we're going to talk about it.

[22:05] But we're wondering if you folks could maybe help us

[22:09] put a barrier around the outhouse.

[22:12] It's pretty unsightly.

[22:13] it's facing the street, the door is open all the time, and one of my neighbors, I'm on the board,

[22:18] and we drew the shark's shroud, that's why we're here tonight. But what am I making neighbor

[22:22] sent a picture of his living room window on his house? Can I do modify a approach and show you the

[22:28] turn? And where is the where are we talking?

[22:30] I don't know, it's more fairly wrong. Okay, yeah. Okay, it's directly in front of the pickle ballcarts.

[22:46] So Bob, in our name of Remiche, got a direct line to it, and then in six months we'll have a new neighbor that will also have be staring directly out of this well.

[22:54] get that in a free day.

[22:57] You know, this is a toilet paper on the floor and stuff in there.

[23:00] Which is high enough stuff in there.

[23:02] And I think the goal would be nothing extravagant.

[23:04] I know we were talking, you know, financials on what a structure would look like.

[23:07] But just something to kind of mask it a little bit.

[23:09] Like a fence with some type of cover around it.

[23:13] I mean, yeah, I know that the one that, I think he said,

[23:15] North Valley Park was right.

[23:16] Rich Valley Park.

[23:17] I was a bit expensive.

[23:18] Nothing.

[23:19] I don't think anything to that extent.

[23:21] But one thing, just what's your total park budget?

[23:24] And you're regarding everything, you're operating budget salaries and everything, is it the

[23:30] millions of dollars or so?

[23:33] It's in the area of $2,000, $2,000, $2,000, so if you guys could be kind enough to maybe

[23:41] find 8 or 9,000 somewhere in slush out of that 2,000, maybe it could help us not have to look

[23:48] at the toilet and the stuff that's associated with that every day, because we try to be good

[23:54] neighbors, and I know you guys are when you put the fence around there, but how would you like to look

[24:00] out your door every day and see an open-out house store? So I'll be asking, is if you could kindly

[24:06] do that and find maybe eight grand out of a $2.2 million budget, we'd really appreciate that.

[24:13] I guess this would be something for the staff at terms of response.

[24:19] Yeah, commissioners, public government covers, it's typically as much as we need to make a

[24:24] journal that's saving them over a bunch of $2 million, that's all itemized down to roughly

[24:29] the dollar.

[24:30] So, I don't want to see if there's a slosh, but there's just a variety of little money

[24:33] just saving them all, because I think there's a misrepresentation of how we offer them.

[24:36] No, I get it.

[24:38] So, that's one thing I would say to the commission, and secondly, if we look at planning,

[24:42] We have auto strutter type purchase that I think a lot of neighbors and on-goers would like to see some capability of resolution to the same thing.

[24:53] So, not all to find that types. Let's see how many out part of this we have neighborhood parks.

[24:57] There we go.

[24:58] So, when you look at that.

[25:00] And then we look at other neighborhoods and I get the isolate, just as particular one. Do you do that?

[25:03] Time's 30, that $8,000, $9,000, doesn't look like $8,000, $8,000. So it's something we definitely didn't consideration.

[25:10] I think when we did with the current fancy, can you recall what we did with that fancy, how much that was for the park?

[25:17] For the dumpster closure?

[25:18] With the concrete and fencing, I think it was 50,000.

[25:23] So it's not that we don't, or can't, I think we have a little bit of a current budget in any additional carriers.

[25:28] that we want to look at in the future.

[25:30] This is a particular part that doesn't have plump in

[25:34] a restual location facility.

[25:36] So at this point in time, that is a current location

[25:38] that we have available.

[25:40] We can look at doing other locations

[25:41] if we're on it or maybe I don't know.

[25:43] I don't think you're ever in the tree of high end.

[25:45] High end, high end, if you will, are relocated.

[25:47] Unless you're a full of closure.

[25:49] What you're getting comes at a cost.

[25:50] Because you can't just really fence fit partially.

[25:53] You have to do it about three quarters away.

[25:55] I mean, if you ever change you have to build an Elf for an ADA accessible one, so the footprint of the actual concrete and the fence is around it.

[26:03] And again, we look at don't maintenance spending, because if you do it, it's at the risk of having a certain fire, which happened out in the majority of this weekend.

[26:10] And that's why we're going to spend another 12 to 13,000 dollars.

[26:13] So, it's something we can definitely take in consideration.

[26:16] I would be remiss if I wanted to do it from that location, because that's only a restroom available for those pick-and-law owners, which is having utilized.

[26:21] So, again, we can look and assess the space and if we can see it's a bioboxymnesia,

[26:30] we'll definitely try to do it.

[26:32] Again, I failed to set a precedent for every, you know,

[26:36] 30-some restrooms within a part system that we had at some level of disclosure.

[26:43] Then I had one more question.

[26:46] I think the dumpster that was, here's just another solution.

[26:49] I'm going to just throw this out here and we're discussion are just food for thought.

[26:54] But the dumpster originally was at South Valley Park before the remodel and then it was

[27:01] moved up to North Valley Park in its current location and there's no housing around South

[27:08] Valley Park or maybe you can move the dumpster there or some other location by the city

[27:13] shop because I do know that trash from other parks are coming there and it's getting transferred

[27:18] and then the waist collar is picking it up and the fence is great.

[27:23] That's helped out a lot.

[27:25] But here's just another low-cost option.

[27:27] Maybe you could move the dumpster and then put the outhouse,

[27:32] the handicapped accessible outhouse there.

[27:35] Put a nice little fence in, the grades there, the floors there,

[27:38] and they can just walk in.

[27:39] So that would just be another solution for you to consider also.

[27:45] Thank you very much.

[27:46] And if you're satisfied with this, the staff has heard you and they'll take this in a consideration

[27:53] in terms of future planning.

[27:56] Appreciate you coming.

[27:57] Thank you very much.

[27:59] Thank you very much.

[28:00] Thanks for the fence around the dumpster.

[28:02] Yeah, you're welcome.

[28:04] Take care.

[28:04] All right.

[28:04] Take care.

[28:05] Thank you.

[28:08] Oh, kiddoke.

[28:10] We're going to move on then to unfinished business, no items are coming back from a previous

[28:15] meeting for us to be addressing, but we will move on to the regular agenda and Adam has

[28:22] both of these items.

[28:23] The first time I'm going to do with getting back to talking again about the Angel of

[28:27] Holtman Memorial, we had a work session regarding this.

[28:31] I visited the site in Woodbury and we've got an information, Adam's got an information

[28:36] about others, and so we're here to see where we go forward with it.

[28:44] Okay, good evening.

[28:46] Commissioned at a modest parking recreation director.

[28:49] This evening, as Commissioner Cook had indicated,

[28:52] I will be presenting.

[28:54] What just happened?

[28:57] On yourself.

[28:59] No.

[29:00] There we go.

[29:00] There you go.

[29:02] I'll be presenting on the proposed angel of home immoral.

[29:05] Somewhere within a park system.

[29:07] I saw a little background.

[29:09] A lot of this is being pulled from our work session that we had back in July.

[29:12] So we'll get a little bit of detail but feel free at any point as questions.

[29:17] So this evening in front of you, request is for the crack to write a recommendation to

[29:22] the city council and whether to support the installation of Angel Hope Memorial Site within

[29:27] our city's park system.

[29:29] If that is something that this body would like to do, then the commission has also requested

[29:35] to present a recommendation on the

[29:39] investment of location, the general scope,

[29:42] and design of the memorial space,

[29:45] and then a potential funding approach that we

[29:47] this body would like to recommend to the council.

[29:51] So just a little background.

[29:52] At the May 2025 Precorrect Advisory Commission meeting,

[29:57] we had a resident proposed a memorial to be incorporated.

[30:00] Within our parks system and given a little bit of a background of why they felt like it was valuable for our system in this neighborhood, in this community.

[30:08] After that, as a result of that, the practice of staff to coordinate a work session and do a little homework and research on some other communities within our state, that may have this same memorial, so that has since happened.

[30:21] So on July 30th, as I did in the earlier, we did have a schedule of work session specifically on this item to go into a little bit more detail.

[30:29] on how one may come to have a Angel Hope Memorial Site within our community.

[30:37] So, what you may ask is Angel Hope for some of you who may not have been at the work session

[30:42] or for those that are watching, it is actually based off and inspired by the Angel Hope book.

[30:47] It's actually the Christmas box.

[30:49] So that is Angel Hope and it really tells that fictional story of a family or a wife and

[30:56] morning, upper child at the base of an angel mind in that.

[31:00] So a lot of this ties as to a larger network throughout the country, which you'll see

[31:05] that this network is really for not just the United States.

[31:09] We have a couple of different ones in different countries, but over the United States, there's

[31:13] about 120 locations that have an angel full the more that recognize the loss of not just

[31:19] children as you think of young children and it's just a child in general.

[31:24] So, the first one is in Salt Lake City, and that's more of the kind of the basis for this

[31:28] I'll start it.

[31:29] So, you may ask, well, can we just do any Angel?

[31:32] Yeah, sure we could, but the way this operates and functions to some degree, what was requested

[31:37] of the resident was to be part of this kind of network of Angel folks.

[31:40] So it's recognized as a space for you to come and pay respects in that regard.

[31:48] So, the Angelful Statue itself is roughly about 4 feet high, has wingspan about 5 feet and the diameter of the base is about 22 inches.

[32:00] So, again, these are all the same angel.

[32:03] So, all 120 of them are this exact angel.

[32:06] That creates them a part of the network, which is ultimately a part of the Christmas box,

[32:10] book and philosophy. It's made about a half-inch thick bronze. It's mostly hollow by the

[32:20] feet. There are some metal gourmets on the bottom of the angel and it could be

[32:24] scared to secure your pedestal. So again, it's best to be used with stainless steel

[32:30] rebar attached in that to the base so that it's secure. So as we do a little bit

[32:35] more of the, as I did a little bit more of the research, we'll show some examples

[32:38] is what this looks like in some neighboring communities.

[32:41] So as it currently stands, as you look at the website,

[32:44] this particular angel is roughly about $18,000.

[32:48] That's just shipping handling, the actual angel itself,

[32:51] shipped to our community.

[32:55] This cost is not included any type of base.

[32:59] Landscaping, design, anything to that effect.

[33:02] It's strictly just for the angel, OK?

[33:05] What they show on their website, they're roughly

[33:07] to spend an hour and make you want to get anywhere from $3 to $6,000 for a base.

[33:12] So try to think about that and corporate it in the press as well.

[33:15] That's just for it.

[33:16] Literate a stand-up in one spot, okay?

[33:19] So some of the locations that are throughout the state that looks like there's we about

[33:24] 10 city municipal public open spaces that incorporate the angelful.

[33:29] As you have seen in front of you, those are the 10.

[33:31] The three that we did a little bit more homework on and investigation was the city of

[33:36] would bury in Maple Grove.

[33:39] So I'll get a little bit more of the details on how

[33:41] came to be for them as well.

[33:44] So as you think about those three cities,

[33:48] through partnership is really all I came about.

[33:50] Very similar to what this process could look like.

[33:53] Residents or group of people came to the city approach

[33:56] to them and say, hey, we'd really like to see this

[33:59] monument more or else somewhere within our community.

[34:03] Would you be willing to be the host site

[34:05] or allow this to be a part of your public up in space

[34:08] or public park.

[34:10] These, in many cases, between the three cities,

[34:14] the Lutheran-Pograub and Woodbury,

[34:16] some level of fundraising and non-profit was created.

[34:19] In order to get, if you will, the seed capital money

[34:22] to get the angel statue, the base,

[34:25] and some level of site construction.

[34:30] And I'll go through each kind of what each of these cities

[34:32] went through.

[34:34] Another thing to make sure they kind of think about a consider that part of the Christmas box story and the statute itself,

[34:43] the monument must have some indication that on December 6th at 7 p.m. is a public gathering space to kind of honor those that have been lost.

[34:53] So that needs some degree, not necessarily fully incorporated in the placard, but it needs to be represented some way.

[35:00] And what I will say is most people that know the angel hope and they know where to find the website, we'd be listed on the kind of registry of all 120. So there'd be a level of an expectation that we kind of want to think about being able to how those people that want to come together, that's for civic day.

[35:16] Now they can come 365, but on December 6th at 7 p.m., it is definitely meant to be a gathering in space.

[35:24] So if we were to go down this avenue, and again, we're not talking about funding yet, to order it itself,

[35:30] We have to go through Richard Paul Evans, Inc.

[35:34] That is the author of the Christmas box book,

[35:37] again, to be a part of this broader network.

[35:40] And we can really kind of say within the placard.

[35:42] Whatever we want, though we must include this phrase.

[35:46] This is the Christmas box angel statue.

[35:49] It's from the Richard, well, I'm sorry, my apologies.

[35:53] This is where you actually have to order from.

[35:55] The actual inscription will be coming soon.

[35:58] But before we can order any type of forward-to-be place, it must be 50% cost down, down payment.

[36:08] And then the balance would be fully done when it's done through the forward-to-foundary,

[36:11] and that's their main balance.

[36:14] Thanks for roughly about three months, and that's dependent on the boundary workload.

[36:19] So I'll get back to the inscription chart.

[36:21] So in Duluth, these are some images from the kind of the space,

[36:25] Memorial site of what Duluth currently has.

[36:29] I could say this is kind of based on my discussions with the director of Parks and Recreation in Duluth.

[36:35] This is not their original space.

[36:36] Things have been updated, things have been improved over time,

[36:39] but this is what a currently looks like.

[36:41] As you'll see, let me see if I can highlight this.

[36:49] These bricks, these are the memorial bricks.

[36:52] So these are what individuals will pay to do a memorial brick or a donation brick,

[36:57] And then they can get their subscription.

[36:59] There are guidelines of what can be put on there,

[37:01] if you will, from a length perspective.

[37:03] But usually they're in memory of.

[37:05] I'm sure it's for the memory of bricks or any other type

[37:11] that other cities use.

[37:12] Zerwick Barman that you must be a resident of that city

[37:16] to get your brick in this case, or not really, or we don't know.

[37:21] Based on my research, no.

[37:22] I think anybody could, to secure a brick,

[37:24] they just have to pay the fee.

[37:30] So, as you look at these,

[37:32] these are ones that are brick on the ground

[37:33] and as you'll see going back to the,

[37:35] they surround the actual statue themselves.

[37:39] And then they're seating around this location.

[37:42] So this particular, the moral location site,

[37:45] it is definitely off the beat of path if you will,

[37:47] but it is not too far off the boardwalk.

[37:50] So you have to be intentional to go there.

[37:52] It's not kind of right there upfront and personal,

[37:54] but you can find it within their system.

[37:58] And did you see that wasn't the original placement or that they have built around it?

[38:04] So they've to sub-degree operating capital costs have upgraded landscaping and things around it, but it's original location.

[38:11] But they've added additional landscaping, a lot of rehab on the bricks and we'll get a little bit further into that as well.

[38:16] So it's always making sure that it looks nice and functional and things as time goes on, great changes, winters happen.

[38:24] So you have to do some upgrades and then reinforcements of things.

[38:27] Well, I don't want to jump ahead if you're going to recommend places as opposed to us coming up with places but it just made me think that maybe that's something to think about that it could establish a place that we eventually add to as time goes on or whatever so.

[38:45] So this is, it's actually a leaf airs in park in Duluth and this issue is probably funded up front.

[38:53] What it looks like is in today's dollars if you will.

[38:56] This is a little bit of an exclamation.

[38:58] If you will back then when they built it, I was run 25 to 35,000.

[39:03] But now if you look at that same type of gray change in landscape being,

[39:07] stopping electrical and water and utility, you're looking at anywhere from 75 to 100,000 dollars.

[39:13] That's an estimation.

[39:14] So the city's contribution was in kind to land on nation, if you will.

[39:18] It's public and open.

[39:19] So the city actually owns it.

[39:22] And then there's annual maintenance to this.

[39:24] It doesn't just kind of take care itself once you build in.

[39:27] It just, no maintenance.

[39:29] So they anticipate and given that because it's brick.

[39:33] At any time that, you know, brick materials over the winter,

[39:35] they have to do replacement.

[39:36] So we'll get a little bit more into why we probably not recommend that

[39:39] if you win this direction.

[39:40] And then it's always me out of it.

[39:42] And if there are changes made like you meant there were some upgrading of the site known

[39:48] to Luth, once the city is accepted at this then is on the city as to bear the cost of that.

[39:57] Is that right?

[39:57] Correct.

[39:58] If we look at it, it depends on how long it will take to the city, and it will take to the city.

[40:00] We want to structure this if you will. If the city wants to fully pay all the costs, and in

[40:07] ever way, it is ours anyway. We would have to manage that operating in capital. If we receive

[40:11] a donation for a memorial or a monument or statue, we would follow our policy, which would then

[40:18] again really come back to this body again to accept a donation. But we haven't gotten to that point yet,

[40:24] where we know how this is going to be funded. So yes, more than likely, either we have a non-profit

[40:29] group, let's see the form later, it comes through and says, you know, we would like to donate this and then it stops there or do we look at doing a amendment of a understanding or a letter of agreement saying here's what we're responsible here's what you're responsible for.

[40:43] So that's what the city of Woodbury did and I'll kind of go a little bit further into that. So right now the city of Duluth fully operates this this entire space and it's there in the owner.

[40:56] So the memorial bricks, which we're laid again surrounding the actual static self, only twice a year can you purchase that?

[41:04] So it's not ongoing, because then there's a certain time they place the bricks in, rehab any old bricks, so instead of it, it's really cumbersome.

[41:12] So it's the only do it twice a year and right now it's $85 a brick.

[41:16] So if you want to the city of the loose website, you can find this information, click on it, and you'll hope I'd like to do a brick,

[41:22] And then it kind of walks you through application form,

[41:25] if you will, or request form, and then they tell you

[41:28] what the cost is, how much work that you could put on it

[41:32] and things like that.

[41:35] So this is some photos of Woodbury, a little bit more,

[41:38] I would say robust, if you will.

[41:40] If you look at all the amount of state concrete,

[41:43] and benching, and landscaping, again,

[41:46] this is one that's recently completed,

[41:48] I think, back in 22 or 23.

[41:52] So again, very similar statue are the exact same statue.

[41:55] But this is actually at their city hall campus and Memorial Park, which is adjacent to the city hall itself.

[42:03] So they were approached by a group of individuals, which then created a woodberry foundation.

[42:09] And then essentially raised roughly two quarter of a million dollars for this particular site location.

[42:16] So again, pretty robust, pretty elaborate.

[42:20] Again, this includes stopping in utility, electric water.

[42:28] So those weren't originally there.

[42:30] So again, you can illuminate it at night,

[42:32] and you can water all the plants in surrounding it.

[42:34] So those are things that they be considered

[42:35] as you think about location.

[42:40] Again, in the city's contribution, it's within the park.

[42:43] And then speaking of the director,

[42:44] we're looking at roughly about a $5,000 annual maintenance.

[42:47] So as you'll see in this particular shot,

[42:51] so instead of bricks that they have laid

[42:53] like the city of Duluth did, they have placards.

[42:57] So they have also built this out

[42:59] to have additional three or four placards available

[43:02] if they need to insert those.

[43:04] So from a maintenance perspective,

[43:06] this would be what we would look at, recommend it.

[43:09] We would not look at doing any level of bricks

[43:11] in the ground, just given our Minnesota winters.

[43:14] And a plaque is really easy to replace if it's damaged, it's just some degree, and then

[43:21] yeah, we look at that type of a model.

[43:23] And so if you look in this particular one, there's four back here, I think they've built it

[43:27] out or they're going to have three additional on each side, if need it.

[43:31] Let's hope they don't need it, but if need it.

[43:33] And do you know if the foundations are to decide on where it was placed and the landscaping

[43:39] around it or is that done in conjunction with Park Board or with staff?

[43:45] Yeah, so it's my understanding that kind of very simple this process.

[43:50] They were engaged by several residents.

[43:52] And the residents said, hey, we want to come with some money to do this.

[43:56] And so what they ended up doing is they engaged the city.

[43:58] They went through that.

[43:59] I believe the commission and then they're constantly ultimately.

[44:02] And ultimately, as the outcome of that,

[44:04] they came fully in hand with all the funding part.

[44:07] Now the city through in kind to is my understanding also provided some internal data per planner that's

[44:14] a part of these efforts more or less landscape architecture design to help you know create this space based on what the city

[44:22] Probably

[44:23] Wanted along collaboration partnership with this group so that because we ultimately the city itself had a maintain it

[44:30] So there was something kind to services is my understanding

[44:33] But this are also resulted in an MOU.

[44:36] So a memorandum of understanding with this particular nonprofit would be a community foundation.

[44:43] So there actually is a clear definition of who's responsible for what went and where.

[44:49] So as you'll see on this one, the memorial plaques, the foundation manages that.

[44:54] We're in Duluth, the city's at.

[44:57] So if you go to the MIPO, would be very...

[45:00] I'd like to do a plaque or a third-party website. If you do a Duluth, it goes through the city.

[45:10] But again, when you think about traditional operating costs, it's time resources and materials.

[45:16] So given this is near their city hall and it's kind of one of the premier locations, there's still doing a level snow removal.

[45:24] So, that's another thing that we need to consider.

[45:26] How accessible is this going to be a year-round or is it seasonal?

[45:30] So, Commissioner Coach, could you do any kind of that you went to this?

[45:32] Do you have any comments based on what you see in that this location?

[45:35] Well, just that, you know, there's this, there's an area of, if you face the city hall,

[45:42] we off to the left of the city hall, where there's some land,

[45:45] and there's a better and some moral sight similar to kind of what we have.

[45:50] So there's a path to that and then there's a path that goes around that so you can't actually see the

[45:56] Angelful site until you get around the path and that then it's set back to size so it's private

[46:02] It's accessible and it's part of the

[46:07] Memorial area that that's by the city hall, but it's not right next to the city hall

[46:12] It's not across for men is to adjacent to it. So it's really a nice kind of layout that they have there

[46:20] Thank you for that.

[46:23] So this is Maple Grove and this is adjacent to the Arborita.

[46:27] So again, placement location does mean quite a bit.

[46:32] So as you'll see, this is pretty elaborate landscape in design.

[46:36] But I will say this in my next slide.

[46:39] There's a substantial upgrade recently and back in 2017.

[46:44] So they do also have the bricks, kind of see them, they're notated surrounding it.

[46:48] I believe that some of the granite stones, so again, they put some money into this particular one.

[46:56] Is this the upgraded look that we're seeing?

[46:58] This is upgrade look.

[47:01] So again, it's near their arboretum.

[47:03] This is public and privately funded.

[47:06] So the expansion in 2017, because it's predated my contact over there, they believe it was

[47:14] fully funded by a nonprofit group to begin with.

[47:16] But in the expansion, in the upgrades in 2017, the city put in about $175,000.

[47:24] And then the privately funded, you looked at another $75,000.

[47:29] So again, the city contribution is not just land in this case,

[47:34] but they're also as roughly about another $5,000 manual maintenance.

[47:38] The more bricks, this is also managed by the city itself.

[47:42] And I forgot to mention all the city ones that do twice a year.

[47:47] I don't recall what the other group did in Woodbury, but I believe there are twice a year as well.

[47:53] They have a little bit more flexibility because they're on those stand-up placards,

[47:57] so it's a little bit easier to manage than it is with the actual bricks and laying in the ground.

[48:02] And they're about $125 a break.

[48:05] And I believe the $203 for the placard, part of what this particular group does is

[48:12] Well, these are fundraising efforts.

[48:15] So they help with a little bit of that capital off from the cost.

[48:17] So that placard, again, I'm just making a social assumption here,

[48:21] that placard may cost a total of $25 to actually make.

[48:26] But everything else will go towards capital investment,

[48:29] capital improvements, things like that.

[48:36] So things to consider for this body is if we want to pursue

[48:41] This particular proposal from this resident is funding up front capital cost and then the annual operating cost

[48:49] Where is the money going to come from to this project?

[48:52] How are we going to pay for it year in and year out?

[48:57] As Commissioner Markard indicated, where is should the best location be?

[49:03] Are you sure it's accessible?

[49:04] Do we want to consider make sure there's a privacy, it's a inclusion?

[49:08] Do we, you know, bear somewhere to the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, and woodberry location,

[49:15] you want to choose to be there versus it just be in the first thing that you see.

[49:20] You have to make a calculated decision to go in that direction.

[49:24] Do we want to, to make sure there's natural space and area around it.

[49:28] And again, the design could be as simplistic or nate or elaborate or buses we'd like to see.

[49:35] But again, that's part of what the discussion kind of went through as we thought about there in the work session.

[49:42] And then here's where I meant there was a required plaque on the base on the Christmas box angel and that December 6 marks annual gathering for people who have lost a child.

[49:52] So that is part of the requirement from the maker.

[49:56] So it's nothing that we can really get away.

[49:58] We can request some alteration.

[50:00] In language, which I'll show in the actual maple grove and woodberry one, and also the positioning.

[50:09] Kirkland was positioned at the back side.

[50:13] So if you can tell, this is maple grove, you don't see that placard or the engraving correct,

[50:21] and then we'll go to woodberry, you don't see it anywhere there.

[50:24] I'm going to show you where they're actually at, and a couple slides here.

[50:29] So, at the work session, we talked about several different locations, but these were the

[50:34] three that we kind of landed on, of potential locations to consider for a potential final

[50:41] resting spot for the statute, if we consider.

[50:43] Heritage is part being one, Salem Hills Park, and then River Heights Park.

[50:49] So, if we were to consider heritage, this is not an NLBL, we thought about a location.

[50:57] So this particular parking lot, it's all been redone, and now we have an expansion of the parking lot.

[51:04] So we have a parking lot that expanded this way, and then we have an additional trail connectivity that connects to this internal trail.

[51:11] Then if you're to go northbound on that internal trail, then you connect to the greenway is our potential space in this.

[51:18] This is all relatively flat.

[51:21] The one thing you're at the consider if we wanted to illuminate it or you're gated, we currently don't have anything stopped in that far north.

[51:26] We've worked some irrigation and we'll protect you tap into, but I think if you look at any level of

[51:33] Electrical illumination, we're a little bit further down the road of that actually truly ever happening and until we look at that

[51:40] Sixth and final phase of Heritage Village Park which includes some shelters as well in this northern half. Are those other three that you showed us are those laid out?

[51:50] Maple Grove and Woodberry I believe are I don't believe the loot is there may be some

[51:56] Safety lighting along the trail, or as you enter it, but I believe what Barry and Maple

[52:00] Grove are illuminated in this space.

[52:03] So some of the lights are actually illuminated in the concrete at the wood barrier one.

[52:08] So they kind of cast light up.

[52:12] So this red circle identifies a potential, it's not the only spot or opportunity, but this

[52:17] would give you that nature feel, you'd have to be intentional and wouldn't be the first

[52:22] you see, you'd have to go make it sort of effort to walk in that location.

[52:27] Now, one thing to consider, not that it's ideal, but just north of this, is the gun

[52:32] range, which is not going anywhere, but you run that same type of, you hear those same type

[52:42] of sounds, whether you're on the splash pad, you're doing the playground, you have the

[52:46] the dog park, you're still within this space daily, young and old.

[52:52] So this is a community park.

[52:54] So it can accommodate more parking, it can accommodate

[52:58] that potential December 7th meeting dates.

[53:03] Again, things that consider.

[53:05] So that was one location.

[53:08] And we can't start doing it.

[53:10] Salem Hills Park was another option or thought.

[53:13] Again, we have a little bit of already

[53:15] We're already looking at expanding this location next year as far as the parking lot is concerned.

[53:20] Parliament reserve is just to do self west of this location.

[53:24] We do have some nurseries that we can maybe look at scaling back a little bit.

[53:30] The nurseries for all the planned additional trees are going to park system.

[53:35] It would be off a pathway.

[53:36] There's an option here.

[53:37] We're going to, again, is a simplistic or nate as possible.

[53:43] Brian, can you let me do we have irrigation at this park?

[53:47] The garden has a spiky.

[53:49] So we could potentially tap into if we absolutely need it to.

[53:54] So again, these are some locations to think about these, and they'll be all,

[53:58] but something that we could consider.

[54:01] The third location that was discussed with River Heights Park.

[54:04] But again, this had accommodated a parking.

[54:06] This is not necessarily, I mean, it is a neighborhood park, but it's a regional-ish given we have harm and preserve.

[54:13] So, again, you have a little bit more traffic to some degree, but in nature, it's a larger park.

[54:19] So, River Heights Park, if you've not been, you should visit. It's a fantastic kind of natural paved paths, very passive, very serene, very secluded and isolated.

[54:31] and where that red circle is, is where there's a potential,

[54:35] there's a nice group of trees that it could kind of,

[54:38] let's say hide behind, but it varies similar to what delooths look like.

[54:44] There's already a kind of some landscape in there.

[54:46] We can look at enhanced in that space.

[54:48] But one thing I would like to note is the parking side here.

[54:52] It is kind of one of the first things that you would see.

[54:56] Is it, does it meet the environmental aesthetic?

[55:00] That you want me to think to have? Yes. Again, not a neighborhood park or it's very much a neighborhood park with no other elements for community gathering and outside of would be just that space. And there is no parking, it'd be street parking only.

[55:15] And I don't think there's not electric, is there water, if there's no water either, I don't think there.

[55:21] So you'd have to bring utility from somewhere, which has a substantial cost.

[55:28] So, as we think about and consider funding, do we look at privately funded only, all of it,

[55:36] a portion of it or not of it, city fund, all of it, a portion or not of it, we can look

[55:41] at doing cash, we do have a potential couple of funds to look at it consider, both with

[55:47] in parks, mainly with in parks or do we look at something like the host community fund.

[55:52] But we also do in kind to.

[55:54] So part of the work session and Brian had indicated,

[55:59] depending on how our Nate, we get or supplies to go get,

[56:03] our Parks Maintenance team has a really good skill set.

[56:05] They're great at projects.

[56:07] There's a lot of things that we can do in-house.

[56:10] We would still want to hire out some landscape design

[56:13] or get some feedback from a designer, designer on it.

[56:17] But we can do a lot of things depending on where we locate this.

[56:21] I would say heritage village, it's probably the flatest,

[56:25] probably easiest to manipulate in a way

[56:26] of we could do a lot of those things in the house.

[56:31] So, somewhat similar with River Heights Park,

[56:34] I would say probably the most challenging to some degree

[56:35] would be Salem Hills.

[56:37] Just given that it's current salt and angle,

[56:39] we'd have to do quite a bit of either grading

[56:41] or bringing it up to grade.

[56:44] So, something we can look at doing

[56:45] of more than inkind, or do we do a combination

[56:47] I'm both a little private entity funds and in kind too,

[56:51] but as I didn't get it earlier,

[56:54] if the statute is donated by a private party,

[56:57] it would sought the cycle back through this body

[57:00] to accept the actual statute itself.

[57:04] That's what follows all of our current policy

[57:06] that I think we erected in 2022.

[57:09] For those of you who remember at Heritage Village Park,

[57:11] we had the monument of the COVID-first responders

[57:16] or central workers, mind you with that, that heritage village, that process is created so that we can accept things like that and you have to go through a process, which includes coming back before this body if anything is donated.

[57:29] Okay?

[57:32] So as you consider design, we've talked about a couple of the things already. It could be simple, it could be elaborate, to commission the marker's comments.

[57:42] do we look at simplistic first with the opportunity to build that later?

[57:47] You know, you make sure that we have that space, okay?

[57:51] It could be a smaller medium, kind of in nature,

[57:54] so after having a little bit of discussion with Brian,

[57:57] a part of superintendent, we thought, okay.

[57:59] That'd be more about 50 by 50 areas space,

[58:04] smaller medium location.

[58:05] But if you want to go a little bit larger, you're looking more towards

[58:09] Some similar to like the size of the heritage village park run-home shelter so a little bit larger nature, but it gives you maybe that

[58:17] You start small of within design, but you know that may be your footprint from a larger location

[58:23] Obviously the scope of the design with a term in the cost

[58:28] Connecting utilities is going to be a huge opponent of cost

[58:35] And then, again, as I did in the case of the current site, we're really dictated as well.

[58:41] I already mentioned the Parkstap, you know, supported, and if we get to a point, and again,

[58:46] we're not at a point where we're fully designing this thing.

[58:48] That's not what's in front of this evening, but it's really just trying to give

[58:52] a recommendation of council if we could go in that direction.

[58:56] Commissioner Torre?

[58:57] Just to clarify, as it's being approved that we're moving forward, we're still just

[59:03] at the, this is what it will look like.

[59:06] At this point in time, what is requested of this body this evening?

[59:09] If the Park and Recabagic Commission would recommend approving this to move forward,

[59:14] and we'll get into exactly the details of what you recommended.

[59:19] So if we, if we did a little bit of ordinate, and we wanted to look, hey, you know what this

[59:24] You would more than like you want to bring in some of the landscape architect, or landscape designer,

[59:30] tell great what that looks like.

[59:32] And again, if you start small and just get the statute and create that space and do something

[59:36] smaller, but then we can look at it doing a bit more of an elaborate design later on.

[59:41] We can do that as well.

[59:44] So, as I indicated earlier, between maple grove and woodberry,

[59:49] to your left is what bears.

[59:52] So the requirement of the actual inscription

[59:56] was the Christmas box angel.

[59:59] So they actually...

[1:00:00] Actually, if you look at this carefully enough, they did not have, this is a gathering place on December 7.

[1:00:07] So, they had to get rink consent from the actual artist, Paul and Richard Paul Evans to do that.

[1:00:14] But they didn't talk about what it's for, and then the dedication to it.

[1:00:20] So, when you look at Maple Grove, they also said the Christmas box angel.

[1:00:25] But they also indicated annual of cannolated visual December 6th at 7 p.m. and with some additional

[1:00:33] medications and gravy.

[1:00:35] So we can't deviate a little bit but it does have to say this is the Christmas box angel.

[1:00:41] We may not have to call out that it's the December 6th marks the annual gathering space.

[1:00:45] And as you'll see it and what Barry, it doesn't say that.

[1:00:49] It may have a grove and dust in that.

[1:00:50] So there is a little bit of flexibility after we get approval from Richard Palavance.

[1:00:58] So, to Commissioner Torres' recent comments, what do we actually do in this evening?

[1:01:04] The question first and foremost, again, that's high level, and before we may begin

[1:01:08] this action request, does anybody have any additional questions for me?

[1:01:12] I know we've kind of covered some of this within the work session on July, but this was

[1:01:16] a very high-level, quick presentation.

[1:01:22] There have been any other community members that have reached out that have talked about wanting

[1:01:26] this that have showed interest in having this be in one of our parks.

[1:01:32] Not that I'm aware of, I've not heard of any additional community members reach now.

[1:01:36] I would say this, I believe in those other three cities, who is probably like a family or two.

[1:01:43] So typically brought forth by one group.

[1:01:49] Do we know what that process would be like working with author on changes and that kind of stuff?

[1:01:57] Yeah, we would just put a request in to the actual author to say we would have the

[1:02:02] creed to make sure that it said the Christmas box angel and then we would indicate

[1:02:08] what we would like to say and then we would just wait on response.

[1:02:12] So for example, if we said, hey, we're interested in we know this statement, it's to be

[1:02:16] there we would want to put this following that and that would either come by way of

[1:02:21] with the donor, or the community member, or propose this, or just kind of what we decide

[1:02:28] as a city or staff.

[1:02:32] Other questions of Adam? Yeah, I guess has the city being in the process

[1:02:38] of working with foundations before similar to what others see this day. There's that going to

[1:02:51] community foundations that the city of Interrupt Heights currently works with.

[1:02:58] So I can't say that I'm familiar with anyone that we would.

[1:03:03] Now, because other cities have worked with either such a non-profit or fundraising arm

[1:03:09] of some 501C3, doesn't necessarily mean that that's what this process will look like.

[1:03:14] So that's not a requirement.

[1:03:15] So for example, we could have a private donor and just say, hey, I would like to give $30,000

[1:03:20] to this particular project, unrelated to being a non-profit group.

[1:03:25] So, we want the city would not create a foundation or request a foundation or not profit

[1:03:30] for the donation to come through.

[1:03:33] They didn't have a control from the community who actually brought this to us, mentioned

[1:03:37] that if there is an approval to move forward, you know, by the council, they will be reaching

[1:03:42] out, you know, do, do fundraising and gather other people.

[1:03:48] So I think waiting on that to see what develops in terms of whether it's a foundation or

[1:03:55] whether it's a bunch of individuals,

[1:03:58] but first order is, I just want to, is there any other questions

[1:04:02] before we get into the action?

[1:04:04] Yeah, do we have any other like past projects that are similar to this?

[1:04:09] Do we have any other monuments?

[1:04:10] Do we have any like different things that's related?

[1:04:13] Or would be a similar process?

[1:04:15] anything like that, that we can kind of look back and be like, this was a good idea, this was not a good idea.

[1:04:23] Commissioner Johnson, the only one thing I could point to is when I come up on a little bit earlier,

[1:04:27] at Heritage Village Park, there is a monument for kind of first responder, kind of coded related

[1:04:35] monument that sits as you enter from the parking lot on the west side.

[1:04:38] That went through, we created the body and the council created a monument in Memorial Policy,

[1:04:43] They're required a process and a pathway to donate items like this and that's the only thing I could really point to

[1:04:50] And that particular monument was fully donated to the city. So this body also worked throughout the time placement location

[1:04:59] So

[1:05:00] Essentially, once it was donated, we now own it and inherit it and we decide what happens with it moving forward.

[1:05:06] So there's no ties to us, for example, and I'm not saying this would happen.

[1:05:11] If we were to accept the actual statute stuff, we went through that process, it was donated.

[1:05:17] And three years were like, you know what, I think this either should be relocated, or X, Y and Z's happening, we can remove it, we can upgrade it.

[1:05:24] That would all be on behalf of the city to do as they see fit.

[1:05:27] And that's part of the advantage of going through the process, because that process spells out

[1:05:32] that exact expectation and requirement if the donation goes through.

[1:05:36] And it'll have to be accepted and received by the council prior to that, it has to go through this

[1:05:41] body for a recommendation of approval.

[1:05:45] Other questions?

[1:05:47] A lot, apparently.

[1:05:49] So, if we move forward and we recommend this to the city, you're asking us to make decisions

[1:06:01] preemptively that I don't see how we would make.

[1:06:03] If we don't know if families want to fundraise and do, you know, so for us to say,

[1:06:08] well, we want to publicly fund it or privately or mix a book.

[1:06:12] We don't know what a budget is.

[1:06:14] We don't know who wants to come for.

[1:06:15] That seems hard.

[1:06:17] It feels like we're doing this.

[1:06:20] Not in the wrong order, but do you understand what I'm saying?

[1:06:22] like I, I'm a little confused why we would not just recommend stop there. I guess is my question.

[1:06:30] And I'll get to the next slide. Thank you. So to that point, there are options for how you may

[1:06:36] want to recommend this to council. Okay. So to those very things, there's so many things that

[1:06:43] are left undone and said that I don't know if one were in a position to look at going to those

[1:06:50] next step without further approval because there may be some additional resources needed

[1:06:54] for us to look at design. So if you recommend, ultimately, that you would support this particular

[1:07:00] monument in our park system is the first and foremost. Could you see it in our system somewhere?

[1:07:05] That's the first question. If you could see in our system somewhere, you guys is a body. Can

[1:07:11] recommend that to counter? Yes, we could see it. Along with that, that we could see it. Then we

[1:07:16] go to these three points.

[1:07:19] We can see it, we can see it in option location, A, B, C, or D,

[1:07:25] or do you leave it up to the council of the determine?

[1:07:28] That's in what you can send in with it.

[1:07:30] So it puts a little bit more of the decision-making ability

[1:07:34] on the council if they decide to have a final spot.

[1:07:38] But if this body would like to give a recommendation of a location,

[1:07:41] you can do so.

[1:07:42] The second part of that is, what's the general scope?

[1:07:45] Keep it little, keep it small, keep it mid, be it robust, be elaborate, large, you name it or you give the

[1:07:52] recommendation to also leave that up to the council.

[1:07:56] Third, how do you fund it?

[1:07:59] Do you give the recommendation, yes we can see in our system, we recommend here to Village Park.

[1:08:06] We feel like the general scope, we're not there yet, we'll leave that to some degree up to the council

[1:08:11] because two is tied with three.

[1:08:13] How are we going to fund this project?

[1:08:16] And I think the Council then can help support

[1:08:17] or if this body wants to give a recommendation.

[1:08:20] You could say, we think that we leave this

[1:08:23] up the Council to figure out how to fund it.

[1:08:25] Because we don't want to give a recommendation

[1:08:28] how to fund it.

[1:08:30] Or you could say, you know what?

[1:08:31] I think the, the practice say,

[1:08:33] I believe this should be fully funded primarily

[1:08:35] and that no city dollars should be allocated toward this.

[1:08:39] You can give that recommendation.

[1:08:40] So, first and foremost, can you see it in our system, if you can, that's kind of the first

[1:08:47] boat.

[1:08:48] Secondly, is what additional recommendations in these three categories would you like

[1:08:54] to give?

[1:08:55] So, that's kind of to your point.

[1:08:58] Yes, it's hard to see through the woods right now, and I totally get it.

[1:09:01] But I don't know if we can get to that next step to even come back in some way shape or form.

[1:09:06] If it's donated, it has to come back to this body anyway.

[1:09:08] And I'll say this.

[1:09:10] Ultimately, as well, is dependent on what this body does, whether you say, you know what?

[1:09:16] Either way, we're going to deny it because we don't feel like we can really see it or there's

[1:09:21] too many unanswered questions.

[1:09:23] This individual can still go to the council's hall and go to that next step and to some degree

[1:09:29] bypass this, not that they individual would, but they depend on the timing and fundraising

[1:09:35] opportunities, all those things matter.

[1:09:37] So.

[1:09:37] I don't know if that fully answers your question, but it does support kind of like we can send a recommendation with

[1:09:44] I want to say caveats, but additional recommendations.

[1:09:50] Any other questions?

[1:09:52] Anything else you want to say?

[1:09:54] No?

[1:09:54] Okay.

[1:09:55] I think that first.

[1:09:56] Is there another question?

[1:09:58] I'm just going to say the first question.

[1:10:00] We need to look at for it. Do you want that in separate motions? No, I don't know if we have the, well, yes. Well, yeah, we could.

[1:10:07] I would say, I would say, I would not, I don't know if a motion, I think a motion should be at the, at the very end.

[1:10:16] Can you put the next screen back up? Thank you.

[1:10:19] I guess just, let's see. I guess my, my feeling is that we, you know, we decide yes or no, we're going to endorse the idea.

[1:10:29] And then we leave the other parts up to the council,

[1:10:34] location, scope, potential funding sources.

[1:10:39] If there's disagreement about that, if you want.

[1:10:42] So I thought we were going to vote first on whether we...

[1:10:45] Yeah, that's fine.

[1:10:46] Are you changing?

[1:10:47] No, by the way, I think you have to vote in a way of accepting the proposal of an

[1:10:53] idea to recommend the council.

[1:10:54] That's first and foremost.

[1:10:55] And then I think second there is, along that recommendation, here's what we'd like to see as additional recommendations.

[1:11:01] I'd like to move that we endorse the idea of having an angelful memorial as part of our park system and that we do not pick a preferred location or scope or funding.

[1:11:21] We leave those up to the consoles, so that would be my move that, is there a second to that?

[1:11:31] I'd like to discuss a little bit more.

[1:11:33] I feel like if we could just go around and kind of see where everyone is.

[1:11:38] I thought we should get a motion on the table and then we could discuss more.

[1:11:41] I guess it feels like we're otherwise.

[1:11:44] Is everyone feeling like they want to go forward with this?

[1:11:48] That's the motion.

[1:11:50] Well, but you're tacking on that you don't want to recommend anything and I'm saying I think that we don't all agree to that

[1:11:57] Okay, that's all

[1:11:59] I hear that I feel like you know just just for me

[1:12:03] I could definitely see it in our system

[1:12:05] I think there's like some good stuff here

[1:12:07] But like you know if I'm looking at like you know I would I would be interested in like

[1:12:15] sending it off and saying like this person who's said and brought it up and said that they would call and like bring in donations and that kind of stuff

[1:12:23] that they would

[1:12:25] start that process early

[1:12:27] See if there's any interest if there's any money like that kind of stuff. That's kind of where I'm at where it's like

[1:12:33] you know, I don't I don't feel like it should all fall on

[1:12:38] the city

[1:12:39] the practice, you like all that kind of stuff, so I don't need it.

[1:12:43] And once the city, once it's in, it's the city's responsibility.

[1:12:48] So I'm more concerned with the maintenance part of it,

[1:12:52] and where does it make the most sense for the least amount?

[1:12:57] That's what I'm interested in discussing and finding more about, finding out more about.

[1:13:03] For me, it's a little bit, you know, these three places.

[1:13:07] I think where I'm concerned is, you know, with Heritage Village Park, because there's just not a lot of

[1:13:12] Treespace, it's still as pretty open, and, like, no, it's not the first thing you see, but I also, like, see coming in and, you know,

[1:13:23] if there's a group of people on the evening that are on the 7th or 6th whenever it is,

[1:13:30] a lot of kids that are maybe playing at the park are just going to see that, right? I like the idea of some privacy and it

[1:13:36] space. What I almost wonder is if we're still looking at North

[1:13:40] Wisteria Park development, which seems to have a lot more foliage, a lot more trees,

[1:13:46] if we almost like give the group time to fundraise with the idea of like when we

[1:13:52] purchase something or if we purchase something for North Wisteria Park, trying to merge

[1:13:57] those things together. But I know that's adding a place that is not on a

[1:14:05] for park location. I mean of the three places I would say it seems like Salem is probably offering

[1:14:10] the most privacy.

[1:14:14] Just because I remember how mad people were about the lights of swing bridge

[1:14:19] in the money that went on those lights and it wasn't even our money. It was grand money and people

[1:14:23] like lost their minds online about that. And so $175,000 or $225,000 even if the, you know,

[1:14:35] We're not necessarily just, I mean, I guess we're not writing the check for that at this level, but I also think

[1:14:42] If other communities have offered money for it and funder is money for it, I think it's important to attach that to what our decision is.

[1:14:51] But I just, I don't know am I alone here. I don't hear it to Village Park for whatever reason makes me a little bit uncomfortable because of how

[1:15:00] Open it is, both for people that are going to experience it and for people to part.

[1:15:05] And I mean, if you're that much closer to the gun range, and I can't imagine somebody who lost a trial to something that happens every day in this country now is going to want to hear that.

[1:15:17] That seems a little short-sighted. So I'm glad that you even brought that up.

[1:15:24] My thought right now is that we have a lot more to discuss.

[1:15:29] This feels like, are we all on board that we would want them to go forward and, you know,

[1:15:37] I mean, we had a work session. I wasn't able to come to the work session,

[1:15:43] but, you know,

[1:15:43] it sounds like from the comments from everyone.

[1:15:47] Like the idea is great, like you are obviously, if you were in that position, hopefully no one's in that position here, but you understand why it's so meaningful.

[1:16:00] But the question that we need to answer here right now is, do we see in our system, I'm from what I hearing from everyone is, no, like dislocations, maybe others won't come.

[1:16:13] we won't be there right place, we don't know anything about the funding, so that's also like

[1:16:17] it's not part of the system because we didn't think about it.

[1:16:22] So, I'm just interpreting everyone's comments and I say like at least at this time

[1:16:28] to the 2025 we don't see it in the system.

[1:16:31] Not because we don't want it, it's just like it doesn't make sense right now.

[1:16:36] And we're missing three council members and I'm really curious about their opinions on this as well.

[1:16:41] I mean, where I'm at is I would like to maybe table this for a month so I can sort of gather more information and think about it.

[1:16:48] I mean, we had a work session, but here from some of the other council or here from some of the the crack,

[1:16:54] Cody committee members, and then also maybe explore like what would it look like if we tried to attach something like this to North Observatory Park,

[1:17:04] where would make sense with some of the landscaping that's there to create privacy and to create space,

[1:17:09] Because they do think what we can offer is we can offer space, we can offer some in-house landscaping.

[1:17:16] And if we're already sort of going to acquire that kind of space, we can intentionally put it in a place where there will be a easy access to plumbing,

[1:17:24] where there would be easy access to electricity.

[1:17:27] It doesn't seem like that necessarily is the case right now with all of these spaces.

[1:17:35] Okay, so maybe that's a better place, and maybe the accounts were good, like a proof, we

[1:17:42] have for a future plan.

[1:17:45] So, in this case, yeah, we don't have a proof of a location, and we don't have a proof of

[1:17:49] a size, but I don't have proof, like...

[1:17:51] Yeah, it's just like...

[1:17:52] Commissioner's kind of like a couple of comments, and we're going to go to some of the

[1:17:55] accounts you've made.

[1:17:56] First and foremost, there's North West area.

[1:17:58] None of that line is guaranteed, and ultimately, currently as it stands, we are more

[1:18:03] and moving in direction, we will get land based on development.

[1:18:07] So when you look at based on development,

[1:18:08] and the northwest area of given the topography,

[1:18:11] you are not getting a robust community of the level size park.

[1:18:14] So then they try to fit something like this into that space

[1:18:18] into a space that you're not getting that food full 15 to 20 acres,

[1:18:22] may not be a possibility if it is,

[1:18:24] it may not be 5, 10, 15 years on the road.

[1:18:26] If we look at land acquisition,

[1:18:28] which we're currently working through,

[1:18:30] which may or may not come to fruition,

[1:18:32] And you still may not have a suitable spacing in North-Western.

[1:18:36] So that's just a couple of comments we're going to have.

[1:18:37] Not to say that part of the preferred part of location is other.

[1:18:41] Can you consider this to be in a future North-Western park?

[1:18:45] We can say that within the recommendation.

[1:18:49] So you don't have to be stuck on these three.

[1:18:51] This is just what was discussed at the work session.

[1:18:54] So where we had a little bit more in-depth details and conversations regarding this particular

[1:18:58] topic.

[1:19:00] So, when you leave it to these ultimate items, when you think about revocation, scope, funding,

[1:19:09] you can give recommendations, but ultimately the council has to determine how they're

[1:19:12] going to do those things.

[1:19:13] So, again, not to say that we can't table us positive for additional formation.

[1:19:19] I guess if we wanted additional information, I don't know exactly at what point in time what

[1:19:24] additional information you're looking for.

[1:19:26] Because if we're looking at cost estimates, I would have to go to council and say, I need additional cost to get a landscape architect and designer to cost estimate what the space will look like.

[1:19:37] Ultimately, this would have to come back and say, well, for what? And we like, for this, but nothing's been recommended.

[1:19:43] And we can definitely do that.

[1:19:46] But I just want to try to, what additional information are we looking for that I can maybe support and respond to now?

[1:19:54] And that's why I kind of left these actions open ended degree because I think two and three are very

[1:20:00] What else related? If you're trying to fund the project, you don't know what you're funding yet. So if there's a scope and nature in which the council is going to comfortable with or not, you may very well recommend this to the council, and they may very well deny it.

[1:20:13] Okay, or they may accept it and sit down for a while, and they may look at, can we fit into their future north-west airport? How are we going to fund it?

[1:20:20] You go back to that individual and say, how do you propose to fund it? Because we're not going to do in kind two, we're not going to provide additional fundings,

[1:20:28] or we're going to provide input and kind of to,

[1:20:31] and we're going to provide additional funds.

[1:20:32] They can go in multiple different directions.

[1:20:34] And again, that's where you leave them a little bit

[1:20:37] open-ended for them to have discussion around as well.

[1:20:40] But from a preferred parking location,

[1:20:43] this is not the end of the year.

[1:20:44] There may be other considerations.

[1:20:45] That's where you could say, hey, we'd like to see maybe options

[1:20:49] A and C in there, and not B, or we're open to it,

[1:20:54] or we send a recommendation back to the council and say,

[1:20:56] We want to know what your space you're thinking about before we

[1:21:02] I mean ultimately this body doesn't do the full approval. They do recommendations. Mm-hmm

[1:21:07] I think you're right, see

[1:21:09] Excuse me. I said I think you were right. I think we take it up to the council

[1:21:14] That's and that was my view. I guess is that we either endorse or we don't endorse that concept

[1:21:21] We don't get into particulars. I mean here that that's really up to the council

[1:21:25] We can, if any of you want to recommend a location or of the ones that Adam has, that the staff

[1:21:35] is lined out at this point, but otherwise, you know, in terms of the school design, funding,

[1:21:42] potentials.

[1:21:42] I don't know this reasonable to say to the community member get a bunch of, you know, money,

[1:21:49] you know, committed to this before we would even consider, you know, whether we think it's

[1:21:54] good idea to have it. I think they probably need something that says, you know, there's

[1:21:59] some support behind this idea in order to get people to, and I don't know what else we

[1:22:06] do either. We talked quite a bit at the work session about it and members that are missing

[1:22:12] tonight. I think mostly we're at the work session.

[1:22:17] So we can certainly wait and let it sit and

[1:22:20] about it next month. I can't but what more are we going to do or find between now and then

[1:22:30] that's going to make a difference. I mean ultimately commissioners as well we can look at

[1:22:34] just sending a recommendation of support and leaving it at that without any additional

[1:22:38] things in there. That's an option and I really it's kind of saying the same thing

[1:22:46] of giving them options one to three all letter E if you will leave it kind of to the council

[1:22:53] I think it's all up for you all to make the decision but again I want you guys to feel like you have the answers as best as I can give you without I can't present a full design because we haven't not we've not got to that point now that being said if Council says yet we want to do this let's go more forward design that doesn't mean

[1:23:19] that we stop with the prack and the pracks out of it.

[1:23:22] So as Commissioner Cook had indicated that let the council kind of get into weeds.

[1:23:28] Well, that could still come back here, if they give the actual okay.

[1:23:32] And they see, we want to send it back to the commission to really work through design.

[1:23:38] That's definitely a possibility and option as well.

[1:23:40] So I wouldn't say this is like the last you ever see in here of it,

[1:23:44] by any stretch, I think ultimately one of the things that will really have

[1:23:48] take into consideration is really how do you fund the project? And I think that's where

[1:23:54] you're more than happy and willing as a body to give a recommendation for that funding and I just

[1:23:59] don't know what that actual number would look like. The only numbers that I do know is the cost of the

[1:24:05] statue and the potential estimate of costs for the base. So right off the top you're looking at

[1:24:12] to $22 to $25,000.

[1:24:16] And that's just for the statute in the best.

[1:24:18] So, what other communities had $225,000

[1:24:21] or donations did that then go to the landscaping

[1:24:24] and all that other space around it?

[1:24:26] Okay.

[1:24:28] I mean, I guess where I'm at is I think it's definitely something

[1:24:33] that if there's a want in our community to have this,

[1:24:36] then I want there to be that in our community.

[1:24:39] I would prefer it to be in Salem, or Salem Hills, or River Heights, just for sort of privacy

[1:24:47] sake, and it seems like those would be places to hold it.

[1:24:50] But I also, I do think if other communities have done mostly private funded for this,

[1:24:56] which is that the case, it's been mostly privately funded, or has it been a...

[1:25:00] Comunation of private and city funds.

[1:25:02] Officially, and up front, she capital costs right away, it was privately funded, and then over time.

[1:25:08] But Duluth and Woodbury added additional funds for improvements.

[1:25:14] I mean, I would, I, at this level, would endorse that.

[1:25:19] A, a privately funded with some possibility of city funded down the road.

[1:25:24] I would rather say that at this level and then a city council decides differently, give them that opportunity to say no we want to fund this.

[1:25:34] That's where I met just as somebody that wants to recognize taxpayer money and all that.

[1:25:43] I guess that's I'm yes for it, but I would prefer Salem River Heights and a privately funded with some city.

[1:25:54] later. That's where I'm at.

[1:26:00] Okay, do we have a motion for any direction at this point?

[1:26:06] We, otherwise it sort of dies at this point until maybe bring it up at the next meeting

[1:26:12] if people want to wait and have the other commissioners here. Otherwise,

[1:26:20] what we'd like to do.

[1:26:22] I'm fine with your original motion. That's what I feel now.

[1:26:26] Okay.

[1:26:30] Well, do you want to, do you want to restate it or do you want me to do it again?

[1:26:35] No, I mean, I suppose we have to say it again, but I think it makes a little sense.

[1:26:41] Because it will come back to us if it moves forward anyway.

[1:26:44] This isn't the last, like you said, it's not the last time we're going to talk about this.

[1:26:48] So why don't you make it then? You're kind of endorsing the idea of...

[1:26:53] Okay, so I would like to make a motion to move forward with this project.

[1:26:59] Recommended. Recommended to this city council. Mm-hmm. Um, and leave

[1:27:05] The details up to them. So I have to deal in one through three if you. Well. Yes.

[1:27:13] Right. So. I'm sure. Yeah. Yeah, the D in E in E.

[1:27:19] Oh, yes. D in E in E is my fault. So it would be safe to say to clear the motion up to some degree.

[1:27:27] You're recommending the idea of it with the, the, the, the, the, the, the project being somewhat within a part system and really leaving

[1:27:34] prefer location, scope, and funding to council.

[1:27:38] Mm-hmm.

[1:27:38] Is that fair to say I'd really kind of clean it up, or would you prefer to send a recommendation?

[1:27:43] Can I, I think that's what you're saying?

[1:27:44] Let's see if that is second for that because that's the motion at this point.

[1:27:48] Yes.

[1:27:49] What are you saying?

[1:27:50] I've discussed further.

[1:27:52] Is there a second for that motion?

[1:27:54] You have a question.

[1:27:58] Okay, second.

[1:27:59] You second.

[1:28:00] Please, the second.

[1:28:02] All right.

[1:28:03] Discussion?

[1:28:03] At this point?

[1:28:05] I mean, are we sure it's going to get kicked back to us?

[1:28:07] I mean, city council could make all those decisions.

[1:28:10] And then just move forward with it.

[1:28:12] Are they going to want to?

[1:28:15] Got.

[1:28:16] I can comment a little bit on that.

[1:28:19] What we can do is request that as if they get a proof that design, we recommend a design

[1:28:29] efforts come back to the practice and work through if they just so choose to approve this

[1:28:36] project to move forward.

[1:28:38] So that's something we can request that doesn't necessarily mean to happen.

[1:28:41] I would imagine to Commissioner Marker's point that they're not really going to want to

[1:28:46] settle in on all the design efforts and have, you know, things that nature, the thing we could

[1:28:50] come back and say, okay, here's where we're at.

[1:28:52] We could do location as well.

[1:28:54] Couldn't we come back to us in terms of design and location?

[1:28:58] Sure. Well, I think if we're going there then we should say that now to some degree.

[1:29:02] Right. I mean, if we have a location in mind,

[1:29:05] there are no other options other than the three mentioned.

[1:29:09] As you look at D, it says other.

[1:29:11] Yeah, what other.

[1:29:12] But I mean, that's part of the discussion.

[1:29:14] If there's other options that you'd like to consider, as we spoke about in the work session,

[1:29:20] we had a couple of other items, but then through discussion, the veterans of more community

[1:29:24] center, there was open green space area, plaza, but we felt like there was two tight heavy traffic,

[1:29:29] maybe didn't give you that solitude and seclusion that we were thinking about.

[1:29:33] I mean, we could definitely look at other locations to consider.

[1:29:38] Did you look at behind the community center sort of in between, did you, is that what you just

[1:29:43] community center and sort of the city hall. There's a space right behind the community

[1:29:51] center, is that where you talked about the escape park? Yeah, kind of next to the

[1:29:56] escape park, there's maybe it's maybe there's just not enough space, I don't know.

[1:30:00] There would be enough space, but I don't know if we'd want to put a next-of-skate park.

[1:30:04] I mean, how much distance there is with the Skipper, but I hear you.

[1:30:07] Yeah.

[1:30:08] The National Government just expanded some of their fancy area, but their utility vehicles.

[1:30:13] So that's based on a little smaller.

[1:30:14] OK.

[1:30:14] Between that and Skipper.

[1:30:16] I'm less concerned with the design aspects as I am just the funding of it, because I am having

[1:30:23] flashbacks to people showing up at planning committees.

[1:30:30] decisions that were made at that level and funding decisions, like, hey, why weren't some of

[1:30:35] these decisions made at that level?

[1:30:37] And I just, I, where I'm concerned that is, I don't want this to be something which is

[1:30:42] completely city funded when other communities have created this and it hasn't been completely

[1:30:49] city funded.

[1:30:50] not to say that that would happen here, but where I'm at is my belief is that it should be at least

[1:30:57] privately funded with some opportunity for city funds down their own. So I guess my

[1:31:01] I'll probably be D when there'd be something the council would determine though. Yes, but I at least

[1:31:09] want it stated at this level where my voice matters that like if they change it from more

[1:31:15] recommendation. That's great. But at this level, I want to, I want to, at least my vote to say,

[1:31:21] the combination of private and city funds. And I want the honest to be on them if they're going to

[1:31:25] want to make an amendment or suggest an amendment. I suggest an amendment that the recommendation

[1:31:31] to move on be followed with the combination of private and city funds is the funding recommendation.

[1:31:40] And also, I'll pop the design piece to let it come back to us in terms of design or not.

[1:31:47] No, just because I think if we're going to make design decisions, I feel like that would be then made today.

[1:31:54] I feel like if we were going to make some of those decisions, then we should go ahead with that today.

[1:32:00] And let somebody else feel strongly about some of the design.

[1:32:03] Okay, let's see if we have a second to your amended amendment to the motion. Is there a second to that?

[1:32:09] Can I second it even though I started?

[1:32:12] No, yes, you can.

[1:32:13] Can I?

[1:32:14] Yeah.

[1:32:14] Well, you can accept it as a friendly amendment.

[1:32:18] Well, let's vote on that, though.

[1:32:19] OK.

[1:32:19] So your second amendment?

[1:32:21] Yes.

[1:32:22] All right.

[1:32:24] Move to second it that we amend the motion.

[1:32:27] So we're vote on the amendment first and then the motion.

[1:32:31] So we'll see if it's amended motion.

[1:32:33] All right.

[1:32:34] So the amendment would be that the consideration

[1:32:39] should be the recommendation from here, is that it's a combination of city and private funds

[1:32:44] and private funds.

[1:32:45] Okay.

[1:32:46] That would go into this memorial.

[1:32:50] All in favor of that amendment.

[1:32:52] Say goodbye by saying aye.

[1:32:54] Any opposed?

[1:32:57] No.

[1:32:58] All right.

[1:32:59] So then we have an amended motion, which is to endorse the concept to the city council of

[1:33:07] to the full memorial with our recommendation that there be a combination of city and private funding

[1:33:16] to establish it. Does that sound great? Okay. Any other discussion? Okay.

[1:33:26] Are those filled on that motion? All on favor of the amended motions? Signify by saying aye.

[1:33:31] Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay. Okay. Just want to clarify?

[1:33:35] So I'm going to make sure, so this body is passed and recommended that the city support

[1:33:42] an angel home memorial within our park system for them to determine location, scope, and

[1:33:52] to consider a combination of public and private funds to create the space.

[1:33:59] Yeah, correct?

[1:34:00] Correct.

[1:34:01] I mean, it feels as if once we know sort of the monetary value we're working with from

[1:34:07] the community, that will help establish some of those other aspects.

[1:34:13] I appreciate that, and I will, as I more than like this next step, we'll go before

[1:34:19] a work session with the council, and I also bring up the subject matter of if it's approved

[1:34:24] to advance that this body would like to be a part of the design efforts.

[1:34:28] Okay.

[1:34:30] And if it again, if that statute is donated, if you are any of it's donated, it's still

[1:34:35] come before this body.

[1:34:37] So that can be in a combination with design efforts.

[1:34:40] Okay.

[1:34:41] All right.

[1:34:42] Thank you.

[1:34:43] Do you need to rest?

[1:34:44] No one is sitting down.

[1:34:45] Okay.

[1:34:46] Just a half way.

[1:34:47] Sure.

[1:34:47] I'm sure.

[1:34:49] Short and sweet.

[1:34:50] This would be how low park.

[1:34:52] My commission has been at a modest parking recreation director.

[1:34:56] This evening, on this particular item,

[1:34:58] And so before you, I'm here as this-

[1:35:00] Let's see if we hollow park, 2026, capital improvement plan. It is proposed for a plug-on replacement.

[1:35:10] So a little bit background in this particular one. This is a part of the 26-2030 capital improvement plan for the city.

[1:35:18] That's in front of the council. As we currently are discussing, this was actually scheduled for, I think, a year or two out.

[1:35:25] but given the evaluation of our purpose system,

[1:35:28] we've made some adjustments and changes,

[1:35:30] particularly to this capital approval plan.

[1:35:32] And I think move this one up first

[1:35:34] or was it always in 26?

[1:35:36] I think it was always in.

[1:35:37] My apologies.

[1:35:38] So it was always in 26,

[1:35:39] so it was approved in the previous capital approval plan,

[1:35:41] but it still needs to go through the final process.

[1:35:43] We're going to approval in 2025 for 26 to 30.

[1:35:47] So it's not yet been approved.

[1:35:50] So we should know that here by the end of this year.

[1:35:53] But under the last, the playground itself is 20 plus years old, and as you recall, those

[1:35:57] are wearing with us on the tour, and it was visited, so this location you should have some

[1:36:03] understanding of where it's packed. If you don't, here it is. So it is one of our neighborhood parks.

[1:36:10] The neighborhood park itself is roughly about 10 acres, and it has about 4,000 feet of

[1:36:16] plus of trail networking within the park itself. This park outside of just having a playground container,

[1:36:22] and also as a volleyball, Santa volleyball court and basketball court.

[1:36:26] So as you'll see highlighted here,

[1:36:31] this is the park location.

[1:36:33] There's a little bit more of a up front mute of it

[1:36:37] and you'll actually see coming off of college trail

[1:36:39] and 84 street here, which it turns into.

[1:36:42] That's the main entrance.

[1:36:44] You can come in.

[1:36:45] Overall, if Comstock is well and I believe you can come off

[1:36:48] or off these back in trail that is correct as well.

[1:36:51] So this is the location.

[1:36:55] The current place structure, again, as I indicated, is 20 plus years old and does that combination

[1:37:01] of the two to 12-year-old, all-in-one structure.

[1:37:04] So there's not as much as you'll see for the younger kids, but nonetheless there are some features for them.

[1:37:09] The currently is two slides.

[1:37:11] There's some monkey bars, there's some climbing features.

[1:37:15] There are four benches on the exterior of the play container.

[1:37:18] There are zero swings.

[1:37:19] And there are a lot of mature trees that create shade structure, which a lot of our newer

[1:37:24] parks, which they have, but don't have, but this particular one has some great mature trees

[1:37:29] surrounding the play container.

[1:37:32] So from the front view, walking towards it through it, as the main entrance, that's kind

[1:37:36] of a broader view of what it looks like.

[1:37:39] So you'll see the basketball court in the back, and the feedback here around the trees is

[1:37:43] the actual sand volleyball court.

[1:37:45] It's a pretty circular play container.

[1:37:48] And then you have your four benches on their own paths outside of the play container.

[1:37:55] So I show you this back and seen it from the backside because this is where you may see some adjustments

[1:38:00] specifically in the size of the play container.

[1:38:02] But as again, you can see one of the things that we always hear is shade, shade, shade,

[1:38:06] for parents, make sense, kids, make sense.

[1:38:11] This is again one of them we have fortunate enough to have a decent amount of shade,

[1:38:14] throughout the entire park and in this vicinity.

[1:38:17] So, we would look at, as I indicated here, just moments ago, there are no swings.

[1:38:26] So as you, as I've been familiar with Southern Lakes, one of the things that we needed to

[1:38:30] do is to expand the plate container to accommodate the fall and safety zones that are

[1:38:36] required for swings.

[1:38:38] So, excuse my sketchiness here to no pun intended.

[1:38:43] This yellow line represents a current play container.

[1:38:46] We look at cutting that out, if you will, and expanding outwardly, which is technically, I think, the west, removing a bunch, and we remove one of those troops.

[1:38:59] Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Yeah.

[1:39:01] So, I know that's not what anybody wants to hear at all.

[1:39:05] So, given what we currently do with removal of trees, not idea.

[1:39:09] So I didn't get it earlier that we have a nursery.

[1:39:13] We would look at planting a couple more trees

[1:39:15] and move it with losing one.

[1:39:17] So again, not ideal.

[1:39:19] But in order to look at expanded as a play container,

[1:39:23] in any direction, you would have to go west.

[1:39:28] Maybe this is a dumb question,

[1:39:29] because I don't see the scale of it,

[1:39:31] but instead of it going horizontally,

[1:39:35] could you not make that vertical and not lose a tree?

[1:39:39] So do you mean to come up to come straight out to make the swings go this way?

[1:39:45] Can you just like go around the trees and then open it up on the other side?

[1:39:49] Yeah, like come and go like...

[1:39:50] I mean, if you need a specific amount of space, right?

[1:39:53] It's a rectangle you're looking at.

[1:39:55] Can't the rectangle go this way.

[1:39:57] Result.

[1:39:58] Internially.

[1:39:58] Okay.

[1:40:00] Any challenges and I'll let our city force or comment on it? The closer you get those concrete,

[1:40:04] play containers to routes, they die in top of all of them. But I'll let our force or comment on that.

[1:40:10] That is correct. We tend to interrupt the root zone, compaction, internal have to routes, in effect,

[1:40:16] the trees. So, anyway, we're going to continue.

[1:40:21] We're going to continue. We're going to continue.

[1:40:22] We're going to continue.

[1:40:26] We're going to continue.

[1:40:29] of the flatest, most open space to add on the container.

[1:40:33] Got it.

[1:40:34] Again, that idea.

[1:40:36] And as a reminder to this body and for some of you maybe new to this commission, we actually

[1:40:40] have what we also call a true preservation plan.

[1:40:43] So we have a fund based on developers that are required to do a certain level.

[1:40:49] Plant replacement of the clear their property for development, which then in this case,

[1:40:54] we would also look at utilizing that fund.

[1:40:56] Also to put plantings in this particular park.

[1:40:59] So, we do have funding to replace these trees as well.

[1:41:03] Question, kind of related and related.

[1:41:07] Do you always replace trees that are lost due to different reasons?

[1:41:12] Like for example, there were some storm that damaged some tracing of wood.

[1:41:18] Are those going to be replaced with the ones you have in the nursery?

[1:41:21] I get a lot of pressure content I respond to that.

[1:41:23] Yeah, particularly we do, unless the treaty would happen to be in a bad location, the ones

[1:41:28] that you are talking about at what was the majority of them will be replaced.

[1:41:34] Some of them along the trail that were too close, obviously won't, you know, there were wild

[1:41:39] trees, anyways, not necessarily planted, and there's a couple others up top that will not

[1:41:44] be replaced.

[1:41:45] But the ones tell me the player, I'm thinking you're talking about, will be replaced.

[1:41:50] Great, thank you.

[1:41:51] And every year, during that part of that tree preservation plan,

[1:41:55] we're seeing a forester along with our public works team and stormwater team.

[1:42:01] We look at where we can plant this on trees every year.

[1:42:04] So I can't remember, what do you, how many trees are we planting this year?

[1:42:07] Just out of that fund alone.

[1:42:10] Sorry to put you on the spot, Brian.

[1:42:12] Over 50 so far, but I still plan to do a fall planting.

[1:42:16] So then we'll probably add additional 30 to 40.

[1:42:20] Again, not ideal, by any stretch, the news I want to report, but just something to consider.

[1:42:30] So, I think, oops, that was not what I wanted to do to be back to my pointer.

[1:42:42] So this is just a little bit of a deal if you weren't on the tour, so this kind of shows

[1:42:45] a little bit more.

[1:42:58] So as it comes to community engagement, I think this is the important factor of a lot

[1:43:03] of the things that the reason is why we do what we do.

[1:43:05] So, following the kind of modeling that we did with the Southern Lakes Park and the VMCC

[1:43:11] playground replacement park or playground replacement at the park, we started this particular

[1:43:17] process of engagement about seven months prior to any level of insulation.

[1:43:22] That gives us the opportunity to different mechanisms of engagement to really hear from

[1:43:26] the community, both broad community as a whole, but also within the neighborhood as well.

[1:43:33] So that same approach is what we'll do and I'll speak to this slide here shortly, but I wanted to break down kind of what we're doing for that engagement.

[1:43:42] So as you see on the previous slide you'll see a postcard.

[1:43:45] That is a survey with the QR code that has opened to all of our city residents.

[1:43:49] It opened last week's September 2nd and I'll go through the 20 second or 23rd.

[1:43:54] That survey will be posted to our website on our current future projects page.

[1:43:59] Also be social media campaign, which if you follow social media page, it's already up there.

[1:44:05] We'll also do an on-site open house.

[1:44:08] Act, see for how a park itself, on Tuesday, October 21st, from 5, 6, 30 pm.

[1:44:15] So invite all commissioners to come.

[1:44:17] Be a part of that.

[1:44:17] It's a great experience.

[1:44:19] And then postcard that you just seen was sent to over about a thousand residents in that neighborhood.

[1:44:24] So, they have direct knowledge of what's happening within postpartics proximity to that particular

[1:44:31] park, and that either the user survey for coming to the open house.

[1:44:37] I can report as of June, or June, September of last week, which is June, I keep saying

[1:44:44] June, what was last Friday, was that day, fifth, fifth, we had over a hundred survey respondents.

[1:44:53] It has opened for five days.

[1:44:56] So again, when you open it broadly to the community, you've got all types of different response.

[1:45:00] Comments, which I will report these out to the, to the, to the, to the, to the practice of.

[1:45:07] So as we look at a timeline, we have a meeting set up with flagship, LSI. That is the same group that did Southern Lakes. It is the same group that did fell valley and same group that did here to Jules park. The way we're able to select directly working with this vendor is they are on the state contract.

[1:45:25] And if vendors on a state contract, we're able to work directly with them and not necessarily go through the bidding process or RFP process.

[1:45:35] Great product, great quality, so we chose and to utilize them, so they'll be working with us as a design team.

[1:45:42] So shortly after we get the survey results, again we'll meet with flagship between September 24th and 29th.

[1:45:50] For the next kind of several weeks after that,

[1:45:53] a flagship will start working on plumerant designs

[1:45:55] based on the server results and feedback from staff.

[1:46:01] Also, at that time, at the end of that,

[1:46:03] we'll be able to only present those preliminary designs

[1:46:05] to that open house.

[1:46:06] Hey, we've heard feedback.

[1:46:09] Here's what could end up,

[1:46:10] probably a couple of different options.

[1:46:12] flagship will be there.

[1:46:14] They're going to want to listen,

[1:46:16] and we'll really try to gauge and

[1:46:18] collect the debt of what people like or don't like.

[1:46:21] And then we'll allow us after that to do any refinements

[1:46:24] from October 27th through the 31st and then also me again.

[1:46:29] The reason you're announcement, you got a work session.

[1:46:31] On November 12th, we will bring those two options.

[1:46:34] I need tweaks and feedbacks for you as a commission

[1:46:37] to select one of the two options.

[1:46:40] And then at that 12th meeting, the regular scheduled meeting

[1:46:44] at seven, we will ask you to provide a recommendation for Council to approve the authorization

[1:46:50] to purchase in year 2025 so we could take advantage of 2025 pricing.

[1:46:56] Then that will allow us then to more than likely do some level of deconstruction of the

[1:47:05] current playgrounds, containers so that we are one of the first things to happen right

[1:47:08] in the spring. So that we're going to hopefully open early spring or late spring, early summer

[1:47:13] of next year.

[1:47:16] Any questions?

[1:47:20] Our decisions on November 12th back to back. Is that correct? So as you look at the work session

[1:47:26] on November 12th at 5 p.m., this particular one will vet all the final of the two options.

[1:47:32] Say what you like or don't like or if you want to just say it and we prefer this one.

[1:47:35] Then, at the following meeting, we will

[1:47:38] still present it as a brand new, not brand new project,

[1:47:43] but without knowing and understanding

[1:47:44] what the actual recommendation was from the five o'clock,

[1:47:47] I'll include in the packet or the presentation,

[1:47:50] and then ask for recommendation.

[1:47:54] Other questions?

[1:47:56] I get a quick one, because I'm bummed about the tree.

[1:47:59] Could you do a separate, like, satellite container for swings?

[1:48:03] Like, do they have to be connected?

[1:48:05] And we could, you know, typically we'd run with one container that houses the two to

[1:48:15] five age group, the five to twelve age group, and then stand alone pieces plus swings.

[1:48:22] I guess if we had a separate container that would probably now we'd have to bring sidewalk

[1:48:27] around the container somehow or off the trails somehow, two of the new container,

[1:48:34] not saying

[1:48:34] we can't, but is possibility and that's the reason why the price will up because we'll have

[1:48:40] to have trail leading up to it.

[1:48:42] Cool.

[1:48:43] Thank you.

[1:48:48] And again, I'm not asking for any formal action, just want to give it up to that.

[1:48:52] Thank you, Adam.

[1:48:53] Yep.

[1:48:54] Now we can take a break.

[1:48:54] Please sit down.

[1:48:58] All right.

[1:48:58] We're going to go on to administrative presentations and our park superintendent Brian

[1:49:03] Fulbodette.

[1:49:04] Would you give a report to us, please?

[1:49:06] Sure.

[1:49:06] Good evening chair commissioners, as you probably all aware, falls in the air here and it's

[1:49:16] a very, very busy fall. The rain is not stopped. The grass continues to grow. I get three

[1:49:23] remaining seasonals and some tired full time employees besides but we're making the best of what

[1:49:29] we can do out there. Walter, I'm continuing to happen every weekend again all the way through

[1:49:35] the end of September.

[1:49:37] Our picnic shelters in rentals have been very busy with, you know, typically for every weekend

[1:49:43] in South Valley, a couple of the swing bridge at Rich Valley.

[1:49:49] So that takes up, you know, a lot of weekend hours preparing and turn over ball fields

[1:49:54] and cleaning bathrooms and preparing for the next picnic to come in.

[1:49:59] Cool.

[1:50:00] Crews also been doing a lot of landscape means, throughout our park system, you know, trimming

[1:50:04] drums, poem, weeds, span, replacing plants, that sort of stuff. We've also been working on

[1:50:12] stump grinding. We had some storm damage. We had about 25 trees out there that either were storm

[1:50:18] damage or died for some reason or not. So we had a stump scroll and now are working on a tree replacement

[1:50:24] plan to get those replaced.

[1:50:27] We also have a few irrigation issues out there.

[1:50:32] So at the time of the year, we'd like to get that sort of stuff fixed before we do

[1:50:35] bolts and we typically do irrigation bolts, a middle of October, so we're trying to make sure

[1:50:41] the systems are still running correctly the way they should, even though the rates and times

[1:50:48] have been way lower just through the random month that we've had this year.

[1:50:52] They've been actually very little.

[1:50:55] So when we do turn them on, we do see leaks.

[1:50:57] We see heads that aren't moving.

[1:50:59] That's sort of stuff.

[1:51:02] Cruise also been busy.

[1:51:04] We have a lot of natural area trails through the woods like Maryana Ranch

[1:51:08] and Harman Park Bike Reserve.

[1:51:13] There's probably close to 15 miles of those types of trails that need to be

[1:51:17] not on a regular basis, but, you know, every four to six weeks and with this year with all the rain,

[1:51:25] it is every four weeks. We need to mobile or getting complaints that the grass is too high to even bike through.

[1:51:31] So, also been busy because, you know, keeping up painting soccer fields, football fields,

[1:51:36] fall lines, you know, all those fall sports that are out there.

[1:51:40] And we have about three weeks left, a fall sports in our owner park system, for that

[1:51:49] we'll take back a little bit on maintenance, so morning we'll probably continue through

[1:51:55] mid-October, and then we'll be leaving clean up of course.

[1:52:01] The crew's also been anticipating doing a prescribed burn at the period here to do its

[1:52:07] Park, so we're in the process of cutting burn breaks to contain the fire, going around

[1:52:15] a lot of fence lines at the dog park underneath electric standards, that sort of stuff.

[1:52:24] Other projects heritage village park has come along very nicely, they've been working

[1:52:29] on the port and place rubble of the playground, there probably be six or seven into it.

[1:52:40] It's looking very nice, they're into putting the colors and the schema on that, anticipate

[1:52:45] they finish with the port and place by the end of the week.

[1:52:48] They've also been pouring the remaining concrete there, so they think they got the nine shade

[1:52:56] structure.

[1:52:56] Footings left to do, but otherwise the concrete work will be done, we're on mobile week

[1:53:02] two of the curing process, so in another couple of weeks we'll be starting with after being

[1:53:09] needs to sit for 30 days before we put the final quote on the actual splash pad with the features

[1:53:14] are going to be. I don't know, so getting involved the West Wheel at Rich Valley is no longer

[1:53:24] being used for the season, it's just the east field with all the baseball fields, so we're

[1:53:30] anticipating doing a restoration on the infields. We have, on the edge, lips of the infields,

[1:53:38] they're really bad and hazardous, so we're going to start working on some of those.

[1:53:44] We're also going to get a punch list of items at South Valley Park that we're going to continue to work

[1:53:48] to get the turf to more established fixing erosion problems and handful of other things.

[1:53:58] The goats, that's all family. They're doing very well. We're re-grazing them now.

[1:54:05] They're on the third paddock, so basically they're on the second round on the third pad.

[1:54:14] There are still lots of people going to see him and where are the bullets at, so it's

[1:54:20] been neat to see.

[1:54:22] Let's see a few weeks ago I got a post by employee that he put in his resignation.

[1:54:32] So that employee will be leaving September 26th, so I'm also been in the process of posting that

[1:54:39] and reharing them as soon as possible.

[1:54:44] Other than that, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

[1:54:49] Thank you, Brian. Any questions?

[1:54:51] Is there a hawk still that's out of value or how they...

[1:54:55] I believe it's young, grew up in full waste,

[1:54:59] so it's not super...

[1:55:00] Detective any more, I have not heard of anybody being chased all the way.

[1:55:04] It's a hoff, did you say?

[1:55:09] Yeah, actually, I was at the Grove Swimming and there was a hawk that flew into the window twice.

[1:55:15] I don't know if it saw its reflection or what, but it was like, boom, it was loud.

[1:55:20] It was like these are some strong windows.

[1:55:21] Think goodness.

[1:55:22] Oh, in the hawk is okay.

[1:55:24] Yeah.

[1:55:26] Okay. Any other questions, comments?

[1:55:30] for Brian. Thank you, sir. And now we'll have Julie Dorshak, who's our

[1:55:36] recreation superintendent, would you give a snub date, please?

[1:55:39] I will do that. I could even aim, Chair Cook, and I was with the

[1:55:41] commission. Quick, community center update. Our fall membership

[1:55:46] special is going to be starting tomorrow. If you register between September

[1:55:51] 11th and October 10th, we've reduced the enrollment fee to $25, right?

[1:55:56] than the $79 that's typically charged.

[1:56:01] As Brian said, as we head into the fall season,

[1:56:04] people start becoming more active in the community center.

[1:56:07] The girls swim team also came back to for their season,

[1:56:11] which goes through November.

[1:56:13] They utilize our facility, the aquatic center from three to six

[1:56:15] every Monday through Friday, and then also some Saturday

[1:56:18] morning times, and so that does impact our members swimming.

[1:56:22] As specs a little bit, but that's part of our contract with them

[1:56:25] that's expected, and that's kind of an ongoing part of our program that we have run at the Community

[1:56:31] Center. Also a couple of fitness updates. Our fitness offices were recently remodeled

[1:56:38] last week, so it's a much needed improvement for our fitness staff to have an environment

[1:56:44] that's welcoming for our customers. People that come in and have a personal training meeting

[1:56:49] with our staff, and there's a gathering place for them, as well as for our two new staff members

[1:56:54] to have their office combined and they can work in the same office space.

[1:57:00] So it's the first time that we've done that in a number of years of the previous office furniture

[1:57:05] was kind of piecemeal together.

[1:57:08] So it really looks nice.

[1:57:09] Go down and feel free to stop in and say hi and check out the new furniture.

[1:57:13] And then also at the end of this month, we're going to be replacing our fitness flooring.

[1:57:18] So that's going to have a substantial impact on our fitness space for about a week's time.

[1:57:23] We'll take some time to create other optional spaces for people to be able to work out because we have to remove everything out of the fitness area.

[1:57:32] And then move it to, we're going to move the strength training equipment into the bright side room.

[1:57:37] And then move the cardio equipment into the pool side room.

[1:57:40] And there's a conference room right there that the birthday party space.

[1:57:44] So the areas will be changed a little bit while we're doing our best to accommodate and create additional spaces for our customers to be able to

[1:57:53] I believe our fitness staff is also going to create a circuit area along the track or portion

[1:57:59] of the track upstairs.

[1:58:00] And so, again, doing our best to create an optional space and create some fun new, maybe exercise

[1:58:07] routines for people to try out while the space is being revised and updated with an improved

[1:58:14] look.

[1:58:17] What else do I want to tell you when is going to happen?

[1:58:20] Pardon me?

[1:58:21] What is that going to happen?

[1:58:22] It starts some of the, some of the equipment will be start to be moved on September 29th

[1:58:28] and it should be completed by October 5th.

[1:58:31] I believe that Monday it'll be ready for customers to go into the new to the revised fitness space.

[1:58:38] Thank you.

[1:58:40] There'll be plenty of signage around.

[1:58:43] We're going to start communicating it out.

[1:58:45] We've sent out member emails already letting people know.

[1:58:47] But there will be daily science that will let people know, like, go to this space for this

[1:58:52] equipment, go here for this equipment, or go here for the strength training equipment.

[1:58:55] So there will be plenty of information coming for people to know where they can go and where

[1:59:00] they can utilize their equipment to that their typical routines.

[1:59:04] The biggest impact will more than likely be our treadmills.

[1:59:07] We don't have enough electrical spaces in order to house the number of treadmills that we typically

[1:59:13] have on the floor.

[1:59:15] so we'll have at least some options and then, like I said,

[1:59:18] we'll create other options for people to utilize

[1:59:21] to get their workouts in.

[1:59:25] Then I'm moving on to our regular recreation programs.

[1:59:30] As Brian said, all the work that he does,

[1:59:33] we have to, to the sum degree,

[1:59:34] we're the ones that in our department that create those rental permits

[1:59:37] and create those and schedule those activities out.

[1:59:40] And so our staff are busy doing that.

[1:59:43] We currently have 311 programs that are being offered right now, and we have about a

[1:59:51] 1,081 participants that have registered for those programs, those are things like

[1:59:56] football, soccer, swimming lessons, et cetera.

[2:00:00] On September 19th, we're going to be offering our 30th year of the 5th quarter event. It's a collaborative program that we offer with the school district with the Spark program.

[2:00:11] And so at that, we usually have up to, well, actually last year, we had over 200 students participate in that, that it were in grade 6 through 8.

[2:00:20] So we actually closed on it's after the BMCC closes, we started at 9.30 at night and we go to 11.30 at night.

[2:00:28] And we opened up our facility for those young people who come in and have fun and we create different stations and activities for them to participate.

[2:00:37] It's really great, really well attended events and it's a lot of fun.

[2:00:43] And then I'll talk a lot about some of the fall programs that he has coming up.

[2:00:47] I'm going to skip those that I have on my list and then we just have a lot of ongoing tasks which I think I've mentioned to you all in the past.

[2:00:54] Working on the 2026 budget kind of finishing and refining that while entering the 2025 budget.

[2:01:00] Software review is ongoing or narrowing that down and hoping to have a decision in the next 30 to 60 days on a future facility and reservations software program that would replace the current.

[2:01:15] software system that we have, which just doesn't really work very well for us.

[2:01:20] Can I ask a question about that?

[2:01:21] Yes.

[2:01:21] Within your software system, is there a possibility of making it so that guest passes or electronically

[2:01:27] charted?

[2:01:27] Absolutely.

[2:01:29] Thank you.

[2:01:29] Yes.

[2:01:31] I mean, so many improvements.

[2:01:35] I was just telling Adam today.

[2:01:36] We had another meeting with them this morning, so we went through the financial aspects of

[2:01:41] the software.

[2:01:41] and I don't want to get too excited because you know, it always feels like it's maybe

[2:01:49] too good to be true, but it sure feels like it's a really great software company and what I'm

[2:01:55] hearing about the customers that are currently utilizing the software. There's no red flags,

[2:02:02] there's no significant issues with the software from what I'm hearing, so very cautiously

[2:02:07] optimistic that it's going to be a huge improvement for us. I mean obviously there's a

[2:02:11] a lot of work to do to transition to that new software system and it's going to take a lot of time

[2:02:16] and planning, but we're excited to get moving towards that.

[2:02:22] Well, it makes sure that I scan the right kid with the right card when I come in with my

[2:02:26] three kids.

[2:02:27] We should be able to have iPads that would then you would just scan and go like you would just

[2:02:32] be able to have your user, you know, they would have an app and you would have your QR code

[2:02:38] right?

[2:02:38] Oh, that's so cute.

[2:02:39] just, you know, I signed into the activity that you registered for and it would pop up and say,

[2:02:43] are you here for swimming lessons or are you here, you know? So at least that's what it sounds like.

[2:02:49] So a lot more to come or since it's just in the demoing stage, but as we began transitioning and

[2:02:54] starting to implement the software where we're very cautiously optimistic that it's going to be a

[2:02:59] great improvement. You have to be better than what we have.

[2:03:04] I think that that's really the majority

[2:03:06] of my update, and we're also obviously starting to work on our winter, but I'm sure.

[2:03:11] I'll stand for any questions.

[2:03:13] Great.

[2:03:14] Thank you.

[2:03:15] Julie, very much.

[2:03:17] Any questions for Julie?

[2:03:20] I just have a comment.

[2:03:22] I already texted out because I thought his presentation was awesome, but it's, so I've worked

[2:03:27] of them forever, but it's so awesome to see him like really jumping into it.

[2:03:32] He's so enthusiastic about it, so I feel like we're really lucky to have somebody

[2:03:36] you know in charge who's that excited about it.

[2:03:40] That's energy. Yes. Yes.

[2:03:42] Thank you. I'll show that with them. Thank you.

[2:03:46] Okay. Anything else? Thank you, Julie. Very much.

[2:03:49] And Adam, it's back to you. Please, for the Park Superintendent,

[2:03:54] I was given you for the, well, for the whole director update business.

[2:04:00] Do you want to have any comments? Excuse me.

[2:04:02] Oh, I do. Are you sure? You want to think about that?

[2:04:05] Do you really write it such a wonderful job?

[2:04:07] I don't have any additional jobs?

[2:04:09] Amazing.

[2:04:11] Does anybody have any questions for Adam or a comment, sir?

[2:04:16] Once again, things just seem to view running so well here,

[2:04:20] and I participate four days a week,

[2:04:23] and it's just a pleasure to be here,

[2:04:27] and so much energy, and so well running,

[2:04:34] and then, of course, in our park system, just we, it's a jewel, you know, we have here.

[2:04:41] And so, thank you, thank you all so much for what you do.

[2:04:44] And Adam, for the leadership we provide.

[2:04:48] And at this point, we're going to go to Commissioner comments to see kind of,

[2:04:54] try to keep it to 30 minutes, if you would each, that would be appreciated at this hour.

[2:05:00] Niki, what do you have? No, it's past my bedtime, I've got nothing. You don't have me? No, okay. Look.

[2:05:07] St. We're good. Good night. Sandy, leave it. Thank you, everyone. OK, no comment. I don't have no comment. The goodness gracious.

[2:05:17] All right, we've come to the end of another meeting and I will entertain a motion to adjourn this particular meeting.

[2:05:24] Some of these are second.

[2:05:27] I'll second.

[2:05:28] Nicky seconds.

[2:05:29] All in favor of returning the meeting.

[2:05:32] Please signify by saying aye.

[2:05:34] Aye.

[2:05:34] The opposed.

[2:05:35] All right.

[2:05:36] We're adjourned.

Inver Grove Heights Parks & Rec Advisory Commission

Agenda

Transcript