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08.a 02.05.2024 PRC Minutes DRAFT City of Scandia Parks and Recreation Committee Monday, February 5, 2024 A meeting of the Parks & Recreation Committee was held on the above date at the Community Center and Zoom. Present: Terry Gorham (Chair), Greg Zauner, and Dustin Hegland. Zoom participation: Tom Hinz and Kim Johnson. Also Present: Susan Rodsjo (via Zoom, Scandia Heritage Alliance), Heather Benson (Council Representative), Charles Fischer (Director of Public Works), Kyle Morell (City Administrator), and Brenda “Bee” Stignani (Office Assistant.) Gorham called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., a quorum was present. PUBLIC FORUM None APPROVAL OF AGENDA Gorham requested amending the agenda to move item 7.a Scandia Heritage Alliance directly following item 5.a Chair Report to allow Susan Rodsjo to present as a guest earlier in the meeting. Zauner moved to approve the amended agenda, seconded by Hegland. Motion carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Gorham called for any additions or corrections to January 4, 2023 minutes. No additions or corrections were submitted. The minutes stand approved as documented. REPORTS Chair Report Gorham submitted a written report. Gorham stated he would save his comments on the disc golf opportunities until the topic is addressed at agenda item 7.b and added that the Oren/Goose Lake Easement topic raised in the City Council Open Forum may be considered for a March PRC agenda item. NEW BUSINESS Scandia Heritage Alliance Wetland Trail Sue Rodsjo presented via Zoom a power point update on the proposed wetland trail to connect the future Water Tower Barn to the Community Center. Rodsjo covered current funding sources committed as well as opportunities being investigated, in addition to the trail design concepts being considered in connection with incorporating Dakota and Ojibway heritage. Rodsjo requested a member of the Parks & Recreation Committee be available to meet SHA representatives and other consultants as opportunities come up to apply for grants or other funds to assist in development of the proposed wetland trail. Gorham expressed interest and all consented. Rodsjo stated Benson volunteered to be a Council representative in a prior Council meeting. OLD BUSINESS Vinterfest Recap Zauner provided recap of 2024 Vinterfest, highlighting the weather did not cooperate for snow or ice in the rink, and other activities were well attended with 300 served at the Scandia Lions’ pancake breakfast and Gammelgarden reporting 350 visitors. The expansion to start on Friday evening seemed positive even without the hockey tournament. The clogging event was well attended, but the food truck did not sell enough of the products he had prepared on Friday, so he had to take his trailer home to properly cool and store food overnight. He plans to return next year. Zauner requested staff provide a total from the button donation boxes to Gorham prior to the next Council meeting. The star gazing event is rescheduled in April as an Earth Day activity, the chili contest at Elim went well and it was a nice touch for them to add a fire ring and smores. While the VinterWalk About was not well attended, other activities like the rock painting and pine cone critters were very busy. Barton Johnson Update Morell reported Elim Lutheran Church has signed an agreement which will be presented to Council at their next regular meeting. February 5, 2024 Scandia Parks and Recreation Committee Page 2 of 3 Capital Improvements – Community Center Courts Fischer presented a staff report with two options to update the tennis and pickleball facilities. Fischer answered questions and took in comments from PRC members and members of the Pickleball community who joined in person and via Zoom. Fischer will continue to work with Bolton & Menk engineers to complete the design specification for construction. This proposal will be presented to Council at their next regular meeting for a request to send out for bid. Children’s Story Path Hinz reported a set of Vinterfest button contest entries are currently in the Children’s Story Path stands and has material to replace for another set. All other past stories collected have been displayed. Suggestions for how to collect additional materials now and in the future included: requesting Earth Day stories, communicating now with the students regarding the upcoming Internet Story Contest in August, preparing a calendar of Scandia events for story ideas in the classrooms, requesting teachers use the Story Path stands as incentives or rewards for exceptional work from their students, requesting teachers devise a system to narrow the submissions from their classroom to sets of 16, and communicating with the principal during the summer to see if teachers are incorporating projects to be displayed during the year related to topics already in their classroom curriculum. Zauner will contact a representative of the Sister City Council to see if there are any expected tour groups from Sweden to consider a special contest or topic of stories. Collaboration with Elim Church I Recreational Programing Johnson reported that the planning meetings are still underway, including the kick off dinner on February 21st. Johnson suggested PRC host a resource table at the kick off with maps of the city’s trails to distribute and gage interest in organizing future hikes. Johnson offered to check with Pastor Seth to see if a small presentation about Parks could be included; Gorham offered to support Johnson in a script as he is not available to participate. Zauner suggested only Lilleskogen Park and Wind in the Pines be targeted for organized walks for both parking and maintained trails. Morell suggested the first step to be making the trails known to the community and staff will provide printed copies of the trail maps. Stignani added that a laminated map can stay at the resource table and participants can be given the option of taking printed maps or going online with a provided URL address. 2023 Annual Report Gorham called for any changes or comments on the 2023 PRC Annual Report. Johnson questioned the references to appointments in the bylaws instead of volunteering. Zauner clarified that all committee members operate as volunteers after Council has appointed individuals to serve on the committee. Motion to adjourn approve the 2023 Annual Report as presented by Zauner, seconded by Hegland. Motion carried unanimously. PRC Operational Calendar Gorham requested staff provide the bylaws for review in the next meeting packet. NEW BUSINESS Disc Golf Discussion Gorham presented the information from the Chair Report and emphasized that he is waiting for a response on some follow-up questions before there is enough information to prepare a recommendation for Council. Fischer brought up the city’s parcel of land adjacent to the Scandia Elementary School property which is a logical location to consider using this equipment. Discussion included exploring the possibility of permanently installing the nets in a way that students and the public could access without interfering in the school’s use of their space for Track & Field or the wetlands, feasibility of storing the material onsite with a locked storage shed to check out the key February 5, 2024 Scandia Parks and Recreation Committee Page 3 of 3 for use, soliciting neighborhood feedback, and considering a weekend or event as an opportunity to gage public interest before considering an investment to purchase instead of borrow or share disc golf equipment. Gorham will follow up and update the committee in the future. Earth Day Activity Discussion Zauner rescheduled the Sun and Star Gazing activity with the Minnesota Astronomical Society on April 20th at Hay Lake Park when the skies were too cloudy at Vinterfest. Zauner asked if it were possible to ask the principal at Scandia Elementary School if it was possible for some Earth Day stories be prepared by some students. Hinz will follow up. Benson confirmed there is bird seed and peanut butter, but no more pinecones, to repeat the bird feeder activity. Benson also noted that the activity was well received at the Community Center Playground Grand Opening Event rather than Earth Day at Hay Lake Park. Zauner suggested considering collecting new pine cones and offering this activity at the National Night Out event on August 6th. Zauner will follow up with the Scandia’s new deputy, Kevin Booth, who may or may not be aware of organizing this event in Scandia. Summer Recreation Programing Stignani provided a staff report regarding Art in Action, recommending two weeks of camp beginning on July 15th and August 19th. Motion to recommend to City Council offering Festival Theater’s Art in Action Camps for children at the Community Center for the weeks beginning July 15th and August 19th as the Summer Recreational Programing options by Zauner, seconded by Hegland. Motion carried unanimously. AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING The proposed agenda for Monday, March 4, 2024: 1. Capital Improvement – Courts 2. Children’s Story Path 3. Collaboration with Elim church in Recreational Programing 4. Disc Golf Discussion 5. PRC By-laws Review 6. Operational Calendar ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn the meeting by Zauner, seconded by Hegland. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 9:02 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Brenda “Bee” Stignani, Office Assistant/Parks and Recreation Coordinator