3.a) Funding for Lilleskogen Park Trail Closing ��
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SCANDIA
Staff Renort
Date of Meeting: October 23, 2012
To: City Council
From: Kristina Handt, City Administrator
Re: Lilleskogen Park Improvements
Agenda Item#: 3.a.)
Background:
At the September meeting, the Parks and Recreation Committee made a motion to request
funding($15,000) in the 2013 budget for the grubbing of Lilleskogen Park. A presentation was
made to the City Council on September 18`h and some questions arose as to how much park
funding was available. The council directed staff to have this item on the agenda for the October
work session so questions could be answered about funding and what work would be done.
The Lilleskogen Park Restoration Plan was completed in November 2007. This document
included a phasing implementation plan"to allow for smaller increments of funding to be
secured for the project and to allow for improvements to be completed in a logical sequence."
There was quite a bit of discussion at the Oct. 1 Parks and Recreation Committee meeting about
how to proceed. Ultimately, a majority of those in attendance seemed to agree that the first focus
should be on marking and clearing the trails in the park to make it more usable for residents.
This was consistent with the plan that identified"Phase 1 improvements to include site grading
for installation of the trail system and parking lot as well as the trail boardwalk crossings." The
plan identifies removal of invasive species (i.e. buckthorn) as part of Phase 2. Although the
current proposal from the committee does not complete all of the items identified in Phase 1, it is
consistent in keeping with that sequence of events.
At the October 9�'council work session a three year phased plan was discussed by the
Lilleskogen Subcommittee. That plan should first go through the Parks Committee to be
finalized before further Council consideration.
Alex Bildeaux and Tom Vogen were going to mark the trails, identifying the trees to be removed
so the trails could be 8ft wide, and then obtain a quote on the cost of removal.
Issue:
Should funding be included in the 2013 budget for clearing the trails at Lilleskogen Park? If so,
where do the funds come from?
Proposal Details:
Trails will be cleared to a width of 8ft to allow for ease of maintenance. The trail location will
make use of old Hwy 97 and go in a loop around the property.
, Fiscal Impact:
The exact fiscal impact will not be known until the quotes are reviewed at the meeting.
However, one important point to note is that the Parks and Recreation Committee is requesting
the funding comes from the General Fund, rather than the Parks Capital Improvement Fund.
This is different from the information presented to the City Council at their Sept. 18th meeting.
The Committee would like to retain the funds in the Park CIP for matching funds for possible
future gants.
If the Council agrees not to use Park CIP funds for this request they will need to cut funding
from another area in the budget for 2013 since the levy can no longer be increased.
Options: