Minutes - Parks and Recreation Commission - 03/12/2009

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Parks Supervisor Riverblood confirmed that could be done, but advised of the cost that would come along with that. Commissioner Barr questioned if a certain amount of funds would be held on reserve for upkeep of the area and ongoing maintenance. Andrea Seiberlich confirmed that an account is being setup and certain individuals have committed to ongoing donations for maintenance. Motion carried. Voting Yes: . Chairperson Johns, Commissioners Erickson, Backous, Barr, Hansen, and LaMere. Voting No: None. Absent: Commissioner Shryock. Case #3: Receive Bids and Authorize. the Construction of Sunfish Lake Park and Trail along Sunfish Lake Boulevard Parks Supervisor Riverblood reported that the Sunfish Lake Park project had been discussed for many years, most actively in the past two to three years. He explained that the park planning process began in recent times with a call for residents to be involved in that process. He advised that based upon the resident input, three concept plans for the park were created and developed into a master plan. He advised that the Council has authorized staff to create plans and specifications and more recently to obtain bids for the project. He advised that the trail had been recommended as the highest priority, along with the passive nature of the proposed park. He stated that tremendous values had been gained and the funding for the park construction would come from the Park Trust Fund, which was largely obtained from a neighboring development. He advised that the Park Trust Fund Balance is a little over $4,000,000 with additional funding available from the Trail Fund. He advised that the project would be fully funded by fees paid by developers of homes in that area that would benefit from the park. He advised that the area had originally been purchased with TIF District financing and $30,000 would need to be paid back to that TIF District. He advised of the prior total estimate of the park elements of $348,000 with the bid of $256,799. He advised that the Commission had budgeted additional funds for that project. He advised that the trail bid was near $58,000. He advised that the actual cost for the park elements and the trail components would be $324,360, plus a few thousand dollars for a retaining wall, which was 30% less than budgeted; He advised that some services would be done in-house by City staff. He advised if the project was accepted and the Commission recommended approval, the request would go to the City Council as early as March 24th and begin as soon as the ground thaws. He stated that in addition to the tremendous value they are gaining through the tough construction economy, it would also provide something for families to do in their neighborhood at no cost. He thought it would be interesting to obtain a value of cash return for the families in that area who will use that area at no cost. He advised that the property values in that area would also increase by a small amount. Commissioner Hansen questioned how much upkeep this would add to the parks department, and if budget cuts would affect this project. Park and Recreation CommissionlMarch 12, 2009 Page 6 of 15