Minutes - Council - 06/12/2003 - Joint Park & Recreation Commission

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City Council meetings a few times a year, rather than just once. He stated that he likes the idea of phasing the parking areas and recommended that the Commission decide what their immediate needs are in moving forward. He stated that the biggest problem he saw was staffing for the maintenance and upkeep of the park because of recent statewide budget issues. He stated that he did not want the needs of people and children to suffer because of budget cuts and felt a lot of planning has gone into this park. He stated that he lives near the park and many of his neighbors have stressed that they like the open spaces and wildlife and hope there is not a significant change to the land. Chairperson Johns stated that she would like to have as much road~vay and parking completed as possible and would also like to have trees planted at the same time. She stated she felt some of the costs for tree planting could be alleviated by using R.Y.A.A. youths as volunteers. Parks/Utilities Supervisor Boos stated that having trees was also an important issue to the citizen task force during the park's planning stages. City Engineer Olson explained the timeline and possible routes for the sewer and water connections and how this could effect construction. He stated that the feasibility study should be completed in the next two months. City Administrator Norman reiterated Mayor Gamec's comments that the staffing costs for maintenance and upkeep may have more of an impact than the construction costs. He stated that the City just may not have the staff to support a new park. Commissioner Ostrum questioned what could be completed with the $215,000 that was approved in the CIP. Parks/Utilities Supervisor Boos stated that he felt a class 5 driveway could be completed with no curbing and no trees. Commissioner LaMere questioned whether the fields would be usable with the class 5 driveway. Parks/Utilities Supervisor Boos stated that they would be usable, but that it raised other issues such as people spinning around on the gravel and driving vehicles onto the fields. Commissioner Ostrum stated that he felt the City needed to be practical and complete what we could with $215,000. Motion by Commissioner Ostrum, seconded by Commissions LaMere, to construct a basic, class 5 access road and parking area without any trees, with the approved $215,000 from the CIP. Commissioner Shryock stated that if this was constructed with class 5 materials, she felt there should be some effort made to stop cars from driving onto the fields like staking and roped fencing. She stated that she would also like it made clear that the park was under construction. Park and Recreation Commission/June 12, 2003 Page 4 of 9