Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 01/08/2026

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Motion carried. Voting Yes: Chair Ealain; Commissioners Barten, Arts, Anderson, and Bennett. Voting No: None. Absent: Commissioner Olson. 5. CONIlVIISSION BUSINESS 5.01: Recommend the 2026 - 2035 Parks Capital Improvement Plan Parks & Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood provided background information on the ten- year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). He explained that the projects in the coming years are more certain, where things further out in the plan are often more flexible and may even be more of a placeholder. He presented the park projects included in the CIP for 2026, including trail connections, The Waterfront waterplay project and related amenities, Lake Itasca trail extension, amphitheater lighting, aeration of Sunfish Lake, River' s Bend shelter replacement, playground replacement, park building stabilization, outdoor hockey rinks, and reroof of park shelter/warming house. He noted that each of those projects would still come before the Commission for review and recommendation. Councilmember Buscher referenced the outdoor hockey rink and asked if there would be interest in doing refrigeration under to create a new rink with a nicer warming house that could include skate rental. She noted that would extend the skating season and not make it dependent upon the weather. Parks & Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood noted that type of project was originally planned for Alpine Park with other features such as snowshoe rental, but acknowledged the high cost that project would have. He stated that since that time, they have reduced the number of areas where outdoor skating has been offered and have not received any complaints from residents, which leads them to believe the trend is declining towards outdoor skating and more people are using indoor sheets of ice for skating. He noted that the project could be added back into the CIP, but the cost for a refrigerated sheet of ice may be over $1,000,000. Councilmember Buscher stated that, as someone who has played hockey, she would appreciate that type of amenity in the community and stated that perhaps that would increase the interest from the community in outdoor skating. Commissioner Bennett recognized that the outdoor skating numbers have continued to decrease, but perhaps that project would be something they could think about for the future. He stated that he does like the idea of an asphalt layer under the ice, as that could also provide a smoother opportunity under the ice and an opportunity for summer use with rollerblades, or even overflow parking. Parks & Assistant Public Works Director Riverblood commented that the project could be added to the CIP for a future year as more of a placeholder concept. He stated that they will be looking to pave one or both rinks as the paving would assist in the creation of the ice and provide an additional use in the summer months. He noted that the warmer falls and earlier springs have shortened the outdoor rink usability, as have occasionally warm days that have happened, which have melted the ice in January. He commented that refrigeration of a sheet of ice would assist in a full season of outdoor ice. Park and Recreation Commission/ November 13, 2025 Page 2 of 4