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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-02-17 Parks and Trails Minutes CITY OF CORCORAN Corcoran Parks and Trails Meeting Minutes February 17, 2022 - 7:00 pm The Corcoran Parks and Trails Commission met on February 17, 2022, in Corcoran, MN. Present were Commissioners Anderson, Christenson, Hoffmann, and Meister. Absent were Commissioners Dugan, Nybo, and Strehler. Also present were Director of Public Safety Gottschalk and Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck. Present virtually was Councilmember Nichols, Interim City Administrator Beise, and Public Works Director Mattson. 1. Call to Order / Roll Call Chairperson Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Chairperson Anderson invited all in attendance to rise and join in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. Agenda Approval Motion: Made by Meister, seconded by Christenson, to approve the agenda as presented. Voting Aye: Anderson, Christenson, Hoffmann, and Meister. (Motion carried 4:0) 4. Minutes a. Minutes – January 20, 2022, Meeting Minutes Motion: Made by Meister, seconded by Christenson, to approve the minutes as presented . Voting Aye: Anderson, Christenson, Hoffmann, and Meister. (Motion carried 4:0) 5. Open Forum Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck informed the Commission that Katherine Drivas was interested in speaking. Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck, Director of Public Safety Gottschalk, and Interim City Administrator Beise adjusted the technology to ensure those in the Council Chambers were able to hear Katherine Drivas. Katherine Drivas, 6747 Old Sturbridge Drive, was interested in learning more about the policy associated with park and trail naming. Drivas expressed that she felt the areas should be named after the natural surroundings, wildlife, or the history of Corcoran. Drivas also commented on the 2040 Comprehensive Plan having an open space park located where her house is and that it should be shifted slightly to the east. Chairperson Anderson informed Drivas that the Comprehensive Plans only show search areas for parks. Chairperson Anderson also informed Drivas that Wildflower Park was named after the road it is located on, but that at this point there is not a formal policy for naming parks. 6. Presentations a. Corcoran Administration Department Interim City Administrator Beise provided an update on the items happening in the Administration Department including the Northeast District Design Guidelines open house, concept plans for industrial sites, City Administrator job search, and the February 24 joint Commission and Council work session discussing the City’s goals. Interim City Administrator Beise informed Commissioners that staff felt prepared for 2022 elections. Chairperson Anderson requested more information about the City’s data protection measures. Interim City Administrator Beise informed the commission of the City’s involvement with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, firewalls, and threat assessments to ensure the City’s data is protected. CITY OF CORCORAN b. Corcoran Public Works Department Public Works Director Mattson informed the Commission of the tasks Public Works has been involved with related to parks and trails including the planning process of City Park, the boardwalk in the Bellwether development, linear park in the proposed downtown area, and the natural area in Cook Lake Highlands. Public Works Director Mattson also updated the Commission of the maintenance planning for trails that the City will be taking ownership of within the coming years. Public Works Director Mattson informed the Commission of utility planning including the purchasing of the plant and municipal well land. Vice-Chairperson Meister asked if the Public Works Department had spoken with other Public Works Departments about the equipment they use, to which Public Works Director Mattson informed the Commission that they connect with surrounding communities and Three Rivers Park Districts to determine what equipment is necessary for proper maintenance. Chairperson Anderson requested more information about the City’s salt usage compared to surrounding cities, to which Public Works Director Mattson informed the Commission that staff attends trainings to manage salt usage and staff was using their best judgement on salt usage. Public Works Director Mattson updated the Commission of the utility stubbing that took place from Rush Creek Reserve to City Park that would save money that could later be reallocated for other items at the park. c. Corcoran Police Department Director of Public Safety Gottschalk informed the Commission of the BCA audits, hardware and software security, and consulting with CIT for data protection measures. Director of Public Safety Gottschalk discussed employee retention and recruitment following some turnover and new hires. Director of Public Safety Gottschalk went through trends for various crimes, apprehension numbers, and covid-19 pandemic data. Commissioner Christenson requested additional information on case spikes, to which Director of Public Safety Gottschalk said that Corcoran is seeing spillover crimes from surrounding communities. Commissioner Hoffmann asked if the City tracks the crime data specific to the City of Corcoran, to which Director of Public Safety Gottschalk informed them that they do, but he did not have the information with him. Commissioners thanked Director of Public Safety Gottschalk for the service of the officers, and he thanked the community for partnering with the police department. 7. Unfinished Business – None 8. New Business a. Site Plan, Preliminary Plat and Administrative Permit for “Corcoran II Substation” Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck provid ed an overview of the proposed substation located on County Road 116 and Larkin Road that would create one lot and two outlots. Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck informed the Commission that the applicant would acquire 4.37 acres from the existing 36.92 acres, but due to the City’s proposed linear park along 116, staff suggests accepting the land for park dedication. Commissioner Hoffmann requested additional information on the linear park, to which Chairperson Anderson informed the Commission that the park would be a wide trail with a vegetation buffer. Commissioners requested more information about the purpose of the substation and if it was replacing a previous substation. Curt Cordt, Direc tor of Engineering with Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric, informed the Commissioners that it would help relieve some of the pressure being put on the other substation. Commissioners requested more information regarding the vegetation buffers and safety measures in place to prevent people from entering the substation land. Cordt informed the Commissioners that this substation would have vegetation and safety measures in place to deter people from entering. Commissioners reviewed the artist renditions of the vegetation buffer brought forward by Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric. Eli CITY OF CORCORAN Sack, GIS Technician with Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric, also noted that the vegetation would be shorter than the electric lines going into the substation. Motion: Made by Christenson, seconded by Meister, to accept the land-in-lieu of cash for park dedication. Voting Aye: Anderson, Christenson, Hoffmann, and Meister. (Motion carried 4:0) 9. Reports/Information a. Active Planning Applications – Informational only Commissioner Anderson asked Councilmember Nichols if there was anything he would like to point out to the Commissioners, to which Councilmember Nichols highlighted the Tavera 3rd addition as the process has been progressing quickly which would require an upcoming neighborhood park and trails. b. Recreation Supervisor Update Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck provided an overview of the items she has been working on since the last Parks and Trails Commission meeting including baseball registration, supervising ice rink attendants, program coordinator hiring process, and grant paperwork. Commissioner Hoffmann asked if future grants could be used for the tennis courts at City Park, to which Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck informed the Commission that staff was waiting for the facility Hennepin County Youth Sports Grant to make adjustments to the tennis courts. 10. Subcommittee & Miscellaneous Reports a. City Council Report Councilmember Nichols provided an update on the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Act stating that Council directed staff to draft a contingency ordinance in case the legislation appears that it will pass. Councilmember Nichols informed the Commission of the urban conservation subdivision ordinance amendment being denied. Councilmember Nichols thanked Katherine Drivas for her recommendation on naming policies for the City amenities. Commissioner Christenson requested a brief overview of the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Act to which Nichols informed the Commission that it would impact Corcoran’s housing density, park dedication, and open space that could be retained. b. Garden Club Report Tom Anderson informed the Commission that the Garden Club would like to utilize part of the Memorial Garden Fund on wildflower plugs. Motion: Made by Meister, seconded by Hoffmann, to approve purchasing of the wildflowers through the Memorial Garden Fund. Voting Aye: Anderson, Christenson, Hoffmann, and Meister. (Motion carried 4:0) c. Park Dedication Fund Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck informed the Commission that the interest for the Park Dedication Fund had not been applied yet. Chairperson Anderson noted that $1,500,000 in the Park Dedication Fund might seem like a lot, but the cost of projects adds up. 11. Other Business/Announcements Chairperson Anderson thanked Commissioner Hoffmann for serving on the Parks and Trails Commission. 12. Commissioner Liaison Calendar 02/24/2022 03/10/2022 03/24/2022 04/14/2022 04/28/2022 05/12/2022 05/26/2022 CITY OF CORCORAN Anderson Strehler TBD Nybo TBD Christenson Anderson Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck informed the Commission that the March 24 City Council meeting’s liaison would be determined later as Commissioner Hoffmann would no longer be on the Commission. 13. Adjournment Motion: Made by Meister, seconded by Christenson, to adjourn the meeting at 8:20 pm. Voting Aye: Anderson, Christenson, Hoffmann, and Meister. (Motion carried 4:0) Submitted by Jessica Christensen Buck, Recreation Supervisor