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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-05-19 Parks and Trails Minutes CITY OF CORCORAN Corcoran Parks and Trails Meeting Minutes May 19, 2022 - 7:00 pm The Corcoran Parks and Trails Commission met on May 19, 2022, in Corcoran, MN. Present were Commissioners Anderson, Friedrich, Meister, Nybo, and Strehler. Commissioner Christenson joined at 7:01 pm. Absent was Commissioner Wyffels. Also present were Mayor McKee, Councilmember Nichols, Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck, and Program Coordinator Torvik. 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 Nybo, seconded by Strehler, to approve the agenda as presented. Voting Aye: Anderson, Friedrich, Meister, Nybo, and Strehler. (Motion carried 5:0) 4. Minutes a. Minutes – April 21, 2022, Meeting Minutes Motion: Made by Nybo, seconded by Friedrich, to approve the minutes as presented. Voting Aye: Anderson, Friedrich, Meister, Nybo, and Strehler. Abstain: Christenson (Motion carried 5:0) 5. Open Forum 6. Presentations a. Diamond Lake Regional Trail Master Plan Kelly Grissman, Director of Planning for Three Rivers Park District, provided an overview of the Diamond Lake Regional Trail master plan. Grissman informed the Commission that the planned trail includes connections to other regional and local trails and has increased in size since previous presentations. Grissman informed the Commission that they hope to have Met Council approval and Board adoption of the plan by fall 2022. Chairperson Anderson expressed concerns regarding busy road crossings throughout the plans, to which Grissman informed the Commission that there are grade separated crossings proposed in the plan, but other crossings could be adjusted in the future as they get busier. Vice-chairperson Meister inquired about if the trail meanders in Corcoran to avoid wetlands, to which Grissman stated the route was proposed this way as it had the most support, design feasibility, and could better utilize development and natural resources. Commissioners inquired about a collaborative agreement Three Rivers Park District, to which Grissman informed the Commission that Three Rivers Park District wants to be able to reimburse the City for land purchased on their behalf. Commissioner Christenson asked if the risk of purchasing land on Three Rivers Park District’s behalf would currently be solely on the City. Grissman informed the Commission that while land is beneficial for both parties, previous acquiring of land would have been secured for City use. Councilmember Nichols asked if Three Rivers Park District had any recommendations on how to best assist in the planning of the Diamond Lake Regional Trail. Grissman informed the Commission that acquiring the sections in the sizes shown on the map and frequent communication between parties can be beneficial. Grissman informed the City that Three CITY OF CORCORAN Rivers Park District would reimburse the City for acquiring land on behalf of their agency at an appraised rate. Councilmember Nichols inquired about if Three Rivers Park District had been involved in land discussions regarding the City’s industrial area. Grissman informed the Commission that Stephen Shurson, Diamond Lake Regional Trail Project Manager, had been doing the initial planning on the project and was aware of the area. Councilmember Nichols informed Grissman that development is shown in the phasing plan by 2025 near the area of the proposed Weaver Lake Regional Trail. Motion: Made by Friedrich, seconded by Meister, to recommend approval of the Diamond Lake Regional Trail master plan to Council. Voting Aye: Anderson, Christenson, Friedrich, Meister, Nybo, and Strehler. (Motion carried 6:0) 7. Unfinished Business – None 8. New Business – None 9. Reports/Information a. Active Planning Applications – Informational only Commissioners had no points of discussion. b. Recreation Supervisor Update Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck provided an overview of the items she had been working on since the last Parks and Trails Commission meeting including the youth baseball program, Night to Unite meetings, training Program Coordinator Torvik, registration opening for the youth soccer program, and tree giveaway requests. c. Program Coordinator Update Program Coordinator Torvik introduced himself to the Commission and informed them of his education as a University of Minnesota Duluth graduate, as well as his experience in many outdoor education and programming positions. Program Coordinator Torvik updated the Commission of items he had been working on including preparing and coordinating the youth athletics. 10. Subcommittee & Miscellaneous Reports a. City Council Report Councilmember Nichols updated the Commission of items during City Council meetings since the April 21, 2022 Parks and Trails Commission. Topics included Wright Hennepin’s substation request, St. Therese final plat, and city code updates. Commissioners discussed the incentive for preserving natural resources from a developer perspective. b. Garden Club Report Tom Anderson informed the Commission that no additional trees remained from the 2022 tree giveaway. Anderson also informed the Commission that Yolanda Tillmans was taking on many responsibilities for the Garden Club. Vice-chair Meister noted that they could try to get more members from the 55+ communities that may missing their gardens. c. Park Dedication Fund Recreation Supervisor Christensen Buck noted the donations from the Northwest Area Jaycees of $100,000 and Hanover Athletic Association $50,000. 11. Other Business/Announcements 12. Commissioner Liaison Calendar 5/26/2022 06/09/2022 06/23/2022 07/14/2022 07/28/2022 08/11/2022 08/25/2022 Anderson Meister Strehler Friedrich Nybo Wyffels Christenson CITY OF CORCORAN 13. Adjournment Motion: Made by Meister, seconded by Strehler, to adjourn the meeting at 7:45 pm. Voting Aye: Anderson, Christenson, Friedrich, Meister, Nybo, and Strehler. (Motion carried 6:0) Submitted by Jessica Christensen Buck, Recreation Supervisor