HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark Board Minutes 05.05.2016 City of Laurel
Park Board minutes
Thursday May 5, 2016
In attendance were Iry Wilke,Scot Stokes, LuAnne Engh, Bruce McGee,Amy Pollock,and Gretchen
Paulson. Absent was Chuck Dickerson. Called to order at 5:30 pm.
Others in attendance: Kurt Markegard, Public Works.
Additional items for Tuesday City Council workshop from the Park Board:
• None
1. Public comment
None.
2. Vault toilets—update
City and Public works employees are finishing the water intake bid process. May 4 was the due date for
Legislature grants,this means all the engineers who were working on them were busy. Laurel is
currently asking for$625,000 in grants. The grants will be approved in the next legislature session. The
water intake changes are requirements that state Laurel must lower the intake and remove the old 1956
intake,reducing the city to 1 intake only.
Steps to the process as we understand it:
• Cost estimate—mid-May Kurt will ask Great West Engineering to start work on the cost
estimate.
• Budget& Finance committee to approve cost estimate using Riverside Park restricted funds
• City Council to approve spending from restricted funds by Resolution
3. Report—Pool Committee
• LARC—No update.
• Iry spoke of a conversation he had with Mike Whittaker who suggested that a liner may be
cheaper than painting since all concrete leaks. Iry will find and report back to the board on
pricing of a pool liner for the Laurel pool size 50'x100'x9'.
• YMCA is signed on to run the pool again this year. LuAnne will call Mark Dean,pool director,
about advertising.
4. Leases—
• No leases are currently on the agenda.
• Scot spoke with Heidi Jensen about the groups using the Laurel Rifle Club building for events
currently. She is looking into it to see if they are allowed to be in there. The last Council
meeting was cancelled and Scot is waiting for a response from Heidi.
• Should there be a lease with the Laurel Rifle Club to use the space?—They are using the building
for shooting events,4H and gun safety events.
• No updated from Heidi on the city gifting the LRGC building to LRGC members.
5. Riverside Park Plan—
• No cost estimate from Great West Engineering on permitting yet. See item#2 above.
Camping at Riverside Park was discussed. Kurt mentioned that if there is camping then there should be
someone to account for the funds. If there is a Caretaker,they would be paid for their time. If the
Jaycees were to manage the campground as volunteers,the volunteers would need to be on the MMIA
workman's comp policy for insurance. Campground expenses incurred in previous years include
electricity,caretaker salary,administration fees,trash collection and cash collection/counting. Kurt said
there was approx. $15,000 in income and approx. $17,000 in expenses.
• Another option would be the honor system campground fees,a fee collection box. This would
still need someone to go down there, collect the money,count the money,and turn it in,etc.
• LuAnne will contact Howard Rickard of the Laurel Jaycees to see if they are still interested in
managing the campground. If they are,then a lease should be created between the Jaycees
and the city.
6. Discuss combining committees with Park Board.
Scot will discuss the issue with the Cemetery commission Tuesday night.
LuAnne,Tree Board member, is accepting of the combination of the 3 groups.
Next month we will hear the opinion of the Cemetery commission and the Tree Board.
7. Other items.
Amy brought up the development south of Riverside Park. She asked if it had been approved or not.
Bruce and Kurt both spoke stating the County Commissioners approved the development as Highway
commercial subdivision. The lots will be on well water and septic systems.
Priority list of improvements requested by the Park Board for permitting:
1. Install vault toilets&ADA ramping
2. Open campground—(Jaycees to manage)Add bbq pits,upgrade tables,add fire pits and
shelter(similar to Thomson park shelter).
3. Add playground equipment—flow through materials,tables and/or benches
4. American Legion building improvements—septic tank and drain field work and fix
bathrooms.
5. Clean up metal at old dump in back of Riverside Park—previous estimate sent to Kurt
Markegard from Billings metal company to come and do clean up work.
June 2 at 5:30pm Agenda items:
• Vault toilets—update on progress
• Report-update from LARC and presentation by Colette Decker
• Lease negotiations—none at this time
• Should there be a lease for use of the LRGC building?
• Riverside Park Priorities for Improvement—next step?
• Review cost estimate from Great West on Riverside Park permitting
• Discuss combining committees with Park Board—Cemetery and Tree Board? Will the groups
meet to discuss?
Adjourn at 6:20pm
Gretchen Paulson
Park Board member