HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark Board Minutes 11.01.2007 MINUTES
CITY OF LAUREL
PARK BOARD
NOVEMBER 1, 2007
5:30 P.M.
Members Present:
Chairwoman Kate Hart
Bill Haldaman
Kirk Lime
Norm Stamper
Mark Mace
Amy Pollock
Staff..
Acting Pubhc Works Director Kurt Markagard
No pubhc citizens were present.
The meeting was called to order by Chairwoman Hart at 5:30 p.r~ The discussion started with an
update on the draft resolution concerning the use of Riverside Park. Kurt Markegard explained to
the board that the Riverside Park budget was approximately $16,000.00 per year, with about 3
percent being used to fund the caretaker. The rent was off, et at about $250.00 per month.
Items which are needed to make the park a safe use facility is as follows:
1) Curb and gutter needed to direct vehicle traffic and restrict parking at will.
2) Caretaker's house needs new carpeting throughout.
3) Underground utilities including water for irrigation would be necessary to maintain
the green spaces without labor intensive efforts to conserve and distribute irrigation
properly.
4) The addition space needs to be designed and developed to maximize its potential at
Riverside.
5) Some grant writing could be done for matching funds to make changes in the park.
The use could be to update the park as a destination point instead of a last minute
stop.
Kurt hoped this list of items could be taken to the Budget and Finance Committee to discuss them
individually. The Park Board motioned to recommend to the Council that this resolution be
adopted.
In other action by the board, Amy Pollock brought up her anger that nothing has been done to ready
the parks for the play toys that were ordered to go in Lions Park or Nutling Park. Amy thought she
was assured that the work crew that Director Klotz was trying to mobilize to do this work was never
implemented and consequently nothing ever got started in time to install either toy this past year.
The toys are still in storage and cannot be used until next spring. Mr. Markegard explained that the
new toilet buildings at Russell Park and Kiwanis Park near the Kids' Kingdom structure were the
focus of the majority of the crew, along with the new pothole patching machine on the city streets.
Kurt Markegard brought up an issue with the bathrooms at the concession stand in Thomson Park.
He is aware that, after the City crews winterized the bathrooms and water lines in the building,
someone had a key and used them repeatedly and now the crew has to spend more time to winterize
them again. He thinks the lock needs to be changed to stop the use of some individuals using
unauthorized keys.
Norm St, ~ar~ brought up an issue with the lights on the Legion field which were being used on
October 18 during the Laurel town meeting in the High School auditorium. Kirk Lime said that
some groups of baseball teams had some practice for a fall league that no one at the city knew
about. Kirk and Kurt had some disagreement on what was the problem of turning the lights on
during an offperiod. Kurt Markegard showed the committee the charge that NorthWestern Energy
charges the City of Laurel for access to the lights. Kirk Linse never knew of this charge or the total
mount for the month and said that he will be glad to inform the groups using the field so that will
not happen again. Kurt Markegard also thinks that there should be a new lease that includes the use
and access of the lights and the electrical charges. Norm Stamper does not believe that the vast
numbers of people know of these issues, and that once they are notified with a lease, it will be easy
to control it. Kirk Linso had to leave a few minutes early. There was some discussion regarding the
rest of the park before the meeting was adjourned at 6:27 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark Mace