8-27-1979REGULAR MEETING
OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION COMMISSION
August 27, 1979
A regular meeting of the Golden Valley Open Space and Recreation Commission was
held on August 27, 1979, at the Brookview Community Center. Members present:
Chairman Bert Brown, Diane Asproth, Richard Lyons, Ray Petersen, Lowell Benson,
Rhoda Jaffe, Robert Szyman, Emily Johnson, and Chuck Burmesiter. Also in
attendance were Ginny Ginsberg, Peggy Leppik, and Bob Shirely of the Brookview
Study Committee, and Stan Taber and Ruth Soby of the Ad Hoc Community/Senior
Citizens Committee.
The chair requested that the agenda be altered to permit the Chairman of the
Ad Hoc Committee/Senior Citizens Community Center Committee to make his report
first to allow the Brookview Study Committee to meet following the presentation.
Members agreed to alter the agenda.
Stan Taber, Chairman of the Community/Senior Citizen Ad Hoc Committee, presented
a report. He briefly outlined the history of the Ad Hoc Committee, its
charge, the processes it used to fulfill the charge, and he outlined the
presentation made to the City Council. The committee felt that: 1. a. community
center was needed, 2. the renovation of Brookview would be too expensive, 3.
of the alternatives available, the Middle School was the best alternative, 4, if
a new community center was to be built it should be built on the northwest
corner of the Brookview property, and 5. felt the need to explore alternatives
for the Brookview building to become revenue producing.
Mr. Taber was questioned about the site selected for the community center, if
it was to be built. He stated that the northwest corner of the Brookview property
was preferred because of easy access to transportation and proximity to the
library and the city hall complex.
Ginny Ginsberg felt that not enough consideration had been given to provide day
care center service in the community center. Jaffe responded that the
committee found that there were too many requirements to fulfill, there was
available space in local day care center facilities and the committee wished to
avoid duplicating services. There will be room available for drop—in service
for mothers taking classes in the community center.
Taber was again questioned on the process used to define the scope of the
Senior Citizen/Community Center. He stated that they called in experts in the
areas of health, child care, and recreation at the initial stages. Several
community meetings were held at the Middle School to get community input but
these sessions were poorly attended. Finally, he stated that the sub—committee
made arbitrary cuts of the needs originally defined by the experts.
Ginny Ginsberg underscored the importance of social services, besides recreation
to be part of the community center.
Diane Asproth asked if the Center's facilities would need to measure up to
private clubs to attract community people. She followed with a question that
if they did, would the rates for use then exclude some of Golden Valley's
citizens. The response was that the Recreation Department intended to run a
first class operation which should be within the means of the citizens of Golden
Valley.
Open Space and Recreation Commission
page two
It was pointed out that the Council had asked the Commission to review the Ad
Hoc Community/Senior Citizens Community Committte's report and to respond to
the council's charge.
Chuck Burmeister sought the basis of Brookview being deemed inadequate. Taber
pointed out that the committee had tourned Brookview with Bob Van Hoe, an
architect. He pointed out that such things as lack of insulation and the
necessity of replacing the roof and some footings were examples of the
deteriorated condition of the building.
Peggy Leppik reminded the committee that no official decision to scrap Brook—
view had been made, and, in fact, the Brookview Study Committee was to look at
the question of the use of Brookview and its disposition.
Chuck Burmeister questioned the need for the Senior/Community Center. He was
told that demographics are available which project what the city will be like
in the next 15 to 20 years. Briefly, Taber stated that the city was definitely
getting older and thatthe need was there. Chuck Burmeister then asked about
peoples attitudes and interests. Tabor responding that it it tough to determine
these, but they have looked at the progression of activities and interest and
made some judgements.
The Chair thanked Taber and the Sub Committee for their hard work and the
presentation. He then excused himself from the meeting to sit with the
Brookview Study Committee. Rhoda Jaffe, vice chairman, replaced him at the
chair.
Rhoda Jaffe pointed out that since the first choice of the sub—committee was
to purchase the Middle School, and that option had eluded the city, the
Commission should now look at the construction of the facility on the
Brookview property.
John Brenna then reviewed plans for the basic building which would consist of
16,418 square feet, at a cost of approximately $48,50 per square foot. The
cost for energy requirements for the building would be about $15,000 a year,
which approximated the annual cost for energy for Brookview.
A discussion then insued regarding the council's charge to the commission:
Richard Lyons felt that the commission was looking at four separate things:
1. senior citizen center, 2. new pool, 3. golf club house, 4. community
center.
Rhoda Jaffe stated that the city council has determined that there is need
for the community center and its charge to the commission was to identfiy
program needs and priorities, and building construction needs and priorities.
The commission agreed with that interpretation of the charge.
Ray Petersen felt that the commission would need background information from
the recreation staff to prioritize heeds. John Brenna said that he would
arrange for the Recreation Department's staff to meet with the commission to
identify needs and respond to questions. He also said that the Brookview
Study Committee would report its findings to the commission.
There was concern about the time available before the November 29th dead—
line for the commission's action report on the community center to the
Council and meeting the deadline may require special meetings.
L�
Open Space and Recreation Commission
MINUTES
page three
The minutes for the regular meeting of April 23, 1979 were approved.
The minutes for the regular meeting of July 9, 1979, were approved.
The minutes from the special meeting of July 25, 1979 were approved.
The minutes of the regular meeting of July 30, 1979, were approved as
corrected. Amend page two, third line, to the end, with sincere gratitude
to the temporary secretary.
BROOKVIEW GOLF COURSE
John Brenna reported on the fairway overlay plan for the Brookview Municipal
Golf Course. The course is to close October 1st, so that P.M. Johnson
Contractors who are now taking fill out of 194 would be able to spread it
on fairways 1, 18, 2, 9, and 10, to correct the peaty, bogg swamp condition
of those fairways. There are several reasons why this is being done. First
of all, the ground is much too ,low, and after it rains, it is too wet. When
there is a drought, the fairways tend to crack to the point, where, due to
the unsettled condition of the peat of the fairways now have to be farmed
every three years to take waves of peat out of the fairways. As those waves
appear, machines used to maintain the fairways take terrible beatings. After
the fill is spread, the contractors were also to spread dirt to within one
inch of the control and seed it. The only park department expense will
be to construct two ponds, extend the irrigation system, and additional seed
in the spring. The course will not be back into full operation until middle
or late July of 1980. While the overlayed fairways are developing, the
remaining holes will be set up as a nine hold course, so that not all
revenues will be lost between opening day during the spring and early summer.
Chwck Burmeister and Bob Szyman questioned whether the remaining fairways
could not be overlayed at the same time. John Brenna reported that the
original plan called for a complete overlay, but that was under the assumption
that the program could be started September 1st. The holes now being done
are the worst five and highest on the priority list, and he felt that he
could live with the others in their current condition. He is taking a
conservative approach to insure that the revenue will be insured from at
least nine holes all next year. Chuck Burmeister was afraid that by over—
laying one year and then the next year, and a third year, people may become
upset witth the course being torn up every year or every other year.
BUDGET
John Brenna then reported on the 1980 budget. He explained how the budget
was built using weed control as an example. He explained that a lot of
fluctuation between the 1979 and 1980 budget was because of the new accounting
processes. The budget was reviewed program by program, and specific points
questioned and explained. It was noted that there were no projections
of income reported.
There was considerable discussion regarding the fee system for the tennis
courts. It was suggested that the results be reviewed and that the board be
prepared to make recommendations to the City Manager and City Council in
October.
Open Space and Recreation Commission
page four
Dick Lyons went on record on being against the cut which appeared in the
Youth Employment Service Administration. Chuch Burmeister stated that
philosophically he doesn't like the cut, but that he could live with the
$14,000. However, if it drops below that figure, he suggested that the
commission should pursue the matter.
MOTION Chuck Burmeister then moved that the commission is to pursue the
cut in the Youth Employment Service Administration if the budget amount
of 1980 drops below the $14,000 figure. Dick Lyons seconded the motion
and it passed unanimously.
John Brenna then made the director's report to the commission. He briefly
reviewed the commission's tour of parks and park facilities, August 25th.
Then he outlined the procedures being used to develop Laurel Avenue Ponds
in compliance with the recommendations coming from the July 25th special
meeting.
Burt Brown had returned to the meeting and also reported on the Laurel Avenue
Ponds project and identified council approval of the commissions'
recommendations coming out of the July 25th meeting.
An.InI IRNMF NT
The meeting adjourned at 11:33 p.m.
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Chairman UVice Chairman