Here are some brief highlights from the Park Board meeting last night (August 4), and some of the comments made by citizens who appeared at the public hearing to give input on desirable attributes in our next parks superintendent.
This meeting was lightly attended by the Park Board commissioners and staff. Interim superintendent Jon Gurban was missing in action, as were commissioners Carol Kummer, Marie Hauser and Jon Olson.
5:00pm -- Planning Committee
* Approved the schematic design for rehabilitation of winter recreation facilities at Theodore Wirth Regional Park, including new trails and a new reservoir for snow making equipment. Initial funding is $200 thousand from the city and $300 thousand from "regional parks." Initial phase expenses are $440,000 and $60,000 already spent. TOTAL COST is $4.6 million, and no source of funding is yet identified, but will probably require state bonding and possibly help from the Three Rivers Park District. So, despite approval, this will go nowhere without a lot more money.
* Report on Upper Harbor Terminal by staff and outside consultant Bruce Chamberlain working for Friends of the Mississippi River and American Rivers regarding potential re-use and redevelopment of the Upper Harbor. Plans include three variations with different amounts of open space along the river, but all include medium density housing with apartment buildings and condos. Comm. Erwin expressed concerns about lack of community-oriented parks in the area between I-94 and the river in this area. Comm. Berry Graves expressed concerns about density and size of units, not enough elbow room and quoted problems being encountered at an existing housing development on the north side.
* Presentation and discussion by city Council Member Paul Ostrow regarding the Salvation Army's project to build community centers at the direction of, and with the money from the $2 Billion bequest from the late Joan Kroc. Finding locations for these Kroc centers is challenging, so that they may serve the largest number of at-risk and disadvantage youth in communities. Each enter needs a minimum of 12 acres of land. Grants from the Salvation Army for building these centers range from $10 million to $100 million.
Not surprisingly, given that Paul Ostrow is from northeast Minneapolis and Park Commissioner Walt Dziedzic is also from northeast Minneapolis, they have site in mind at Johnson Street and 35W that is 36 acres in size and they believe would be perfect for such a center. Interestingly this idea is just now being brought to the Park Board, and will be presented to the city Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council in the coming week, despite the fact that the Salvation Army's time line requires proposals for grants to be received by a September 15 deadline.
Even more interestingly, Park Board president John Olson was absent from the commissioners meeting, but CM Paul Ostrow said in his presentation that he had met with Olson just that afternoon on this project. If any neighborhood in Minneapolis needs and should get such a community center for at-risk and disadvantaged children, it would be the North Side in John Olson's district, not northeast.
Comm. Berry Graves expresses reservations and concerns about the location of such a Kroc center and does not believe the proposed location just a few hundred feet from the existing Park Board Northeast Athletic Field complex and "Lupient" Water Park is the correct place for it.
Comm. Annie Young has similar concerns about the location and the competition it might bring to the water park which is just barely breaking even financially, as the proposal has a swimming/water park component.
Comm. Walt Dziedzic says it's a wonderful location and "an opportunity of a lifetime."
6:02pm -- Planning Committee adjourned.
Recreation Committee meeting postponed until next week.
Vice president John Erwin calls Regular Meeting to order. Agenda is modified and approved.
6:05pm -- Public Open Time: * Greg Lecker of Bryn Mawr lambastes Commissioner Bob Fine on behalf of the neighborhood for Bob Fine's plans to build a large athletic complex at Bryn Mawr Meadows. These plans were unknown and completely unapproved by other Park Board commissioners [and are clearly out of line ethically and perhaps legally]. The plans are out of line with the master plan for the area developed by the Bassett Creek Valley Redevelopment Oversight Committee and the city of Minneapolis. Any Park Board plans which did not comply with the master plan would unalterably be opposed by the neighborhood associations. A letter detailing concerns has been written and delivered to the Board, and includes the following: no fences, no lights on poles obstructing view lines to downtown and causing glare in the neighborhoods, parking be provided with entry from the east side (Dunwoody, Van White?) and traffic congestion in neighborhoods.
* Jim Parsons from People for Parks has approvals for money raising for the Longfellow Gardens and wants to get moving. He wants the Board to help remove the obstacles in their path. [Good luck since the commissioner for that district is Carol Kummer who is providing no support and Interim super Jon Gurban is the main cause of the obstacles -- you'd think most any government organization short on money these days would graciously accept the gift of money and volunteer time from civic organizations, wouldn't you? Not at the Park Board, apparently.]
6:12pm -- Petitions and Communications * Comm. Vivian Mason reports from the Bicycle Advisory Committee regarding safety problems and accidents.
6:16pm -- Reports of Officers * Asst. Super. Don Sigglekow quickly mentions some possible board members for the Park Foundation, which they are suddenly trying to get up and running after languishing for some time. * Asst. Super. Mike Schmidt has a 2-minute video "fluff piece" that KARE 11 TV News did on the teaching kids to swim program funded by the Lupient Foundation [there's that name again -- remember the water park above?] which has given $1 million or maybe it's $50,000 a year -- both numbers were stated. They taught 11 kids to swim last year and about 45 this year. [Does it really cost $50,000 divided by 45 equals $1,111.11 per child to teach them to swim? Did this fluff piece appear as part of an over-all strategy in Northeast by Dziedzic, Ostrow and others? See below for more connections.]
6:21pm -- Consent Business. Items 7.1 through 7.4 were quickly moved and approved. Action Item 7.5 approving amended board rules was also approved, although Comm. Young asks if the Board knew what they were really approving. Unfinished Business, item 8.1 resolution thanking General Mills for support of youth summer camps was approved.
6:29pm -- Public Comments on Desirable Attributes in a new Superintendent
#1. Dan "Korby" (sp?) from Bloomington and a member of the board of the Lupient Foundation [there's that name again!] talks about liking the current leadership at the parks and the current master plan. He says they need to find "a sterling leader'" [quote -- thus shooting the idea that the current leadership is any good right in the foot].
#2. Lisa McDonald, had an emergency but her letter was read into the public record by Comm. Vivian Mason. It said:
August 4, 2004
Dear Park Board Commissioners,
I am writing to weigh in on the qualifications needed for a new park superintendent.
First let me say I think it is imperative, given the need to attract a wide and qualified selection of candidates, that the interim superintendent not be considered for this position. Many qualified candidates would be deterred, from spending the time and effort to apply, if they knew there was an inside track candidate being considered who had served as interim superintendent for one year.
I am dismayed as well by the background information on Interim Superintendent Gurban, which has come out since his appointment. The gambling licensing issue and the dueling lawsuits with his former employer do not reflect well on him, or our park system.
The Minneapolis Park system is a first class system and deserves a first class superintendent who is qualified and above reproach.
Please consider an outside candidate who not only has experience running a park system with the size and complexity of Minneapolis, but who also has excellent financial skills.
This candidate should not only know how to run a system efficiently and cost effectively in a time of budget constraints, but should also be willing to consider different and innovative ways of delivering services.
At the same time please insure that we don’t have a superintendent who is willing to franchise off parts of the system in an effort to be saving money or bringing in revenue.. (A Dairy Queen at the refectory would be an example of a bad fit.) A Tin Fish, recently opened at the Calhoun refectory, which is local, is an example of an appropriate fit for the system.
This superintendent must also be able to resist the lure of constantly adding new facilities (such as a marina) when the Park Board is currently unable to maintain and repair the existing system without private financial help. Hopefully a new superintendent will also be able to establish a reserve fund to deal with long-term maintenance of park assets like our fountains
This balance is essential in a new superintendent in order to keep the current park system beautiful and available for future generations of Minneapolitans.
Cordially yours, Lisa McDonald
#3. Mary Lou Hill of Bryn Mawr begins by endorsing Lisa McDonald's letter, and says a superintendent should have bona fide academic qualifications, and more, but I did not get it all written down. My apologies.
#4. Arlene Fried of Bryn Mawr also endorses Lisa McDonald's letter, and also says the following:
"I want a superintendent who will set financial priorities with a strong understanding of, and respect for, the underlying philosophy of our unique park system. Therefore, I want our new superintendent to understand the importance of maintaining and preserving our park system's essential amenities -- the parkways, the playgrounds, the beaches, the walking and biking paths, the lakes, the gardens, the rec centers, the fishing docks, the skating rinks, the softball and soccer fields, the tennis courts, the wading pools and the open spaces.
These amenities are the heart and soul of our park system. They are free and available to everyone.
I want our new superintendent to understand the importance of avoiding park board involvement in complex business deals that create power plants and marinas on park board property.
And this time around I want the superintendent's resume to clearly list all degrees with major areas of academic concentration. Also provided should be letters of recommendation from the two most recent employers."
#5. Joe Riegert of CARAG neighborhood talks a bit about his personal history with the parks and why the selection of a superintendent is important to maintaining those things over time. I did not get Joe's remarks written down either, and I apologize for that and any inaccuracies.
#6. Steve Nelson of North emphasizes the need for the superintendent to take direction and policy from the elected board of commissioners and not set off on his own personal agenda for park system policy -- quite unlike the current interim superintendent Jon Gurban who has been a loose cannon and doing things without board approval. [see more below on this subject]
#7. Me. The text of my remarks follows:
I believe these are some qualities for a superior superintendent, which is what a superior park system such as ours deserves.
We need a superintendent who will commit to maintaining the park system and facilities we have now.
We need a superintendent with the highest ethics and of unimpeachable characters.
Such a superintendent would easily pass: 1. a required background check. 2. a required criminal check. 3. a required credit check. 4. a required work history check.
Such a superintendent would also easily obtain letters of recommendation from at least two previous employers.
Any lesser candidate, with questions in his or her past and resume, should not be considered.
#8. Greg Lecker. Greg points out that we need someone who will actively maintain the wild and undeveloped areas of the park system, someone who will work well with the forestry and horticulture departments because such areas can not survive in an urban area without active maintenance. Further, Greg mentions that we will be facing future invasive, destructive species and we need to be on top of that situation. This year, Dutch elm disease and the elm bark beetle is decimating our elm trees, which comprise about 16% of our urban forest. 19% of our urban forest is ash trees, and the emerald green ash borer which destroys them *will* be here eventually -- it current has spread as far west as Ohio and will continue.
#9. Vida Ditter, Bryn Mawr neighborhood organizer and CM Lisa Goodman's representative on the Bassett Creek Valley ROC endorses Lisa McDonald's letter, and make two further points, which I neglected to get written down, my apologies.
#10. Craig Larsen of south Minneapolis described what they accomplished at the 36th Street overlook, starting with a few hundred dollars and leveraged into several hundred thousand dollars as a citizen group. I believe his point was the future superintendent needs to know how to work well with and enable such citizen involvement.
#11. Joan Berthiaume of the Minneapolis Parks Legacy Society described the kind character and foresight the early Park Boards exercised in hiring such outstanding superintendents as the first two superintendents, Will aim Berry and Theodore Wirth. She described how such hiring decisions have long reaching effects, with much of Theodore Wirth's work (hired in 1905) being completed as late as 1965 and echoing down through time since his employment in the first half of the 20th century. She talked about how these men only wanted to be employed and exercise their skills at building a great park system, in contrast to more personal or special-interest motivations, and the great integrity and outstanding ethics needed in a superintendent to accomplish such great work. We need this kind of person today.
#12. Joanne Lavernek (sp?), a senior citizen from north Minneapolis sees a need for a superintendent who will provide more active activities for senior citizens. She believes there is too much emphasis on children alone, and with the aging of the baby boomers, there will be a greater need for physical activities for seniors.
#13. Ruth Jones of CIDNA was particularly interested in a superintendent who would work with volunteer citizens to enable the park system to take advantage of the large amount of volunteer labor they can provide in helping to remove invasive species and maintain parks and gardens.
6:58pm -- Comm. Erwin thanks everyone and comments that this is just the beginning of the process.
7:00pm -- Andrea Sims of the Oldani Group, the superintendent search firm, gives a presentation on how they do their search, the progress they have made so far, and takes questions. There are some concerns about when the brochure will get out and the amount of time from its publication to the close date. Oldani likes to have that period of time be at least 5 weeks. They are starting late, August 1 versus July 1. Oldani plan is to get electronic copy of brochure to Park Board by next week for approval. Once approved, to printers and published will take a few more days.
7:23pm -- New Business
* Commissioner Annie Young describes how "very upset" she is that organizational and title changes are being made without Board approval. She demands on the record that any organization restructuring must be approved by the board and she is upset that these changes are being made behind closed doors. [This is one of the loose cannon activities of interim super Jon Gurban.]
* Commissioner Vivian Mason has two items:
#1. She says she has learned a lot things recently, some just today, that she should have known about much earlier. She references the letter from Bryn Mawr (describe by Greg Lecker during public open time, regarding commissioner Bob Fine's misbehavior), and states it is imperative the board discuss this issue at the August 11 meeting and respond to the neighborhood.
#2. She (as well as citizens have) has been asking for information about on the planned use of the new Park Board headquarters building lower level, part of which is now leased out to Twin Cities Catering for over a year. The only financial information about the cost and operations of this building ever given to the public all assume the entire lower level will be leased out in order to pay off the large loan on this building. However, comm. Mason has just learned that the remaining space (at least half of the lower level, if not more) will now become the home to the Park Board police. She has seen plans drawn up for the office space for the police and yet spending money on such a plan was never approved by the Board. This also needs to be discussed at the August 11 meeting.
7:29pm -- the Administration & Finance committee reconvenes to discuss the altering yet again (it was just changed a couple months ago) of Ordinance 2004-102 regarding where liquor can be served in the parks. This change is being made to allow the Tin Fish at Lake Calhoun to apply for a liquor license.
7:34pm -- Meeting Adjourned
Chris Johnson, Fulton
REMINDERS:
1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
