Highlights from the September 1, 2004 Park Board Meeting -- Part 2
6:15PM
Planning committee called back to order by Chair Fine.
* Report Item 2 -- Space issues
Assistant superintendent [or whatever the title is this week] Judd Rietkerk talked all around about space issues at various Park Board buildings and building usage "out there." There's crowding at the south side service center. There's issues, proposals, etc. etc.
Between 17,000 and 18,000 square feet on the first floor of the Park Board HQ building is being leased to Twin Cities Catering, which was more space than they originally thought they would lease to them, and commensurately of course, are receiving more rent than originally planned.
The "proposal" is to move the park police into the first floor in the remaining vacant space under the board room. A secured parking area will be built around the south and west sides of the building. The police department have needs and staff will "program that into" the space.
There are blueprints for the floor plan for the police offices.
Comr. Berry Graves asks if there will be a gym or work-out room. Staff answer: No gym, but there is some left over space that can be made into a work-out room Question: How big? Answer: 950 square feet.
Comr. Young has no problem with resolving space issues but wants to know what the time line is for this project and where the money is going to come from.
Rietkerk says they plan to use Park Board staff to do the construction [which means a lot of other park projects, like the kiosks and signage won't get done] so the time line will be longer than for a contractor. It will be longer than 90 days. May be complete in mid-February, 2005.
Siggelkow says the financing is "consistent with how we financed the building" [over-budget, raiding internal insurance funds, bank loans, debatable accounting practices and obfuscation, you mean?]. Siggelkow still maintains they are saving money over continuing to rent at the Grain Exchange building [prior Park Board HQ offices] and pay for downtown parking, even when taking on this additional cost and loss of lease revenue by moving police into HQ building. Siggelkow claims they are saving $9.9 million over a 20 or 30 year period [was not clear which period he meant]. It will be paid for by expanding the internal loan. From somewhere comes the figure of $6.6 million somehow getting into the internal service fund. Between 2014 and 2019, they will pay off the $350,000 cost of the project.
Comr. Mason reviews how the Park Board got to this point, and her financial concerns. She asks if the construction documents have been made or paid for yet. Staff answer: Construction documents are under contract right now, and are going to cost $30,000.
Mason Question: what is limit on staff spending without board approval? Answer: $50,000. Mason says we've spent $10,000 on the preliminary plans, and $30,000 on the construction documents for a total of $40,000. Then we will spend another estimated $350,000 on the actual construction.
Mason Question: Staff has said the Land Acquisition Fund money used to buy the building was not a loan, yet the 2003 Financial Report says it is a loan of $1.1 million due to be paid. There is [now?] only $6,090 cash left in the Land Acquisition Fund. Mason wants a complete report on this fund and the building financing.
Siggelkow Answer: Says board did not make it a loan, says money goes out of the fund when we buy land, and money comes in when we sell land. But we don't sell land anymore. [So where does the money come from?]
Comr. Young wants to make it clear to the public that "our mantra is still we do not sell park land." Young has a question on the classification of the 3 funds being used and wants a report on them.
Comr. Erwin asks how many additional officers did the police add when they go the school contract? Answer: 14. Erwin asks how many operations people were removed from the south side service center [as a result of various cutbacks]? Answer: 25, but only 5 or 2 were actually located in the service center building. The move of police out of that building does not allow renting out of space, but does save $10,000 per year in trailer rental.
Comr. Dziedzic asks police chief Brad Johnson if his operation is about the
size of a City police precinct? Answer: bigger than a small one, smaller
than larger ones. A typical precinct has 20-22,000 square feet. Question: Is
department in favor? Absolutely. {Is the Pope Catholic?] Dziedzic goes on to
state "no money is missing from any funds" and that he always said or been
abreast of a plan that the police would move into HQ building.Comr. Hauser makes some inconsequential statements agreeing with Dziedzic.
6:50PM
Comr. Young asks about distance from HQ to various areas of city, e.g. Nokomis and Minnehaha Park. Will that be an issue? Chief Answer: No, good freeway access and squads are dispatched from where they are on patrol, not from HQ.
Comr. Berry Graves says she wants to make it clear that the debate has never been about giving the police department or other Park Board staff adequate space and equipment to do their jobs well. She says the board has always supported providing the staff what they need. She says we appreciate their [the staff] efforts. The issue is about all of the commissioners being informed about plans such as these. [So why do some commissioners continue to belabor the space question?]
Comr. Mason suggests the question of whether any other solutions or locations were even looked at by pointing out that in 2001, Superintendent Mary Merril Anderson promised to examine multiple possible solutions to a new HQ location versus staying in the Grain Exchange building -- only to have the new HQ building bought in the dark of night without one other possibility ever being looked at. Mason also notes that this move takes that part of the building off the tax roles [in addition to the loss of planned rental income].
Comr. Erwin moves to move this issue to the full board at the next meeting.
Comr. Dziedzic wants it considered tonight.
Comr. Erwin agrees to change motion to move it to full board tonight.
Motion PASSES.
6:55PM
Planning committee adjourns.
President Olson reconvenes the Regular meeting.
Agenda is amended and approved.
* Petitions and Communications
Comr. Hauser received a letter about the Longfellow House, and some other communications.
Comr. Mason heard from Friends of Loring Park complimenting the new maintenance person at the park for doing great job.
Comr. Fine says he was late because of a Board of Estimation and Taxation hearing setting the maximum levies, and that he will not be at next meeting because of a Jewish holiday.
Comr. Young had various communications, and wondered about a JATD addition/track lien?
Comr. Kummer had a letter complaining about dogs cavorting in city lakes.
Comr. Berry Graves spoke to resident adjacent to Solomon Park who asked about a tree hedge to prevent balls from flying into their yard. Spoke to another resident who had concerns about pollution in a wetland in the same park. And she has concerns about safety in a group of trees in the same park. And she has an invitation for a celebration of the Stevens House, founding place of Minneapolis.
7:13PM
End of Part 2.
Chris Johnson - Fulton
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