Fine wants to add 2 items to the agenda: (1) 4.1 approve the design of the University of Minnesota rowing facility on the Park Board's east river flats property, and (2) 4.2 approve preservation of the city tunnel at Mill Ruins Park. He claims these items were not on the agenda as an oversight, and were approved in committee. [Or was the plan just to keep the public ignorant of the agenda? With most public boards this wouldn't even be a question, but with the See no Public, Hear no Public, Don't Let the Public Speak attitude among some commissioners, one has to wonder.]
6:00pm
Public Open Time: Steve Nelson talks about privatization of the parks, and why it's the wrong direction to go. Steve's complete statement can be viewed here: http://www.mplsparkwatch.org/node/view/219
Olson cuts him off before he finishes after 3 minutes, though he needs but 30 seconds more to finish his last 2 paragraphs.
However, there is plenty of time to watch a 20-minute South High School produced video about the Rebirth of the Riverfront, which looked like it might be interesting but due to technical difficulties was impossible to hear. Kudos to student Will Muessig from South [among other, I gather].
6:17pm
Erwin recessed the Regular meeting.
Hauser calls the Administration and Finance Committee to order.
The only agenda item is to approve the draft 2005 capital improvement program (CIP), which is presented by Director Judd Rietkerk.
[While the numbers are interesting to finance numbers geeks like the writer, the most controversial issues are the split money between Jordan Park and Shingle Creek, the $564,000 to be spent putting in an artificial turf field at Parade Field, and that the East Phillips Community Center got completely axed.]
Young says that water quality programs need to be added and asks why the East Phillips center was dropped completely from the 5 year plan. She is adamantly "not happy."
Mason is also perturbed and had desired the East Phillips Community Center to be funded. She has a clarification question regarding the classification of the $500,000 to be spent at Lake Hiawatha Park -- none is for water quality, correct?
Rietkerk answers "correct." [Lake Hiawatha has the worst water quality problem in the park system, I believe.]
Dziedzic asks where the artificial turf is going at Parade Stadium.
Rietkerk answers that a football field was the primary grant application, but they also wanted a soccer field. The turf is not going on the existing baseball field there.
Dziedzic is confused.
Berry Graves asks about why the money for Jordan is split over the 5 year plan.
Olson clarifies that there wasn't enough money for both Jordan and Shingle Creek, and that with the way things are going, they probably won't get the money they have planned for in the future years of the 5 year plan at all, so they split the money they did have between the two parks and planned to get the rest in the future.
Erwin says he supports getting Jordan done now.
Berry Graves asks how we provide some consideration for East Phillips? It has been 12 years that she knows about that they have been putting East Phillips off.
Hauser answers that East Phillips was in the budget, but was not approved by CLIC (Citizen's Long Range Improvement Committee). [This is misleading and disingenuous since the Park Board has the authority to spend their money however they see fit and the CLIC is advisory only.]
Young wants East Phillips in the 5 year CIP. Asks how do we get it and water quality included?
Rietkerk attempts to mollify by saying he is there just for approval on 2005 net debt bonds and will come back to the board with a 5-year 2006 to 2011 budget.
Young says East Phillips is lost again. She MOVES to combine and split the Jordan and Shingle Creek money as proposed. Motion ADOPTED.
6:35pm
Hauser grandstands for a bit.
Dziedzic says that there are more kids in Phillips than any place west of Chicago, but then says they are getting the Colin Powell center, so do we really need 2 centers in that neighborhood?
Someone points out that the Colin Powell center is miles from the East Phillips center location, so no, there will not be 2 centers in that neighborhood.
Admin & Fin Adjourned.
6:40pm
Regular meeting reconvened by Olson.
Mason wants a correction made to previous meeting minutes which are about to be approved which incorrectly state that she voted for the adopted budget. She did not. Amended minutes are APPROVED.
** Report of Officers
* Superintendent Jon Gurban jokes with the University of Minnesota students who are present studying how government works.
Mason says she appreciated getting the superintendent's report in her packet.
She has some questions:
- There was nothing in the report about meeting with the city council legislative committee, which she first learned about by reading the Star Tribune. - Similarly, there was nothing about the $15,000 contract with Idein LLC (http://www.ideinllc.com/), which she first learned about by reading the Southwest Journal. - Wanted to know more about his meeting with Joe ? regarding on-going program for Lake Harriet Bandshell maintenance. - Wondered about the research and react to the DeLaSalle proposal item.
Gurban answers with dissembling about how the city council meeting was not on his calendar, was a last minute thing, and since his report is taken from his calendar, it didn't include it. He explains the Bandshell meeting as about an endowment for the park Foundation. He says he spent time responding to requests for information from DeLaSalle personnel and island residents, and mostly about the 1983 agreement.
Young says there are some flags here. Says the board wants to know about things. Asks about the bandshell.
Gurban is visibly agitated and his face is reddening.
Olson jumps in to defend Gurban, talking about the Foundation.
Hauser circumlocutes a while and finally asks about the plans at the Tinfish.
Staff answers that the operator will expand into the breezeway, phase 1 this
year, and improve fish and cooking in phase 2, 2007. They need to install a gas line for better cooking, and are negotiating that. Hauser comments on an item in Gurban's report regarding wind generation -- great, she says.
Berry Graves asks who is this mysterious Foundation? She wants to be introduced to them and learn their priorities, because the public always comes to the board, as the public knows nothing about this Foundation.
Gurban starts to talk about how in his last report he said who they were.
Berry Graves says she wants to meet them.
Gurban says we will arrange it.
Erwin says Berry Graves concern is valid.
Assistant superintendent (general manager?) Don Siggelkow says the Foundation does not have priorities yet, they are still organizing, and are wary of their independence. [I don't think there is any risk in meeting the Park Board commissioners, and having them know as much about what is going as the staff apparently does, sure wouldn't hurt either, would it?]
Young says she has been pushing for wind energy for 16 years, so she would like to be included in on talk regarding wind energy, especially as chair of the Operations and Environment Committee.
* General manager Schmidt reports on outdoor winter sports, primarily the state of the skating rinks, most of which are now closed due to the recent mild weather.
Chris Johnson - Fulton
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