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City Council Minutes Page 11 <br /> April 18,2016 <br /> ----------------------------- <br /> partnership. She stated they've had discussions with the coach and he felt it was a <br /> great idea to keep the trail and use it for meets. She stated they offered to help <br /> maintain the park. <br /> Matt Andrews,Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC) representative—Stated <br /> MORC is a non-profit group and one of the first chapters of a larger association, <br /> whose focus is sustainable trail design. He stated their organization does well with <br /> partnering with land managers and assisting with volunteer coordination. <br /> Jay Thompson,MORC representative—Stated Hillside is one of the oldest trails <br /> that was most likely designed before sustainable trails were developed. <br /> There was discussion on the best way to develop sustainable trails utilizing <br /> volunteers and contractors and how best to phase the project. <br /> Councilmember Westgaard again questioned why there was an option on the table to <br /> consider removing Hillside from park status. <br /> Mr. Portner stated all options needed to be considered in order to determine what <br /> was best for the city and the park. He stated the park would have needed a lot of <br /> manpower to maintain it at its current level and new relationships would need to be <br /> established. He stated they didn't know about sustainable trail design. <br /> Councilmember Westgaard stated he likes the connection with MORC and they have <br /> the knowledge and great ideas. He suggested the Parks and Recreation Commission <br /> put together the following: <br /> ■ Vision <br /> ■ Long-term plan <br /> ■ Budget to implement and maintain sustainable trails <br /> ■ How volunteer hours will work <br /> ■ What does it mean to manage the forest <br /> Mayor Dietz stated he'd like to see a formal agreement with MORC. <br /> Councilmember Westgaard concurred. <br /> Mayor Dietz questioned the current status of the park. <br /> Mr. Hecker stated it will remain open with the current volunteer assistance. <br /> Tim Sevick stated current volunteers have been very proactive and have the <br /> experience to maintain the trails. He stated it can be maintained safely for now. <br /> Councilmember Westgaard suggested staff reach out to the Elk River groups who <br /> said they were willing to help. <br /> POWERED 9r <br /> UREJ <br />