8.0 PRSR 03-09-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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conditions permit with final site and access drive grading and seeding. Overall, the project went very smoothly with minimal soil disturbance to the site. William H. Houlton Conservation Area Our department and Friends of the Mississippi River teamed up with over 40 volunteers on Sat., Feb. 25 to drag,pile and burn buckthorn as part of the property restoration. Minnesota Native • Landscapes of Otsego,under contract with FMR,worked the past two months to remove buckthorn. Most was conducted mechanically,however along the sensitive river shoreline areas and around the former farm buildings buckthorn was cut and removed. Volunteers coordinated through FMR did an exceptional job cleaning up and piling the buckthorn allowing staff to bum the brush. We hope to use this volunteer model in other parks. Park Maintenance Division Is gearing up for mowing season should spring decide to come early. We received two new pieces of mowing equipment, a 16 foot Toro 5910 Wide Area Mower and a 60 inch Toro Z-Master Zero Turn Mower with a bagging unit. With the bagging unit on the zero turn mower, crews more efficiently conduct spring and fall park clean-up. Both mowers have new Tier 4 engines boasting 30% fuel savings over the previous generation of mowers. Woodland Trails Regional Park Crews removed the remaining snow and ice from the paved trails on February 16`'' as a result of several calls from residents about the icy trail surfaces and weather forecasts not supporting groomed ski trails. Staff were thanked by several people within the park for clearing the trails and were asked why the paved trails are not plowed and kept open year round for walkers. This is a frequent winter phone complaint as well. Based on the number of public comments regarding the trails and the support of trails expressed during the master planning process, further discussions will be conducted to determine the feasibility of plowing the paved trails while minimizing impact to cross country skiing opportunities. Bailey Point Nature Preserve Natural Resource Management Plan Commissioner Niziolek requested to see the Baily Point plan which is attached and has been submitted to the Minnesota Land Trust. The plan was completed by the FMR at about the same time that the WH Houlton Conservation Area plan. The FMR continues to work with city staff on the implementation including funding for the recommend restoration/management projects. Recreation Facility Improvements JLG Associates is completing further architectural drawings and estimates for Activity Center and Lion's Park Center. Our kickoff meeting is March 7 with expected completion within 70 days. 292 Design Group is completing similar work for Ice Arena improvements. Staff is also working with school officials and the YMCA on collaboration ideas for recreation facility improvements. Athletic Facilities Improvements Tour Our athletic complexes are in need of many updates. Staff is reviewing ideas to develop a list of capital improvement needs. We need to look at other regional athletic facilities and involve the Commission on this research. We wish to look at some dates that will work for all commissioners— preferably an April afternoon for about 3-4 hours. N:\Departments\Parks and Recreation\Commission\Packets\2017\03-09-17 PRC Packet\8 Director's Report 3-9-17.docx