07-09-2025 PRMIN - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 10 June 11, 2025 Councilmember Grupa said when he thinks of a destination park, he thinks of Orono and Woodland Trails Regional Park. He is thinking more of a broad survey for community parks. He thinks you may get more feedback from some of the smaller parks. Commissioner Varty thinks ten is too many and that there should only be like three surveyed at a time or it will get muddled. Mr. Stremcha said they could do it geographically with key regions with only a few parks at a time. Commissioner Niziolek said he would like staff to put something together and bring it back to the next Commission meeting. Commissioner Varty asked if that could be done at the Farmers market. Secretary Larson commented on feedback she received while working at events during the Play My Way campaign last year. She explained that part of the campaign was explaining to the public that many playgrounds within the city would have to be replaced over the next ten years and that there is not enough funding to support the replacement of all of them. The campaign’s main focus was to gather feedback from the public on what playgrounds and amenities they are using and value the most. The city could then focus on the positive aspects of what playgrounds and amenities would be kept. The natural process of elimination would happen on its own based on feedback from the public. She shared that the City of Elk River has an amazing marketing team that could create a public campaign to share information with the community, assisting the commissioners and council to make the best fiscally responsible decisions with the most positive outcome. Mr. Stremcha said they could break the survey into regional areas to review if that is what the commission would like them to do. They could also break it into destination playgrounds. For example, region one would get a survey in August regarding what they would like in their region. Commissioner Goodwin said she likes it, but it needs to be playground focused. She said they could look at the three playgrounds near Orono first. Mr. Stremcha said they could ask questions about what they want in their geographical area, i.e., neighborhood. Chair Anderson said that when his kids were little, people thought every neighborhood had to have an open space for kids to play pick-up ball. He thinks that kids are very programmed now and not just going out and playing by themselves. For the money spent on them, he feels that the playgrounds don’t get the same amount of use they use to get. Commissioner Stewart asked staff about how much time there is on ordering equipment. He also thinks that the survey is a great idea, but he doesn’t want to order equipment if they aren’t sure if the community wants to replace a playground such as Country Crossings once it is removed. Mr. Shelby said that equipment for a new playground would probably need to be ordered this fall for next spring. Chair Anderson shared that if it were up to him, he would keep playgrounds A, B, C, D, E, and F on the park map that Mr. Stremcha and Mr. Shelby drew regions on. He doesn’t know what else they will be able to afford to do, even if they ask the public what they would like to do. He thinks there is a big difference between what people say and what they will do. He said there is pain in having to make the hard decisions, and he doesn’t know what to do. Commissioner Niziolek requested that staff come up with a survey and return to the commission for review, and then proceed forward, but hold off on ordering any playgrounds until next year. Chair Anderson asked if a survey would give them honest information. Page 11 of 31