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Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes Page 2 <br />June 11, 2025 <br /> <br /> <br />the name to match the amount of flexibility they have with the plan. Commissioner Fermoyle said she <br />is okay with changing the name. Chair Anderson said that there is always flexibility, no matter what it <br />is called. <br /> <br />Commissioner Niziolek asked how long they have had the trails master plan. Mr. Stremcha thinks that <br />it has been around for about a decade. Commissioner Niziolek suggested that if it has been around for <br />a decade, they will have to relook at it anyway, so they should leave it. He thinks it will cause hiccups <br />in the system if they change the name now. <br /> <br />Commissioner Loidolt reiterated that they are just looking at changing the name to get away from the <br />name of “master” plan. He added that it was part of the reason they changed the Athletic Facilities <br />Master Plan name to Framework Plan. He believes that they need to keep up with the times and <br />support the changes happening in the community. The world is taking out the word “master” in all <br />sorts of aspects, such as “master” bathroom. He pointed out that they would just be changing the <br />name to evolve and keep moving along in 2025. Secretary Larson confirmed that the last time the <br />trails master plan was updated was in 2018. <br /> <br />Chair Anderson reiterated that as part of the master planning process, the trails master plan should be <br />reviewed and updated as well, but it can also be reviewed and updated at any time. <br /> <br />Commissioner Niziolek said that he feels that with the trail plan having been around for such a long <br />time, they shouldn’t change the name, or they would have to change all the records. He thinks it’s a <br />weird thing to do. <br /> <br />Chair Anderson said that in that case, they should also be changing the name of the master plan name <br />tonight, but they aren’t. He said he spent a couple of years and many hours developing the current <br />trails master plan. He says it is useful to the planning department, parks, and developers by giving <br />them a specific location of trails. He said he thinks the name master plan fits very well. He said their <br />only opportunity to complete trails comes with development. He said prior to this plan, they lost the <br />opportunity to gain some trails. He said he thinks it is important. <br /> <br />Commissioner Goodwin asked if this is consistent with what other cities use for names of plans. Mr. <br />Stremcha said it is what is in the plan that matters, staff will reference the title of it no matter what it <br />is called. Commissioner Varty asked if the word master is the issue, then they could just get rid of the <br />word and call it the Elk River Trails Plan. Mr. Stremcha reiterated that regardless of what the plan is <br />called, staff will follow the recommended plan. <br /> <br />Chair Anderson said he has not seen a negative connotation with the word. Commissioner Niziolek <br />asked staff if they believed the word was bad. Mr. Shelby said he did not believe it was for staff to <br />decide and that it was Paul Paige at HKGI who directed them towards using the word framework <br />during the development of the Athletic Facilities Framework plan. Mr. Paige indicated that there were <br />some cities looking at different languages but there was a lack of industry consensus. <br /> <br />Chair Anderson said that he thinks that when they start working on the Parks and Recreation Master <br />Plan that they are all going to agree, like they did with the athletic field plan, that it is a framework <br />plan and needs a lot of flexibility, unlike the trails plan. Commissioner Loidolt said he thinks they <br />should change it. Chair Anderson disagreed. Commissioner Loidolt pointed out that this is the reason <br />Page 3 of 31