Advisory Parks Commission Meeting - February 24, 2025

The Advisory Parks Commission met on February 24, 2025, at Moonshine Park to receive presentations on parks maintenance and forestry operations, discuss recreational facility updates, and determine the 2025 playground replacement location.

Consent Calendar

• The commission approved the meeting agenda as printed.
• The commission approved the minutes from the November 18, 2024, meeting as printed.
• The commission approved the workshop minutes from January 27, 2025, as printed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No visitors were heard.

Presentations

• Parks Maintenance Division – Parks Maintenance Supervisor Cole Barda presented an overview of the division's seasonal workload. The team maintains approximately 450 acres of green space, 98 miles of boulevard, 43 playgrounds, and numerous athletic fields. In winter, they manage 10 boarded rinks, 8 pleasure rinks, and plow 21 parking lots. The division has 10 full-time staff and 40–50 seasonal employees (30–35 in summer). Cole highlighted challenges including seasonal hiring consistency and the timing of spring startup. He noted that 15 of 20 seasonal employees returned this year.
• Forestry Division – Forestry Supervisor Adam presented on the forestry team, which includes 5 full-time staff and 10–12 seasonal employees. Key responsibilities include horticulture, invasive plant management, tree disease monitoring, and public outreach. In 2024, the team planted 158 trees in parks and 350 seedlings for woodland restoration. They received about 1,045 phone calls generating 841 work orders. Adam discussed tree diseases: Dutch elm disease is minimal (one tree per year), oak wilt still affects 120–150 trees annually, and emerald ash borer (EAB) is at the peak of the death curve. The city treats about 400 ash trees and offers a cost-share reimbursement program for private ash tree removal.

Discussion Items

• Recreational Facilities Update – Parks Superintendent Chris Fleck provided updates on three projects:
  • Goat Hill Ice Rink: Opened to the public; remaining punch list items will be completed this summer.
  • Art House: Interior work is ongoing with polished concrete floors, tile, and mechanical systems. 40 geothermal wells (each ~220 feet deep) are being drilled. A ribbon cutting is planned for June 3, with summer camps starting June 16 and a full grand opening on September 13.
  • Community Center: Construction continues with challenges from cold weather and maintaining operations during renovations. The project is on a two-year timeline.
• Playground Replacement Update – Director of Parks and Recreation Andrew Pimental announced a change from the previously discussed South Oaks playground. After last month's public meeting, staff paused and evaluated other options. The 2025 replacement will be at Cedar Pond Park, a smaller space that can be fitted with comparable play value. Letters to nearby homeowners will go out by the end of the week. The commission discussed how to evaluate replacement needs, including potential point systems and demographic data. It was noted that the 10-year parks master plan (currently in development) will help guide future decisions.
• Staff Report – Andrew Pimental highlighted several items:
  • Eagan Civic Arena's bumper cars have been popular; expanded schedule expected after hockey season.
  • A federal voucher program for LED lighting upgrades ($131,000) may be frozen due to executive orders, but a city sustainability fund can cover the cost if needed.
  • Seasonal hiring is underway for about 200 positions at Cascade Bay and 50 for recreation.
  • Market Fest is continuing indoors; Earth Week is April 19–26, and the spring festival at Holtz Farm is coming up.
  • The parks master planning process is on schedule: inventory and analysis are complete, needs assessment and community engagement will run May through September, and the draft plan is expected for commission review in October/November.
• Round Table – Commissioners expressed gratitude to staff for their presentations and to the public for participation in the South Oaks open house. They thanked Adam and Cole's teams for their year-round work. One commissioner noted receiving many follow-up questions from the South Oaks neighborhood about the playground decision.

Key Outcomes

• The commission acknowledged the change in the 2025 playground replacement location from South Oaks Park to Cedar Pond Park (no formal vote required; staff will proceed with design and community notifications).
• The commission received and thanked staff for presentations on parks maintenance and forestry operations.
• The commission was informed of the passing of former parks director Ginbra, who served the city from 1980 to 2005, and expressed condolences.
• The meeting was adjourned.