Rochester Park Board Meeting - August 20, 2026
Rochester Park Board Meeting - August 20, 2026
The Rochester Park Board met on August 20, 2026, to discuss two main agenda items: the Rochester Outdoor Tennis Center Court Reconstruction Project and an appeal of a fine for illegal pruning of a boulevard tree. Both items were approved unanimously with specific actions.
Meeting Transcript
It's the same thing. One nation. Justice for all. Okay. Thank you all for coming. Here we've got five. More than a forum. Umbody signed up for open comment period, then that's fine. So we'll move on to the first item of new business, which is item three Rochester Outdoor Tennis Center Court Reconstruction Project and Both. I assume you're going to fill us in on that and where we're at, okay? Yes, uh, happy to do that. Um, so since our last meeting, uh, as I mentioned at our meeting a couple weeks ago, we had submitted a grant to the USTA for um this project. And in about less than 72 hours, they returned back and gave us the approval for that at the full amount that we were eligible for. So a full 200,000 dollar grant from USTA, which um they had told me it would be a three to four-week turnaround process for their committee to review. So I think to me, that speaks to their um excitement for the project and and support for our section of the country as well when it comes to um that outdoor tennis component. So we wanted to be able to bring this back onto the board to consider approving the project and um the funding, which was the other component of kind of where we left things off at the last meeting to have staff come back with a recommendation of how we could um provide our park and rack or city uh portion of the funding. So again, 200,000 would come from the USTA grant, 250,000 would be fundraised by um the raise the net committee. And then so that leaves a remainder of just over 180,000. Um, our staff recommendation would be to fund that out of two um buckets, one being the court renovation fund, uh, which um currently we have 175,000 in that fund. We would keep 75,000 to be able to be applied to the young park project that's scheduled for next summer. Um, we feel that we'll um leave enough there to do that repair and and resurfacing project there and then and then potentially apply 100,000 towards this Cutzke project. And then the uh remainder that would be needed, uh, we're suggesting or recommending that come from the the park board community funds that are available. Um I put a paragraph in here, has a lot of numbers in it about where we're at with the current balance and where we'll be over the next two years. So as of the funding that was available through 2026, the balance is 138, 130 in that fund. Uh again, that fund was generated from the um the voter approved tax levy. That's where that money uh accumulates out of that um funding source next year in 2027, there's 100,000 allocated to go into that fund, and then the same in 2028, 100,000. Um previously though, at a prior park board meeting, uh the park board approved to put 70,000 out of each of those two years towards the Silver Lake Skate Park expansion. So in essence, the net of that would be about $30,000 or exactly $30,000 a year and 27 and 28 would be going into that fund. So by 2028, there would be just under 200,000. There'd be 198, 130 in that account. And so staff is recommending to take 100,000 of that, apply towards this Kutski tennis project, which would leave uh $98,000 for a future project or how the park board chooses to allocate those funds as they become available over the next two years. Um so again, kind of threw a several numbers at you there, but happy to answer any questions. I felt like those were the two main items to bring back was the great news of the UST funding and then what our staff recommendation would be to fund the uh the city contribution towards the project. And we have the funding sources that cover it. It's just a question of our some of those funds are dropping. The only question mark is and previously they've been able to raise quite a bit of money for the tennis group. They and their share. Yeah, they have um Tim Bouderak, I invited him to join us today, but he I don't think he was able to. Well, he's not here yet, so um, don't think he was able to make it. But um, yes, they've got 50,000 in the bank already, and I had a conversation with him after the USTA award came in um just to make sure he felt comfortable and confident in being able to raise the additional 200,000, which he does. He's very excited to see the ground break out there and start bringing some donors through to see that progress is happening and and be able to capitalize on that and do the fundraising. All right. Any other questions from the board members? Oh, yeah. Go ahead. Yeah, my question is is at what point in time will that money from the fundraising be available? And how do we cover in the meantime? Yep. So we would be um, I mean, as soon as they're able to raise it, it would be um deposited in our account. So it would go back towards it.
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