2017-10-23 Parks Committee Minutes Albertville Parks Committee meeting minutes
10-23-17
Attendees:Johnny Vetsch,Tim Guimont,Andy Swanson, Larry Boller, Sharon Oakvik, FYCC coordinator
Sarah Hansen, LeRoy Berning
1. Westwind Park
Little Tikes equipment bid from Northland Recreation came in about$26,000 less than
Minnesota-Wisconsin Playground's bid for similar but different equipment.Tim will work with
Northland Recreation representative Dane Lanes to get a better bid on his equipment and seek
a bid from another vendor for similar equipment.
2. Central-Lions Park
Council prefers more of a grand entrance than what committee has recommended. As a city
council member,Johnny has discussed during council meetings the importance of also making
the entrance work for AFCD and farmers markets. Concern expressed by committee with a
grand entrance is: 1) making the entrance "fit in" with surrounding property and features; 2)
ensuring the entrance doesn't "over-promise" about what is beyond the entrance.
As the committee discusses improvements for Central-Lions Park, it struggles with a vision of
what the park will be or can be in five, 10 or 20 years and beyond. Potential amenities that have
been discussed by the committee include splash pad or splash park, looped walking trails,
"grand entrance," expanded parking, new playground equipment, baseball field grandstand,
lighting for field 2, new building or buildings, sliding hill and, perhaps most significantly, an
expanded footprint through purchase of land. Without knowledge of whether the city will add
land to the park makes it difficult for the committee to move forward with master park
planning. Committee wants advisement from council about whether the city will purchase land.
Next meeting: November 27 at 8:00 pm