01-27-2020CITY OF HOPKINS
PARK BOARD MEETING MINUTES
January 27, 2020
A regular meeting of the Hopkins Park Board was held on January 27, 2020 at the Hopkins City Hall.
New City Council Member Alan Beck was present, did not stay for the meeting but introduced himself
to the Park Board members and talked with them briefly before the meeting started.
CALL TO ORDER
Kyle Kaczmarek, Chairperson called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm.
II. ROLL CALL
Present were Park Board members Kyle Kaczmarek, Anna Pohmer, Megan Slindee and Kim
Schlauderaff. Emma Figgins arrived for the meeting shortly after the approval of minutes agenda item.
Also present was Steve Stadler, PW Director/Park Board City staff liaison.
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes for the November 25, 2019 Park Board Meeting:
Kyle Kaczmarek made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Kim Schlauderaff. The motion
passed with a 4-0 vote.
IV. BUSINESS
A. Marketing Hopkins Parks
Stadler provided a handout listing some potential goals for the marketing effort, some park
assets/opportunities and the target demographics for marketing the parks. Anna Pohmer brought
up an idea of joining the geocaching treasure hunting game with Hopkins park items. After
some discussion about geocaching, it was agreed that Megan Slindee would put together a draft
plan to start the process of defining what it would mean for Hopkins to market our parks via this
popular activity. There was also discussion about a Hopkins' parks passport program wherein
users would document visits to parks with tracings made in a passport document from on-site
park -unique textured plates or some other traceable item. There would then be some type of
special recognition and/or prize for children & families with completed passports. Also, Kyle
Kaczmerak mentioned creating a park system brochure or city map with artistic, eye-catching
graphics and/or photos of popular park features. These marketing ideas will be further discussed
and refined at future meetings.
B. Other topics of interest
Stadler reported that the Shady Oak Beach picnic shelter replacement project is a 2021 construction
project with planning and design in 2020. There is a Hopkins local architect, experienced in park
-2 -
facilities, who is interested in doing the design work for this project. This architect previously was on
the design team for the Burnes Park improvement project. There would be upcoming planning with
the City of Minnetonka on the function & design of a new picnic shelter at Shady Oak Beach.
It was mentioned that although park improvement funds are currently at a low point, when additional
funding does become available, The Board agreed that improvements at Downtown Park and Central
Park are the top priorities.
Additionally, there is great interest in enhancing the 2nd St NE snow dump/stormwater detention pond
area as a park natural area.
Stadler gave a brief update on the replacement/rehab of the Valley Park picnic shelters: one is
currently under construction with completion this spring and the other is to be rehabbed this fall after
the picnic season.
Stadler will bring some information to the next meeting on the high water level situation at Shady
Oak Lake and some feedback on use of the outdoor skating rinks this winter.
C. Park Area Assignment Report
Kyle Kaczmarek:
Nothing to Report (NTR)
Emma Figgins:
NTR
Megan Slindee:
NTR
Anna Pohmer:
NTR
Kim Schlauderaff.
NTR
V. NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING:
The next regular Park Board Meeting is 6:30 pm on Monday, February 24, 2020 at the Fire Station, 101
17`" Ave S, third floor conference/training room.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
Kim Schlauderaff moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Anna Pohmer. The motion passed 5-0.
The meeting adjourped at 7:p.m.
Attest:
Chairperson