Right. Welcome everyone. Um I'll call to order the our regular meeting today of July 14th, 2025. This is the city of New Park and Wreck Commission meeting. Why don't we start with a roll call? Jeff, we start with you. Jeff Golden, chairperson. Uh Dave Christian, city councelor.
Carissa Berller. Amy Johnson. Kurt Johnson, Jim Jensen, commissioner. Cheryl Corman, staff. Joey Schugle, staff. All right. Welcome and welcome to all of our guests today as well. We'll head into agenda item number three, 3.1,
which is approval of our agenda today. Looking for a motion to approve and or amend and approve. So move second. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hear none. All those in favor, please say I. I. I. Oppose. Same sign. Motion has carried.
Moving on to agenda item number 4.1, which is approval of the minutes. Looking for a motion to approval of our minutes from our June 9th meeting. I'll make the motion to approve the minutes. I'll second it. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion?
Hearing none, all those in favor, please say I. I oppose. Same sign. Approval of the minutes has been carried. Moving on to agenda item number 5.1, city mount council meeting recap. There
was a link in your packet uh with just some updates. Thank you, Chair Buger, Mr. or commissioners. At the June 17th regular meeting, there are a few items on the city council agenda. The first one was the Washington and Lincoln Park playground replacements were approved.
So, we're expecting uh equipment to be shipped hopefully in the next few weeks. installation. Maybe early September is kind of our rough timeline at this point for those. Uh, also the city council approved the cannon shoot for uh,
military appreciation night on June 29th at Johnson Park for a new home brewers game. Uh, at that same meeting I accepted the donations, park and wreck donations and then at the July 1st meeting there was no related park and wreck business. Okay, any questions from the commissioners?
If none, I'll look to a motion to receive an order filed the city council past action report. So move a second. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion hearing? None. All those in favor, please say I. I. I. Opposed, same sign. Motion has carried.
Moving on to agenda item number six under old business 6.1 is the park and wreck comprehensive master plan update. Director Schugle. Chair Bugler. Commissioners, uh here's our monthly update on the park and rec master plan. It continues. As all of you
know, we uh opened this in April of this year and uh really um consultants and staff have been doing a lot of work. Uh one of the first things to do was the survey. Uh and that survey has been open for about a month now. Uh consultants were very happy with the responses to
this point. We almost had 300 in the first month. that survey will stay open um for a probably a couple more months just to to continue to gather feedback. Uh I did include the responses in the packet, so the links in there. Now, all the responses aren't in there. Some of
the short answer stuff wasn't gathered and and uh put together. Uh so once we have final survey results, we'll have a better look at that. But you see some early feedback on uh what uh our community members and some of our visitors who've taken the survey uh have
thought is important and one some of the things that they'd like to see as well. In addition to that, so survey promotion continues. It's on the city of New Alm website on the main page. It's on the park and wreck page. There are signs in uh numerous parks out there with QR
codes on. Uh there's been some direct emails and then also social media has uh been um promoting the survey as well. So still time to take it. If you haven't taken it, we'd love to to have your input on that survey as well. Uh additionally, stakeholder engagement.
So this week kicks off stakeholder engagement meetings. Uh we'll have two meetings at the Newm Community Center. So those meetings were kind of an invite to our different stakeholder groups and uh hope we're having really good um feedback from those groups and
availability to get uh people together and our consultants will lead that. So staff um is not involved in those. So excited to see the results from that. We'll have one on the 16th and one on the 23rd and then if others are left out they'll consultants will work with them
to get some of their feedback as well. And then ISG will be attending National Night Out or New Alm Night Out I should say. Uh to further get feedback that's scheduled for July 31st and at German Park. Always a great event and uh
they'll have some additional items other than just survey feedback to gauge um people in the park at that night. So any questions so far on where we're at with the master plan? You want staff to attend or us to attend that those meetings? So not at this one.
So I they will be uh our consultants will be at our next monthly meeting. Uh we will have a work session around that and it's scheduled there. So you'll get more info to come on what is going to be involved in that work session prior to that meeting. So yes, but I' we'd love you to come to New
Night Out and attend that great event, community event. Sure. Great question. Any other questions? All right. Thanks, Director Schugle for the update. I'll be looking for a motion then to receive an order filed the park and wreck master plan update.
So moved. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please say I. I. Oppose. Same sign. Motion has carried. Moving on to agenda item 6.2, the BMX track redesign project update.
Director Schugle, start with you maybe. Thank you, Chair Bugler. commissioners. So, as you can recall, uh you approved a licensing agreement between the city of New Alm and River Valley BMX back in October of 2024 and then the city
council approved it in November. That agreement uh laid out the how the city of New Alm handles the BMX track and how we work with the River Valley BMX uh association to operate that facility. In addition, um that agreement also had
loan loan terms in there and those loan terms were for the safety improvements and redesign of our current track. And so today, uh our River Valley BMX Association has an update as they're getting close to being shovel ready for some of those enhancements down at the
River Valley BMX Park. Um I'm happy to answer any preliminary questions, but I I do know they'd like to speak to you on their updates that they have as well. Any questions for Director Schugle? Otherwise, we'll hear from some of our partners with
River Valley BMX. Welcome. Good afternoon, Commissioner and Councilman uh Talenwald, River Valley BMX board member. And so, I'm here to give kind of an update on where things are at and what we're doing here going forward. So go through kind of the the
phases that we're going to go through and then I'll I'll point on the screen and kind of give you an idea so you get a visual of what all goes into the different phases here. So starting with phase one which is a summer of 25. So that's what we're basically ready to start um now. Wanted to meet with you
guys and talk down through it prior to to moving forward, but um going to be moving pretty quick. So phase one, we're going to be move the concession stand to a temporary location. The bleachers have to get moved with that as well. Um so
then we're going to have the new concession and bleacher location. We're going to start prepping that. So it includes a retaining wall, a concrete pad, and moving some power. Um and then we're going to start what we're calling the the starting hill rough in. So, moving the well, not moving, starting
the hill, getting the dirt all put in place to get ready to put our starting gate and that kind of thing in. So, I'll I'll kind of move over the the picture here and give you an idea what that looks like. So, we have the starting hill is right here currently. This starting hill essentially is going to
move to where the concessions is right here. And this first starting straight is going to kind of come down like here. So with that, if you guys have been down here, this kind of comes up on a a pretty big hill. So we're going to end up with where the fence line is here. We're going to be putting a retaining
wall in. Concessions is going to set up on top of that retaining wall along with the bleachers with that as well. So that is going to be kind of that first phase is getting that wall set up. And then once we get this the concessions and
bleachers moved out, we have a large pile of dirt up in the parking lot that we're going to start stacking right here. That'll be where the new starting hill happens to go. So then with this, there is a a manhole right in here that we will have to elevate up and there's a
water fountain right here as well that will have a minor relocation as well with that part. So that is what we are looking to take on in this summer. The big effort is the starting hill and putting that that wall in place here. We're looking at using um bunker blocks
um for this retaining wall here. And basically right now we're talking about potentially um turning it into a graffiti art wall like we have at the graffiti park as well. So then into phase two, which is in the
fall, um we have a container and a shed right in here. We're going to have to relocate these. And so when when we're done with this track right now, it kind of comes around and finishes in the middle here. It's going to go to more of a serpentine shape and the finish line
is going to be along the alleyway over here. And so um these are going to get moved out of the way there. Then we're going to jump into the full um kind of track rebuild, the the dirt work part of this effort, which is going to be oh
late September, early October, depending on how weather's going. We're going to get a full riding season through so that the kids can use the track all through the summer and into fall. And when the numbers taper off, usually a few weeks before Halloween, the the numbers come down quite a bit as it gets cooler out,
then we'll jump into the full track rebuild. And so we already have someone lined up that we are going to be doing that. um out of St. Michael. And so with that, we're going to have to we're going to run our conduits. We're going to get the the drainage tile in place between all the straits for the the water and
that side of it. Um we're going to set the light poles in place and where they're going to go and then the actual dirt work. And so this whole start and all these straights and corners and everything are basically going to get wiped clean. And then we're going to set up the new serpentine um setup to the
track. Um, and then we'll we'll let it set for the winter and let the dirt kind of settle in. Um, once we're done with that as well, we'll get the outside perimeter of the fence put back up. And so, if you've been by, this fence has been removed right now, um, to get ready
for the work that we're going to be doing. And then, uh, when we get to this fall, we're going to pour the concrete and put the starting gate in place on the starting hill. So, then when we get to spring, that's going to be our phase three. We have to pave the starting hill and pave the
corners. So, you can see that each of these corners is paved right now. And this first part of the starting hill is uh paved as well. We're going to wait for the dirt to settle over winter. And then uh we're working with MR paving to pave all of that. Um then we're going to
basically have a a start stand and a finish line stand where the the people running the the starting gate and the people that are tracking to see who's finishing where and when. Um we'll build that stuff in the spring as well. And then just kind of the springtime finetuning of the track which we have to
do every year as well. Then kind of the phase four which be in the summer into fall is um getting the the lights in on the track as well as building a new concession stand. So I have a quick question for you. Yes, sir. Uh where are the where do the the
spectators sit? Where where's their viewing spot? So currently we have bleachers here and here. Well, those are once that retaining wall is put here, these bleachers are going to set right up here. So, they're actually going to have an elevated vantage point to be able to look over the track. And then we also have some seating along the
alleyway over here as well. We actually improve Yes. Absolutely. Good. Thank you. Any other questions? Other questions? I think it sounds exciting. I I'm not I
never really been a fan of that, but I think it sounds like fun. I wish I was a kid again. But I think it's a it's a nice thing for no and it's it's a good good for people young people to be everybody to be involved in. Uh and certainly is going to be really nice when you're done with it.
Yeah, I think so too. And we're we're already seeing numbers increase here through this summer. We're actually we're wrapping up our first beginners league that we've had in New Elms history. Just wrapping it up tonight. So we're going to leave from here for a pizza party with some kids. Um but yeah, it's going pretty well and I think they're going to like it and we'll
continue to see those numbers grow. Good. Good luck with it. Thank you very much. Appreciate your presentation presentation. Director Schugle, any closing comments before we You know, the one thing I I would add just a little bit is this area is pretty
landlocked, so there's only so many options, but I think what they're proposing is um and and planning is is a really nice use of the space down there and added what they need for additional safety to get some of those more experienced races down there as well.
Good follow. Okay, any other questions? Hearing none, I'll look for a motion to receive an order filed the BMX track redesign project update. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion?
Hearing none. All those in favor, please say I. I. Opposed. Name sign. Motion has carried. Thank you. All right. Moving on to new business. Agenda item number 7.1, large shooting range grant request from the
Minnesota DNR. Yes, Jer Bugler. Commissioners, this is a request for staff to apply for a DNR grant for large uh shooting range for the trap range. Uh so um New Park and Recreck along with the Sou Valley Gun Club are working
together to try to um rece. So our our building was uh built in the late '7s. it's uh it's at the point where it's um in many instances beyond repair and just needs um an update. We're also seeing huge increases with
the trap and ski teams through the schools. They ser that range serves three schools and um it's time for for an improvement out there and uh there's grant dollars available through the DNR and this grant dollars are matching uh
grant so they it maximizes at $100,000. So that's what the ask would be. Uh the Sou Valley Gun Club would um put up those matching funds if successful. So um they would do that through some of their fundraising but also some of their
um um dollars that they have as well. Additionally, we uh the city council did allocate some funds um in in uh restricted account for um the trap range building as well to help make this go. So if successful, it's a pretty tight
timeline. So they the DNR would have the request the project to be done by June, the end of June in 2026. So if we'd find out, they we'd probably find out later this summer. So that would almost give about a year to do that. So in your packet, um the grant application is
there, but also um as a requirement of the grant, we had to have building specs um ready to go. So you'll see what that's what the the building would look like. Um and the Sou Valley Gun Club, you know, in meeting with them, meeting their needs. And then
also this is what the site would look like. So currently the current trap building is right here. The proposed new building would go over more in front of the trap and ski uh fields over there um and the combo
field. So, if you think of the the Harmon Park shelter where um the overhanging roof, uh people would be able to view uh some of the shooting activity out there, you know, under, you know, and under shade there and um would
be a good use of uh the space out there. And the old trap building again, if successful, would go away. Um not knowing much about it, but do they have uh their own staff or someone that kind of oversees this? So the city doesn't have to be
so similar to the River Valley BMX, we have an agreement with the Sou Valley Gun Club to operate this facility. So it's it's owned by the city of Newm but um operated through the Sou Valley Gun Club. So they're they're a nonprofit 501c3 and their board oversees it
down by the the compost site compost and all that. Is that going to run into where the trees are dumped and all that or No. So the trap range has been around for been there for a while. a long time and it it all works down there. It's a great location for it. Uh so you we don't deal
with the noise complaints if this was in the middle of town. Um so it it uh it really works nice down there and they're they're a great uh operator of the facility. Um they're getting be a big thing for a high school. I know that. Sure is. Yep. Yeah.
It's still very popular even for adults. It is. Yep. I don't see a total cost. Did I miss a cost? So, so this is just a grant approval. So far, if if we're successful, this would come back to the commission to approve the plans for the building. We we're estimating right now
um the building is around 235,000. Um so with the the 100,000 from the DNR, 100,000 um from the Sou Valley Gun Club, some inind work would be part of this as well. Some of the trades that are interested in this have already offered
to do some of this for a very low cost to save some money. And then city of New has some money as well. And the city of New that would be a decision for us to recommend to city council potentially if there is a funding gap outside of what the grant and what Sou Valley Gun Club can offer.
And it it would be, but there's a restricted funds already allocated for this from the city council. There was leftover funds from the the battery building that was put into this. Yep. Okay. That the city council authorized to move to towards this pro potential project.
Other questions for director Shuk. I was just wondering about the you know safety issues and everything which is I know is a whole different thing but so is there is that open to everybody anytime or is it I mean can you just go out there and take your shotgun and start shooting? I don't I don't understand the
logistics. Yep. Great question. So they do have nights where they operate um have open to the public, but it's it's there as the the Sou Valley Gun Club's there to oversee it. So it's it's on certain nights. It's Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursday evenings.
Yes. Now you're you're supposed they have membership options, but they have also um non-member options as well. They close off the tree thing when you You're not going to get shot down there. Get shot. Well, I just wondering, you
know, if if that if they actually have people out there, you know, keep keeping anything, you know, operating or if it's just kind of open to anybody that drives up. I'm just not sure. Yes. So, uh Jim AR and the other Sou Valley Gun Club members are are very active out there and are involved in that.
Those they're very passionate about what they do. Right. Any remaining questions [Music] hearing? No questions. Looking for a motion to authorize um our staff to submit a grant application to the
Minnesota DNR for this project. So moved. Second. Have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please say I. I. Oppose. Same sign. Motion has carried. Moving on to agenda
item 7.2, park and wreck donations. Chair Bugler commissioners have a few donations this month. You'll see on here, we'll talk about it in a little bit, but the Herman 5K sponsorship from New Vera and Mr. Paving for $150 each.
And then there's also a donation from New Baseball Association for $2,000 as well. So, donations this month total $2,300. All right. Is the baseball association donation restricted in any way? it it's restricted for use at Johnson or Miller
ballparks. Okay, very good. Thank you. Thanks to all of our donors. Any questions for Director Schugle on those donations? If none, looking for a motion to recommend to the city council to offer resolution and to wave the reading to accept those donations just read.
Is there a motion? So moved. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please say I. I. Oppose. Same sign. Motion has carried in appreciation for those donations to our
community partners. And moving on to agenda items number eight, reports from commissioner and staff. Number 8.1, commissioner reports. Do we have any commissioner reports for tonight? Hearing none, we'll move on to agenda
item 8.2, the department activity report. Director Shugall, Chair Bugler, Commissioners, June was a very busy month uh for the department uh as it normally is. Uh but I wanted to highlight the facility use um and and some of the facilities that are in this
report um we just talked about Johnson and Miller ballparks. The amount of games that were played there in the month um are pretty pretty astounding. So 21 games on each field just from the tournaments. That doesn't include the other games played. Um, additionally,
when we're talking about facilities, 1,300 admissions to Herman Monument. Um, and and that's only in the first 15 days of June. So, that's a that's a really high number. Um, waiting pools have been super busy again. Um, again, those are
free use for the community. Over 1,000 kids and 500 adults in the first half of the month there as well. Uh, and then the civic center continues to see use um being a versatile facility. uh they had hosted the circus at at the civic center
and autofest was out there in June as well. So um nice to see facilities being used um and used in ways that were intended. Any questions for the month of June on the activity? I just want to say thanks. That's a lot of a lot of stuff going on and it's
really congratulations and um to you and the staff and that wreck on the go was nice article in the paper and that's that's been a really fun thing too. So, good job. Our our staff is uh doing great things and it's nice that when the the journal
covers things as well uh to help promote uh for the community. Great. Thanks, Kurt. Any other comments or questions related to the department activity report? If none, I'll look for a motion to accept and file the park and rack um
department activity report for June. So, move. A second. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion hearing? None. All those in favor, please say I. I. Those same sign. Motion has carried. Moving on to agenda item 8.3, the staff
report. Yes, Chair Bugler. Commissioners, a few more items uh that I wanted to highlight today. Uh just wanted to talk about parks crews and and how they've been busy. Uh if you've been around to the playgrounds, you see new material added to the playgrounds. Uh and that's
traditionally a thing we do every year. Uh it both freshens up the look, but it also adds that safety feature that's required for those playgrounds and those fall zones. Uh so that those are looking great. Also around town, you'll see a lot of the medians have new mulch in and
and all of that. It has a great look in there, too. So, uh Nells Park around the fitness area. So, crews have been busy in addition to the grass has not stopped growing and is growing very fast. Um but a lot going on outside. Uh, also recreation software, we've
talked about that a little bit. Uh, by the time this group gets back together, we will have a new software up and running and that uh, up and running date is August 1st. Uh, assistant director Corman has been working very hard with that, getting staff trained, ready to go. Our goal is it for to be very
seamless for the user that they won't even notice that much other than a new password and um, all of that type of things when they're going in to register for activities. We talked about new all night out a little bit. Reminder that's Thursday,
July 31st. That event keeps getting it seems like keeps getting more interest uh from our nonprofit groups and all of the great things going in New Alm. So this year's set up for another another great event. Hopefully we have good weather. Um we do have a backup location for as a civic center, but it's a it's a
much nicer event if it's outside in the summer. Um and again, our consultants will be there with the master plan as well. And then I teased a little bit under uh donations that the Herman 5K is back. So the Herman 5K was last uh ran
in 2019. CO kind of shut down a lot of the 5Ks and now they're starting to come back. Um and that event was always around the first weekend of October Fest. Well, um, now we there's an opportunity to move that to Hermanfest
with, uh, with, uh, the run that has been traditionally there is no longer, uh, going to take place. And what better way to run a Herman 5K than during Hermanfest that celebrates Herman. Uh, so we're really excited about that. This year it's Saturday, September 6th. There
is a new route with that. Just with the logistics of Hermanfest, we um we didn't think finishing in Herman Heights Park was a great idea with the early activity up there as part of Hermanfest. However, a lot of the run Herman will be overlooking. So, um you'll see a lot of
promotion continuing for that and there's a lot of new options as well. So, not only with the 5K, there's a mile run with it and then there's also a kids kind of fun run type of deal as well. So looking forward to a fun day uh and healthy activities um in the in the
morning of Hermanfest. And that concludes the report. Great report. Any questions for Director Schugall? Hearing none. Looking for a motion to accept and file the park and wreck department staff report. Second.
We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Sorry. We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please say I. I. Oppose. Same sign. Motion has carried. I see we have some
guests with us tonight. Is there anything on the agenda that we missed or that you'd like to address? Uh the guests are for the work session to follow. Gotcha. Okay. Very good. All right. The date of our next meeting is August 11th um at 4 PM. With no
further business, I will declare this meeting adjourned. Thank you everyone.