[MPLS] MPRB Committee of the Whole Budget Meeting 10-26-05 part 2

Tue Nov 1 09:36:26 CST 2005

I would also like to thank Liz Wielinski for her posts. However, as a newbee
to Park Board proceedings and history I would like to ask for some
clarification on some of Liz's notes (And Liz, if your fingers are tired let
someone else answer!).

1. What is LGA? I know that we are a society now based on three letter
acronyms but my education on them stopped with EVA, TLI, LEM and oh yes, the
four letter MECO.

2. What is the JUMP IN program? I tried a search on the Park Board website
and got nothing.

Okay, now for some comments:

A. Liz wrote: ' The 
Neiman Complex is like the neighborhood parks ( but the neighborhood is 
Bloomington isn't it???)'

I would offer that my neighborhood - Hale-Page-Diamond Lake uses the Neiman
Complex quite often. I know that a number of the high school baseball teams
play games there, both public and private. Softball teams practice and play
there. Many colleges also use the baseball fields for games.

My youngest son just played his Park Board soccer tournament games at
Neiman. There were hundreds of kids there over that week. So many that they
even had games played on the outfields of the two 90' baseball fields! (A
little disappointing to see that.)

B. I am surprised by the number of commissioner statements on the lack of
information AND their lack of knowledge on what the current programs are
about(See the discussion on milfoil removers and the DNR).

It seems to me that there is a deliberate effort to keep Park Board
Commissioners in the dark. Does that ring true with others? Or is it the
other way around? The info is there, you just have to make the effort to go
get it? I would appreciate a logical, process based discussion on this, not
an emotional one.

Thanks in advance for any information any of you can provide.

Rick Kuhlmann
HPDL (Oops an acronym) - Hall/Page/Diamond Lake

-----Original Message-----
From: mpls-bounces at mnforum.org [mailto:mpls-bounces at mnforum.org] On Behalf
Of Elizabeth Wielinski
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 12:10 AM
To: MPLS FORUM
Subject: [MPLS] MPRB Committee of the Whole Budget Meeting 10-26-05 part 2

Budget meeting continues...

Commissioner Mason notes that the MPRB has gone from quite a few FT to 
PT positions and wonders if this should be reconsidered.

Commissioner Olson asks how a line item budget is done?

GM Siggelkow states it is done by the department managers

Commissioner Mason restates that she did not receive the information 
she had requested.

GM Siggelkow replies that they are now going to district budgets with 
the restructuring.  [go to this link and scroll to the bottom for my 
comments regarding this from 12-15-2004 that are still pertinent 
questions....   http://www.mplsparkwatch.org/node/187  ]

Commissioner Erwin states his budget issues...

Increases   Diseased Tree Removal
                      Youth Sports  up 25 % = 120,000
                      Field Maintenance up 25% = 170,000
                      Senior Programming up 200%= 100,000
Reduction  # of ice rinks    for $400,000

Increase in Youth Supervision ( N, NE and Powderhorn )100% = $83,000
Take $ from ticket revenues (which would have to increase because they 
are already earmarked so watch where you park and speed)

Increase staff at Rec + by 100%=120,000 which will serve more kids
Reduce admin 5%

Where there are Rec centers close to each other have more junior staff 
full time and make the managing staff take on 2 centers.  Changing to 1 
manager per 2 rec centers could put $75,000 into youth programming

He would like to use the 1 time LGA windfall to get 2 mobile movie 
screens, one for north and one for NE and plantings for the new 
gardeners

Staff additions 2 gardeners and 1 forestry crew.

Commissioner Berry Graves would like to add a water quality person, a 
manager for Environmental Operations, 2 carpenters, add Whittier, and 
Phillips to the list of parks Commissioner Erwin wants extra staff at, 
Teen Teamworks and Youthline restored and more Park rehabilitation 
dollars

If kids are our priority our budget should reflect this.

Commissioner Young comments negatively on the amount of information she 
had to work with and gets into a discussion with President Olson over 
the line item budget...

LIZ"S APOLOGIES HERE   ....there was commentary by Commissioner Young 
and Commissioner Olson during the next few minutes but I missed it as 
my husband was ill and my 6 year old companion (my son Bobby) needed a 
restroom break. ( maybe Scott Vreeland who was also present at the 
meeting could fill in the blanks, though his earlier post was pretty 
specific about his opinion of the meeting)

Commissioner Fine wants to know why they should put more money into 
field maintenance, and shouldn't they just be redone with capital 
dollars
He would like Commissioner Erwin to give a better explanation

Commissioner Dziedzic wants to know if there were cuts in recreation, 
feels it has been kept at a stable level.   Back when they eliminated 
the Rec Coordinators they created a void filled by the folks that did 
outreach and youthline and folks want it back.  He would also like MORE 
rinks, skip the warming rooms and just flood the old rink spots like at 
Hi-view and give kids a chance to skate [ disclaimer...Hi view is my 
local park and the last year they flooded the rink was in 1993-94 the 
year I moved into my house, but this was not my suggestion, he skipped 
my house when door-knocking ]

Commissioner Kummer asks how the budget fares with the new $1.9 million 
in additional taxes ( if approved) and GM Siggelkow states that with 
the recent raises in union contracts and increases due to inflation and 
health care they will break even.

Commissioner Mason would like youth sports to be combined with all 
other youth programming and refered to as Youth Recreation

The only other increase she would suggest if possible is more milfoil 
harvesting and she would also like staff to "come up with a plan" for 
the Neiman Complex. She would also like additional budget discussions 
to be held between 11/16 and 12/7 when the public has input.

Commissioner Hauser who has just arrived would like to see an increase 
in the base dollars for stump removal and feels that more investment in 
beaches in pools would serve more people that ice rinks

She would also like to see that the staffing levels are kept in the 
building trades and park keepers

Commissioner Erwin makes a motion to direct staff to work on the 2006 
budget with these priorities...
establish a 4th forestry crew, hire 2 gardeners, more money into youth 
RECREATION, field maintenance, senior programming, stump removal, pay 
for OT for volunteer event staffing needs example buckthorn removal, 
and wise investments for the one time LGA increase

Commissioner Mason amends (friendly) to include milfoil and a Neiman 
Complex plan

to which President Olson suggests dealing with at another time and he 
is reminded it was on the SURVEY

GM Schmidt weighs in with the milfoil harvesters already at full 
capacity and we would need another harvester and the DNR only allows so 
much to be harvested due to fish habitat concerns.  President Olson ask 
for a ballpark cost and is told about $100,000 for another harvester.

Superintendent Gurban (hey .. he's there..) mentions that they are 
already at the max for DNR area and GM Schmidt mentions it could be 
done more often in the same areas.

Commissioner Fine again states that the ball fields were not built to 
make money but to improve field quality for those playing sports.  The 
Neiman Complex is like the neighborhood parks ( but the neighborhood is 
Bloomington isn't it???) He would also like the funding for JUMP IN 
restored.

Commissioner Kummer would like no cuts to the water quality budget. She 
would also like loss statements for all the other parks if there is one 
for Neiman.

Commissioner Hauser again asks if Neiman is a recreational opportunity 
or not and would like to PRESERVE GREEN SPACE (only that with gridiron 
lines on it, right??? )

Commissioner Berry Graves seconds the milfoil ( would increase the 
swimmers)  and Jump In coming back

President Olson points out there are 3 minutes remaining

Commissioner Young requests that we have Jump In in more than just 
English if its coming back and would like to see more money in 
environmental education.

Commissioner Dziedzic puts in his remaining comment that they are not 
in the fee business but the fun business.

9 ayes for what appears to be priorities of...

2 gardeners
1 forestry crew
Field Maintenance
Youth Recreation
Stump Removal
Senior Programming
Jump In
Environmental Education

Adjourned 6:30 PM

Liz Wielinski
Columbia Park
and Bobby age 6, who is the kid lying on the floor if you watch on TV

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