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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.B. Environmental Advisory Committee/Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Structure 10.B. CITY OF SHAKOPEE MEMORANDUM To: Mayor and City Council Mark McNeill, City Administrator From: Mark Themig, Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Meeting Date: July 5, 2006 Subject: Recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Environmental Advisory Committee on Structure INTRODUCTION This agenda item is to provide the City Council with the outcome of the pilot program where the PRAB and EAC met jointly to determine the effectiveness of a joint board. BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION Following a three-month pilot program meeting jointly as a combined EAC/PRAB board, the Boards considered two recommendations on how to proceed: Option 1: Return to Separate Boards . Do you want to try to schedule periodic joint meetings or workshops to discuss items in common, such as development reviews, natural resource corridors, etc.? . Are there other ways that we (staff) can do a better job of keeping both boards informed of their work? Option 2: Combine Both Boards into a Common Board . How many individuals should be on this board? . Will this approach require meeting more than one time per month to cover the work? . Are there ways that we can prepare the agenda to streamline the meetings? After considerable discussion on the benefits of meeting jointly, the EAC and PRAB both agreed that their areas of responsibility are fairly comprehensive and unique, so it would be in the best interest of the City to continue on as separate boards. However, they did recognize that when it comes to reviewing developments, it was extremely beneficial for them to meet jointly in order to better understand the perspective that each board takes regarding developments. Therefore, they have requested that when a major development is being reviewed, that the review be scheduled as a joint review at the beginning of alternating meetings. We will have to work with Planning to ensure that this schedule will fall within the review timeline. In addition, the Boards requested an opportunity to meet jointly with City Council to discuss their role and responsibility in more detail. In order to avoid scheduling an additional work session, I think that we could have this discussion as part of either the CIP or operating budget work session. Mr. Voxland will be finalizing this date later in July. RELATIONSHIP TO VISION F. Housekeeping Item. REQUESTED ACTION No action is requested. CITY OF SHAKOPEE MEMORANDUM To: Mayor and City Council Mark McNeill, City Administrator From: Mark Themig, Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Director Meeting Date: February 7,2006 Subject: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Environmental Advisory Committee Structure INTRODUCTION This agenda item is to request discussion on the structure of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Environmental Advisory Committee. DISCUSSION The City created the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board by ordinance in 1990, with a charge of having advisory powers related to parks and recreation services (attached). City Council created the Environmental Advisory Committee in 2001 by resolution, with a charge of advising the City in the use and management of its natural resources (attached). Since the creation of the Environmental Advisory Committee, there have periodic discussions about the separation and overlap of the two boards. For example, each board reviews the same development proposals at different times, and, at times, requests information on how the other board is handling review of a certain aspect of a development. Since both boards have staff support from the same department. relaying information is relatively easy. There are also some aspects that are entirely unique for each board. For example, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board advises on recreation services such as the Community Center and athletics, while the Environmental Advisory Committee advises on topics like AUAR area designation and noise. The following are a few examples of recent topics that have been discussed at each board, and whether or not there has been overlap in discussion: Topic Environmental Advisory Parks and Recreation Committee Advisory Board Development Reviews Occasionally the EAC Occasional the PRAB requests PRAB's thoughts requests EAC's thoughts on and desire related parks, wetlands. and other natural woodlands, and other resources. Some natural resources discussions on conservation easements. Natural Resource Corridor Discussed how park Discussed how Natural Plan and Design Standards dedication could be a Resource Corridors can be mechanism for integrated into park areas implementation Noise Discussed whether park No discussion involving land could help buffer noise environmental issues from homes (Countrvside) EMF/High Voltage Analysis of EMF included No discussion involving Transmission lines park and open space areas environmental issues and proximity to High Voltage Transmission lines (South bridge and Countryside) . Park Design Park design and plans have PRAB has requested that been presented to EAC for EAC review some review (Quarry, Huber proposals (Quarry, Huber Park) Park) AUAR Area Designation No overlap No discussion Athletic Associations No discussion No overlap Community Center Future No discussion No overlap Shakopee Gravel CUP No overlap No discussion Park Plan Update (2006 Would likely have some Would likely have some project) overlap as it relates to overlap as it relates to Natural Resource Natural Resource Corridors. Corridors. In addition to discussions about overlap, there have also been periodic questions about whether it would be more efficient and effective if the two boards were combined. The cities of Eden Prairie and Savage both have a combined Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resource Commission that advises City Council on all three topics (attached). Merging the two boards in this way would result in a single board with expanded advisory charges. On January 10, Ryan Hughes and I met jointly with both Kathy Gerlach, Chair of the Environmental Advisory Committee, and Arvid Sornberger, Chair of the Park and Recreation Advisory Board, to discuss the structure of the two boards, During this meeting, we had considerable discussion about the charge for each board, the overlap that at times seems to occur related to certain topics, and unique topics that each board handles. We came to the conclusion that there is indeed overlap for some topics, and yet no overlap for other topics. However, the question remained as to whether or not there is enough overlap to conclude that we are duplicating efforts, and whether or not each board's work load is such that combining the two boards would not be in the best interest of the city. If City Council was interested in exploring whether a merged Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Environmental Advisory Committee would serve the city as well as the current separate boards do (but more efficiently), we came up with an idea: Ask each board to meet in a joint meeting as a test pilot for a two to three month period. At these meetings, there would be agenda items that each board would vote on, and items that only one board or the other would vote on depending on its content. This would give each board the opportunity to assess whether or not merging the two would create better efficiency, and not be a detriment to the City. Feedback from this exercise would be provided to City Council for future consideration. I do want to note that we have not discussed this concept with either board yet. In talking with the Chairs, there was consensus that we wanted to get input from City Council before any discussion. If you were interested in the idea of the test pilot, we would look at trying to coordinate the joint meetings for the months of March, April, and May (if needed). VISIONING RELATIONSHIOP Although only for consideration by City Council, this action appears to potentially meet the following aspects of the City's vision: Goal: Active and healthy community High quality of life Strategies: Protect the environment I ncrease use of Park and Recreation Provide high quality services REQUESTED ACTION If City Council concurs, move to ask the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Environmental Advisory Committee to meet jointly for the months of March, April, and May (if needed) to assess whether or not merging the two boards would result in greater efficiency and effectiveness for the City, and not be a detriment to either board's charge.