Board of Commissioners Meetings

The agenda for the August 21, 2025, Regular Board Meeting is available here.

The Board Meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Three Rivers Park District Administrative Center, 3000 Xenium Lane N., Plymouth, MN 55441.

Superintendent's Recommendation:

NO ACTION REQUIRED.

Background Information:

Any individual wishing to address the Board on subjects which are not part of the meeting agenda may do so at this time. Such items will typically be referred to staff for review, action and/or recommendation for future board action. The public will also be provided an opportunity to address the Board on items which are on the agenda at the appropriate time.

If you would like to submit written comments in advance of the Board Meeting that will be shared with the Board, you may post them below in the comment box under the agenda item you wish to address or under People Wishing to Address the Board if it's a topic not on the Board Meeting agenda. Comments received by 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday before the Board Meeting will be shared with Commissioners at the meeting.

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 25-16; A RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO MARY SPAANEM UPON HER RETIREMENT FROM THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT.

Prepared By: Dominic Ray, Elm Creek Park Operations Supervisor; Luke Skinner, Associate Superintendent

Background:

With heartfelt appreciation, we recognize Mary Spaanem for her dedicated service to Three Rivers Park District.

Mary has been a cornerstone of Food Service at Elm Creek Winter Recreation Area for over 15 years, starting as a seasonal Food Coordinator the first five years, before being promoted to Food Service Supervisor. She actively contributed to Park District-wide initiatives, including providing food for Board of Commissioner meetings and signature events. Mary's passion for developing talent was evident in her commitment to mentoring younger employees, fostering strong work skills and a commendable work ethic. Her unique blend of humor, adaptability, and unwavering resolve was consistently applied to enhance the guest experience as well as staff – a defining characteristic of her impactful time with the Park District. Mary can be proud of the positive and far-reaching impact she's had on countless individuals during her time with Three Rivers Park District.

The attached Resolution of Appreciation, is being presented for Board consideration, recognizing Mary Spaanem’s contributions to the Park District.

Attachments:

Resolution of Appreciation to Mary Spaanem.pdf

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 25-17; A RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO ALLEN BAUMAN UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT.

Prepared By: Pete Hill, Maintenance Supervisor and Brad Chock, Director of Maintenance

Background:

Allen ("Al") Bauman began his full-time career with the Park District on May 17, 2007. Upon his retirement on July 30, 2025, Al will have served the Park District for more than 18 years.

Knowledgeable, resourceful, reliable, hardworking, passionate, dedicated, self-motivated, team player, mentor, and leader are many of the terms that best describe Al and his outstanding career with the Park District.

Over the years, Al was a key player in numerous successful programs at the Minnetonka Rental Facility, Lowry Nature Center and Gale Woods Education Center. Al was always passionate about the condition of the many facilities in the Carver Work Cluster that he oversaw.

The attached Resolution of Appreciation is being presented for Board consideration, recognizing Al's service to the Park District.

Attachments:

Resolution of Appreciation to Allen Bauman.pdf

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 25-18; A RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO KURT HAUGEN UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT.

Prepared By: Mark Boonstra, Golf Maintenance Supervisor and Brad Chock, Director of Maintenance

Background:

Kurt Haugen began his full-time career with the Park District on June 12, 1995. Upon his retirement on September 2, 2025, Kurt will have served the Park District for more than 30 years.

Kurt has worked most of his career at Glen Lake where he has been providing golfers with great customer service since it opened in 1997.

Kurt has taken much pride in his efforts on the golf course and driving range. Every Tuesday, all summer long, he and the crew would work their magic overseeding and restoring the driving range tee for the coming week.

Ski trail grooming was one of Kurt’s winter tasks, at the end of the workday, Kurt frequently enjoyed skiing the trails and enjoying the results of his efforts.

The attached Resolution of Appreciation is being presented for Board consideration, recognizing Kurt’s service to the Park District.

Attachments:

Resolution of Appreciation to Kurt Haugen.pdf

Superintendent's Recommendation:

NO ACTION REQUIRED; THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.

Prepared By: Sierra Spicer-Zimmerman, Donor Relations and Volunteer Supervisor

Background:

Commissioners and/or staff are encouraged to report any special matters, awards, recognitions or other acknowledgements at this time.

Acknowledgement of Donations

The Board wishes to acknowledge the following donations to the Park District of $500 or more made in the past month.

• Kathryn Strom, St. Paul - $25,000 directed to support Wildlife Management projects.
• Joseph Missite, Maple Grove - $7,800 for a Forests Forever tribute tree and tribute bench in memory of Espoir Christopher Missite.

Relationship to the System Plan:

The Request for Action supports the following goal(s) of the System Plan:

Goal 1: You Belong Here

Goal 2: Parks Matter

Goal 3: Lead by Example

Superintendent's Recommendation:

NO ACTION REQUIRED; THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.

Background:

• 2025 Proposed Board Meeting and Study Session Calendar attached.
• Calendar of 2025 Meetings and Events attached.

Attachments:

2025 Proposed Board Meeting and Study Session Calendar.pdf

Calendar of 2025 Meetings and Events.pdf

All matters listed under Routine Business are considered to be standard items by the Board of Commissioners and will be enacted by one motion. For background information about any of the items listed below, visit this link.

Item 4A. Receive Mississippi Gateway Regional Park Construction Progress Update

Superintendent's Recommendation:

NO ACTION REQUIRED.

Item 4B. Approve NPS Grant for West Mississippi Regional Trail Acquisition (17020 Dayton River Rd)

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO ENTER INTO A GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PROVIDING $30,000 TO SUPPORT DEMOLITION AND RESTORATION WORK ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEWLY ACQUIRED WEST MISSISSIPPI RIVER REGIONAL TRAIL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 17020 DAYTON RIVER ROAD IN DAYTON, MN.

Item 4C. Approval of Metropolitan Council Utility Easement at Noerenberg Gardens

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO APPROVE CONVEYANCE OF A PERMANENT UTILITY EASEMENT TO THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL AT NOERENBERG GARDENS TO EXPAND A FORCEMAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT.

Item 4D. Approve Mississippi River Regional Trail Acquisition Opportunity

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO ENTER INTO A PURCHASE AGREEMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $365,000 FOR THE ACQUISITION OF 16560 DAYTON RIVER ROAD IN DAYTON ALONG THE PROPOSED WEST MISSISSIPPI RIVER REGIONAL TRAIL (PARCEL 0512022430010); TO ENTER INTO AN ACQUISITION REIMBURSEMENT GRANT WITH THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL; AND TO ESTABLISH A PROJECT BUDGET OF $445,000 WITH LOCAL FUNDING FROM THE LAND ACQUISITION, DEVELOPMENT, AND BETTERMENT FUND.

Item 4E. Approve Metropolitan Council Grants for a Water Quality Project, and for a Lighting at Elm Creek Project

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO APPROVE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL GRANT SG-25P4-09-12 FOR A GRANT OF $140,000 FOR THE ELM CREEK PARK RESERVE - WINTER RECREATION AREA SLOPE LIGHT FIXTURE PREPLACEMENT PROJECT; AND TO APPROVE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL GRANT SG-25P4-09-13 FOR A GRANT OF $60,000 FOR THE WATER CONSERVATION - IRRIGATION WATER RE-USE SYSTEM FOR THE DISTRICT NURSERY PROJECT.

Item 4F. Authorize the Superintendent to Enter into a Three-Year Contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems for Portable Toilet Service

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ENTER INTO A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH LAKESHORE RECYCLING SYSTEMS FOR PORTABLE TOILET SERVICE IN AN ANNUAL AMOUNT OF $76,835 WITH THE 3-YEAR TOTAL AMOUNT OF $230,505. THIS SERVICE WILL BE FUNDED BY THE 2025 THROUGH 2028 OPERATING BUDGETS.

Item 4G. Board Minutes of July 17, 2025

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JULY 17, 2025, REGULAR BOARD MEETING.

Item 4H. Approval of Claims for the Period Ended August 14, 2025

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO APPROVE PAYMENT OF CLAIMS AS RECOMMENDED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED AUGUST 14, 2025, IN THE AMOUNT OF $9,333,802.76.

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF DAYTON'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY REGARDING THE CONVEYANCE AND REMOVAL OF THE HOUSE LOCATED AT 15520 LAWNDALE LANE NORTH IN DAYTON.

Prepared By: Kelly Grissman, Director of Planning

Background:

Three Rivers staff have been working to explore methods to reduce acquisition costs and demolition waste, and to preserve housing in good condition for moving and reuse. As part of this work, staff have been working closely with City of Dayton representatives on the potential sale and moving of the single family house recently acquired by Three Rivers located at 15520 Lawndale Lane North in the City of Dayton. The home (2,273 above ground sq ft) was constructed in 2022 and features many upgrades, a modern open floor plan, main floor laundry and office/den, 3 bedrooms and primary suite on the second floor.

The house's age, layout, condition, and level of finish make it a very desirable candidate for moving and reuse. With this in mind and the City's interest in keeping the house within the City's limits to preserve/boost its local tax base and potentially support redevelopment efforts, representatives from Three Rivers and the City's Economic Development Authority ("EDA") recently met to determine whether a mutually agreeable arrangement was feasible that helped each party reach its goals. The outcome of this meeting resulted in an agreement for each parties' elected bodies' review and consideration (See Attached: Agreement for Conveyance and Removal of House). The general terms and conditions of the Agreement are listed below for Board reference:

• The EDA will purchase the house for $40,000 and provide non-refundable earnest money of $20,000 upon entering into the Agreement to protect Three Rivers in the event the EDA does not timely fulfill the terms of the Agreement.
• The EDA is required to pay for, coordinate, and remove the associated utilities and foundation/basement, regrade the area to match the surrounding landscape, and revegetate the disturbed area.
• The House must be removed by June 1, 2026.

The City's EDA intends to review and, if supportive, enter into the Agreement at its upcoming meeting on August 19, 2025. Should there be any requested changes as part of the review and approval process, staff will present those changes to the Board at its regular August 21, 2025, meeting for review and consideration.

Relationship to the System Plan:

The Request for Action supports the following goal(s) of the System Plan:

Goal 2: Parks Matter

Goal 3: Lead by Example

Attachments:

Dayton EDA Agreement for Conveyance and Removal of House.docx

Superintendent's Recommendation:

NO ACTION REQUIRED; THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.

Prepared By: Howard D. Koolick, Chief Financial Officer

Background:

At its most basic, a budget is a set of numbers that documents how the Park District will collect and spend money. When the budget is looked at deeper, it reflects the priorities and goals of the Park District and its plans to handle the challenges for the upcoming year.

The Park District uses these ten operating budgets to manage the Park District’s day to day operations:

• General Fund
• Scott-Three Rivers Partnership
• Hyland-Bush-Anderson Lakes Partnership
• Baker Golf
• Eagle Lake Golf
• Glen Lake Golf
• Parkers Lake Golf
• Hyland Greens Golf
• Hyland Hills Ski Area
• Equipment Internal Services

Building the budget is a joint effort of involving the Board of Commissioners, the Superintendent, and a variety of staff. Each of these groups plays a specific role in constructing the budget and the policy decisions that underlie it. The Board of Commissioners is responsible for approval of the budget and the goals and objectives supported by the budget.

A starting point for building the 2026 budget needs to be an understanding of the environment the Park District is operating in and what issues the District faces with both revenues and expenditures. Staff will be focusing primarily on the General Fund Budget but many of the issues will impact the other operating budgets as well.

Staff intends to review the following items with Commissioners:

1. Basic Cost of Operating
   1. Employee Compensation and Benefits
   2. Supplies, Services and Other
2. Equipment Internal Service Costs
3. Property and Liability Insurance
4. Property Taxes
5. Park Use Fees
6. State Revenues
7. History of Minimum Fund Balance Policy

The first six items are discussed in the attached budget information. A separate report on the History of the Minimum Fund Balance will be distributed and discussed by staff at the meeting.

Relationship of Board Action to the Budget

The Park District's budget process is a six to eight month process that includes a number of steps and board actions to complete. The following graphic will be used to easily show how this board action fits into the budget process and where the District is in the process. The blue information on the timeline shows where we are in the budget process.

Relationship to the System Plan:

The Request for Action supports the following goal(s) of the System Plan:

Goal 2: Parks Matter

by ensuring the Park District's finances are properly managed and planned.

Attachments:

General Budget Information.pdf