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Home My WebLink About10B - Adopt a Park Programs MEETING DATE: AGENDA # PREPARED BY: REVIEWED BY: AGENDA ITEM: DISCUSSION: CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT JUNE 16,2003 lOB MAKENZIE MCCORMICK, PUBLIC WORKS COORDINATOR BUD OSMUNDSON, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR CONSIDER APPROVAL OF CONTINUING THE ADOPT-A-PARK AND MEMORIAL BENCH AND TREE PROGRAMS, AND CREATING THE ADOPT -A-STREET PROGRAM. History The purpose of this agenda item is to reintroduce the City Council to the Adopt-A- Park and Memorial Bench and Tree programs that the City already offers to its residents and authorize the initiation of an Adopt-A-Street program. In past years, City staff has created and implemented the Adopt-A-Park and Memorial Bench and Tree programs. Throughout the City parks you can find examples of the benches and trees residents have purchased through this program. Noticing declining interest, City staff and the Park Advisory Committee (PAC) feels it is now time to reintroduce these programs within the City and generate more awareness for our residents. City staff would also like to introduce a new program, Adopt-A-Street, for our city, similar to the Adopt-A-Park program and MnDOT's successful Adopt- A-Highway program. CurrentC"CUmSMnc~ The Adopt-A-Park program relies on volunteers to assist their community by picking up litter several times during the summer months, completing small improvement projects, and notifying City staff of any unsafe conditions in their designated park. The effort of the volunteers greatly reduce the time and expense of the city's maintenance workers for waste removal at the City parks. The program also helps maintain the beauty of the parks for all residents to enjoy. The Memorial Bench and Tree program was also created several years ago. This program offers residents the opportunity to honor the memory of a loved one by purchasing a tree or bench to place in one of the city parks. Both the tree and bench can be paired with an engraved plaque commemorating the special loved one by providing a lasting remembrance. The tree and bench can also be enjoyed by residents for years to come. The City is responsible for the maintenance of the bench and will replace the bench if damaged. City staff would like to introduce a new program to offer to its residents, Adopt-A- Street. Similar to the Adopt-A-Park program, it will utilize the efforts of volunteers to help keep the city streets clean and free of debris. Many may be familiar with the Adopt-A-Highway program that Scott County and MnDOT have created to help keep the streets clean across the state. This program would again help to reduce the costs to the city by utilizing volunteers instead of the city maintenance workers for garbage removal. Through the Adopt-A-Street program the street is cleaned by the sponsoring organization twice a year. The City provides safety vests, garbage bags 6/]1/8~0 Eagle Creek Ave. S.E., Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph. (952) 447-4230 / Fax (952) 447-4245 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER FISCAL IMPACT: ALTERNATIVES: RECOMMENDED MOTION: REVIEWED BY: 6/10/2003 and picks up collected refuse. City staff and the PAC have been working together to create an updated Adopt-A- Park brochure to help reintroduce the program to the public. We hope the new brochure will help us get the word out and revitalize the program. We will also be creating brochures for the Adopt-A-Street and Memorial Bench and Tree programs. Issues Extra effort will be needed by City staff to promote the programs and advertise the opportunities available to the residents using the created brochures, the City's website and the Prior Lake American. Once we get the word out, the Adopt-A-Park and Adopt-A-Street programs will be invaluable to city maintenance crews because of the amount of time saved by volunteers helping out. Also the city parks will benefit greatly from the new memorial trees and benches provided for by residents through the Memorial Bench and Tree program. Budllet Impact Oversight for these programs will be provided by City staff, so there will be minimal impact to the City maintenance crews. There will be a minimal cost to produce the new brochures to promote the programs; these funds will be drawn from the operating budget. The cost of the recognition signs are also nominal and will come from the respective operating budgets. The long term goal is to save costs by greatly reducing the time maintenance workers need to pick up litter at these facilities. The alternatives are as follows: 1. Approve Resolution 03-xx, approving the continuation of the Adopt-A-Park and Memorial Bench and Tree programs, and the creation of the Adopt-A-Street program. 2. Table this item for a specific reason. 3. Deny this agenda item for a specific reason and provide staff with direction. Staff recommends alternative number 1. RESOLUTION 03-xx CONSIDER APPROVAL OF CONTINUING THE ADOPT-A-PARK AND MEMORIAL BENCH AND TREE PROGRAMS, AND CREATING THE ADOPT-A-STREET PROGRAM. MOTION BY: SECOND BY: WHEREAS, The Adopt-A-Park and Adopt-A-Street programs will utilize volunteers to help maintain and keep our city parks clean and beautiful; and WHEREAS, The Memorial Bench and Tree program will provide an opportunity for residents to purchase a bench and/or tree for a lasting remembrance of a special loved one; and WHEREAS, The programs will create cost and time savings to the city and its maintenance crews. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PRIOR LAKE, MINNESOTA, that: 1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein. 2. The City Council hereby approves the continuation of the Adopt-A-Park and Memorial Bench and Tree programs, and the creation ofthe Adopt-A-Street program. Passed this 16th day of June 2003. { Seal } Haugen Haugen Petersen Petersen Zieska Zieska LeMair LeMair Blomberg Blomberg YES NO Prank Boyles, City Manager 16200.!t~reek Ave. S.E., Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph. (952) 447-4230 / Fax (952) 447-4245 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER