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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8C - Maintenance Standards for PL Park Property AGENDA NUMBER: PREPARED BY: SUBJECT: DATE: INTRODUc'nON: BACKGROUND: DISCUSSION: RECOl\~fENDATION : ACTION REQUIRED: 8C BILL MANGAN, DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MAINTENANCE STANDARDS FOR PRIOR LAKE PARK SYSTEM. SEPTEMBER 7, 1993 In order to better define the personnel needs of the Parks Maintenance Department, staff has developed Park Maintenance Standards from which to detennine the level of service necessary to achieve desired results. These standards have been developed either from national maintenance standards or from contacting other cities to find out what they do. Some of the play equipment standards have been detennined either by the ADA or the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Staff has attached a copy of Park Maintenance Standards that currently exist for the Prior Lake Parks Department for your review. When detennining the standards for operation and maintenance, there are a minimum of three areas that need to be addressed. First, when designing a park system, ease of maintenance must be the first consideration. Second, detennine the kinds of equipment necessary to maintain the system, and, third, have personnel available to meet the minimum maintenance standards that have been established. Then, to complicate matters, throw in the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Consumer Product Safety Commission Guidelines and there are built in design and maintenance standards for a park system. The purpose of developing the maintenance standards is to determine the level of service that should be provided and then, once that is established, hiring the personnel necessary to meet those standards. For discussion purposes, staff has researched some of the standards to determine whether they could be provided more economically by hiring the work out. These comparisons will be presented at the meeting. Staff would recommend approval of the maintenance standards as presented as the minimum standards that are acceptable for the Prior Lake park system. Motion to approve the Prior Lake Park .Maintenance Standards as presented. 4629 Dakota St. S.E., Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372 / Ph. (612) 447-4230 / Fax (612) 447-4245 A"i EQUAL OPPORTU"ITY E.\1PLOYER PRIOR LAKE PARK MAINTENANCE STANDARDS 1. TURF A. Mowing- Athletic fields and areas that are irrigated are maintained at a height of 2.5" to 3". They are mowed twice a week. Neighborhood parks and low usage areas are mowed once a week. B. Whipping - Athletic fields and high usage areas are whipped weekly. Neighborhood parks are whipped every other week. C. Aeration- All athletic fields are aerated three times per year - spring, summer and fall. Neighborhood parks and boulevards are aerated spring and fall. When aeration is performed, 16 holes per square foot should be punched to achieve this. Two passes must be made each time aeration is done. D. Fertilization - All turf is fertilized once per year, at a minimum, usually occurring in the spring. Soil samples are taken yearly, with the results occasionally showing the need to fertilize some areas both spring and fall. Only slow release type fertilizers are used since 1992. E. Spraying- All turf areas are sprayed for broadleaf weeds in the spring with some spot spraying done late summer or early fall. All athletic fields and irrigated turf areas are sprayed with a fungicide early summer. F. Seeding- Slitseeding is performed on an "as needed" bases usually resulting in high traffic areas such as athletic field - to be done every two years. Soccer and football fields should be seeded yearly. 2. ATHLETIC FIELD MAINTENANCE A. BasebalVSoftball Fields - Baseball and softball fields are dragged, groomed and chalked daily including weekends when fields are scheduled for use. Foul lines on these fields are painted weekly. B. Soccer/Football Fields - Soccer and football fields are striped weekly. 3. TRAILS & BOULEVARDS A Trails and boulevards are swept once per year; normally during the spring months. Fall sweeping perfonned as required in areas where dirt and sand have accumulated and pedestrian safety is at risk. Mowing of boulevards and trails conducted on a bi-weekly basis. Crack sealing and patching scheduled once every 3 to 4 years. Seal coating or overlaying conducted every 6 to 8 years. During the winter months, all trails and sidewalks are kept free of snow by either sweeping (3" or less) or blowing and plowing (3" or more). Trails and sidewalks are sanded on an lias needed" basis. 4. PLAY STRUCTURES A Installation - All installation of new equipment and relocation of old equipment are perfonned in-house. B. Surface Material - Sand is used as a surface material at a depth of 12" to 18" depending on the height of structure. All surface material is checked bi-weekly and tilled or turned over spring and fall to eliminate compaction. C. Retaining Walls - Retaining Walls are installed around all play structures to contain surface materials from spreading to non-target areas. Retaining walls are installed to meet with c.P.S.c. and AD.A guidelines. D. AD.A.- All play structures are currently being worked on to meet with AD.A guidelines; i.e. Relocating of equipment, installation of paths for wheelchairs and transfer points being installed for handicap accessibility. E. Consumer Product Safety Commission (c.P.S.C.) - C.P.S.C. guidelines are currently in the process of being worked on to be in compliance, although as with AD.A, the cost will be the deciding factor of when this will occur. Summer of 1994 should be our goal. F. Inspections - Bi-weekly inspections are to be perfonned throughout the summer months and results of inspections recorded. 5. TREES, SHRUBS & FLOWERS A Trimming & Pruning - Trimming and pruning of trees and shrubs are performed each year starting in the winter months with trees and encling early spring with shrubs. B. Chipping - Trees smaller than 4" diameter and all shrub beds are chipped every two (2) years to preserve moisture and eliminate bark damage from lawn mowers. C. Weed Control- All shrub beds are weeded once per month. D. Nursery - Each year 200-300 trees are transplanted from our nursery and as many whips (4-5' trees) restocked yearly. Cultivation for weed control in the nursery occurs once a month during summer months. E. Greenhouse - The greenhouse is operated from February 15 to November 1. 4000 to 5000 shrubs are propagated yearly to replace stock in the nursery that is used throughout the park system. 15,000 + flowers are grown in the greenhouse and planted throughout the park system yearly. 6. VEHICLE & EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS A. Vehicle Repairs - All repairs to vehicles are performed by staff with the exception of internal diesel engines and automatic transmissions. B. Equipment Repairs - i.e. Mowers, seeders, turf vac, etc. All repairs to equipment are perfonned by staff. C. Welding- Same as above D. Preventative Maintenance - A preventative maintenance program is in place. All vehicles are inspected thoroughly twice a year and a record of action taken on preventative maintenance, if anything was conducted. E. Maintenance Records - Records are kept of routine maintenance; i.e. hours, mileage, date and action taken on equipment that is scheduled for oil changes, transmission changes, lube, etc. 'PLPMS'