Parks commission discusses staffing, programming, reservations and long-term park needs

Lake Elmo Parks Commission members spent the meeting reviewing the Parks Master Plan recommendations and discussing service levels, staffing and policy changes the commission could recommend to City Council.

City staff told commissioners that the Parks Master Plan, completed in 2024, listed a parks director as the first priority and that a 2025 work plan adopted in February included a recommendation to pursue that position. "As part of a 2025 work plan, the parks commission added it to the item to be reviewed and implemented in 2025 as well," a City staff member said. Staff asked commissioners to prepare short lists (8–10 items each) of service gaps or priorities that the commission could present at a joint workshop with City Council; staff said the results would be compiled for a planned joint meeting later in the year.

Commissioners raised multiple areas they said the city should consider when evaluating a parks director or expanded park staffing: recreational programming to "activate Lake Elmo parks," volunteer coordination and volunteer-management capacity, a grant writer to pursue outside funding, trail interconnectivity and year-round trail maintenance, and long-term strategic planning tied to the new sports complex. One commissioner summarized programming needs: "Get the ball rolling on programming to help activate Lake Elmo Parks."

Benchmark comparisons and staffing levels were discussed. Commissioners referenced benchmarking in the consultant report and said similar-size neighboring cities have more dedicated parks staff; one commissioner cited Little Canada as an example that has four parks staff, and the meeting noted an average/median figure cited in the consultant benchmarking. Commissioners discussed possibilities for a part-time forester/arborist role to support tree ordinances and urban forestry goals and suggested partnerships with local tree organizations.

Contracted services and service-level monitoring received attention. Staff and commissioners said some maintenance is performed by contractors and that the commission should consider whether contract specifications and performance meet city expectations or whether services should be brought in-house.

Park reservation policy and operations drew extended discussion. Staff described current reservation practice as largely manual: the deputy clerk processes reservations and posts a calendar on the website; the city is transitioning to a new website and currently does not have online reservation submission. Staff noted the current lighting fee for reservations is $150 and that the city often returns reservation deposits despite incurring cleanup costs. Commissioners debated reserving a percentage of courts for walk-in users versus allowing long-term bulk reservations, changes to refund/fee structures, and whether to make additional pavilions reservable. One commissioner asked whether a software solution could replace the manual calendar; staff said reservations are currently handled manually and that the new website will change the interface for booking.

Commissioners also asked staff to inspect specific parks and bring site observations back to the commission. The group agreed to review Tanner Ridge Park before the next meeting and to collect written input from residents about reservation policies. Staff said priority-setting work would be compiled for a joint meeting with City Council, likely in September.

No formal motions or votes were taken on staffing or reservation policy at this meeting; the commission focused on compiling priorities and returning with a consolidated proposal for Council consideration.