Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Improvement Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks commission forwards revised 2026–2035 capital improvement plan to city council with several priority changes
Summary
The Lake Elmo City Parks and Recreation Commission voted to recommend the 2026–2035 parks capital improvement plan to the city council with multiple staff and commissioner adjustments, including moving trail additions to 2027, adding 2026 funding for Lions Park ice-rink resurfacing and a protective liner, and increasing Lions Park playground replacement funding to $275,000.
The Lake Elmo City Parks and Recreation Commission voted to recommend the 2026–2035 Parks Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to the city council with a package of staff and commissioner adjustments. The motion—made by the chair and seconded—specified several amendments and priorities that the commission asked staff to present to council.
The motion, recorded in the meeting, directed inclusion of all staff recommendations with the following modifications: keep project 46 (outdoor fitness park) on the schedule while clarifying the distinction between fitness parks and fitness equipment located along trails; move trail additions to 2027; add court resurfacing and a protective liner for the Lions Park ice rink in 2026 with priority 1 at $30,000; move invasive species management to 2030; and increase Lions Park playground equipment replacement to $275,000. The chair read that motion aloud in full during the meeting.
Staff (Adam) told commissioners that the CIP had been expanded to a 10-year program to give the city a longer view of capital needs, and that the city’s threshold for CIP projects is $25,000 with a useful life of at least five years. Staff also reported an estimated parks-dedication balance of about $3,000,000 as of April and explained that much park funding comes from park dedication funds, which by code may be used only for acquisition, development, redevelopment, rehabilitation or debt service related to parks and not for ongoing operations.
Commissioners spent the meeting reviewing and reprioritizing a wide range of projects. Notable recommendations and changes recorded in the discussion include:
- Dog park parking lot paving and trail connections: moved into 2026 with an increased budget recommendation to $50,000 to align with repaving around the former fire station and better connect dog-park circulation.
- Limerick Village Area Park development: staff and commissioners discussed setting aside funds for an estimated multi-acre park tied to future development; staff cited a preliminary planning figure of $400,000 to support land or improvements for roughly 8 acres as part of future programming and construction (timing shown as 2029 in the packet).
- Lions Park concession and playground: staff told commissioners bringing the concession building to current Americans with Disabilities Act standards could cost about $300,000; the commission voted to increase the Lions Park playground equipment replacement line to $275,000 and to include court resurfacing and a protective rink liner as a 2026 priority item.
- Ridge Park reconstruction: commissioners discussed a reconstruction plan for 2026 that would include grading, storm-water features and possibly paving the parking area; staff budgeted a placeholder in the CIP for this work (amount discussed in packet: $325,000).
- Invasive species management: moved from an earlier date to 2030 to better align with staffing capacity and other park work; staff recommended using a consultant for an inventory and treatment plan when the work is activated.
Staff and commissioners also discussed a Central Play Complex for multi-family gatherings, resurfacing of multiple courts and the possible addition of pavilions and trail-based fitness equipment. Commissioners emphasized the need to attach programmatic or maintenance costs as future steps and noted that many items can be flexed year to year because the CIP is reviewed annually.
At the end of the discussion the commission voted to recommend the CIP with the stated adjustments. The motion passed; the transcript records the motion being seconded and carried, but the transcript does not provide a numeric roll-call tally. The recommendation will be forwarded to Lake Elmo City Council for review and adoption according to the city’s budget and capital planning process.
Staff also provided operational updates at the meeting: portable toilets had been placed for 2025, park mowing and cleanup were beginning, the Clice Park playground equipment was scheduled for installation in early June, and Sunfish Lake parking-lot work was expected mid-to-late June or early July.
