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Polk County committee reviews draft five-year Outdoor Recreation Plan, schedules public hearing
Summary
County planner presented a draft five-year Outdoor Recreation Plan, noting more than 400 survey responses and that the current plan expires year-end; the committee agreed to post the draft for 30 days and hold a public hearing at 5 p.m. on Dec. 3 before recommending action to the county board.
Tim Anderson, Polk County planner, introduced a draft five-year Outdoor Recreation Plan and said it is intended to identify needs, guide projects and support grant applications as the county—s previous plan expires at year-end. "The plan identifies needs, identifies needed improvements and projects related to outdoor recreation in the county," Anderson said, noting staff site visits and use of state analyses to inform the draft.
Anderson told the committee an online public survey run from mid-July to mid-August drew 427 respondents. He summarized key findings: about 70% of respondents rated facility maintenance as good or excellent, walking and biking ranked high among activities, and respondents asked for expanded hiking trails, off-road biking and canoe/kayak launches. "One of the things I thought was great is that 70% of the respondents felt that our maintenance is good or excellent of our facilities," Anderson said.
The draft will be posted on the county website for roughly 30 days for public review. Anderson asked the committee to set a public hearing so members and the public can offer comments before the committee forwards a recommendation to the county board. Committee members debated whether to hold an evening open house or include the hearing in a regular meeting; they settled on holding the hearing at 5:00 p.m. on the committee—s next meeting date, Dec. 3, to maximize participation and allow staff to incorporate changes prior to the county board packet. Anderson said typical next steps include receiving public comments, making edits if warranted, then presenting a recommendation to the county board in December.
Committee members emphasized outreach and information: Anderson noted respondents most often said they lacked information about facility offerings and recommended improved website content, signage and social-media outreach to boost usage. He also highlighted restroom improvements as a recurring request, pointing to a recently completed restroom at the Saint Croix Falls visitor center as an example.
The committee did not take a formal vote on adoption of the plan at the meeting; staff will post the draft, hold the public hearing Dec. 3 and return with any recommended edits and a recommendation to the county board.
