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Mendota Heights commissioners back DNR grant application for Valley Park improvements; running‑water restroom deemed out of scope
Summary
Parks and Recreation Director Meredith Lawrence presented a DNR Outdoor Recreation Grant application Feb. 10 to fund multiple Valley Park improvements (playground replacement, shelter refurbishment, lighting, outfield and safety fences, AED, bike fix station). Commissioners signaled support but took no formal action; Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek estimated a running‑water restroom would cost about $750,000, exceeding the 2026 budget.
At a Feb. 10, 2026 work session, Parks and Recreation Director Meredith Lawrence presented an update on a draft DNR Outdoor Recreation Grant application to fund multiple improvements at Valley Park, including an outfield fence for the ballfield, a playground safety fence, picnic shelter refurbishment with added electrical and lighting, playground replacement, a park wayfinding sign, an automated external defibrillator (AED) and a bike fix‑it station.
Meredith Lawrence, parks and recreation director and assistant public works director, described the scope staff proposes to include in the grant application. When Commissioner Pau Cortés Valdés asked whether a running‑water bathroom could be added to the project scope, Lawrence noted the City Council had included $200,000 in the 2026 budget for Valley Park improvements. Ryan Ruzek, public works director, estimated that a running‑water restroom would likely cost about $750,000, which he said would place such a facility outside the scope of the 2026 budget.
Although the session was a work session and no formal recommendation or vote was taken, the six commissioners present indicated they are in favor of the grant application and the list of projects proposed for Valley Park. Staff will proceed with the grant application process; any final project approvals and funding decisions would require subsequent City Council action and grant award agreement terms.
No dollar amounts for specific components were provided in the meeting record beyond the Council’s cited $200,000 for Valley Park improvements and Ruzek’s estimate for a running‑water restroom.
