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Council hears parks, Birch Creek field and Heritage Trail updates; Birch Creek bid planned
Summary
Staff reported improved park satisfaction and outlined capital steps: Birch Creek fields are ready to bid in February and four Heritage Trail monuments are due for spring foundations; council discussed sidewalks, street conditions and project sequencing.
City staff updated the council on multiple infrastructure initiatives, noting improvements in resident-perceived park quality and identifying near-term capital steps.
The presenter said park satisfaction is up since 2017: "When we first surveyed in 2017, 25% of our employees rated our parks as excellent. This last year, 2024, 39% of residents rated our parks as excellent," the presenter said. On project timing, staff said the Birch Creek fields are "ready to go out to bid" and expected to be advertised in February, pending one more review with the school district. The Heritage Trail project is awaiting delivery of four engraved monuments; staff plans to install foundations in the spring.
Council members also discussed streets and sidewalks. The presenter said the percentage of residents rating streets as "excellent" has risen from a low baseline in prior surveys, with the share describing streets as "good" rising as well. Staff and council discussed prioritizing sidewalk gaps, storm-drain flow near 42nd Street and the need to coordinate construction timing to avoid overlapping projects.
What's next: staff will proceed to bid the Birch Creek fields after final reviews, coordinate monument installations for the Heritage Trail in spring, and bring sidewalk and storm-drain plans back to the council for location-specific decisions.
