P a r k s, R e c r e a t i o n a n d O p e n S p a c e C o m m i s s i o n. A Year in Review

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1 2013 Annual Report 2013 Parks Commissioners Jim Taylor, Chair Rachel Berger, Vice Chair Nicole Schmid Tom Windisch Kris Birch Matthew Rauschendorfer David Strub Christian Boland Joan Benner Inside this issue: Hockey Rink Improved Regional Trail Plan Public Works Update Sledding Party Trails & Sidewalks Tour de Hugo Takes Off Thank you volunteers P a r k s, R e c r e a t i o n a n d O p e n S p a c e C o m m i s s i o n A Year in Review The Parks Commission heard a request from two youth who wanted to see a piece of equipment replaced at Frog Hollow Park because they felt it was unsafe. They did a poll of their neighborhood and chose to have a multi-user swing installed, which the Parks Commission approved. Minor equipment replacements were also made at Diamond Point and Oneka Lake Parks. The Parks Commission partnered in a study of athletic facilities by White Bear Lake Area Schools. The results of the study will likely be used in future park planning. Continuing to expand the contact with residents, the City of Hugo s facebook has grown to over 740 followers. The Hanifl Fields Athletic Park was utilized by two local soccer organizations and was home to the MYSA State Tournament which included 58 games over the course of 5 days. This is the largest tournament held at the facility which was opened in Recreation Program Report The City of Hugo continues to partner with several organizations to provide additional recreation programs for residents. The Hugo Business Association puts on the Kidz N Biz Fest each year. Several local businesses and the Hugo Lions Club also support the Tour de Hugo. Another successful event that the City has built over the years is the Snow Jam which had 120 participants. In partnership with the White Bear Lake School District, these programs are offered in Hugo: Tot Time/ Family Time Volleyball & Basketball Open Gym at Oneka Elementary School Teen Movie Matinees Snow Jam Other recreation programs continued in 2013 include: Park Play Days Geocaching Adventure Movie Nights at Oneka Elementary School Outdoor Movie Night at Hanifl Fields Athletic Park Skyhawks Sports Camps Sledding Party New programs in 2013 are: Teen Movie Matinees Nature Camp Great American Camp Out The majority of recreation programs offered by the City of Hugo are free for residents. To offset the costs, the City relies on contributions from local businesses. In 2013, over $4,800 in total was donated by 25 local businesses to make the many events and programs possible. The remaining program costs are offset by the fees collected for the rental of the fields at Hanilf Fields Athletic Park. It is estimated that over 1,300 people participated in a City of Hugo program or event in 2013.

2 P a g e 2 Hockey Rink Improved A huge thank you is deserved by a group of volunteers that have maintained the only hockey rink in Hugo. The rink is located at Hugo Elementary and is owned by White Bear Lake Areas Schools. The school district makes the rink available for public skating at various times throughout the week. The rink is also used for hockey. Nightly maintenance is required including snow removal and flooding. Last winter, the hardworking volunteers determined that a tractor was needed to better maintain the ice. They began taking donations. The community stepped up to support them. They built a garage onto the existing warming room to house the tractor in the summer of Donations continue to come in and will be used to purchase a tractor. Hugo residents can look forward to a great winter of skating thanks to these dedicated volunteers and the generosity of several local businesses and organizations Regional Trail Planned The Hardwood Creek Regional Trail currently starts in downtown Hugo and extends 9.5 miles to the northern border of Washington County. There, the trail continues an additional 14 miles through Chisago County as the Sunrise Creek Trail. An extension to the south is planned to be made between 145th Street and 140th Street in Hugo. Washington County master planned the regional trail in partnership with the cities of Hugo and Forest Lake and other stakeholders. Residents were invited to share their ideas for the trail corridor at open houses held in the winter of The regional trail is planned to extend along Hwy 61 to the southern boundary of Hugo, along the existing rail bad. The short term plan is to make the necessary connections south via local trail. The trail is planned to be resurfaced and extended south to 140th Street in the summer of Dog Park Envisioned The Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission continues to look for land suitable for Hugo s first dog park. The following items were identified and approved by the Parks Commission as criteria for a dog park: acres in size parking spots no low areas mix of wooded/ shaded areas and open space minimal potential neighborhood issues Typically, dog parks are primarily maintained by volunteers and users and a volunteer organization is ideal. 2013

3 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission P a g e 3 Hugo Public Works The City of Hugo Public Works Department maintains all of Hugo s parks, trails, and open spaces. This includes: 384 acres of parkland 10 play structures 22 miles of sidewalks 7 picnic shelters 1 sledding hill 2 outdoor pavilions 3 community rooms 4 ball fields 6 irrigated athletic fields 10+ open spaces 11 miles of trails The Public Works Department consists of 9 full-time workers and 6 seasonal staff overseen by Public Works Director Scott Anderson. Two of the fulltime staff specialize in park maintenance, but all contribute. The seasonal staff primarily spend their time maintaining parks. The Public Works building is located at th Street adjacent to Hanifl Fields Athletic Park. The Public Works Department conducted several parks project in 2013 in addition to their regular park maintenance. Over 350 cubic yards of engineered wood surfacing was added to the playground areas at Oneka Lake Park, Arbre Park, Diamond Point Park, and Val Jean Park. The surfacing is designed for aesthetics, child safety, and ADA wheelchair accessibility, but it compacts over time and needs topped off. A fire was accidentally started in a trash bin at Beaver Ponds Park. The extensive damage to the roof of the park shelter was repaired. Signage was installed at all of the parks notifying users of the rules in the Public Conduct in Parks Ordinance. Concrete bases were installed to allow for portable restrooms at Heritage Ponds and Val Jean Parks. ACTIVE PARKS Active parks have playgrounds, athletic fields and/or other similar facilities and activity areas. Lions Park 5524 Upper 146th Street North Beaver Ponds Park Flay Road North Frog Hollow Park th Street North Victor Square Park th Street Arbre Park Arbre Lane N. and Garden Way N. Oneka Lake Park Goodview Avenue North Heritage Ponds Park Empress Avenue North Horsefly traps were tested at Hanifl Fields Athletic Park. The traps are working and the number of complaints from soccer players has dramatically increased. Additional signage was added to Irish Avenue Park. The parking lot was improved in an effort to prevent vehicle access. The back of the 1 mile trail at Clearwater Creek Preserve Park received additional wood chip surfacing in the spring. Val Jean Park Victor Hugo Boulevard North Diamond Point East th Street North Oak Shore Park Exhall Avenue North Hanifl Fields Athletic Park th Street PASSIVE PARKS Passive parks are large natural areas or small green spaces without formal activity areas. Clearwater Creek Preserve Park Fable Road Circle North Rice Lake Park th Street Future Park Irish Avenue North

4 P a g e 4 Sledding Party The fifth annual Sledding Party at Oak Shore Park was held in The Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission volunteered and started the event in Oak Shore Park was constructed in the summer of A sledding hill was included in the plan, which was unique to Oak Shore Park. The Sledding Party was started to let residents know about the great new amenity in Hugo. The event has continued to grow since. In 2012, the event was not successful as there was no snow and with below zero temperatures, kids did not want to participate in alternative activities. In 2013, there was great snow cover and lots of fun to be had. The event is typically held on the second Saturday in February and is free to participate in. Cookies and hot chocolate are provided. Trail & Sidewalk Maintenance At its June 4, 2012 meeting, Council discussed options for the deteriorated sidewalk along 145th Street, west of TH61, and directed staff to schedule a neighborhood meeting. This meeting was held on Monday, July 23, 2012 and City Engineer Jay Kennedy presented three options. Residents indicated support for replacing the sidewalk on the north side and removing the sidewalk on the south side and installing sod. The Council agreed to use roadway CIP funds for the project. At its August 6, 2012 meeting, Council reviewed the proposed construction schedule for the improvements with the work to be completed in Staff found contractors were backlogged for work for the remainder of 2012, and prices would be more favorable if the project was completed in spring, The Council agreed to have the work take place in late May/June, Advertisement of bids was approved at the Council meeting of February 25, Award of bid was approved April 15, 2013 to Dunaway Construction at a total of $68, for the reconstruction of the 145th Street sidewalk, west of Highway 61. Reconstruction of the sidewalk was completed in the summer of It provides a connection between the trail along County Road 8 and the Hardwood Creek Trailhead along Highway 61. An additional connection between these two trails will be made with the extension of the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail

5 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission P a g e 5 Nature Camp Conducted An ongoing vision of the Commission has been to hold nature programs. This summer, a 4 day Nature Camp was held August 5-8th. Nature Campers at Hanifl The camp Fields filled up with Athletic 12 registered Park. participants ranging in age from 7 to 12. Each day had a theme and included a hike, learning activities, art projects, games and more. A wide range of outdoor activities were Tour De Hugo Takes Off In it s third year, the Tour de Hugo took off! Held on Saturday, September 14, participation more than doubled in 2013, with over 180 riders. Dozens of riders that are in the Twin Cities Bike Club participated. Hugo Fire Chief Kevin Colvard served at honorary King of the Mountain and announced the start of each ride. This year, the city partnered with the Hugo Lions Club to host the event. The Lions Club provided lunch for the riders and hosted the Hugo Good Neighbor Harvest Fest, immediately following the Tour de Hugo. It included an arts & craft fair, inflatable activities, and more. The events were held at Lions Park instead of Hanifl Fields Athletic Parks in previous years. The Tour de Hugo offered four different routes, making it suitable for all ages and abilities of riders. The 45 mile route was a new addition and the riders greatly enjoyed the scenery and the level of challenge it brought. Riders from all over the metro came to bike the beauty! A 6 mile route was added which was mostly on-trail and suitable for children. The other routes offered were 24 mile or 32 mile. Sponsors and volunteers provided rest stops at Oneka crammed into the 2.5 hour morning camp. The campers reported that their favorite parts included making different types of s mores over the bonfire and the scavenger hunt. The campers greatly enjoyed learning to geocache thanks to a local enthusiast. The Water Olympics, which included fun science activities and puzzles, was also a favorite. Elementary School, Withrow Elementary School, near Big Marine Lake, and a Cake Break along Jeffery Avenue. Thank you to those that made the Tour de Hugo possible: Oneka Chiropractic Boyd s Promos Kinder Gardens Child Development Center Postal Credit Union SNAP Fitness Forest Lake Cycle & Skate Sanvold and Associates Forest Lake Chamber of Commerce Greg Young Insurance Health East Lino Lakes DQ Many thanks for the fabulous ride it was so well organized, so beautiful look forward to doing it next year! ~Sandie PostNet Key Automotive Lake Area Bank Merles Water Conditioning PAWs Pet Hospital Central Bank Faiview Health Services Mastec Costco Gator Signs Peace Coffee Magenpan

6 City of Hugo Hugo City Hall Fitzgerald Avenue Hugo, MN Parks Commission Staff Contact: Shayla Syverson Thank you to the Hugo Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission, who works to provide immediate and long-term strategic guidance and direction for the development of parks and recreation programming for the citizens of the City of Hugo. The nine member Commission is made up of volunteers appointed by the Hugo City Council. The Commission meets once a month on the second Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. The meetings are open to the public and held at Hugo City Hall. Thank You Teacher Volunteers! On one of the hottest days of the year, teachers from Hugo and Oneka Elementary took a break from their training workshops to help out the community! They worked on four projects. With the help of representatives from the Washington Conservation District, invasive species were removed from the wetlands on the property of Oneka Elementary. The boards at the hockey rink at Hugo Elementary got a fresh coat of paint. Invasive species were also removed from the rain gardens at Hugo City Hall. The fourth project included marking the storm water drains to alert residents to be aware of what is being put in the drain as it goes to local lakes. This project was in partnership with the Rice Creek Watershed District. Each of the projects included a component that the teachers could educated their students about. White Bear Lake Area Schools, and especially our local elementary schools have great attitudes for giving back to the community they are a part of. Thank you to the teacher volunteers for being great role models to the Hugo youth and for our community. Teachers from Oneka and Hugo Elementary Schools took a break from staff