Community Engagement Policy
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is updating its Community Engagement Policy and we’d like to hear from you!
The policy guides MPRB’s community engagement processes and practices, and your input will help shape an updated policy.
More Information and Next Steps:
For more information, please read the current MPRB Community Engagement Policy: https://www.minneapolisparks.org/_asset/20rp8c/community_engagement_policy.pdf
There will be other ways to share your thoughts, ideas and experiences as this project progresses, including open houses, focus groups and a traveling exhibit. More information will be shared when details are finalized.
About this project:
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Community Engagement Policy outlines how community stakeholders participate in planning all MPRB park facility construction and redevelopment projects. This project will evaluate the current policy and redraft it based on public feedback.
Nokomis-Hiawatha Master Planning for Hiawatha Golf Course Property
This planning project will guide capital improvements, management and operations within the golf course property.
In June of 2014, more than 11 inches of rain fell on Hiawatha Golf Course and caused $1.5 million in damage. Much of the damage has been restored, but elevated the necessity for a future flood resiliency plan. During the flood resiliency planning effort, the MPRB discovered it was pumping a volume of groundwater significantly greater than the amount allowed through a groundwater appropriations permit issued by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. This discovery put the planning effort on hold and triggered an intensive groundwater and stormwater study for the area, completed in 2017.
The Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan will align water management strategies with potential future uses of the golf course property, including a strong consideration of current uses, including traditional golf in some form.
The CAC will work with MPRB staff and consultants over the next 12- 18 months to make recommendations to MPRB Commissioners. They are also available online at http://www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects (select Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan from the project list).
CAC members will be appointed by neighborhood organizations, elected and appointed officials, and other entities.
In addition to serving on the CAC, there will be many other ways to get involved in the project:
· Sign up to receive email updates by subscribing at www.minneapolisparks.org/subscribe. If you are already a subscriber, add “Hiawatha Golf Course Master Plan” to your subscription preferences. Email updates are the best way to stay informed about meeting dates and other engagement opportunities.
· Attend CAC meetings; each meeting will offer a brief public comment period at the end of the meeting.
· Attend other public meetings pertaining to the project. Though they have not yet been scheduled, MPRB expects numerous community meetings throughout 2018. Sign up for email updates to stay informed.
See
updated FAQ's for additional details pertaining to this project. CAC meetings are anticipated to begin in February.
Please visit the
project page for information regarding the ground/surface/stormwater investigation, including technical reports, all meeting presentations, and to sign up for notification of upcoming meetings.
Shoreline enhancements will improve habitat for both aquatic and upland animal species. It will stabilize erosion, seek to remove invasive plants, and create a functional continuum of shoreline zones. Plantings will accommodate fluctuations in water level, allowing for resilience to changing water level conditions in the lake. Improvements will be constructed primarily along the north shoreline of the lake.
Boards from the first public meeting on November 30th are on display at the Nokomis Community Center and will be added to the project page along with the presentation, subscribing to project updates will ensure you are notified of opportunity to comment on the materials shared during the public meeting. As part of the Carp Management being done in Nokomis to help assist in the long term success of shoreline improvements, carp harvesting is planned for Nokomis once the lake freezes over and the ice can support the commercial fishermen and their equipment.
The first public meeting was held Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017 at Nokomis Community Center. At that meeting, interested community members reviewed current site conditions and gave feedback on potential changes along Lake Nokomis’s northern and eastern shoreline.
The MPRB is conducting a system-wide needs assessment for our recreation centers and their programs called RecQuest. As you've no doubt noticed, many of our recreation centers are in need of updating. This project is helping the MPRB discover the gaps between our current facilities and offerings as well as the recreation and programming needs of the community to ensure that investments are made responsibly. It also helps ensure that both rec centers and their programming keep pace with the changing demographics and recreation trends of Minneapolis residents. This assessment project gives you a chance to tell us what features and activities you want to see in your recreation centers.
Two important pieces to the project's success will be inclusive community engagement and a racial equity impact assessment, or looking at how racial and ethnic groups may be affected by any proposed decisions. The MPRB Community Outreach department is helping lead both of these essential efforts.
There is no preset agenda or outcome for this assessment, all recommendations will be determined only after the completion of a multi-faceted facilities assessment and in-depth community engagement process. This project will set the stage for the next 25-30 years of investment in recreation centers, most of which are 40-50 years old.
Keep abreast of this effort via RecQuest
project page.