Good evening. I'm calling the Monday, January 5th, 2026 Parks and Natural Resources Commission meeting to order at 6:30m. The Burnsville's National uh Parks and Natural Resources Commission meetings are currently conducted in person. Members of the public may attend the meeting in person, online via Zoom, or um uh by calling in. Additional instructions on how to participate are posted online at www.burnsvillemn.gov in the public meeting calendar. As usual, tonight's meeting is also available for viewing on BCTV and on the city's website. If you are unable to participate in this evening's meeting and would like to submit public testimony, I encourage you to email your comments to the city staff or mail your comments directly to city hall. Now to begin the agenda. The first item of the parks and natural resources commission meeting tonight is the adoption of the agenda. Um our council has had an opportunity to review that. Uh do any members of the commission have any changes to the agenda? No changes. Staff, do you have any changes? >> Nothing from staff. >> May I have an ad motion for adoption of the agenda, please? >> I'll move. >> So moved. Second. >> I'll second >> please. Thank you. Um all in favor of adopting the um agenda uh say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? The motion carries. >> Uh next we have two sets of meetings that we need to approve. Um on item two, uh we would like to consider approval of the September 15th, 2024 Parks and Natural Resources Commission meeting minutes. Commissioners, are there any changes to the minutes? >> I do have a change for November 17th. I was >> Okay, we'll get to the 17th on this is for that's [laughter] for September 15th. Um, so any changes for September 15th? No changes. Um, staff, any changes to the minutes? >> Uh, nothing from staff. >> Okay. Um, I would uh appreciate an a motion to approve the September 15th uh 2024 Parks and Natural Resources Commission meeting minutes, please. >> Now motion to approve the minutes. >> The second. >> I will second. >> Um, all in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. Now, um, may I have a motion to approve the November 17, 2025 meeting minutes? If there are um if there are any changes, please let us know. >> I do have those changes. Okay. >> I was not present at that meeting, unfortunately. So, I do need to be removed from those. >> Okay. Thank you very much for catching that. Um any other changes? Um do we have a motion to approve those minutes as amended? >> I so move. >> Any second? >> I'll second. >> Okay. Very good. Um all in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Any opposed? >> Very good. That motion has also passed. At this time, uh are there any members of the public that are of uh joining us on Zoom meeting or otherwise who wish to speak? Staff, do we have any? >> Chair Hansel, I have not seen anyone. >> Okay. Um then we will go ahead and move forward to uh the approval of the 2026 annual work plan. Um JJ Ryan is going to present the um the work plan that we worked on last month, please. >> Uh thank you, Chair Hansel. Um and that was a couple months ago now. We were uh we met in November. Uh but the parks and natural resources commission u is an advisory body to the city which you all know. Um, our mission is to advise, to guide, and to advocate for parks and natural resources in the community. Um, as we look at our work and what we do, uh, the PNRC topics fall into the following categories. We review approved plans, policy, and code. Um, we take a look at studies and projects. And then what we did in November was that last bullet point, and those are your commissioner requests. and we take a look at um how we can accommodate those requests whether they be through uh presentations through a written report or we'll get to it uh a new version of a roundt that we're going to introduce for 2026. Um so these items that fall under the plans, policies and codes include our deer management plan, our storm water pollution protent protection input, uh the state of the lakes, our sustainability plan, and our capital improvement plan. And we review those all of these on an annual basis. Uh studies and projects. um this right here, our annual work plan um and the work we did in November and then the work that will be coming in February when we present that work plan to city council for their review and approval. Uh also we've been working uh for the almost a year on a recreation services study. This is kind of a an add-on or an addition to the parks plan that was completed in 2024. And then also we are working on finding study. Uh that's how folks are navigating our park system or or or where you're at in our park system or in a specific park. So uh we've got a couple studies that will be coming to you in 2026 for your review and approval. Um on to the commissioner requested items. So, we had uh a great discussion back in November and we came up with uh eight different topics. Um with the help of our public works director, Mark Ray, we landed on the seasonal articles and those are the items that he's been putting in um our our recreation bulletin or not the recreation bulletin but the city's bulletin about snow you or salt use during uh the winter months and and watering restrictions and things like that. And so we want to talk more about those as they come forward and and have a look at those uh before they're sent out. Uh there was a need for more information on our city street lighting. Um there was discussion on wanting to understand more about our uh city's drinking water. Uh we talked about the Dakota Electric and Great River Energy Sustainability. And for that one, we'll have uh those folks come in and present to you about what they're doing to uh work on sustainability projects. Uh we also talked with uh our public works director and he was able to establish a date for the Qumer Kramer quarry tour. I believe that will be in June. Uh and then these topics here, these were topics that um we were unable to find a solution for how we could present these to you. Um but you commissioners, you wanted to take a look at uh diving into these a little deeper and doing some of your own research on the work. Um so that is working with the school district uh 191 uh to assist in raising student awareness on sustainability and natural resources. Uh watering restrictions and then adding a biodiversity index to the sustainability dashboard. So these three topics here, what I'm proposing to you is that um much like during a uh city council work session, they have an area in their agenda that evening for a roundt discussion. And that's where I would propose that we add that roundt category to our uh agenda. um each of the meetings we meet like this and then allow commissioners who are working on these topics to provide an update if they have one for that for that meeting. If there is no update to provide that's fine. Um but if you have something to share with the rest of the group on your findings, the rest of the commission would love to hear it. So, and we talked about it a little bit. We weren't sure how we were going to make this happen uh back in November, but we talked about commissioners doing this work and and leading the charge and researching these topics and I think we found a way to make that happen with the roundt discussion. >> Fantastic. Uh our parks tour, we're going to go on a parks tour again in August. Um this is kind of an ongoing uh buildout of the agenda. uh we wait to see where we're at with park projects or maybe something pops up that wasn't initially planned um and we have to go take a look at something in our system uh whether it be a wash out or or an immediate need because of some damage to a property or things like that. And then uh new slide this year uh some of you have asked we popped up uh here's our meeting schedule for 2026. Um you can see that July and December are open. I think tenatively our meeting date for July is July 6th. Typically not a lot of participation uh that time of year. And then our I' I've enjoyed the the extra month this year of having December open so that we could go back and and review the topics that were discussed at our November work session and prepare for this meeting here tonight. So here are your dates for 2026. I can make those available to you. I see you're all frantically writing them down, [laughter] but I can I can send those out to I can send those out to you as well. [clears throat] So, uh, with that, commissioners, um, this is work you discussed in November at length. It's just put into a different format here. Is there are there any other questions or comments that, um, you'd like to ask or anything that was maybe lost or forgotten uh, from November? I have something. Um I think when we talked about the work with ISD 191, I think we also um we're considering the possibility of the environmental school which is in 196. So I just wanted to >> very good >> suggest that. >> Sure. >> I can update our work plan that's going to go to council um to reflect that. Thank you. I really like the round table idea >> to get commissioner involved. It's a great idea. >> So smart. >> Yes. It >> it's uh it's your work commissioners that let us do that. So [laughter] I thank you for that. I have a question and this might be more of an implementation than a planning um question is when it comes to those roundts um what are those guard rails that we can like you know what kind of presentation are we talking just like a little powerpoint or um [clears throat] it could because a project could be a project you know a pro yeah anyway um and then my second question is and while we are working or perhaps researching can we say we you know can we use the city of Burnsville and say, "I'm a commissioner and this is on my work plan. Can I use that? It's not authority, but can I use, you know, can I cite my my position here?" >> Yeah. Uh it's it's fair to cite your relationship to why you are um and I'll use Commissioner Mats as an example. dug around and found watering restrictions um for the 7ount metro area, I think, and and uh put it all into a nice spreadsheet uh for us and and hopefully he'll be presenting that to us uh in March in some way, shape, or form. Uh, so the guardrails, uh, backing up a little bit, Commissioner Gomez, um, however the commissioners are doing the work, however you would like to share your information, whether it's a handout, um, or whether it's standing over here because you have a PowerPoint put together, we can make we can make all of that work. Um and yes, please if you are re, you know, contacting the school district or the school of environmental studies, uh feel free to say, you know, I'm so and so. I'm a commissioner with the Burnsville Parks and Natural Resources Commission. I am looking at ways to do this, that, or the other thing. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions for JJ? I have now yes I have now I have a procedural question if I were to have an amendment is now the time or is it after when somebody motions to approve the plan >> like you have an addition to our work plan? Uh well now would be let's let's now would be a good time to add anything um because the commission may have an opportunity to say yes maybe that's not >> conversation. Okay. Well, folks, fellow commissioners, uh I would love to add one more um thing to the round table and that is something that I that was put on uh the work plan last year but wasn't something that the city was able to address. But I would love to have a clarified report on um the Tennisu Trail uh elementary well not elementary school but on that park property um just to clarify its boundaries. um and to um really share the history of how it's gotten to be where it is. That's my pitch. >> Uh Commissioner Gomez, you stated that as a as a commissioner-led roundt discussion >> or a and a a project. So in this case, I'm thinking a handout. >> Sure. Um but something that >> I would Yes. Not for the city, but for for these round table a round table topic. >> Sure. That seems fair. And I know that some work was done um attempting to get us there and I I I think I have some work that I could share with you to maybe >> get you uh started on the right foot. >> Thank you. >> Yes. >> Yeah. It it seems like as and even as we forward if topics come up that that we I I may be out of line here. would we be able to add those topics as we progress through the year and say, "Oh, I've got this new information that I'd like to share and we can just add it to the agenda even though it's not officially on the work plan." >> Uh, commissioners, I believe there's there's always room for add-ons like that. um things may come to you that we're not aware of. If somebody's doing some uh lakeshore improvements to their home property and it requires some type of review or things like that that we we don't know are in the works right now. So if if it I think it's very fair to say if you needed to add something uh later in 2026, we could do that. >> Okay. Thank you. again with the knowledge that yes, I'd have to check to make sure that's something we can handle from a staff perspective and things like that, >> right? Or even like I say for these roundt discussions more primarily for that kind of thing and then if if the roundt discussion leads us to a point where we feel like let's elevate this then we could go through a formal process of trying to add it to the to the work plan as an amendment later in the year. Okay. Thank you very much for that. Um, any other questions or comments from the commissioners for JJ? Okay. Then at this point, I would like uh motion from the commissioners to um approve this amended um work plan for 2026. >> I so move. >> Any second? >> I second. >> Very good. All in favor say I. Okay. >> Any opposed? The motion carries. Well, JJ, I don't know that you wanted to sit down yet cuz you're still on the [laughter] >> although I guess you don't need a PowerPoint this presentation for this. >> Chair Hansel, I don't have a PowerPoint for this next uh section. And that is the election of our chair and vice chair. Um in your packets, uh you were asked uh to possibly reach out ahead of time um if you had an interest in serving in any of these uh roles. um or if you wish to nominate someone to serve in those roles. Um I did hear from Commissioner Gomez who expressed an interest in serving as our vice chair and I did hear from our current chair uh Mr. Hansel uh who expressed an interest in coming back as our chair for the PNRC for 2026. And again, um, those two roles would serve through the January 2027 meeting when we elect new chair and vice chair at that time. Um, so unless there are other uh folks that wish to throw their name in the hat, I would accept a motion for uh Mr. Hansel as our chair and Miss Gomez as our vice chair for the next year. I so move. >> I second, >> Commissioner Matz. I thought you might [laughter] >> viferously. He He so move. >> I don't know what you're talking about. [laughter] >> You will not be there in February, right? >> I may show up just to just to watch. All in favor of that? I >> Very good. Seven Z. >> Thank you. Um, I'm looking through our notes here and uh I would invite all of the commissioners to the uh city council meeting on February the 20 uh February the 2nd, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. where I believe I will be presenting the uh our work plan uh to the city council. Um we would love to have your moral support while we're doing that. Um are there any other comments or from any of the commissioners at this time? Is at this time? Yes, >> I've got one uh last minute announcement. Uh the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District tree sale opened this morning and I got my two nut and berry bundles and I recommend that everyone else does as well. [laughter] >> Very. >> So, I know uh yeah, they would appreciate that plug. >> Fantastic. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. >> Thank you. >> Any other comments? At this time, I'd uh like to request a call for adjournment of the January 5th, 2026 Parks and Natural Resources Commission meeting. >> I move to adjourn. [laughter] >> Do we have a second? >> Um all in favor say I. >> I. >> Without opposition, we stand adjourned.