[Music] Welcome to Agenda Edina, a program summarizing the actions taken at city hall that affect you most. I'm your host, Dorothia Marty. The parks and recreation department is making progress on key projects residents voted to pay for with the local sales and use tax. City leaders in that department shared updates with the city council last month during a work session. Projects at Braar Arena, where the most money will be spent, are in the design phase. Tegra was hired as the owner's representative and JLG as the project architect. JGL was hired as a subconsultant to assist with an operational analysis of food and beverage options for the arena. The department has issued a request for proposals for a construction manager and will be recommending a contract this month. Plans for Braar Park also include the addition of pickle ball courts. The project team is exploring an expansion of the parking lot at the Brayar Golf Dome to increase parking capacity there, provide a trail head access for bikers, and build the courts there or restripe part of the lot for them in the summer when parking demand would not be as high. Finally, construction documents are being prepared for work at Fred Richards Park. The plans for the conversion of the golf course into one of Edina's largest parks include a food forest, pickle ball courts, trails, and passive recreation and gathering spaces. I would say the most important thing to remember is that we're creating a whole new park. So, going from the former um golf course that was here into a completely different space. you'll see it starting to form into a park more into 2026 and 2027 as these amenities start being formulated and created. So really creating this 43 acres that Adina will be proud of. In response to a necessary shift in site design due to permitting requirements, the existing maintenance building on the site would be removed. A new building for food and beverage, restrooms, and gatherings would be built. The existing clubhouse would be remodeled for programming and community use with an addition constructed for storage. Next steps on that part of the project include selection of a final design, identifying the best way to deliver food and beverage in the park, and complete remediation work or demolition of the maintenance building. If you've visited Arnison Acres Park, you've likely walked past the fruits of labor from one city employee, Tim Zimmerman. After 41 productive years, working to transform the park and helping a wide range of plants take root in the city, the park service worker has retired. Edina TV caught up with Zimmerman before he hung up his gardening shears at the end of March to witness the changes he's made that will have a lasting impact on the community. For those who prefer starting their day with their hands in the dirt. We've been here a couple of us since 9:00 this morning. This is a busy time of year. Today we're going to do around 20 of these for this Edina Garden Council Garden Club. We have a quoted to me. Preparation for a springtime plant sale at Arnison Acres Park began back in November. Just make sure that things are done the way Tim tells us to do it. After 41 seasons here, this is Portulaka, which is also known as moss roses. Park service worker Tim Zimmerman has a system. How many flats needs to be planted and then once the stuff is growing, how many flats are transplanted and what size container they are and stuff like that. Every shelf and electrical outlet in the Arnison Acres greenhouse built in 1991 has a plant related purpose. These are American chestnuts. All planned by a man who found a love for nature and horiculture at an early age. When I take vacation, I visit national and state parks. He had to take his hands out of the soil to complete one last project before his retirement at the end of March. I am writing down history of Arnison's as I see it uh as I began from my early years since 1984. As each year passed, Zimmerman documented what can only be described as a transformation. I love history and I don't want history to be forgotten. The formal gardens we see today now waiting for their time to bloom were forged with determination and care. This whole area here was embedded with buckthornne and it took me about a period of 40 years to kind totally clean up this park. A hybrid lily garden is a place of particular pride. We have more here than even at the arburetum. Zimmerman who hybridizes liies in his pastime named one after his daughter Riley. I like to challenge myself and grow things I never grew before. Um a matter of could be a prenal, could be a new annual, could be a new tree. Uh to me, I love that challenge in life. A challenge like successfully growing northern pecan trees in Minnesota. The last few years they're starting to bear peacons. They're about 25 ft tall. To me, that was very successful. Another page for the Arnison Acres history book before a new chapter in life. He's just been here a long time and I Yes. I hope he comes back to see us and check up on us once in a while. We'll receive him with open arms. Definitely will be here and there coming back. uh touring um Arnison's and seeing how it progresses at Arnison Acres Park. I'm Dan Carpenter for Odina TV. In retirement, Zimmerman says he won't be slowing down. He plans to help his oldest daughter, Riley, with home improvements. Also, he'll volunteer more time with the Lily Society and the Handover Historical Society. If there is time after that, he says he'll spend it fishing. Edina residents can schedule a free home energy squad visit in April. Home Energy Squad provided by Excel Energy and Center Point Energy and delivered by the Center for Energy and Environment helps residents living in one to four unit homes identify ways to save energy with a personalized home assessment. They will install energy saving materials and inspect insulation, heating and cooling systems, and the water heater. Materials they might install include LED light bulbs, door and attic hatch, weather stripping, programmable or smart thermostat, and high efficiency water fixtures. The cost for a home energy squad visit is typically reduced to $50 for Edina residents, but visits scheduled in April will be free as part of work toward completing the goals of the city's climate action plan. Edina residents should sign up for the home energy squad because it's a tailored solution to their home, helping them identify energy efficiency upgrades. There's a lot of benefits beyond just the climate and environmental benefit. they'll be able to see their energy bills and their energy use go down and so another financial benefit for them. And then we also just see energy efficiency improves comfort in the home. A better insulated, better weatherized home is more comfortable than one that's very drafty. For more information or to schedule the home energy squad, visit mnce.org/hes. While members want to emphasize their desire for decorum, the city council will not make any changes in community comment during its meetings. Community comment is a time on the agenda for the public to raise an issue or make a comment about something not on the agenda planned for a future public hearing or for which a public hearing was held in the past 30 days. Each person typically has three minutes to share their views or questions with the council. One of the council members suggested the group consider changes earlier this year. Councils in some other cities do not include it as a part of their regular meeting agenda, instead hearing from residents and others off camera before a meeting. I actually don't have an issue if someone talks about staff. However, if it's done in a way that is disrespectful um to any of us, then I do think there should be there is decorum that's expected. Thank you for watching this episode of Agenda Edina. We hope you're enjoying the start of spring. I'm your host, Dorothia Marty. [Music]