Lake Elmo City Council — Transcript
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Park Reservation Policy Review and Proposed Changes
Tanner Ridge Park Annual Review
Park Project Updates
Votes (1)
Lake Elmo Park Reservation Policy Changes
Moved by Hank [20:30] · Seconded by Peter [20:46]
Staff proposed comprehensive changes to the park reservation policy, including seasonal rates for ball fields, amenity-tiered pricing for fields, making all shelters reservable with half-day/full-day options, and a new refundable security deposit. A key proposal was limiting reservable courts to 50% at each site to ensure public access. Lighting fees were noted as non-refundable and a significant cost center. Commissioners debated the shelter security deposit amount, ultimately settling on $100, and decided to incorporate volleyball courts into the reservation policy. The need for annual policy review was also discussed.
Notable Quotes (5)
Ball fields are $50 per day, and $500 for the season. All of which is refundable. Our shelters are similar. There's a $50 a day, $100 a day for non-residents. Again, everything is uh refundable. Those are deposits uh made um at the time of reservations and then if if they're clean or if they're they don't uh deserve any staff time afterwards, those are all refundable.
lighting fees are subject to a non-refundable fee of $20 per reservation or $150 for the season.
So in the past we used to post actual signs for reservations. Um and with your question, uh what we do now or we can do is we put actual steel signs up there to mark courts numbers one through six, one through four. That way they're identified, right? So courts one through three are are reservable. Courts four, five and six are non-reservable at all times, right?
I'm I'm personally in favor of having just 50% of the courts reservable. I think that we've received enough complaints. I've experienced it personally. We've seen the complaints. I can totally understand the the frustration of just uh individuals that want to use a court in the evening and and to go there and to have them all rented out to me just seems um contrary to what a public park is for.
I'll make a motion to recommend to city council the changes to the Lake Elmo reservation policy as presented by staff with the following changes. To increase the refundable security deposit for the shelters to $100 and to add volleyball courts at Lions Park to the reservation policy with the proposed court rules.
Ordinances & Resolutions (2)
The primary subject of discussion, concerning rules and fees for park amenity reservations.
Referenced for Tanner Ridge Park's classification, scheduled playground updates in 2030, and park usage data.