04-10-2013Minutes, Blair Park Board Meeting
Roll Call
Members of the Blair Park Board met at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 10, in the City Council
Chambers. Members present: Neil Jensen, president, Jeene Hobbs, vice president; Ann George,
secretary; Roger Petersen, Ardee Pounds, Steve Tonn. Blair Park Department: Pat Long.
Approval of Minutes
Ardee Pounds's motion to approve the minutes of the March 13, 2013, meeting was seconded
by Roger Petersen, and the motion was carried.
Approval of Bills
There were no bills needing approval.
Old Business
Final plans for Arbor Day tree planting. Plans for the tree planting, scheduled for Thursday, April
25, at 1:30 p.m. at Ridgeview Park, were reviewed. (These plans are described in the March
minutes.) Clark Jensen's proposal to mow, at no charge, selected parts of Black Elk - Neihardt
Park, which was approved at the March meeting, was explained to Board members who
couldn't attend that meeting.
New Business
Update on Master Plan schedule for parks. Pat Long reported that Phil Green, assistant city
administrator, is working on the preliminary stage toward developing a Master Plan for the
Blair parks.
Friends of the Arboretum meeting. This meeting is set for April 17; participants will work on
inventorying and recording trees.
Update of trail and depot at Lions Park. Pat Long described ongoing restoration work on the
1880 depot: three - fourths of the roof is on, the chimney has been rebuilt, and work on the
siding and deck continues. Members discussed the feasibility of reserving park shelters; Jeene
Hobbs volunteered to check with several other communities on how they handle requests for
reservations.
Other Business
Volunteer cottonwoods at Black Elk- Neihardt Park. After a brief discussion of what to do about
volunteer cottonwoods growing in the vicinity of the large cottonwood at Black Elk- Neihardt
Park, Pat Long said that he'd talk to a Boy Scout leader about thinning the excess trees as a
Scout project. (To the Lakotas the cottonwood is sacred, and the large cottonwood grows in
the park as a symbol of that
belief.)
The Board will next meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, 2013, in the City Council Chambers.
Ardee Pounds's motion to adjourn was seconded by Steve Tonn and carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann George, Secretary