A Year in Review The Parks Commission

heard a request from two

youth who wanted to see a

piece of equipment

replaced at Frog Hollow

Park because they felt it

was unsafe. They did a poll

of their neighborhood

and chose to have a mul-

ti-user swing installed,

which the Parks Com-

mission approved.

Minor equipment

replacements were also

made at Diamond Point

and Oneka Lake Parks.

The Parks Commission

partnered in a study of

athletic facilities by White

Bear Lake Area Schools.

The results of the study

will likely be used in future

park planning.

Continuing to expand the

contact with residents, the

City of Hugo’s facebook

has grown to over 740

followers.

The Hanifl Fields Athletic

Park was utilized by two

local soccer organizations

and was home to the MYSA

State Tournament which

included 58 games over the

course of 5 days. This is

the largest tournament

held at the facility which

was opened in 2010. I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

Hockey Rink Improved

2

Regional Trail Plan

2

Public Works Update

3

Sledding Party

4

Trails & Sidewalks

4

Tour de Hugo Takes Off

5

Thank you volunteers

6

2013 Annual Report P a r k s , R e c r e a t i o n a n d O p e n S p a c e C o m m i s s i o n 2 0 1 3 P a r k s

C o m m i s s i o n e r s

Jim Taylor, Chair

Rachel Berger, Vice Chair

Nicole Schmid

Tom Windisch

Kris Birch

Matthew Rauschendorfer

David Strub

Christian Boland

Joan Benner

The majority of recreation

programs offered by the

City of Hugo are free for

residents. To offset the

costs, the City relies on

contributions from local

businesses. In 2013, over

$4,800 in total was donat-

ed by 25 local businesses to

make the many events and

programs possible. The

remaining program costs

are offset by the fees col-

lected for the rental of the

fields at Hanilf Fields Ath-

letic Park.

It is estimated that over

1,300 people participated

in a City of Hugo program

or event in 2013.

The City of Hugo contin-

ues to partner with several

organizations to provide

additional recreation pro-

grams for residents.

The Hugo Business Associ-

ation puts on the Kidz ‘N

Biz Fest each year. Several

local businesses and the

Hugo Lions Club also sup-

port the Tour de Hugo.

Another successful event

that the City has built over

the years is the Snow Jam

which had 120 partici-

pants.

In partnership with the

White Bear Lake School

District, these programs

are offered in Hugo:

• Tot Time/ Family Time

• Volleyball & Basketball Open Gym at Oneka Ele-mentary School

• Teen Movie Matinees

• Snow Jam

Other recreation programs continued in 2013 include:

• Park Play Days

• Geocaching Adventure

• Movie Nights at Oneka Ele-mentary School

• Outdoor Movie Night at Hanifl Fields Athletic Park

• Skyhawks Sports Camps

• Sledding Party

New programs in 2013 are:

• Teen Movie Matinees

• Nature Camp

• Great American Camp Out

Recreation Program Report

P a g e 2

Regional Trail Planned

Dog Park Envisioned

Hockey Rink Improved A huge thank you is

deserved by a group of

volunteers that have

maintained the only

hockey rink in Hugo.

The rink is located at Hu-

go Elementary and is

owned by White Bear

Lake Areas Schools. The

school district makes the

rink available for public

skating at various times

throughout the week.

The rink is also used for

hockey.

Nightly maintenance is

required including snow

removal and flooding.

Last winter, the hard-

working volunteers de-

termined that a tractor

was needed to better

maintain the ice. They

began taking donations.

The community stepped

up to support them.

They built a garage onto

the existing warming

room to house the tractor

in the summer of 2013.

Donations continue to

come in and will be used

to purchase a tractor.

Hugo residents can look

forward to a great winter

of skating thanks to these

dedicated volunteers and

the generosity of several

local businesses and

organizations

as criteria for a dog park:

• 10 –20 acres in size

• 20-40 parking spots

• no low areas

• mix of wooded/

shaded areas and

open space

The Parks, Recreation,

and Open Space Com-

mission continues to look

for land suitable for

Hugo’s first dog park.

The following items were

identified and approved

by the Parks Commission

• minimal potential

neighborhood issues

Typically, dog parks are

primarily maintained by

volunteers and users and

a volunteer organization

is ideal.

Street and 140th Street in

Hugo.

Washington County mas-

ter planned the regional

trail in partnership with

the cities of Hugo and

Forest Lake and other

stakeholders. Residents

were invited to share

their ideas for the trail

corridor at open houses

held in the winter of

2013. The regional trail

is planned to extend

along Hwy 61 to the

southern boundary of

Hugo, along the existing

rail bad. The short term

plan is to make the nec-

essary connections south

via local trail. The trail is

planned to be resurfaced

and extended south to

140th Street in the sum-

mer of 2014.

The Hardwood Creek

Regional Trail currently

starts in downtown Hugo

and extends 9.5 miles to

the northern border of

Washington County.

There, the trail continues

an additional 14 miles

through Chisago County

as the Sunrise Creek

Trail. An extension to

the south is planned to

be made between 145th

2 0 1 3

P a g e 3 P a r k s , R e c r e a t i o n a n d O p e n S p a c e C o m m i s s i o n

safety, and ADA wheelchair

accessibility, but it compacts

over time and needs topped off.

A fire was accidentally started

in a trash bin at Beaver Ponds

Park. The extensive damage to

the roof of the park shelter was

repaired.

Signage was installed at all of

the parks notifying users of the

rules in the Public Conduct in

Parks Ordinance.

Concrete bases were installed

to allow for portable restrooms

at Heritage Ponds and Val Jean

The City of Hugo Public Works

Department maintains all of

Hugo’s parks, trails, and open

spaces. This includes:

• 384 acres of parkland

• 10 play structures

• 22 miles of sidewalks

• 7 picnic shelters

• 1 sledding hill

• 2 outdoor pavilions

• 3 community rooms

• 4 ball fields

• 6 irrigated athletic fields

• 10+ open spaces

• 11 miles of trails

The Public Works Department

consists of 9 full-time workers

and 6 seasonal staff overseen

by Public Works Director Scott

Anderson. Two of the full-

time staff specialize in park

maintenance, but all contrib-

ute. The seasonal staff primar-

ily spend their time maintain-

ing parks. The Public Works

building is located at 6900

137th Street adjacent to Hanifl

Fields Athletic Park.

The Public Works Department

conducted several parks project

in 2013 in addition to their

regular park maintenance.

Over 350 cubic yards of engi-

neered wood surfacing was

added to the playground areas

at Oneka Lake Park, Arbre

Park, Diamond Point Park, and

Val Jean Park. The surfacing is

designed for aesthetics, child

Hugo Public Works Parks.

Horsefly traps were tested at

Hanifl Fields Athletic Park.

The traps are working and the

number of complaints from

soccer players has dramatically

increased.

Additional signage was added

to Irish Avenue Park. The

parking lot was improved in an

effort to prevent vehicle access.

The back of the 1 mile trail at

Clearwater Creek Preserve Park

received additional wood chip

surfacing in the spring.

ACTIVE PARKS Active parks have playgrounds, athletic fields and/or other similar facilities and activity areas. Lions Park 5524 Upper 146th Street North Beaver Ponds Park 12868 Flay Road North Frog Hollow Park 5945 159th Street North Victor Square Park 5030 130th Street Arbre Park Arbre Lane N. and Garden Way N. Oneka Lake Park 15369 Goodview Avenue North Heritage Ponds Park 15541 Empress Avenue North

Val Jean Park Victor Hugo Boulevard North Diamond Point East 6355 145th Street North Oak Shore Park 12790 Exhall Avenue North Hanifl Fields Athletic Park 7032 137th Street

PASSIVE PARKS Passive parks are large natural areas or small green spaces with-out formal activity areas. Clearwater Creek Preserve Park Fable Road Circle North Rice Lake Park 6900 137th Street Future Park 14420 Irish Avenue North

P a g e 4

Trail & Sidewalk Maintenance

Sledding Party The fifth annual Sledding

Party at Oak Shore Park

was held in 2013. The

Parks, Recreation, and

Open Space Commission

volunteered and started

the event in 2009.

Oak Shore Park was con-

structed in the summer of

2007. A sledding hill was

included in the plan, which

was unique to Oak Shore

Park. The Sledding Party

was started to let residents

know about the great new

amenity in Hugo. The

event has continued to

grow since. In 2012, the

event was not successful as

there was no snow

and with below zero

temperatures, kids

did not want to par-

ticipate in alterna-

tive activities. In

2013, there was

great snow cover

and lots of fun to be

had.

The event is typically held

on the second Saturday in

February and is free to

participate in. Cookies and

hot chocolate are provided.

backlogged for work for the

remainder of 2012, and

prices would be more

favorable if the project was

completed in spring, 2013.

The Council agreed to have

the work take place in late

May/June, 2013. Adver-

tisement of bids was ap-

proved at the Council

meeting of February 25,

2013.

Award of bid was approved

April 15, 2013 to Dunaway

Construction at a total of

$68,088.67 for the recon-

struction of the 145th

Street sidewalk, west of

Highway 61.

Reconstruction of the side-

walk was completed in the

summer of 2013. It pro-

vides a connection between

the trail along County

Road 8 and the Hardwood

Creek Trailhead along

Highway 61. An additional

connection between these

two trails will be made

with the extension of the

Hardwood Creek Regional

Trail.

At its June 4, 2012 meet-

ing, Council discussed

options for the deteriorat-

ed sidewalk along 145th

Street, west of TH61, and

directed staff to schedule a

neighborhood meeting.

This meeting was held on

Monday, July 23, 2012 and

City Engineer Jay Kennedy

presented three options.

Residents indicated sup-

port for replacing the side-

walk on the north side and

removing the sidewalk on

the south side and in-

stalling sod. The Council

agreed to use roadway CIP

funds for the project.

At its August 6, 2012 meet-

ing, Council reviewed the

proposed construction

schedule for the improve-

ments with the work to be

completed in 2012. Staff

found contractors were

2 0 1 3

Nature Camp Conducted

P a g e 5 P a r k s , R e c r e a t i o n a n d O p e n S p a c e C o m m i s s i o n

An ongoing vision of the

Commission has been to hold

nature programs. This sum-

mer, a 4 day Nature Camp

was held Au-

gust 5-8th.

The camp

filled up with

12 registered

participants

ranging in

age from 7 to 12. Each

day had a theme and

included a hike, learning ac-

tivities, art projects, games

and more. A wide range of

outdoor activities were

crammed into the 2.5 hour

morning camp. The campers

reported that their favorite

parts included making differ-

ent types of s ’mores over the

bonfire and the scavenger

hunt. The campers greatly

enjoyed learning to geocache

thanks to a local enthusiast.

The “Water Olympics”, which

included fun science activi-

ties and puzzles, was also a

favorite.

activities, and more. The

events were held at Lions

Park instead of Hanifl Fields

Athletic Parks in previous

years.

The Tour de Hugo offered

four different routes, making

it suitable for all ages and

abilities of riders. The 45

mile route was a new addi-

tion and the riders greatly

enjoyed the scenery and the

level of challenge it brought.

Riders from all over the met-

ro came to bike the beauty!

A 6 mile route was added

which was mostly on-trail

and suitable for children.

The other routes offered

were 24 mile or 32 mile.

Sponsors and volunteers pro-

vided rest stops at Oneka

Elementary School, Withrow

Elementary School, near Big

Marine Lake, and a “Cake

Break” along Jeffery Avenue.

Thank you to those that

made the Tour de Hugo pos-

sible:

In it’s third year, the Tour de

Hugo took off! Held on Sat-

urday, September 14, partici-

pation more than doubled in

2013, with over 180 riders.

Dozens of riders that are in

the Twin Cities Bike Club

participated.

Hugo Fire Chief Kevin Col-

vard served at honorary King

of the Mountain and an-

nounced the start of each

ride.

This year, the city partnered

with the Hugo Lions Club to

host the event. The Lions

Club provided lunch for the

riders and hosted the Hugo

Good Neighbor Harvest Fest,

immediately following the

Tour de Hugo. It included an

arts & craft fair, inflatable

Nature Campers at Hanifl Fields Athletic Park.

Tour De Hugo Takes Off

“Many thanks

for the fabulous

ride… it was so

well organized,

so beautiful…

look forward to

doing it next

year! ”

~Sandie

Oneka Chiropractic

Boyd’s Promos

Kinder Gardens Child Devel-

opment Center

Postal Credit Union

SNAP Fitness

Forest Lake Cycle & Skate

Sanvold and Associates

Forest Lake Chamber of

Commerce

Greg Young Insurance

Health East

Lino Lakes DQ

PostNet

Key Automotive

Lake Area Bank

Merles Water Conditioning

PAWs Pet Hospital

Central Bank

Faiview Health Services

Mastec

Costco

Gator Signs

Peace Coffee

Magenpan

species were also removed

from the rain gardens at Hugo

City Hall. The fourth project

included marking the storm

water drains to alert residents

to be aware of what is being

put in the drain as it goes to

local lakes. This project was in

partnership with the Rice

Creek Watershed District.

Each of the projects included a

component that the teachers

could educated their students

about. White Bear Lake Area

Schools, and especially our

On one of the hottest days of

the year, teachers from Hugo

and Oneka Elementary took a

break from their training

workshops to help out the

community! They worked on

four projects. With the help of

representatives from the

Washington Conservation Dis-

trict, invasive species were re-

moved from the wetlands on

the property of Oneka Elemen-

tary. The boards at the hockey

rink at Hugo Elementary got a

fresh coat of paint. Invasive

local elementary schools have

great atti-

tudes for

giving back to

the communi-

ty they are a

part of.

Thank you to

the teacher

volunteers for

being great

role models to

the Hugo youth

and for our

community.

Hugo City Hall 14669 Fitzgerald Avenue Hugo, MN 55038 651-762-6300

Parks Commission Staff Contact: Shayla Syverson 651-762-6342 ssyverson@ci.hugo.mn.us

Thank you to the Hugo Parks, Recreation,

and Open Space Commission, who works to

provide immediate and long-term strategic

guidance and direction for the development

of parks and recreation programming for

the citizens of the City of Hugo. The nine

member Commission is made up of

volunteers appointed by the Hugo City

Council. The Commission meets once a

month on the second Wednesday of every

month at 7:00 p.m. The meetings are open

to the public and held at Hugo City Hall.

City of Hugo

Thank You Teacher Volunteers!

www.ci.hugo.mn.us

Teachers from Oneka and Hugo Elementary Schools took a break from staff