[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6501263,"mediaKeyId","5708912-02f0944567461f31f1db6ba308ed0b9e","parentId",5708912,"title","Council tables $317,000 Lions Park playground replacement pending parks‑commission workshop","audioSeconds",567,"startMs",6821000,"endMs",7388000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5708912-02f0944567461f31f1db6ba308ed0b9e&start=6821&end=7388","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5708912-02f0944567461f31f1db6ba308ed0b9e/thumbnail_6821000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6501263/Calumet-City/Cook-County/Illinois/Council-tables-317000-Lions-Park-playground-replacement-pending-parkscommission-workshop","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6501263-e7b3f08f458a774305f1a34b3a130233/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167327&Signature=IlaO3w89AV4XGobVA52gVVyKzl2She3Dc2sl0Xd524QUAsxLBkNNR8d3v4lNn0QqCZnHo3wbphPvrEB2KiWVCX-stCt-pgs6DDv9ryBZBjKWg79HZyDauMWoKAdmDG~uwfdpw0j3AIbKXid089J55DFedhvf4YAQ76WLzt1dzyuaczprONyqrZVC1dLGMTDdvkF~8ndHSZLzGaqxVpD00ue0dwwhYOQqRVbOmy~I5m7~2q0y8mjyDhepamsO1OA9z-jR-R9izzPAgEfi6Nwpq-6F9uXwQkmXGt5O3g6dY7pEvYfaA3V3~JBANEnumD9-ykR0ggRwJCg~ZuMSK2Q6fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lake Elmo","date","2025-09-03T14:38:47Z","article","The Lake Elmo City Council on Sept. 2 tabled consideration of a proposed replacement playground at Lions Park, which staff estimated could cost up to $317,000. The council asked staff and the parks commission to discuss a longer-term approach to playground replacements and potential consolidation of park resources before authorizing the expenditure.

Parks staff said Lions Park was heavily used in a recent survey — 58% of survey respondents listed Lions Park as one of their most‑visited parks — and that the current playground, installed in February of an earlier year, has reached the department’s 25‑year replacement threshold for planning purposes and is slated for replacement in 2026. Staff presented five playground options and the parks commission recommended option 4.

Council members who spoke said they wanted a fuller conversation about whether to consolidate playground spending (for example, investing more at a central park rather than replacing multiple smaller playgrounds each year) and to align playground replacement decisions with the capital‑improvement plan. One council member said Lions Park is “the central location” and suggested redirecting future playground funds to enhance that site if the council chooses consolidation.

After discussion, a motion to table the purchase and installation until after the parks commission workshop passed by voice vote; no expenditure was approved at the meeting. Staff said the project remains listed in the 2026–2035 capital improvement plan with $300,000 currently allocated; additional funds would come from park dedication funds if needed to reach the proposed $317,000 total.

The council left open the possibility of revisiting the project after the parks commission workshop next week, when commissioners and council would discuss overall park strategy and CIP priorities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lake Elmo City Council Meeting 09/02/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council deferred a proposed $317,000 replacement of the Lions Park playground to allow further discussion with the parks commission about long‑term park consolidation and capital‑planning priorities.","taxTitle","Calumet City, Cook County, Illinois","taxId",56809,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6501267,"Lake Elmo limits pickleball hours, orders noise-mitigation study after neighbors’ complaints",4196,2572000,6768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5708912-02f0944567461f31f1db6ba308ed0b9e&start=2572&end=6768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5708912-02f0944567461f31f1db6ba308ed0b9e/thumbnail_2572000.jpg","/articles/6501267/Calumet-City/Cook-County/Illinois/Lake-Elmo-limits-pickleball-hours-orders-noise-mitigation-study-after-neighbors-complaints","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6501267-4e6d008da165c8926212547957459673/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167327&Signature=jYnLjUoiu0ylwbj9ZCei4pO9IwtpDYyNh-8qXoFAjud0Wu3qlUSbS0SS0yVKY7HROepjeyHbJoZHFd~ETE7dxxd5XH3e3bJ2GLdw6q2wX0gFtslqGLOh1pe4s75o4jyzaHk0iLbkiAZm3E8zKGWiiOdiahfP2tf~F~M-VJn3q~-q~7ihA8bpkBC5QnozjCRy6KvYeVFzcKSCMMnW0GOWXD7T7jZpFJC8iM6-Rb-8b0b1MU4w98mQC7nRPK~6Tw~~9Erc0o31sqwIrcOUmBBDTeaRO49ui2I8hBAFMmYZujx7ApjQlKD~QV08xFkaovCpipWO~N77YsG-bpjDZM8dNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lake Elmo’s City Council voted on Sept. 2 to limit pickleball hours, turn off court lights for pickleball and direct staff to pursue noise‑mitigation measures at Pebble Park after multiple residents said the sport’s percussive noise and evening lighting have substantially affected adjacent homes.

The council adopted a motion setting operating hours at all city pickleball sites from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., prohibiting lights for pickleball, directing immediate removal of the Pebble Park practice wall and asking staff to research sound‑absorbing materials and vegetation options for Pebble Park. Council also directed communications and updated reservation guidance to notify users of the changes.

City parks staff said they measured average ambient noise levels at Pebble Park between roughly 47 and 53 decibels at the property line during busy periods and noted current city ordinance standards permit up to 60 decibels during park hours under Minnesota statute references. “Staff is not recommending a noise barrier of any of these sites, as the current noise levels have not exceeded the current city ordinances,” the staff report said. The city’s 2024 parks master plan recommends a 600‑foot setback for courts from residences; the courts at issue are 184 to about 297 feet from nearby homes, staff said.

Residents and players gave extended testimony. Paul Boltman, who lives near Pebble Park, told the council the repeated “pop” of paddles causes stress: “This is a public health issue,” he said. John Howley, who lives roughly 30 feet from Pebble Park, said the combination of shouting, portable music and lights has disrupted sleep; he said he hears players and “the screaming” inside his home.

Jennifer Waters, a coordinator for the Lake Elmo Pickleball group, said the organized player groups aim to self‑manage behavior: “We don’t charge a membership. We welcome new people who wanna play, and we don’t put chairs on the courts because that damages them,” she told the council. Waters said the parks master-plan recommendation for 600 feet was issued after construction of the courts.

Council discussion considered several mitigation options: limiting hours, removing or relocating courts to a location meeting the 600‑foot recommendation (staff said Sunfish Lake Park has locations that could meet 600 feet), installing either diffuser panels or absorbent fence materials, vegetation and signage, and voluntary equipment changes (softer balls/paddles), which council members said have low enforcement viability.

Staff estimates cited earlier materials costs: an initial $35,000 figure for barrier work discussed in a prior meeting and a previously discussed $40,000 sound-blanket option. Consultants and public commenters noted many absorptive or vinyl products have limited service life (roughly five to 10 years). Council instructed staff to bring back recommendations and cost estimates and to coordinate communications and enforcement strategy with sheriff’s deputies.

The final motion was made, seconded, and passed by voice vote; council members said they would revisit hours and mitigation if installed measures prove effective.","Following months of resident complaints about noise and lights at neighborhood pickleball courts, the council set operating hours, banned lights for pickleball and directed staff to study and implement noise‑mitigation measures including vegetation and absorbent materials.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6501272,"Lake Elmo council accepts public-works operational assessment, consultant urges phased staff additions",2271,297000,2568000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5708912-02f0944567461f31f1db6ba308ed0b9e&start=297&end=2568","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5708912-02f0944567461f31f1db6ba308ed0b9e/thumbnail_297000.jpg","/articles/6501272/Calumet-City/Cook-County/Illinois/Lake-Elmo-council-accepts-public-works-operational-assessment-consultant-urges-phased-staff-additions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6501272-e416873feb97b23bf5f3d3b5a12e81f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167327&Signature=mE6~9oCy9NXxehbbOqTAskQcjCA6PqPrPekQOEZPt-DbzmTkf67Gy9UxxEOOlsZJJqldhZ00fhEOO9d1PFpACxXzvWseXUYNFs~RsHgLEcZCEGndguFaSHzcq4~S4sKVUoql6xoMTME44muDkgJj9WuMlvWOgWRBrEN8VNWVpPyiK4nvZJCtlUWr7bYYzHC3-s37-5UUsErSivNLqGoQgjW1yGpm1OJzqId1eEtu8UpSIazDIRS1MppkZjgWRqnatJQzFfGd-pZ-5TPAiV9DaXvaHaB9NjtF~33TTK4wpMoJrtH5SZQnW039DOltn8y1aY98lSGAypPqOY70BSvCnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lake Elmo City Council on Sept. 2 accepted a public-works operational assessment prepared by consulting firm Raftelis, which concluded the department is lightly staffed relative to the city’s recent growth and recommended adding staff, improving training and expanding asset-management practices.

The report, presented by Brian Kirsch of Raftelis, said “growth is really the number one workload driver” for the city’s public-works department and recommended adding two full-time equivalents in 2025 and one more in 2026, with the first hires including an operator and a lead operator, to reduce current spans of control and sustain service levels.

Kirsch told the council the department last added an operator in 2019 and that since then the city has seen “a 74% increase in sewer customers, about a 40% increase in miles of sewer pipe and water customers, a 55% increase in water pipe length, and a 23% increase in park acreage.” He recommended designating roughly six experienced operators as utility specialists to concentrate treatment-system expertise and to restrict on‑call rounds to those specialists.

The report also recommended a phased administrative hire to replace a recently lost 0.4 FTE administrative assistant, proposing that position start at 0.5 FTE with duties beyond clerical work (GIS and work-order support). Kirsch recommended investing in Beehive — the city’s current asset-management platform — to use it as a full computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), issuing field tablets and training staff to record work orders and time-on-task.

Other recommendations included hiring or contracting for certified vehicle/mechanic work rather than using non‑certified staff, developing an annual work plan to better sequence seasonal tasks (hydrant flushing, valve exercising), and investing in training to sustain CMMS adoption.

Council members pressed staff on current CMMS usage and on how the proposed hires relate to the city’s budget. City staff said they have budgeted for one FTE in 2026 and are working to align job descriptions and union approvals for changes to on-call schedules and pay structures. Kirsch and staff said careful sequencing is needed given collective-bargaining processes and that some recommendations (e.g., utility‑specialist scheduling) require union approval.

Council accepted the assessment as presented. No specific ordinance or appropriation was passed at the meeting; council acceptance was recorded as the formal action.

The report used Lake Elmo timecard data for 2023 and compared Lake Elmo to seven peer communities. Kirsch cautioned that benchmarking shows differences in service needs — Lake Elmo’s population grew “almost 22%” from 2019–2023 and the city is less dense than many peers, which affects miles of street and pipe per resident and increases crew travel time.

Council members who asked questions included Holtz and Jackassett; Nicole (city staff) introduced the item and supported the consultant’s presentation. Kirsch said the recommendations are intended to keep staffing roughly in step with recent growth rather than greatly expand the department at once.

Council action: acceptance of the Raftelis public-works operational assessment; staff will return with implementation steps (job descriptions, budget alignment and union coordination) as directed.","The Lake Elmo City Council voted to accept an operational assessment by Raftelis that recommends several staffing increases, adoption of a computerized maintenance management system and other process changes to address rapid growth in utility and parks workload.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council tables $317,000 Lions Park playground replacement pending parks‑commission workshop

Lake Elmo limits pickleball hours, orders noise-mitigation study after neighbors’ complaints

Lake Elmo council accepts public-works operational assessment, consultant urges phased staff additions