Park Maintenance Division

Each year, Park Maintenance conducts programs to help control the number of geese and deer in the city. These control programs focus on public safety, sanitation concerns and the health of the animal population per square mile. Surveys and studies are conducted to determine the concentration of animals, and removal programs are set up based on the results.

For more information contact:

• Deer control: Michael Centinario, 952-563-8921, or email mcentinario@BloomingtonMN.gov
• Goose control: Dave Hanson, 952-563-8760, or email dhanson@BloomingtonMN.gov

Park Maintenance is responsible for mowing approximately 700 acres of turf throughout Bloomington. Areas include boulevards, parks, athletic fields, freeway noise wall areas and park open spaces. There are three basic levels of mowing:

• High use areas are mowed every 5 - 10 days.
• Less used areas are mowed once a month and some areas once or twice a year.
• Weed control is performed as needed to maintain the particular use of an area.

There are 55 playground apparatus units throughout the city parks system and at school sites. These playgrounds are inspected and repaired on a regular basis to help insure the safety of the many children that use them. Trained "Playground Safety Inspectors," certified by the National Playground Safety Institute, perform weekly walk-through inspections including a detailed inspection of the entire apparatus. Monthly inspections are also performed and any necessary repairs or adjustments are made.

Park Maintenance staff retain and reclaim sites throughout the city for improved areas of native prairie grasses and wildflowers. Multiple locations of varying sizes have been designated as native prairie/wildflower areas and special care has been given to them. Maintenance strategies include seasonal mowing, burning or the planting of wildflower seeds. Interesting textures and a variety of colors can be seen at these locations throughout the year. 

For full details, visit the Natural Resources page. 

The City maintains outdoor rinks for hockey and general skating at nine city parks. These rink sites are lighted and most have heated warming houses that are staffed. These rink areas are maintained Monday - Saturday during the December, January and February skating season. Rinks and warming houses are open depending on the weather. Specific warming house schedules can be found on the skating rinks and warming houses web page.

Bloomington City Council priorities dictate that when a plowable snow event occurs, the first priority is the cleaning of Bloomington streets and cul-de-sacs for safe vehicle use. This means there is only snow removal on rinks and no flooding on the day of a snow event.

Park Maintenance is responsible for snow removal on over 250 miles of sidewalks throughout the city. We have 10 sidewalk snow removal units. Removal from a snowfall of 3-5 inches takes approximately four days to complete.

Sidewalks are sorted into three groups.

• First priority: School walking areas, heavily used wheelchair accessible areas and high use areas by main roads.
• Second priority: Walks expanding out from the school and along major roads.
• Third priority: Residential and industrial areas.

If snow falls over a long time period, the City may repeatedly return to priority one areas before clearing lesser-used areas. Residents are asked to be patient in such situations. Crews will complete the job, but it may take three to four days, depending on weather conditions.

Plows need to push snow off both sides of a sidewalk. In heavy snowfall, banks along walks may become too high for V-plow snow removal. In this case, snow blowers must be used extending the time for completion by at least 2-3 times. Obstacles in rights-of-way, either on or along sidewalks, i.e. timbers, boulders, shrubs or trash cans, hinder snow removal. The City appreciates your help in maintaining sidewalks and keeping rights-of-way clear of obstacles, so snow can be removed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The City has a number of hiking and biking trails at various locations. All trails are usable most of the year. Only paved trails have snow removed in the winter.

• Bush Lake: 1.5 miles of walking trail with asphalt, wood chip and dirt surfacing.
• Central Park (including Moir Picnic area and the Nine Mile Creek area): 4.5 miles of trail. Surfaces are asphalt, wood chip and lime rock.
• Forest Glen Trail: a .9 mile long asphalt trail, connecting Marth Road with East Bush Lake Road.
• Girard Lake: A one-mile wood chip trail.
• Heritage Hills: A one-mile wood chip trail.
• Marsh Lake: A .75-mile wood chip trail.
• Normandale Lake: Two laps of two miles each, one for walking and one for biking and in-line skating.
• Parker's Picnic: Over three miles of trail that are chip/dirt.
• Smith Park: A newly installed asphalt trail system that runs through the entire park.
• Tierney's Woods: Wood chip trails maintained by Three Rivers Park District.

The City's natural resources staff currently manages approximately 200 acres of restored prairie, with plans to increase this number over time. These restorations are important for the city because they:

• Increase sustainability by reducing maintenance costs and input
• Reduce erosion and runoff into our waterways through better water infiltration
• Provide optimal habitats for pollinators due to high diversity of native flowers
• Provide opportunities for residents to learn more about native plants

Visit the Natural Resources page for full details of this ongoing Park Maintenance initiative.

Weather permitting, each spring Park Maintenance in coordination with the Bloomington Fire Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, conducts prescribed burns to restore native prairies, wetlands and park landscapes within the City of Bloomington. 

The benefits of prescribed burns include removal of thatch and weed seeds, spurring new growth of native vegetation, controlling invasive plant species, pest insect control, habitat maintenance for native and threatened animal species and much more. 

Visit the Prescribed Burning page for full details of this annual Park Maintenance activity.