The Albert Lea City Council is expected to vote tonight on whether to approve a new master plan for park properties and related facilities.

The document, intended as a guidebook for day-to-day operations for city leaders, was developed by Parks and Recreation Department staff in consultation with the Albert Lea Parks and Recreation Advisory Board during a year of research and development.

Parks and Recreation Director Jay Hutchison said the plan will help city staff plan for the short-term and long-term future of these areas in the city. It will go hand-in-hand with Albert Lea’s comprehensive plan.

The document is divided up into recreational facilities, regional parks, neighborhood parks, neighborhood play parks, passive parks and then undeveloped parks.

For each recreational facility or park included, it discusses site features and then where there could be future additions or improvements.

Hutchison said coming up with the plan helped him and the other staff recognize what amenities are at each location.

The document will be able to be easily amended if necessary, he said.

It was approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board at its January meeting.

If approved, it will stand as its own document, similar to the comprehensive plan.

During tonight’s meeting, the City Council also will:

Vote whether to purchase two pieces of property.

The first, referred to as the Larson property, is 4.6 acres of land along Myers Road.

It is a piece of property the city needs to construct a storm water pond as part of the Myers Road reconstruction. The pond would allow the city to install smaller sized storm lines, which would greatly reduce the roadway heaving.

The proposed agreement includes a purchase price of $205,000, with the city paying $160,000 and the owner giving the value of $45,000 for tax benefits.

The second piece of property is 37.87 acres of property from Robert and Susan Dammen near the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The appraised value and purchase price is about $415,000.

The property is currently farm land, but would be necessary in the case that the wastewater treatment plant needed to expand.

Vote whether to adopt the city’s proposed 2010-14 capital improvement plan.

The council and other city leadership would use the plan to identify and prioritize the community’s needs.

Projects currently submitted total over $72 million in infrastructure needs through 2014.

Vote whether to adopt a memorial gifting policy for the city.

The policy relates to parks and green space where people may wish to donate a memorial in honor of a loved one. For instance, if someone wishes to donate a bench, it must be of a certain level of quality.

Vote whether to authorize the submittal of an application to the State Transportation Improvement Program for the Lakeview Boulevard reconstruction project proposed for 2014.

The project would include the complete reconstruction of the Lakeview Boulevard from Abbott Street to Wedge Street.

The city is asking for $800,000 of the expected $1.1 million cost. If this is awarded, the city would pay $100,000 and state aid funds would be used for the remaining $200,000.

Have the first reading of an amendment to the Chapter 22, Article 7 that deals with spas, saunas, massage and bodywork.

The previous ordinance regarding spas and massage did not allow massage between men and women; thus council members and practitioners thought it would be appropriate to modify the ordinance.

A task force was put together and meetings were held with local massage therapists to come up with the new draft of the ordinance.

The ordinance states that a person practicing this line of work must obtain a license from the city, which will have a fee.

 Hear a request from the owners of the Midwestern Hotel to consider waiving the back taxes, penalties and fees attached to the property.

Hear a request to consider relieving assessments against three lots at 1209 Newton Ave.

City Manager Victoria Simonsen said the owner recently purchased the lots as tax forfeiture properties.

The outstanding assessments are about $4,800.

The owner’s goal is to combine the three lots and rezone them for a duplex, the city manager said.

Vote whether to add four dock spaces on Lakeview Boulevard that would be assigned as dock spaces to four properties along Ridge Road.

Hutchison said the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board unanimously denied the request at its January meeting. He said much of reasoning focused on wanting to keep some public shore areas for use by the general public.

 Hear a request from Councilor Larry Baker to consider painting “No Skate Boarding” on the sidewalk along Clark Street between Broadway Avenue and Washington Avenue.