01/21/2013 Steering Committee
Attending: Mike Odden, Ruth Odden, Joe Christiansen, Ernie
Schmit, Craig Dewar
Next Meeting: 02/18/2013 @ 6:30 – 8:00
General discussion:
- Review submitted grant and budget for new year
Committee
|
Discussion
|
Follow Up
|
|
Historical Society
|
This month:
·
Welna building:
o Tin
for ceiling has been purchased
o Lions
helping to install
o Bob
Warzecha will provide lift for installation
o Electrical
to be updated in spring
·
Holiday Home Tour 12/1-12/2
o About
150 visitors on home tour
o Advertising
seemed to expand the visitor base
o Held
at homes of Mike & Ruth Odden, Ron & Irene Schmidt (large taxidermy
collection), Skudlareks (near Opole?) and Fogelberg on CR 154
o Elmer’s
Barber Shop
o Display
of nativity scenes to be set up at Community Country Church, where
refreshments will be served
o Church
also holding a silent auction
o Santa
breakfast in city hall on 12/1
In process:
·
Welna restoration (next phase of restoration is
choice of floor, interior, heat & a/c or plumbing):
o
Work on ceiling and roof insulation first
priority
o
Planning to donate/discard all the clocks in
storage there
o
Bids in process for tin for interior ceiling
of Welna building – will use new tin
o Should
have adequate funds for project
Completed:
·
Had float in parade
·
T shirts fund raisers sold out
·
Boxcar mural at trailhead is completed and
paid for
·
“Moonshiner” hole found in town is on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEIaIlqZ_os
o Buried
brick enclosure with arched ceiling and chimney hole
|
·
|
|
Garden Club
|
This month:
·
Winter display set up by garden
·
Christmas tree lighting on 11/30; hot cider
& cocoa, cookies
o Approved
up to $200 to pay for flyers to promote garden club’s tree lighting
(churches, schools)
o About
60 people attended lighting ceremony
o Future
suggestion: Bike parade with lights (similar to Holidazzle)?
·
Garden Club teaching a container garden class
in May
o Class
is $10 per person, $4 to club
o Donating
perennials to students
·
Will have a free booth at school with other
vendors (plant sale at school?)
o Will
attempt to recruit additional members
In process:
·
12 current members: 7-8 planting (others have
health issues)
·
Planning a fall display for gardens
Completed:
·
Held fund raiser dinner during Holdingford
Daze
o
Raised approximately $3300
o
City has committed $1000 in annual budgets to
Garden Club
·
Spring cleaning done, assisted by FFA who also
re-set concrete blocks in pond
·
Pond opened and fish placed
·
Selling perennial bulbs at Blooming Shack as a
fundraiser
·
New presidents: Barb Konsor and Ruth Odden
·
Sprinkler expansion cancelled – felt it was
not needed
·
In process of closing/cleaning pond
·
A few fish were given away at the community
picnic
·
Hired school kids to help with weeding of
gardens
·
|
·
|
|
Economic Development
|
This month:
·
16 plaques along bridge to be stainless steel
background with laser engraving by Rob Berscheid to turn steel black
o Plaques
donated by St Cloud Refrigeration who cut and drilled needed holes (use as
matching donation)
·
Mother of Mercy (memory clinic,
assisted/independent living)
o About
75 people attended presentation on Mother of Mercy
o TIF
to be discussed at city council meeting
o 2
feasibility studies support building
o No
news on River Birch assisted living
·
Road construction: delaying installation of
fire rings, affected number of campers
o Fire
rings to be installed at campground a few inches above ground
·
Junior Olympics volleyball tournament
proposed, by Kyle Ackerman from Extra Time
·
8-9 attendees for Planning Commission
·
MN13 restaurant is doing good, has wi-fi,
radio ad in Princeton
·
Corner Pizza doing good, adding video games
·
QR codes put up along trail head by Albany man
·
Discussion: A couple of banners missing/not up,
city to not attach Christmas decorations to banners
·
Discussion of walk/bike tour of local
historical points in town
·
Tables will be stored in shelter over winter
·
Planning Commission
o $10,000
study by Jana King proposed – some concerned that wasteful
o Feeling
is focus should be on what to do to support current businesses; what
businesses town can support (type and amount), suggestions for programs on
how to attract
o Decided
to request feasibility study by SCSU students
o Goals:
want to know what town can support – types of businesses and volume
o Members
may start attending HCP meetings
·
Stearns County requiring campground have site
plan pre-approved and requires $235 fee
·
FYI: Lake Wobegon site has article on
sculpture
In process:
·
Planning Commission: meeting the first
Wednesday of each month
o
Hoping to channel ideas into a working plan,
develop to keep current business and recruit new
o
Searching for consultants to lead
o
Review local buildings; how to increase foot
traffic; reduce vacancies; catering to different business types (employers
versus retail shops)
·
Planning to purchase signage recognizing
Initiative Foundation projects
·
Advertisement of trail in magazines
·
Bike Trail
o
QR code to be posted at trail head is in
process
·
Head of LWTA (Cliff Bergerding?) requested
$200 donation from Commercial Club
o
Phones or wireless PC can read code to open
LWTrails.com website
o
Wi-fi hot spot at liquor store, can one be set
up at trail head?
o
LWTA will ask cities for $200 contribution to
assist in set up
o
LakeWobegonTrails.com has virtual tour of bike
trail
o
Bridge to bridge ride could employ QR
codes/four square technology
·
Campground: cement pads installed for patio
area, electric available at all sites
o
Plan for bathroom upgrades estimated at
$80,000
o Lions
Club looking into legacy grant for showers
o
Lake Wobegon Trail Association wants to
include information in trail literature, may be willing to assist with grants
for bathroom upgrades
o
Need post and collection box for campsites
o
New cement fire rings on order for campground
at each parking spot and one in tent area
·
Wood pile to be stocked by volunteers as fund
raiser for Historical Society
o
Electric at parking spots on end of line,
insufficient power at campsites (Xcel issue)
·
Bike trail
o
Melrose, Freeport setting up yellow bike
program
·
A couple of bikes missing from Melrose
o
Jordy’s Cafe setting up bike rental in Bowlus
Completed:
·
Caramel Roll ride occurred 06/09/2012
·
Corner Pizza has new owner as of 10/01/2012
·
TK restaurant reopened
·
Joe attended grocery store conference, details
in notes from 9/17
·
Joe attended Blandin Foundation presentation
on broadband, details in notes from 9/17
·
70th anniversary of WWII soldier
shrine held around Labor Day
·
Joe watering recent tree plantings along trail
·
|
||
Steering Committee
|
This month:
·
Discussed potential projects and uses for grant
(scheduled completion date of 6/2013)
o Electrical
updates to Welna building
o Skateboard
park
o Build
a totally separate building to house shower at campground (upgrading existing
building to meet state requirements would cost a minimum of $80,000)
o Updated
brochure of Holdingford
o Art
project (mural on Legion)
·
Crowdsource as potential fundraiser site for
Historical Society or Art projects
In process:
·
Completed:
·
Community picnic on 8/26/2012
o 550
meals
o Road
construction may have had negative impact on attendance
o Total
expenses for picnic: $6579.81
o $75
worth of ice donated by Holdingford Gas & Grocery
o Horse
& wagon rides were free, donated by “?”
o Surreys
were available for use at no charge from Helping Hands
·
Discussed unusual contests at other small town
celebrations including; corn eating, sander races (on a track), husband
calling
·
“Caramel Apple” new ride on trail in October,
starting in Melrose and heading westward
·
|
||
Art Project
|
This month:
·
Check when funds for grant arrived – use as
matching funds for this year?
·
Lionesses made $50 donation after presentation
on HIP from Michelle
In process:
·
Legion post is favorable to a mural on wall by
bank parking lot
·
·
Central MN Arts Board has approved 2nd
grant worth a total of $10,531.00
·
Holdingford Mill Art Project
o
Fence sculpture installed, bench to be added
soon
o
Initial $5,000 up front fee has been paid to
Keith Raivo
o
Polar supplied most of the materials needed
for the project
Completed:
·
Sculpture project Plaques and bench installed
on sculpture
o All
grants for art project have arrived, and grant has been closed out
·
|
||
Grant status
|
This month:
·
1/21/2013: Approved $235 to pay Stearns County
for registration fee for campground
·
1/21/2013: Approved up to $400 for
professional redesign of city’s web site
·
1/21/2013: Approved up to $500 for ads in
publications (can copy explorer ad from spring 2012)
Completed:
·
10/15: Approved up to $200 to pay for flyers
to promote garden club’s tree lighting (churches, schools)
·
9/17: Approved $500 to help pay for Community
Picnic (match of $6079.81 by Lions, $75 HGG for ice)
·
9/17: Approved up to $2500 to pay towards
market study
·
Craig to check with Dan Frank on conflict with
match to $10,000 grant from IF for economic development study (it is NOT
eligible)
·
11/19: Approved up to $400 for an ad to
promote the holiday home tour
o
·
8/20: Approved $100 to pay for 4 registrants
to grocery store conference held by Initiative Foundation
|
||