20/20 Cold Spring Vision Team

Minutes of the Meeting
February 17, 2005

Design Standards Committee
Minutes of the Meeting
February 17, 2005


Members Present: John Frischmann, Ken Hollerud, Larry Lahr, Steve Penick, Brigetta Klemek, Ann Harren

Agenda items included: Working from prepared drafts completed by MDG that included a designation table, use designation and reference, and categories and definitions, members decided appropriate uses for each proposed zone. These documents also provided a framework in which to proceed.

The process started by utilizing the use designation table that lists each district and a series of specific uses. The table includes the following uses on the horizontal heading: residential, human care, institutional, and commercial. The vertical headings include the following zones: residential 1, 2, 3, commercial 1, 2, 3, riverfront, and industrial 1, 2. From this basic format, members decided the permitted, special use, and not permitted use for each zone.

The document’s length makes it somewhat impractical to list what is permitted and not permitted for each zone at this time. In addition, the committee did not complete the entire draft. The next meeting will continue this process for industrial, transportation, and temporary uses. In the near future, MDG will provide a completed draft copy of the proposed zoning and permitted uses for any interested parties.

Members also discussed upcoming meetings that include: A joint meeting with the planning commission and city council tentatively set for March 21. At this time, committee members with the assistance of MDG will have a working draft for review by these groups and allow for any recommendations.

The Chamber Luncheon is April 12 that will cover the zoning use and design standards process to date. A brief presentation followed by a question and answer segment will allow further public input.

Next Design Standards Committee Meeting: 6:30 PM February 28, 2005 at the Chain of Lakes Mortgage.

St. Joseph HCP Holds Conference
Saturday, April 9, 2005

Collegeville, Minn. -- The Avon Hills Initiative will host a conference, “Shaping the Future of Avon Hills,” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minn.  The conference will focus on land use in the four-township area (Avon, Collegeville, St. Wendel, St. Joseph) known as the Avon Hills. The public is invited to attend. Registration information will be available in the future.  

The conference is sponsored by a variety of organizations and will cover diverse topics, including turkey hunting, tree management, historical topics and seminars on land-use techniques. Participants will learn about opportunities for preserving the rural and scenic qualities of the area while accommodating growth and development.

The Avon Hills Initiative is an organization made up of residents representing many interests, but whose common bond is their appreciation of the Avon Hills area.

For more information, visit Avon Hills online at MEDIA RELEASE
http://www.csbsju.edu/arboretum/arb_highlights/Spring%202005/Avon%20Hills%20Conference.htm

February 22, 2005 at St. Joseph Meeting Grounds

Minutes
Gathering of Regional HCPs
February 22, 2005 at St. Joseph Meeting Grounds

Attendance:
St. Joseph HCP: Mary Niedenfuer, Ernie Diedrich
Avon HCP: Becky Schmitz; Chris Panek
Cold Spring HCP (20/20 Vision Team): Duane Kuss
SJU Intern: John Kamman

This meeting was organized in order to investigate opportunities for collaboration among HCPs in the region. It’s a good idea to get to know each other and to see what we can learn from each other as how we might help each other through joint projects or grant applications.

We briefly discussed how each HCP developed and what the major issues were in their communities.

1. Avon HCP
Avon’s HCO started off with a visioning meeting that drew 200 people (The Minnesota Design Team (MDT) visited several years ago). Only a few have been trained with the Initiative Foundation and about 45 people are now active in the following four committees:

1. Main Street Restoration…e.g., re-tarring main street
2. Community Center…focus on raising funds to build one
3. Land Use…issues deal with new housing developments
4. Economic Development…how to keep the town economically vital

Key issues in the community are the current discussions about locating a Supervalue store where the old baseball field is and relocating the ball field elsewhere. One obstacle may be that people are reluctant to pay more taxes owing to the relatively recent building of a waste-water treatment facility.

2. 20/20 Vision Team (Cold Spring HCP)
Cold Spring’s efforts began a year ago and the town meeting (about 150 people) coincided with the MDT visit there in June, 2004. There are now 30-40 active members split up into the following organizations:

1. Parks and Recreation…organizing a trail network with Rockville HCP…signage…sliding hill
2. Tourism…developing welcoming informational kiosk…developing Lookout Park…Chain of Lakes brochure
3. Arts and Culture…organizing a community band
4. Design Standards Team… granite pillars and use of granite on some buildings…update zoning standards
5. Land Use Group…update city comprehensive plan
6. Social Issues…coordinate social groups

3. St. Joseph HCP
St. Joseph’s HCP was formed at least six years ago, but was functioning as a community development group at least a year earlier (helped by the Minnesota Project). Started as a formal group (ca. 40 people) with televised meetings and lots of committees (establishing a new school (e.g., high school), public transportation to St. Cloud, Farmers’ Market, Community Center, Spring Festival), but now focus on a few priorities (Annual festival (e.g., focus on senior citizens, bicycling, history), tree planting, Bicycle-Friendly Community, coordination with other groups). Our membership now varies from 15 to 25 depending on the project.
Common Threads
Common themes such as recreation, parks, traffic, etc. mean that we could undertake some joint efforts. One that Dave suggested is a regional hiking/biking trail network. Another is a web site with HCP descriptions and updates on it. Having some sort of social function (having fun!) would be useful. Finally, Ernie suggested applying for grants that would fund joint projects.
Also, it would be helpful for all three HCPs to sponsor (without money) the Avon Hills Initiative Conference on April 9th…maybe with each HCP setting up a poster describing membership, committees, successes, failures and main impediments/breakthroughs.
We agreed to meet again at the April 9th conference if not earlier.

Respectfully submitted,

Ernie Diedrich

First Concert: Monday, March 7th

The first rehearsals of the area’s first Community Band are being held. 20 musicians ranging in age from high school freshmen to senior citizens are meeting each Tuesday evening to play their instruments and prepare for their first concert on Monday, March 7th, 2005.
All musicians in the area are welcome to join the group at our next rehearsal on Tuesday at 7 pm the Rocori High School Band Room in Cold Spring. Jason Koets, director of bands at Rocori, is directing the band in a variety of music that is fun and enjoyable to play. Music is a life-long skill and the Community Band is an opportunity for people of many ages and abilities to continue playing their instruments or to take it up once again. There are many musicians in the area and a community band is a great opportunity to get together for a few weeks and play. Musicians come from Cold Spring, Richmond, Rockville, and Kimball. All are welcome to join us in making music. Get out your instrument and join us in the band room at 7pm on Tuesday evenings. For more information or to sign up, call Val Hollermann at 685-4413 or Rocori Community Ed at 685-8631.

Minutes from February 21, 2005

Members Present: Betty Johnson, Liz Kruger, Mary Steil, Michelle Prow, Ann Doresy, Jan Luthens, April Stadtler, Eileen Froehle, Karen Minnerath Liz Brannan, Becky Hooper

1. Letter regarding our memorandum of understanding
-Michelle went to RSFIA board meeting and received a lot of information
-According to this information, Jeff is at the end of the funding from Faith In Action, and has not yet filed forms to become 501c3.
-The committee has many concerns regarding the comments from Jeff as well as how this process is working.
-It appears that there are no policies in place and that Jeff wants us to sign on with him before we see any type of procedures or other policy issues are shown.
-It appears that Jeff needs our ‘hub’ to maintain FIA funding
-There is a fear that there might not be sustainability in forming a relationship with Jeff and RSFIA.
-There is a massive confusion about what fees are required and what types of things we get with these fees.

2. Conference call with Jeff Fromm
-After some discussion about the comment letter from Jeff, the committee decided to call him to try and clear up some miscommunications. After issues with the phone system, Michelle agreed to conduct a conversation with Jeff one on one.
-Jeff said that the 8% fee was for the use of the RSFIA name, logo, ECT.
-There is a 2-10% fiscal hosting feel given off of grant money along with the 8% fee for a total of 10-18% of our money going toward fees.
-When asked about writing grants, Jeff said that he would be doing some grant writing, but that he had expectations of someone on the committee doing some writing also. This is not the impression of what the committee was paying the 8% for, and will need to be cleared up.
-As far as sustainability goes, Jeff said that he was about 2/3 of the way done with getting his 501c3 status.
-Jeff discussed that he wanted to develop tools, procedures and standards with the committee. The committee is wondering what he is using up to this point if he has none in place. Also, the committee is wondering why he can’t use the paperwork in place at the St. Cloud Faith In Action.

3. The committee’s response
-The committee needs more specific details about where Jeff is on procedures as well as what his plans are for sustaining funding.
-The committee also is concerned about gaps in information as well as information that has been contradictory.
-Jeff has been asked to come to the next meeting, February 28, 2005 to discuss the committees concerns.

Questions: for Jeff Fromm

• What funding does the 8% hub use fee come from exactly?
• What exactly do we get with this 8% fee? Please be specific and if you have examples please bring them with.
• What specifically is included in the 2-10% fiscal host fee?
• Who decides what percentage we are going to be responsible for?
• Are there ANY other fees that we may be assessed upon entering a business relationship with you?
• What are you specific expectations regarding our group doing grant writing?
• Will you be training us at all in grant writing? If so, what specific tools will you be using?
• Specifically, how far are you in development of policies and procedures? Please bring any tangible examples you may already have.
• Do you have any training modules or standards in place? If so, please bring examples with you.
• If we are to be developing training modules, standards and any other procedures with you, what roles will you have, and what roles will we have?
• If we are to be developing training modules, standards and other procedures with you, what are you currently using? Please bring examples to share.
• You mentioned that you are about 2/3 done with attaining a 501c3 standing. What have you done specifically and what do you have left to take care of?



• We are beginning to feel uncomfortable with the information we are receiving. We have had many gaps in information and what we have received has had a history of being contradicting. At this point we are not sure if this is the type of relationship we want to get in to. Please be as complete and specific as possible at the February 28, 2005 meeting. We would like this to work out for both parties.

February 17, 2005
New Cold Spring Zoning Map under consideration.
Click LINK to get full size graphic.

The HCP internship is for an environmental studies credit

Hi,
My name is John Kamman,  I am a senior at St. John’s University.  Feel free to get a hold of me with any community help that you need, I’m happy to find some time.  The HCP internship is for an environmental studies credit so most of the activity should pertain in one way or another to environmental issues.  The meeting with representatives of other Avon and St. Joe HCPs will be Tuesday the 22nd at 7:00pm at a coffee shop called “The Meeting Grounds” in St. Joe.  Let me know if you have any conflicts and we can reschedule.  For future reference, here is my contact info along with several representatives from neighboring HCPs.

Hope to work with you soon,
John

My Info:
John Kamman

jckamman@csbsju.edu
363-6949

PS. Duane Kuss plans to represent the 2020 Group at this first meeting. If you are also interested in attending please contact Duane at 685.8603

2020 Cold Spring Advisory Committee Meets today at 8:00 am, City Hall

Agenda:

Review 2020 Party held in January.

Grant committee update

Other committee updates
* Arts & Culture
* Design Standards
* Land Use
* Natural Resources
* Social Action
* Tourism & Business

Tourism Action Team Update

UPDATE: February 9, 2005

BROCHURE STAND/KIOSK
WORK WITH CHAMBER
Brochure display is being built by a local cabinet maker

COMMUNITY-WIDE WEB SITE/CALENDAR
Contacted Linda Libel with Rocori School District, Community Ed, and City of Cold Spring about web sites, calendars and possible integration. A plan will be developed.
WORK WITH CHAMBER
The Boards second endeavor is building a Cold Spring Area web site. One area site to link area businesses‘, the school district‘s, the city government‘s, county government‘s, church and civic organization’s web sites. The site will include areas to post calendars, announcements, newsletters and minutes of our local non-profits - including the Cold Spring Area Chamber of Commerce.
Developing a program where local businesses can have their own domain name and one-page website by being members of the chamber.

20/20 UPDATE
The 2020coldspring.com website now has a interactive blog built into it.

ATTENDED Granite Country Committee meeting.
Interviewed Herb & Lorraine Hesse on video. Herb’s mother was a Hansen, one of the first 6 families of Cold Spring.

REGIONAL PROMOTION PIECE
One article has been submitted and 5 more are in process.
Ads have already been sold and have already exceeded last years total.
13,000 copies will be published and distributed.
Distribution will begin in April and will include both the Cold Spring and Eden Valley subscribers.

What's a blog?

A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.

Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.

In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.

Blogs have reshaped the web, impacted politics, shaken up journalism, and enabled millions of people to have a voice and connect with others.

And it looks like this is just the beginning.

On Tuesday, February 8th, 2005, a new feature was added to the 2020 Cold Spring Vision Team website.

This new site will be used to allow the community, the vision team and other interested citizens not only learn but participate in the future of our community.