20/20 Cold Spring Vision Team

Trails Cooperative Effort

To:
Chuck Wocken
Director, Parks Department
1802 County Road 137
Waite Park, MN 56387


April 28th, 2005


Dear Chuck,

On behalf of the HCP Alliance (Http://www.hcpalliance.org), I wish to strongly support the ROCORI trail. Healthy Community Partnerships (HCP) organizations have been organized and supported by the Initiative Foundation all around Minnesota and the HCP Alliance is a group of HCPs that have organized to explore projects that extend beyond and connect our communities.

John and Linda Peck (Rockville) and Duane Kuss (Cold Spring) have explained to us where the trail would and could go and the benefits to the region of such a path. Perhaps most attractive to those of us who live in the St. Joseph and Avon area are the possibilities of a larger trail that would connect the ROCORI trail to the Wobegon trail so that folks from the region could more easily recreate over longer distances.

The Rails to Trails program has been a godsend to citizens in Central Minnesota and we sincerely hope that the railroad would share use of its corridor to help connect segments of the trail. We also encourage negotiations with landowners to provide easements for this trail and for portions of land that connect trails with larger trail networks.

In sum, we are very excited about the vision of the Glacial Lakes State Trail and enthusiastically support your department’s efforts, Chuck, to make it a reality. Please let me know what we can do to express our support (we have no money, unfortunately) for this very worthwhile effort.

Sincerely,



Ernest Diedrich
Convener
HCP Alliance


Ernie Diedrich

Professor of Economics and
Environmental Studies
Simons 244 (SJU)
CSB/SJU
320-363-3518 (phone)
320-363-3298 (fax

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2020 Vision Team

2020 Design Team
Steering Committee Meeting
April 19, 2005 8:00AM

Present: Ken, Brigetta, Nadine, Duane, Betty, Larry, Kay

Agenda: MN Design Team's return visit - June 11, 2005
Short-term financing & partnering
Long-term financial request
Annual Report

MN Design Team visit
Each task force will need to prepare one paragraph; at least one member of each task force needs to be there. ALSO each task force needs to provide volunteer hours involved to Steering Committee
Will need presentation on what, where, when, how first thing in the morning
They will formulate, target problems and provide feedback; they will provide feedback & suggest resources
Will request they meet us June 11 from 9:00 to noon at Lions Park
*We need to call all task force members

Gap Financing ideas: Need to develop a presentation
Non profits with gambling revenue
Local businesses
Chamber
City
Gap Needs:
Kiosk near Chamber office
Pay for Design Team visit
Website
Consultant fees
Publicity
Hospitality

This is what the community said (and this is what we've done with $10,000)
1. Rezoning based on latest data for the community
2. Put together a team that will do it
3. Launch into next version of Long Term plan given to us by community
4. Inventory our natural resources and are in the process of packaging
5. Enhancing and further the value of our natural resources
6. Begun tapping into volunteer gap in community with Faith in Action
7. Celebrating creative element in community resulting in community band
8. Promotion through kiosk at Chamber office and Chain of Lakes magazine
9. Have included township in all our activities
10.Put banners up around town

Long Range financing and plan
Need to know who has money in town
Build bridge of communication between city and township
Need healthy community socially, economically, based on community life
Develop listing of potential projects to 'sell' at Design Team meeting
Need relief from traffic going down town

Task Force Updates
Land Use: Purely defining boundaries in present city (can city join with township like Pine River?
Culturally inclusive
City Township cooperation
Need coordinator 50% chamber and 50% 2020 Volunteers can't get it done solo
Want signage at entry points to city
Social Action: Will be approaching churches to get their support, solicit volunteers
Will work in cooperation with Assumption

Arts & Culture: Form an Historical Society
Support of art projects in community
Put together Home Video Festival
Natural Resources: Have parks inventoried and mapped (Kay to get copy from Tanya)
Have met with some Sauk River Chain of Lakes Board members
Have worked on sliding hill
Have reviewed Outlook Parks
Steering Committee: Looking at revenue generating ideas and paperwork
Outline process for grants
Consider potential of Endowment fund from established community members

Visions of the Future
Buildings: Maintain historical value and rejuvenate for community benefit
Community Center
Arts Festival
Long Term financing plan
Endowment and foundation potentials

Grant pieces
Faith in Action
2020 Steering Committee and chamber share staff person $10,400
Community Band - will use Val's original numbers
Mosaic Tile project
Land Use Consultant $ 7,000
Postage 100
Printing 100
Mileage 100
75% from IF and 25% from Community
Design Standards - Gateway Project Consultant $ 5,000
Landscaping
Signage
Keeping the flow 8,600
Land Use Transportation Update map
Tourism Get gateway issue to forefront 1,000
Community web promotional site 1,300

We can ask IF for 'soft' things and we need to list other sources
Steering Committee
Publicity Website 1,200
Mailings 300
Appreciation Recognition & Hospitality 750
Administration Training and Mileage 1,100
Coordination Staff position 10,400

Assignments: Kay will put together a draft for review.
Kay get names of non-profit contacts
Kay get copy of park map from Tanya
All call task force chairs/members

April 12, 2005 8:00AM

COLD SPRING 20/20 VISION TEAM
STEERING COMMITTEE MINUTES
April 12, 2005 8:00AM

Present: Duane, Mark, Betty, Carrie, Ken, Nadine, Kay

Agenda was approved. Discussion on getting minutes out and who is keeper of the minutes. We have a problem with documentation, working off action plans, develop a letter of inquiry, by-laws must involve civic items.

Finalize Thursday evening agenda:
Review action plan worksheet
Short presentation regarding funding process (hand out will be provided)
Need for publicity and developing a recognizable logo. Need short-term funds
Small groups to develop multi-dimensional concept. Prioritization will be based on goals and plan presented by the Minnesota Design Team

Discuss Plan of Attack to create 20/20 Annual Report for IF
Carrie worked with us to provide information on the Action Plan Sheets - City has extra sheets
Larry has quite a bit of the information needed to complete most of them.
April 28 reunion with IF two people are able to go. They will give a verbal update of our program
Duane and Ken will represent us
Duane is attending a regional HCP group meeting (St. Joe, Cold Spring, Avon, and Rockville). He reported that an intern has been retained to create a combination website.

In the short-term we need Funding, IF Report completed and prepare for the Design Team follow-up visit.

Task Force Reports
Arts & Culture: Short-term - Band starts up in May/June, play for Hometown Pride, work on Lion's Park dedication, and plan Arts in the Park for Hometown Pride Days. Create historical center to include community center.
Long-term - Invite 10 communities to create video and judge at Quarry Cinema; form Hispanic Band to have Latin dances and other ethnic events. Needs a coordinator eventually to manage all the activities.
Wish list - Buy St. Boniface parsonage for small theatre, community events, historical society.

Land Use: Haven't met since November 30, waiting for chance to have an evening meeting with Larry and Mike Kathman. Boundaries need to be defined.

Social Action: Had conference call with Karl Samp (IF) with questions about impasse with Stearns FIA. If won't fund us if we're not associated because of sustainability risk. If gives $7500 max to counties, we might get $1000-$2000 - very discouraging. Twelve of their 13 members were there, they're moving backwards in their plan. Up to 1000 people needing help with basic needs, narrower focus (10% of original plan) publicity, ID volunteers, referrals. Nadine suggested 3 plans - Ideal to Bare Bones. Ask for funding for ideal from numerous sources. Carrie suggested we start slow and show successes - funders might fund based on the successes. Nadine should ID possibly funding sources to go to instead (B4 Thursday night).

Tourism: Temporary hold on Kiosk due to finances. Chain of Lakes magazine printed this week. Duane will bring copies for Thursday if they're done. Chamber dropped their paid director position. Duane suggested shared position between chamber and 20/20. Carrie cautioned that IF may not fund many hours for a staff person. She showed example of a city map (Buffalo) with highlighted parks and trails. HCP might fund part of it. Duane does maps of communities like that.

Natural Resources: St. Joe is willing to help with letters regarding wellhead protection. Would include Avon, St. Joe, Rockville, Cold Spring, and Richmond who would work together on Forum on Trails. St. Cloud is having an Environment Inventory done to show how developer can develop in specific areas.

Duane requested we encourage task force members to attend Thursday night. Betty asked whether 20/20 could fund a day-long Faith in Community Workshop. There is no money available.

Next meeting at 8:00 AM for follow up to the 4/14 meeting.

Next monthly meeting is 5/10 at 8:00AM.


Kay Cook