20/20 Cold Spring Vision Team

Minutes from June 17, 2005

Members Present: Betty Johnson, Liz Kruger, Mary Steil, Michelle Prow, Jan Luthens, Eileen Froehle, Liz Brannan, Becky Hooper


CentaCare Grant
Liz K and April S working on this
2020 would like a copy

Survey of needs
Mary S and Liz B putting this together
Survey is designed to find out what people in the community feel the needs are
Committee added “would you like to volunteer?” at the bottom of the survey
There will be a drop box at the Senior Center or people can mail it to them
Liz B will email the final draft to the committee

Jan-
Reviewed a call from John Binsfeld that wanted Rural Stearns Faith in Action to pare with Assumption Nursing Home and use ANH as a hub for their organization
Jan agreed if her board would agree, as long as the Social Action Committee would be involved
RSFIA agreed with this
Social Action Committee will be getting volunteers for RSFIA with eventually getting a coordinator for this ‘hub’
Ron Steward is the new coordinator of RSFIA
New VISTA volunteer to start in September
Jan will contact Liz K about the result of Assumptions’ meeting on 6-28-05 and Liz will send that information out to the rest of the group

Design Team 6-25-05
Tour of Cold Spring was conducted
Betty reported to the group
Received many praises for the committees commitment

Obtaining Volunteers
Betty asked each of us to get the volunteer application forms out to people interested
These forms will be returned to Jan at Assumption

Approaching Churches
RSFIA would like us to talk to area churches
We would get together with existing organizations to work off of each other

October
Remember its only 3 months away
Want to put a big push for our organization then

8. Next meeting August 1 2005 at 630pm

# posted by Duane Kuss @ 4:24 PM 0 comments

June, 2005

Cold Spring has been a very busy community since June 2004. We have incorporated many of the ideas that the Design Team provided and, with some, a different angle was taken. We are excited about taking you on a tour and filling you in on all the activities.

This is what we heard the community say:
1. Rezoning based on latest data for the community
2. Put together a team that will get things done
3. Launch into the next version of our Long Term plan given by the community
4. Inventory our natural resources
5. Enhancing and further the value of our natural resources
6. Tap into the volunteer gap in the community with Faith in Action
7. Celebrate creative element in community
8. Promote area through easy to obtain written information
9. Include township in all our activities
10. Put banners up around town

To address the above desires we formed seven task forces…Land Use, Design Standards, Arts/Culture, Social, Tourism/commerce, Natural Resources, and Administration

Land Use: We are purely defining boundaries in present city limits being culturally inclusive. The city and township are being encouraged to move more closely together and work co-operatively on appropriate projects.

Tourism: We are working with the Cold Spring Area Chamber to provide a brochure rack in the entrance of a new office building where they have an office. A Chain of Lakes magazine has been distributed telling the story of our area. Under discussion is sharing the services of an administrative assistant for services 20 hours per week. Signage on Hwy 23 pointing the way to the Visitors' Center will soon be a reality.

Social Action: We are approaching churches and other non-profits to get their support, solicit volunteers, etc. Their team is working with Assumption Campus and has space there to continue their work.

Arts/Culture: This team has formed a community band which has had its first concert. We are looking into forming a Historical Society and supporting other art projects in the community. Putting together a Home Video Festival is also on our to-do list.

Natural Resources: The city parks have been inventoried and information is on the website. The team has met with the Sauk River Chain of Lakes Board for inclusion in their water management plan. We are negotiating for the use of a sliding hill, obtained a grant to help fund the light and we hope it will be ready for next winter. We have reviewed Outlook Park and are anticipating teaming with Minnesota Conservation Corps to clean it up and re-establish its history. We are also anticipating "Parties in the Park" to encourage residents to become familiar with our parks and to use them.

Design Standards: We have been doing some public relations work because false information happened. The team is working with the Land Use Task Force and was very influential in getting the Lions Park Pavilion designed to better represent our community.

Administration: We have found that we need a 'structure' task force…one to maintain the integrity of the 20/20 Vision Team. We have a grant committee that will be tapping into that database. We have a process for all expenses to be approved by the "Steering Committee" as our oversight committee is called. To go forward we have a draft set of by-laws and articles. A member of this group has provided us with a website and blog to promote our program. We also had a celebration.

We still have some 'needs' that we are working on in the short run.

We have the need for financial assistance. We have a power-point presentation ready to take to our non-profits and businesses. Training for our presenters will be provided.

The Land Use team is working to update Cold Spring's Comprehensive Plan. A preliminary one will be completed this summer and is expected to cost $7,300. The full plan is expected to cost $40,000. A grant has been submitted for funds to pay for the preliminary plan.

We have the opportunity to contract with an artist to involve local talent is completing some mosaic tile artwork to display in our parks and other public places.

We are exploring the cost of developing an intercity trail system for bikes and walking. Area businesses will be encouraged to provide secure bike racks.

Developments will be required to have a stormwater runoff plan and rain gardens will be used in the parking lot of Lions Park to slow stormwaters' run to the river and to act as an example.

We are in this for the long haul. The presence of the 20/20 Vision Team will be a lasting one in Cold Spring. The success we hoped for last year has been buffered with the fact of reality. We had some successes we thought might take years to get; we had some sure fire ideas that didn't happen.

We'd like to thank you for all your efforts to help us get started. We hope we can be your "poster child".

# posted by Duane Kuss @ 11:48 AM 0 comments

June 20, 2005

Grants Committee
Initiative Foundation
405 1st Street SE
Little Falls, MN 56345

Dear Grants Committee Members,

The City of Cold Spring submits the attached grant application on behalf of the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team. The request is for $10,000 (or more at the Initiative Foundation’s discretion and generosity) to provide funding for seven projects within the Cold Spring community.

We believe this request is consistent with the Initiative Foundation’s grant guidelines and we sincerely hope you will approve our application at your earliest convenience. Many of the projects require the summer months for construction, so timing is very important.

Each of the seven projects are explained individually in the grant application narrative. However, per Dan Frank’s recommendation after our pre-grant inquiry, a combined project budget has been developed. Individual action plans have all been completed, with the exception of the Land Use project. That information was unavailable at the current time; however, a detailed Land Use action plan will be forwarded to you as soon as possible.

An extract of the 6/14/05 Cold Spring City council meeting minutes (authorizing this grant request) will be forwarded in the next few days, along with an original signed copy, an additional copy of the application and letters of support. We apologize for sending our application via email but it appeared to be the most expedient way to get our application to you in time for your grants review meeting today (6/20/05). An additional copy has also been faxed as a backup to our email transmission.

Please feel free to contact either of us if you need additional clarification. We look forward to hearing from you regarding the status of our request.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of our application.

Sincerely,



Larry J. Lahr
Cold Spring City Administrator
(320) 685-3653

Nadine Schnettler
20/20 Grants Committee
(320) 597-3201

# posted by Duane Kuss @ 10:08 AM 0 comments

The Mn Design Team has finalized their plans for revisiting Cold Spring on Saturday, June 25th. It was just a little over a year ago that this group of community development advisors worked with our community to develop a 20/20 vision plan for the future.

During the past week the schedule for Saturday was revised to begin at 10:00 AM at the new Lions Park shelter in Cold Spring. It is appropriate that this 20/20 Vision Team community meeting be held at the brand new shelter. The very first task of the 20/20 Design Standards Action Team involved working with the Lion's leadership and the city park board to develop final construction plans for the Lions Park shelter. This will be the first community event held in the newly designed park and shelter facility.

The morning will include presentations by each of the seven 20/20 Vision Action Team committees. Representatives from the Arts & Culture, Design Standards, Land Use, Natural Resources, Tourism & Commerce, Social Action and Steering committees will each give short briefs on their activities and projects over the past year. At 11:00 AM, the Mn Design Team members and 20/20 Action Team will take a tour of town to review some of the changes that have taken place over the past 12 months.

At 12:00 noon, the general public is invited to attend a luncheon and community update meeting held at the Lions Park shelter. A short presentation by the 20/20 Steering committee will be followed by a Mn Design Team response and recommendations presentation based on the observations they make that morning. Their short program will be followed by a question & answer session that will allow anyone in attendance to inquire or comment to either the 20/20 Vision Team or the Mn Design Team.

The 20/20 Vision/Action Teams process has only just begun. If you would like to join the group or would like more information about this coming weekend or any future projects, please contact Duane Kuss at 685-8603 or visit our web site at www.2020coldspring.com. Remember, you have the power to make a positive difference in our community..

# posted by Duane Kuss @ 12:08 PM 0 comments

They’re Back…It is hard to believe that the Mn. Design Team was here a full year ago!
Cold Spring will be completing the full Mn. Design Team’s formal program. This part of the Mn. Design Team process is a follow up visit, approximately one year after our initial weekend, June 25th at Lions Park shelter. Our community members who signed up to get involved came up the 20/20 Vision Team name and the Action Groups under this umbrella are Tourism, Land Use, Design Standards, Arts and Culture, Social Action and Natural Resources.

We have much to celebrate and so much more to learn. But it is no secret that an incredible amount of work has been done by the 20/20 teams working on the projects you wanted since last June! For those of you who missed the visit last summer, here is a recap.

The Mn. Design Team is an organization whose mission is to use design and community development principles to help Mn. Communities, particularly rural communities, develop and act upon a shared vision for their future. Our group consisted of professionals in the fields of Architecture, Landscaping, Economic Development and Community Planners who volunteered a weekend of their time last June in Cold Spring.

They arrived in the midst of a Welcome party in their honor on Thursday night. Friday was a whirlwind of tours of the area and presentations on all aspects of the community of Cold Spring and the surrounding areas, from our economic benefits to our natural resources. Then the community was invited for a free chicken dinner and rousing community discussion. We voted with ‘dot-mocracy’ on what we each wanted the community of Cold Spring to look and feel like. You were invited back the very next evening to participate in a second night of dialog and we saw a presentation on what the Design Team developed during the course of the day, based on what they saw and heard from us.

The Mn. Design Team helped our community by developing a guide for us, based on what we told them in round table and group discussions. After the weekend visit they sent us the Cheretts that hang in city hall, mapping a way of attaining our goals.

Members of the Mn. Design Team will be in Cold Spring on the morning of Saturday, June 25th for the second part of the project. The morning will start with a tour of the project sites for the MDT. Then the group will settle into the new Lions park shelter and the 20/20 Action teams will each give a presentation to the Design Team members. Afterwards the MDT will take approximately two hours to formulate responses to the teams. Depending on the issues presented by the community groups, Minnesota Design Team members will identify strengths and trouble spots, offering ideas and suggestions about the projects and the process the community has undertaken since the original visit. The visit concludes with discussion and decisions on the next steps to take.

So to summarize, the Mn.Design Team re-visit will take place at Lions park on Saturday, June 25th at *am. Everyone is welcome to listen to the action team presentations and/or hear the feedback and participate in the question and answer session.

The Design Team is anxious to meet with action teams and others interested in nurturing the momentum and enthusiasm generated by the weekend and follow up visit.

It’s not to late to get involved, we have room for one time or long term volunteers. For more information on the visit or how you can participate or get involved, call Co-Chair Brigetta Klemek at 685-7625 or email questions to bkklemek@cloudnet.com.

# posted by Duane Kuss @ 2:33 PM 0 comments

Contact Info:

Organization Name: City of Cold Spring: 20/20 Vision Team
Contact Name: Nadine Schnettler (Grants Committee)
Address: Cold Spring City Offices
27 Red River Avenue South
Cold Spring, MN 56320
Phone: 320.597.3201
Email: Schnettler@meltel.net

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Each of the 20/20 projects has been identified with a number and brief project identifier. Information relating to each project will track throughout this submission using the same identifier. Projects are not prioritized in any order for this initial inquiry.

1. Cold Spring Hiking Trails and Lookout Park: Abandoned trails within the Cold Spring community and the aging Lookout Park (built during the WPA era) will be refurbished and reopened due to the efforts of Cold Spring volunteers.

2. Lions Park Rain Gardens: “Rain gardens” will be built by the Stearns Soil & Water Conservation District and local volunteers to protect the Sauk River from impervious surface runoff.

3. Intercity Trails and Paths: Resurfacing and connecting existing trails and paths within Cold Spring and construction of a new trail between the three cities of Cold Spring, Richmond, and Rockville are planned to provide fitness opportunities and connectivity within and between the tri-city community.

4. Updated Land Use Plan: This project is focused on helping Cold Spring update their 1999 Comprehensive Plan as Cold Spring is expected to double its size within the next 20 years and community members (per the MDT visioning session of June/2004) want Cold Spring to be proactive instead of reactive to the projected growth.

5. 20/20 Website: A comprehensive website was developed to make the Cold Spring community aware of 20/20, HCP and MDT activities that were happening during 2004. The website has received much praise and continues to receive many “hits” as 20/20 activities continue to be published. It is desirable for the website to continue indefinitely, as long as activities continue to be coordinated. Ongoing sustainability (when grant funds are exhausted) will depend on 20/20’s ability to sell advertising on the website.

6. Design Standards: A 20/20 committee has worked feverishly over the last year to develop a comprehensive set of design standards for new construction and major reconstruction projects in Cold Spring. Funding is needed for additional consultation to help complete and formalize the process.

7. 20/20 Publicity and Administration: Throughout the last year, 20/20 activities have sprung up as a result of the community visioning sessions in June 2004. As a result, infrastructure is needed to support the group’s sustainability and increase their effectiveness and efficiency in meeting the needs that continue to evolve as a result of IF’s Healthy Communities Partnership grant and the MDT visit last summer.

PURPOSE OF GRANT:

1. Cold Spring Hiking Trails and Lookout Park: Lookout Park is a diamond in the rough within the Cold Spring community. It was built during the WPA era and is not widely known by newcomers to the community. Refurbishing the park and nearby trails provides an excellent opportunity to get volunteers working together as well as increasing tourism and recreational opportunities within Cold Spring.

2. Lions Park Rain Gardens: Conserving our natural resources, specifically the Sauk River, was also emphasized during the visioning sessions. Having volunteers working together to construct gardens specifically designed to protect the river from potentially-polluting runoff from a very popular park accomplishes one of our many natural resource goals. The beauty of these gardens should also bring more visitors to our community, further enhancing our tourism opportunities.

3. Intercity Trails and Paths: Providing additional recreational opportunities for youth and families was emphasized during our visioning sessions. Building a trail connecting Cold Spring with Richmond and Rockville should also strengthen the bond between the three cities that comprise the Rocori school district.

4. Updated Land Use Plan: One of the issues resoundingly heard during the visioning sessions was Cold Spring residents wanted planned growth. Having a comprehensive plan that is six years old doesn’t adequately help us prepare for this growth and that’s why we need to update our plan.

5. 20/20 website: We want to “keep a good thing going”. The website was crucial to our success of getting the word out prior to, during, and after our MDT visit in June, 2004. The website helps us keep community members informed, which in turn, helps us recruit new volunteers. Potential visitors and/or residents can also link to our website and see that Cold Spring is a progressive community with many forward-thinking projects.

6. Design Standards: As Cold Spring continues to grow at a rapid pace, remembering that residents voiced their desires to keep the small-town look at the visioning sessions, remains an important focus for 20/20. Updating old standards and adding new ones in response to the community’s voice has been an exciting process which now needs to be completed, formalized by city government, and communicated.

7. 20/20 Publicity and Administration: 20/20 has so many important projects currently happening or planned and a great base of volunteers and we don’t want to lose our momentum due to details falling through the cracks. Sharing a part-time administrative staff member with the local chamber of commerce would ensure accountability for project follow-through and deadlines being met. This request also includes funding for volunteer expenses such as mileage, hospitality, training, etc.

LOCATION:
All of the projects are located within the Rocori school district, primarily the Cold Spring area community, including Wakefield township, and the cities of Rockville and Richmond (with respect to paths and walkways).


PROJECT TIMELINE:
Most of the projects are expected to be completed over the next three to six months, with the exception of a path between Cold Spring, Rockville, and Richmond. That is projected for the next two to three years, as additional funding is available from other government sources and/or private donors.


TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET: $123,925

1. Cold Spring Hiking Trails and Lookout Park: $20,000
2. Lions Park Rain Gardens: $3,500
3. Intercity Trails and Paths: $80,000
4. Updated Land Use Plan: $7,300
5. 20/20 Website: $1,200
6. Design Standards: $8,600
7. 20/20 Publicity & Administration: $3,325


AMOUNT REQUESTED OF INITIATIVE FOUNDATION: $10,000


USE OF INITIATIVE FOUNDATION DOLLARS:

1. Cold Spring Hiking Trails and Lookout Park: $2,250 ($2000 consultant/design fee, $250 feed volunteers & opening celebration)
2. Lions Park Rain Gardens: $750 ($500 consultant/design fee, $250 feed volunteers and opening celebration)
3. Intercity Trails and Paths: $750 engineering/design fee
4. Updated Land Use Plan: $1,500 (consulting fees)
5. 20/20 Website: $600 (website hosting fee and webmaster stipend)
6. Design Standards: $2,500 (consulting and legal fees)
7. 20/20 Publicity & Administration: $1,650 ($900 administrator stipend [$150/month for 6 months], $150 admin & volunteer mileage, $200 meeting hospitality, $125 training, $75 mailings, $75 office supplies, $125 expenses for MDT one-year return visit)


OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING: (Tentative)

1. Cold Spring Hiking Trails and Lookout Park: Local cash and in-kind donations, City of Cold Spring, MnDOT, Stearns Soil/Water Conservation District (SWCD)
2. Lions Park Rain Gardens: Local cash and in-kind donations, City of Cold Spring, SWCD
3. Intercity Trails and Paths: Local cash and in-kind donations, City of Cold Spring and other government granting agencies and environmental associations (MnDOT & DNR), charitable gambling
4. Updated Land Use Plan: City of Cold Spring
5. 20/20 Website: Local cash and in-kind donations, advertising on website
6. Design Standards: City of Cold Spring
7. 20/20 Publicity & Administration: Chamber of Commerce, local cash and in-kind donations

# posted by Duane Kuss @ 2:37 PM 0 comments