MINUTES

SPECIAL JOINT CITY COUNCIL & DESIGN TEAM SUB-COMMITTEE PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING

AUGUST 7, 2007

Dan Frank and Nadine Schnettler from the Initiative Foundation were in attendance to help facilitate the meeting. The meeting was opened at 6:12 p.m. Frank thought the meeting started at 7:00 p.m. and Schnettler thought it started at 6:30 p.m.

Persons in attendance included: Ted Hoekstra, Jeff Thompson, Robert McDaniel, Gene Beavers, Matt Dickhausen, Joyce Spaulding, Joe Spaulding, Jeff Bertram, Jeb Johnson, Addi Larson, Todd Burlingame, Nadine Schnettler, Bev Beavers, Dan Frank, Renee Eckerly, and Tom Lindquist.

Schnettler started by introducing the SMART technique:

S - be Specific

M - make it Measurable

A - make the project or goal Attainable

R - make project or goal Relative

T - make it Timely

Plus I - it is Important to the residents of the community

E - Ease of implementation

Frank will provide a scoring sheet that he will give out when he arrives.

Schnettler is a field consultant that works with the Initiative Foundation.

Athletic Complex

o  Presented by Matt Dickhausen

o  Location – north of high school – practice field

o  Make something practical and affordable

o  May 1, 2009 estimated completion date

Veterans Park

o  Presented by Ted Hoekstra

o  Adding RV camping area, tents and restaurant with outdoor dining. Utilize the artesian well

o  Septic system available

o  Dump station – Paynesville is in need of one

o  Only have water, electric & dump station

o  Curfew and no alcohol

o  Sauk Centre and Litchfield have parks

o  No cost estimate at this time

o  Food restaurant for locals and campers

o  Need storm shelter

o  Need to know effect on homeowners

o  Put a fence around outside edge of property

o  The host would get free camping for staying there all year

o  City Park area would need to have activities such as volleyball and horse shoe pits

o  Trail system is right there for walking and biking


River Walk

o  Presented by Bob McDaniel

o  Damming the river to a depth of between 8 – 20 feet

o  Put a mill to grind grain and put in shops along the river

o  Bob went over other cities that have had the courage to do this

o  Want to make Paynesville a destination

o  This is a big project and did not have an amount

o  First step is to educate the public on the plan

o  Need to include the Trail Guards and North Fork Crow River Watershed District

o  Planning and utilizing the University of Morris

o  This group would like to obtain encouragement to continue to investigate options

o  Dam could also help clean up water before going into Lake Koronis

o  Ownership of land along the river has not been determined

Three Steps:

1.  Public Education

2.  Finance

3.  Implementation

It was mentioned that DNR is removing dams and closing the river walk in Stillwater. 85% of pollution into the lake is from the river. A wetland could also be utilized to filter the water. Do not want to mess up anything that the Trail Guards are doing or have done.

North Washburne Gateway

o  Presented by Jeff Thompson

o  Hwy. 23 – we don’t know when it will occur and will it become the major gateway

Three options:

1.  Do nothing

2.  Realign Lake Ave. to Washburne - money for engineering

3.  Open Lake Ave. from north – make straight path to Lake Koronis – money for cost estimates on relocation of elevator, railroad crossing, and residential and business relocation

4.  County Road 66 to continue to North Hwy. 23

Downtown District

o  Presented by Bob McDaniel and Jean Soine

o  Enhancement Committee working on streetscape plan and the façade plan

o  Try to make downtown more appealing

Teen Center

o  Presented by Renee Eckerly

o  This idea is not going to be accepted, due to a previous bad experience in the community

Other Comments

o  Why don’t we get more new businesses

o  Feedback for/against projects

o  Positive feedback for RV camping for Veterans Park – is there any conflict with the Regional Park

o  Dan Frank gave some suggestions as to where to go from here

o  Funding – high end housing on one side of the river and walk on the other

o  Projects – to move forward need 1 or 2 leaders on each one

o  Prioritize the projects

1.  Downtown Group – continue research and planning

2.  Washburne Gateway – going to be a political decision due to cost

3.  River Walk – group continue to research – Initiative Foundation has some water specialists that can help

4.  Park Complex – go look at other places, costs and operator costs – How to promote differently so won’t fail? Maybe do in phases, so people buy in. Other communities with the indoor/outdoor issue have built the pool with the ability to be enclosed at a later date.

5.  Veterans Park – involve the Park & Tree Board – It was questioned if the City owns all the land? Maybe scale down, RV Park in small scale like 20.

Can the City Council pass motions to support the projects, so people know they are working on projects that have support?

Combine Athletic Complex and Teen Center.

Council would like to see budget figures.

Formal meetings with 6 – 10 people, chairperson and a budget.

Motion was made by Beavers to establish 4 ad hoc committees (Indoor Athletic Complex, River Walk, Veterans Park, and North Washburne Gateway & Steering Committee) request formal committee structure including officers along with 5 – 10 members and have scheduled meetings and report to the City Council on a regular basis. Seconded by Bertram and unanimously

carried.

Dan Frank offered a one time two hour training – need to have Chairperson selected on each group for all 4 committees to do the following:

o  Establish a goal

o  Action plan – timeline and budget

o  Meeting schedule

o  Executive Committee – members from each group so they know where each other are at.

Can apply each year for a $10,000.00 matching grant from the Initiative Foundation.

The next meeting will be held on September 18, 2007 in the City Hall Council Chambers.

Agenda items will include:

o  Membership

o  Goals

o  Expectations

o  Meeting schedules

Invite local Design Team Committee to come and join one of the four Ad Hoc Committees and all people on Sub-Committee list.

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m.