Loading...
04-17-14 Envision Connection Project Executive Board Minutes MINUTES Envision Connection Project Executive Board April 17, 2014 7:30 pm City Hall Council Conference Room Directors Present: Lynn Gitelis (chair), Mike Berger, Sharon Glover, Jim Heidelberg, Cindy Inselmann, Helene Johnson, Philip Lund, Dean Penk, Wendy Rubinyi, Mike Schleif, Marshall Tanick, Blair Tremere Directors Absent: Other: Cheryl Weiler (Staff Liaison) 1. Call to Order Chair Gitelis called the meeting to order at 7:37 pm with a quorum. 2. Approval of Agenda Tremere moved the approval of the agenda and Penk seconded. Motion carried. 3. Approval of February 25, 2014 Minutes Lund asked for a change under#5, "Bridge Builders Update," to soften the language from using "declined"to "asked to defer to a later date." Schleif moved approval of the minutes as amended, Lund seconded, motion carried. 4. Work Plan and Budget Gitelis asked if there were expenditures to add in case Envision continues. Rubinyi suggested adding funds for a community summit on the 10th anniversary of the first Envision Summit. Discussion ensued about the type of event and costs for food, publicity, mailing, etc. Tanick suggested appointing a group to plan the event. Rubinyi said iYs important to draw families and younger folks, so there would be a need for day care. Lund asked the group to define the idea more before spending time discussing it. He said he's heard from groups he works with that the City is pushing back on what is expected of them. Gitelis said she's seeing here and in other Cities fewer resourced to handle events and that they're constrained by funding, staffing, and ability to raise levies. She said if the group wants to do more than it is currently doing, it has to come up with funding. Tremere said the group is advisory to the Council, reminding them that 10 years ago the City Council worked with the Rotary Club on visioning, which was a hot topic then. He thought it would be a good time to revisit the outcomes and see if they're still valid, which would be a sound reason to do another summit. What would the group advise the Council to do, and if the Council can't make it a priority, could the group find someone to fund it. Lund added that although the Board has figured out a way to generate new ideas, it doesn't have a way to get them done, which makes a good case for revisiting. Penk said the group needs someone to step up and help get things done. Tanick said one reason to have another summit is to engage more people to help get things done. Penk said he thinks the model of the quarterly meetings has legs, but he doesn't know if this event will make it better. Gitelis said the mayor wants this community to be a destination. How can the Board contribute to that effort, especially now with the Community Center project starting? She asked if the Envision Board could attach itself to that project and use the Task Force as a way to have some sort of citizen's summit. She pointed out Golden Valley doesn't get LGA funding, doesn't have a way to generate new revenue, and can't spend more, so if a group can attach itself to another project it might get funding that way. Tremere said another option would be to not be grandiose but simply have a 10 year celebration as a way to get some publicity. Schleif said the main thing the Board has developed over 10 years is coming up with new ideas, and we don't need new ideas, we need implementation. Johnson used her work at GTS as an example, saying when the organization went nonprofit 10 years ago it used the tagline "Celebrate, Educate, Engage." She then asked what trends could the Board focus on? She remembered at the last summit there were so many people with skills and interests that they didn't have a place to plug them in. If the group identifies the right trends it can connect with people, but it would take a lot of work to make it happen. Gitelis said the one thing she sees missing is project management, so the City gets surprised when the Board needs all sorts of help at the last minute. To make it work would require managing the process going forward, both forecasting FTEs and cost. Penk said the Board would need a volunteer to do project management, then identify a source to train people how to do project management and leadership. Gitelis mentioned SCORE, a group that does work in this area, and suggested talking to other organizations that do such work pro bono. Johnson suggested trying to get a loaned executive and mentioned a program a General Mills. Gitelis said Allianz also has a similar program, and the Board could perhaps ask both companies for help. Rubinyi suggested all this would be something for a subcommittee to deal with after the Board decides the reason for having another summit. She suggested surveying citizens on the purpose or reason for having a summit or having a large community focus group. Penk mentioned there's a survey company in Golden Valley and perhaps the Board could ask them for help. Rubinyi moved to form a 2015 Summit Task Force. Tanick seconded. Motion carried. Rubinyi and Penk will be on the Task Force. Gitelis said this means asking for another$1,000 for 2015.Johnson pointed out that without the Hall of Fame, there will be a free $1,000. The group agreed to ask for an extra $2,000 in 2015, then went on to discuss whether the Envision Board will continue for 2015. Heidelberg asked when the decision will be made, and Weiler referred to the Council's last resolution, which said Envision must complete its work by December 2014. Heidelberg asked when the Board should ask the City Council for continuance, and Gitelis said she has already made that phone call. Heidelberg asked if she made one call or five, and she replied one phone call. Tremere then outlined a bit of history from the Board's last request for continuance. Tanick asked Weiler to provide the documentation from that request so he and Tremere could put together a new proposal for continuance. Tremere said the City Council has to come to grips with if the Envision Board will continue and, if not, thaYs the reality of 2014. Gitelis suggested a two-week deadline. Tanick suggested Gitelis make another phone call to the person she had previously called. Gitelis said if the Envision Board is continued, it will request an additional $2,000 for 2015 and if it's not continued, she will ask the Council how the City will do community development. 5. Projects and Council Updates Bridae Builders Lund said there were no new developments regarding the next Bridge Builders event and asked the group if anyone had called the venues assigned to them at the last meeting. He reported that he thanked the host and speaker for the previous event and still needed to make calls to the people who were involved in the event. Gitelis suggested Lund email Weiler with a list of who is calling whom, so she can forward it to the rest of the group. Tanick reported he left three messages for KARE 11 and has had no response. He suggested holding the next event at the Historical Society, perhaps before the official grand opening, and offered to contact them. Lund reminded the group of the goal from the March meeting to have venues set up for the coming year. Tanick suggested Peaceful Valley Montessori School as a backup to the Historical Society. Rubinyi suggested the new Mini Cooper dealership as a venue. Penk agreed to contact Mini Cooper. Vallev Volunteer Dav Planninq Penk said Valley Volunteer Day will require an infusion of volunteers and that last year's event was hampered by cold, wet weather as well as being on the same day as the lilac planting event. He wondered if Jennifer would agree to be a consultant. Gitelis asked if it should be turned over to the City's volunteer coordinator. Penk said she hasn't embraced it and that the event needs a project manager. Gitelis asked if anyone else is interested. Rubinyi suggested asking if Golden Valley LIVE wants to lead, or perhaps placing an article in the City newsletter looking for a project manager. Johnson said LIVE would be perfect, and they have people to help. It was decided to advertise the opportunity to all. Great Ideas Tremere suggested each Board member bring one new person to become a Bridge Builder in the next three months. Rubinyi suggested moving Golden Valley Greenways forward. 6. New Business Tanick suggested taking a group photo, since the entire Board was present. Weiler took a photo of the group using Tanick's camera. 7. Upcoming Meetings Gitelis encouraged attendance at the June 12 Board and Commission Dinner. She also said she wouldn't be at the May 15 meeting. Johnson said she would miss that meeting as well. 8. Adjournment Moved by Tanick and seconded by Schleif. Motion carrie u ni usly. Th�m eting adjourned at 9:14 pm. , . � f� � � �-tynn Gitelis, ATTE T: Cheryl Weiler, taff Liaison