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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 12/16/2013 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2013 7:00 P.M., CITY CENTER Prairie Rooms A & B COMMISSION MEMBERS: Ed Muehlberg (Chair), Cindy Cofer Evert (Vice Chair), Steve Olson, JoAnn McGuire, Pamela Spera, Mark Freiberg, Deb Paulson STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Hannah Jeter, Greta Colford, Laura Lindberg STAFF: John Gertz, Pathfinder CRM, LLC Lori Creamer, Staff Liaison Heidi Wojahn, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Muehlberg called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. Commissioner Cofer Evert and Student Representatives Jeter, Colford, and Lindberg were absent. Paulson arrived at 7:08 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by McGuire, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0. Paulson arrived at 7:08 p.m. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by Olson, to approve the November 18, 2013 minutes. Motion carried 5-0-1 with Paulson abstaining. IV. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. UPDATE ON HISTORIC SITES None B. UPDATE ON EPCF GRANT—McGuire McGuire will contact the Eden Prairie Community Foundation (EPCF) and start a proposal when a specific project has been identified. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 16, 2013 Page 2 C. UPDATE ON LEGACY GRANT—Creamer We received the grant for the Dorenkemper landscape plan and an authorization letter to begin work on the project. We need to go through the Request For Proposal (RFP) process again and are hoping to use the same group doing the Riley-Jacques Farmstead project. It would be more conducive to the site and flow better. Gertz advised Creamer to send an RFP to both The 106 Group and Bluestem Heritage Group (BHG) as well as publish it the same as is done for Certified Local Government(CLG) grants. Creamer said despite the deadline being a ways off, she would like to get started and possibly have some proposals ready to discuss at the February meeting. That way it can dovetail with the current project. D. UPDATE ON SIGNAGE PROJECT - Creamer Parks and Natural Resources Manager Stu Fox has told Creamer the interpretive panels are on a yearly maintenance plan for cleaning, but some are old and they aren't able to get them clean. Gertz said simply washing them does not suffice; they need to be cleaned with an automotive buffing compound. Creamer said Fox did not specify the cleaning method used. He did say while he appreciates the offer of using volunteers, it is too difficult to manage and creates more work. Volunteers often only commit to helping one time rather than on an on-going basis. Parks Maintenance is then left wondering whether or not the work is being done. Fox also said funding for the signs at Richard T. Anderson was raised via the efforts of a private party so there is a question of whose responsibility it is to maintain those. Gertz said there is actually a mix of signs from the HPC and another party, both in conjunction with grants. It is unclear who purchased the signs noted in Cofer Evert's review. Creamer said Cofer Evert had mentioned the need for a garbage can by Miller Spring. Fox told Creamer there was one there before,but people were using it for their personal household garbage. It became a nuisance as it required daily emptying and, as a result, the can was removed. People should plan to leave with what they brought in. Signage plans can be discussed at a future meeting,but we can pursue grants to replace some of the signs. Olson volunteered to clean one sign per the manufacturer's recommendations and then have commissioners determine if it's suitable before deciding on the next step. Muehlberg said first we need to verify how they have been being cleaned. Freiberg explained how the buffing compound works. Gertz said it would probably help with scratches, too. Creamer said she will put the test cleaning of one sign on the 2014 work plan for second quarter. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 16, 2013 Page 3 V. OLD BUSINESS A. WORK PLAN REVIEW Creamer commended the commissioners on accomplishing a lot this past year. She explained open-ended items and unfinished business from 2013 were moved to the 2014 work plan as a starting point. VI. NEW BUSINESS A. 2014 WORK PLAN IDEAS Discussion of items for the 2014 Work Plan included the following: • Council Workshop -- Creamer said all commissioners are invited to the workshop on Tuesday, January 21st. All commissions will be meeting in the Heritage Room at City Center that evening and each will be giving a brief presentation. There will be a meal at 5 p.m. followed by the workshop at 5:30. Parties interested in dinner should RSVP to her. Muehlberg said this is a good opportunity to hear what other commissions are doing and to get feedback from Council. Creamer noted the website is now live and can be found under the maps tab. The link is not yet available from the HPC page due to the Communications Department being understaffed. • Annual monitoring of Glen Lake Children's Camp • Local Heritage Site Designation for the Dorenkemper House (DK) • EPCF grant application -- this needs to be done in first quarter in order to meet the March deadline. Gertz said a kiosk for the Riley-Jacques Farmstead interpretive panels would be ideal for this grant. EPCF grants tend to favor projects with a tangible outcome. It would be accessible at a City park and fits into the CLG schedule. He has already received some kiosk pricing and can bring that information to the next meeting. It is possible the Parks Department could build it but if not, then we can apply for the grant. It depends on what the plan suggests for sign location. Creamer suggested we try for the grant and pursue other avenues if it doesn't work out. She received the signed contract from BHG. They will want to meet with the HPC soon. Muehlberg reviewed the BHG timeline and suggested the initial meeting with the Commission be added to the work plan for first quarter. Creamer said it probably makes more sense to list it under the ongoing section. McGuire said she would contact EPCF and get started on a grant proposal using Gertz as a resource. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 16, 2013 Page 4 • Update of interpretive panels program -- this needs to be revised to"rejuvenation of interpretive panels" and moved to second quarter. • Website maintenance -- Gertz said he would be willing to monitor the City website quarterly and make note of needed changes pertaining to history or historic preservation. Creamer said this would consist of updates and the addition of any relevant PDF documents and upcoming events. Additionally we would like to be able to click on the individual historic properties and have that take us to another page with more photos and information about each respective site. She expects it could take a while and she needs to work with Communications on this. • Arts in the Park -- this was originally brought up as a fundraising opportunity to sell prints and books. Creamer said sales were not successful last year at the July 4th event. McGuire suggested planning and hosting an educational event during which items could be sold. It could consist of bringing in speakers and giving attendees driving directions to the various historic sites. Paulson said she liked the idea of advertising on another level. If the different sites are explained, that will create interest and draw in potential buyers as the material will have meaning versus items just sitting on a table with no context. She expects this type of event would generate a lot of interest in the community. Possible locations were discussed with emphasis on the Riley-Jacques Barn. Creamer asked McGuire what speakers she had in mind. McGuire said Gertz or Paul Anderson would be interesting. Anderson,retired from the Minnesota Supreme Court is associated with the Anderson Lakes family. Creamer said the event could be done in conjunction with the Eden Prairie Historical Society (EPHS). Muehlberg said doing so would bring in more people. Paulson asked about doing a bus tour with an explanation at each site. It would be a good way to promote interest in the community about what is available. It could be offered as a one-time free event with online registration and could expand from there if successful. Advertising could be done in the Community Education catalog. Creamer said the senior center was another avenue for promotion. Freiberg noted the listing of historic sites in the Parks and Rec catalog. Creamer said it should be advertised in there as well. McGuire said she liked the idea of a bus tour. Muehlberg said it is good since part of what the HPC is supposed to do is educational awareness. Freiberg said he liked that the concept was fresh. Spera asked about property accessibility so people could go inside the buildings during the tour. Creamer said it could definitely be arranged for the city-owned properties. Gertz said some private owners have been accommodating in the past in terms of opening their doors as well. McGuire said Cofer Evert would be a good choice to spearhead this project given her marketing background. Creamer agreed she would probably be interested in HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 16, 2013 Page 5 helping somebody and would have a lot of good ideas. Paulson said she would be happy to help. Creamer said perhaps Southwest Metro would be willing to donate transportation. If not, a bus fee could be attached to the registration process. The HPC does not have a budget to cover this. Spera asked if EPHS has done anything like this before. Gertz said they have arranged annual bus tours in the past through Parks and Rec. They were popular events and often started at the senior center and finished at Dunn Brothers with free refreshments. Creamer said the senior center frequently coordinates bus trips so another option would be to pursue it via that route. Freiberg noted the large size of the current senior population. McGuire said rather than making a commitment, we should explore the historic educational tour idea. It was decided this should tentatively go under third quarter. Gertz said Dave Lindahl used to do what he called "Magical History Tours" making them fun for the participants. He would be good to keep in mind. • Meet and greet-- Gertz suggested scheduling one between the school district's curriculum specialist, the DK interpretive planners, and the HPC to get conversation started about the district's use of the DK House. The interpretive plan will be developed so it can be used by teachers and student groups. Discussion needs to take place about what will go into lesson plans. This should happen no later than second quarter. Creamer noted the Best Management Practice Plan for DK is scheduled for after the local designation process. • Update the City's Heritage Site Plaques -- this is mid-process. • On-site HPC meetings at historic properties -- Muehlberg suggested this for second and third quarter. • HPC recognition -- Gertz said there should be something visible at City Center about the HPC and its accomplishments. The City and the HPC have acquired multiple awards and plaques for different projects over the years; space should be designated to display them. They are boxed up in his former cubicle. He expects there is also a sealed time capsule there from 12-15 years ago that should go to the school district. The designated district representative never picked it up and it was left behind. The corresponding program is also at the City. Creamer said their office space is being redone so she needs to talk with Gertz about which existing materials need to be saved, which can be thrown, and which can be scanned. • Capacity building grant-- McGuire said she is interested in pursuing a grant to attend the national conference. Creamer said there is the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions conference in Philadelphia July 16-20, the annual meeting in St. Paul, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) conference in Savannah November 10-14. Cost and scholarship information is not yet available for the NTHP conference. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 16, 2013 Page 6 • Joint commission meeting -- McGuire said she thought it would be interesting and helpful to have a joint meeting with a historic preservation commission from another city like Bloomington, Shakopee, Chaska, or Chanhassen. Muehlberg said this has been done in the past with Edina. They were able to compare sites, zoning, and processes. • Guest speaker-- McGuire inquired about getting someone from the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council to talk to the HPC about cultural mounds. Gertz said this is a possibility and also suggested an archaeologist. • Archaeological project-- Gertz said this might be something worth pursuing a CLG grant for. There is a lot of untapped history in the Minnesota River Valley. The general location of a former village is known,but its exact location has never been discovered. It would be fun to look into that or the old oxcart trail. It crossed the river down there and came up through Eden Prairie up to Pioneer Trail and on towards Fort Snelling. Remnants of an old road following the lower bluff line are visible from a certain area and probably part of the old trail. Freiberg asked why it had not been previously surveyed. Gertz said typically archaeology is development-driven; there has never been a reason for it to be done there. Creamer commented perhaps we should stick with the current plans given there are already a couple big projects ahead. McGuire suggested we leave it open as an exploratory idea. Muehlberg recommended putting it in fourth quarter as prep or an opportunity to evaluate archaeological options for 2015. McGuire said it can at least be roughly mapped out. Gertz noted the CLG grant cycle is off; this year's project is last year's CLG grant and this year's CLG grant is next year's project. • Student reviews of website -- Olson suggested having the new student representatives do a one-page assessment of the website in third quarter. It gets them oriented to the properties. They can interact with the site and give their personal perspectives and recommendations. Creamer said she will make any noted changes and send out a revised work plan to the commissioners. She asked them to review it and get back to her with any omissions or corrections. B. JANUARY AND FERUARY 2014 MEETING DATES Discussion took place on alternate dates for the January and February meetings due to conflicts with Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President's Day. It was determined the next meeting will be January 27 at City Center. Creamer will communicate with Gertz and Bluestem Heritage Group about putting grant discussion on the agenda. The following meeting is scheduled for February 24 with a tentative location of the Smith Douglas More House (SDM). HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 16, 2013 Page 7 C. JANUARY 21, 2014 COUNCIL WORKSHOP Creamer said she and Muehlberg will coordinate a brief slide presentation and demo the new website for the upcoming Council workshop. Each commission has just a few minutes to present. VII. FYI ITEMS Paulson inquired about the process for commission term limits. Creamer explained commissioners whose terms are expiring will get a letter asking if they would like to stay on. If yes, then the commissioner can stay another term. Otherwise, openings are posted. Terms run through the end of March with new commissioners starting in April. Paulson said she is fulfilling a one-year term so her term will be up in 2014. Creamer reported she received an email from the Minnesota Historical Society regarding the 2014 CLG grant process for 2015 projects. January 24 is the pre-application deadline which is highly recommended. Final application is due March 7. She is looking for input about what to do. McGuire asked if capacity building would qualify for a CLG grant. Gertz said sometimes leftover funds will be offered for scholarships,but it is not a grant category. Oftentimes non-CLG conference scholarships are available if prompt application is made. Gertz said we could try for a Legacy grant instead since they are ongoing. Small CLG grants are up to $10,000 and require a recipient match which would be enough for a smaller-scale archaeology project. Another good use of CLG funds is local designations or national registrations. Creamer said we had talked about DK and SMD. Gertz said he will take care of the DK local designation. Muehlberg asked what would be needed in the way of a grant pre-application for SMD. Gertz said basic information such as an outline of the project, scope of work, budget, and timeline. The pre-application is more of a screening to determine if it will work as a CLG grant, to see how much interest there would be in it, and to generate feedback. Creamer said she is meeting with the City Manager on Wednesday and can check with Finance to see if there are funds available for a national registration. Gertz said to ask for$2000 in matching funds. It may not all need to be in cash; some could be labor. Olson said its current local designation status will facilitate the national registration process. Spera asked what we need to do to apply for conference scholarships. Creamer said when she learns scholarship funds are available, she fills out and submits the necessary paperwork. Typically participants save their receipts and are reimbursed after the fact. Item coverage varies from conference to conference. She will forward information to the commissioners as she gets it. VIII. STUDENT UPDATES Creamer noted Colford's appearance in the Eden Prairie News. She is one of over 50 students creating ceramic bowls for People Reaching Out to Other People's Empty Bowls fundraiser. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 16, 2013 Page 8 IX. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS A City Council Workshop for Commissions will take place Tuesday, January 21 in the Heritage Room at City Center; 5 p.m. dinner followed by 5:30 p.m. meeting. The next HPC meeting will be Monday, January 27, 2014, 7 p.m. at City Center, Prairie Rooms A & B. X. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by McGuire, to adjourn. Motion carried 6-0. Chair Muehlberg adjourned the meeting at 8:36 p.m.