City and Township create
Joint Task Force
July 20, 2004

In a meeting between the Cold Spring City Council, the Wakefield Town Board, and their respective planning commissions, it was unanimously agreed to create a Joint Task Force made up of representatives of each group. The Joint Task Force will meet in the coming weeks and months to discuss common issues and to look at ways the two governing bodies can better cooperate in the future.

The meeting, held Wednesday, July 14th, was jointly organized by both groups. It was partially inspired by the recent efforts of the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team and the work they've done in developing a common vision for the future of Cold Spring. The City and Township each have members of their respective groups who have been key leaders and participants in the 20/20 Vision Team effort.

A wide variety of topics were discussed during the evening. One key issue that surfaced centered around the flow of traffic through and around Cold Spring. Of particular concern was the "Y" where County Roads 50 and 2 intersect just south of Rocori High School and the present and future safety hazard this creates as more and more traffic uses these roads.

During a recent Minnesota Design Team visit organized by the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team, one of the recommendations made was to look at ways of creating a "Ring Route""Ring Route" around the north end of the city that would relieve the congestion caused by the County Roads 50 and 2 "Y" intersection. More information about the Mn Design Team recommendations are available at the 20/20 Vision Team website www.2020coldspring.com.

A number of options for the "Ring Route" were discussed on Wednesday. It was recommended that the Task Force invite county government representatives to be a part of a future meeting with the group. Task Force member selection and their first official meeting is expected to take place sometime during the next 30 days.

The Commotion Is In Motion!
Downtown Cold Spring has a new look. Through a cooperative effort between the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team, the City of Cold Spring and a large group of local businesses, a series of new community banners have been installed throughout downtown Cold Spring.

Eventually as many as 70 banner locations will be erected throughout downtown Cold Spring as a part of a City Banner Project that was inspired by the 20/20 Vision Team and supported by the Cold Spring City Council in May of 2004. Initially, a group of 31 banners will go up representing the first group of businesses who donated to the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team cause.

" We wanted to create a visual reminder of all of the effort that's going into the 20/20 Vision Team process." said Kasi Stein, chairperson of the banner project. "It's just a small example of what's yet to come. These banner sites can now be used for all sorts of community projects, themes and events that take place throughout the year in Cold Spring."

" This is an example of a totally "Grass Roots" effort in our town." said City Administrator Larry Lahr. "The 20/20 Vision Team approached the city council who agreed to support the project by purchasing the brackets that will be installed permanently on our city light posts."

The banners and brackets were all made and purchased locally. 20/20 Vision Team members contacted local businesses and organizations to request their monetary support of the 20/20 Vision Plan process. Another round of contacts will very likely be made later this summer for those businesses who didn't have a chance to respond to the first time effort.

On Thursday, July 15th, beginning at 7:00 pm, a 20/20 Vision Team meeting will be held at the Rocori Senior Center in Cold Spring. Six key task force committees will be launched that evening based on the results of the Mn Design Team vision process that took place in June. These committees will include:
TOURISM: / Local Commerce/Business, ARTS:/Culture/Recreation/Entertainment,
NATURAL RESOURCES:/ Preserve/Develop/Recreation,
LAND USE PLANNING:/Transportation,
DESIGN STANDARDS and
VOLUNTEER SUPPORT.

"GATEWAYS" TO THE FUTURE!
July 6, 2004

The next time you're coming into Cold Spring ask yourself a question. "Where does the township end and the city begin?"

The entry points of a community are known as "Gateways" according to the Minnesota Design Team who visited Cold Spring in early June. Creating and designing distinct gateway locations can give people entering the city a sense of arrival and being welcome to the community.

The design team identified seven (7) different gateways to Cold Spring. They included where each of the major highways and county roads intersect with town, as well as separate entry points where the various roads merge directly into the downtown district.

It was suggested that our community should take steps to preserve our outer gateways or vistas with "greenway belts" that transition ones entry into town from farmland to residential or commercial development. Developing a common gateway or appearance to entering downtown was recommended. This would create another asset in our community to help welcome both our visitors and residents.

Let's Start The Commotion!

Have you marked down the evenings of June 11th and 12th on your calendar yet? The Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team is inviting you to attend the town meetings that will be held at the Rocori High School Cafeteria.

" Let's Start The Commotion!" is the theme for this special weekend event when the Minnesota Design Team comes to town with twenty of their best community development specialists. Their goal is to listen to as many voices in our community as possible to create a common vision and direction for our future.

Each evening a "FREE" chicken dinner with all the fixings will be provided, donated by Gold'n Plump and prepared by Super Valu. "FREE" child care will be available each night at Brighter Beginnings so that parents with young children can plan to participate in the meetings.

The June 11th meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. It will include a meal, entertainment, door prizes and small group interaction with the Design Team. The June 12th meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. and will combine a meal, entertainment, door prizes and a formal presentation by the Minnesota Design Team where they will lay out the results and recommendations of their visit.

20/20 Team Gains Local Support Dollars

So how many dollars are you willing to invest today with the intent your community might be an even better place to live in tomorrow? This certainly is not an easy question to answer in a world that wants everything now!

Are we willing to plant seeds that will grow in the future? Or will we spend all of our precious dollars only on things that receive an immediate return?

In Cold Spring, there is a group of businesses and individuals who are taking a chance that planning for the future will have a long-term payback for everyone. This visionary group has decided to lay down some of their dollar assets to support the voluntary work of the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team.

The Vision Team's mission is to involve as many citizens of Cold Spring in a process that will develop a common vision for the future of our community and will take then take action to make that vision come true.

Here is a list of contributors who have given money to the 20/20 cause to date:
20/20 Vision Team Monetary Supporters

The dozens of 20/20 volunteers would like to thank this special group for their monetary support and encourage other businesses and individuals in our community to consider contributing to building a bridge to the future of Cold Spring.

The 20/20 Team Paints A Picture Of Cold Spring!

The members of the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team were very busy this past week making preparations for the Minnesota Design Team visit next month. This past Wednesday, representatives from the Mn Design Team visited with the team at Rocori High School to make plans for the June 11-12 weekend.

Cold Spring is one of two communities chosen to work with the Mn Design Team during 2004. Their visit will include a series of presentations, tours and community meetings, all conducted with the goal of creating a common vision for the future of Cold Spring.

On Thursday, April 29th, the entire Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team met at City Hall to review a photo representation of Cold Spring. Members of the committee have spent the past two weeks taking over 300 pictures of various aspects of the community. The photos were used to guide a discussion about Cold Springs strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. (SWOT) The photo presentation and the SWOT results will be used as another way of telling the Cold Spring story to the Mn Design Team.

" We have so many wonderful resources to work with here in Cold Spring," said committee member Steve Penick. "We need to find ways to plan and work together for the future. "

On Friday, the 20/20 group was busy inserting community surveys into the latest edition of the "City Viewpoint" newsletter. The newsletter, which is sent out to all Cold Spring households, contains an easy to fill out one page survey developed by the Vision Team. The survey is another important piece to eventually creating a common vision for the future of our community. Citizens are asked to take just 5 minutes to fill out the survey and then to either mail, fax or drop off the completed survey at City Hall.

The Time To Speak Out Begins Now!

Later this week, the 20/20 Vision Team will begin distributing an information survey throughout the community of Cold Spring. A copy of the written survey will be inserted into the Cold Spring "City Viewpoint" Newsletter and will begin reaching residents on Saturday, May 1, 2004.

The survey is being conducted as a part of the preparation for the Minnesota Design Team visit to Cold Spring that will be conducted June 11th and 12th. Its easy response format includes questions about community pride, support of education, women in leadership, and community financial resources. Most people will be able to respond to the 20 question survey in less than 5 minutes.

The completed surveys can be mailed or dropped off at City Hall. The survey team will then tally the results and provide a formal report to both the community and the Minnesota Design Team. The survey results will used by the 20/20 Vision Team and the Minnesota Design Team to begin formulating a shared vision for Cold Spring's future.

If you would like to learn more about becoming involved with the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team, please call Kay Cook at 597-2794 or email her at neilkay@cloudnet.com

Vision Team Learns... Perception Is Reality!

So what comes to your mind when you think about words like... ALCOHOL, WELFARE, or CHANGE? The 20/20 Vision Team learned that words can have very different meanings to people depending on an individual's values, experiences, and culture.

On June 11th and 12th, the community of Cold Spring will be invited to participate in a vision building process that the 20/20 Vision Team is busy preparing for. The Minnesota Design Team will visit our community and through a series of citizen based breakfasts, presentations, tours and community meetings, a vision plan will be created and presented on Saturday evening, June 12th.

If you would like to learn more about becoming involved with the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team, please call Kay Cook at 597-2794 or email her at neilkay@cloudnet.com

Host Families Needed For Design Team Visit

The Minnesota Design Team is coming to Cold Spring on the weekend of June 9-12 and community members will have the opportunity to host a Design Team member. The Design Team is a group of professional volunteers invited to the community to meet with residents and community leaders to help identify the community’s strengths, unique characteristics, challenges and goals for the future.

If you are interested in hosting a Design Team member or just want more information on this exciting opportunity contact Host Family Chair- Laurie Elvig at 685-3455.

Tough Choices For The Future

The four lane highway is changing the face of Cold Spring. What other changes can we expect in the weeks, months and years ahead and who will make those decisions?
The Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team was formed to follow a proven method of leader training and community interaction to help build a shared vision for Cold Spring's future. A vision that you can choose to be a part of.

If you would like to learn more about becoming involved with the Cold Spring 20/20 Vision Team, please call Kay Cook at 597-2794 or email her at neilkay@cloudnet.com.