Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission …...- Mississippi River Geotourism Project – MN Community Mtgs Samp, Lewis, Salminen 4:45 p.m. New Business - 2016 Quarterly Meeting

1

Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission 4th Quarter Meeting November 12, 2015 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. State Office Building Room 500 North

DRAFT AGENDA

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2:30 p.m. Welcome & Introductions S. Johnson 2:35 p.m. Approve Today’s Agenda & Minutes from 8/20/15 S. Johnson/All 2:40 p.m. CMP Project Final Comments Kimley-Horn & Associates 2:45 p.m. MRT Project Update Liz Walton, MnDOT 2:50 p.m. Agency and Regional Updates

- Lake Itasca to Grand Rapids Salminen - Grand Rapids to Brainerd Lewis - Brainerd to Elk River Samp - Elk River to Hastings Pierson - Hastings to Iowa Border Mulry - Agriculture Hugunin - Explore MN Tourism A. Johnson/Tollefson - Historical Society Kajer/Kelliher - Natural Resources Parker/Bonsignore - Transportation Bradley/Zoff - National Park Service/MISS Anfinson

3:20 p.m. Commission Business

- FY ’16 Budget Status Anderson/Miller 3:25 p.m. National MRPC Updates

- 2015 Annual Meeting, New Orleans Meeting Attendees (Overall Comments & Committee Reports)

- Legislative Presentation on the Great River Road Lewis/All

3:55 p.m. Corridor Management Plan - Distribute Plan, Discuss Next Steps All

4:30 p.m. Old Business

- Mississippi River Geotourism Project – MN Community Mtgs Samp, Lewis, Salminen 4:45 p.m. New Business

- 2016 Quarterly Meeting Schedule All - Regional Commissioner Elections S. Johnson

5:00 p.m. Wrap Up and Adjourn

Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission

3rd Quarter Meeting – August 20, 2015 State Office Building, St. Paul MN

MINUTES – Draft

Commissioners Present Karl Samp – Brainerd to Elk River Anne Lewis – Grand Rapids to Brainerd Mark Anderson – At Large Member Nancy Salminen – Lake Itasca to Grand Rapids Andrea Kajer – Historical Society Appointee Rep. Sheldon Johnson – Chair Adam Johnson – Explore Minnesota Appointee Cordelia Pierson – Elk River to Hastings Sen. David Senjem Technical Advisors & Staff Present John Anfinson – National Park Service Carol Zoff – Transportation Cynthia Wheeler - DNR Greg Hubinger – LCC Chris Miller – Staff

Commissioners & Technical Advisors Absent Scott Bradley – Transportation Appointee Paul Huginin – Agriculture Appointee Sen. Patricia Torres Ray Sheronne Mulry – Hastings to Iowa Border Keith Parker – DNR Appointee Guests/Speakers Present Jessica Laabs, Kimley-Horn Stephanie Erwin, Kimley-Horn Liz Walton, MnDOT Bryan Anderson, MnDOT

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The meeting was called to order at 2:35 by Chair Sheldon Johnson, followed by introductions. A quorum was present. Review of Agenda The agenda was considered. Motion by Cordelia Pierson and seconded by Nancy Salminen to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried. Review of Minutes from 6/11/15 Meeting Motion by Cynthia Wheeler (acting on behalf of Keith Parker) and seconded by Karl Samp to approve the June 11 meeting minutes as presented. Motion carried. CMP Update and Work Session Jessica Laabs and Stephanie Erwin of Kimley-Horn and Associates provided an update on the Corridor Management Plan Project. An overview of the outline for the Corridor Management Plan was provided and discussed. Resource inventory information was shared. 762 resources have been catalogued, visited and uploaded to the GIS database. The sign inventory is now complete. 622 sign locations were visited in the corridor. Significant numbers of signs are missing, past their useful life or nonstandard. Breakdowns were provided by county and road type. Senator Senjem raised a question regarding the Great River Road in Canada. Carol Zoff explained that at one time there were East and West Canadian Extensions of the Great River Road, defined at the time the Trans Canada Highway was being completed. There is a monument that still exists (possibly near Kenora). The MRPC has discussed reaching out to Canadian provinces again, but focus for now is on full participation of all ten states. A map of multimodal options along the corridor was shared. This included Great River Road, Mississippi River Trail, bicycyle/pedestrian trails, boating/paddling, bus, LRT, air and rail. Favorite views shared at public meetings have been mapped, and visual resource nomination and assessment forms have been updated based on feedback received during pilot assessments in six communities.

Immediate action items that are emerging are – signage/wayfinding, Plan Your Trip, Plan Your Project and hospitality training. Plan Your Trip and Plan Your Project are two potential websites that will utilize and communicate the information contained in the GIS database. Plan Your Trip would focus on the tourist, and Plan Your Project would provide additional information for agencies, cities, counties and other organizations involved in day-to-day maintenance and improvements along the byway. There was discussion about an app to assist travelers. Hospitality training could include online and in person training of Great River Road “ambassadors.” CVBs, Chambers of Commerce and other local organizations would be key partners. A suggestion was made to include icons for the immediate action items in the full listing of strategies, along with those already included for the five main themes. Discussion took place on state route and national route designation on signs, and any options that exist for use of these words on signage. Carol Zoff noted that use of the terms is defined in the MUTCD and also need to be considered by all ten MRPC state before any changes in use. Anne Lewis commented on the benefit of the term “National Route” since many residents and visitors don’t know that this is a ten state route and affiliation. The Business Plan portion of the CMP will focus on the mission, management and responsibilities of the MN-MRPC, as well as member agencies and partners. Information on funding and operations as well as recommendations for future funding options will be included. A recommendation for full implementation of destination area committees was discussed. Response was that this is a good idea but just hasn’t been fully implemented to date. Other groups and events were mentioned, such as the Trails and Open Space Partnership and Great River Gathering in the Metro Region. Involvement of private businesses was noted as an opportunity. There was also discussion regarding a charitable partner group, the role of social media, collaboration with neighboring/co-located byways, and coordination with local/regional riverfront planning and development efforts. Capital improvement categories and potential route change recommendations were discussed. Preliminary Communication Plan recommendations were shared, including the possibility of an annual summit for partners, website redesign, social media strategy, itineraries, increasing partnerships with local tourism agencies, consistent communications and identification of target markets. Discussion included working with AAA on promotion/itineraries; going to annual conferences of other organizations to present information/build awareness rather than holding a summit; past meetings held between DOT and industry groups; importance of listening and learning and not just telling; example from the past when cities from along the river were invited to gather in Rochester to share information; suggestion to do something like Adopt a Highway, Adopt a River or something similar, with local organizations to help people “do good at work” which is important to many workers. Stakeholder workshops will be held September 28 – October 2 in four communities plus an online option. Agenda will include a summary of the CMP process, overview of plan strategies, and discussion regarding implementation and partnerships especially related to the four immediate action items. Agency and Regional Updates Lake Itasca to Grand Rapids: Nancy Salminen recently provided Great River Road Interpretive Center training at Itasca State Park. 40 – 50 staff members were in attendance and there were many questions from seasonal employees along with a lot of interest overall. Nancy also reported on a visit to a local antique shop. She encouraged them to submit a nomination for the Mississippi River Geotourism website. The shop was very interested but not able to submit the online nomination, so Nancy assisted in finding option options for submittal. Grand Rapids to Brainerd: Anne Lewis met with the Forest History Center, learned about upcoming plans related to the Mississippi River, and discussed Drive the Great River Road Month. Showboat Landing is in the midst of a land repurposing project. The City of Grand Rapids is looking at options to implement a past plan for a footbridge over the river. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held an open house in July regarding an update to their Mississippi River Headwaters Master Plan. Anne recommended submittal of a comment form by the MN-MRPC prior to the August 21 deadline, followed by review of the draft plan and potential comments in October. A question was raised regarding whether there will be significant changes to the existing plan. Information shared during the open house indicated that there is more demand for recreation and this will be addressed more in the plan update. Anne also noted a new

program that will begin soon through Augsburg College, involving a semester of traveling the river for students beginning September 1. The author of Roadtrip with a Raindrop will be at Mill City Museum on October 22. Brainerd to Elk River: Karl Samp reported that festival season is winding down in his region. The Brainerd Riverfront Project continues to move forward, recently receiving a $100,000 grant from the Community Foundation for staffing and implementation. Legacy funding has been approved to expand the Cuyuna Mountain Bike Trail System, toward the goal of creating a three day ride trail destination. Elk River to Hastings: Cordelia Pierson noted significant changes occurring in the Metro area, including new hydroproposals for the Stone Arch Bridge, closing of the Upper St. Anthony Lock, and affordable housing projects. She also mentioned a new family of bald eagles in a nest near the 35W bridge. Tourism: Adam Johnson reported on Visit Saint Paul’s “My Saint Paul” awareness campaign, which includes a billboard featuring the Mississippi River. The river was also featured in advertising at MSP International Airport. Groups of travel writers have been hosted recently, with lodging at the Covington Inn due to the river view and experience. Visit Saint Paul is working with a consultant to revitalize five attractions in the city which will be marketed as “unforgettable experiences.” The locations/attractions are the Padelford River Boat, Landmark Center, Ramsey House, Como Zoo and Saint Paul Saints. Preparations and visits are already underway for the 2016 Ryder Cup which will take place September 27 – October 2, 2016. Large numbers of international visitors will be in the area. Adam also noted that Patrick Seeb will be leaving the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation to accept a new position with Destination Medical Center in Rochester. Historical Society: Andrea Kajer provided an update. The last Mill City Live concert of the 2015 season is scheduled for next week and is sold out. Improvements continue at the Oliver Kelley Farm as a new visitor center is constructed. Predesign is underway for a visitor center at Fort Snelling. 85 Japanese visitors are here as part of a sister city exchange with Nagasaki, Japan. A new exhibit called “Suburbia” will open at the Minnesota History Center this fall. Natural Resources: Cynthia Wheeler shared information on the 7th Annual Take a Day OFF (Outdoor Family Fun) on the Mississippi event, held on August 1 at Stearns County Mississippi River Park. 20+ activities were offered. Cynthia recently received a call from Kathy Beaulieu from the DNR Office in Bemidji, regarding the 125th anniversary of Minnesota Parks and Trails in 2016 and potential for cross promotion with the Great River Road, including during Drive the Great River Road Month. Plans are under consideration for 125 miles of bike & boat activities, as well as itineraries for cars and ATVs. Chris Miller noted that she has also spoken with Kathy and will follow up. Transportation: Carol Zoff reported that MnDOT recently received applications for the final round of TAP/Scenic Byway Grants. Four of the six applications were from partners along the Great River Road. The Great River Road applications were from the Lady Slipper Byway Board, City of Red Wing, City of South Saint Paul and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Carol also reported on her ongoing participation/management role on the Corridor Management Plan project. National Park Service: John Anfinson announced that a $20,000 grant has been received from REI to pursue a kayak/canoe share program in alignment with Nice Ride bicycle share locations. People would be able to bike or paddle from station to station. The Knight Foundation has provided a grant to Greater MSP focused on retaining young workers, which will support projects including “Four Seasons of Play” to be coordinated by Friends of the Mississippi River. Outdoor experiences were ranked second in the list of things most important to retaining younger workers. Planning continues for the NPS Centennial in 2016. The Science Museum of Minnesota will premiere the film “America Wild” as a signature NPS Centennial event. Saint Paul will be the second stop for the film, after Washington D.C. Commission Business FY ’15 Final Budget & FY ’16 Budget: Treasurer Mark Anderson referenced two budget reports in the meeting packet, one showing status at the end of fiscal year 2015 and the second showing the line item allocations and amounts spent during the first month of fiscal year 2016. The ending balance for the FY

’15 operating budget was zero. Funds remaining at year end were paid toward Minnesota’s 2016 National MRPC dues. CMP and National Park Service grant balances at the end of FY ’15 were carried forward into FY ’16. Both grants have end dates of June 30, 2016. The line item allocations for FY ’16 were based on amounts spent in FY ’15 and known projects/costs for FY ’16. National MRPC Updates 2015 Annual Meeting, New Orleans: The 2015 MRPC Annual Meeting is scheduled for October 6 – 8 in New Orleans. An out of state travel authorization request has been submitted for Nancy Salminen, Anne Lewis, Sen. Senjem, Carol Zoff and Karl Samp to represent the MN-MRPC. The majority of costs for Carol Zoff and Karl Samp are to be covered by MnDOT and the National MRPC, respectively. Drive the Great River Road Month Promotion: Anne Lewis reported on Drive the Great River Road Month, and other activities of the National MRPC Marketing Committee. Drive the Great River Road Month will launch September 1. All ten Mississippi River states will promote using a toolkit and materials provided by the National Office. A sweepstakes in honor of the promotion will award a $500 cash grand prize. Entry details will be available at www.experiencemississippiriver.com. Keychains, maps and postcards have been distributed to all Great River Road Interpretive Centers. Discussion has also taken place on ways to partner with the National Park Service’s “Find Your Park” campaign including possible Great River Road itineraries featuring National Parks and possibly also NPS Centennial celebrations in 2016. In Minnesota, promotion will include a press release, use of the “Find Your Park” logo, information posted at www.mnmississippiriver.com, social media posts, and sharing of information and tools with CVBs, Chambers, State Parks, Interpretive Centers, and Welcome Centers along the Great River Road. National Public Lands Day on September 26 provides additional ideas on things to see and do. All MN-MRPC members were asked to share photos, events, or information on favorite locations to be shared on the website and social media during Drive the Great River Road Month. Old Business MRT Update: Liz Walton provided an overview of recent Mississippi River Trail activities and accomplishments. The inaugural “Headwaters to Hills” Bicycle Tour will take place August 26 – September 2. The ride is now full (50 riders) with a waiting list in place. Two celebration events are planned in conjunction with the ride – an MRT ribbon cutting at Itasca State Park on August 27 at 9:00 a.m., and a Welcome Celebration in Saint Paul on August 31 at 8:00 a.m. Nancy Salminen will be representing the MN-MRPC on August 27 and John Anfinson will be a featured speaker on August 31. Liz invited all MN-MRPC members to meals and events along the way and circulated a schedule. A new Minnesota Bike Map will be ready for distribution soon and will be launched at the State Fair. The MRT is looking at providing information for “Open Street Map” and this might be something for the Great River Road to consider as well. The MRT was recently featured as part of the Bicycling Around Minnesota (BAM) event, which started and ended in Brainerd. The MRT logo was included on the jerseys. The Winnipeg Free Press will be doing an article on the MRT. A suggestion was made that in light of Drive the Great River Road Month, the MN-MRPC might want to consider promoting Bike Month in May, along with promoting biking along the corridor. MRT/Great River Road cross promotion was briefly discussed. Next Meeting: Thursday, November 12, 2015 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. State Office Building Room 500 North Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 p.m.

Mississippi River Parkway Commission of Minnesota Agency & Regional Updates August 2015

Grand Rapids to Brainerd – Commissioner Anne Lewis__________________________

On July 21, I attended the Corps of Engineers Open House for their Master Plan for the Mississippi River Headwaters. Brian Turner from USACE St. Paul stressed that the Master Plan is conceptual and that the Operation Management Plan gets into the fine details. However, the Master Plan theoretically guides the OMP, so it’s an important document. The schedule for the Master Plan is: July Scoping August First Draft Sept. Final Draft Oct. 30-day public comment period Nov. Final Master Plan Brian indicated this review is prompted by changes that are happening in the area – changes in the kinds of recreation going on in the area, the amount of recreation, changes in wildlife patterns, and changes in Corps policy they need to be in line with. He indicated our area is considered by the Corps to be one in which they focus on balancing recreation and wild life management. The primary goals of the plan include:

1. An overall land use management plan 2. Identify resource objectives 3. Identify associated design and management concepts

Here’s a link to the overview: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Media/NewsReleases/tabid/9473/Article/607293/corps-seeks-comments-on-its-mississippi-river-headwaters-master-plan.aspx There were maps of all six lake areas on the Mississippi River that are part of the headwaters and they are color coded according to different land uses and their density of usage. The deadline for the first phase of input is August 21, right after our next commission meeting. I think we should send some form of input now and be ready to submit comments as a commission during the October public comment period. We should keep an eye on this as it moves forward. For the two other commissioners in areas affected by this plan, the form may come in handy. Brainerd especially may want to look into how this is developing and what its implications are for your plans. I mentioned our Drive the Great River Road promotion in September and potential collaboration with the parks. They referred me to www.recreation.gov. We also talked about the National Geographic geotourism project. The Corps decided in Vicksburg which of their projects on the Mississippi River were geographically and historically significant and nominated them from there. Several of the lakes/dams in the headwaters have been included via the Corps. This is an interesting model for the 10-state commission to consider.

MN-MRPC FY '16 Budget 11/10/15

MN-MRPC FY '16 Operating Budget

Obj Code DescriptionFY '16 Budget Spent Est. Pending Remaining Comments

41070 Other Benefits (Per Diem) 4,000.00$ 275.00$ 440.00$ 3,285.00$ Commissioner Per Diems: MN-MRPC quarterly mtgs, MRPC Annual Mtg & Semi-Annual Mtg, committee mtgs, commission representation at meetings and events, CMP project

41110 Printing & Advertising 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$ Commission meeting copies, materials

41130 Prof/Tech Services 36,000.00$ 6,479.55$ 5,796.17$ 23,724.28$ Admin contract, website design services, additional staff time for projects including CMP project admin, other services as needed

41150 Computer & System Services 1,000.00$ 814.00$ 186.00$ Website hosting, stats and email

41155 Communications 1,000.00$ 381.96$ 260.07$ 357.97$ Postage/deliveries, MN MRPC phone line and conference calls, shipping costs, Constant Contact email marketing service

41160 In-State Travel 4,000.00$ 1,002.91$ 637.28$ Commissioners/Advisors/Staff: quarterly mtgs, committees, events, CMP project

41170 Out-State Travel 7,000.00$ 2,546.31$ 2,359.81$ MRPC 2015 Annual Meeting - New Orleans and 2016 Semi-Annual Meeting - La Crosse

41180 Employee Development 1,150.00$ 630.00$ 520.00$ Meeting and conference registration fees, including MRPC Annual and Semi-Annual Meetings

41300 Office Supplies (97.50)$ 97.50$ General office supplies for Commission projects. Donations for GRR maps are placed in this line item.

43000 Other Costs (MRPC Dues) 11,000.00$ 11,000.00$ MRPC 2016 Dues

TOTAL 66,150.00$ 8,855.92$ 10,309.83$ 42,530.56$ MN-MRPC Grants

CMP - National Scenic Byways 81,920.82$ 19,691.35$ 44,155.26$ 18,072.21$ CMP contract, MN-MRPC CMP project costs

CMP - National Park Service 8,481.12$ 1,228.05$ 846.20$ 6,406.87$ MRT final costs, MN-MRPC CMP project costs

MRPC Marketing Committee Report Minnesota Representative – Anne Lewis, Crossings The Marketing Committee meeting at the most recent MRPC annual meeting in New Orleans contained business as usual as well as some new initiatives. A brief run down follows:

An annual process for updating the printed maps was established to better ensure accurate quantities as the demand for on-line mapping grows. An annual process also allows for the deletion or addition of Interpretive Centers which is a constant as the Great River Road’s use increases. This year’s deadline for numbers was Oct. 16. This timetable also assures maps will be printed and available earlier in the spring driving season.

Logo ware is being shifted to Land’s End from Café Press to ensure better quality for not that much more cost.

National Geographic Geo-tourism Project is being asked for shared use of files

by state MRPC’s. This cooperation might mean actual file sharing or linking on websites. The objective is for the states to get the benefit of nominations to add to our “plan your trip” functions and not make attractions and properties go through the process twice. A permission process is being negotiated.

This also seems logical since state commissioners are playing a vetting role for the Nat’l Geographic project’s local nominees.

Proposed Great River Road Promotion for 2016:

o Expansion of Drive the Great River Road month to 6 weeks and increasing the promotion budget to $1000. This year’s contest entries were over 2000 compared with nearly

750 the year before. o Bike the Great River Road promotion targeting trail users for a month and

a promotion budget of $1000. o Birding on the Great River Road – in conjunction with “Year of Birding”

theme of the Mississippi River Connections Collaborative – promotion and a proposed budget of $1000.

Proposed marketing budget increase of $15,000 for a media partnership strategy and placements in the coming year.

Of Marketing Interest…. Two states mentioned during the meeting that they hold a “Great River Road Day” at their state capitols. Their goal is to raise awareness with key stakeholders of the importance of the Great River Road in providing interaction with the Mississippi River to the public. This might be something to look at adding to our Minnesota efforts, especially in the year of the putting the Corridor Management Plan into action.

GeotourismWebsiteProgramforTheMississippiRiverMississippiriver.natgeotourism.com

NationalGeographicSociety–MapsDivision

GeotourismStewardshipCouncilandWebsiteProgram

CommunityOutreachWorkshopsOct26:1pm,LakeCity–CityHallCouncilChambers;4pm,RedWingIgnite;7pm,Hastings‐CityHallCommunityRoom

Oct27:10am,MinneapolisRiverfrontPartnership;1pm,HistoricFortSnelling;6pm,MonticelloCommunityCtrAcademyRoomOct28:2pm,St.Cloud–CityHallCouncilChambers;6pm,LittleFalls–InitiativeFoundation

Oct29:9am,Brainerd–FireHall;1:30pm,GrandRapidsAirportBoardRoomOct30:10am,Bemidji‐CityHallCouncilChambers

What’sSoSpecialAboutYourPlace?

Wewanttoknowbecause:“Thebesttraveladvicecomesfromthepeoplewholivethere”

WorkshopObjectives:

To inform local people about National Geographic’s Geotourism Partnership Project with theMississippiRiverConnectionsCollaborative ‐goals,objectivesandbenefits for thecommunitiesalongtheMississippiRiver

To orientate and inform local peoplewho are engaged in tourism from the private and public

sectorsonhowtheycanparticipate incontributingcontenttotheMississippiRiverGeotourismWebsite:Mississippiriver.natgeotourism.com

Agenda(1.5hours)::20minutesIntroductionsandOverviewofNationalGeographic’sGeotourismProgram

ConceptandworkplanfortheMississippiRiverGeotourismProgram

:45minutesHowyoucancontributecontenttotheMississippiRiverGeotourismWebsiteWhy?BecausethebesttraveladvicecomesfromthepeoplewholivethereWho?Localindividuals,serviceproviders,smallbusinesses,organizationsandothersareinvitedtoshareonaco‐brandedNationalGeographicSocietywebsiterecommendationsforplacebasedauthenticexperiencesfortravelersalongtheMississippiRiverHow?

Detailedexplanationanddemonstrationonhowtocontributeinformationbyuploadingcontentontothewebsite

Optionsforthosenotorientedtotheinternettobecomecontentcontributors

:25minutesQandA/PlenumDiscussion/Closing