Minutes of the Town Community Center Committee

January 8, 2008

 

Chairperson Brustad called the meeting to order at 6:03PM. Committee members present were Brustad, Pamela Toshner, Lanny Neider and alternates Ron Pearson and Leslie Hall. 

 

Agenda Items:

 

1)                 Approve minutes of the last meeting.  Motion (Ron Pearson/Elaine Brustad) to strike “Northern Waters” from Section 5 of the October 17, 2007 minutes and insert “Solon Springs” and to approve the edited October 17, 2007 Town Community Center Committee meeting minutes.  Motion carried.

 

1)                 Begin Phase  2:  Provide direction to the Town Board about building a new Community Center (all members should consider/research the following list for the January meeting)

A.  Identify stakeholders

B.  Identify improvements

C.  Identify separate areas needed for specific use

D.  Alternatives for current building

E.  Additional uses for community center

F.  Location

G.  Size

H.  Public needs

Pearson shared his written response and ideas to the list above.  The updated version is attached. 

 

Neider added that stakeholders were all the people in Barnes, and specific stakeholders included the Conservation Club, Barnes/Eau Claire Lake and Potowotomi Property Owners Associations, the ATV and snowmobile clubs, garden club, and quilting club.  The committee is planning for the next 50-75 years, not just for the immediate community.  Barnes Area Historical Association (BAHA) participation/presence would increase the community aspect of the building.  The committee should emphasize inclusion of these groups and get their feedback.

 

Chairperson Brustad shared the feedback she had received from the insert in the property tax bill.  Six or seven of about ten people were opposed, and three or four were supportive.  A couple of the supportive folks wanted a community pool.  Seasonal residents seemed more opposed.  Hall interviewed 23 people, and the majority didn’t understand the need for a new building.  Four were for it.  The recommendation for a new community center would need to be thoughtful and articulate (i.e. a good case needs to be made).  Toshner has heard some grumbling about it.  The group discussed whether a new community center would be contrary to the low-key character of Barnes and could potentially change the population.  Most members thought this would not be the case. 

 

The group agreed that a large meeting place was needed.  In recent years different groups and events have dispersed to places other than the Town Hall.  The committee needs to determine if those groups/events would return if a new community center existed.

 

3)           Develop Phase 2 Conclusions.  The Phase 2 detailed conclusions are in Pearson’s attached document.  General conclusions include:  1)  the stakeholders are everyone; 2)  integrating BAHA is important; and 3)  public feeling towards a new community center is mixed.  

 

Agenda Items for Next Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on February 5, 2008.

1)                 Approve minutes of the last meeting

2)                 Update on Bayfield County Extension Agent and consultant contacts (Toshner)

3)                 Discuss Phase 3 details with SEH (Brustad)

 

Motion (Ron Pearson/Pamela Toshner) to adjourn the fifth meeting of the Town Community Center Committee. Motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

Pamela Toshner,

Secretary for the Committee

Dated this 11th day of January, 2008

 

 

The following document was presented to the committee by Ron Pearson in his evaluation of the Phase II items. 

 

 

Phase II evaluation Prepared by Ron Pearson (Revised January 9, 2008 to reflect comments of committee members at meeting after discussion.)

 

Objective:  To provide direction to the Town Board regarding possible building of an entirely new Town Community Center Complex.

 

A.   Stakeholders:  Those who have a vested interest in various functions within the new Complex.  This basically includes all Town Residents, Officials, Committee Members, and Property Owners.

 

Entry into  building would be by way of a reception area counter with receptionist (who would assist officials with typing, filing, copying, phone call directing, verify meetings, direct visitors, etc.)

 

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1.  Town Officials:   At lease six dedicated offices for Town use.

 

·       At least four large separate  office rooms with glass windows in doors for security(but not fishbowl effect!) for main business functions of Secretary/Treasurer; Town Chair; County Assessor and other County functionaries; board members to store materials and work on committee projects, and use by special committee members to store materials and conduct preliminary business functions; Constable, with secure vault/storage. 

 

·       Secure Underground or other totally secure Fireproof and Weather proof Vault/storage room for town records.

 

·       Large main meeting room to conduct town business.

 

2. Town Citizens and Groups:  At least three or four multifunction rooms for the following activities/stakeholder groups.  Rooms would be designed for monitoring activity and security and would be accessed through main reception area location.  Each multifunction room would have lockable built-in storage as well as file cabinets to be assigned to groups using that room.

 

·       Exercise room with swimming pool for use by seniors and others when lakes are too iced over or otherwise inadequate for use (such as was the case at Tomahawk Lake swim beach this year). 

 

·       Craft Club. Multipurpose room with large tables and storage and good lighting with storage area and sink for cleanup.

 

·       Computer use/classes.   Multipurpose room with wireless internet connection (WiFi) and computers to be used for e-mail and other public uses by town residents.  CheqTel can provide setup and WITC can provide computers for classes to be held for this.

 

·       Library and Comfortable Reading room with comfortable chairs and good lighting.  Dedicated multipurpose room.  Jim Trojanowski, Director of the Northern Waters Library Service ( [email protected] ), said that rather than a complete branch  library which would require a full time librarian,  a local lending library could be set up.   In addition, computer access could be made available so citizens with NWLS library cards could order books to be delivered in a manner such as is in use at the Solon Springs Library.  A separate T-1 line would be needed if there was a dedicated connection to NWLS system.

 

·       Senior Meals.  I envision a full kitchen in which hot fresh meals would be prepared daily for seniors rather than being brought in from Ashland.  These would be served in a smaller connected multipurpose room with small tables with an atmosphere conducive to conversational setting perhaps with a gas fireplace for atmosphere.  Food grade counters needed.

 

·       Medium sized multifunctional meeting room for Birthday & Seasonal Parties/Banquets, Receptions.  Connected to kitchen or could be same decorative room as senior meals. Public functions would be for no charge, private functions might incur fees.

 

·       Educational Groups, Lectures, Political forums debates, such as done by the League Of Women Voters and AARP.  These would be held in the main meeting hall of the town. 

 

·       Book Club could meet in Library or other multifunctional location.

 

·       BAHA.  Display cases or areas for rotating collections provided for seasonal and timely presentations.  Educational functions could be presented in main meeting hall or one of the multifunctional rooms depending on anticipated attendance and purpose.  Storage and archival functions would be in a location to be built by BAHA or perhaps converted from the existing town hall since it apparently has limited historical significance.   By this type of arrangement, full time curators would not have to be hired and the use of volunteers to work on various aspects would be more economical.

 

·       Fire/EMT groups.  Multipurpose room use or meeting hall if large group meeting anticipated.

 

·       Recreation Committee.  Multipurpose room use or town office space.

 

·       Town Health Fair.  Use of entire area and all multifunctional rooms.

 

·       Medical exam area in one of the private multifunction areas that can be closed off with shades, screens, etc.  This could be used by the Nurse who does blood pressure screening as well as visiting medical personnel who might be induced to provide occasional area services if available secure space is provided.

 

·       Conservation Club

 

·       Quilters

 

·       Property Owners Association

 

·       Other town groups and organizations

 

B.   Improvements needed for energy efficiency verses what is in current Town Hall.

 

·       Full insulation in new structure will save on heating and cooling expense. 

·       Better security brought about by receptionist and windowed rooms.

·       Newer lighting fixtures would be more energy efficient.

·       Planned off-street parking

·       Better layout will create more convenient use of offices and multifunction rooms.

·       Careful planning and landscaping would help keep the up-north flavor.

·       Single ground-level footprint would be handicap accessible as our population continues to age.

·       Full kitchen could provide inducement for larger entertainment groups to rent/use Town facility.

·       Secure storage of Town records.

·       Privacy for Town functions such as assessor or tax meetings.

C.  Separate areas for specific use

·       These areas are explained up above in A.

 

D.  Alternatives for current building

·       One was mentioned above; sell, lease, or otherwise make arrangements to allow the BAHA to use it as storage or archival purposes.

·       Move it and convert it into storage shed.

·       Remove it to provide adequate parking for the new Town Community Center Complex.

·       Sell/lease it for a retail store village shopping center super store of small shops.  We need a shopping mall complex.

 

E.            Other Town’s uses:  to be looked at

 

F.               Location.    North of the current town hall beyond the ice rink area would be good.  This would allow a woodsy setting and adequate parking.  

G.           10,000 square feet

H.             Public feelings:  Most I have contacted appear to feel that a new building is needed for town offices and that a community center should be part and parcel of it.