Document - Historical Society Minutes - Historical Society Meeting Minutes - 4/7/2015MEETING NOTES/MINUTES
EAGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TUESDAY
April 7, 2015
3:40 p.m. – 2nd Floor Conference Room A/B
Members present: Chair Mary Ellen Voracek, Vice-Chair Kim Hazel, Martin DesLauriers, Millie
Gagnac, Bernie Jansen, Joe Reid and Dawn Simpson. Also present was Communication
Coordinator Joanna Foote.
MEETING MINUTES & SECRETARY
The minutes from March 3, 2015 were approved and accepted with noted corrections.
Introduction
Guest, Kenneth Morrison introduced himself and told the committee that he has looked forward
to participating with this group for some time. He also inquired about a photo he had donated
in the past of the Cedar Grove water tower and was pleased to hear that it had survived Town
Hall fire. He donated an undated Eagan Township map and a program from Sunday, July 20, 1969
New Eagan Town Hall Open House.
Agenda Items Added
Agenda item C was changed to Streets Alive Information and item D was changed to Dakota
County Historical Society Annual Meeting update. Original C & D items followed.
1914 Town Hall Building Reconstruction
Town Hall Project and Timelines
Foote noted that at tonight’s City Council meeting, the Council will take action on consent
agenda item H. Approve Plans & Specifications, Contract 15-10 (Old Town Hall Repairs and
Renovation) and Authorize Advertisement of Bids.
An April 23, a Pre-Bid Conference will be held for any intended bidders at the Old Town Hall.
Foote will be in attendance along with internal City staff including Diane Miller, Assistant City
Administrator who is overseeing the project. The architects will take the lead and walk everyone
through the process and answer questions related to the building and project.
Foote reminded members that the City Council has allocated $290,000.00 for the project. A
$100,000 CDBG grant has been received which will likely be a part of that funding amount, rather
than increasing the project total.
Foote indicated that the architects will be identifying a list of potential upgrades/add-ons which
could be considered/provided through additional fundraising. This list will be available soon and
prior to bidding. Some items will be included as bid alternatives, while others will be considered
later in the project and could be done as funds are acquired. She summarized the rest of the
restoration schedule with construction to be completed by September 30, 2015.
Grant/Fundraising Opportunities
Foote stated that she will be meeting with City Administrator Osberg, Assistant City
Administrator Miller and Communications Director Garrison to discuss potential options for
fundraising and how that might best proceed.
Responding to a question, she noted a portion of the sale of the painting, along with books and
card sales do generate some funding for the Historical Society but not likely enough to have a
strong impact within this project.
Displays Discussion
With the reopening of the Town Hall now slated for Early October, Foote noted that members
will need to assist with sorting, reframing and preparing items for display at the Town Hall. As
members may recall, all items that were on display there have been dried and cleaned as best
they can be, but they will need to be evaluated, and in some case replicated, and
reframed/mounted for display.
Discussion surrounded the possibilities of doing more professional style framing/mounting of
items than had been done previously. Foote suggested that she could coordinate an opportunity
for members to view the displays at the Police Department that were done for its 40th
Anniversary. She also suggested that we speak with member Ted Ringberg and the group he
worked with on the displays at the new Fire Safety building.
It was also noted that all displays may not be, or need to be ready immediately as the Town Hall
reopens. Rather, the Historical Society may need or wish to take more time in coordinating
displays to create more professional exhibits. A starting point is making a list of items available
that are pertinent for displays and which need to be framed, or otherwise formatted/prepared
for display. Then to begin calculating costs and determining the best means of proceeding.
Members present agreed to set a date for a special meeting in May at the former Fire
Administration building to see what materials are there and begin the coordination process.
She also mention that each committee member has an expertise or skill in one thing or another
to contribute to getting everything ready for the opening, whether it be organizing, reassembly,
creating a narrative and photo identification, cleaning, etc.
Police 50th Anniversary
The Eagan Police Department will hold its 50th Anniversary celebration on Thursday, May 14th,
2015, at the Municipal Center Campus from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. As part of the commemoration,
Foote wrote an article in the March/April Experience Eagan which featured Martin DesLauriers
andcovered the first ten years of the department 1965-1975. It included photos of Police Chief
Martin DesLauriers and others from the decade. The next issue due out in May/June will cover
the years 1975-1985.
In preparation for the next issue, Foote asked retired Eagan Police staff for stories and
recollections. She received several e-mails, one from Police Officer Linda Myrhe and shared it
with the committee. She had some wonderful stories about her experiences in the department.
For example, Linda was hired in 1980 making “wholloping” $4.50 per hour and the fact that “she
still has the pay check stub to prove it!” She retired from the force in 2012. Former Police Chief
Pat Geagan also sent in stories and information. DesLauriers told a couple of funny incidents,
one regarding a call with Marlene Adam (the department’s first dispatcher) who recently passed
away.
Streets Alive Event
The committee discussed Streets Alive: The Cedar Grove Experience Event which will be held
Saturday, September 12, 2015 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Eagan Outlets Parkway near the new
Outlets Mall. There will be community organizations and City department that will showcase
their services along with interactive and fun activities. Foote asked members to begin thinking
of ideas as well as space needs and what activities they would like to host. She also asked for a
couple of members to volunteer to attend the informational meeting to take notes to share at
the next meeting.
DCHS Update
Jansen gave an update about the Dakota County Historical Society (DCHS). He provided a copy of
the program for the 76th Annual Board Meeting from March 28, 2015 which includes 2014 chapter
highlights of the Eagan Historical Society (included in May packet).
Other items noted, were the resignation of long time DCHS Board member Millie Gignac who chose
to resign following the decisions surrounding the departure of DCHS Director Lynn Grueber. Jansen
noted there will be a meeting on April 18th with existing members and the eight new board members.
He also talked about the large displays that will be traveling throughout Dakota County this summer.
Other
Foote mentioned an article that appeared in the Star Tribune on March 23, 2015 titled Big tax
assessment hits Old Cedar Avenue in Bloomington, that sparked a conversation about the old Cedar
Ave. bridge.
Foote mentioned she was contacted by staff at a bank in Rosemount regarding the marker on Dodd
Road. The bank President would like a framed print of this marker to hang on their wall. Foote
needs to research the logistics of having the marker created for this purpose, as well as the cost
of printing, framing, etc.
Jansen indicated a former Lockheed employee is filming the demolition progression at the CSM site.
He provided information about Tim Johnson’s pictures and demolition videos that can be viewed at
vipclub.mn.org. Foote will attempt to download this video and photos for the Historical Society
collection/use.
NEXT MEETING
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 3:30 p.m. Site to be
determined
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 5:02 p.m.
Included in the May packet are the copies of the following items from the April meeting: Old
Town Hall Bid and Restoration Schedule, April 17th of Consent Agenda Item, March 12th letter
regarding Streets Alive, Linda Myhre’s email, DCHS meeting information and 2014 Chapter
Highlights from EHS, 1969 Eagan Town Hall open house program and Star Tribune article dated
03-23-2015.