WORKING FOR A GREATER AUSTIN Progress Update

Transcription

1 WORKING FOR A GREATER AUSTIN 2016 Progress Update Page 1 Progress Update 2016

2 A Message from the Director Greg Siems 2016 was certainly an exciting year to be in Austin, Minnesota. A slew of important projects, Vision 2020-led and otherwise, were completed or got a great start this past year. With the grand opening of the new downtown SPAM Museum, the start of redevelopment at the former Oak Park Mall site, and approval of the Community Recreation center project, our city is poised to make even greater strides in Our volunteers are proud to play a part in the unfolding story that is Austin s present and future. It s impossible to acknowledge and appreciate all of the different ways our volunteers have positively impacted the community. In large part this is because Vision 2020 is much more than an organization it is a movement. We are not content to sit back and watch while the outside world happens to us. We proactively develop ideas and bring them to life in order to reshape our city for the better. These values extend far beyond committee meetings or events. Every Austinite, whether they are directly involved with Vision 2020 or not, is making a positive difference at work, at home, and in the community. So above all we thank you, our neighbors and friends, for making Austin a great place to live, work, and play for everyone. Acknowledgments and outreach The accomplishments highlighted within these pages are only a small sampling of our volunteers work, and none of it would be possible without the generous financial support of other community organizations. Special thanks are due to The Hormel Foundation and Mayo Clinic Health System Austin for providing the operational funds that allow us to keep the lights on and tell our story to the community. Thanks also to the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Development Corporation of Austin for the ongoing administrative support that makes our work possible. With overhead costs of only $60,000 per year, we were able to leverage over $1 million in project grants and other support in Vision 2020 has over 100 active volunteers of diverse ages, backgrounds, and professions was also a year full of establishing new connections and strengthening existing ones within the community. The Vision 2020 website was completely rebuilt from the ground up in order to maximize its functionality and provide as much information as possible about our work. Our Facebook page saw a 17% increase in followers, where pictures, articles, and more regularly reach thousands of people at a time. The work of our 100+ volunteers received positive media coverage in every major news outlet in the area, including the Austin Daily Herald, KAAL, KTTC, KIMT, and KAUS, as well as the Rochester Post-Bulletin and Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Page 2 Progress Update 2016

3 Biking and Walking Trails Mayor Tom Stiehm is fitted for a helmet at Bike Safety Day was a banner year for the Biking and Walking Trails committee. Volunteers logged hundreds of hours developing programs, organizing events, and securing funds for major projects. All of this work culminated with the League of American Bicyclists recognizing Austin as an honorable mention bikefriendly city! Here are just a few of the committee s highlights from this year: Launch of the Red Bike free bike share program Dozens of children and adults received low-cost helmets at the 3 rd annual Bike Safety Day Secured a $10,000 grant from The Hormel Foundation to expand and improve Austin s new Mountain Biking Trail Secured a $60,000 grant from the City of Austin and The Hormel Foundation to extend a trail leading into the SW edge of Todd Park Business Friendly Environment The Business Friendly Environment committee was excited to see so many big changes in Austin in Leaders from many local organizations are taking the conversations at committee meetings and turning them into concrete action: Volunteers helped develop and pass a 5-year property tax abatement program to spur development of quality workforce housing. The City and DCA are crafting a new incentive program for businesses that create quality jobs. The Small Business Development Center began offering expanded hours of free counseling for anyone looking to start or grow a business. Construction began on the new Hy-Vee store, made possible by a $3.6 million Hormel Foundation grant in 2015 for the City to purchase the former Oak Park Mall site. Mark Thein (left) offers free business counseling through the SBDC Page 3 Progress Update 2016

4 Community Pride & Spirit The Austin Rotary Club working on a CHIP project in August Community Pride and Spirit volunteers are constantly coming up with exciting new ways to make a difference and inspire others to lend a hand, and 2016 was no exception: Hundreds of special Valentine s cards were created by local youth and delivered to law enforcement personnel and senior citizens. The Community Home Improvement Program finished its fourth year of assisting homeowners in need. To date over 60 properties have been fixed up with the help of Habitat for Humanity. Groundwork was laid for an online volunteer database to match local opportunities with interested community members. Volunteers launched a new food waste recovery initiative, to help utilize leftovers from restaurants and grocery stores at the Salvation Army kitchen. Community Recreation Center 2016 brought no shortage of exciting news for Community Rec Center volunteers: A purchase agreement for the downtown power plant site was finalized with Austin Utilities. AU will be responsible for any environmental remediation and providing a build-ready site. The City Council and YMCA Board of Directors approved a lease agreement for the future facility, giving the go ahead for volunteers to finalize the facility s design and programming needs. Preparations began for the $5 million fundraising campaign, which will complement The Hormel Foundation s historic $25 million grant to the project. The Packer Dome at Wescott Field successfully completed its first season and reopened again for team practices and track users this November. The Packer Dome is a great resource for getting active in the winter months! (photo courtesy Austin Daily Herald) Page 4 Progress Update 2016

5 Community Wide Technology Improving access to technology is critical for students of all ages (Photo courtesy Austin Daily Herald) In a rapidly changing technological environment, Austin is lucky to have volunteers pushing to put our community on the cutting edge. The Community Wide Technology committee spent 2016 doing a variety of important tasks: Researching the cost, feasibility, and business models of different options to bring state of the art broadband speeds to the entire community, along with cultivating potential funding sources. Lobbying for increased broadband funding at the state level, as well as for changes to outdated telecommunications laws. Also of note, the committee is very pleased to see the progress and expansion of the hotspot program at the Austin Public Library. These Internet devices are available for anyone to check out, and are an important initial step toward bridging the digital divide. Destination Downtown Downtown Austin is more bustling than ever thanks to a variety of fun events and other activities, not to mention the hard work of all the small businesses who offer their goods and services to the community. Some notable happenings in 2016: The new SPAM Museum opened its Main Street doors in April, fulfilling one of our volunteers biggest original visions. Volunteers helped organize a new familyfriendly Harvest Fest event in September, which along with Summer Kickoff and Fall Fest brought over two thousand people Downtown. Worked with the City to make needed aesthetic improvements Downtown, including installation of attractive new parking lot signs and the removal of several old informational kiosks. The new SPAM Museum has already brought over 100,000 visitors to Downtown Austin Page 5 Progress Update 2016

6 Gateway to Austin Near East Side Lake you can find an example of the beautiful new directional signs that are scattered throughout town After several years of planning and hard work with government agencies and other local organizations, Gateway to Austin volunteers began to enjoy the fruits of their labors in 2016: The first batch of new wayfinding signs was installed throughout town with generous funding from The Hormel Foundation, helping direct visitors to Austin s most popular destinations. Funding was secured for enhancements to the 11 th Dr. NE bridge over I-90, which will be the first bridge to be replaced using the functional and aesthetic standards set out in the Austin Visual Quality Manual. This will mean wider sidewalks, improved lighting and guardrails, and attractive new landscaping to be enjoyed by visitors and residents alike. Waterways Improving water quality, flood control, and outdoor recreation has always been important to the citizens of Austin, and our Waterways volunteers put in countless hours in 2016 cultivating the support and resources necessary for this work: Secured $130,000 in grant funds through the Minnesota DNR and The Hormel Foundation to acquire flood-prone land near the Ramsey Mill Pond, the first step in redeveloping the area to create more recreational opportunities. Lobbied elected officials at the state capitol for bonding dollars for the Ramsey Mill Pond project and improvements for the 4 th Ave. NE dam. Received $2,000 from the Austin Area Foundation to create a new canoe-kayak launch site for the Cedar River State Water Trail behind Marcusen Park baseball stadium. We are proud to partner with the Cedar River Watershed District in their work to protect and improve our waterways Page 6 Progress Update 2016

7 Austin Aspires (Education Leaders) The Science Fair Mentoring Project is emblematic of Austin Aspires goals. All students can participate, be challenged, and grow to their potential saw a flurry of activity for the volunteer Action Teams of Austin Aspires, the independent nonprofit formed three years ago by Vision 2020 s Education Leaders committee: Kindergarten readiness: establishment of community-wide norms to be shared with caregivers in Spring Academic potential: development of a resource guide of academic opportunities for learners from cradle to career. Parents and mentors: evaluation of parent needs to improve or expand current programs. College and career: growth of new job shadowing opportunities for Austin High and Pacelli students. Health: gathering stories of resilience and promoting positive messages throughout the community and beyond Despite all of the great things we ve accomplished this year, the work of making Austin the best it can be is never finished. As we move closer to our goal of transforming the community by 2020, your support is more important than ever. You can share your ideas at a meeting, volunteer for an event, or donate funds to keep our committees going. No special expertise or long-term commitments are required, only a desire to improve the community. If you d like to be a part of our large network of volunteers, you are always welcome to stop by our office or give us a call. You can also learn more at our website, where you can see what we re currently working on, find links to news articles, and much more. Thank you for your support of Vision we re looking forward to another great year in Austin, Minnesota! Page 7 Progress Update 2016

8 WORKING FOR A GREATER AUSTIN N. Main St. #201, Austin, MN Page 8 Progress Update 2016