City plans ‘community conversations’

A series of “Community Conversations” planned for April 11-12 in the Falls are intended to educate community members about the services they receive as well as foster feedback for community leaders to use as they set out future initiatives.

The International Falls City Council Monday agreed to provide up to $4,500 for expenses to conduct four conversations. Those conversations are planned for April 11 during the regular Rotary meeting and then later that day following a 4 p.m. presentation by the Minnesota Historical Center and 5:30 p.m. light supper at the Falls Public Library; April 12 at the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon, and later in the evening following a supper at a Backus event.

Facilitated by staff of the League of Minnesota Cities, of which International Falls is a member, the Community Conversations fits into the city’s strategic plan, which calls for a collaboration summit and an effort to engage community members in the city’s activities, said Councilor Cynthia Jaksa Monday.

The League of Minnesota Cities conducted a series of conversations at a dozen other cities last year. The Falls conversations are considered a “pilot project.”

Jaksa said surveys of participants in conversations conducted at the other cities showed that residents embraced the discussions as a means to explore funding and delivery of service. In addition, she noted, people have a chance to offer their ideas.

“We do have changes happening in our county and city and as changes happen, there is an opportunity to find common ground, perhaps collaborative efforts,” said Jaksa.

She said information collected during the previous conversations has been valuable to the city leaders. “It’s a good benefit for the investment,” she said Monday.

City Administrator Rod Otterness was instrumental in bringing the conversations to the Falls, said Mayor Shawn Mason, who noted that he serves on the league’s board of directors.

“Everything we do has to tie back to what residents want from government,” said Otterness. “When we’re under budget constraints, its time to ramp up feedback.”

The conversations are being held in conjunction with existing, regularly scheduled events in the community in an effort to “piggyback” on participation.

Otterness said surveys of other conversations reported that participants felt energized and wanted to continue to meet on local government issues.

“And you use (the information gained through the conversation process) to facilitate very specific conversations as you go forward,” he told the council.

Otterness noted that members of the council should not attend the conversations to allow participants to freely discuss the issues without being inhibited by the attendance of city leaders.

In other business Monday, the council heard from Councilor Tim “Chopper” McBride that the North Koochiching Area Sanitary District, of which he serves as executive director, will move forward with a $14 million rehabilitation of its treatment plant.

McBride told the council that the board, which includes city representation, voted earlier that day in favor of moving forward with the project, which is estimated to increase the rates of the district’s more than 4,000 household customers by $18 to $19 per month.

A third public meeting March 14 on the proposal drew few members of the public and Boise Inc. officials reiterated concerns that the project would increase the paper mill’s costs by $100,000 per year.

 McBride also responded to concerns voiced by some residents about the value of a trip by three members of the council to Washington, D.C. earlier in the month. The contacts made during the trip, the third in three years, are crucial to the city, he said.

“We did a lot of work in a very short time,” he said. “I am proud of all that were there. We touched a lot of people when they heard our story... You can look around town and see what we accomplished in the last three years — some, people don’t even know about.”

McBride also noted that, after expenses, a concert featuring rock band Arch Allies held late in February raised $1,130 each for the city’s Economic Development Authority and Backus Community Center. He noted that the city did not subsidize the concert.

He said a Loverboy concert sponsored by the EDA in July raised, “with the generosity of sponsors,” $12,000 for the EDA.

McBride said planning for another outdoor concert in July has already begun, noting that The Poor Boys, Arch Allies and 38 Special have committed to perform.

“Sometimes economic development and quality of life go hand-in-hand,” he said.

“We’re trying to demonstrate how things can happen in a community,” added Mason.