08d. 04.23.2024 Minutes TC DRAFT
Scandia Tourism Committee, Council Chambers March 23, 2024
Members in Attendance: Sue Dickens, Lynne Moratzka, Chrissi Larsen and Sarah. Absent:
Porubcansky Jim Gribble. Additional Attendee: Brenda “Bee” Stignani (Office Assistant.)
Call to Order –Chair Dickens called the meeting to order at 4:08 p.m., a quorum is present.
Approve the Agenda – Dickens moved, Porubcansky seconded, to approve the agenda with
Flexibility. Motion carried unanimously.
Approve the Minutes – Dickens moved, Larsen seconded, to approve February 27, 2024
minutes. Motion carried unanimously.
Garage Sale Update - Staff reported 17 registrations have been received to participate in the garage
sale. Porubcansky confirmed the registration date is May 3rd, but late registrations can be
accommodated up to May 17th. Staff will check and notify Moratzka if one of the registrations is for
Gammelgarden or not. Moratzka reconfirmed Elim Church will not participate this year. Dickens
volunteered to notify the Country Messenger of the sale dates to be included in the Out & About
section and to place a free ad in the Thrifty Minne sota newspaper. Larsen inquired if printed maps
would be available and provided an example of a recent neighborhood sale where printable maps were
available online and a few copies were at a centrally located gas station. Staff confirmed only 2 or 3
people came into the office to request printed maps last year. Larsen observed many fellow shoppers
with printed maps marked up (circling or highlighting homes and products advertised.) Participants
were numbered, and corresponding numbers were staked in the yard at each sale. Not every sale
registered, those were excluded from the map. Larsen will provide to staff the map to share with all
committee members. Porubcansky will investigate to see if something more printable might be
available this year. Moratzka reminded all that this is the 3rd Annual Garage Sale, and there are many
future growth opportunities to investigate for next year. Moratzka recommended sending the feedback
survey to all participants prior to the event. Staff confirmed this is possible, and Dickens facilitated
discussion over potential questions to pose.
Promotion Programs - Larsen proposed using a shared program or document that allows committee
members to focus on accomplishing goals for each event sponsored by the Tourism Committee. For
each event, these goals would need to be clearly defined. Bringing people into Scandia, building
community among residents, promoting all businesses in Scandia, etc. Use feedback from past events
to further refine goals, while using the document to assign tasks, set up key dates, PR deadlines,
identify materials already acquired, tracking expenses, etc. Dickens and staff confirmed a task and
deadline document has been created for the annual Best of Scandia event at VinterLights! Dickens
presented the material submitted by Gribble regarding flyers to be distributed via local newspapers.
Discussion concluded that the expense for this year’s Community Wide Garage Sale would not be
reasonable, but all could be considered as the event expanded. All events would need to request from
Council a budget to consider this option in the future.
EDA Breakfast Meetings - Dickens facilitated a discussion gaging the interest level of committee
members to organizing EDA Breakfast. Dickens will seek clarification from the City Administrator
if a request should go to Council for a budget with the committee recommendation to host these
events in the Spring, Fall, and Winter.
Scandia Tourism Committee Minutes
March 23, 2024
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Adjournment –Motion by Porubcansky, seconded by Dickens, to adjourn the meeting.
Motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 4:56 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Brenda “Bee” Stignani, Office Assistant