3.a 10-26-2021 TC Minutes DRAFT
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Scandia Tourism Committee
Minutes
October 26, 2021 – 4:00 p.m.
Meeting at Community Center, Zoom and Boxcast.com
Members in Attendance: Sarah Porubcansky, Lynne Moratzka and Sue Dickens.
Absent: Julie Gasek and Lisa Schlingerman.
Staff in attendance: Administrator Ken Cammilleri, and Office Assistant Bee Stignani.
Call to Order –Chair Porubcansky called the meeting to order at 4:04 p.m., a quorum is present.
Approve the Agenda – Moratzka moved to approve the agenda with flexibility, Dickens seconded.
Motion carried unanimously.
Approval of the Minutes – Moratzka moved to approve the June 22, 2021 minutes, Dickens
seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
Shrpa – Porubcansky reported the Shrpa adventures are integrated in the city’s website and that
Schlingerman is working on new adventures to post. Porubcansky and Stignani have administrative
accounts in the city’s Shrpa account. Porubcansky will look up the fees to continue this accoun t
past the first year for staff. Committee members discussed a few new winter adventure suggestions.
Signs – Wayfinding – Cammilleri reported that the sign estimates received are for signs that would
be too small. He consulted with Public Works and anticipates larger signs will be in the range of
$700-1,200 per sign from new vendors recommended by PW. Cammilleri suggested soliciting
estimates for both sign designs, but they must be rectangular to be the most economical and remain
in MN Dot’s approved sign standards. A white background would accomplish the look of the half
circle top with the city’s logo. The city has allocated some funds each year for signs, and it is
possible that a set of signs could be approved from this budget by the Council each year.
Sister City – Mellerud, Sweden – Moratzka reported that greetings collected in August are waiting
for a physical address to be sent to Mellerud, digital photos were sent of Scandia celebrating
Cinnamon Bun Day and that the next meeting is tomorrow evening where Pam Arnold and Sarah
Maefsky are invited to consider becoming representative farming ambassadors of Scandia to
Mellerud and recommending to City Council to join the Sister City organization or not will be
decided. Dickens reported she is the EDA representative and will attend the next meeting.
Cammilleri clarified that this is an informal group of citizens planning activities to foster a s ister city
relationship and is an unofficial group not appointed by the city. A representative of the Sister City
Committee will bring a proposal to City Council for consideration.
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Next Steps – Get Knit tentative dates are February 11-20, 2022 for the Ice Sculpture event. The
location and item to be sculpted will be decided at a later date, but a Tomte is being suggested as the
object. Committing soon to participate will lock in last year’s prices; small sculpture - $1,000,
medium sculpture - $2,500, Ice Bar for businesses - $3,500 and large sculptures - $5,000.
Porubcansky stated feedback indicates support to consider the large sculpture over the medium one
from last year. Cammilleri stated EDA budgeted funds for this event and Dickens indicated she
would assist in reaching out to more businesses for financial support. Cammilleri recommended
going to banking instructions, including ones who are in neighboring communities, as they have
commitments to invest in the communities. Staff will no tify committee members the amount of
funds in the proposed budget so they know the amount they are looking to raise in support.
Unanimous consent to plan to recommend to City Council purchasing a large sculpture this year.
Porubcansky proposed recommended expanding this committee to 7 voting members. Cammilleri
clarified that this committee appoints officers annually at the February meeting but there are no
defined terms for the current members. Staff will investigate the history of the Tourism Committe e
and how to propose staggered terms. Moratzka recommended adding the committee roster to the
agenda and minutes. Cammilleri encouraged members to invite other potentially interested residents
to participate in meetings, volunteer and be involved even if they are not voting members.
Motion by Moratzka, seconded by Dickens, to recommend to City Council to expand the
number of voting members of the Tourism Committee to 7 total. Motion carried 3-0.
Cammilleri presented the concerns about considering a Social Media Coordinator or Intern ship
contractor. These included the expense, need for more staff time for oversight and filling in the
additional duties when the rotating position is open, in addition to building a job description that
would be attractive to potential students who would apply. Porubcansky agreed that further
consideration of the oversight needed and the duties available, that a coordinator or internship
would not be practical to recommend at this time.
After the Wayfinding Signs and Get Knit projects move beyond Tourism Committee in the near
future, local group representatives will be invited to Tourism Committee meetings to present their
organization’s events scheduled in 2022. Committee members will investigate strategies to mutually
benefit the organization and tourism in Scandia as per the recommendations in the 2019 University
of Minnesota Tourism Development report.
Adjournment –The next meeting date is November 23, 2021. Motion by Dickens, seconded by
Moratzka, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 3-0. Meeting adjourned at 5:03 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Brenda “Bee” Stignani, Office Assistant