Good afternoon everybody. Thanks for being here. This is the Heritage Preservation Commission meeting on Monday, April 20th, 2026. Has everybody had a chance to review the February 9th meeting minutes?
Any corrections, additions? Uh, looking for a motion to accept. >> So moved. >> And I need a second. >> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? All right. We'll move on to uh design
review. >> All right. Our design review for tonight is for Golden Home Care 6 North Minnesota. Owners are Ken and Mary Golden. And they're looking at repainting the exterior to a Westchester
gray, replacing the existing green. And in your packet, there is a color swatch of the Westchester gray. And in the picture of the front of the building where the green is located across the top above the doors and then on the
bottom around the uh foundation there about below the windows is what he's proposing to paint that wet wet gray. >> So they're not doing anything with the window above it. >> That's my understanding. No, it's just uh >> cuz I drove by there today and I'm
thinking, well, they can't really paint that one different cuz the other three windows, there's three windows there. >> Yeah, it's my understanding it's just where the green paint is. >> Is that >> Yeah, it looks like it's been a little weathered.
chair and members uh and staff. It appears that that protruding window above the main entrance door um is kind of gray anyway. So, it's probably a similar gray, I would guess. >> Right.
>> Well, I know HPC did have some paint things issued, but back then gray was not a color. >> Yeah. But now I don't know if that's ever been updated. >> It's >> I did it a long time ago. >> I was going to say that's been probably pushing up on 15 20 years is when those
color swatches came out. >> Yeah, that was my question if this was one of the colors that we allow. That's the only question. Well, I'm just saying that maybe it should be some I should look into updating those swatches since I I was the one that made up the the first swatch, you know, but I based it
on basically what our color themes were going on down here at that time, but gray wasn't one of them. >> Yeah, it was pretty much earthtone colors is what >> right >> the swatches were. Correct. >> Historical colors. >> I agree with Tom though. It looks like it would match that window.
>> Yeah, it does. I'm sure they they had that checked out. Yeah, I think it would look good. >> Mhm. I need a motion to approve. >> I so move. I need a second.
>> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. All right. Then we'll move on to city report. And one of them is the um
budget for the HPC. Um again be asking for $10,000 in the 2027 um city budget. And that's been the same same amount for a number of years. And whatever we have left over in the year,
we usually carry that over in our budget with the notion of that's going to be spent for for Herman stuff that we can move on with that and that'll be some of that money is being spent. >> Have we ever used the full $10,000?
We've never uh back when we first probably got the 10,000 there was a couple years it was pretty close with signage and canopies and stuff down on >> right >> for the grant program and then because it's used for that and for HBC commissioners to go to conferences and
stuff. >> So you're looking for a motion for that. >> Okay. I'm looking for a motion to accept. So moved. >> Second. >> I second. All in favor? >> I
>> opposed. All right. Anything else? Elden. >> And I'm sure you're all aware of the Herman. We had the last city council meeting came from uh McDonald Mack and gave a presentation on the cost estimate
for um deconstruction and reconstruction of the monument of the tune of 11.6 6 million is what they're estimating. Um so now it's going out and making contact with the funding sources at the state
level to see where we're at with that. Um I don't think that's doesn't sound like it's real promising this year. Um >> well I just think the longer we wait the dollars are going to go up.
>> Well they are. They've got a 10% increase every year is where they're at right now. Um but we're kind of at the whim of the legislature and the and the state level to get it all at once. Um because going through with shipo grants
and stuff again it'll be probably a 15 year 20 year process because you're never going to hit every grant cycle and you're not going to get every grant >> right >> and their grants are going to be limited to biggest one I've seen around here is $500,000.
So that's not going to move very far at all when I think the deconstruction is right around 3.3 or 3.2. >> So nobody has started a fundraiser for that yet. >> Um I don't know the hermit society. They
have been talked about it. Um park and rec director Schooles um goes to their meetings. He mentioned something here a week or so ago that um they're looking at doing something. They've got some money already from their fundraisers that they've done over the years. What
that amount is, I don't I don't know. But >> how long ago was it that Herman was taken down and repaired? >> 2004 when he was on the ground. >> Too bad that base wasn't lousy then. Or was it? >> Was it? It was >> because that would have been a perfect
time to fix something. Well, in 98 and 99 was a lot of paint and coaul and just kind of >> securing things up. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Um and that was and again I think that was the tune of around
$400 $450,000 just for that stuff back then. Um, so we'll have to see what's what how the how the city council wants to move forward and stuff with it also.
>> Well, I would think the citizens of New M would hate to see Herman go period >> or we'd mount him on someplace else. He's got to stay put. >> I agree. >> Right. I agree. >> Yeah. Madam Chair and members, um I
might have a question or two for building official Zabel. My first question would be is uh who or who's on the team that is seeking the grant funding? Um has that begun yet with the state or the feds? Um who who's leading
our charge for grant funding from the city? >> Well, it's between um park and rec director Schug, myself, city manager, and John Nicely planner. that are >> sounds like a great team. Um, is there
any uh update or any movement or >> um park director Schugle has reached out to our contact with Flannerin Hood who's um had brought this back last year um about looking at the legacy grant. um hasn't
hasn't received any information back from um our contact with Flrain Hood on this after we got it got those initial numbers for the >> project. So, we're still waiting on that. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. As far as the legacy uh funds go,
uh there may be two different funds that this uh monument might be eligible for, including the arts arts and cultural fund >> uh which gets 19% of the 38 of 1% state sales tax in the legacy amendment. And
then um parks and trails fund gets only 14% um with both clean water and habitat each getting a third 33 and a3% of the legacy funds. So there may be two potential pots of legacy funding available. And
then of course this is normally a bonding cycle, a bonding year for the state legislature. Um, you know, it may be too late to get into that cycle, but I would hope that we're uh um checking with um
>> and the city manager has checked and it doesn't sound good for any fluff projects right now. >> Bonding. Yeah, >> it's all infrastructure stuff. That's >> that's what I've been seeing in the media. >> True. Yeah. >> Mhm. >> Correct. >> Yep. >> Okay. So, we keep keep the
communications open and trying to see what we can >> Mhm. >> can secure. Um, and with Dames and Torqulson not going up for reelection, it's going to be starting >> kind of back at ground zero on >> on that end. >> I think this is an important year to try.
>> Yeah. So, >> I agree. >> Um, >> thank you, Elwood. >> Yeah. And then in another item in the news in this topic of course is the closure of the monument beginning this
year of 2026. Um that went to the park and recck commission where our engineering consultant recommend not opening the monument um for potentially quite a number of years because we don't have haven't even
really begun the fundraising. So, I think it's a huge step and a huge decision. Um, this will be the first year it's closed in as as long as I can remember. >> What kind of money does the does, you know, that people spend to go up there?
Does in a season, you know, do you have any idea? Do you remember? >> Um, I think it's about $3 ahead and um does it bring in $10,000 or maybe $30,000? Um it's certainly not a lot of funding
when we're talking about, you know, over $10 million for the project. Um but it is uh >> But has that money accumulated over the years or does it get spent on just the maintenance >> on maintenance and it stays in the park
and recreation department fund? Um but uh I just think that's a huge situation where the the residents, the visitors, the tourists are not going to be able to climb the monument for the first time, you know, in almost our lifetime. It
seems like um >> is that completely I mean you can't even get into the grounds around it now. I mean or is it only the step that goes all the way up to the top? >> Only going all the way up to the top dome. You can still climb the steps up, too. >> So, you can still get up where the pillars and the lions are, right?
>> Pollinate. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. >> So, there's still some income hopefully coming. >> Yeah. >> I have no idea what's going to be happening with the admission and so on. >> Oh, yeah. Once we got to the dome is where it's there was a lot of deterioration up there and
>> those metal bars that go across um they're they're into the brick work in the dome and there's a couple spots in there. It looks like you could pull the bricks out right around the the ties. >> Yep. >> Um so under his recommendation it's time
to not let them go up to the right >> up to the dome. >> Yeah. So, that topic will come to the city council tomorrow >> um for probably a uh final decision. I'm guessing >> um it has to be that way. It has to be
closed if it's not safe. There's no choice. >> I don't think >> Yeah, I would agree that safety is paramount. Safety is first. Yes, absolutely. Um I'm just thinking it's a a huge change from the past,
>> a monumental change. Um but um and then it's a matter of years. You know, I don't know how many years it's going to take for fundraising. And then we know that once construction begins, it's about a two-year construction process. So the
monument may be closed to the public for quite a number of years. Um, >> is there any poss something to be concerned about with Herman up there? Is he could he wind up falling off of there? >> He wasn't concerned about that right
now. It was more the the public safety of getting up there and not not having staff up there and not knowing what's going on. I mean, right, >> you get >> teenagers up there and they start
grabbing onto those bars or swinging from them or >> um it's just and there's some more cracking and this is the first year I've seen some pretty decent size goonite has come off
the sides of the >> the monument on the base. Not that that's real structural, but um it was pretty significant chunks that were >> well >> laying on the ground and there was glazed brick from the dome that was laying on the ground.
>> So that's starting to spalled off on the on the dome itself. >> Safety is a me important thing. >> Is it safe for them to go partway up, do you think? Yeah, he wasn't he was fine with with that going up to the colony
and stuff and but you can still at that level you can oversee the river valley and stuff. >> Yeah. >> Well, I was wondering is there a way to kind of interpret what's there even if people couldn't go up to if visitors come to have some kind of an
interpretive thing and explain what we're doing and how long it's been there and why it's there. And I mean that would take some money to to produce that interpretive information. >> Yeah, that's been talked about is going up there spring, summer, winter, and
fall and taking pictures and maybe some videos of going around the that at the base of Herman up there >> with the views. >> Yeah, I was thinking just even some signs or post, you know, that would be at the base when visitors come cuz they
always say where should we go and we want to stop up and see Herman. Mhm. There is quite a bit of uh self-guided interpretation in Herman Heights Park. There's the historical marker. >> Okay. >> Um and then there's the kiosk which has >> 3 * 4 12 faces of interpretation in the
kiosk. Um so there's a lot of >> You think that's enough sufficient? >> You know, I I think probably yes at this moment in time. At at some point, I'm sure when the deconstruction begins, I think uh our plan is to bring the statue down, the statuary first and place that
in Herman Heights Park in a location that can be interpreted um a little bit more up close and personal to the public. >> Yeah. >> Um I don't know if we're going to let the public touch the statuary, you know, or if the statuary may be fenced. Mhm.
>> Um but >> well that would be a good idea cuz I was wondering where you were going to store him, >> right? And there'll be a lot of there will be interpretation about the process, the deconstruction process >> and the timeline and and you know what they're finding as far as materials that
may be um repurposed or restored and reused um in the construction reconstruction pro process. >> Well, I guess we all have to hope and pray that it comes through
>> soon. >> Yes. >> All right. Thank you for your information and thank you. >> Um I was going to also um I'm going to actually do a chair report. Are you can you fall over? >> I would like
council Schmidt to talk about the national convention. >> Yes. Yes. >> And encourage some other people to maybe go from our our commission here. >> Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, and members, I think we've all gotten the
recent email um that the National um Alliance of Preservation Commissions, their annual convention is held in Minnesota this year, which is quite rare. Um, it's in late July, Wednesday through Sunday. It's quite a lengthy
convention with a lot of workshops, a lot of tours and a lot of seminars. Um I've gone through the agenda and it's extensive uh multi-day like I say Wednesday through Sunday
um of that July 22nd to 26. Um I personally have registered through uh through city hall. Um, I'm I'm I'm actually going to begin sessions on Thursday. I can't get to the Wednesday sessions, but I plan to do the whole
convention um Thursday through Sunday. Noon Sunday is when it um closes. So, I highly recommend you look at the website, you look at the email, look at um there's so many different tracks and different sessions that it would be
impossible to kind of pick exactly what session you want to attend. now. Um but if you're available during that time period or even a portion of that time period, um we have convention funds, uh budget, city budget available for uh
commissioners to attend certain conventions. And so >> I didn't give it a second thought about coming just for a few days instead of the whole time. I'll have to reook that. Yes, you know, work through uh building official Zabel's office um and his
administrative staff and um you know, the sooner you get registered um the sooner you can kind of finalize plans. I know where there's also some grants involved. I think it's the state um office of historic preservation.
Shipo has grant funds for cities and municipalities that have historic preservation commissions so that the city doesn't have to fund the entire uh convention from for our delegates from
new. Um, and so that's great um that you have to go through the process uh with official Zabel's office to get registered and and uh get signed up for one of those state grants. Um I think the state association state organization
then funds about 2thirds of our expenses related to the the convention. So, I highly recommend looking at that sooner than later if you're available any of those dates in late July. >> Thank you very much. I appreciate that.
Anybody have anything else they want to bring up? >> This meeting is adjourned. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.