Laserfiche WebLink
<br />~ <br />/]'\~ HILLS <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />July 9, 2007 <br /> <br />Agenda Item: Work Session - 2.B. <br /> <br />TO: Michelle Wolfe, City Administrator <br />Honorable Mayor and City Council Members <br /> <br />FROM: Michelle Olson - Parks and Recreation Manager <br /> <br />SUBJECT: "Celebrating Arden Hills" <br /> <br />Background <br />In 2006, the City Council made the decision to cancel the 2007 Celebrating Arden Hills Festival <br />in order to reevaluate the event for the future. The City Council has not discussed specifics <br />about this event since that time. Annual events generally take an entire year to plan from start to <br />finish. Weare now past the one year planning stage for an event next summer. Staff is looking <br />for feedback on how to proceed for 2008. <br /> <br />· Does the City Council want to have some type of festival in 2008? If 2008 is <br />going to have an event, it needs to be decided fairly soon so that proper planning <br />can occur. If the event is going to have wholesale changes from years past, it may <br />be difficult to plan in one calendar year. <br /> <br />· What ideas or thoughts does the City Council have about the scope and style <br />of event? The 50th Anniversary seemed to be a well attended and well organized <br />event. The Committee for that event worked for over 16 months on the planning <br />and organizing. The residents seemed excited to participate and they looked at <br />that event as a one time celebration. Since the 50th Anniversary, the volunteers <br />have been difficult to find and attendance at the event seems to have declined. <br /> <br />· Do the residents want to see an annual event and if so, will the City be able to <br />recruit volunteers to assist or facilitate planning for the event? The City <br />will be conducting a community survey this summer. The survey will include a <br />few important questions about Celebrating Arden Hills and will possibly get some <br />resident input. Staff is estimating that the City has had near fifty inquiries about <br />the absence of the event, including phone calls, emails, walk in questions and web <br />site inquiries. The front desk has also had some residents express interest in <br />helping with the planning and facilitation of the event. If a group of residents are <br />