Agenda - Council - 05/23/2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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He noted that going forward it would be nice to have City staff pick up the concert series as part of their programming. Councilmember Kuzma stated that he has been a Board member of the Ramsey Foundation since 2012 and noted that it is perhaps four or five Board members that work hard on the event. He stated that the membership on the Board is weak and the program is growing. He stated that as a volunteer he finds it a struggle to continue to be part of the fundraising and programing as the event continues to grow. Mayor Strommen stated that she appreciates the work the Ramsey Foundation has done to grow the event, noting that the attendance continues to grow and every concert is well attended. She stated that it is consistent with the goal to create the sense of community. She stated that it would be a matter of the City determining where this would fit into the workload for staff and the funding. She stated that perhaps this could be added to the Happy Days Committee. Mr. Larson noted that organizations, such as the Ramsey Lions, would most likely continue to support the event. Parks and Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood agreed that the staffing and budget items could be a part of the continued discussions. He noted that there is a request to increase the lawful gambling improvement fund contribution by $3,000, which would make whole the contribution a total of $8,000 for the event. He asked if the Ramsey Foundation would continue to be available to continue to receive donations for programming. He stated that Mr. Larson has been the sole person that has obtained the $5,000 annual donation from the Ramsey Lions. Mr. Larson stated that he does not see the Ramsey Foundation going away as an organization and they would continue to receive and disburse funds in the same manner they have. Councilmember Williams stated that she is a part of the Happy Days Committee and agreed that it would make sense to determine if that group could add that event to their planning. It was the consensus of the Council to direct staff to work with the Ramsey Foundation on a transition plan for The Draw Summer Events Series. Parks Commissioner Sis asked if there is a place in Ramsey where the City could advertise The Draw programing, such as a reader board. Parks and Assistant Public Works Superintendent Riverblood stated that currently the City uses the Ramsey Resident, the reader board on Highway 10, the Ramsey Foundation, the City website, and word of mouth for advertising. He noted that there has been discussion about creating a monument at The Draw that could advertise programing. Parks Commissioner Sis noted that he has never driven past The Draw and would find it helpful to have some type of advertising along Highway 47 as well. City Council Work Session / May 9, 2017 Page 6 of 10