11-06-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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OPERATIONS: Volunteers: • cannot be relied upon to perform the duties of paid staff. Are looking for social interaction as well as service opportunities. Volunteer groups may be able to perform specialized tasks, however (eg the 'Grumpy Old Mens' club who build things collectively, such as a new raptor cage at Westwood, Volunteers assembling and maintaining the WWII planes and helicopters at the History Center). • Warner Nature Center has had success in training adult volunteers for program assistance • Service learning for teens. Westwood (successful since 1990) and 3 Rivers has a successful junior naturalist program/youth leadership program. Treated like work where they commit to a certain number of hours, and have to get someone to fill in if they are absent. • Improvements to rental program not mentioned in the draft program, and they should be. The after-hours policy: • the gate locking at 5pm is 'strange'. People need water and bathrooms to access after hours (canoes need to be locked and hawk secured). Also consider expanding staff hours to coincide with rental demands (ala Dakota County). Most other facilities have automated gate closure systems. PROGRAMMING: • Date night and beer has been successful for adult programming. Eg. Craft beer and mountain biking event. Candelight ski -beer and chocolate. Use licensed providors. Adults seem to come to outdoor recreation based events more than nature education events. • Dan Spock has found that his programming designed for millenials also attracts the baby boomers (eg. Retrorama, history of hip, off-site programs such as a history pub crawl). He tries to be extroverted in developing programming -network with other groups to come up with innovative/current programming, keep reciprocity in mind -how would both groups benefit mutually PHASING: • Phase 1: Curb Appeal/exterior improvements $70K, funding from Integrated Waste • Phase 2: inside 2015 $100k • Phase 3: Tree house next 5 years —additional funding • Phase 4: connecting to the YMCA (5-6 years) • Phase 5: observation deck at the point —CIP • »»Near term (within 5 years) and Far term ( in 5 to 10 years) Wargo Nature Center Master Plan —July 15, 2014 Peer Reveiw Meeting Summary Page 13 A 46 Appendix: Meetings & Outreach