Minutes of Menno Area Development Meeting

April 19, 2005

The Menno Area Development Corporation held its regular meeting at the Open Door Café on April 19 with the following in attendance: Peg Thranum, Wilma Liebl, Darlene Mehlhaf, Bruce Anderson, Gary Herman, Morna Anderson, Bill Headley, Larry Tolzin, Shannon Herrboldt, Brent Haberman, Donna Zeeb, Glenn Kirschenman, Nancy Larsen, Alice Hagge, Calvin Hagge, Ken Stepanek, Teresa Anderson, Cindy Aisenbrey, and Dennis Aisenbrey.

Vice-president Gary Herman called the meeting to order at 12:15 p.m.

Darlene Mehlhaf moved to approve the agenda. Wilma Liebl seconded, all present in favor.

There being no additions or corrections to the minutes, they stand approved as read.

Larry Tolzin made a motion to approve the April finance report. Glenn Kirschenman seconded, all present in favor.

Nancy Larsen gave the SEFP report. There have been 21 inquiries in the last 31 months from Menno; 15 are clients and 10 have finished business plans. SEFP held their Annual Investors Reception in Parker on April 13. Two clients from the Menno area (Kristi Diede, The Cutting Edge and Michael & Kathleen Wollman, Riverside Heating and Cooling) spoke at the reception and told how SEFP helped them get started in their business. They both felt Nancy’s services were invaluable in getting their businesses started. Michael stated he would never have gotten his business started if it hadn’t been for the help Nancy gave them. Two Menno businesses were featured in the SEFP 2005 Annual Report, The Cutting Edge and Menno Hardware. Tripp and Parkston have recently joined SEFP and the SEFP board hopes to hire an assistant to help Nancy with the growing demands for her free, confidential services.

Committee Reports: Everyone is encouraged to email community events information to tjean81@yahoo.com and Tammy will post it ASAP! She continues to update the site with development and council meeting minutes and notices and real estate listings. The site has had 1,185 hits this month.

We are waiting for the attorney to get the papers ready for the motel purchase.

Larry and Barb Tolzin, Wilma Liebl, and Peg Thranum will serve as the committee for the Playground Fund Raiser. We were asked to serve coffee and cookies on July 2, 2005 during registration for the All-School Reunion. MADC members will be asked to donate cookies or bars for the event and the money raised will go toward the purchase of the new playground equipment for the city park. Thrivent Financial will be asked for matching funds.

Possible MADC designs were passed around. The examples were various types and colors of font. The group would like some type of picture or emblem to go along with our name.

Whether we have the Poker Run that is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, July 2 will depend if we can get enough people to help! There would be at least 5 stops on the run, with 2 people at each stop and there should be 3 people at the registration table; that is a total of 13 people. If no one contacts Shannon Herrboldt that they are willing to help with this, the run will not be held.

Dale Weiss has received the posters and tickets for advance sales for the carnival that will be here July 1-4. Anyone that is willing to sell advance tickets for carnival rides should contact Dale at 387-5161 as soon as possible.

District 19 Representative Gary Jerke stated he would be happy to address our group on his impressions as a 1^st year legislator and what you would need to do if you wanted legislation introduced and how to get it passed. He will be invited to one of our meetings after the 4^th of July activities.

Our next meeting will be held at the Open Door at 12 noon on May 17, 2005.

Teresa Anderson made a motion to adjourn at 12:45 p.m. Shannon Herrboldt seconded, all present in favor.

Respectfully submitted,

Peggy Thranum, Secretary