Menno Area Development Corporation

August 16, 2011

The Menno Area Development Corporation met for its regular meeting August 16, 2011 at the Open Door Café  with the following present: Peg Thranum, Darlene Mehlhaf, Dale Weiss, David Bender, Shawn Black, Doug Schafer, Audrey Fergen, Kathy Waltner, Dan Gran, Marsha Schelske, Ken Bertsch, Brent Haberman, Shannon Herrboldt and Nancy Larsen.

President Haberman called the meeting to order at 12:20 p.m.

Schelske moved and Bender seconded to approved the agenda with the removal of the annual report; all ayes.

Black moved to approve the minutes of the July 19 meeting. Bender seconded; all ayes.

Weiss moved to approve the finance report, Mehlhaf seconded; all ayes. The city is to be spraying the weeds on the Highway 18 lot; this will be checked into.

Dan Gran, CEO of Freeman Regional Health Services and Kathy Waltner, Manager of Freeman Rural Health Clinics were present at our meeting to share futures plans for the Menno Clinic. Mr. Gran stated Freeman Regional is in partnership with Avera Medical Group. Reorganizing has been done by moving the receptionist from the Menno clinic to Freeman to better utilize her time. They are making plans to erect a microwave tower behind the Menno clinic to enable faster transfer of medical records between the facilities since all their patient records are computerized.  

SEFP REPORT: Larsen is busy with the SEFP booth at the Turner County Fair in Parker. She handed out the 2011 Semi-Annual Report.

Committee Reports - Housing – Bertsch had been in touch with someone concerning the purchase of land for development, but the party wasn’t interested in selling.

Nothing new to report from the membership or digital sign committees.

Old business: Schelske moved to advertise for bids for landscaping the welcome sign on the east side of Menno. Bender seconded; all ayes. Haberman and Thranum will write the ad.

There was nothing new to report on the brochures.

Discussion was had on the shop at home campaign. Bender was going to look into the cost of doing ads in the Area Wide Connection versus a post office box - rural delivery mailing. 

New business: Herrboldt lined up trophy sponsors for the car show. Trophies have been ordered from Sun Gold Trophies in Mitchell. The price of t-shirts will be further reduced for quick sale as the shirts say the car show is the 4^th Saturday in August.

The registration for the development conference in Sioux Falls on October 4 is $30 per person.

The only response received from the question posed on the web page concerning what type of service you would like to see offered in Menno is the one Thranum answered as a test.

Haberman spoke about the 2011 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Committee Meeting in Mitchell on July 14^th.

Members are to think about goals they would like to set.  

Our next meeting will be September 20, 2011 at 12 noon at the Open Door Café.

Herrboldt moved to adjourn at 1:20 p.m. Black seconded; all ayes.

You are invited to visit our web site at www.mennosd.org to participate in our survey. We are interested in knowing what type of services you wish were available in Menno. Some that were mentioned at our meeting were: small engine repair, car wash, service station, second hand store, car dealer, youth center.

Respectfully submitted, Peggy Thranum, Secretary