ITEM 3.3C OHPC 12.11.2012 Minutes1 7rM
Otsego Heritage Preservation Commission
December 11., 2012
Present: Chris Wilson, Toni Seroshek, Gail Anderson.
Called and excused: John Noll, Tom Constant, Lisa Fahey, Jamie Piantenberg-
Selbitchka. Also present: Council Member Doug Schroeder, Mayor Jessica
Stockamp briefly attended.
Quorum not present so no forma[ business was enacted. Toni did call the
meeting to order at 7:10pm. Minutes of the last meeting will be reviewed at the
next meeting, January 8 and amended or approved.
Discussion of the committee to be formed to flan the interior of Prairie Hall
yielded the information that Ross, Mayor Stockamp and Doug Schroeder will be
on this committee and three others will be picked from outside the Commission
system to involve as many citizens as possible.
Gail & Toni met with Dan Licht and Kim Welter, graphic designer, to share
information re; the park research and sign project. Doug states that Ross is very
eager to have Otsego history in the entry hall of the Prairie Center all the way to
the largest meting room. We discussed possibly getting two of each sign to post
both at the parks and in the hallway, We also discussed having two signs at
Prairie Park, one showing some of the major building sites of the originsl town
site at City Hail and another talking specifically about the history of this particular
land at another location TBD.
The final report from Dr. Rothaus was received. We will need to read his report
and Toni will ask Dan if Dr. Rothaus returned the artifacts found.
We discussed the old town hall/School Dist. 11 building. Gail will write an article
about it to see if any citizens of Otsego or the surrounding area have any ideas
about reuse. She will run it by Dan when written. We want to include that the
area is designated as Wild and Scenic by the DNR so that the land can only be
used as a park or residential. The building has the issue of deterioration
continuing and should either be preserved (costly) and repurposed or
demolished. We discussed That this building is the only public building in Otsego
of historical value and an iconic landmark so the OHPC Commission would prefer
to see it preserved if we can find a reuse strategy. It would be ideal if someone
were wilting to preserve the outside's historical integrity and use the inside for a
home or other purpose at their own cost.
Pictures to hang in the City Hall were discussed. Gail heard from one resident
who will help her mother-in-law submit her considerable collection of early
pictures. Gail and Dan were called by a resident who has the equipment to
scan historical photos with high resolution, Mark Pletsch (763-274-2102 &
763 439-3686,) Dan had stated that he would check out whether he was offering
as a volunteer or if there would he a labor charge as well as materials.
We discussed Jessica's very generous offer to have her husband and her paint the
OHPC room if we could prepare it by moving items out of the room or to the
center of the room and removing or pounding in the anchors and spackling.
Jessica will lei us know if and when this is possible.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:28pm. NEXT METING IS ON JAN. S AT 7PM.
Recorder; Gail Anderson