Community Networking Group - Steering Committee

Meeting Notes: April 6, 2016

                                            Present:  Beal, Ferson, Kiscaden, Lun, Sobol, Stormer

Community Indicators Project:

General Agreements:

• CNG has a general oral agreement with DMC, J2G to use Minnesota Compass as a common data source and Wilder Research as the contractor.  There has been a verbal agreement with DMC and J2G to work toward using a common set of indicators for broad measures of community economic and social vitality and well-being.
• In addition, Wilder Research is developing a contract with DMC for the specific indicators that DMC will require.  
• It is anticipated that Journey to Growth will contract with Wilder Research to assist it with the county profiles that it anticipates developing.

CNG Community Indicators Project:  

            Suggested Name: Olmsted Compass Points   (Note: Name not part of our discussion to date, will need to be confirmed.)

• CNG should launch the project as soon as possible, with the goal of having the first Olmsted Compass Points 2016 available by September, 2016.  
• The indicators report will focus on county level data, using the current Minnesota Compass key measures in 13 topic areas current used in the Compass Points 2016 report.  
• The benchmarks for comparison for trends will be national ranks (not a comparison to Minnesota or SE MN Counties.)
• It is anticipated in future years, there be discussion of expanding topic areas and/or changing some key measures to reflect community needs and preferences.  Note:  Minnesota Compass is in the process of developing the Arts topic area, which has a concern by CNG members. CNG members were also concerned about the adequacy of the mental health indicator (psychiatric admissions.)
• The  Olmsted Compass Points 2016 Report will use the 13 topic areas/categories of key measures currently used in the  Minnesota Compass 2016 report.  

CNG Sponsors Secured:  It was reported that the $10,000 funding target has been met, with some requests still pending.  At this point, the full list of current sponsors and pending sponsors include:

• Olmsted County and City of Rochester:             $3,000 each
• Rochester Area Foundation and United Way:  $1, 000 each
• Mayo:                                                                       $1,500
• Chamber of Commerce                                             ???
• Pending:  Rochester Downtown Alliance  

                        Rochester Public Schools

                        Others????

Governance:

• Rochester Area Foundation has agreed to be the fiscal agent for 2016 and will contract with Wilder Research.
• It had previously been agreed to community organizations could be listed as a sponsor if they made financial contribution or as a supporter, without making a financial contribution.
• Wilder staff have suggested that working with a small group of local stakeholders would facilitate the development of the project.   As part of their contract, Wilder Research is willing to provide some facilitation/convening for that group which will be used to develop the specifics of the community indicators.  
• The Community Networking Group will establish a Committee to provide project oversight and to interface with Wilder Research.  Members of the Committee will be limited to representatives of the groups that are financial contributors to the project.  
• Members identified to date:

• JoAnn Stormer
• Pete Giesen
• Sheila Kiscaden
• Al Lun
• United Way
• Audrey Betcher
• Mayo---- perhaps the researcher from Population Research who attended our first meeting with Wilder Research last summer?
• City:  Jeff Ellerbusch was suggested by Mitzi Baker

Charge to the Olmsted Compass Points Committee:  The specific charge to the Compass Points Committee will need to be developed.  At this point, it has been agreed that the Committee will:

1. Review the contract and agreement with Wilder.
2. Determine the formats of the 2016 report: printed, website, etc.
3. Determine which trends/narrative will be reflected in the narrative on the front and back cover of the Olmsted Compass Points 2016 report.
4. Determine which agencies will be listed as sponsors/supporters
5. Recommend how the report will be disseminated
6. Determine the interval for future reports….annual, biannual, other?4
7. Begin identifying what modifications for future reports would be determined
8. Discuss the potential for coordination of future reports with other community organizations such as Public Health, DMC, and J2G

Schedule of CNG Upcoming Meetings:

 April 28:   Updates on CNG Projects

1. Launching the Community Indicators Project

1. Status Report:  Funding and Sponsors
2. Proposed Governance/Committee:  confirm structure, name, membership
3. Target Date for Publication
4. Distribute Compass Points 2016 

2. Status of the Healthy Community Framework  
3. Update on City’s Comprehensive Plan
4. Update on Improving Transit for Access to the Service Sector

May 26:  Affordable Housing Plans    (proposed speakers…JoAnn Stormer to Coordinate)

    Steve Borchardt, Rochester Area Foundation

    Cheryl Jacobson,  Housing and Redevelopment Authority

June 23:  Labor Force Shortage Impacts on Services Sector (proposed speakers…Jerome Ferson to    coordinate.)

   Jenny Retmann- Workforce Development, Inc.

   Julie Nigon--  Hawthorne Education Center

   Career Pathways

   Business and Workforce Education

   DEED: Labor Force Trends – Mark Schultz