Transform Todd: Todd County’s visioning session

Whether it was the promise of dessert and door prizes or passion for the future of Todd County, a hundred Todd County residents spent 3 ½ hours indoors on a lovely spring evening. Their mission was to consider the future of life here in mid-Minnesota. They gathered at the Browerville Community Center to do it.

As with any event worth its salt, the visioning session held on June 8 began with food. After everyone had their fill of barbecue on buns, pork and beans, cole slaw and beverages, they were ready to get down to business. Lynn Fabro, Browerville's city administrator welcomed everyone to the community, population 734, in the middle of the county.

The Initiative Foundation's Don Hickman led the visioning session. He described Todd County as possessing "exciting demographics" with a population ahead of much of the rest of Minnesota in aging. "There are many assets here, now. What do we want the future to look like?" he asked.

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County Administrator Nate Burkett prepared for the visioning session by looking at the county as it is today and asking questions about the future. "What do we know about today? What do we think we know about tomorrow? What do we think we can do about what we think we know about tomorrow?" That may sound a little confusing but so will our future be if we don't plan for it. "I don't see a broken system. We are forward thinking and care for our neighbors. But the system is stretched. There are more seniors needing more services." He acknowledged that those aging into the future may want different services than those who are reaching advanced ages today.

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Getting down to the visioning process of the evening, folks sat at their dining tables in groups of seven or eight and first did some solitary thinking about the assets Todd County has and then the challenges or problems. The first question asked about positive things. The second asked, "If you wanted to discourage a senior friend or relation from moving here what are the things you would tell them about?" Table mates shared their lists with each other, compiling one list that a representative from each table shared with the entire group. Items were written on large pieces of white paper that paraded along the walls.

The list of assets was long and appreciative; from natural resources to safe communities, helpful businesses, clean air, family values, community centers, museums and generous foundations. The list of challenges was just as long. From those lists more lists were compiled, this time reflecting tangible changes that could realistically be made in three to five years.

Using a newly minted term, the outcomes were prioritized using "dot-mocracy." Each participant was given three sticky paper dots. Walking along the lists, folks placed their dots next to the changes they thought were most needed and had potential for getting accomplished. Those who felt a desire to volunteer toward achieving those goals also left their names and contact information on sticky notes.

The apple crisp, ice cream and door prizes awaited those who stayed to the end; and most of the 100 attendees did.

Under a heading of Tranform Todd, the visioning session returned a top ten of desired outcomes. Leading the list were: campaign to revitalize downtowns and encourage folks to "buy local," rehab the Eagle Bend Senior Center (the hub of senior activities and source of meals for home delivery throughout the county), and reasonable healthcare. Other desired outcomes included: broadband access, development of green energy sources, grow senior center programs to attract new retirees, good jobs to bring back young people, develop a faith in action program to encourage the churches to offer more services, develop a community wide calendar of events, establish a county-wide scheduled transportation program.

The next step will be for the Initiative Foundation to more carefully analyze the results of the evening's work. They'll bring a work plan to the next meeting of this healthy community partnership group. The Initiative Foundation will continue to financially support the efforts to Transform Todd.

"We all would like to be rich and good looking," said Don Hickman, "But we have to work with what we have." That's true whether it's an individual or a county.

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