The Eureka Envisioning Task Force was established by the town board in July 2001 and charged to work with Dakota County and 1000 Friends of Minnesota to formulate and discuss various growth scenarios for the township, and then learn about the potential impacts of each growth scenario on such things as water quality, agriculture, wildlife, township infrastructure, and resident quality of life. The task force was created as a discussion and educational group, not a policy making group; it was not empowered to make planning decisions for the township. The task force met approximately every three weeks until it completed its study in November 2003.

In November 2002, task force members held a public open house to present preliminary results of their work and provide an opportunity for public feedback and comment. More than 70 interested residents from Eureka attended the two-hour event to learn about the project.

The task force held a second open house in November 2003, where it released its written report of findings to the township. About 90 Eureka residents and landowners attended the two hour presentation. A summary of the materials presented at the open house is available online.

A copy of the task force’s complete 80-page written report is available at the Lakeville and Farmington libraries. The report is also available for purchase on CD for $2.00 ($3.00 with shipping and handling). A 24-page summary version of the report is available for purchase in hardcopy for $17.00 ($20.00 with shipping and handling). To order, contact Town Clerk Nanett Sandstrom.

Envisioning Task Force Members

The Eureka Town Board would like to thank the following members of the Envisioning Task Force for their time spent and for a job well done:

Chairman
MIKE GRECO

Recorder
AMY NIELSEN

Member
RAY KAUFENBERG

Member
PAT STEEGE

Member
RANDY WOOD

Member
JODY ARMAN-JONES

Member
BOB PAPKE

Member
BEV TOPP

Member
JERRY SWEDIN
Resigned March 2003

Envisioning Task Force Members

Approved minutes for all Envisioning Task Force meetings are contained in the archive below. Choose a date from the list to download minutes from that meeting as a PDF file. (Note: To view PDF files after downloading, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader)

May 4,2001
(Board Motion
to Create TF)
Jan. 30, 2002 Oct. 17, 2002 May 20, 2003
July 9, 2001
(Board Motion to
Appoint Members)
Feb. 21, 2002 Oct. 29, 2002 June 4, 2003
July 25, 2001 Mar. 6, 2002 Nov. 14, 2002 June 17, 2003
(Task Force
Statement to
Town Board)
Aug. 2, 2001 Mar. 20, 2002 Dec. 18, 2002 July 10, 2003
Aug. 9, 2001 April 25, 2002 Jan. 9, 2003 July 30, 2003
Aug 30, 2001 May 9, 2002 Jan. 30, 2003 Aug. 11, 2003
(Presentation of
Written Report to
Town Board)
Sept. 12, 2001 May 22, 2002 Feb. 26, 2003 Oct. 16, 2003
Sept. 26, 2001 June 6, 2002 Mar. 18, 2003 Oct. 28, 2003
Oct. 17, 2001 June 13, 2002 2003 Annual
Meeting
Presentation
Nov. 6, 2003
Nov. 1, 2001 Sept. 5, 2002 April 8, 2003 Nov. 20, 2003
(Public Open
House)
Dec. 5, 2001 Oct. 10, 2002 May 19, 2003
(Progress Report
to board)
Dec. 8, 2003
(Presentation of
Open House
Survey Results to
Town Board)

Envisioning In The News

Several articles about the Envisioning Task Force have appeared in local or national publications. A short article appeared in the August 5, 2002 issue of Newsweek magazine. One of Eureka’s partners in the Envisioning Project, 1000 Friends of Minnesota, published articles about the study in its quarterly newsletter in Spring 2002 and August 2002. The November-December 2003 issue of Minnesota Township News, the official publication of the Minnesota Association of Townships, featured an article about the Envisioning Task Force completing its two-year study. The November 13, 2003 Lakeville Life and Times and the November 28, 2003 Farmington Independent newspapers also published articles about the task force’s work.

Envisioning Task Force Resources

For Eureka citizens interested in community visioning and related issues, the Envisioning Task Force has compiled a list of resources (PDF file – requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to read or print).

Many Envisioning-related resources are also available online:

1000 Friends of Minnesota
Dedicated to balancing growth and conservation in Minnesota. One of Eureka’s partners in the Envisioning Project.

CommunityViz
The software program that formed the technical foundation for the Eureka Envisioning Project.

Dunn County Web Site
Dunn County, Wisconsin, located just outside Madison, has had great success using land protection strategies to preserve farmland and open space.

Dakota County Internet Real Estate Inquiry
Online access to geographic and tax record information maintained by Dakota County for individual parcels of property.

Minnesota Department of Planning 2000 U.S. Census Page
Links to 2000 U.S. Census data for Minnesota.

Next Step
The Web site of the Minnesota Sustainable Communities Network, a project of the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance.

The Smart Growth Network
The Smart Growth Network (SGN) encourages development that serves the economy, community and the environment.

State-by-State Smart Growth News
Provides monthly news summaries of smart growth activity throughout the United States.

Sustainable Communities Network

Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development
U.S. Department of Energy site with information on sustainable development as a strategy for community well-being.

What is Sustainability?
A project of the University of Oregon’s Extension Service.

Congress for the New Urbanism
Resources, forums, and news from an organization that promotes new-urbanist ideals.

Communities by Choice
A network of communities, organizations, and individuals committed to sharing knowledge and resources that advance the practice of sustainable community development.

Scenic America
Dedicated to helping communities protect natural beauty and distinctive community character while accommodating growth.

10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania
An alliance of organizations and individuals committed to land use policies that will enable Pennsylvania to strengthen its urban, suburban, and rural communities and reduce sprawl. Lots of useful resources.

Trust for Public Land
A national non-profit that works to protect land for human enjoyment and well-being and to improve the health and quality of life of American communities.

Minnesota Land Trust
A St. Paul-based non-profit that works with landowners and communities to protect Minnesota’s land and water resources.

American Land Conservancy
A non-profit organization that partners with communities, private landowners, local lands trusts, public land agencies, and elected officials to create effective conservation solutions for threatened land and water resources.

Minnesota Rural Water Association
A non-profit that provides the latest information, education, and technical assistance to protect public waters and improve the quality of life in rural Minnesota.

Renewing the Countryside
Documents the stories of 43 Minnesotans protecting the environment and promoting rural communities through innovative businesses and community projects. To read the stories online, choose “Region Search” and then click on Minnesota.

Rural Heritage Program
An arm of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this program’s website lists many good publications and websites related to rural conservation.

Dakota County Farmland and Natural Areas Project
A citizen-centered project to identify important or sensitive farmland and natural areas in the County and to identify ways to protect these lands through the use of voluntary tools.

Land Stewardship Project
Promoting local, sustainable farming since 1982 by promoting humane and environmentally friendly practices, connecting farmers and consumers, and organizing for family farms.

American Farmland Trust
American Farmland Trust is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1980 to stop the loss of productive farmland.

National Trust for Historic Preservation
Provides leadership, education, and advocacy to save America’s diverse historic places and revitalize rural communities.

Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
A partnership of community and University of Minnesota resources committed to promoting sustainable agriculture in Minnesota.

Orton Family Foundation
The Orton Family Foundation is a not-for-profit, private operating foundation with a mission to assist rural communities.

Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance
Seeks to help make Minnesota environmentally healthy and economically strong through efficient resource use, responsible management of waste, pollution prevention, and sustainable practices.

American Planning Association
A non-profit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning.

Minnesota Planning
Home page of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Planning Commissioners Journal
City and regional planning resources.

Dakota County Transportation Department

Met Council Home Page

Building Better Rural Places
A 160-page online resource guide to federal programs offering assistance in sustainable agriculture, land conservation, rural comunity development, and sustainable land and resource management.

Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
Work to sustain Minnesota communities and industries and achieve regional sustainability by addressing community-identified agriculture, natural resources, and tourism issues in partnership with the University of Minnesota.