Logan County Tourism Bureau approaches Lincoln with proposal for new “Welcome Garden”

[May 18, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

On Tuesday evening, Logan County Tourism Director Cris Wibben and Tourism Assistant Morgan Gleason presented a proposal to Lincoln aldermen for a new “Welcome Garden.”

The idea of the garden came up at the April Tourism meeting when it was proposed by Leslie Hoefle. Hoefle talked to the bureau about adding a downtown attraction that would go along with the “quirky” style of many Route 66 attractions, and also pay homage to Logan County in general.

Hoefle said she would like to see the empty lot (often referred to as the ‘grassy knoll’) at the corner of Pekin and Kickapoo Streets turned into a tourist stopping point. She proposed setting up a garden of sorts that would offer those traveling Route 66 to stop, have a photo opportunity, and perhaps spend a little shopping time in the downtown area.

Among the things she was suggesting was a large metal welcome sign and a gazebo. The area would have paver pathways, and also metal corn sculptures that would pay homage to the agricultural influence throughout the county.

Along with this plan would be small signs that indicated it was a photo opportunity location. She suggested these same small signs could be added to other attractions along the Route 66 trek in Lincoln.

Hoefle said she had been inspired by the turn-out at the city-wide trash pick-up day Scott Turner had inspired because it showed that the community was interested in making Lincoln better and willing to do something about it. She said the garden could be a community project of sorts starting with the funding for the project. She explained that she wanted to work with tourism to solicit donations to the project. Tourism would manage the money, but would not be asked to make a significant financial contribution. At the same time, she wanted Tourism to play a role in creating the garden.

The Tourism board members discussed the fact that the Route 66 Scenic Byways has been asking the bureau to consider moving the Route 66 wayside signage at Postville Park to a location closer to the downtown area. The sign could be incorporated into the new garden.

The Bureau Board agreed to get behind the project and established a committee to work on the project.

Tuesday evening, Wibben and Gleason spoke to the council with Hoefle staying in the background. Wibben presented “Lincoln Pride Initiatives” a program that would include taking on small projects in the city with help from community volunteers. She then went on to introduce the ‘Welcome Garden’ as the first project.

She explained the general concept with the corn, the gazebo, the welcome sign and the Route 66 sign, and told the aldermen that to date the committee for the garden has pledges of about $1,200 from various donors, though to date, they have not received any of the cash.

One big part of the plan would be to bring the wayside signage to the garden and have it wired with electricity. It was explained that the sign has lights and music installed that plays. However, the electric was never hooked up at Postville so visitors didn’t get the full benefit of the experience.

Wibben said she understood there was already electric on that corner. City Street Superintendent Walt Landers said there was electric and a meter, but that there would need to be conduit and line ran from the meter to the proposed location for the sign. Wibben was asked if the Bureau or the Initiative could pay the cost of running the electricity. She said yes, the cost would be covered.

Wibben said the committee was hoping to get started immediately. She said they would like to see at least portions of the garden, such as the welcome sign and the gazebo put in place before the Pigs & Swigs Festival on June 1st and 2nd.

Landers talked about the construction projects meeting with city standards and wanted Building and Safety Officer Wes Woodhall to approve the plans and keep an eye on the work in progress.

Hoefle said the committee was hoping to build the garden without the city having to be too intimately involved. This brought on a discussion about how the area would be monitored, maintained, and policed. Was this garden to be considered a park and who would maintain it? Also with it being on city property, the city needed to monitor construction. And, who would pay the electric bill for the wayside signage?

Wibben said the Initiative could reimburse the city for the electricity, and Hoefle suggested that the city could do the mowing.

However, looking back at the comment about the city not being intimately involved in the construction of the park, Tracy Welch suggested that the city handle the garden in the same manner it does the soccer complex – lease the corner to the Initiative for $1 a year.

Michelle Bauer noted that if it was a lease, then the city would not be doing the mowing. Wibben said that was alright, the mowing would be done by the Initiative and Welch supported that saying a number of tourism board members could probably take the time to mow the lot.

The majority of the aldermen appeared to be on board with the lease, and it was placed on the agenda for next Monday night.

The Tourism Bureau will also have to vote on the lease, which will be drawn up by City Attorney Blinn Bates.

Wibben said that the bureau can approve the lease via email so as to move forward with the project once the city approves the lease.

According to the Tourism Bylaws, email consent is acceptable:

Section 4.7 – ACTION WITHOUT A MEETING

To the extent permitted by law, any action that may be taken at a meeting of the Board may be taken without a meeting if consent in writing or email, setting forth the action taken is signed by all of the Directors entitled to vote. All approvals evidencing the consent shall be filed in the corporate records. The action shall be effective when all the directors have approved the consent, unless the consent specifies a different effective date.

It is anticipated that the Lincoln City Council will approve the lease on Monday night and on Tuesday Tourism Bureau board members will be asked to review and approve the lease immediately so that work can begin to have some of the items in place by the first of June.

[Nila Smith]