Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Park Passport topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission hears Park Passport idea; staff and commissioners favor a small pilot
Summary
A commissioner proposed a Park Passport program to encourage residents to visit city parks by submitting selfies at park features; staff estimated modest costs and asked for a one‑page proposal and sample flyer to bring back to the commission.
Commissioner Rachel Lucas proposed a consumer‑facing “Park Passport” program that would encourage residents to visit North St. Paul parks by submitting selfies at park signs or notable park features in exchange for small prizes.
Rachel described a simple, self‑paced program in which participants photograph themselves at each park and upload images to a city web page. After staff review, participants would receive a small midway or completion prize. Rachel suggested modest incentives — stickers, magnets or a small gift card as a midway prize and a city‑branded hat or shirt as a completion reward — and presented a rough estimated budget for a 300‑participant pilot in the low thousands. She told the commission the program would require about 20 hours of staff time per 300 submissions for verification and prize distribution.
Staff and commissioners discussed logistics and asked for simplifications to reduce administrative burden. Staff said tracking T‑shirt sizes and stocking many completion items raised management costs; commissioners suggested starting with low‑cost items (stickers or magnets) and using a raffle or occasional larger prize to increase participation. Commissioners offered to assist with verification when submissions arrive; one commissioner volunteered to review submissions and help distribute prizes.
Commissioners asked Rachel to prepare a one‑page program description and an example flyer with a QR code and sample image prompts for the next meeting. Staff said the city can host the submission page and that communications staff could add promotion channels — the city website, social media and the utility bill insert the commission discussed earlier — once the commission provides final wording and graphics.
Next steps: Rachel will draft a one‑page program proposal and an example flyer (including a QR code) for the commission and staff to review at the next meeting. Commissioners endorsed a small pilot approach rather than larger upfront purchases.
