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Explore Waseca County app presented to commissioners; county staff to decide promotion and maintenance
Summary
A countywide historical and tourism app combining GPS-driven tours, audio interviews and maps was shown to the board; presenter said it is ready for public release with ongoing edits and staff must decide promotion and upkeep.
John Hansen, representing Explore Waseca County, told the Waseca County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday that a multi-tour app and companion website combining narrated, GPS-driven history tours and tourism information is ready to hand to the county for public use.
Hansen said what began as a city history project expanded into countywide content that now includes tours of schools, parks, trails, shops and restaurants. "I tentatively declare it finished," Hansen said, adding that the tool will require ongoing maintenance to keep listings and hours accurate.
The project includes audio interviews — "priceless" archival material, Hansen said — drone footage provided by the sheriff's office and printable rack cards for distribution to local businesses. Hansen told commissioners the project had about 500 visits in the prior 30 days, including use by sixth-grade classrooms.
Commissioners asked about tracking capabilities and promotion options. Hansen said web analytics show visit counts, page views and session lengths but do not reliably identify visitor origin; targeted advertising via social platforms can direct outreach to specific geographies. He said rack-card printing began the day before the meeting and staff should weigh investing resources for advertising and maintenance.
The chair and other commissioners praised the volunteer effort and student contributions to the project. The board did not take action at the meeting; staff and the board will decide how to proceed with promotion, whether to allocate resources for advertising, and how to handle ongoing content updates.
The next procedural step is for county staff to determine a maintenance and promotion plan and report back to the board.
