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Otsego Heritage Preservation Commission plans Prairie Festival displays and refocuses cemetery tour on women
Summary
At its June 10 meeting, the Otsego Heritage Preservation Commission discussed Prairie Festival displays, a new cemetery-tour write-up focused on women buried locally, time capsule plaque plans, and membership recruitment strategies. Commissioners unanimously approved routine agenda items and adjourned at 7:58 PM.
The Otsego Heritage Preservation Commission met Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the Otsego Fire Station to review routine business and plan outreach for the Prairie Festival and the 2026 cemetery tour. Chair Kelly Kiffmeyer led the meeting; Council members Tanner and Lund also provided updates.
Chair Kelly Kiffmeyer said the commission will investigate adding a plaque to the time capsule currently housed in the Prairie Center, and Council member Tanner suggested arranging a photograph with the mayor to accompany the time-capsule display. OHPC staff recommended that time-capsule contents and a photo be included among exhibits at the Prairie Festival so visitors can see how the event has changed over time.
The commission discussed event displays at the fire station. Dan Licht recommended using historical barn photos—firefighters reportedly refer to the station as "the barn." Chair Kiffmeyer said she will check the commission's computer access for electronic versions of barn photographs so they can be displayed at the station and at Prairie Festival events.
On programming and outreach, Commissioner Kiffmeyer said she will draft a Facebook post to recruit new commission members. Commissioner Brooke Nault suggested using sign-in sheets at events such as the cemetery tour to gather contact information from attendees who express interest in joining.
The commission also discussed the Holt family donations. Members requested photos of smaller donated items but noted they have not yet received a response from the Holt family about providing images or additional details.
Planning for the cemetery tour was a focal point: Kiffmeyer reported connecting with SOAR and said she intends to prepare a new write-up for the 2026 cemetery tour that emphasizes the lives of the women buried there. The commission agreed to highlight the cemetery tour among Prairie Festival offerings.
Votes at a glance: The commission approved the meeting agenda (motion by Commissioner Brooke Nault; second by Commissioner Marti Carroll), approved the May 19, 2026 minutes (motion by Commissioner Marti Carroll; second by Commissioner Brooke Nault), and voted to adjourn at 7:58 PM (motion by Commissioner Brooke Nault; second by Commissioner Marti Carroll). Each motion was recorded as "all in favor" and carried.
The next regular meeting was set for July 14, 2026. Minutes were prepared by Commissioner Brooke Nault.
