Council concerned about vitality developer
Published 2:50 pm Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Albert Lea City Council voiced opinions Thursday against working with a Minneapolis real estate developer who wants to establish a commercial business plan and funding for a vitality resource center.
The developer, Rodney Hardy, sought to market the vitality efforts taking place in Albert Lea, under the name Vitality Ventures LLC., to the region and the nation.
During discussion about the issue at the council’s workshop, several councilors expressed frustrations about a duplication in services and a friction between Hardy and the local National Vitality Center’s leadership team, which was enacted with the pilot AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project in 2009.
The leadership team, made up of volunteers from numerous local organizations, have been the top promoters behind the vitality initiatives taking place in the city.
They’ve sought to continue the local success of the 10-month pilot project, which encouraged residents to make simple environmental changes to live a healthier lifestyle.
The leadership team and the city still receive calls from other communities around the country and world interested in implementing a similar program.
Councilors expressed concern about who would own the data collected from the vitality initiatives.
A few members of the leadership team were in attendance at the workshop and also voiced disapproval of an agreement with Hardy. They talked about the success they’ve seen with the initiatives, along with the new projects and events planned for this spring and summer. They said they want to continue with the momentum they’ve had.
“Experts and best practices in community initiatives have told us that community initiatives and commitment come before all else,” the leadership team states on a handout given to the council Thursday. “This is where our focus has always been and where it will remain. For us this is not about a building or selling our statistics.”
Pat Mulso, a member of the team, said a major part of the group’s concern was the volunteers who have worked diligently on this initiative.
“We don’t want them to be discounted or discredited for what they’ve done,” Mulso said. “We believe we have a lot of good things in process and planned. We don’t want someone from the outside coming in who has really had no part in the project and try to change things.”
Albert Lea Mayor Vern Rasmussen said though he was initially in favor of working with Hardy because of the potential funding that could come out of it, it was clear after discussion Thursday that the most important part of moving the Vitality Project forward is the local initiatives. He said it was clear the vitality team and Hardy would not be able to get along.
“The council realized it’s not about money,” Mulso said. “It’s about making our community a healthier place and a better place to live.”
A potential agreement had been in the works for several months after Hardy and a few of the councilors, along with city staff, met to develop drafts of the agreement.
Hardy had initially approached the National Vitality Center’s leadership team at least a year ago with the idea but was turned down.
He said he had seen the interest and value in the project from across the country, and he hoped to help the efforts by seeking grants and developing data that could be marketed to other communities that want to engage in a similar healthy living initiative.
He said he had a private investor who was willing to risk his own money to support Hardy’s efforts. The city would have not had any funding commitment to the project.
A draft of the agreement with Hardy — which is no longer moving forward — discussed establishing a business plan, establishing organizational management policies, establishing a procedure for partnership programs with vitality businesses, establishing a program guide for training, assisting in developing marketable data and establishing procedures for marketing and outreach.
The consultant would have reported to the City Council at least once a month and would have been paid $4,000 a month, plus travel and other costs of up to $1,000 per month, all from money donated by the investor. If Hardy obtained any grants, he would have received 5 percent of those funds.
The agreement would have run for six months unless continued by a mutual written contract.
Third Ward Councilor Ellen Kehr said she had a gut feeling the agreement would not be in the best interest of residents and questioned whether it was going to accomplish anything other than get people confused.
“I don’t think the vitality team has an aversion to going on a bigger scale, but something about this doesn’t feel like this is the best way,” Kehr said. “If I thought this would help it, I’d be on it in a heartbeat.”
She said she did not have confidence in Hardy and did not know how he would accomplish his goals without significant input from the National Vitality Center team.
“He doesn’t have anything to lose here, but I think we do,” she added.
In an interview Friday, Kehr expanded on her opinion presented at the Thursday meeting.
She said the goals of Hardy and the leadership team were not aligned.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea if it was for the city of Albert Lea, but my gut feeling is Mr. Hardy wants to basically buy the Blue Zones story,” Kehr said.
After hearing Kehr’s comments, along with some comments from a few members of the National Vitality Center team, Hardy told the council that if they did not feel like he was going to take the city’s best interest to heart, he didn’t want them to continue talks with him.
“I certainly will not walk into a place if I’m causing friction,” Hardy said.
Look to Monday’s edition of the Tribune for multiple stories giving an update on the Albert Lea vitality initiative.