November 2011 - The Galena Territory

6 November 2011 ASSOCIATIONNEWS
By LINDA NIESSNER
GTF Board President
By JOE MATTINGLEY
GTA General Manager
With so much happening around The Territory, I
wanted to share some status reports on some very important
GTA initiatives. All the updates
I’m providing are current as of Oct.
10, 2011.
Belden School ~ Teaching
Again has become the motto
of The Galena
Te r r i t o r y ’s
restored oneroom
school.
The floors,
ceiling, walls,
chalkboards,
f u r n i t u r e
and artifacts
are restored
and in place,
a c c u r a t e l y
depicting a
country school as it was in
the past. Old and new lessons
are taught to those who walk
through Belden’s doors.
There is, however, one
new addition to Belden that
students and teachers who
learned and taught at Belden
School from 1859-1943 could
never have imagined being in
THUNDER BAY ROAD STATUS UPDATE
We continue to work with the East
Galena Township Road Commissioner
to determine the next steps in getting
this important road within The Galena
Territory repaired. As you’ve probably
heard, Jo Daviess County was
not declared a federal disaster area by
FEMA, so East Galena Township no
longer has the opportunity from FEMA to secure a lowinterest
federal loan to make the necessary road repairs.
East Galena Township has continued to review alternate
funding options to make the repairs. Until they identify
their appropriate funding route and determine the timeframe,
I don’t have any information to share with you at
this time regarding when the repair work will start, and
when it should be finished.
Together with East Galena Township, we have finalized
the engineering studies for both our hillside responsibilities
(property owned by the GTA) and the
land beneath the road (property owned by East Galena
Township.) It’s important to know that under no circumstances
will the GTA or property owners pay for
the reconstruction of Thunder Bay Road. Thunder Bay
Road and the land it sits upon is the sole responsibility
of East Galena Township. The GTA is responsible for the
repair work required to shore-up the hillside across from
place at the small limestone
building. This addition is a
black and gold plaque identifying
Belden School as a
Landmark Schoolhouse. It
signifies that Belden School is
listed on the National School
Register. Awarded to Belden
Territory Times
Thunder Bay Falls, which supports the road. This hillside
repair is included in the total storm damage costs the
GTA is collecting to determine our financing options.
See the following section on how we might pay for the
hillside repairs, and other storm-related repair work.
FUNDING FOR STORM DAMAGE REPAIRS
At the Aug. 27, 2011, Board of Directors Meeting,
the board approved an emergency assessment in the
amount not to exceed $210 per property (if needed)
to fund the emergency repairs caused by the storm
damage and that the dollars collected will go into a
special account to only be used for storm repairs and
related items.
Why? The simple fact is that the Association does not
have available cash on hand nor adequate funds budgeted
beyond those already designated in the 2011 and
2012 budgets to pay for these unexpected expenses.
The line of credit approved at the Oct. 1 board
meeting will help our cash flow situation as we begin
to pay for the repair work completed so far. How we
repay this line of credit is still open for discussion by
the board and includes possibly obtaining a bank loan,
using funds from the sale of the Vincent Farm (if it is
sold in a timely manner), and of course, levying the
emergency assessment discussed above. When funding
decisions are made, the decisions and next steps will
be shared with all property owners.
The emergency assessment would not be levied until
the GTA has identified all the real costs associated
with repairing the storm damage. Management is still
collecting cost estimates and invoices for the storm
repairs, which continue to change daily as plans are revised
and engineering estimates are refined. The actual
amount of the emergency assessment, or how it will be
implemented, has not yet been determined.
School by the Country School
Association of America
(CSAA), this marker recognizes
that Belden contributes
in a significant way to the historical
heritage of one-room
schoolhouses.
Renovated and preserved
country schools are a rare find
in this day and age. Belden
School almost slipped through
our fingers, but with the help
and support of many it now
stands strong for future generations.
The Country School
Association of America recognizes
the significant effort
involved in restoring and preserving
this piece of history.
Listing on the National
Schoolhouse Register is an
honor bestowed by the CSAA.
It gives Belden school prestige,
hopefully provides protection
in the future, and possibly helps
with eligibility for other preservation
distinctions.
www.thegalenaterritory.com
Operating Management Team Update
Fall Initiatives at the Top of our List
Joe
Mattingley
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROGRESS
By the time you read this article, the board will have
completed three of the four planned workshops to build
our strategic framework, which documents all elements
of our organization’s overall strategic direction and supports
consistent communication of the strategy to internal
and external audiences. The strategic framework
discussions are structured in three parts to address fundamental
strategic questions:
1. Who are we? (Our mission)
2. Where are we going? (Our vision)
3. How are we going to get there? (Our strategies)
Since the late-80s, the GTA has been adhering to its
current mission statement that was created by the then
current board. It states:
The GTA’s mission is to foster the development and
use of The Galena Territory through the wise allocation
of resources; to manage and maintain services, infrastructure
and amenities consistent with property owners
interests; and to protect the natural environment and the
character of the surrounding scenic area.
While we’ve worked within the boundaries of this mission
for the last few decades, I can’t say we really had
a clear vision as to where we wanted to go. As George
Harrison said in his song, “If you don’t know where
you’re going, any road will take you there.”
Well, when we’ve completed the strategic planning
process, not only will we know where we are going, but
we will have identified the road to take us there. You’ll
hear more about our strategic direction in the coming
months. We hope to have the strategic plan finalized by
the end of November.
If you have any questions, about these items, or
about other issues facing The Galena Territory, please
give me a call at 815-777-2000. I welcome hearing
from you.
Belden School Receives a Significant Distinction
Linda
Niessner
DAILY
Deep in the Woods ~
Belden School ~ Teaching Again!
Lunch & Dinner
Specials
MONDAY ONLY
Bottled Mexican
Beer $1.99
Bottled American
Beer $1.75
Spend $15 or more,
RECEIVE $2 OFF
Spend $25 or more,
RECEIVE $4 OFF
Tax and gratuity not included. Limit
one per customer per visit. Not valid
with any other offer. Dine-in only.
Excludes Fridays & Saturdays. Expires
10/31/2011.
Three Locations to
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975 Galena Sq., Galena
815-777-9066
2700 Dodge St., Dubuque
563-584-0212
2345 Northwest Arterial, Dubuque
(Across from Hy-Vee)
563-583-5026
452629-01(11GTA
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