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2013 HPC Annual ReportMEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Tammy de Weerd Council President Charlie Rountree Council Vice President Keith Bird Councilman David Zaremba Councilman Joe Borton Councilman Luke Cavener Councilwoman Genesis Milam FROM: Historic Preservation Commissioners Blaine Johnston, Chairman Carol Harms, Vice Chairman Steve Turney Dr. Frank Thomason Dr. Thomas Hammond Joely Walters DATE: January 9, 2014 SUBJECT: Annual Historic Preservation Commission Update In 2013 we partnered with TAG Historical Research and Consulting Group to develop afive- year plan for the Commission. The goal of this partnership is to identify and prioritize the areas of historic significance within the City of Meridian determining which areas are at a greater risk for losing their structural integrity and/or being compromised by development. The commission will use this information to schedule and pursue additional surveys of the area as well as consider possible nominations to the National Historic Registry. The Commission celebrated National Historic Preservation Month in May by hosting three free presentations. This year was especially important as Idaho also celebrated its Territory Sesquicentennial. The three presentations discussed the topics of irrigation, the interurban railroad, and Abraham Lincoln's effect on Idaho's early development. Approximately 35 citizens attended the events in the Council Chambers. We received statewide recognition for these presentation through Preservation Idaho. HPC maintained their website and Facebook page during the year. Using electronic methods to promote the Commission and other historic activities in the area has proved to be a successful and low-cost way to "advertise." Moving forward the Commission will continue to use those methods but will also focus on new ways to have a presence within the community. We sent a commissioner to a training hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The skills, ideas, and information learned in that session will help continue to propel the discussions at HPC forward into the new year. The Commission will continue to work with ITD as well as other local historic commissions regarding the development of State Highway 16 and the mitigation funds associated with the project. A member or representative of HPC will continue to attend any scheduled meetings to keep the Commission involved and to maintain a vote on how the mitigation funds may be spent. Members of the Commission participated in a Walking Tour subcommittee. This group features a unique partnership with the City and Meridian Development Corporation (MDC). The Commission would like to see the tour completed and ready to launch before the first of 2014. The updated tour will provide citizens with a fully accessibly multimedia historical experience. The new brochure includes QR codes that directly link to the newly created "Our History" page within the City's website. This new site highlights each of the properties on the Walking Tour as well as other fun and information topics regarding early Meridian. A citizen can walk the tour and, and by using their smartphone, view the website with additional information and videos that feature historian, Lila Hill and her unique and valuable perspective on the early community and residents. Part of this project's first phase will include the design, construction, and installation of a historical panel on the City Hall plaza. This panel with be the first of many markers that will be installed along the route of the tour. The Commission is hopeful that this new signage will grab the attention of a few new guests and provide an opportunity for schools, families, and even the youngest of historian to experience life in early Meridian. Working with the History Center and Historical Society the City will soon have access to many new and never before publicly seen photographs. Original slides are set to be converted to JPEG images and then will be printed for public viewing. These new photographs are going to provide an even more wonderful experience to visitors of the History Center.