Held by Northcountry Cooperative Foundation, the ROC USA® Network affiliate working with communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the day-long training serves as both an educational and networking opportunity for ROC Members.
Training topics included filling vacant lots, understanding property management and enforcement, preparing for major community improvement projects, and understanding state and federal housing laws.
The mix of trainings proved to be beneficial for attendees, who all left ready to bring what they learned back home and to encourage their neighbors to join them for future trainings.
“I think it was just excellent,” said Leroy Milliken, Board President of the Zumbro Ridge Estates Board in Rochester, Minn., of the training. “I would recommend it to anyone – Member or Board Member.”
Carlton Dahl, a Board Member at-large of Park Plaza Cooperative in Fridley, Minn., said this was the first training he attended and that he got a lot out of the experience.
“It was a lot of information I can use,” he said. “I think anyone that’s a ROC Member should come to this.”
NCF works with 12 cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin, representing more 700 homes in the Network. Along with the trainings from NCF and invited speakers, Julie Martinez, the Cooperative Housing Specialist for NCF, said the event allows attendees to learn a lot from one another and their shared experience.
“The more people that come, the more information that is shared, the more we can glean from each other,” she said.
