Spruce Up Austin, Inc. is entering its 20th year of existence with an ambitious plan for potential community betterment projects.

The organization’s board members heard an update from project committee chairman Mike Ruzek, when they met Thursday morning at Town Center, Austin.

According to Ruzek, the projects committee members brainstormed ideas for 2009 at a recent meeting.

The committee includes Darlene Thaisen, Julie Thomsen, Lynn Cunningham, Howard Nepp, Kim Underwood, Rich Chuick and Ruzek.

Topping the list of ideas is the George A. Hormel Plaza, saluting the founder of the meat and food processing company that bears his name and the family’s linkage to Austin history for 118 years.

The list of ideas also includes landscaping at the new Seibel Family Visitation and Child Exchange Center.

Also under consideration is the replacement of trees lining Hormel Century Parkway between the Hormel company’s flagship plant at the Horace Austin Park.

Perhaps SUA, Inc.’s most remembered project was the “100 Trees for Hormel” done in 1991, when the company celebrated its centennial.

New berms constructed as part of the city of Austin’s flood control measures are also a possible place for attention.

The project committee also suggested replacement of trees lost after the sesquicentennial tree-planting of 150 more trees.

New “welcome” signs along East Oakland Avenue at Chauncy Apartments and at the west edge of the city limits are also a possible SUA, Inc. project.

According to Ruzek, SUA, Inc. enters 2009 in its strongest financial position since it was created 20 years ago.

“SUA faces a wonderful challenge to provide good stewardship of the money contributors have entrusted to our care,” he said.

Ruzek said some of the contributions through the years “have been given with some guidelines as to use.”

Meanwhile, other contributions have no restrictions other than the SUA, Inc. mission statement.

Ruzek said it will be important for SUA, Inc. to “identify the different contributions as we discuss ideas for the use of this money.”

One example of that kind of financial challenge occurred after the extremely generous gift of $180,000 from the Harold and Lydia Lein estate to the city’s PRF Department in addition to another $30,000 gift.

The Lein estate also gifted SUA, Inc. $20,000 last year so “SUA can continue the good work to spruce up Austin.”

In early 2007, the Austin 150 Inc. sesquicentennial committee gave SUA, Inc. $3,500 without any restrictions on how to spend it.

Meanwhile, SUA, Inc. has poured four years of the popular summer garden tour proceeds — $3,500 — into its general fund .

The new George A. Hormel Plaza project attracted the Weyerhaeuser Foundation’s attention and a $2,500 contribution that is for the plaza project’s use only.

It is such generous contributions as those mentioned and others that puts SUA, Inc. into an enviable financial position in its 20th anniversary year.

More information about the proposed George A. Hormel Plaza project emerged at Thursday morning’s SUA, Inc. meeting.

According to Gretchen Ramlo, who is co-chairing the plaza project committee with former Austin mayor Bonnie Rietz, the project could be the biggest yet of its kind involving SUA, Inc.

Jon W. Erichson, the city’s director of public works, and Tom Graff of the Austin PRF are designing a location in Austin Community Bandshell Park, where the popular Veterans Pavilion attraction is located.

According to Ramlo, the plaza project would be both educational and historical as it depicts the Hormel family’s many contributions to the quality of life in the city’s history.

Ramlo also said the plaza project committee is thinking of fundraising ideas that will be “fun.”

The Hormel Plaza project will include sculptures that are being designed by Jeff Anderson of Anderson Memorials.

Promoting the arts is another goal of plaza project’s profile; thus, the emphasis placed on statuary.

The South Main Street area could generate more excitement with the proposed improvements to a prominent landscaping area that includes Rotary Centennial Park and memorial trees to Dennis Maschka, the long-time and beloved Austin PRF director, who died last summer.

Volunteers are also exploring possibly completing the Mower County Veterans Memorial on the west courthouse lawn in downtown Austin.

According to Ruzek, linking the Hormel plaza project with the Veterans Memorial improvements is a natural connection, because of the many documented patriotic deeds of both George A. Hormel and his son, J. Catherwood Hormel, during World War I and World War II.

Ruzek invited SUA, Inc. members to review the list of possible projects in 2009 for further discussion at the organization’s next meeting.

In addition to SUA, Inc.’s own 20th anniversary plans in 2009, there is expected to be some commemoration of the city of Austin’s 30th anniversary of being declared a Tree City USA.

According to Kim Underwood, new SUA, Inc. board member and the city’s new PRF director, Austin was the second city in Minnesota to receive the designation in 1979, when then-PRF director Maschka directed the city department.