Morris Model

Missed out on our July 8th events around community resilience, emergency planning, extreme weather, and property insurance? Keep reading to learn more!

On a Tuesday afternoon, people trickled into the community area of The Federated Church of Morris to be greeted by the smell of Willie’s barbecue and a tray of lemon bars. This would be the first of two events that day by Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, an organization that works with faith and spiritual communities across the state of Minnesota to become more resilient and adaptable, and the Morris Model, a community partnership with the city, county, university, school district, and multiple regional organizations working to create a rural model community.

The afternoon event focused on the importance of creating community resilience hubs – places and networks that people can go and rely on in times of need, such as after extreme weather or during a crisis – and how the religious communities of Morris can play a role since they already serve the community in certain capacities. Community members discussed at their tables what challenges, barriers, and bridges they saw in and around Morris when it came to community resilience and then were invited to share their conversations with the rest of the group.

People shared how “creating a vibrant network by connecting people” was important for bringing people together, making sure the right people knew the right people, and having the pieces in place to create a resilient network was the goal, no matter what else was accomplished. Another idea that was emphasized during the discussion was that a “resilience hub” includes many different pieces and can be a network of parts that work together, so even if an organization or individual only has a building or food or water to offer, that is enough to be part of the hub. The last point brought up was how critical it is to be prepared and have a plan for when extreme weather hits.

It is important to note that in our community, we have seen glimpses of resilience hubs already in place, doing the work. In the past, Federated Church has been a place where people at the neighboring apartment building can go if the water or electricity is out. Zion Lutheran Church runs the Meals on Wheels program from the Morris Community (Senior) Center. The Lion’s Club is one of points of contact for the county should an emergency happen. The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary has a social care committee. Four of our city buildings have solar on them, the West Central Research and Outreach Center has a portable solar array, and electric vehicle batteries, if hooked up properly, could be used to help power buildings in an emergency.

In Roseville, MN, St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church’s roof can be seen from Highway 36 with its iconic cross created by solar panels. The solar panels have been installed and powering the church since 2016, and are just one of the resilience elements the church has. Their garden consistently donates hundreds of pounds of produce annually, they have a food shelf, they participate in Meals on Wheels, used to have community dinners, have a knitting ministry, and collaborate with multiple other community partners. These are all present here, too, in our Morris community.

Later in the evening, after a couple of local farm tours, the Morris Model and Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light headed up to the West Central Research and Outreach Center for a tour and an evening listening session around the impacts of extreme weather events on the Morris region and property insurance. With the 2022 derecho here in Stevens County and the derecho that happened in Bemidji last month, our community is no stranger to extreme weather and the damage it brings. Peter Brickwedde, Senior Director of Insurance, Sustainability, and Climate at the Minnesota Department of Commerce, joined the session to listen to and answer questions from the community members about their experiences.

One of the key facts that was discussed was how 6 out of 7 years from 2017 to 2023 were unprofitable for homeowners’ insurance in Minnesota, the results of which our communities have felt. Several community members shared how their property insurance has changed over the past years – rates increasing, coverage being dropped, or being told not to file a claim for damage because of how much it would impact their premium. Stories were told of the impact of the 2022 derecho on people’s homes and the wind damage to trees throughout the county, and how these wind storms have caused insurance companies in the area to drop wind damage coverage due to the number of claims. One community member noted, “Even if your insurance company is going to pay for something, you have to find someone to do it”, and the gap in contractor knowledge about new techniques such as a fortified roof – a roof strengthened against storm damages. In Minnesota, there are only four or five fortified roofs currently installed due to the state being at the beginning of training a workforce.

A question that the state insurance office and Peter Brickwedde are trying to answer is how do we get creative with our financial tools that not only allow us to better respond to disasters but also make it less expensive? One possible tool is a parametric insurance product – an agreement that if a specific event happens, the insured person/organization/government will be paid a certain amount of money – and is something a coalition of cities along the Mississippi River are looking into for flooding damages. For cities such as Morris in West Central Minnesota, this agreement may be for wind or hail damages.

The Morris Model is hoping to continue these conversations and give more opportunity for people to share their experiences with extreme weather and property insurance. Community resilience and cultural exchange are two of the partnership’s main pillars and they are looking forward to continuing the emergency planning work with the Morris and Stevens County community. Want to share your story with the Morris Model or get connected? You can contact Talitha Anderson, Morris Model Coordinator, at talitha@ci.morris.mn.us or visit the Morris Model webpage at morrismodel.org.

Check out notes on community input from both events and from the presentations given at the evening listening session!