City Seeks Nominations for Community Builder Award

The City of Burnsville is seeking outstanding volunteers, public servants and others who work for the greater good: Once again, the city is taking nominations for its Community Builder Award.

The Community Builder Award made its debut in 1998.

"We wanted to acknowledge the people who give so much to the community," said Mayor Elizabeth Kautz.

The concept for the award was inspired by one of Kautz' heroes, Loren Eiseley, an academic and essayist. Eiseley wrote of walking on a beach after a great storm and seeing hundreds of starfish beached on the shore. As soon as the sun got high, the starfish were sure to die. In the distance, he saw a man dancing, only to realize that the man was flinging the creatures back into the sea one by one.

"I said to him that I thought he was foolish. There were thousands of starfish on miles and miles of beach. One man alone could never make a difference," Eiseley wrote. "He smiled as he picked up the next starfish. Hurling it far into the sea he said, 'It makes a difference for this one.' I abandoned my writing and spent the morning throwing starfish." 

Kautz said the story spurred her to try to recognize those who make a difference, one small step at a time. Since that time, the council has given the award to dozens of Burnsville residents and organizations, among them Mary Ajax of 360 Communities, super volunteer Kathy LaValle, and Marian Geddes who helped write a history of the town in 2000. For a complete list of past recipients, click here.

The award is open to individuals, groups, or businesses in Burnsville. 

Residents are encouraged to submit nominations, either on paper or electronically. To submit a nomination vie the web, click here for the nomination form. Once complete, e-mail the form to City Clerk Macheal Brooks at macheal.brooks@ci.burnsville.mn.us. 

Those who would rather submit paper copies are asked to print off the nomination form and mail it to the following address once complete:

Community Builder Award
City of Burnsville
100 Civic Center Parkway
Burnsville, MN 55337

Residents may also send a typed letter including the name of the nominee, contact information and reason for nomination to the address above.

Nominees will be vetted by the council over the next few months. Finalists are typically recognized at the council's second meeting in October, Brooks said.