Those behind a group looking to recognize people key to Austin’s development are making a final push to get nominations.

The nine-member, mayor-appointed selection committee leading the Pillars of City community recognition project are accepting nominations at Austin City Hall through Dec. 31, and Chairman Steve Kime urged people to nominate those past and present Austin residents, whether they’re living or not, who’ve helped better life in Austin or shape the community.

“We want as many people to participate,” Kime said.

The program will honor residents every year by placing a plaque on one of 76 pillars along the flood wall on North Main Street.

Committee members will consider nominations and recognize individuals, past and present, who have made significant contributions to improving the quality of life in Austin related to growth, economic impact, health, education, culture, recreation, communications, business or scientific innovations.

“That’s really what it’s all about. Getting the community involved and really opening it up to learn what other people know of what’s brought us to where we are,” Kime said.

The inaugural batch of five plaques will be placed on pillars during unveiling during the Freedom Fest Celebration around July 4, 2016.

Three plaques will be dedicated in subsequent years after that.

“It’s a great opportunity to really focus on putting some of the history of the city on there and really the people who made those contributions,” Kime said.

Kime said one key goal of the committee is to recognize people for their contributions to town, even if they’re not household names, and he was pleased that the flood wall is highly visible along North Main Street.

“It’s a very prominent place along Main Street,” Kime said.

Nomination forms are available at City Hall, 500 Fourth Ave. NE, www.ci.austin.mn.us, the city’s Facebook page, Austin Public Library and the Austin ArtWorks Center. Nominations are due by Dec. 31. For more information, contact Austin City Hall at 507-437-9940.

Nominations can be found at www.ci.austin.mn.us/nominations-are-now-being-accepted-for-the-pillars-of-the-city-community-recognition-project.html, and Kime recently posted a video on the project on the city’s Youtube page: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_DhAvZvGeU.