2/8/2010 Minutes
EPIC Board Present: Carol Pass (CP), Rosie Cruz (RC),
Mary Gonsior (MG), Linda Leonard (LL),
EPIC Members Present: Brad Pass (BP), Andrew
Fahlstrom (AF), Cody Oestrreich (CO),
Hannah Lieder (HL).
Guests:
6:30 Social
Time & Introductions:
6:45 Meeting Called to Order as a Committee
of the Whole:
(A quorum was not present)
Approve Agenda:
mg, bp move to approve the agenda,
no objections
Approve December Minutes:
mg, bp move to approve the minutes,
no objections
Announcements
·
Xcel High Voltage
Transmission Lines, PUBLIC HEARING, FEBRUARY 10TH, Wednesday, 6:00 pm Plaza
Verde
(corner of Lake and Bloomington) We need
everyone to come.
·
EPIC Annual
Meeting, Saturday, April 17th NRP
Final Review
·
NPI Grant -
$10,000 for Soccer/Homework Help
·
Rezoning issue
success. Cancelled
all the R3 zoning and left zoning as it is today.
·
Blueprint for
Action: Youth Violence, Wednesday, February 10 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at the
Baha’i Center in South Minneapolis (3644 Chicago Avenue South). Note: Carol and
Hanah will attend.
Xcel Energy
- EPIC along with other neighborhoods has become an intervener.
- The public hearing on 2/10/2010 at 6 pm - talking points have been distributed.
- EPIC and other neighborhoods are seeking legislation from the state to enforce a population threshold on approval for these powerline decisions, rather than a simple acreage threshold.
- The least problematic site is G4, between 31-32nd St and just west of 55. The site is NOT too small and all the neighborhoods are in agreement about site.
- EPIC's Board is trying to find $500-$1,000 in the budget for the Midway Greenway Coalition to help offset their costs in researching this issue and informing neighborhoods.
Motion: EPIC supports siting the east Substation at
the G4 site as the least problematic site. In addition, EPIC requires the
smallest possible footprint for the substation. EPIC continues to demand
underground lines. EPIC would resist siting the Substation at the G5 site, just
across 55 from Little Earth's residential complex at Ogema Place and would
resist lines or underground down 26th St. given proximity to the adjacent new
residential housing expansion of Little Earth on 26th St.(BP, HL) MOTION
PASSED.
Motion: EPIC will seek a negotiated settlement through
our authorized negotiators (EPIC's intervening witnesses, Carol Pass and Karen
Clark), making every effort to reach an agreement regarding substation
location, routing and underground/above-ground issues and other related
matters, unless negotiations do not lead to a solution acceptable to the EPIC
Membership.
(BP, AF Andrew
Fahlstrom) MOTION PASSED.
Southern Bike
Connection through Neighborhood
· Planner Shaun
Murphy will be here at next EPIC Meeting, his contact info: 612-333-2450, email
at: shaun.murphy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
· Think about best
routes. Some issues: people have wanted to connect the Parks Powderhorn, Stewart, Phillips
Community Center for Nonprofit Management Nonprofit.
· Potential walking,
biking bridge across 55 at northeast corner of East Phillips Park across to
tLRT Station.
· 16th
closure for VIP Project? 18th or 17th or 16th Aves…none
at all? Consider these possibilities for a month and we will try to come up
with motions net month.
East Phillips Park
Cultural & Community Center plus Phillips Community Park Initiative: Update
Brad gave an overview of the history of the
project, and an update on construction, which has been started. Excavation was
started in the fall of 2009; since the site was previously residential, some
pollution issues were expected, but very few problems were found. Construction
will now continue in the spring. A partnership of organizations has been formed
and planning is ongoing to provide programming at the new center.
East Midtown
Phillips Youth Soccer/Homework Help Program
Discussed extensively during announcements.
NRP Review and
Planning Process
EPIC has established a calendar for
advertising meetings, and presenting the Phase 1 Review, and Phase 2 Plan to
the community between March and June of 2010.
8:45 Adjournment
