August 9, 2010

General Membership Meeting Minutes 08 - 09


August 9th, Monday – 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.,
Holy Rosary Church Board Room was locked up
Meeting moved to 2536 18th Ave S because church locks were changed

6:30    Introduction:
·       Greetings and Introductions  Tim Chancy; Mary Gonsiour, Cary Ann Johnson, Linda leonard, Carol Pass, Margaret Kirkpatrick, Jenny Bjorgo Brad Pass, Muhammed Cali, Rosie Cruz , Earl Simms. Guest Joe Spangler; quorum is present with TC, MG, LL, CP, JB, RC; MC,  ES
·       Approval of Agenda; JB and TC moved to approve the agenda. Approved
·       Approval of Minutes from EPIC General Membership Meeting, June 14th
·       Minutes were approved as submitted.  we asked for an update on motions.
·       Linda and Carol both spoke with the mayor and the chief at a meeting at Stewart park about extended hours and youth curfew. We could all do more to encourage officials to take action to prevent youth crime.
·       Money was moved from the defense fund to pay Paula M
·        
NEW BUSINESS brought up by Cary Ann.
Motion: Margaret made a motion seconded by Jenny to send photos, description of the event involving children and a swat team along with the neighborhood's request to investigate and report back. Passed
Cary Ann was the witness. Rosie:there is collective action that people might join with.
Motion:Margaret and Jenny made a motion for the board to consider a policy and procedures about EPIC referring police and citizen conflicts to the appropriate authorities. Passed
Motion:Cary Ann and Margaret moved that copies of our motions and work for sure go to the City Council and Mayor.  Motion Passed.
6:40    Announcements
·           Next EPIC Meeting, Monday, September 13th
·  2600 17th Ave. Alliance Project,   Community Development Committee Agenda
            A Standing Committee of the City Council, Regular Meeting,  August 11, 2010, rescheduled             from 8/10/2010)             1:00 p.m. - Room 317 City Hall
·      Parade of gardens: East Phillips showcases our garden, August 21st, Saturday, 10:00 am
·      Clean Sweep, October 9th, Saturday start planning to clean you block

7:00   East Phillips Park Center: Update
          kitchen still not funded, nor rain garden
         NRP Dollars – Toward the building?? EPIC is getting another $50,000 in Phase 2 NRP. Spend it for the kitchen.?? Motion: For review and future vote, To use up to $75,000.00 NRP money for kitchen, when we receive Phase 2. And          inquire about access to this now. Motion by MC and JB to use the $75 for the kitchen. 
         Discussion: Carol is concerned about the lengthy two month process to get these funds and to see if we can          access it. It may barely cover the fire suppression and air exchange let alone the stove.
         Motion JB, MC Passed
The kitchen is plumbed and wired for  appliances and commercial use and we've received a commercial refrigerator and microwave. The range hood and stove are still needed. We've been asked to consider a kiln and there is a special place with wiring for one.  The kiln must be accepted for the donor to give the fridge and micro. Music recording equipment also may be donated.

The Plan: 21 organizations signed up to provide programming.  Park board doesn't have money to put in programming.  Of 21 partners, 14 or 15 submitted to park staff, MPRB will show what they are anticipating for programming to create scheduling,





7:20    Phillips Community Center: Update, Brad. A waiting game. Effort to save and restore the pool, Waite House &                Neighborhood Proposals. Discussion

Motion: EPIC reasserts we join the other Neighborhoods in their efforts to save/restore the pool in its entirety and to support the unified neighborhood proposal for the PCC first agreed to at previous meetings of EPIC. Passed
Discussion:  Waite House has not let us see their proposal. The Phillips Community Parks Initiative proposal has been sent to the whole neighborhood. We have stayed with our initial agreement to unite together with the other neighborhoods and partner organizations to try to keep access for all the people in Phillips. The unity we had hoped for and tried to achieve with the proposal  did not happen very well. West Phillips and several organizations did not stay on board, so things got fragmented.  EPIC has opposed control by one big organization.  Waite House wants a single Master Lease, which places the whole building under their control. There is no pool in south central Mpls. LL, MC, Passed unanimously.
                
7:35     2600-2606 17th Ave. PROPOSAL FOR APARTMENT of 20 UINTS of HOMELESS HOUSING by Alliance Housing.    

EPIC voted overwhelmingly at a very large meeting to oppose this project. The question is: Do residents have any say in what happens in our own neighborhood??
Motion: The EPIC board will work to develop a maximum of 2 one or two family buildings at this location, and request            
            that Alliance Housing Inc. pursue this goal to house families at 30% or less of area medium Income.
            The EPIC Membership does not oppose homeless housing on the corridors where it is zoned for this, but actively             opposes any Alliance Housing Inc. for 19 transient monthly efficiency units at the 2600 17th Ave. location. CJ, JB,             Passed unanimously.

Motion: EPIC supports neighborhood stabilization program NSP funding for city approved both non-profit and for-profit groups seeking to restore foreclosed properties and more help from the City with our foreclosures. MC,JB, Passed unanimous.

Rep. Karen Clark arrived, Yeah!!

8:00   Pollution Issues return: The MPCA has been requested to do the Cumulative Impact Study required by the Clark/Berglin Law. The Met. Council is apparently suing to be allowed to put their paint spraying facility in the half-mile radius disallowed in the law. EPIC has a fear that, if the study is completed, the law will cease to stop additional polluting facilities from coming into the Phillips neighborhood.

Motion: The EPIC Board will request that Representative Clark and Senator Berglund to amend their law to state that if the existing cumulative level of pollution plus the new additional pollution of a new facility will raise a pollutant to a toxic level, the facility cannot be permitted. This includes additional micro-particles of 2.5 and smaller.
all in favor no oppose no obstaining  CJ, TC. Passed unanimously.

8:50            Meeting adjourned.

August 7, 2010

Board Meeting Minutes 08 - 07


August 7th, 2010, 10:00 am
Welna Hardware

Attendance:
Linda Leonard, Rosie Cruz, Earl Simms, Jennie Bjorgo, Mohamed Cali, Carol Pass, Tim Chancey

10:00             Introduction:
·          Approval of Agenda, Approved
·      Minutes from EPIC Board Meeting 7/3/2010,  Approved

10:10    Announcements
·      EPIC General Membership Meeting, July 12th
·      Parade of gardens: East Phillips showcases our garden, August 21st, Saturday, 10:00 am

10:15    East Phillips Park Center: Update, Brad Pass discussed current progress, cited the grants received for the asbestos pollution issue. Brad wrote County grant for $261,000, Carol Pass /Rep. Clark worked on State grant for $300,000. Both were received. Commercial kitchen is still partially unfunded. We received donations of a commercial Refrigerator and Microwave. Also received donation of a pottery kiln.

10:30   Phillips Community Center: Issues with the RFP and Waite House, A waiting game. EPIC co-submitted with our partners in the Phillips Community Parks Initiative: Ventura Village, Midtown Phillips and the Wellness collaborative, which includes several area clinics and other health related organizations. West Phillips opted out of this group project. Freeport West opted in, but submitted a proposal of their own anyway. Mpls. Swims submitted their own proposal but is also included in the larger neighborhood proposal. Our effort at unity did not fare well and this could have a major impact on how our proposal is received.

10:30   2600-2606 17th Ave. PROPOSAL FOR APARTMENT of 20 UNITS of  HOMELESS HOUSING by Alliance of the Streets. (See attachment.) What now?? There will be a meeting on their funding next week. EPIC voted overwhelmingly at a very large meeting to oppose this project. The question is: Do residents have any say in what happens in our own neighborhood??
The neighborhood believes that we need to keep the zoning and preserve the residential family neighborhood culture on the inside of the neighborhood. The perimeter is another matter.

11: 00  Bylaw issues, Communication, Membership contact, Fiscal Agency – What are issues and
1.            One challenge is the fact that the board has a rule that we must be united in public about proposals and motions. One board member has submitted a proposal to the Minneapolis Park Board in contrast to the proposal the neighborhoods submitted in unity, which was supported by the board and membership.
2.            Carol had copies of the Bylaws and the Roberts Rules of Order book so that we could talk about policies and practices. We began going through these. We also discussed what ‘Conflict of Interest’ is and how to treat members of the board in meetings and elsewhere. Fiscal agency was brought up. EPIC can incubate programs and they can spin off into organizations. Staff requirements for full fiscal agency for other organizations are too great for EPIC at present. We started going through Roberts and some of the board documents The discussion was lively.
3.            Tim proposed that we have a coffee meeting for informal discussion and analysis of these issues. We agreed.
4.            Board members agreed to share contact information, but did not wish to share this with the whole neighborhood.  They also wanted some ethics regarding use of contact info.
11: 30    Adjournment