November 8, 2010,
6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.,
Holy Rosary Church
Board Room, 24th and 17th Ave
Board Members: Mary Gonsior, Jenny Bjorgo, Chiffon Williams, Carol
Pass, Earl Simms, Rosie Cruz, Mahamed Cali, Linda Leonard
Members Absent: Tim Chancy
Members: Alfred
Johnson, Carrie Anne Johnson, Brad Pass, Hannah Lieder, Kevin Lieder, Janessa
Bjorgo,
Guests: Shirley
Heyer
6:30 Introduction:
· Greetings and
Introductions
· Approval of Agenda (JB, BP)
· Minutes from EPIC
General Membership Meeting 10/11/2010 (BP, JB)
6:40 Announcements & Reports:
· Tentative Grand Opening of the East
Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center –
· January 22nd
· Waiting to hear from Ms.Warmka about next meetings for
22th St. & Franklin Ave Street Design. Residents interested in attending should
indicate interest on the sign-in sheet (code 22F)
· Report on the EPIC Harvest Garden Party
· South HS is hosting an event to discuss environmental
issues, with speakers and local resources. Pre-registration is encouraged.
· Chiffon conducted a survey asking parents what kind of
programs they would like available in neighborhoods for individuals aged 8-25.
Will be conducting additional surveys among local churches, and schools.
· Chiffon is also trying to start a program for cleaning
up litter.
7:00 East Phillips Park Center: Update, Floor Colors, Kitchen Money, Rain Gardens,
final excavation. We need to all
check for vandalism Update, Floor Colors, Kitchen Money, Rain Gardens, final
parking lotexcavation. We need to be alert for vandalism in progress
Tentative GRAND OPENING - Saturday,
Jan. 22, 2011 from Noon to 6:00 PM.
Disaster was averted by the Park Board when they
realized that everything would be postponed until Spring, unless the parking
lot was addressed immediately. Announcements for the grand opening will not be
advertised until successful completion is assured. Plans for the grand opening
are underway, however. Seeking diversity of local talent to participate in the
celebration. Contact Brad to submit suggestions for the program. Still need
$30,000 for commercial kitchen range, vent hood, fire suppression and makeup
air systems. Final excavation for parking lot and rain garden are going on
right now. Plantings will be completed in the Spring. A slightly smaller than
"professional" sized soccer field and baseball field are planned,
with community supporting this plan. It will take one year to establish the sod
for these fields. A tennis court and outdoor half-court basketball will also be
retained.
Funds for the kitchen would be available from EPIC's
NRP Phase II, however, progress on the process has been stalled due to Xcel
power lines and other neighborhood concerns.
Shirley reported that local hiring for all
construction projects will be done through certified, union companies. Brad
reported that many partnerships are participating in planning for programming.
The Park Board will contract for background checks on volunteer applications.
7:20 Phillips Community Center (PCC): New Floor Plan, Amazing Pool Proposal, Hannah Lieder
Carol presented
a short history of the work done over the past three years to pull together the
four neighborhoods along with other partners to give the Park Board the revenue
they needed to save the Phillips Pool and Gym, and leave space in the building
for community use. A CURA grant was used to obtain a consultants to review the
current Park Board services available to the neighborhoods, and found that the
community of Phillips was drastically underserved, and that services to the
community were greatly exaggerated.
The four
neighborhoods have been collaborating to save the Phillips Pool & Gym and
ensure that the building remains accessible to the neighborhood for local
programming. Over the past year or more, a larger group developed to figure out
how to pay for the operations of the facility and programs. This eventually
resulted in a partnership, with a Memorandum of Understanding representing the
potential tenants, stakeholders and resident organizations that are working
together as a group to restore community use of the PCC.
The process over
the past year produced a series of floor plans, and multiple groups submitted
proposals to the Park Board. The Memorandum and current floor plan was
presented to the Park Board on Thurs. Nov. 4, 2010 including (Francisco for
PWH, Bob Albee for Wellness Consortium, Running Wolf for Native American
Community Clinic; Hannah Lieder for Mpls. Swims, Carol for 4 Neighborhoods,
Mahomed Cali for Somali American Community.)
Hannah reported
on the presentation given to the Park Board regarding the swimming pool and why
it is important to save the pool for use by the community. Mpls. Swims (Hannah
Leider) contracted the money put together by the neighborhoods and Mpls. Swims
for a feasibility study and the resulting report concluded that it would take
$276,342 to get to pool in shape to fill it with water and use the pool.
Additional improvements (windows, individual showers, etc.) would add
renovation costs of an additional $240,514. The total cost projected for all renovations
to the poolroom interiors and locker rooms is at least $624,000. Concept
drawings were provided by DJR Architecture, Inc.
7:40 Xcel Energy HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION
LINES: Xcel rejects the some of the Recommendations
of the Administrative Law Judge!
Xcel rejected all
recommendations from the Law Judge. They asked for exceptions on everything and
asked the PUC to not require them to do any of this. The comment period was NOT
extended. EPIC, Karen Clark and many community residents wrote to the PUC with
comments on the recommendations, and Xcel's request. According to Tim Springer,
we have to wait now, and see what the PUC is going to do. Xcel needs to give
its "certificate of need." Also, anyone can testify again this
spring. Watch for public meetings on this.
8:00
2600-2606 17th
Ave. PROPOSAL FOR APARTMENT of 20 UNITS of HOMELESS HOUSING by Alliance of the Streets. Issues with Alliance,
EPIC’s Response Kris Brogan’s Letter
*EPIC received
an email from Met Council staff stating that the Alliance Housing proposal as
not recommended for funding by either the MN Housing or LHIA.
8:15
NRP & NCEC Guidelines & NRP Electors: East Phillips Allocation
The new NCEC will apparently
be giving us $50,000 per year (based on a formula.) We don't know when this
will begin. We do know that the CDGB money we've been using will end at the end
of this year. EPIC needs an elector to vote Carol onto the final NRP board that
will be phased out. Two individuals MUST attend. The meeting is in two weeks.
November 18?
Chiffon Williams is
committed.
8:20 Reconfiguring
22nd Street: See diagram.
Opinions?? Motion?
General comments at
membership meeting were opposing to the proposal. The plan doesn't take into
account the impact on East Phillips and other Phillips neighborhoods. One more
public meeting is planned before a decision is likely to be made. What does our
opinion matter - do we have any power to affect this decision?
8:30
Adjournment
