January
8, 10:00 am
Welna
Hardware Board Room
Present:
Jenny Bjorgo, Carol Pass, Rosie Cruz, Mary Gonsior, Earl Simms, Linda Leonard
Guests:
Brad Pass
10:00
Introduction:
·
Approval of Agenda
·
Minutes
from EPIC Board Meeting Minutes 12/4/10
10:10 Announcements
·
EPIC General Membership
Meeting, Monday, Jan. 10
·
Tentative Grand Opening of the East Phillips Park
Cultural and Community Center - January 22nd 1 PM
·
Mahamed Cali has resigned from
the EPIC board as he become the executive director of the Somali Amer.
Community Org. which we helped get started…He will still try to attend meetings.
10:15 East
Phillips Park C&C Center: Help for
Grand Opening. Partnerships,
Al Bangoura
is the Director of the Phillips and Elliot CSA. What is the Phillips CSA?
Community Service Area as determined by the Mpls. Park Board, and includes all
the facilities in the four neighborhoods, plus Elliot Park.
The four
Phillips communities and Waite House are supportive of the Park Board's
creation of the CSA concept which they are using all over Minneapolis. This
system improves the use of all the facilities in a given CSA area.
10:30 Phillips
Community Center: Park Board Pool Vote, The task
ahead.
The Park
Board passed a resolution in support of the Phillips community parks
initiative's proposal for usage of the Phillips Community Center. This includes
our concept of the usage of the building (see plans). It includes a 2-year plan
for raising money for the pool, and a 3rd year for contracting and implementing
changes. All other tenants will be responsible for the "fit-out" of
their respective areas.
The Park
Board is a partner and has put in $1.5M into the CSA space (gym, teen center,
dining room, etc.).
10:35 NPI
CURA McKnight Grant App –
MOTION: EPIC supports the application
to Neighborhood Partnership Initiative for the Somali Community Organizing
Grant, in the amount of $10,000. (CP, CW) Passed unanimously.
11:
00 NCEC Funding Request – Forms,
requirements, Activities, Budget,
The NCEC board EPIC must decide by
Jan. 14, 2011, guidelines, budget and a grant request for $50,000 which are the
only funds we will receive in 2011 from the city. The funds must be divided in
an equitable manner that meets the requirements of the NCEC.
Discussion of 1) neighborhood priorities, 2) city
decisions, 3) more involvement
Effort to have more involvement, lack
of tools ( computers, internet access, transportation, language, parent’s
working, no one to supervise, connect or sign up) Door-to-door and flyers work but labor
intensive.
Basic ideas to form the grant request,
then circulate to community, EPIC E-News, party at Rosie’s, etc.:
- EPIC should support the organizations and groups that help us organize, but have no resources. EPIC would assist its growth and help them. This has always helped us. This will mean Soccer groups, that is the major, Hispanic Baseball, Cali’s group, Mpls. Swims, possibly the autism group and Banyan, some uncertainty there, work on African American group and Native American. Agreed to put them all in as collaborations with EPIC. This will bring us together and help all to work together for the people here.
- Sustainability of EPIC a priority. Break up the budget in that way and leave enough for our operations. Question: Can we use different categories of our own?? Find out.
- General Admin. and NRP completion and associated printing should be separate, since the NRP is not a usual yearly expense.
- Monies must not be comingled with NRP in organizing or use, two separate funds
Break out these into the CPP request,
circulate to the Board and submit by the 14th.
MOTION: CP will
submit the following NCEC approx. funding proposal: Professional Services
(programming) $3,000; Community and Family Empowerment $24,000 (Break this
down); Administrative Expenses $20,000; NRP Completion $4,000 and Community Organizing $8,000. (JB,
ES) Break this up into smaller pieces per our partners and ongoing commitments.
CP to come back with draft budget and circulate to the board and community before
the 14th. Passed unanimously.
11:15
NRP Situation and our Review , Participation
Agreement, Phase II – A committee needed
The city of Minneapolis froze 50% of
all uncontracted NRP funds. For EPIC, this amounts to $250,000. EPIC will
receive only $250,000 if we complete our Phase I review and Phase II plan.
Phase I - Carol needs to complete
report. Draft Narrative and survey completion. Results for Phase I review
survey coming in. Brad doing numbers analysis.
Phase II - Meet the criteria, and find
out what we don't already know, fearful that the Mayor will take the rest. No
plan for this. Study other N’hood’s plans. What can we learn??
What’s left….All these numbers are
approximate, had almost $500,000, now approx. $250,000
30% of $250,000 is $75,000 allowed for
programs. Would be nice to finish projects EPIC has already invested in. Needs:
Finish already existing
projects….$30-40,000 for the EP Park Center kitchen?
$50-100,000 for 29th & Bloomington
lot, apartment bldg. We won’t have that much.
Remainder: revolving fund for housing
improvements (deferred loans) 70% Housing or $175,000 to work with.
We are told to plan for the full
amount. Question? How realistic?? How fast do we have to move? Bob Miller said
we could start on Plans for Phase two while completing writing Phase I if we do
what we are supposed to do. That is what CP understands…we will have to
demonstrate this. Other neighborhoods did this.
Participation Agreement: What should
go into it…Main thing: reach those usually unreached. Recruit more participants..
Plan
for Phase Two Survey:
Looked at lack of initial success of
Cleveland N’hood Plan with mailers, they had to go door-to-door to reach
diversity. Consensus that door-to-door was best, conversational, carry
brochures, lay out all options for housing. Determine where interest trends
to help plan. Bilingual & multilingual, do businesses, Hi-Lake and Bloom +
Lake St.
MOTION:
EPIC Board will pay $500 each to Jenny and Chiffon to finish Phase I and
complete Phase II Surveys.
(CP/LL) Passed. JB recused from
discussion and vote, except when asked if she would do this. Helps focus
groups.
Focus
Groups
1. Set of questions
2. Contact groups and set up meetings
Possible focus groups Mahamed 2909 Bloom, Rosie, Townhouse, Banyan, Little
Earth & Native Americans (AIOIC?), Holy Rosary, African-American community
including youth.
3. CP, CW, JB and other board members
to also go door-2-door
Draft Participation Agreement
Rosie's
Dinner Party – a Latino kickoff for CPP + NRP
612-388-8451, 2935 16th Ave S55407
11:
30 Adjournment
