February 17, 2011

General Membership Meeting Minutes 02-17


February 17th, 2011, 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.,
East Phillips Park Cultural & Community Center 
2307 17th Ave S.
EPIC web address: eastphillips-epic.com
Office: 2536 18th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55404

Attendees:  Hannah Lieder,  Al  Bangoura ( and Charles (CSA 6), Shirley Heyer,  Jenny Bjorgo, Brad Pass, Carol Pass, Linda Leonard, Mary Gonsior, Seven Sruthers, Earl Sims,  Mohammed Cali, Mary Juanita Leonard, Chiffon Williams,

6:50    Introduction:
·         Greetings and Introductions
·         Approval of Agenda
·         Minutes from EPIC General Membership Meeting 1/20/2011

Linda and Jenny moved to the committee of the whole and it passed.

6:55    Announcements  &  Reports:
                NRP Task Force – If you want to be a part of this committee, Contact Carol Pass, 612- 280-8418
                Meeting times will be announced, and will be arranged to match schedules of committee members.

                Jenny's announcement--lots of volunteers available from Jenny's school for doing surveys, etc.
               
7:00      Phillips Community Center Partnership and Swimming Pool – Minneapolis Swims receives 501©(3).                  
                    Bill submitted to the legislature by Rep. Karen Clark. Hand outs,  Q & A, Next Steps
Hanna:
Gwen is a consultant from St. Paul. We have a competition swimming pool. They never pay for themselves. Therapy pools have been proposed as addition. Hanna teaches at the YWCA which also has preschool and level 1,2 and parent/child lessons in the warm pool. We need it to have sustainable operating costs. It's less money total if we put more capital into the second pool NOW. This reduces future operating costs. There may be additional funds for therapy pools. Hanna stated she never expected any Park Board money for renovation or building pools. There may have been some confusion with some commissioners. Hanna went to the State of MN for bonding and didn't make any rigid private/public money distinction. Apparently someone with the Park Board interpreted Hanna's efforts as being in competition with the Park Board's bonding requests.
  • sponsorship includes Republican leadership
  • there is also a physician who is "on board"
  • we have to show there is state significance......The MN branch of the national swimming competitive group is sending out letters to the 8,000 competitive MN swimmers to lobby their state-wide legislators for this project;
  • Drowning is most significant among black males; there are national efforts to increase swimming lessons for ethnic people and for increased participation in competition
  • Hanna is developing relationship with DNR as well with swimming being a life skill
  • Meeting next week with Three Rivers and Karen Clark........partnership programming will increase diversity populations using the programs.
  • The sherrif's department sees this as public safety and will write a letter of support
  • The mayor gave a pat on the back and that's about it.
Phillips Wellness Corridor
Mary and Jenny put the motion out to accept Bob Albee's Proposal that E 24th from I 35 to 55 named Phillip's Community Wellness Corridor and we encourage the Phillips Community Park Initiative group to flesh out the concept to bring to the neighborhoods for discussion and implementation. PASSED

  • Shirley said MTransit dropped the E 24th St. route in the past--Midtown wants to reconsider another route again
  • She noted there are more agencies and businesses than we used to have.
  • Shirley doesn't want to become another Sabbathani Center where there is leased space but people don't know one another and are isolated from one another.
  • Mary asked who will decide what this means and where it is going.
  • Brad explained that group represents the community broadly. The accountability is with the reps to their own groups.
  • The neighborhood still gets to decide what to do internally to the neighborhood.



7:10        Linda/Chiffon motion to move to regular meeting from Committee of the Whole when Mary Gonsior arrived.

Recent letter from the Park Board.
History
 The attorney who writes the bills met with Karen Clark and community on Thursday and the bill had to be submitted by Friday. It would not have been possible to work with Park Board under that deadline.
We have only a six month window for.......

We want the Park Board to understand that in our efforts to lobby for East Phillips bonding the Park Board refused to accept the money. Karen Clark essentially wrote a letter delivered asap to the chair at the time that if the Park Board did not accept the proposal she would quit supporting any of the park board initiatives.   There were commissioners who said on TV aren't they all Indians.......why don't we spread this around and send the money to the north side.

We know we have a new superintendent who is probably a finer person than any of the commissioners in terms of being a listener, caring for the poor, and understanding diversity.

-When the urgent and imperative actions Hanna and Carol took became public a commissioner screamed and yelled at Carol about taking initiative, Carol realized the experience of repeated abuse.

AL: PCC gave her background and she's dealt with situations like this in Detroit.  She has dealt with public initiative in the past and is comfortable.

-Carol and Hanna's goals included: Unassailable by the mayor and city council. Make the Park Board and this CSA "shine"

-Hanna said understanding Park Board funding was a surprise; all but one of her board members are first time on any board. There is a group of people trying to learn and trying to lead and they make mistakes.

-Our community assumes that this proposal would have been lost in the Park Board proposal and we could have been defeated at a number of points.

-Shirley explained MET Council a bit because Hanna asked.

-Hanna understands the Park Board was surprised, annoyed, and upset. She understands now. For the Park Board not to see that the bill is social justice, public safety, an access issue to services and natural resources. This would be the only indoor public swimming pool in the city.

-Off the record the community members gave personal responses about working with the Park Board. The summary is that the culture here and people and institutions here have had to fight for everything we get......[not just with the Park Board]

  8:00     East Phillips Park Community Center-  Partnerships and Phillips CSA, Q & A  Brad

  • February 28 is the official opening date and it looks possible.
  • Partnership programs are being scheduled with Travis
  • New system "active net" links everything in the parks/rec system
  • You can use a card for all the financial transactions
  • You can have photo ID cards
  • Open Arms with the intern from McAllister is considering a nutrition program for summer lunch program
  • Leonardo's BASEMENT on 45th and Nicollet does go-carts; three dimensional design; science and technology like lego robotics
  • Institute of Production and Recording on Washington and ?; multi-media technology; Lance Sabin has lots of other connections with private interprise. It 's youth driven and TBD "Indigenous creative" is the name of the program and it is part of a non-profit.
  • AOC with Youth Adventure and Intermedia Arts is starting out by creating name and brand. Project Footsteps, Freeport West, a marketing guy from General Mills and others are partnering.
  • There are computers for adults and youth;  teaching/instruction possible
Travis...on-line by March 7
  • youth martial arts
  • women's self defense
  • yoga
  • fundamental baseball with a league
  • basketball camp in May
8:10        NRP Phase I Review: The final assessment was finished and writing the Phase One report nearly complete.          
8:15        NRP Phase II Planning: Business Survey, Resident Survey Participation Agreement was discussed
                MOTION: for Participation Agreement Approval, JB & CP, Passed
                We edited the Phase II survey and Steering Committee need it back with comments by Friday night.
                The surveys are part of what will go into the new planning document and doing the door-to-door needs to start this   weekend. Members at the meeting discussed and critiqued the survey
                Task Force, Focus Groups
                we need more participants and Steve might be interested.

8:18        Future Funding for Neighborhoods:  Response of the NRP Policy Board, Pro-Democracy Issues

Board Motions

MOTION (JB, ES ) Passed: WHEREAS the NRP neighborhoods were given the responsibility to watch over these funds given to us by the state, and whereas the city has committed itself to informing the neighborhoods of major decisions and allowing them to participate, and WHEREAS the city made these changes with no notification to the neighborhoods, no advance notice to the city council, and no notification to any of the parties that would be damaged by these decisions, EPIC believes, as a neighborhood, that we are legally, politically and morally responsible to protect these funds for their appropriate and intended use by the neighborhoods to which they were allocated. THEREFORE, be it resolved that EPIC join the other injured parties (other neighborhoods) in a temporary restraining order against this city action and we join them if it proceeds to a law suit. (Carol and Chiffon  proposed the amendment that was accepted.) PASSED

Constitutional Amendment

MOTION (JB, ES) Passed: Resolved that EPIC will ask our Representative and Senator to introduce a motion parallel to Vermont's regarding proposing an amendment to the constitution for the state's consideration which provides that corporations are not persons under the laws of the United States or any of its jurisdictional subdivisions. PASSED

8:25   Housing and Development Update:
·         Greenway Apartments : Recent Progress; Loren Bruggeman is partnering with PRG to move ahead. Affordable family housing and it will be the first such housing on the Greenway. One block wide.
·         2600-2606 17th Ave. Proposal for Apartment Building of 20 Units by Alliance on an R2B site which is very small. Update, Q & A     So far they have not been allowed to build there. We are trying to get someone to buy the sites and put duplexes. We don't want spot zoning.
·         Habitat House at 2428 16th Ave. S. Tear down and rebuild is the proposal. Carol wants to talk to the Village project people. There are empty lots on both sides and that's where the circle is supposed to be for the next phase. We need to include the town home people.
·         PRG possible Rehab at 2620 17th Ave. S.--oak pillars; the owner wants too much money; 4 BR
·         Housing Committee; Steve says it fits his interests and skills

Mary suggested segmented board meetings so that one hour is common business and the second hour is committee time.
               
8:35    Crime Concerns and Other Livability Issues:
                People are more aggressive about finding vulnerable objects and locations.       Pull the shades!
 -Steve says the foundry shakes his house between 3 and 4 in the morning.......it's a noise violation. Steve talked with Gary Schiff who referred him to a committee.  Smith Foundry has good people and they are willing to help but not sure how. It keeps him up.
-The neighborhood organization will contact the owner on Steve's behalf.
Brad and Carol will brainstorm with the owner.

The business is nonconforming and doesn't fit industrial one and two........they are not to upgrade and market forces are supposed to encourage them to move; Carol pointed out that they have a good neighbor agreement and we might be able to get them to reconfigure the equipment somehow.  That business helped us rebuild the neighborhood by giving $4,000 which brought in funds for lots of houses.

8:35   Annual Meeting : In April . . .?????? at the new community center

8:50    Adjournment:

February 12, 2011

NRP Phase II Task Force Planning/Visioning Meeting Minutes 02-12

Special Meeting for Survey and Participation Agreement
February 12, 2011, 10:30 am
Perkins Restaurant

Present: Jenny Bjorgo, Chiffon Williams, Carol Pass, Mary Gonsior, Rosie Cruz, Earl Simms, Linda Leonard, Mahammed Cali, Brad Pass, Alfonso Cruz, Sherzad Kordion

10:30   Participation Agreement: Discussion
Considered some other neighborhood Phase II Plans, The Wedge, Survey only seem to have included 21 people. Comment: Most neighborhoods don’t have to translate or explain what a survey is.
·        Review of Document, Carol will change draft to include group’s ideas/changes.
·        Again, Time Line looks ambitious, It was decided to leave it and try to accomplish the actions
·        Neighborhood Description is accurate and useful
·        Steering Committee Description: Concern that we can get enough people involved to form an appropriate Steering Committee. What is an appropriate sSeering Comm.? It was mentioned that we already cover almost all the ethnic categories. But we still should have more people. Some N’hoods only had about 5 people for a beginning group. Checking other N’hoods. EPIC is doing better than many.
·        Outreach description reflects our decisions. Focus Groups and door-to-door survey, Jennie and Chiffon will coordinate and see others to help. Rosie will do a focus group  Jennie has several Native Americans who want to help. Mahamed will help w/focus groups and survey.
·        Plan Development Process as we described. Focus groups won’t be hard, but will take time. 2909 Bloomington Apartments already planned. Somali treats, Use NPI money for food at focus groups
·        Jennie:  Jobs, economy, should be in plan, not just ‘art’ and murals, etc.
·        Phase II Approval Process okay, but expensive,
·        Creation of brochure to advertise EPIC and the future.
·        Concern that some most won’t want to do the survey. Need enthusiasm
·         Budget is bigger than anything we have used before…but we never did this before.
·         Plan needs to remain pretty general but the group wants ‘concreteness’, not fluff, not just concepts
·        Carol observed that most of the discussion has been on whether we can do this and how fast and not on the methods in the Agreement itself. Also do we like the concepts on the survey?? A mix of concrete and concepts. Taken from discussions and comment papers at last Annual Meeting.
Group likes the plan, stands up to other plans, just may take longer with our extreme diversity. Can amend if necessary.
               MOTION:  Participation Agreement approved by consensus.

Survey reexamined-
·        CP:     Survey, methods, Decision to separate the Business survey from the rest, Like Phase One. Businesses were never done before our phase I , Joyce Wisdom was concerned and has her own survey going. Didn’t want competition. Businesses need help, but EPIC has little money.

·        Concern that EPIC can offer something meaningful. Demonstrate that in the survey.
·        Shortened resident survey –tried to make it more concrete and fit what we actually can/might do.
·        LL:   We want to know if the neighborhood is better or worse .
·        RC:   Make a space for their own comments, Spanish??
·        CP: EPIC will have bilingual surveyers and translations
·        LL:    Determine first languages, there is more than Spanish and Somali. Find the English speaker in Hmong  or Nepali Households.
·        JB:    Years in neighborhood and if they want to stay…Some people say it is like a small town..
·        CP: Two sections: Housing and Community Betterment
·         LL:   Include Youth and Elders…Carol remarked that we have almost NO elders…they all live in West Phillips or V V.
·         BP:    Agreed we want to suggest real programs that help people, the most disadvantaged…
·         JB:    Again  Jobs, not just ‘art’,etc. but we do like art.
·        CP:    We can get more specific later when nailing down actual expenditures, etc.
·        Chiffon: keep kids off the streets with sports, etc. that need discipline.
·        Plan needs to remain pretty general but he group wants ‘concreteness’, not fluff
·        BP: Need to include projects already in process that already have a lot of neighborhood history and support….kitchen in the Park building and the Greenway Apartments. And do we really think we can have an office for EPIC??
·        CP: this came from when we  have been collaborating with Midtown, a lot of people want to float this idea. We probably can never get an office if we don’t do it together. But may be too ambitious. See what the community thinks.
·        CP: The support for new construction also seems out there, but some people want it included just in case. We can always put a zero there and keep it as a category we want.
Group likes the participation plan, stands up to other plans, just may take longer. Survey endorsed by the task force, bring it to the Community Meeting. Vision statement considered. Not final..Used ideas from the EPPark Vision statement…
The mission of EPIC is to promote the social, educational and economic health of the community by involving all East Phillips residents in its activities and by reaching out to all segments of the community including traditionally under-represented groups to create, from our global roots, a safe community that fosters open communication and mutual support among neighbors.”

Carol will put in changes in survey and email around for a last look and comments. It was agreed to start soon but the cold will slow this down.  

We adjourned …Perkins was nice.

February 5, 2011

Board Meeting Minutes 02-05

February 5, 2011, 10:00 am
Welna Hardware Board Room


Present: Jenny Bjorgo, Carol Pass, Mary Gonsior, Earl Simms, Linda Leonard, Rosie Cruz,
Guests: Brad Pass, Chiffon Williams,

10:00    Introduction:
·           Approval of Agenda - Approved
·        Minutes from EPIC Board Meeting Minutes 12/4/10 - approved with correction to motion with NCEC request: Add Housing Loan Consultant Doug Wise $5-10,000.

10:10    Announcements
·         EPIC General Membership Meeting, Monday, Feb. 14 at Holy Rosary
·         Check out the slide show of the Grand Opening of the East Phillips Park Community Center on our website, the web address is eastphillips-epic.com
·         NCEC Grant turned in. Copies were emailed to board members and distributed at meeting. Appreciation was expressed to CP for writing the grant which was approved.
·         If you didn't get a chance to go to the Grand Opening - go over and check out the new Park Center.
·         Youth employment. People should look at City of Minneapolis web site, youth employment, street works, or step up, teen teamworks, families need to get their teens out, submit resume's and applications.

MOTION (LL, CP) Passed: Request to Phillips youth organizers to write and carry out a communication plan for the youth of the Phillips neighborhoods to address opportunities for youth employment, recreation and education with particular strategies for limited-English speakers and those without access to computers. Steve Zimmer is their advisor.

Note: send suggested strategies along with the motion.
Note: consider youth employment for March agenda; invite city and Waite House youth employment specialists to speak to us.

10:20 Update on the Phillips Pool

Drafted a bill. Presented it to Dayton (rejected), then presented to a Republican Rep. Howes who like it and will support it. Still trying to get it attached to the bonding bill. Draft letter to Dayton was distributed to board for "talking points."

NPI CURA McKnight Grant App

CP submitted a letter of inquiry for a grant to help Somali American Community partner with EPIC on projects. Our inquiry was ranked 3rd among 40+ letters. This is a focused grant to build neighborhood partnerships.

NRP Temporary injunction

MOTION (JB, ES ) Passed: WHEREAS the NRP neighborhoods were given the responsibility to watch over these funds given to us by the state, and whereas the city has committed itself to informing the neighborhoods of major decisions and allowing them to participate, and WHEREAS the city made these changes with no notification to the neighborhoods, no advance notice to the city council, and no notification to any of the parties that would be damaged by these decisions, EPIC believes, as a neighborhood, that we are legally, politically and morally responsible to protect these funds for their appropriate and intended use by the neighborhoods to which they were allocated. THEREFORE, be it resolved that EPIC join the other injured parties (other neighborhoods) in a temporary restraining order against this city action. Note: motion to be tweaked - by CP

Constitutional Amendment

MOTION (JB, ES) Passed: Resolved that EPIC will ask our Representative and Senator to introduce a motion parallel to Vermont's regarding proposing an amendment to the constitution for the state's consideration which provides that corporations are not persons under the laws of the United States or any of its jurisdictional subdivisions.

NRP Situation and our review, Draft Participation Agreement Phase II – committee formation continued

Business Survey: discussion item, Jennie and Chiffon will do this, maybe Rosie could help. A very big job, we can all help. Jennie can do Latino and  Native groups, Chiffon can do others. A Board voted according to our Bylaws that we will stipend Chiffon and Jennie $500 each.. Chiffon is currently off the board, but Jennie will incur “reasonable expenses on behalf of the corporation and its projects and programs” for stuff only she can do.(Spanish & Native connections).

Reviewed and approved business survey questions. They need further analysis NRP Task Force will meet on Feb. 12th and finalize the survey for both business and residents. Take the draft Phase II PA to Feb. Gen. Membership on the 17th. Need to be able to amend time line and determine feasible focus groups.
Resident survey: if folks want to go only housing…they will demonstrate this by their votes. Housing will have all the highest percentages. If they want other things like kids and elders programming, those will get high percentages. It is a referendum, so we should include all those things. CP will produce a draft we can consider from this info that we can consider.

Dates for annual meeting
Postpone setting the date until GMM on the 17th. March looks like too soon.

Monthly meetings

We need to see if Gary Schiff will come to our meetings if we switch to another day. Board is in favor of moving to a date when Gary can attend.

Draft Particiption Agreement presented.  Reviewed, time line and budget looked at. Process considered. Other  N’Hood plans looked at again. CP pointed out some good ideas to consider and include. Board wanted  a meeting just for Participation Agreement and survey.
MOTION:  NRP Task force special meeting to work on Phase Two Survey, finalize Participation Agreement and make additional plans

Special Task Force Meeting,  Saturday, Feb. 12 at Perkins 10:30 am. Wil notify those wanting to participate

11: 35    Adjournment