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