August 9, 2012

General Membership Meeting Minutes 08-09


August 9, 2012, 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: 
Board Members:  Linda Leonard, Earl Simms, Rosie Cruz, Steve Struthers, Carol Pass, Mary Gonsior, Chiffon Williams, Jennie Bjorgo
Board Members Not Present: JoseLuis Villasenor,
Members Present:  Brad Pass, Peggy Clark, Pat Fleetham, Kim Hayden, Margaret Kirkpatrick, Alfonso Cruz, Karen Clark
Guests: Shirley Heyer, Jack Whitehurst, Gary Schiff,

6:45    Introductions:
·      Greetings and Introductions.
·      Approval of Agenda; (LL, BP; approved.)
·      Approval of Minutes from EPIC 7/12/2012 General Membership Meeting, (BP, CP; approved.)

6:55    Announcements:
·    “Garden Day” event. EPIC will have an “open house” 11-Noon at the garden on Aug. 11, 2012.
·    Criminal Justice Community Partners monthly meeting: Wed. August 15th, Center for Changing Lives, 5:30 -6:30 pm. May be held at Lutheran Social Services, 2400 Park Avenue. EPIC will encourage immigrant communities to attend.
·    Clean Sweep – October 13th, Youth T-Shirt Design Contest; Give away 400 T-Shirts; $25 prize for the best design. Contact Brad. Start at 8-9 am with free breakfast (Welna’s and Lutheran Social Services); lunch at noon at Stewart Park.
·    EPIC Community Garden Harvest Party, October 20th (evening); planning is beginning next Saturday.
·    Bicicletas event report: huge success; raffled many bikes, lots of families attended.
·    Star Tribune reported on the LRT station at Lake St. is the most violent in the entire line; one serious incident daily. Invite Metro Transit to an EPIC meeting. Consider inviting MN Transitions also.

7:10            Report on National Night Out Parties – EPIC Funding for Block Parties.

Receipts are coming in for the block club grants for NNO. CP visited many parties and participated in voter registration, recruiting for Running Wolf, distributed information about home foreclosures. A wide variety of parties were held, with music, dancing, games, food, and conversations. There were 15 parties in East Phillips, out of 30 in all of Phillips.

7: 20            Update on the Pool

CP has been trying to obtain a contract to send funding from EPIC to the park board so that progress can occur on the pool. Mpls. Swims has money coming that hinges on this progress. This process has been going very slow. We are waiting for Bob Cooper to call us with information on what EPIC must prepare for Park Board so the contract can progress. We need Ventura Village to get their contract in order also.

PC reported that Mpls. Swims is in the talking stage with various funders. The funding elements need to all be in place in chronological order for the project to progress without losing the state funding.

7:30            Looking at EPIC’s Funding and future. Where are we right now and where are we headed.

Task Force Report: Future Priority Plans and Community Engagement.
Financial Present – Budget and Expenses to date.

Tasks Ahead- Year One Evaluation, Work on contracting Phase II NRP dollars, begin Community Engagement and  reassessing our Future with Priority Plans..recognizing that we have what NRP diollars that can be use to upgrade the neighborhood infrastructure.
           
PF, RC; approved.
Board Recommendation - MOTION: The task force will put forth the following recommendation for budgeting and spending of remaining CPP1, Equity Funds and CPP-2 funds as follows; the motion was passed with one abstention:

1.        The CPP-1 leftover funds (about $30,000 as of June 30, 2012) should be rolled forward and budgeted/spent in 2012-2013 in accordance with the CPP-1 budget as previously determined by EPIC membership. The intention is to spend these funds according to CPP-1 requirements (e.g., participation, organizing, and administration). A new contract with NCR for 2012-2013 will encompass these items.
2.        The NRP Equity Directive Allocation funds ($29,000) should be rolled forward into EPIC’s CPP-2 Priority Participation Plan. The intention is to spend these funds on community participation, organizing, and administration).
3.        The funds available from CPP-2 funds ($123,000 for 2012-2013) should be temporarily allocated proportionately to EPIC’s NRP Phase II budget as previously determined by EPIC membership. The intention is to contract these funds according to the goals and set aside for neighborhood priority plans, including strategies of NRP Phase II and new priorities adopted since the Phase II plan was approved, and to adopt the Community Engagement Process which was completed for NRP Phase II as part of the process for EPIC’s CPP-2 Priority Participation Plan:
a.    EPIC ‘s first focus should be on contracting/spending existing Phase II NRP funds.
b.    EPIC will engage in additional community engagement to monitor the needs, priorities and opportunities before making specific recommendations for possible projects and contracts for CPP2, recognizing that big changes and needs occur and some will have been satisfied by EPIC’s  NRP Phase II Plan and that a new Priority Plan is due each year. Effort will be made to revisit these present recommendations present before EPIC’s 2013 annual meeting.

Program Income Funds: $17,000 Return on investment-Phase I NRP 1st Time Home Buyers Loans Program
Contract termination –

LL, PF; Passed unanimously
Board Recommendation - MOTION:  Whereas these funds are already in an appropriate Phase I strategy, EPIC will use this money (from the old CEE contract) to provide Admin dollars for the new CEE contract so they won’t have to come out of the rehab dollars.
 
8:00   Updates-Land Use, Development and Environmental Issues

CM Gary Schiff attended and responded to questions concerning some of the following issues:

1)            Hi-Lake Apartments _ See EPIC E-News and elevations
Given that crime is so bad at this intersection, we really feel it is important to add balconies to this building. Gary is in favor of this.

CM Schiff: responded regarding the Lake Street Light Rail; he has some calls out and has learned that Dept. of Homeland Security is doing checks at this station. He is meeting tomorrow with Brian Lamb.

1)   Alliance Project, 2600 17th Ave.

This project was opposed by the neighborhood 3 years ago, and the neighborhood won. The project is not appropriate for the zoning, and doesn’t meet the goals of the neighborhood for this site. EPIC’s research on the project’s funding revealed that the $750,000 claimed to be “in hand from Met Council” is a “mistake”. KC met with Herb Frye and proposed the Alliance work with the neighborhood, and provided contact names.

CM Schiff: reported they don’t have any funding, and there is no land use agreement, although they still do have exclusive use rights.

·      New Information, Met Council
·      Calls made
·      Karen Clark’s Visit
·      Petition
·      Letter writing to CM Schiff

2)    Bituminous Roadways, Smith Foundry. No word yet on the air monitoring of both of these businesses, to be done randomly and regularly over a long period of time to establish what level the problem exists.

·      Task Force has not met yet: Steve Struthers, Annie Young, Pat Fleetham, Margaret Kirkpatrick
·      (Not discussed)

CM Schiff: distributed a handout of all complaints received on the property Smith Foundry related to noise and vibration since 2010. Suggested that the next time the neighborhood goes through zoning planning, EPIC should consider asking the city to remove this zoning.
           
3)    Abbott Hospital
·      (Not discussed)

Seeking a Permit change. We have heard that they may be emitting carcinogens. Cumulative Impact Requirement. EPIC requested a Technical Support Document, we haven’t received this.

8:20   )       Update on Phase II Housing Contract with CEE – when will EPIC loans go out?? Neighborhood Marketing Proposal

8:45  Adjournment

August 4, 2012

Board Meeting Minutes 08-04


Aug. 4, 2012, Saturday, 10:00 am

East Phillips Park Cultural & Community Center, 2307 17th Ave S.
EPIC web address: http://www.eastphillips-epic.com/index.html
Office: 2536 18th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55404

Present (board): Jennie Bjorgo, JoseLuis Villasenor, Linda Leonard, Carol Pass, Mary Gonsior, Earl Simms, Chiffon Williams, Rosie Cruz.
Absent: Steve Struthers
Members: Peggy Clark, Brad Pass
Guests: Shirley Heyer

10:00             Introduction:
·      Approval of Agenda (JB, LL: approved)
·      Approval of Minutes from 7/7/12 EPIC Board Meeting (CP, JB; approved)

10:10    Announcements: 
·      EPIC Membership Meeting:  Thursday, Aug. 9, 6:30 PM, the East Phillips Park Center,
o   Received request from Peggy Clark for additions to Aug. 9 membership meeting.
·      National Night Out; Aug. 7th, $100 mini-grant for first ten block clubs
·      Clean Sweep T-Shirt Design Youth Contest; give away 400 t-shirts; $25 prize. Contact Brad.
·      Bicicletas event report: huge success; JLV will report on event at general membership.
·      Garden report: No specific plans for Aug. 11; our garden is not on the calendar for the annual “Garden Day” event. EPIC will have an “open house” 11-Noon at the garden on Aug. 11, 2012. Announce at general membership meeting and at block club events.

10:15            Expected to receive Grievance from Michael Green. He did not come or inform us of his future             intentions.

10:17   Money Management Stuff-

Final Expenses for 2011, Insurance, CPP Grant Request from 2011
·      Distributed financial report as of July 19, 2012.
·      We have an unsigned contract for insurance, but we haven’t received an invoice. We should ask for the certificate – he has verbally assured us that we have insurance but we should ask for something in writing.

Report: $17,000 Return on investment-Phase I NRP 1st Time Home Buyers Loans Program
·      Contract termination – Action Item –
Motion: Whereas these funds are already in an appropriate Phase I strategy, EPIC will use this money (from the old CEE contract) to provide Admin dollars for the new CEE contract. (CP, LL; Passed)

10:30            Report on Task Force on New 2012-13 Money

MG submitted a report on the task force meeting held on July 31, 2012.
MOTION: (MG, ES) see notes. Passed.

10:45             Land Use, Development and Environmental Issues:
1)             HiLake Appts Development
CP passed out meeting report (June 16, 2011), EPIC special meeting agenda (July 7, 2011), Project Data Workshops (financing), and concept drawings.

Comment period (comments are due by Sept. 10, 2012) and Public Hearing (1:30 PM on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012, Room 317 City Hall). City Council to consider the “Plans” at meeting on Sept. 21, 2012.

2)             Alliance Project, 2600 17th Ave., Bituminous Roadways, Smith Foundry

New Information, Met Council; it appears that it is not true that Alliance has funding in place; it seems to have gotten through the CDC and Alliance was granted an extension on exclusive development rights for the 3rd year in a row, on the basis of this inaccurate report.

Karen Clark suggested we meet with Herb Frye to discuss building a couple duplex’s instead of this large unzoned property.

3)            Bituminous Roadways, Smith Foundry
CP will take to NNO events; May write a Bituminous/Smith Foundry petition.

4)             Abbott Hospital permit change.
Requested but have not received the Tech Support Documents. Abbott did their Cumulative Impact Study but it wasn’t enough – sent back to rework it.
           
5)            2931 Bloomington Ave.
Looking for a buyer for live work units planned.

11:00   Phase II Housing Contract with CEE
·      Contract sent to city for review
·      Marketing – Brochures for each program or one Brochure?
·      Lottery issue (CEE is required to administer funds “first come, first served”; this would damage the opportunity of the people in the lottery, so we will not be able to do a lottery. EPIC will have to work harder to market these opportunities so that there is more fairness.
o   Viewed 2 sample documents from Seward Neighborhood Group
o   We will design our own materials
·      Need a plan to manage complaints

For review: June’s MOTION: MG, CP. On our scope of work with CEE, we basically state that the neighborhood will do the marketing based on a marketing plan they develop, that reaches underserved people, and the marketing plan will address fairness, and reaching underserved groups. Passed.


11:40            National Night Out: Actions

·      PRG’s foreclosure assistance, marketing materials
·      Running Wolf marketing materials (serving 250 residents of East Phillips)
·      Tamales Y Bicicletas will also be registering voters
·      Alliance petition
Translations: Spanish, Somalian, other?

12:15   Adjournment