January 10, 2013

General Membership Meeting Minutes 01-10


January 10th, 2013, 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

EPIC Members: Brad Pass, Pat Fleetham, Kevin Lieder, Hannah Leider,
Board Members Present: Carol Pass, Mary Gonsior, Chiffon Williams, Linda Leonard, Earl Simms
Board Members Not Present: Rosie Cruz, Jennie Bjorgo, Jose Luis Villasenor
Guests: Mallory Morken (Garden Matters), Joe Estrade (MAIC – COPE Expeditions Program),

6:50            Announcements:
·       EPIC Membership Meeting:  Thursday, February 14th, 6:30 PM, the East Phillips Park Center,
·       Park Board Public Hearing on the disposition of the former Waite House Property will be held on Jan. 16, 6:30 pm at MPRB HQ, 2117 W. River Rd. Minneapolis.
·       Public hearing for 24-hour operation of Ultra Wash Laundry, Monday, Jan. 28, 1:30 pm City Hall Rm 317.
·       Basketball Saturday was a great success. Chiffon gave a report. 70 people attended!
6:55            Introductions:
·       Greetings and Introductions
·       Meet as a committee of the whole (MG, PF) Passed.
·       Approval of Agenda. As amended to move Housing to the end of the meeting.  (PF, BP) Passed.
·       Approval of Minutes from EPIC 12/13/2012 General Membership Meeting (BP, PF) Passed.

7:00            Swimming Pool Update: Three options
BASE OPTION: Project currently has funds to do this option:  $2.25M; Anticipated Net Income would be $41,266.

OPTION 1: Knock out the wall and add 2 lanes to the main pool, expand the teaching pool, change showers and more. Cost: $5.1M; Anticipated Net Income would be $92,200.

OPTION 2: Knock out the wall and add 2 lanes to the main pool, add a deep water pool for diving, expand the teaching pool and more. Bleachers would be opened up in all the Options, not the Base Plan. Showers reconfigured and new office space would come from moving the showers. Classrooms added to replace lost classrooms in current structure.
Option 2 cost: $7.5M; Anticipated Net Income would be $108,200.

The Business Plan has established the sustainability of the project. The Park Board withdrew the requirement to create an “operations endowment”. Waiting for the timeline for fundraising (based on the option selected by the Park Board.) Minneapolis Swims would like to receive funding from the neighborhoods to help with fundraising, and will be working to engage the neighborhoods in about a 1 mile radius.

Board Motions:
MOTION: Add EPIC’s logo and account of support to the Pool project publication. HL pointed out that this motion was unnecessary, EPIC’s contribution will be noted when a list of contributors is composed and added to brochures and other notifications.

MOTION: The EPIC board supports the pool concept plans and would highly recommend raising adequate money to go all the way to Option 2. EPIC requests that the Park Board extend the deadline for fundraising to facilitate raising funds to achieve Option 2. Passed.

7:50            Phillips Gardening Hubs- Mallory
Mallory is with AmeriCore at Gardening Matters, and coordinates Phillips Local Food Resources, a neighborhood gardening network. Acting together in partnership, individuals and organizations seek to learn about gardening, improve health, grow community, and save money/resources. Individual membership is on a sliding scale basis, and Group membership is available. Membership provides access to seeds, tools and classes. Seeking support with letting people know about the opportunities, and/or marketing by neighborhood organizations.

February: Upcoming event at Phillips Community Center: Seed packing party. Another benefit of being a member is taking advantage of bulk buying. It requires a lot of volunteer hours to “repack” the seeds.

Brad will distribute information about the membership to the 17th Avenue gardeners. CP will include an announcement in EPIC email.

7:50            Greenway Heights Apartments - Update: Power pole problems.

EPIC is working with resolving the problem.

8:10            Quorum was achieved, Earl Simms arrived.

8:00             Crime Cameras report- Update-Warrant List and  Impact Statements
Ventura Village is proceeding with their plan to purchase their own “generator powered” camera. Ventura Village will purchase the camera, which will be “owned” by the City. VV has committed $30,000; Hope Village has committed $5,000; if EPIC wants to be included in the “use” agreement for this camera, we need to decide now.
           
MOTION: EPIC supports the cost of the camera in the amount of $15,000 in exchange for amendment of the agreement to proportionally share use of the equipment. This requires a 30-day review for final passage (CP, PF) Passed.
           
MOTION: EPIC passes the motions that were previously approved as a committee of the whole. (BP, PF) Passed.

8:20     Crime: Impact Statements were explained and warrant list passed out.
You can sign up by contacting Don Greeley.

8:22            City Grievance Policy – ADA Compliance, discussion that the NCR Grievance Policy only establishes procedures for Grievances by the City against the neighborhoods and no procedures for or even notice of Neighborhoods grievances, which they may have against the City, therefore also no protection from retaliation by City staff or officials.

Board Motion
MOTION: EPIC insists that NCR and NCEC add language to the proposed changes to the NCR Bylaws and the CPP grievance policy that creates a process protective of contracted neighborhood organizations and/or individuals against retaliation for grievances filed against NCR, NCR staff, and the NCEC Commission. Passed.

8:24     Partnership of Diabetics (A-POD program): Future of the program and the Latino Outreach.

EPIC voted to support A-POD with $2,500 at two past Community meetings (one for review and one for final vote) and a board meeting. CP has received a revised budget, and she will review the budget and report to the board next month. It is to be a match with an Allina grant. CP pointer out that EPIC’s  partnership commits us to assist with helping A-POD recruit East Phillips participants of all ethicities and provide interpreters for Latino neighbors from East Phillips, so we need to act on this. Priority for this project comes from our Phase II Plan re: elders and Latino Outreach.

8:25              EPIC Anti-Pollution Effort:
Update on Abbott Hospital air quality permit- Impact of the Clark Law. Tech Support Doc. Increased HAPS
The air quality issue appears to be the best option we have for removing these polluting businesses from the neighborhood. We have to find out what hazardous air pollution has gone up due to changes in Abbott Hospital’s practices. We need to read the document on their new generators and determine what additional hazardous particles they are adding to the neighborhood.

8:34            Housing:
Layout for Brochure has been approved. See Brochure. EPIC/NRP Phase II Housing Programs to roll out in end of January to meet a spring time availability. Marketing our programs, Ideas for the greatest equity? We still need application forms and training for door-knockers. We want to have the brochure translated into Spanish and possibly Somali languages.

8:40            Waite House Property Sale
The Park Board will make the final decision on January 16th as to who will be chosen to purchase the building. Midtown recommended selling the building to Banyan. Proposals under consideration:

·       Banyan presented a plan to purchase the building, and they have money set aside to demolish; and will raise funds to rebuild, resulting in a $7M building.
·       Heart of the Beast presented a plan to use the building “as is”. They want to rent with the option to buy (with a large deposit) for 2 years while they raise funds to renovate the building. They were willing to have the neighborhood and community groups use the building for other things.
·       Latino neighbors and others expressed disappointment that there has been no response from Midtown board members or Park Board officials to correct for the lack of inclusion in the public process, with the exception of the Park staff’s (Board’s?) negative response of removing the requirement that there even be such an effort at inclusion on the part of Midtown.
·       EPIC asserts again that our call for this was not an objection to any competing project, but a response to complaints from culturally diverse community members both in and outside of Midtown Phillips concerning their almost total lack of inclusion. It was noted that, while this is not our neighborhood, many, even most of our families straddle the boundaries of the neighborhoods and also many family members in East Phillips have children that are involved in either Waite House or Banyan.

8:45            Adjournment

January 5, 2013

Board Meeting Minutes 01-05


January 4th, 2013, Saturday, 10:00 am

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

Present (board): Carol Pass, Mary Gonsior, Chiffon Williams, Linda Leonard, Earl Simms
Not Present (board): Rosie Cruz, JoseLuis Villasenor, Jenny Bjorgo
Members: Brad Pass,

10:15             Introduction:
·     Meet as a committee of the whole.
·     Approval of Agenda – with addition of “Selecting Projects for Collaboration” – Passed.
·     Approval of minutes from 12/1/12 board meeting - Passed
10:25    Announcements: 
·      EPIC Membership Meeting:  Thursday, January 10th, 6:30 PM, the East Phillips Park Center,
·      Park Board Public Hearing on the disposition of the former Waite House Property will be held on Jan. 16, 6:30 pm at MPRB HQ, 2117 W. River Rd. Minneapolis.
·      Public hearing for 24-hour operation of Ultra Wash Laundry, Monday, Jan. 28, 1:30 pm City Hall Rm 317.

10:35            Selecting Projects for Collaboration
Last month the board discussed EPIC’s Collaborative Funding Agreements. We still need to clarify what “need” means in Article #4. Suggestions:

·      The organization provides the types of services that meet the needs of East Phillips residents, and
·      The organization lacks the current capacity to expand their services and programming to include residents in East Phillips.
·      The board and the organization is committed to a balanced approach to providing resources to the diverse residents of East Phillips.

10:40            Motion: Quorum achieved: Ratify the actions of the committee of the whole. (LL, ES) Passed.
10:45            Steve Struthers resignation

Motion: Accept Steve Struthers resignation. (MG, LL) Passed.

10:57            Swimming Pool Update and response to questions.
Brad and Carol spent two days at meetings working on the pool issues, and attended a Park meeting two weeks ago. By the end of December there was capital funding for the Base Option (page 2, Phillips Aquatics Center Pool Expansion; paid in large part by EPIC.)

This plan is a “business plan” which shows that this plan is sustainable over time. The document was just published, in large part through funding via EPIC. Brad gave an overview of the publication, page by page.

BASE OPTION: We currently have funds to do this option.$2.25M; Anticipated Net Income would be $41,266
OPTION 1: Knock out the wall and add 2 lanes to the main pool, expand the teaching pool, and more.Cost: $5.1M; Anticipated Net Income would be $92,200
  
OPTION 2: Knock out the wall and add 2 lanes to the main pool, add a deep water pool, expand the teaching pool and more. $7.5M; Anticipated Net Income would be $108,200

The anticipated net income is based on operating the pools as a business, and is a conservative estimate.

MOTION: Add EPIC’s logo to the publication. (MG, LL) Passed.
MOTION: The EPIC board supports the pool concept plans and would highly recommend raising adequate money to go all the way to Option 2. EPIC requests that the Park Board extend the deadline for fundraising to facilitate raising funds to achieve Option 2. (LL, MG) Passed.

11:15            Ultra Wash Laundry Hours
CP would like to connect with residents at Corridor Flats to find out if they object.

11:20            Housing Brochure and plans to spread the word.
Brochure is not done – still waiting for contact information from Doug Wise. The layout has been approved.

First Come – First Served
How to make the process fair? Carol will obtain the application so it can be distributed when flyering. EPIC will schedule Q&A sessions in various languages. Carol will contact CEE and ask if they want to do the Q&A, or if they can equip us to do it ourselves. Develop a list of steps to ensure successful application.

Questions:
1. Is there a processing fee for applicants that don’t actually qualify?
2. How do you “get in line”.

11:30            Greenway Heights Apartments – What do you want us to change?
Carol invited Dean Dovolis to provide some photos to give to the developer to inspire a more beautiful exterior to the building design.

11:40            Crime (Public Safety) Concerns: Impact Statements and Warrant Sheets, Do we want to invest in             cameras?

The “warrant list” comes out monthly now, and the people on the list are “fleeing arrest.” If you see any of these people, you are to call 911, tell police that you saw them and ask them to come pick them up.

Police are seeking community impact statements for Terrence Charles Brown, going to court on 1/14/13.Charge is aggravated robbery first degree, felony. Anyone can write these.

We need to find out if Ventura Village is going to invest in a crime camera for the Phillips neighborhood. They have tentatively set aside $15,000 for a camera. Hope Academy has put up $5,000. Should EPIC put up $15,000?

11:45            City Grievance Policy Issues and ADA compliance:

The city developed proposed changes to the CPP grievance policy that only addresses instances of grievance against neighbohoods, and says nothing about grievances against NCR, or downtown.

MOTION: EPIC insists that NCR and NCEC add to the proposed changes to the CPP grievance policy, wording that addresses grievances by contracted neighborhood organizations against NCR, NCR staff, and the NCEC Commission. (LL, CW) Passed.

EPIC has no problems with building/meeting accessibility; however, we do have problems with language barriers, which is why Linda has been researching simultaneous translation equipment.


11:55            Waite House Property Sale

The Park Board will make the final decision as to who will be chosen to purchase the building. Midtown recommended selling the building to Banyon. Proposals under consideration:

·      Banyon presented a plan to purchase the building, and they have money set aside to demolish and rebuild, resulting in a $7M building.
·      Heart of the Beast presented a plan to use the building “as is”. They want to rent with the option to buy (with a large deposit) for 2 years while they raise funds to renovate the building.

12:05            Basketball funding request
A request has come to fund rental of the EPPCCC gym for a neighborhood outreach basketball session today, from 2 – 6 pm. This was organized over the weekend.

MOTION: EPIC will provide $85 to cover the cost of EPIC Outreach Basketball in January, 2013. (ES, CW) Passed.

12:10            Adjournment