December 12, 2013

General Membership Meeting Minutes 12-12

December 12th, 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

“The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers,
but most of all the world needs dreamers who do.”

Board Members: Earl Simms; Carol Pass; Rosie Cruz; Aisha Gomez; Linda Leonard
Members: Margaret Kirkpatrick, Brad Pass
Guests:  Shirley Heyer

7:45            Introductions:
·      Greetings and Introduction
·      CP moved to meeting of the whole; Aisha second; passed
·      Aisha volunteered to chair
·      Approval of Agenda ; add Midtown Global Market; murder of Ali Noor; Saturday Youth Conference; 4H Friday night; approved as amended with motion by Brad and second by Carol
·      Approval of 12/12/13 General Membership Meeting Minutes the fact that we passed a motion to support Midtown in that endeavor. Carol will send a letter from EPIC so Bob Albee can send a request to the parking signs on park board property.  Minutes need to reflect that. This is to prevent parking of any kind on the north side of the street from 11th to 13th.  Approved after motion by unanimous vote.

6:55            Announcements:
            Midtown Market: apparently the committee recommended that the Global Market loan be turned to a grant. Everyone should send email to council member tonight before the council vote tomorrow.  The parking garage financing will be discussed.
            Murder of business man who owns the Safari was murdered near his home. He had several rental halls. There will be a gathering so watch for the announcements.
            Youth Unconference is Saturday at Joan of Arc. It’s for anyone who cares about youth. 45th and 3rd Ave.   11-12:45 about gun violence.
            4H Friday 20th for neighborhood

7:07  Linda moved and Brad seconded that we move to a regular meeting from the meeting of the whole and approve the agenda and minutes as passed by the committee of the whole. Passed
.

7:10            Greenway Heights Apartments – Closing on land and loans
 They will wait to start unless there are funding reasons to begin soon. All the funding is secured.   We are using BKV which is a national company. We don’t know its business practice in regard to minority contractors. There are usually quotas about employing women and people of ethnic diversity. Those decisions are out of the neighborhood’s hands. Discussion about how to get local people who are qualified employed.   

Chair answered a question  about 2931 Bloomington, owned by Sherman and Associates. It was planned as live/work units for immigrant families of means [300,000] but the economy slumped.  A person did finance the foundation but the building did not get further because the investor was arrested for prostitution and gun running.  Sherman gave the money back, but no other investors or owners have been found. We never have approved the current plans and the city council member would not approve any proposals.  The site was approved for a flat roof, two side by side units.   Can we stop it for an alternative buyer? It is zoned commercial and residential.

Let’s invite the builder/developer to the next meeting . . . Contact Sherman to get the name and contact information.

7:25            SWIMMING POOL UP DATE –Dean Dovolis, DJR Architects

MOTION EPIC will provide funding of $10,000 to Minneapolis Swims organization for the             purpose of facilitating fund raising for the development of the Phillips Aquatic Center, contingent             on signing a contract acceptable to each party, MplsSwims.org and East Phillips..

Linda moved and Carol seconded the motion after Pat withdrew his second. Discussion: Margaret wants to know where the money comes from. The treasurer and the president will clarify this as we go through the process.  The conditions of the contract have to meet the criteria set by “downtown”. This may require a Plan Modification if it comes from NRP Phase 2. Aisha wants more detail and will ask Carol outside the meeting. The opportunity to act on this comes up because members of the pool fund raising team could be understood to be engaged in a capital campaign and EPIC did this before with Arthur Himmelmann for the EPPaark building. There are some issues surfacing concerning MplsSwims recently so the contingency is in order.

7:25            A Fitness Center for Phillips people- Brad Pass- Progress-Creation of Phillips Fitness, Inc. Future of a Phillips Fitness Center which could be affordable to all.
Brad explained that the current Running Wolf is moving out at the end of the month and its new location is a bit ambiguous. People who have belonged to it don’t have a clear alternative for if/when/where Running Wolf might be in the future. Brad explained that the concept of the Phillips Community Center was to have tenants that serve the entire community. The Park Board needed to know how to proceed especially because the investment in making the facility compatible with a fitness center. Brad paid for the filing fees for a nonprofit that was quickly formed to secure the space for another fitness center. A fitness equipment supplier may replace the equipment as a donation. Bob Albee wrote the new 501 c 3. The budget is about $200,000 a year as a base. A business plan is in the works.  EPIC has no investment at this time, but a letter of support would help. A business plan is expected within a month.
           
Linda moved and Rosie seconded: MOTION EPIC will support Phillips Fitness, Inc. with enthusiastic letters of support and fund raising.

A lengthy discussion ensued questioning funding the new Phillips Fitness, Inc. A member had not noticed that the motion does not say ‘funding’, rather it says ‘fund raising’, …the Chair explained that currently this organization does not meet our funding guidelines for a 501©(3) under  the IRS, since this may involve ‘re-granting’, because it is neither a capital expense nor a program in collaboration with EPIC.

Shirley added some history about the desire that the four neighborhoods work together on things like this.
Motion Passed

7:45  Lost the quorum when Rosie left.
Brad moved and Linda seconded to move to a committee of the whole. It passed.

7:50            Support for EPIC Soccer: Ali Micalin needs help with transportation, shin guards, etc.
             MOTION  EPIC supports a $500.00 stipend for organizing, transporting  and coaching East             Phillips kids soccer.

The Board can act on this without a vote of the membership.  Linda suggested that the Board be instructed to investigate whether or not we already gave $1,000. Pat urged that as well. Aisha suggested the board have a particular work session. There were several requests for financial documents and reports about bookkeeping.

There was a discussion about finances and how monies are available under what circumstances.  The general tone seemed to be that the board bring simplified reports to the membership each month. The Chair offrered to bring the policy for Collaboratives to the next meeting and discuss the new push toward creating Priority Plans

8:05            New Construction to fill vacant lots: Prepare for a plan. Block Clubs and/or individuals locate  vacant lots. (Henn. Cty. Prop. Info) Possible partnership with PRG to fill vacant lots with new             construction homes and/or to rehab. Need some focus groups for Priority Plans.


8:07             EPIC Home Loans: Some changes. Marketing EPIC’s home loans to our neighbors and how to             make it more effective.  Carol explained that the contract is six copies and we changed the income limits to encourage more people to apply. She reviewed the changes we made at prior meetings including emergency repair funding and a limit to one per person in their life for homebuyer assistance.

8:10            Crime, Public safety – Impact statements
Carol was unable to get hold of Don Greeley and he apparently is out of town. We need to know how to write impact statements for businesses. La Buena is the business in question. There is a new chair of Lake Street business association and that person may take more action than the prior chair. There was a drive by shooting and there seems to be cartel activities. Law Enforcement seems under pressure to postpone action in deference to FBI. Pat pointed out that licensing has new powers and seems to be enforced downtown. We should talk with our new city council member about this.


8:22              Adjournment
Linda moved to adjourn and Aisha seconded. Passed.


Carol Pass, Board Chair, East Phillips Improvement Coalition
2536 18th Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Phone: (612) 280-8418
cpass@runbox.com

December 7, 2013