December 11, 2014, 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
Board Roster: Jenny Bjorgo, Rosie
Cruz, Mary Gonsior,
Jean
Howard, Linda Leonard, Ali Micalin, Carol Pass, Cesar Prado, Earl Simms
Board Members Present: Jenny Bjorgo, Mary
Gonsior, Linda Leonard, Carol
Pass, Jean Howard, Earl Simms, Rosie Cruz
Board Members Not
Present:
Ali Micalin, Cesar Prado,
EPIC Members: Brad Pass, Laura Dale, Michael Green, Seth Kuhl-Stennis, Harry DeWilde,
Dana DeWilde, Neil Ahlstrom, Mark Welna, Randy Kramer, Ben Fisher, Patti
Zanski-Fisher, Abdihakim Abdi, Bob Dalsin, Bayissa Didi, Ira Jourdain, Darren Konson, Megan
Kuhl-Stennes, Margarita Ortega, Margaret Kirkpatrick, Karen Clark,
Guests:
Heidi Hamilton, Paul Mogush, Tammy Johnston, Mahamoud Wardere, Ned Brooks
635 Introductions:
· Greetings and
Introductions, share your favorite holiday.
· Agenda: Agenda was
accepted by consensus.
6:55 Approval of Minutes
· Approval of November 13,
2014 minutes: (JB, CP) Approved with no objections.
7:00 Crime and Safety
Lt. May reported on 3rd precinct
activities since our last meeting. Not a lot of violent crime to report,
however, there was a fatal stabbing last Saturday afternoon at the Lake St.
station of LRT. Suspect is in custody. Aggravated assaults are down. Theft from
autos is up. There were a couple stolen vehicles in E. Phillips. There is
always a spike in these crimes this time of year, usually because people are
leaving valuable items in plain view, and leaving cars running to warm up.
2927 16th Ave; one arrest on narcotics
Also addressing a “tippling” house 22XX
Bloomington (selling booze, paid parties).
7:05 Presidents’ Report-
Every
neighborhood has to undergo an audit, and EPIC just recently had ours. The
auditor hired by the city gave us a good report verbally, and we are expecting
to receive a written report this month. The audit will cost 1/3 of our annual
budget, around $3,000, paid by the city.
7:15 Treasurer’s Report:
- Report is preliminary and represents transition from do-it-yourself reporting by EPIC, to professional accounting by a CPA.
- Noted that accounting costs in 2014, to date were $2,353.
- Accepted report (No questions).
7:20 EPIC
East Phillips Park Programming Partnership – Standing Committee Report-
- Brad Pass reported on progress with the Financial and Computer Literacy Classes
- Partnering with Wells Fargo on Financial Literacy; just held first series of (4) classes
- The first series of Computer Literacy classes is coming up. (Distributed a sign up form). Partnering with Americore and Mpls. City IT Dept..
- Space is limited – 8 computers and 1 instructors station.
- We are very pleased with how things are going with these partnerships.
- This is the only class that is offered in the neighborhood during the evening.
- We are trying to provide these classes in Spanish. We could probably fill classes every night of the week.
- People are welcome to join this committee; we would like to find additional partners, recruiting students, coaching and mentoring opportunities.
7:25 Ambassador
Program update/sign up sheet
EPIC
has been working on this program for several months now. Ambassadors wear a
vest, and go out into the neighborhood to engage with the community,
disseminate information, solicit information and build stronger relationships
between EPIC and the communities it serves. .
Will
Gilman is the chair of this Committee, and would like to know anyone who is
interested in joining this program to contact him: William.g.gilman@gmail.com.
LL
read report from Will: Linda and Will walked about 2 hours and met many new
people. While we handed out EPIC materials, and met new people, we did NOT
bring back contact information from new people that we met. They are looking
for more people to do this.
8:05 Our Heavy Industry Dilemma-The Asphalt
Plant, Foundry and Roof Depot Site-Power Point
The Issues: One, the Asphalt Plant,
Two, the Foundry, Three, The Water Works Move to Roof Depot.
BP presented a powerpoint discussing links between pollution
and ADHD in children. A recent article published by the StarTribune highlighted
the connection between PAHs (a component of the pollution released by the
asphalt plant), and a disproportionate incidence of ADHD diagnoses in children
living in East Phillips.
MOTION
PASSED AT NOVEMBER MEETING: (ME,LD, Approved) Establish a Clean Air
Task Force to repurpose the industrial areas of East Phillips to the goals of
transit oriented residential housing and ultimately eliminate heavy industrial
polluting enterprises within the boundaries of East Phillips.
Discussion:
Who is on the task force, and when will they meet? What kind
of time commitment is needed? CP reported that we have struggled with similar
issues in the past. All of our past battles have taken about a year and were
costly in terms of time and everything. This neighborhood has worked with our
legislature to produce the only law in the US that is protective of a community
like E. Phillips, in an area that is low income, diverse, etc. In every big
city there is an area where the folks who have less, live. This seems to be
where these challenges end up due to a lack of resources to track and fight
them.
We know that we need to be concerned for our children. But we
need to say that we can’t have heavy industrial pollution right in our midst.
We don’t know how long this will take, we don’t know what the obstacles are, we
have new data supporting the harm that pollution causes, and we want to make
this happen and we need to make this happen now. We want to work with the
industries that are here and be fair, and work with them to address these problems.
Ned Brooks (651-757-2557) ned.brooks@state.mn.us, works for the
Pollution Control Agency and their job is to help. He reported that the PCA
does a lot of air monitoring. There is also a very extensive network of PAH
monitoring in the neighborhood including right here at the Park. There are
about 15 monitors in East Phillips as part of a 2 year study. There is plenty
of information about air monitoring available about this neighborhood. Would
like to offer to have PCA present the findings from this monitoring to the
neighborhood. Suggested inviting the public health department to participate
also. Will send some links to the internet that we could post on our EPIC site.
Ned Brooks distributed a report from the monitor that was stationed at
Little Earth, showed similar findings as those found at Anderson school.
Smith Foundry
Wanted to comment that when dealing with the state and other
agencies, he has been told that the bulk of PAH’s are really coming from the vehicles
that are burning diesel. Asked Ned to comment on sources of PAH’s, who
responded that PAH’s come from fuel combustion, from vehicles or other sources.
Every two years PCA gives a report to the legislature, so the
current report is two years old. The next report is due in January 2015.
Water Works Division
Heidi reported that the Water Works Division is looking for a
site as their current location is obsolete. We believe this would be a good
operational benefit. The site is currently an industrial site, and the property
is for sale. The Water Works Division will work with the community to address
community concerns.
LL responded that there is and has been concerns about the
zoning issues in E. Phillips. The current zoning is really out of date, and
with the transit oriented development here, it should be changed to reflect
modern conditions
Planning Department
Long range planning for Minneapolis, proposed acquisition,
will serve as a resources. What would the process be to change the zoning in an
area.
1. individual property owners can request a change for their
own property.
2. a city-initiated re-zoning study; defined by state law; at
least 40 acres, involves a lot of process. Typically in areas of change, where
there is new land use planning processes.
Mary G question: While heavy industry use is “grandfathered”
with the property when sold, that would not be the case in the event a business
stops operating for more than one year. On the 366th day, the
property would no longer retain the right to operate heavy industry.
Michael G question: Does the pollution “cumulative” effect
measure mean that a sale to another heavy industry would be legal provided the
pollution does not “increase” pollution from the existing heavy industry?
8:30 East Phillips Vacant Lots and Boarded
Buildings
CP presented a little history surrounding EPIC’s efforts to
set aside funds for new construction and previous work with PRG and GHMC to
partner to build homes on empty lots in E. Phillips, introducing a 2nd
vote on the
MOTION
PASSED AT NOVEMBER MEETING: (CP,ES, Approved) EPIC will set aside
$120,000 to build 8 new houses on 8 empty lots and that we seek contracts with
PRG and GHMC.
Michael G: suggested that EPIC require an RFP for these
homes. CP responded that we have solicited RFP’s in the past and based on
previous work with PRG and GHMC we have more confidence in them than with PPL,
the only other developer who could really provide a bid.
Seth: Why is this motion being considered since it has
already been approved. Have there been other “uses” considered for these
properties? There is room for other possibilities.
LL: We always do a second vote for a Neighborhood Priority Plan
or anything that uses a lot of money. A first vote is for neighborhood review.
This has been long envisioned since our NRP Phase II Plan. We will have other
possibilities later on.
Michael G proposed amending the motion to: EPIC will set
aside $120,000 to build UP TO 8 new houses. This was rejected by JB,
however, JB did accept the addition of the words “UP TO” to the motion.
MOTION: (JB,
ES) EPIC will set aside $120,000 NPP using 2012-2013 to build UP TO 8
new houses on 8 empty lots and that we seek contracts with PRG and GHMC.
Approved with 1 opposed, no abstentions.
8:50 Adjournment
