May 14th 2015, 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, Margarita Ortega, Carol Pass, Gloria
Reyes,
Board Members
Present: Jenny Bjorgo, Mary
Gonsior, Jean Howard,
Linda Leonard, Carol Pass,
Board Members
Not Present: Rosie Cruz, Margarita Ortega, Gloria Reyes,
EPIC
Members: Laura Dale, Kyla Sisson, Hindolo
Okawa, Chana Ware, George Kennedy, Carol Hill Kennedy, Kathrine Guimaraes, Michael Green, Brad Pass,
Margaret Kirkpatrick
Guests: Don Greeley, Heidi Hafermann, Shirley
Heyer,
6:40 Introductions:
· Greetings and
Introductions
· Approval of Agenda:
approved by concensus
·
Approval of Minutes from EPIC April 9th
Annual Meeting: Tabled to next month.
·
Approval of Minutes from EPIC April 25th
Annual Meeting: JB, MO,
6:55 Announcements:
- Next EPIC Board Meeting, June 6th
- General Membership Meeting, June 11th
- Potential Date for EPIC Summerfest, June 22nd
- Arbor Day Celebration was at Stewart Park today; planted 150 new trees. Contact Phil about a dead tree near the Park Board stage at EPPCCC. If we don’t replace this tree we can bring in a stage without damaging it.
- Midtown Phillips – Youth; youth want fair access to the Stewart Park soccer field and will be holding a meeting with city staff. This is an issue for all residents concerning Minneapolis parks.
- June 20, 2015. Sierra Leone Foundation for New Democracy will host a luncheon; everyone is invited. RSVPs are required; look for more information from EPIC.
7:10 Introduction of the New Board Members
·
Margarita Ortega
·
Gloria Reyes
The board met on Saturday, May 2, 2015 and
elected officers:
President: Carol Pass
Vice President: Margarita Ortega
Secretary: Jean Howard
Treasurer: Mary Gonsior
7:20 Discuss the Community
Innovation Grant (CIF) in partnership with Little Earth: Deadline to file by
June 3, 2015.
HH: Working with Joe B, Director of College Prep at LE, have
developed a plan for expanding a Native Youth Art Collective program. Working
out of the existing program with youth, the program would retain a Native American lens and focus, but would open to
any interested teens. This work and the collective would place a lot of
responsibility and leadership in the hands of the teens. The emphasis would be
placed
on skills that relate to college readiness. A key component
would have the kids set up a Tumbler page that allows a group to have a
visibility and presence as a group.
The value for both LE and EPIC is that the funding requires
that there be components related to reaching out to a larger community. We
envision that there would be several school term “events” in addition to a
summer long program. Bi-annual reporting requirements could be presented to
EPIC. This program will be designed to become a replicable program and leave
room for growth.
CP: The funding is competitive and is available only to
neighborhoods. There are 81 neighborhoods in Minneapolis. The collaborative
aspect of this program will be critical. EPIC has worked to develop criteria to
“share” our money and we have a document addressing criteria for collaboration.
This project seems like a very good fit.
The board will have to work out a budget, and collaboration
will need to be a component to the extent that the project will succeed in a
competitive environment. EPIC’s own
collaboration documents require that there be real collaboration, and not just
on paper. If passed, a grant proposal will have to meet all these requirements.
JH: Exciting to collaborate with LE on this grant. Not only will
LE youth be benefiting from this program, but the larger community will benefit
as well, by learning about the traditions and culture of the Native American
community. Starting with the youth is good because it is a new generation. This
should help join our communities into one.
RC: This is a great opportunity for EPIC and LE to get to know
each other, and she is very supportive of this program.
MOTION: EPIC will enter into an agreement with Little
Earth to make a collaborative partnership program, and EPIC will submit a CIF
grant request for $30,000 as well as serve as fiscal agent if the grant is
received. MGr, KS; Approved.
7:50 Don
Greeley, Crime prevention specialist
MG reported an incident on the 2400
block of Bloomington Ave. DG will try to find out about that incident.
RC reported ongoing problems on Lake
St. between Cedar and Oakland. DG can’t guarantee that MPD can keep a camera
here.
JH reported a gang that has been
giving Little Earth residents a hard time. They are actually trying to rob
people right in Little Earth, beating them senseless and sending to the
hospital. This gang seems to have no standards; very young (13-14). Very
frightening. MO reported that the shooting on Lake St. was MOMA (money over
everything). DG reported that their graffiti is around; there was a shooting
incident with a gang called “10s”. DG reported that the next Little Earth court
watch meeting is May 22nd at 10 am. MO reported one individual who
is on “trespass” and no one comes...the individual is still there at Little
Earth. MO observed a woman beaten in front of residents and her grandchildren,
called police 4 times, and they finally arrived, but let the man go. DG will
look up the call and see if a report is written. SH reported that Midtown is
also dealing with problems with gangs. An incident occurred involving about 15
juveniles;
because they are juveniles, the
community can learn nothing about what happened. Midtown residents reported
there is an African American group that comes onto the soccer fields during
Somali matches and threatens them and police do not come when called.
MOTION: EPIC will request the presence of
the Mayor, chief of police, 3rd precinct inspectors, and head of 911
to attend a near term EPIC membership meeting for a discussion of policing in
East Phillips. MGr, JH; Approved.
MG asked what will this meeting
accomplish?
JH feels that holding this meeting
will bring visibility to our community, and give EPIC the opportunity to
LD thinks upon additional
information from DG, we should confront them with this incident, and ask them
to explain what happened.
RC we want to hear what they are
going to do.
GR they will hear the concerns of
the neighborhood, and can make a plan to address the problems.
7:20 Moving ahead with our Neighborhood
Priority Plan: Police Bike, Ambassador Program, cross walks, for starters.
CP gave an update on EPIC plans and
discussions. EPIC will start chipping away at the programs that were developed
as part of the Neighborhood Priority Plan.
Crime and Safety committee: sign up
on attendance sheet tonight.
MOTION: EPIC will reconvene the Crime and
Safety committee and it will address the items in Exhibit A of the NPP budget,
including engaging the city of Minneapolis on the prior motion to attend a
community meeting. MGr, GK;
JH, as secretary, will convene the
first meeting.
8:30 Somali radio station (added by
consensus.)
Mohamed Cali announced the radio
station agreement that was granted to his nonprofit community organization.
There is equipment and administration that remains unfunded. EPIC should
support his efforts to apply for funding, possibly working with neighborhoods
to write a CIF grant for this project. SH reported that Midtown voted to
support the project. The radio station is located in Ventura Village, and
Mohamed Cali is a resident of Midtown.
MOTION: EPIC will support the concept of a
multi-cultural programming radio station and will work with Mohamed Cali to
achieve that goal. MGo; GK; Approved.
CP: ideally all four of the Phillips
neighborhoods will be involved and support this project.
8:45 Progress on the Water yard/Roof Depot site and Asphalt
Plant/Foundry Industrial Site. Seeking a Site for the Asphalt Plant.
The asphalt plant wants to move and has the funds; trying to
find a location. If anyone knows a real estate agent, or someone who can help,
especially outside the metro, contact
CP. They need 3 acres.
8:50 Progress on Housing Loan Programs.
The housing loans are for rehab and for purchase. No
interest, and no payments until you sell the home.
8:50 Support 2900 16th Ave Block effort to put speed
bumps on 16th Ave. They need a petition for their Block.
MOTION:
EPIC will support the effort of the 2900 16th Ave
block and the 2400 18th Ave block in their efforts to get speed
bumps and will help them with their petitions. CP, GR; Approved with 1
abstention.
MGr offered a friendly
amendment that would include any block that formed a group to get speed bumps,
which was declined.
GR reported that the 2900 block
of 16th Ave has a terrible burden of drug dealing and traffic at all
hours of the day and night. With many children, it is a very dangerous
situation.
MO reported that the 2400 block
of 18th has a school, an early learning center, and lots and lots of
children going back and forth to along with much more traffic related to the
new, popular East Phillips Park; the day cares serve multi-neighborhood
residents bringing lots of extra traffic to the area.
8:55 Adjournment.
