EPIC Community Meeting Minutes
May 9th, 2019, 6:30 – 8:50
East
Phillips Park Cultural & Community Center, 2307 17th Ave
S.
EPIC
web address: eastphillips-epic.com
Office:
2536 18th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55404
Phone: (612) -280-8418
Board Roster: Rosie Cruz, Laura Dale,
Mary Gonsior, Cassandra
Holmes, Shontal Lajeunesse, Abah Mohamed, Carol Pass, Steve Sandberg, Sarah
Santiago.
Board Members Present: Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Cassandra
Holmes, Shontal Lajeunesse, Steve Sandberg, Sarah Santiago, Rosie Cruz, Abah
Mohamed
Board Members Not Present: Carol Pass (E),
Members:
Brad Pass, Devika Ghai
Guests: Shirley Heyer
6:30 Social
Time
6:45 Greetings and
Introductions
6:50 Agenda: Approve the agenda: MG, SL, Approved
Minutes: Approve
the minutes from April 11, 2019: MG, BP, Approved
6:58 ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- EPIC Community
Garden Meeting – May 11th, 9:00 this Saturday morning,
EPPark,
- Plots available! The garden serves people who live,
work or own property in East Phillips.
- Clean dirt! The soil was remediated back in 2005.
- Contact Brad Pass or attend the garden meeting on
Saturday.
- Question as to whether there is a mentor to teach
those who don’t know how to garden
- No, because volunteer based – but looking for people
for steering committee
·
SUMMERFEST WILL BE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2019
o
THE
NEXT PLANNING MEETING IS Thursday, May 16th at
1:30 at East Phillips Park
o
Talent Show, Music, Food, etc.
o
Bring your ideas and any musicians’ names you know.
o
Does your company or organization want to host a
table at SummerFest?
7:06 Reflections on the
Annual Meeting, Election results, Board Officers
- Carol Pass is likely to step down as president – wants
to make sure it won’t affect the DEED Grant
- The board needs a written resignation to step down as
president
- DEED Grant needs to be spent by June 2020
- tabled for board meeting
- Lower attendance than past years – why?
- Flyered twice this year (2019)
- Not much participation from other organizations i.e.
officials from city, local businesses
- Create new/update e-mail list so all members are
getting emails
- Update Facebook page more frequently
- Steve Sandburg, Shontal Lajeunesse and Sarah Santiago
elected
- Mary Gonsior and Cassandra Holmes re-elected
7:25 HAC MEETING
REPORT (Steve Sandburg/Cassie Holmes)
o 2nd HAC meeting
§ First meeting – introductions, a lot
of talent
§ Second meeting – a lot of “subs”
o Only first point on staff direction is
being addressed in HAC
o 25 people on advisory committee; four
neighborhood residents on the HAC committee; remainder are city workers, union
representatives, other neighborhoods and organizations
o Alondra attended the first meeting and
basically told residents that we can talk about the training center or go home.
§ SS asked her if she would be directing
staff to comply with item #8 (not tear down the building) until HAC has made a
recommendation; she evaded the question.
o Alondra has dropped the ball on
supporting the Urban Farm project, and in fact, doesn’t seem to support it
anymore.
o EPNI members tried to add items to
agenda - We have to insist at the next HAC meeting that EPIC/EPNI has an
opportunity to give a presentation of the Urban Farm Project.
o HAC members have not been told what
EPNI plan, however Pillsbury United Communities was invited to present at the
HAC meeting
§ EPIC should connect with Pillsbury
United Communities and “nip in the bud” any conflict between neighborhood
organizations that has been created by the city
o Tour of Roof Depot site might be added
to agenda
o Next HAC meeting is May 20th
at Public Works building
o City now wants to create ‘sandbox’ to
train on equipment like bulldozers – more diesel pollution
o EPNI is looking into environmental
factors that impact current plans for using diesel, fueling stations, etc.
o EPNI meeting tomorrow, Friday May 9th
7:45 Summer Issues and
Activities…you are invited to help!
·
Plan
and carry out events through the summer.
o Mother’s Day Pow Wow at Cedar Field
Park – Saturday May 11th at 1pm
o SummerFest (June 23, 2019)
o Community Garden all summer
o National Night Out – Tuesday, August 6th
o Phillips Community Clean Sweep –
October 12th
o Garden Fall Harvest Party Saturday,
October 19th
o Ideas?
·
Plan
out events for fall.
o Expand our October Harvest party
(block off the street)
o Clean Sweep
o Ideas?
8:15 Crime and Safety
issues: Bring your questions.
o Bloomington and 29th – lots
of problems
§ 24/7 people walking up and down block
· Foot traffic
· Sex workers – very young women
o Suggestion to call PRIDE – will give
them food and materials for programs to get involved in 24-Hour Crisis Line at 612.728.2062 (Collect calls accepted) or call us
toll-free at 888.774.3399
§ Bus stop for kids – between 6:30-9am
and there are drug dealers all around this area during these times – it’s even
worse after school
§ 50-75 people
§ Police put camera – but the view
doesn’t cover Bloomington Avenue
o May 15th – 3rd
Precinct Open House
o Violence Protection – provide funding
to get input through applying
§ Must apply by next week – midnight on
Thursday, May 16th
MOTION: EPIC will seek funding from the City
of Minneapolis Office of Violence Prevention for the purpose of conducting a
survey of East Phillips residents – MG, SL, Approved
o Check into temporary roundabout on 27th
Ave and 25th street – should this be permanent?
o How to fund?
o Are there safety issues?
o how to address safety issues
o 17th and Lake Street building
o Can the city figure out a plan for
parking around the building?
o Can EPIC learn how to have a say in
the process of issues of affordable housing with this building
o Is the developer targeting particular
commercial tenants? Who?
o What kind of commercial tenants is he
looking for?
o What business hours will be allowed?
o June 17th – going in front
of the planning commission
o Alondra’s office has said the
developer is seeking public funding – Devika will forward her correspondence
from Alondra’s office to EPIC Board for further action
· Since it is publicly funded, it must
have 3-4 affordable units
8:25 Adjourn
