EPIC
Community Meeting Draft Minutes
December 9, 2021, 6:30 – 7:30
EPIC web address: eastphillips.org
Email: sarah@eastphillips.org
Office: 2433 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55404
Phone:
(612)
354-6802
Board Roster:
Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Cassandra Holmes, David Ingold, Shontal Lajeunesse,
Steve Sandberg, Earl Simms, Karen Townsend, Nikolas Winter-Simat
Board
Members Present:
Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Steve
Sandberg, Shontal Lajeunesse, Karen Townsend
Board
Members Not Present:
Cassandra Holmes (E), Earl Simms, Nikolas Winter-Simat (E), David Ingold (E)
Members:
Brad Pass, Carol Pass, Andrea H,
Stephen Gregg, S Sellars
Guests:
Larry
6:30 Welcome
●
Vision
and Mission
●
Intros
●
Group
Agreements
○
Respect each other; aim for kindness
○
Respect each other's time; aim for
brevity
○
Respect the agenda; aim for unity
○
Own your words, actions, and reactions;
aim for peace
●
How
to become a member
○
Chat
Sarah or email sarah@eastphillips.org with your email address and physical address (to verify you
live in East Phillips)
○
All
members are allowed to vote on EPIC decisions and motions
●
Agenda
Approval, LD, StS, Approved
Minutes Approval, StS,
LD, Approved
●
Announcements
o
Next
Board Meeting will be: Saturday,
January 8 from10am-11am join online
(link to join is at eastphillips.org)
▪
Note
one week later than normal due to New Year’s
▪
Board
Meetings are open to the public
o
Next
Community Meeting will be: Thursday, January 13 from 6:30-7:30 online (link to
join is at eastphillips.org)
▪
The topic will be: Overdose Prevention
Sites: Southside Harm Reduction Services will share information
▪
We will be trying a hybrid model - in
person and online.
o EPIC has a housing program! 0% interest! Fix up your home or
buy a new home in East Phillips – Check your email for the brochure or go to:
mncee.org/east-phillips: Programs for East Phillips Residents | Center
for Energy and Environment (mncee.org)
o
If
you smell a foul odor around Smith foundry or Bituminous Roadways call 311 to
report
▪
Write
down your incident number
o
Join
your neighbors in cleaning up trash every Saturday at 12pm, meet at 27th Street
and 17th Avenue
o EPNI update
▪
Event 1-3pm Saturday, December 18 at East
Phillips Park
o TOPA info
▪
EPIC supports more power to
tenants. Read about the city's proposal for a Renter Opportunity to Purchase
Ordinance and provide your feedback on the proposal via the link below.
●
https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/cped/housing-policy-development/renter-opportunity-to-purch
▪
The Housing Justice League
is fighting for a stronger Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act and encourages
you to tell the city not to have any properties exempt from the policy and to
include an option for tenants to sell or assign their right to purchase to
another party, including a non-profit organization. Learn more about the
Housing Justice League's stance via the link below:
●
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jjCWYMbDQKge6VKaauhb4HwyD1kl-xidS2VaRvFkzKU/edit?usp=sharing
o Guaranteed
Basic Income Pilot
▪
East Phillips is located in
the selected Zip Codes for the Pilot of Minneapolis' Guaranteed Basic Income.
▪
Is your income at or below
the following?
●
For a single person:
$36,750
●
For a family of two:
$42,000
●
For a family of three:
$47,250
●
For a family of four:
$52,450
●
For a family of five:
$56,650
●
For a family of six:
$60,850
●
For a family of seven:
$65,050
●
For a family of eight:
$69,250
▪
Have you had an impact from
the pandemic such as job loss; higher healthcare payments; or loss of
childcare, technology or transportation?
▪
Then you are eligible for
the Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot.
▪
Apply before December 31.
▪
Learn more and apply: https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/cped/housing-policy-development/renter-opportunity-to-purchase-feedback/
o View EPIC’s 2022
calendar (also at eastphillips.org): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Z49sNna4jsvSNr87r3RoC8W1pPWzCapB?usp=sharing
o Board voted to approve
new policies and procedures - view at eastphillips.org
▪
Bylaw amendment vote (from last Community
Meeting):
●
Online votes: 4 in favor, 0 against
●
Paper votes: 1 against (disqualified because person is outside
of East Phillips)
●
Community Meeting votes: 8 approved, 1 abstained
6:43 Updates//Report from Action Committee
●
City
hasn’t had a strong response to drug use
●
East
Phillips neighbors focusing on ideas and solutions
○
How
can we actively address drug use in East Phillips
○
Acknowledge
can’t speak for entire neighborhood
○
Interested
in root causes and long term solutions
■
But
also looking at short term solutions
■
City
approach has been to push unhoused neighbors
○
Working
with Southside Harm Reduction
○
Trying
to identify a place for unhoused neighbors
■
Lots of clashes between housed and unhoused
neighbors
○
Group
met with Hennepin County Commissioner and is interested in what the group is
working on
○
Working
on a concept paper - framework for creating community center
■
City
also working on an Overdose Prevention Site
■
Would
like to provide concept paper to city to provide a framework that comes from
neighbors who use drugs to help steer the solution
■
Use
paper to draw in new neighbors
●
Work
neighbors are doing to create a Community Resource Hub with the long term goal
of an Overdose Prevention Site once it is federally legal
○
Interested
in joining this work?
■
Group
meets the first and third Tuesday of the month from 4:30-5:30 over Zoom (link
to join at eastphillips.org)
●
Join
January’s Community Meeting on January 8 for more in depth information about
Overdose Prevention Sites, including examples of sites, benefits to the
community, and the various avenues at the federal, state and city council level
for establishing one
6:45 Feature Presentation//Community Discussion
topic:
●
Larry Matsumoto from City
about resurfacing work and ADA pedestrian ramp improvements in East Phillips in
2022-2023
● Milling
and overlay work
○
Only one block in East
Phillips
■
21st Ave between 28th
Street and Lake Street
○
Upgrading pedestrian ramps
○
All being paid by city
funds (not from property taxes)
○
Milling and overlay work
will have assessment and property tax
■
Will have public hearing
regarding property tax assessment
7:00 Questions for presenter
● Likely
around $1,100 over 5 years
○
Everyone is assessed at the
same rate
■
Question raised about the
equity piece of charging everyone the same, whether they live in Linden Hills
or East Phillips
●
Bring concern to City
Council member
7:10 Community Decisions
1)
Bylaw
addition
IV,
section I on page 3 currently reads
8. Member Voting. All issues to be voted upon will be decided by a simple
majority of those present at the meeting in which the vote takes place unless
otherwise specified in these Bylaws or by resolution of the Board. All eligible
voters may cast one vote. Voting by proxy is not permitted. The following decisions in all cases require
approval of the voting membership:
● Election of Directors; and
● Ratification / rejection of amendments to Bylaws.
Add the following section:
9. Alternative Voting Methods. Voting may be conducted via
electronic methods, such as SurveyMonkey. In addition, a ballot drop box for
paper ballots can be utilized at a location determined by the EPIC board, such
as the EPIC office. Voting may stay open for up to 7 days before or after the
meeting (Annual Meeting or Community Meeting) where the voting begins, as
determined by the EPIC board.
○
The above alternative voting methods
addition conforms to city requirements
○
Currently in our bylaws member voting in
bylaws are reserved for election of board members and ratification/rejection of
bylaw amendments
○
Currently voting regarding finances is
outlined in our Operating Policies and Procedures
MOTION: The EPIC board and membership approves
of the bylaw amendment titled “Alternative Voting Methods” section as follows, LD, SL, Approved
Alternative Voting Methods. Voting may be conducted via
electronic methods, such as SurveyMonkey. In addition, a ballot drop box for
paper ballots can be utilized at a location determined by the EPIC board, such
as the EPIC office. Voting may stay open for up to 7 days before or after the
meeting (Annual Meeting or Community Meeting) where the voting begins, as
determined by the EPIC board.
2)
Motion
regarding purchase of the building where EPIC’s office is currently located
●
Background:
○
Two
residential units plus the commercial unit that EPIC is currently occupying
○
EPIC
would hire a property manager that aligns with our values
○
EPIC
has been discussing possibility of purchasing for many years
■
Ramped
up this year, has been discussed since April including looking at other options
to use city funds
■
At
the April Community Meeting, this idea was proposed and the community decided
it was worth pursuing
○
Mark
Welna offering good deal on the purchase based on the relationship built
between EPIC and Mark
○
Benefits
■
The
money is available now
■
In
2022 will get less money for administrative costs from city to cover things
like
●
Rent,
insurance, office supplies, staff time on administration
●
Purchasing
building would help with bringing down administrative costs by taking out rent
from equation
○
And
adding income from rental units ($1600/month)
○
Risks/Frequently asked questions:
■
Do we want to be landlords?
●
While it is in alignment with EPIC’s
mission to help build and maintain affordable housing, EPIC is not a property
management organization. That is why any and all property management will be
contracted out to responsible businesses that are in alignment with EPIC’s
values.
■
What if we find a better office space
opportunity?
●
We can sell this property to a
responsible owner and move into a new office space.
■
How does this impact funding partnerships
and other projects - is this purchase taking away money from other neighborhood
programs?
●
City funding is changing in 2022 -
community based organizations will apply directly to the city for funding
(whereas in the past EPIC would partner directly with the organization and
provide EPIC funds for projects/programs)
●
If the community votes to not purchase
the building, the funds would carry over into the Equitable Engagement Fund and
supplement the programs/projects in that plan
○
Projects/programs in our Equitable Engagement plan:
■
Hire multilingual outreach workers
(currently plan to hire two 0.1 FTE positions)
■
Community gathering infrastructure
■
Micropartnerships (help fund neighbor’s
projects: make funds available to the entire neighborhood, therefore EPIC isn’t
funding just one block, but we are also supporting neighbor’s innovative ideas
■
East Phillips garden - workshops and
events
○
View EPIC’s full application for the
Equitable Engagement Fund at eastphillips.org to learn more about the
programs/projects
○
EPIC board is recommending this purchase
after looking at risks and benefits
○
Want to make sure neighbors are informed,
tell your neighbors, direct them to eastphillips.org to learn more and provide
feedback and vote
●
Waiting to hear officially whether this
qualifies under the Equitable Engagement Fund
○
City recommended we get input from
community in meantime because will be essential in qualifying for the funding
●
Read
more at eastphillips.org
●
In
addition to tonight’s vote, EPIC will have an online voting option, open until
December 21 and will conduct phone calls to get input from people who do not
have access to internet/email
●
Make
motion (board voted to recommend this motion to the membership via email)
MOTION: The
EPIC Board and membership approve of the purchase of the Bloomington Office for
$180,000 plus closing costs of up to $5,000, provided sufficient resources,
acceptable Phase I Environmental Assessment, sufficient property appraisal, and
approval of pro forma by CPED or NCR, StS,
LD, 9 in favor (4 non board members), 0 against, 0 abstained.
Online votes: 13 in favor, 0 against.
Discussion:
●
Hear
concerns
●
Steve
Sandberg shared he was originally skeptical, primarily because of the conflict
of being a landlord but after
●
Brad Pass
shared that he is in favor
●
How could
this purchase benefit you, your block (or organization/business)?
3)
Discuss
whether to invite Kali Pliego back to Community Meetings.
●
Some
background:
○
Pre-murder
of George Floyd, EPIC had been having Kali Pliego along with an officer from
the 3rd Precinct attend EPIC Community Meetings
○
Following
the murder of George Floyd, EPIC uninvited Kali and the 3rd Precinct to
Community Meetings and acknowledged that many neighbors might feel
uncomfortable attending a meeting where police officers are present
■
Instead,
Sarah has acted as the liaison between Kali and EPIC, sharing important
information from Kali at Community Meetings
○
The
EPIC board has revisited this a few times since the murder of George Floyd
■
Most
recently at the June Board Meeting where the board decided to keep Sarah as the
liaison
■
At
the November Community Meeting, a neighbor proposed that EPIC invite Kali back
to meetings
○
What
would we want the relationship to be like if we were to invite Kali back to
meetings?
■
At
previous meetings it was shared that we might want to look at what we can do to
make this a safer and healthier community in a holistic way
●
Not
just focused on what police are doing or crime stats
■
Thoughts?
○
Board
Member doesn’t want to step on toes
■
Understands
the rationale behind our decision
■
Also
thought that some of the information shared when officers were present were
valuable
○
Ask
for more information about how her position has changed since moving to NCR?
■
What is her role?
■
What do we want space to be like?
●
Don’t need it to be focused on police
■
Ask what want from a space talking about
safety?
■
Explain Kali
●
Want her at community meetings?
○
Create survey, send draft to attendees of
tonight’s meeting, get feedback
○
Send to EPIC email list, share on EPIC’s
Facebook
○
Community
Member shared that Kali is a hard worker and doing good work
■
Brings
a lot of knowledge to position
○
Board
Member thinks it’s better to have conversations with the police than to not
■
Yet
having them come to community meetings may not be the best
●
Meetings
typically went over time
●
How
to have conversations, but not at the monthly meetings
●
Gives
police an awful lot of the floor
○
Board
is talking about bringing more community members and groups into community
meetings
■
Gives
Kali unfair advantage over other topics/members/organizations
○
Community
member agrees that having Kali be a regular part of meeting isn’t the best use
of time and energy
■
Kali’s
approach has been short sighted, i.e. build higher fences
7:53 Adjourn
