August 12, 2021, 6:30-7:30
EPIC web address:
eastphillips-epic.com
Email: epic.ssantiago@gmail.com
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:
Board Members Not Present:
Members:
Guests:
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
○
For
those joining in person: simply mark that you want to be a member on the sign
in sheet
○
For
those joining virtually: 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,
Minutes Approval,
●
Announcements
Mayoral Candidate forum is next Sunday! 2-4 at Cedar Field Park
Pickle off and Ward 9 Candidate Forum is Tuesday, September 21
Pickle off is 12-3. Food will be served
Ward 9 forum is 3-4:30/5 - more details coming soon!
o Traffic update
o Next
Board Meeting will be: Saturday,
September 4 at 10am online (link to join is at eastphillips.org)
▪
Board
Meetings are open to the public
o
Next
Community Meeting will be: Thursday, September 9 at 6:30 at the lot at Cedar
and 27th Street and online (link to join is at eastphillips.org)
▪
September community meeting - proposal to have Mike, the
city planner focused on traffic safety along 24th, 26th and 28th Streets and
potentially 4 Sisters (more on this at the end of the meeting). At the lot at Cedar and 27th.
▪
October community meeting - proposal to invite the various
organizations organizing around the charter amendments
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
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 on your block at noon every Saturday! Meet at 27th and 17th!
o
Next
Southside Green Zone Meeting is August 23 at 6pm
▪
To join the meeting as a member of the
public, call 612-276-6670 and enter Conference ID: 635 614 218#
o
Update
on East Phillips Indoor Urban Farm Project
o
MIGIZI
is filing for a variance for their addition and remodeling project at 1845 East
Lake Street:
▪
To
allow for the addition to be setback from the property line a distance greater
than the municipal zoning code allows for Pedestrian Overlay district.
▪
The
proposed two story addition connects to the existing two story building and
includes an elevator bringing accessibility to a floor that is not currently
accessible.
▪
The
project adds building area in a place of surface parking. The proposed project
moves the site towards conformity as the design adds windows fronting Lake
Street.
▪
The
proposed site plan adds greenspace fronting the street where fence and asphalt
parking currently exist
▪
The City Planning Commission will meet on Monday, August 16, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. During the declared local
public health emergency, Minneapolis has transitioned to an electronic format
for its public meetings and hearings, authorized under Minn. Stat. Section
13D.021, to minimize the risk of exposure to or potential spread of COVID-19.
The public may view the public hearing using the following options: Watch on
Comcast Channel 14 or 799 or live on www.minneapolismn.gov/tv/citycounciltv.
▪
In accordance with the Zoning Code, all property owners within
350 feet of the subject property are notified of this public hearing. The public may submit comments or participate
by phone in the meeting by using the following website: www.minneapolismn.gov/government/meetings/public-comment/.
▪
If you have questions about the project, please contact the City
staff person listed below. If you would
like to submit comments, you may submit them via the link above or by emailing:
▪
Lindsey Silas, Senior City Planner – 505 4th
Ave S #320, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone (612) 673-2653
E-mail: Lindsey.Silas@minneapolismn.gov.
6:40 Updates
●
Distribute Quarterly Financial Report
●
Guest: Jasna Hadzic-Stanek, Transportation Planner, City of
Minneapolis
○
Transportation
study and an Engagement Plan for permanent changes to 18th Avenue
South between 24th and 26th Streets and Ogema Place and
Stately Street
6:50 Feature Presentation//Community Discussion
topic:
●
Drug
use and lack of affordable housing in East Phillips
●
How
this is or was addressed along Bloomington Avenue
●
How
can we come together as a community to address this
7:15 Community Decisions
The
second of two community votes on the
following:
Southside proposal: pay folx Southside works with to help clean up neighborhood using gift cards, one to two hour blocks for clean up, trash pick up as well. Everyone working together to clean up and breaking down stigma. Re-word to include trash pick up, not just syringes.
MOTION: The EPIC membership and Board of Directors approves $15,000 for the Community Syringe and Trash Clean Up in East Phillips Project through Southside Harm Reduction, provided that all expenses are city approved,
MOTION: The EPIC membership and Board of Directors approves moving $15,000 for the Community Syringe and Trash Clean Up in East Phillips Project through Southside Harm Reduction from CPP funds to the public safety/crime prevention neighborhood priority, provided that all expenses are city approved,
(NOTE: the public safety/crime prevention neighborhood priority reads: “Assure the safety of all adults, youth and children who frequent our parks and public places.”)
MOTION: The EPIC membership and
Board of Directors approves of changing EPIC’s housing neighborhood priority
wording from: “Build up to eight new houses on 8 empty lots to address the need
for affordable workforce housing.” to: “Support securing housing for East
Phillips neighbors (homed and unhomed) and the development of affordable
homeownership and rental opportunities in the neighborhood. ”
MOTION: The EPIC membership and
Board of Directors approves $16,000 for the East Phillips Resident Housing
Support Program through South East Homes Somali Recovery, provided that we get
a budget for the next community vote.
MOTION: The EPIC membership and
Board of Directors approves moving $16,000 for the East Phillips Resident
Housing Support Programprogram through South East Homes Somali Recovery from
CPP funds to the housing neighborhood priority.
MOTION: The EPIC membership and Board of Directors approves changing EPIC’s community connections neighborhood priority wording from: “Utilize a number of tools and events to connect with residents of the East Phillips neighborhood. These include a special Facebook page, a new website, use of the Somali radio station, an annual park festival, special events such as the Little Earth Native American Mother's Day Pow Wow, a neighborhood Clean Sweep, National Night Out and other activities and initiatives.” to: “utilize tools and events to connect with neighbors of the East Phillips neighborhood, as well as secure space for community gatherings. The tools EPIC will utilize to increase community connections include media ads and events and other activities and initiatives.”
Brief overview of options to use CPP
money:
●
Current office building
at 2433 Bloomington Ave
1)
Partner with City of
Lakes Community Land Trust OR
2)
Purchase building
●
Do not want to displace
current tenants
●
$175,000
●
Outdoor community
gathering spaces and increase urban agriculture in East Phillips
3)
All of the following:
●
27th and Cedar space
for community gathering AND
○
$40,000-$50,000 for
pergola and solar power for outlets
●
Partner with NACDI and
4 Sisters on 29th Street project AND
○
Indigenous Food
Sovereignty
○
Contribute $40,0000 for
things like seating, shed, etc.
●
Pay rent ahead for 1
year
○
$10,000
7:30 Adjourn
