EPIC Board Meeting Agenda 11-6

                                                

EPIC Board Meeting Draft Agenda

Saturday, November 6, 2021, 10am – 11am

                                                                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:

Board Members Not Present:

Members:

Guests:

10:00   Review vision and mission

Welcome guests/intros

Approve agenda,

Approve minutes,

Reminders:

●      Next Community Meeting will be: Thursday, November 11 from 6:30 to 7:30 at 2613 Bloomington Ave and online (link to join meeting can be found at eastphillips.org)

●      Next Board Meeting will be: Saturday, December 4 from 10am to 11am at the EPIC office and online (link to join meeting can be found at eastphillips.org)

o   Board Meetings are open to the public

            Announcement:

Nichol Dehmer Beckstrand, on behalf of Scottie Hall, has appealed the decision of the Zoning Board of Adjustment denying a variance to increase the maximum combined floor area of all detached accessory structures for construction of a detached accessory dwelling unit at 2827 18th Ave S.

 

This matter will receive an additional public hearing before the Business, Inspections, Housing, and Zoning Committee (BIHZ) of the Minneapolis City Council on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 1:30 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, CenturyLink Channel 8001 or 8501, or live on www.minneapolismn.gov/tv/citycounciltv.   

 

For further information or to express support or concern, contact:

 

Alex Kohlhaas, City Planner – 505 S 4th Ave, Room 320, Minneapolis, MN 55415

Phone (612) 673-3950 E-mail: Alex.Kohlhaas@minneapolismn.gov.

 

For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact 612-673-3710. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.

 

Attention: Para asistencia 612-673-2700 - Rau kev pab 612-673-2800 - Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 612-673-3500.

10:05   Report/Update from Executive Coordinator

●      Review Strategic Planning Proposal

●      The Alley rate increase of $50/month in 2022

●      MPRB - aquatics funding

○       EPIC approved in February and March of 2020

○       NRP Phase II funds: Youth Programming Initiative Strategy

■       has $42,713 left on that contract

○       MPRB can invoice EPIC, paid by EPIC and then we get reimbursed on that contract

            Report from Departments/Committees

●      Community and Board Engagement Department

1)     Review event calendar for 2022

○      note date changes when meetings interfere with a holiday

○      Annual Meeting date

■      whether to do Neighborhood Election Day or our own Annual Meeting in March/April

●      spoke with someone who suggested we sit this one out and do our own and then ask a neighborhood how it went, whether it was beneficial or not and whether the city’s advertisement efforts helped

○      Community and Board Engagement Department has the idea to shift the SummerFest towards a Carnival/Tournament/Contests

■      Carnival games, Kickball tournament, block contests, tug of war, talent show, fashion show, food contest, recycled material contest, environmental justice idea/science fair

●      Week long tournaments

●      Food, present winners on final day, prizes

■      MIGIZI, LERA, MPRB, AICDC, NACDI, Indian Health Board, the Alley, KALY radio, Carol Lefleur (Metro Police), humanities commission (funding for telling untold stories)

2)     Proposes we take out ads in:

■      Vida y Sabor (a Spanish speaking publication)

●      small vertical banner (205x140 pixels) is $40/month

●      one time or ongoing?

○      just need to be clear about which dates to run the ad

■      Sahan Journal (an Immigrant and POC publication)

●      Medium Rectangle banner (300x250 pixels) $475

●      Sarah proposes one time

■      KALY Radio (Somali publication)

●      Garden Steering Committee

1)     Review events for the East Phillips garden for 2022

○      Garden events

■      Spring (May) work day; Fall (October) work day

■      Harvest party

■      Cherry picking festival

●      Swap recipes, cherry recipes

○      Garden workshops, trainings etc.

■      Soil building workshop, tool sharpening, Narcan training, fruit tree care (pruning workshop)

●      Legal and Finance Department

1)     Quarterly financial report

2)     David out on sabbatical for December and January

 

 

MOTION:

 

10:35   New business and delegate to proper spaces (work group, department etc.)

●      Touch base about use of CPP funds - building purchase etc.

○      At our September board meeting the board laid out the following next steps

■      Set up a meeting with Community Land Trust

■      Continue exploring Cedar and 27th Ave

○      David reports on meetings with PRG, City of Lakes Community Land Trust and Commercial version of CLCLT

○      We have these open contracts with the city which will expire on Dec 31st.

	Balance Remaining
Active EPIC Contracts
Youth Programming Partnership Initiatives (43476)	42,713.75
Phase II Plan Administration (43629)	35,846.68
2019-21 CPP/N2020 (COM0001317)	218,080.93
	296,641.36
Rollover to 2022	63,214.06
Needed for rest of 2021	25,000-35,000
Youth Programming (extend it)	42,713.75
REMAINDER	155,713.55

 

○      David believes that we will then have about $155-165K available this year. All in all, he thinks we should aim to purchase the property. For long-term sustainability, taking rent out of our funding needs will be incredibly valuable.

○      David has a meeting with Wits Reality who does both feasibility assessments and also property management to look at the property to help us determine if we can truly afford to purchase this property over the long-haul. If anyone wants to join on Tuesday @2:30pm at the EPIC Office, please join.

 

11:00   Adjourn

 

 

EPIC Community Meeting Minutes 10-21

 EPIC Community Meeting Minutes

October 21, 2021, 6:30 – 7:30

Cedar Field Park: 2500 Cedar Ave

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: David Ingold, Mary Gonsior, Laura Dale, Karen Townsend, Steve Sandberg, Cassandra Holmes

Board Members Not Present: Shontal Lajeunesse, Earl Simms, Nikolas Winter-Simat (E)

Members: Sol, Emily Morrison, Rachel Barth, Brad Pass, Carol Pass, Lily Bergeron, Tim Springer, Kim Hayden, Linda Leonard

Guests: Casey Carl, Sheila, Elena Fulz, Joe

6:00     Community members welcome to visit the booths hosted by organizations and groups organizing around the charter amendments  

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 (MG, LD, Approved)

Minutes Approval of CM 9.9.21 Minutes, (DI, MG, Approved)

●      Announcements

o   Next Board Meeting will be: Saturday, November 6 from10am-11am online (link to join is at eastphillips.org)

▪        Board Meetings are open to the public

o   Next Community Meeting will be: Thursday, November 11 from 6:30-7:30 online (link to join is at eastphillips.org). The focus of the meeting will be about a proposed redevelopment of the property on 26th and Bloomington.

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 on your block for 20 minutes every Saturday anytime between 9am and 11am!

o   Roof Depot Update,

▪        City Council passed Hiawatha Expansion to tear down Roof Depot 7-6 on Oct. 8, 2021, and Mayor did not veto.

▪        The Training Center and 3 acres were removed from the previous plan, and  the 3 acres will be put out for bid by CPED.

▪        EPNI has filed an appeal challenging the City’s EAW.

▪        The election for mayor and City Council on November 2nd will be very important to the future of this project.

 

6:40     Feature Presentation//Community Discussion topic: Charter Amendments

●      Casey Carl - City Clerk

○       3 ballot questions:

○       Home rule charter is the “city constitution”

■       Defines power of the city

■       Prescribes operating structure

■       Specifies processes for acts and decisions

○       Q1 government structure reform

■       Change form of government: executive mayor & legislative council

■       Executive committee were formed by public mandate in 1984

■       Negotiates all contracts, oversees 10 charter departments

■       Mayor nominates all heads of charter departments, requires council vote

■       10 underlying Coordinator departments

○       Q2 public safety department

■       Public Safety Department (new charter department under the mayor)

■       Removes the current Police Department from being a charter department

■       Remove mandatory minimum funding (staffing) levels and the additional taxing authority to pay for that.

○       Q3 rent stabilization

■       Existing law says that  no city has the right to enact rental requirements unless approved by residents

■       Creates a new power of the city council to enact rent stabilization policy (ordinance)

■       Ballot language is very confusing

○      Contact: (612) 673-2216 or casey.carl@minneapolismn.gov

○      Visit Vote.minneapolismn.gov for more information

■      Find the sample ballot, fill it out and bring it with you to the polling place!

 

7:10     Community Decisions

1)     Vote on whether to approve spending funds for a positive street identity project:

 

MOTION: The EPIC board and membership approve of using $3,000 of our NRP Positive Street Identity strategy for the artist competition portion of the light emitting sculpture project, pending successful fundraising for the remaining of the funds, StS, CH, Approved, Tim Springer abstained

●      Information about the project:

○      Decrease likelihood of crime

○      Decrease the likelihood of crashes between bicycles and cars

○      Wayfinding icon

○      Beautify the space

 

2)     Vote on whether to give first approval to the proposed bylaw amendment and initiate the 21 day review process before the 2nd vote.

 

●      Purpose of proposed bylaw amendment: To engage input from more community members in East Phillips, especially those who are not represented at Community Meetings, and to empower the Board to fulfil the mission of EPIC in the financial decisions of the organization on behalf of all residents.

 

MOTION: The EPIC board and membership give the first of two approvals to update Section IV. I. 8 of the EPIC Bylaws as follows:

(underlining for additions, strike through for deletions):

 

The following decisions in all cases require approval of the voting membership:

●      Election of Directors; and

●      Ratification / rejection of amendments to Bylaws.

●      An issue regarding money of over $1,000, the expenditure must be recommended by the board and have at least one general membership meeting's required notification and vote for review, in any case not less than twenty-one (21) days, allowing for at minimum a full 21-day neighborhood review process. The reviewed motion shall then be voted on at an EPIC membership meeting following the review. This review process is to include amendments to the Bylaws.

 

So that if updated it would read:

The following decisions in all cases require approval of the voting membership:

●      Election of Directors; and

●      Ratification / rejection of amendments to Bylaws.

MG, CH, Approved

In favor: 9

Opposed: 4

For discussion before voting:

EPIC Bylaw Amendment.pdf

 

 

DRAFT OF POLICY AND PROCEDURE - Input is most welcome!!

602 Fiscal Accountability

●       The Board of Directors, in alignment with its Duty of Care, shall do all due diligence in communicating, gathering input, and notifying the neighborhood of important financial actions.

●       See 602.6 for Payment Procedures

●       See 602.13 for Purchasing Procedures.

●       All non-administrative expenditures (including contract allocations) above $1,000 shall require a majority of Board approval after demonstrating alignment with the community’s values and, as applicable, satisfy the requirements of the granting organization. Demonstrations of community alignment/support should be maintained in Board meeting minutes (and should be added to the following meeting’s minutes when approval is given outside of a called Board meeting). Contracts or other expenditures that include multiple payments/disbursements should be approved according to their total contract amount.  

●       In addition to the above requirements, expenditures over $5,000 shall require an 80% supermajority of Board approval.

●       In addition to the above requirements, expenditures over $15,000 shall require significant community support as demonstrated by the following measures:

●       Community notifications for feedback via the mailing list shall occur at least 14 days before voting by the Board.

●       At least 20 people are recorded giving their support, with engagement from various demographics/parties.

●       A majority of recorded community input is supportive of the expenditure, and strong dissension within the community is to be noted and addressed.

●       Per EPIC Bylaws IX. C, the Board will receive quarterly financial statements from the accountant for review before the board meeting.

Questions/Discussion:

1)     how do proposals come about?

a)     Board reviews funding requests

2)     Don’t see community meeting involved at all

a)     Can come from community meeting

                                              i)          Right now it’s about demonstrating support, rather than about the votes at the meeting

3)     Note that the policy is still a draft - the board would have flexibility

a)     Board member in favor of one community meeting vote for expenditures and notes that the way it currently operates makes it hard to spend money

4)     Community member wonders how practical it is to get the well put together questionnaires and surveys that are multilingual - record keeping will be difficult

5)     Board member notes that the current board doesn’t have multilingual members, in the past the board helped to translate

a)     Helps take away a barrier - often the people who really want something to happen come to the meeting. Many barriers to people coming to meetings.

                                              i)          Important to have people who speak the languages in our community to be talking to neighbors

6)     Community member is concerned about the difference between community engagement vs. community empowerment. Don’t do it at the expense of community empowerment

7)     Board member shared that two community meeting votes was put into place for transparency and to show that people aren’t running away with the neighborhoods money; gives constituents confidence in the board, and it also gives community members a seat at the table

8)     Carol: the 2-vote system gives the community the power to review the boards’ decisions and put a halt to projects that are not wanted. Believes that it is not okay to go ahead without a community mandate. It is not really two votes but is a review process. The motion takes away a vote from the community. Supports getting final say from community

9)     Board member shares there should be a community meeting vote

10) Building a multi-ethnic multi-racial coalition – you don’t wait for them to come to your event, you have to go to “their” event. It does put more responsibility in the hands of the board, it takes time but is worthwhile.

11) Community member would like clarity

 

7:45     The camp at 25th and Bloomington will likely be evicted on Monday 10/25

●      The leaders of the camp think that American Indian Movement (AIM) is behind the push to evict so quickly

○      They are asking that if community members support the camp and the camp’s work in preventing more Indigenous Women from being murdered or going missing to contact AIM and ask them to give the camp more time to find an alternative site

●      Board members wonder if AIM is the right target and whether someone at the city should be contacted as well

 

7:50     Adjourn