EPIC
Community Meeting Draft Minutes
May 12, 2022, 6:30 – 7:30
East Phillips Park Cultural &
Community Center, 2307 17th Ave S.
EPIC web address: eastphillips.org
Email: sarah@eastphillips.org
Office: 2433 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55404
Phone:
(612)
354-6802
Board Roster: Mary Gonsior, Cassandra Holmes, David Ingold, Shontal Lajeunesse, Steve Sandberg, Schuyler Sellars, Karen Townsend, Nikolas Winter-Simat, LR Young
Board Members Present: Karen Townsend, Nikolas Winter-Simat, Steve Sandberg, Mary Gonsior, LR Young, David Ingold
Board Members Not Present: Cassandra Holmes (E), Shontal Lajeunesse (E), Schuyler Sellars (E)
Members: Hindolo, Rob, Devika Ghai, Laura Tiffany, Sonya Ebert, Spencer
Guests:
6 non board members
6:30 Welcome
●
Vision
and Mission
●
Intros
●
Agenda
Approval, NWS, StS, Approved
Minutes Approval, NWS, StS,
Approved
●
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) OR use the sign up sheet for those joining in person
○
All
members are allowed to vote on EPIC decisions and motions
●
Announcements
o
Next
Board Meeting will be: Saturday,
June 4 from10am-11am at the EPIC office and online (link to join is at
eastphillips.org)
▪
Board
Meetings are open to the public
o
Next
Community Meeting will be: Thursday, June 9 from 6:30-7:30 at Cedar Field Park
(rain location is East Phillips Community Center) or view online (link to join
is at eastphillips.org)
▪
The topic will be: Michelle Howard from Solid Waste and Recycling about disposal options and costs for illegally
dumped materials, as well as graffiti and litter
o
EPIC
is still looking for a Somali speaking Outreach Worker - 4 hours per week,
$21/hour. Learn more and apply: Outreach Worker Job Description (eastphillips-epic.com)
o
View
the Quarterly Financial Report (or online at eastphillips.org)
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
May
22nd at 1pm at East Phillips Gym - Community event about the Roof Depot Site at
East Phillips Park
o
June
11 - Ward 9 Safety and Wellness Resource Fair at Powderhorn Park
▪
Goal:
highlight the work that community is doing to keep us all safe and healthy
o
June
25 - East Phillips Carnival at Cedar Field Park (rain plan is East Phillips
Park) - join us for games, food, music, tug of war contests, fashion show,
Environmental Justice Science Fair 12-4pm
o The
EPIC board approved the use of $6,000 of NRP Phase II funds towards fencing at
the NELC playground to contribute to the safety of the children at the center
as well as the surrounding neighbors, moving $5500 from the employment
readiness program to the assure safety in public spaces, MG, StS, Approved
▪
Requires 21 day notice
to community, will reaffirm vote via email after 21 day period, please contact Sarah@eastphillips.org
if you have any concerns about this
o
May Indian Month events
▪
May 19 - 11am-2pm -
American Indian IOC Open House and Career Fair at 1845 E Franklin Ave
▪
May 24 - 11:30-2:30 -
NACDI, AICDC and Pow Wow Grounds Open House at 1414 E Franklin Ave
● Red
Fever Band, BBQ
▪
May 27 - 1-3pm - Indian
Health Board - 1315 E 24th Street
6:40 Updates: Report on Safety Survey from a
couple months ago
1) Safety survey results
a) Presentation (will also add to EPIC
website)
b) Proposal based on
feedback:
i)
Create safety group
(1) Use input from survey
to help form group agreements, set the tone for what the values are, how the
meetings are run and who to involve
ii)
Publish safety information in EPIC e-news
iii)
Invite CPS on either quarterly basis OR
as needed basis
(1) When invited use input
from survey as a grounding and expectation for CPS and for community - what
residents would like to see from a space talking about safety
c) Comments after
presentation
i)
Hesitant to include police, incarceration
ii)
Holistic view of safety
iii)
Office of Violence Prevention
iv)
Look at other resources that the city
does have
6:45 Feature Presentation//Community Discussion
topic: Use of EEF funds
1) Community Gathering infrastructure - NACDI
partnership proposal
●
This is in our Equitable Engagement plan
○
Other funding for this: $25,000 from Midtown Community Works and $5,000 from the
Minneapolis Foundation
●
This project would add
seating, shading and other permanent and functional landscape features along
29th Street in East Phillips between Bloomington Avenue and 18th Ave South. The
shared goals of this project are to support community safety and wellbeing;
restore health and well-being in the urban Indian community by recovering
knowledge and access to Indigenous food, medicine and lifeways; and improve
access and sense of welcoming to the Midtown Greenway corridor.
MOTION: The board and community approves the
use of $35,000 towards the NACDI/4 Sisters Community Gathering Infrastructure
Project, NWS, MG, Approved unanimously
**This requires 21 day
notice and feedback from at least 25 residents - the majority will need to be
in favor
-concern about black fence -
separating it from neighbors
-ask Elizabeth about whether it’s permanent
-question
about making sure it is long term
-NACDI
will maintain it
-question
about comment on plan especially with connecting the spaces
-update
on a date for event at space?
2)
Microgrant Program:
Proposal for the EPIC Microgrant Program
MOTION: The EPIC
Board and community approves of the use of $30,000 of Equitable Engagement
Funds towards the Microgrant Program as outlined in the proposal, NWS, KT, Approved
**This requires 21 day
notice and feedback from at least 25 residents - the majority will need to be
in favor
-feedback: youth focus
- make sure accessible to youth
-clarifying that can
move money between the projects/programs
3)
Undesignated EEF Funds: Proposal for use of undesignated Equitable Engagement funds
MOTION: The EPIC board and
community approves of the use of up to $105,000 of Equitable Engagement funds
to be used for the slate of projects and programs outlined in the proposal, or
similar projects that have community support, NWS, amended, MG, Approved unanimously
**This requires 21 day
notice and feedback from at least 25 residents - the majority will need to be
in favor
-Idea about safety cameras
-question about flexibility or getting other ideas on the
slate
-question about childcare at meetings
7:55 Adjourn
