March 13th, 2014, 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
East
Phillips Park Cultural & Community Center, 2307 17th Ave S.
EPIC web address: eastphillips-epic.com
Office: 2536 18th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55404
“The world needs dreamers and the world
needs doers,
but most of all the world needs
dreamers who do.”
Board Members Present: Carol Pass, Linda Leonard, Earl Simms, Mary Gonsior, Jenny
Bjorgo, Rosie Cruz
Board Members Not Present: Ali Macalin, EPIC Members: Tulsi Mainali, Kyla Sisson, Laura Dale, Pat Fleetham,
Helen Daniels, Chiffon Williams, Kim Hayden, Kevin Leider, Hannah Lieder,Guanah
Machacek, Margaret Kirpatrick, Anthony Papa
Guests: Shirley Heyer, Anthony Papa, Larry Umphrey, Don Greeley, Carrie Aspinwall Richard Aspinwall
6:45 Introductions:
· Greetings and Introduction
· Approval of Agenda (Passed)
· Approval of February 13th, 2014 minutes (Passed)
·
6:55 Announcements:
· EPIC Annual Meeting –
Saturday, April 12th, 9:30 –
11:30, Elections for EPIC board of Directors.
Contact board Chair, Carol Pass for information about requirements. The board
meets monthly on the 1st Saturday of each month, and attendance at
the monthly general membership meeting is also required.
· Greenway (Margaret Kirkpatrick); On May 3, Arbor Day, Tree Trust is
organizing a planting of trees on either side of the ramp going up the Sabo
Bridge. Volunteers are needed 9 am – Noon. Volunteers can just show up. Come
early for coffee and rolls.
7:00 Crime & Safety: Don Greeley. Updates, Crime on Lake St. Major
Burglaries and Robberies with assaults; drug dealers and prostitution near kids
bus stops. Bike patrols? Cameras?
When will targeted enforcement return to Phillips? Homicide reporting. La Que
Bueno public document??
Don Greeley passed out a map of reported crimes
for the past month in East Phillips, (Part I and Part II crimes); leaving out
homicides, things have been pretty quiet. January was also very quiet. There
was a homicide on 28th aqnd Longfellow – but little information is
available to the public at this time. Lt. Taylor added that investigators are
following up on good leads; there is no immediate threat or danger to the
neighborhood – this was a crime of opportunity, not a planned crime, or a
result of ongoing criminal activity.
DG has had targeted enforcement areas for the
past four years. Meeting weekly, targets are identified, and forces are
deployed accordingly. There is always at least one or two of these areas in
Phillips. Currently located Chicago and Franklin/Lake St. There was a spate of
robberies of persons (use or threat of force) this past week.
La Que Buena – Police will eventually take their
recommendations to the city.
There is always a chance of bike police on Lake
St. but usually wait until snow melts (safety reasons). Downtown usually gets
first crack at these officers.
Lt. Taylor reported that one neighborhood has
allocated funds for directed patrols, but it is on “hold” for a rainy day.
Individuals or groups who would like to purchase bicycles for patrols, or set
aside funds, contact DG or Lt. T to make the appropriate connections. Most of
those opportunities are not around much anymore.
RC (not present) update on Matheo Castro from
last month.
LL Greeley to work with EPIC to arrange
a safety/reporting workshop for Nepali residents to discuss calling 911 and
personal safety.
7:35 Bylaw
change: Uniform Grievance Policy
CP distributed a document drafting a
revised Grievance Policy, which was read aloud by MG. The community decided by
consensus to hand in comments. Comments and suggestions can be submitted to the
chair in person at this meeting, or by email by Friday, March 28; the revised bylaws
be posted online, with a link in the agenda email to members for the April GMM.
8:02 Creating
the 2014 East Phillips Priority Plan:
EPIC needs to create a new priority
plan for identifying how to spend money. The first step is to figure out how we
will engage people to participate in the planning process. It is important to
make sure that EPIC find ways to engage people who represent our diverse
neighborhoods. The best way to do this is to hold focus groups that reach into
the community and give voice to as many people and people groups as possible.
CP distributed a report showing the
amount of money spent by EPIC back when there was a staff person hired. In one
year, the cost was $105,000 minus the fiscal agent fee from Powderhorn($6,893)
and the cost of the master plan of $31,285. This was $66,800 in the year
$2,000. CP said we need to consider what it would be today and imagine what
this would cost EPIC over the next three years. EPIC has about $300,000 to
spend over the next two years. It is really important to look at this
information and consider it.
EPIC and NCR also have some rules and
regulations guiding how we decide to prioritize our needs and spending over the
next three years. CP distributed a report, EPIC NRP Proposal Evaluation
Criteria from 2002. This document lists the criteria that EPIC adopted as part
of our policies and procedures. This is something that should be used to guide
our decisions, and use funds responsibly.
More recently, in 2012, EPIC adopted
Criteria for Collaborative Funding Agreements, in order to assess organizations
that EPIC to select as partners in collaborative projects that benefit the EPIC
community. EPIC continues to have a deep need to “build” our neighborhood.
Housing was falling apart when EPIC started, and we are seeing that there is
still need to pay attention to these needs. These policies help EPIC stay
focused on “needs – based” planning, and find ways to fund projects that meet
the needs of the community and achieve the mission of EPIC.
We can’t move ahead and do any of this
until we do our next priority plan. If we vote on anything, we have to wait
until we complete this process before we can deliver.
Carrie Day: Breaking it down.
(Neighborhood Specialist; helps EPIC board work through this process.)
Conflict of Interest Policy. Need to consider when we decide what to
do.
How we will choose what we want to do
and what we want to spend money on. Those are sometimes two different things.
EPIC’s Policies and Procedures re:
spending money. The Use of the Phase II Plan with new priority planning
The Process: Community Participation
Program – Engagement, Focus Groups. Consider some options. What do we want to
do next?
Broad Plans. Coordination with NRP Phase II
plans
8:10 Request
to consider funds for Phillips Fitness Center: Hannah
Lieder
Larry (recreation manager for park board);
Anthony (Phillips Community Center).
When Running Wolf wasn’t able to complete their
commitment to the fitness center, Larry, and others discussed the possibility
of keeping it open and running. MPRB created a lease agreement with the Indian
Health Board for their equipment, and Anthony agreed to manage it. The goal was
to make it a sustainable project. Other goals included keep it open, increase
members. As of March 10th, there are 189 members. Activities include
Zumba and Kickboxing. Class instructors are volunteers, and without a budget it
is a constant struggle. Anthony’s hard work seems to prove that the fitness
center is viewed as an amenity. There will be ongoing concerns, and future
expenses. Right now, the lease runs through July 1, 2014 and is renewable for
another six months. The MPRB is committed to running the center through 2014
provided the equipment lease is renewed.
Marketing of this center would be helpful. The
more users there are, the more successful the center will be.
8:45 East Phillips Programming Partnership,
Standing Committee Report: Brad Pass
A group of about 30 organizations that have
committed to helping the MPRB provide the programming that is needed in this
building. One current project is updating the computer rooms; adding nine new
computers, and a new table, among other items. There will also be classes for
people to learn how to get information using computers. Other things that the
partnership has been involved in is working on getting the playing fields plans
designed and built, removing gravel and sand from around the soccer fields, the
possibility of working with youth to earn a little money for themselves by
selling ice cream in the summertime. Also working on a “festival” – looking for
a date.
8:50
Annual
Meeting
Saturday morning,
April 12. Need volunteers to set up on Friday evening. Would like someone to do
centerpieces. None of the city funds may be spent on food or beverages, so
anyone who can invite caterers to promote their business should contact us.
Last year we ordered food for 120, at a cost of about $10 per person.
8:52 Adjournment
