General Membership Meeting 02-13

February 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: Jenny Bjorgo, Lindal Leonard, Mary Gonsior, Rosie Cruz, Carol Pass, Earl Simms

Board Members Not Present: Sherdl Kordian, Ali Micalin

EPIC Members: Margaret Kirkpatrick, Laura Dale, Alphonso Cruz, Eric Immler, Hannah Lieder, Jaden Bjorgo, Brad Pass, Alondra Cano, Maggie Ewing, Mickey Sheu 
Guests: Alondra Cano, Don Greeley, Shirley Heyer, Segundo Chagllo, Rita Diaz, Ruth Vazquez, Edith Vazquez, Italo Vazquez, Lt. Mike Taylor, W. Alvarado, D. Farlkor, Naomi Mohammed, Mateo Castro

Linda Leonard Chaired; Mary Gonsior was minute taker.

Linda explained that anyone living, working or owning property in East Phillips can be a member of EPIC by saying “YES” in the last column on the sign in sheet which asks if you are, or want to be an EPIC Member.

6:45            Introductions:

·       Greetings and Introduction

·       Approval of Agenda (Passed)

·       Approval of January 16th, 2014 minutes with additions: Guests, add Shirley Heyer; correction to crime report, there were actually two homicides in 2013, from 2011 to 2012 there was a reduction from 4 to zero, and there was an increase from 0 to 2 from 2012 to 2013; correction to page 3 “things ahead”, lighting which will be “along Bloomington Ave. from Lake St. to Franklin Ave.” instead of “on Lake St.” (JB, MK, Passed.)

·        

6:55            Announcements:

·       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. Issues, drug dealers and prostitution near kids bus stops. Plans? New patrols? Cameras?

Lt. Mike Taylor (daywatch – point person for Phillips), discussed the “beat” assigned to East Phillips operating

Introduced Officers Alverado, and Volks, two of five officers working in Phillips, 4 pm until 2 am. You may see them around the neighborhood.

Greeley discussed work going on to obtain a resolution for La Que Bueno. Any agreement that is reached will be a public document, available to anyone. Hoping to be able to implement some restrictions.

Continue to have prostitution problems on Lake St. Officers are issuing citations (arrests without going to jail). Targeted enforcement areas are being worked. Don has been putting in a lot of time related to a sexual assault on Franklin Ave on Jan. 17^th…Almost 2,500 crime alerts were distributed, there has not been a repeat incident, which is good because it was a stranger assault (rare.) Don will be doing some personal safety workshops with area businesses and their employees.

Today a targeted enforcement area was moved out of Phillips due to a shooting on 38^th St.

CP reported that we have invited a Somali-speaking officer to come into a building that has been experiencing severe level of crime, to talk about safety and reporting issues.

(L***, 27** 18^th Ave.) reported a home-break-in when she was home with her children. The assailants put a gun on her and she had to plead for her life. She was screaming and her children were near. My friend and my brother were upstairs. I live with my sister in the basement. They came down because they heard my screaming…there were four assailants, and they had guns. The pointed them at everyone and said if we call police they will kill us. They took our computer, cash, jewelry, about $2,000, the dishes, they cleaned the house completely. They pointed the gun at my neck. Her brother was injured and is not able to work right now. The family reported the incident to police. (L***) is afraid, not able to sleep, and really needs help. The family is afraid they will come back. RC will help coordinate help from members to recover some goods, and file insurance claims, etc.

RC reported for Matheo Castro, who requests a letter from is EPIC to Catherine Johnson for help. Matheo was a victim of crime, an assailant held him at knifepoint. Asking for a support letter to Catherine Johnson to help people who don’t speak English. Catherine Johnson will not sign a letter stating that he was a victim of a crime. The incidents occurred July 2013, and July 2011. Lt. Taylor recommended that RC phone C. Johnson and speak to her directly, asking her to set up a meeting with RC and Matheo.

LL asked Greeley to work with EPIC to arrange a safety/reporting workshop for Nepali residents to discuss calling 911 and personal safety.

CP and Greeley talked about trying to get into 2909 Bloomington and it has been very difficult to find the owners.

Follow up on Prostitution on Lake Str. Most involved are drug users. There are geographic restrictions on most of the prostitutes. When users end up in the criminal system they are offered options to avoid the workhouse by entering treatment instead.

Greeley reported that there seems to be one pattern of crime related to Latino speaking people, the bad guys know that Latinos may be carrying a lot of cash. Police are encouraging folks to get checking accounts.

7:40             Alondra Cano: City Council Member

Plans to attend or send a rep to all neighborhood meetings. Settling in at the council and participating in several committees. Meetings with Mike Sullivan about Police infrastructure so officers can respond to issues concerning Phillips residents, and suggests EPIC invite him to attend a meeting. Listening to business owners on Lake St and working on development of Latino business association. Also working on the Midtown transportation plans for rail or car going down that corridor. Improvements on Lake St. buses; timing, barriers, etc.

7:46            Creating the 2014 East Phillips Priority Plan: Consider some options. What do we want to do next?             Broad Plans. Coordination with NRP Phase II plans

CP gave an overview of the three major projects that were completed with Phase I and Phase II funds, including the apartment building on the Greenway, the only affordable housing built on the Greenway, funds provided for architecture development for the swimming pool, and the soccer fields at our new park. In fact, the soccer fields were paid by unexpected funding that came in at the last minute and we have $50,000 now that we can direct to another project. We are so excited that the family apartment building is rising now, and we will continue to work to bring the kind of housing EPIC residents want, in spite of pressure from the city to continue increasing density in our area.

CP distributed copies of EPIC’s Phase II Plan and explained that we have spent about $185,000 of our Phase II. There is still a chunk of funds left to be spent, and with current and future funding (2014-16), we can do some pretty big things here in East Phillips. Because it has been two years, we need to do additional community planning in order to continue spending these funds. As a diverse neighborhood, this will take a lot of work. The process will not be designed to identify specific projects necessarily; instead, our goal is to identify some broad concerns and areas where these funds should be spent. We hope we will want to continue to expand our past projects, such as our youth sports teams, as well as make progress on crime issues and projects that will reduce crime and enhance safety in our neighborhood. EPIC should consider bringing in some staff, but the cost is great, and consideration must be given to how staffing will affect the big projects we dream of doing.  Specific groups that come to mind as we think about developing plans include youth, elderly, and new Americans.  CP invited the group to each contribute three priorities that EPIC should focus on for spending the money that we have in the 2014-2016 Planning period.

·       Financial audit; hired an accountant to review financial records and reformat reports, going back three years. Will finish soon.

·       Review of EPIC Bylaws. Considering changes to present in March before final vote in April.

·       A new Community Participation Program (CPP) plan - it’s been two years now.

8:16            Request to consider funds for Phillips Fitness Center: Hannah Lieder

Running Wolf left the fitness center last year, and it closed. The park board took it on in spite of financial difficulty. It is currently open the same hours, and they’ve made some changes, including a stretching room. They plan to operate classes. HL believes the park can fund the center for a smaller cost than anyone else.

MOTION: (HL, MK) EPIC to provide $5,000 to MPRB to support the operations of the fitness center. For: 3, Against: 8. Motion failed.

CP: Judy Duffy; conversations with downtown have been focused on how this spending on the Running Wolf partnership was funded…the city is questioning our funding on this agreement. Until this is resolved, we should slow down and figure out where potential funding is coming from.

We will put this on the March agenda again, and invite a MPRB representative to present information about their plans.

8:00             Update on the pool: Hannah Lieder

The pool project is in dire need of funds needing $500,000 to do the small plan. There is still hope. EPIC has some ideas and wants to work together with Mpls. Swims and other neighborhoods to meet with funders and get this fundraising done. Mpls. Swims hasn’t had money for staff. CP reported that we may have additional funds available with the $50,000 funds unspent by the Park Board. RC suggested the HL attend all EPIC meetings and communicate the needs of Mpls. Swims. LL suggested that HL tell us what EPIC can do to help connect and lobby donors and funders. HL says that her time is too limited to attend every EPIC meeting, and she has no staff to send. Feels like the first time in four years she is making progress by connecting with a group of people who are connected to funders and legislators.

Goals:

$500,000 (or $700,000) for capital for the smallest plan.

$500,000 over five years – commitments for scholarships

$250,000 x 5 years guaranteed usage fees (Minneapolis Public Schools, Augsburg

8:15            East Phillips Programming Partnership, Standing Committee Report: Brad Pass

           

8:20            Adjournment

Board Meeting Public Minutes 02-01

February 1st 2014, Saturday, 10:00 am

East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center

EPIC web address:  www.eastphillips-epic.com

Office: 2536 18^th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55404

“The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers,

but most of all the world needs dreamers who do.”

Present board members: Mary Gonsior, Carol Pass, Rosie Cruz, Linda Leonard, Earl Simms

Absent board members:, Sherdl Kordian, Aisha Gomez, Ali Macalin, Jenny Bjorgo

Members: Brad Pass

10:00             Introduction:

·      Motion to meet as a Committee of the Whole (LL, CO, Passed.)

·      Approval of Agenda , as Amended (CP, RC, Passed.)

·      Approval of the January 4th Board Minutes with the following addition: “The meeting was closed to address personnel issues. (CP, RC, Passed.)

10:10    Announcements: 

·       Precinct caucuses on Tuesday, February 4th.

·       Other?

10:15            Crime situation:

Lake Street, Bloomington Avenue, 16^th and 17^th Avenue – the situation in the mornings is just horrible. We really want to see police officers in the morning when children are catching buses, starting around 6 am, and through 7:30 or 8 am. There is nonstop solicitation for prostitution and Johns trolling. The majority of the prostitutes are minors. There is plenty of trafficking occurring at night also.

Rosie’s nephew was assaulted on 15^th Avenue and his car was also damaged. It was really scary, and the police did apprehend the three who attacked him.

We need more lighting in this area, and we have already requested assistance from Rep. Karen Clark and we should contact CM Alondra Cano. CP noted that last month the police reported to EPIC that there were no homicides in the neighborhood last year, yet we know there were two that occurred near Chiffon’s home. We are going to request an accurate report from police about crime, in particular, homicides.

10:25    Priority Plans:

CP distributed a copy of the Draft Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program “Preparation and Processing of Neighborhood Priority Plans Policy.”

On page 4, the document clearly explains that neighborhood priorities may either be “new priorities identified as part of a CPP based planning process, or strategies previously identified ina neighborhood’s NRP Phase II Action Plan.” EPIC completed our NRP Phase II plan in late 201, and in 2012 we elected to continue using our Phase II action plan for setting our priorities. This was endorsed by the neighborhood.

We do need to carry out a community planning process every three years, with the next cycle being 2014-2016. While the CPP previously had an expectation that neighborhoods would carry out a similar planning process annually, feedback from many neighborhoods lead to a change to a three year process. It is not really necessary to carry out this process annually.

CP reported that there are five nearby neighborhoods that made a plan together to do three things. They are not building anything, creating programs, providing services. Their goals:

·      Improve the equity in use of the parks; get more hours open.

·      Safer streets

·      Coordinating public services

While these are worthy goals, they don’t meet all the needs of residents and businesses in EPIC. We need housing, and we need more home ownership. People ant more public safety, and more programs for kids. Neighborhoods with a lot of staff can’t do these things because all their funds are going to staffing and operations. Chair is convinced that neighborhoods must choose between serious rebuilding of infrastructure, kids programs or staff. There is not enough funding for both.

10:36    Finance Report:

CP distributed a copy of our last Community Organization Report Form to CPP. The reporting period covers 2011 – 2013. EPIC has $17,884 CPP funds remaining to be carried forward to 2014.

In addition, EPIC has $123,934 CPP funds available from 2012-2013, and $194,881 for 2014-2016. Total is $318,815 for the next three years. By being frugal, we have reserved a lot of funds that can be used for housing, other infrastructure and programs. If EPIC chooses to hire staff, it will eat up at least 75% of these funds on staff. 

Board needs to create a more standard financial system. CP contacted several companies. Most are currently too busy. Romer & Company was available and familiar with nonprofit financial issues.

QUORUM ACHIEVED

Motion: Accept all motions previously made in this meeting. (LL, RC, Passed.)

Motions: Payments

Motion: EPIC will hire Romer & Company (CPAs) to compile financial reports for EPIC as needed. (CP, LL, Passed.)

10:45    EPIC’s current position regarding Grievances : We need a motion to carry out our response to Hannah’s first request. Motion for Draft Grievance Procedure. We were advised to lengthen the time limit, but not to exceed 120 days. Clarify who can file. This cannot not affect the current grievance. We also need to limit the number of grievances. Any other changes? Interviews? General consensus is to not change other parts except clarify who can appeal. CP will clarify – appeal limited to the grievants for identifiable purpose.

Motion: EPIC will recommend adoption of the draft EPIC UNIFORM SUBMISSIONS POLICY coming from the City Attorney and the structure that follows from it for EPIC’s bylaws. Presentation to the GM. (LL, RC, Passed.)

Motion to close meeting: (LL, RC, Passed.)

11:21            the meeting will be closed at this point. Any visitors will be asked to leave.

12:08            Adjourn

General Membership Meeting Minutes 01-16

January 16th, 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: Earl Simms, Rosie Cruz, Carol Pass, Linda Leonard, Mary Gonsior, Ali Micalin

Board Members Not Present: Jenny Bjorgo, Sherdl Kordian
EPIC Members: Hannah Lieder, Kevin Lieder, Brad Pass. Leroy Jeffers, Laura Dale, Aisha Gomez, Alfonso Cruz, Don Greeley, Officer Taylor, Pat Fleetham, Gloria Reyes, Raul Martez,  Chiffon Williams 
Guests: Peggy Clark, Don Greeley, Lt. Taylor, Aisha Gomez

6:45            Introductions:

·       Greetings and Introduction

·       Approval of Agenda

·       Approval of December 12th, 2013 Minutes with corrections: 6:45 Introductions; “Announcements: ­­­‘parking of any kind of trucks’”

6:55            Announcements:

·       Global Soup Cook Off -  Saturday, January 18th, 12 – 2pm at the midtown Global Market; usually request a donation of $5 going to childcare center.

·       2014 Twins Winter Caravan also at the Global Market –Tuesday, January 21st,11:30 – 12:15pm Players will be Pedro Florimon, Joe Mauer, and Ricky Nolasco

·       Step – Up thee City’s Summer Job Program for Youth – Accepting Applications NOW! Call New Council Member Alondra Cano’s office for details (612) 673-2209

·       Chinese New year Celebration:  Friday, January 31st, 5 - 8 pm, Global Market

·       Shirley Heyer:  Phillips West is having their Winter Social Thurs., Jan. 23 at Lutheran Social Services starts at 5 pm. Midtown Phillips annual meeting is the last Tuesday in Feb. (25^th) A supper is served, everyone is invited. Starts at 5:30 pm.

Guests: Don Greeley, Lt. Taylor

The police and the community in our partnership for 2013 finished the year with the largest reduction in violent crimes in history. Just in the Phillips area, there was a reduction of homicides (zero), 19% reduction in rapes and aggravated assaults. We came real close to having the largest decrease in Part I Crimes (overall 15%, EPIC 4% reduction.) We appreciate everyone’s partnership and assistance.

Inspector Sullivan decided last fall to assign five officers to a “beat” in Phillips. They have assigned areas and will change around as needed, working from 4 pm until 2 am. Two are Somali officers and their focus will be areas and issues that pertain to that population. La Que Buena has been submitted to county attorney for “nuisance” action and is under review. Negotiations are going on between the city and the business.

Guest: Aisha (Alondra Cano)

Aisha reported that Cano’s office discovered that the firm is in a process because of an “adverse license” status. The business has agreed to give up special eating license to stay open past 2 am, they will install cameras in the back (parking lot), they will give up alcohol license, police will be allowed in to do “sweeps”; on Fri/Sat they will have a security guard at doors; they will enforce a dress code (no gang colors/tats). The city prefers to negotiate to avoid a prolonged legal battle.

Police have requested constituent “impact statements”. DG assured RC that these can be filed anonymously.

Chiffon reported that the stats on homicide are incorrect; there were three homicides in 2013. Pat Fleetham also pointed out that 53 prostitution arrests all occurred on one day (special sting) in Phillips, and 24 cars were impounded.  Don Greeley will check on these stats, and keep us informed on La Que Buena.

7:00              East Phillips Programming Partnership (A Standing Committee of EPIC): (Brad Pass)

The goal of this partnership is overcoming the Digital Divide in East Phillips. Report on East Phillips Park Computer Lab Upgrade, a current project of the partnership.  A handout from the Committee report includes improvements including:

·       The Park Board has already increased the internet speed by a factor of ten.

·       Add five more computers.

·       Train children using a “teen team challenge” for youth to become “supervisors” of the computer lab.

Funding is provided by the Park Board and the Osiris Organization. The group meets on the last Tuesday of the month here at the park at 11:30 am. On January 31, 9 am, there will be another meeting discussing the “digital divide”.

7:25            Creating the East Phillips Priority Plan: NRP Phase II Plan Handed out. Consider our funding and coordination with NRP Phase II plans.

EPIC was one of the last neighborhoods to come in with their Phase II plan at the end of 2012, after a year long extensive period of surveys and neighborhood communication. In fact, EPIC received its 501(c)(3) status in only 2007. We were working prior to that, but after the organization suffered a complete loss of the board in 2006, it took some time to get everything back in place, and people lost a taste for citizen participation.  As a result of not having 501(c)(3) status, no office, no money, we continued to operate with just a trickle of funding coming in. At the end of Phase I, the city of Mpls. came along and took about half of all Mpls.Neighborhoods funding, supposedly for property tax relief…so all neighborhoods including EPIC had only half of the funds that had been planned for Phase II. It has been hard, but the point of reviewing this information, is that the first year of CPP planning was spent completing the community engagement for EPIC’s NRP Phase II Plan.

EPIC had been thorough, conducting door to door surveys, focus groups, business bot on Lake and off..and the  Phase II Action Plan document contains pages of graphs representing the information that was garnered through this process.

In one year, EPIC completed the Phase I review, prepared a CPP plan and NRP Phase II Action plan. These were all completed in January 2012. Of the $58,000 allocated to EPIC in 2012, we spent only a small portion.  We have been frugal, and we were used to getting things done without a lot of money.

Early in 2012, right after EPIC finished our NRP Phase II Plan, EPIC requested to use this extensively surveyed Plan, which had been completed the last month of 2011, as our priority plan and we were told this was fine and would make no difference to anything . EPIC passed a motion to that effect in the early summer of 2012. Our Phase II Plan was a process of assessing neighborhood needs and wants and was one of the most successfully accomplished in terms of community outreach and statistics that actually reflected the ethnic composition of the neighborhood. We did not do a Priority Plan, along with many other neighborhoods, because we were told it was unnecessary. NCR staff agreed that we had already just completed the same work and they were not going to make us do it again. This would serve as our 2012-2013 Priority Plan.           

We are now just about through that $58,000 now.

Since we have completed the plan the board and neighborhood have worked to:

·       Contract out $50,000 to help begin Greenway Heights Apartments.

·       Create and contracted a plan modification to provide $35,000 for balconies on the Greenway Heights Apts.

·       Create a Housing program for home buyers, home rehab and foreclosure prevention and contracted with CEE to do the loans: $115,000

·       Put up NRP Soccer and Baseball field funding $50,000, and petitioned and lobbied the County for the East Phillips Park.

·       Contracted with the Park Board to pay for the PCC Pool architectural and  Design work $25,000

·       Elderly assistance from Phase II plan with A-POD for $2,500

·       Elderly and adult assistance from Phase II plan with Running Wolf for $5,000

·       Worked on setting aside $10,000 for fund raising for the PCC Pool

·       Created a refugee resettlement program for new Nepali  immigrants.

·       Won a grant to rebuild parts of the EPIC Community Garden.

·       Put together a proposal and received funding to upgrade the computer lab in the East Phillips Park.

Challenges

The Board has had some challenges related to health, including one death of a spouse, but the Board and Community  also have made real progress, including having a very stable and “present” board.

Things ahead:

·       Financial audit

·       Review of EPIC Bylaws

·       A new CPP submission and Priority Plans (it’s been two years now.)

PF asked about partnering with other neighborhoods regarding lighting. LL reported that she and Ryan Brueske have logged where the biggest needs for lighting are located. SH reported that Midtown and Heart of the Beast want to work with EPIC to address signage and lighting on Lake St.

7:40            Update on EPIC’s Finances:

We have contracted approx. $188,500 Phase II NRP funds $50,000 old Phase I funds

We currently have $123,934 in 2012-13 funds to roll over into 2014-16.

Plus $194,881 for the 2014-16 funding cycle or $318,815  for the next three years

EPIC has been working in a very innovative way with many partners. Hopefully, we can work on a little bit simpler plan this time around, but it will require additional community participation. Youth crime has dropped significantly since we have had this park and soccer fields, it has been really much safer. This park with the soccer fields is probably one of the best things that has happened to this neighborhood and is one of the most-used parks in the city.

CP is proud of our plan and our progress. It may not have been as fast as other neighborhoods, but we have done a good job, worked hard, and we’re proud of our work.

8:10            EPIC Garden Grant:  Some garden history and plan for youth to help restoration.

The EPIC garden is the recipient of a grant $4,500 from Seward Coop to make repairs, and improvements. Some of these funds have been set aside to provide stipends for youth 13 and up to help with working on the garden to implement these repairs and improvements. This will give youth a sense of ownership in the garden.

There are about 32 plots, and each year about one-third of them open up. Contact Brad if you are interested in gardening this summer.

The garden was purchased by the Green Institute with EPIC NRP funds before EPIC had our 501(c)(3), and held onto it until EPIC purchased the property for $1. It is owned by EPIC and is in a conservation easement and cannot be developed…it will remain a garden.

Phillips Fitness update. The Mpls park board is in partnership with the Native American ?? and the operations continue with the same costs and hours as before.

8:20            Adjournment