January 5, 2008
Welna Ace Hardware
PRESENT
Mary Gonsior (MG), Carol Pass (CP), Sherzad Kordian (SK),
Juliet Thompson, (JT), Rosie Cruz (RC)
Directors not Present
Paul Wichmann (PW), Earl Simms (ES), Aden Awil (AA), Linda
Leonard (LL)
Meeting was called to order at 9:35 by CP. Agenda was
distributed. MG was designated as recording secretary.
MEETING AS A COMMITTEE OF THE
WHOLE (WITHOUT RC)
AGENDA
The agenda was approved with the addition of a Crime
Announcement.
MINUTES
The minutes from the last board meeting were not
available.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CP distributed draft minutes from the EPIC General
Membership Meeting (EGMM) on 11/8/07. The next EGMM is Thursday, January 10,
2008 @ 6:30 PM at Holy Rosary Church.
Minneapolis Comprehensive Plan
CP announced that the open house at Lake Hiawatha
Community Center, 2701 E. 44th St., has been changed from 10
am-Noon, to 2 pm – 4 pm. EPIC’s concern regarding the Minneapolis Comprehensive
Plan focuses on how the city plans to “relate” to the neighborhoods. Will the
city relate to the neighborhoods? What is the role of the neighborhoods in
decision making?
ACTION: Directors
should try to attend this meeting.
CRIME/SHOOTING/ILLEGAL BOARDING HOUSES
There was a shooting in the vicinity of 28th
Street and 17th Avenue on Thrusday, December 27th. The
community contacted Gary Schiff and learned that the building in question was
an illegal boarding house with about 15 rooms in the house. Gary has pledged to
the community to close any illegal boarding houses.
ACTION: JT will
contact Gary and find out what is the definition of an illegal boarding house
so that the community can assist in addressing this issue neighborhood wide.
BIOMASS PLANT
The neighborhoods are asking for an environmental
assessment worksheet regarding the proposed biomass plant on Hiawatha Avenue.
This is a more comprehensive study of pollutants. We were not told about the
pollution levels and what they were in earlier presentations by the developers.
Documentation: Tech Support Doc. discussed. Other neighborhoods leaving it up to
us. The EPIC Board has rescinded our initial motion of support for the Biomass
Plant and is now on the offensive for a more thoughtful approach. We will
discuss and vote on the Board’s December 1st, ’07 motion this next
Thursday at our general membership meeting. This decision is in accordance with
EPIC’s role as a member of the Good Neighbor committee regarding the plant,
which pertains to plant operation. Need
to consider that this may be treated as a go-ahead for the project. The project
is also moving ahead very quickly. The Board doesn’t see any real benefit to
our neighbors and serious environmental justice issues. We were not told the
whole story. Articles and information has gone out to the neighborhood.
Residents are calling and asking questions.
ACTION: Directors
will recommend the December Board motion to rescind support for the Biomass
Plant to the GMM
SUPER AMERICA MEETING
On Jan. 10th Mpls City Licensing will be meeting with
Super America owners/managers about licensing issues related to the SA on 25th
and Bloomington The License Settlement
conference is the first hearing held to see if the city can get the licensee to
agree to change their practices. Licensing present's evidence and SA can reply
to the city's concerns. The conference
will be limited to discussion about licensing violations, not larger issues
about the future of the store.
Licensing has requested that any community member, who
wishes to, provide a written community impact statement about issues, concerns
that you have observed in the store or on the property. These statements will
become part of the record and could have an impact on the stores future. You
can email impact statements to Don Greeley -
donald.greeley@ci.minneapolis.mn.us or to Julie Casey - julie.casey@ci.minneapolis.mn.us)
ACTION: CP, JT will
attend the meeting (City Hall, room to be determined.)
MEETING AS A QUORUM
CAMERA MOTION
On 11/8/2007 the GMM passed a motion to authorize up to
$15,000 of NRP money to buy another portable camera for the MPD to be used in
the East Phillips Neighborhood. JT opposed the motion and has concerns about
whether the MPD has enough officers to monitor the camera.
ACTION: Ryan Bruske will be asked to give an update on his
research regarding cameras for the GMM. EPIC wants to know if the camera can be
used as evidence to convict.
MEETING AS A COMMITTEE OF THE
WHOLE (WITHOUT JT)
EAST PHILLIPS PARK COMMUNITY CENTER
Meetings:
January 24th, Holy Rosary Basement, 7 pm,
Community Advisory Committee, Public Meeting.
February 6th, Park Board Publick Hearing on
Design, 5 pm at the Park Board building.
The community needs to attend the two meetings scheduled.
The Park Board is saying that we need to spend the money that we have now. We
want to slow things down so we can raise more money.
DEVELOPMENTS
2601-2603 Bloomington – this project has shrunk to the
extent that they no longer need a parking lot.
2931 Bloomington – this project has a permit to build;
nothing is happening.
Boarded and Vacant properties are growing and 70% of these
are rental properties. Landlords have been heavily fined and have let the
properties go back to the banks. Forclosures are pending.
ACTION: It would be good to get a list of these properties.
Greenway Town Homes – the
$48,000 NRP funds are still being stalled. CP distributed copies of a Preferred
Buyer Agreement. This agreement reserves the units of the project, however, a
Preferred Buyer may decline to exercise their option once the specific unit
does become available. If enough people complete these applications, the town
homes project will move forward.
CDBG FINANCES
CP submitted reports on EPIC’s CDBG funding and 2007
expenses, as follows:
- EPIC's year end financial report
- A final reimbursement request for 2007
- An inventory list for purchases over $500.00
- A letter regarding EPIC's 2008 allocation and lack of contract
EPIC is getting less money in 2008 ($7,500 instead of $9,425.)
In addition CDBG is not providing a contract for our signature. The
significance to EPIC is that without a contract, EPIC or any neighborhood’s recognition of its official designation as the
citizen participation organization for its community appears up for grabs. Even
the meaning of that is up for grabs. This is viewed as a stepping stone to
eliminating citizen participation by neighborhoods on the part of the city of
Minneapolis. This contributes to eroding the city’s commitment to support
neighborhood organizations, including NRP funding.
ACTION: CP will follow up on her request for a contract for the
CDBG funds.
NRP
We received $56,000 in program funds from NRP (houses that
were sold, money to be returned to the neighborhood upon sale.) If these funds
are from the housing category, the board will propose a motion to the GMM to
allocate these additional funds to the Greenway Town Home project to help move
it along.
ACTION: CP will determine what category these funds came from in
the original NRP plan.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:20 am.
Respectfully submitted by Mary Gonsior.
