EPIC Board
Meeting Minutes
June 7, 2008
Jenny called the meeting to order at 10:25.
Aden, Carol, Jenny, Mary, Linda and guest Tom Hill
·
Add to agenda: Somali Mall at Hi-Lake
Police Review and civil rights and national night out;
Jenny and cp moved to accept the agenda; approved as amended.
Jenny and cp moved to accept the minutes; they were approved.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Biomass Plant has withdrawn . Celebration at the New Acadia on
Cedar and Riverside. Date to be announced.
Pawlenty did sign the legislation requiring MPCA to do study for
cumulative health impact. We need to rezone the neighborhood because the 1924
zoning allows heavy industrial activity here. Linda asked about the city’s hot
asphalt and whether they have to get a permit and if there has to be a study
before that. Jinny announced a new
Somali Mall at HiLake. Aden questioned
the business practices of many of these malls. The accounting is very
untraditional without inventory and accounts in and out, etc. The earliest
malls maybe made some money. Many are extended families and tribal groups that
trust one another. He thinks the new mall will bring people and is a good
thing. We should find out who owns the space. Maybe Welch development has it.
We have to talk with Gary Schiff about these developments. Mary expressed
concern about business practices and the immigrants have trouble later about
fines/taxes. Who owns/manages the businesses.
There is a seat open on the Civil Rights Commission. Linda will call
Jeff Sprinkle.
MOTION: Election of Officers. Juliet isn’t here, but said she doesn’t
want to be an officer. Paul Wichman is gone too much. Proposed slate: Carol
Pass president; Jenny B. for Mary G for treasurer; Linda L for secretary. Aden
wishes we had money for hired staff. We discussed the possibility of interns. Mary was very positive at her interns at
work.
The motion carries.
Linda is willing to continue the responsibility as EPIC garden
liaison with the Community Garden and the Green Institute.
EPIC Finance: We need
$48,000 by June 30 for the purchase of 2845 Bloomington over to 16th
for the townhouses with the PRG developer. Robert Thompson with NRP told us we
had $150,000 that we had to contract before we could get Phase 2 money. We
committed funds to Prg for the land acquisition and they got a grant to go with
it. We set aside money to hire a consultant to help with the Park project.
$49,000. The $150,000 was an accounting
mistake and nrp told us only two months ago.
We need our phase 2 money to cover the ‘debts’ and nrp should advance it
for us because it was their mistake. NRP
is not being helpful. Bob Miller with NRP said it’s hard to get from phase 2
because the city is holding it. PRG and
GMIC are in this too…..Carol has to find someone to help us get this money
asap. Carol mentions 8-10,000 dollars of CDBG funds. Mary brings up local cooperative. What are
action steps? We will agree to spend our
remaining admin money—Mary brings up that there may be a 30 day waiting
period. Carol passed out projected
budget of expenses. Carol highlighted that we have 1,000 dollars that we didn’t
spend our money on a lawyer for the burner.
Mary makes a motion “ to move the money from admin to the land
acquisition of 2845 Bloomington”. Mary
brought up that because this is a set amount over 1000 dollars we need to have
this motion it appear on the general agenda for the meeting.
MOTION: We are
allowed to take up to 9000 dollars from our bank account and loan that money to
the project at 2845 Bloomington Ave So, to be replaced by our phase II money
for NRP. MOTION passed;
Mary then went through
our “ Projected Budget of Expenses” , going through each item and noting when
an item had been paid, when it needed to be paid, and if it was necessary to be
paid. Carol brought up Midtown and
Shirley Heyer, the Midtown Phillips neighborhood will discuss it this
Tuesday. Other options to ask for a
loan, Franklin Bank,
Get Mary’s notes
BioMass plant: defeated, but moved to other neighborhoods.
Carol alerted those neighborhoods.
Take the issue of helping the neighborhoods to the general
membership.
Park Building: We have the building plan and time line to raise
money approved by the Park . People can attend/observe the Design Team meeting
Monday at Holy Rosary at 6 pm.
Housing
2535 16th some people somewhere in the neighborhood
don’t want to accept the GMHC proposal. We can invite Doug VanderVeen to the
EPIC meeting to present their points of view.
2931 B loomington is happening
Table to general
membership meeting
Deleted chiffon’s situation; postponed national night out;
Adjourned 12:06
