May 10th, Monday – 6:30 p.m. –
8:30 p.m.,
Holy Rosary Church Board Room, 24th
and 17th Ave S
6:30 Introduction: 6:42 (4 board members
present)
Attendance:
Board Members: Carol Pass, Mary
Gonsior, Tim Chancey, Jennie Bjorgo, Mohamed Cali, Earl
Simms,
Rosie Cruz,
EPIC Members: Brad Pass, Margaret
Kirkpatrick
Guests:;Robert Albee
· Approval of Agenda (JB, TC) approved.
· Minutes from EPIC
Annual Meeting, Saturday, April 17th (JB, TC) approved
with corrections.
6:40 Announcements (6 board members present)
1. Xcel
High Voltage Transmission Lines, Final Comments due TOMORROW! 4:30, Tuesday, May 11th
2. EPIC E-News for May 10 include instructions
and talking points for writing to the Judge in the case, comments are due tomorrow.
3. Site risks include loss of property value, affects
insurability of property near the power lines, decreased- or in-ability to
develop in the area, health risks, including childhood leukemia.
4. 5 out of 7 Somali children in E. Phillips
already have asthma.
5. Xcel
Petition was passed around for signatures
7:00 Xcel Energy's High Voltage Transmission Line Routes & Substations
·
Hearing Results are not in yet, Judge Heydinger
will rule soon. Carol Pass and Shirley Heyer were our neighborhood
cross-examiners.
·
Next Steps will be negotiating and writing briefs
7:15 Phillips Community Center:
A way forward with Bob Albee
·
Phillips Community Parks Initiative is a group
including East, Midtown, and West Phillips, Ventura Village, Waite House, and
Hope Community formed to determine how to retain the Phillips Community Center
for use by the residents of Phillips.,
·
Policies for Use were discussed. The need for a
single property manager was agreed on. .
·
Saving the Pool, a work in progress, Bob Albee
wants it to be in part a therapeutic pool to bring in revenue and be used by
area clinics, leaving some space for swimming,
·
East Phillips' (12 Guiding) Principles for the
Future of the Phillips Community Center. Motion to Pass (JB, MG) Passed. See
list of Guiding Principles.
8:08 East Phillips Park Cultural &
Community Center Situation:
·
Excavation testing revealed large asbestos
contamination on the site. After considering options for lopping off parts of
the center, BP researched grant opportunities related to clean up for the site.
He wrote a Hennepin County grant for $271,000 and is 3/4 written. Handed off
the grant to Park Board to complete the application with the budget etc.
·
Park Board approved removal of contamination, as
needed.
·
Also, an overall plan is required to remove the
contamination from the site.
·
Braun Intertech (consultant) is working on a plan
for removing the contamination.
·
Karen wrote a separate grant to the State of MN to
clean up the pollution for $300,000
8:20
NRP Review and Phase 2 Planning
· EPIC's allotment for Phase 2
is around $480,000. Not as much as before (over $1M), and 70% has to be spent
on housing. Some interesting options that have been done by others, includes
financing that brings money back to the neighborhood for future use, and
raising matching funds. These funds have been used to created revolving funds
for emergency repairs, home improvements, and home ownership. The risk would be
if there were foreclosures on loans.
· Very limited funding and
limited decision-making after NRP
· There is a plan to fade out the NRP office and
fade in the Neighborhood & Community Engagement Commission (NCEC).
· It is a shame
since over the years, the NRP program has been refined to the point of working
very well for the community and the city.
· EPIC should move
its process along to access the funds, and we should spend it. The city is
looking at this money and would like to take over control of spending it.
· see April minutes
for notes on "the process"
8:30 Adjournment
