Board Meeting Minutes 09-03

September 3rd,  2011, 10:00 am

Welna Hardware Board Room
2307 17th Ave S.

EPIC web address: eastphillips-epic.com

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

Attendance:  Mary Gonsior,  Steve Struthers, Carol Pass, Earl Simms, Rosie Cruz, Linda Leonard, Jennie Bjorgo

Guest: Brad Pass, Shirley Heyer

10:00    Introduction:

·        Approval of Agenda, JB/LL

·        Approval of Minutes from EPIC Board Meeting Minutes from 8/6/2011  JB/LL

10:10    Announcements and Rundown of Activities and Accomplishments: 

• EPIC Website is Updated and improved. Plan and Survey are OnLine.  Awaiting Somalli & Spanish translations.

• EPIC Membership Meeting:  Thursday, Sept. 8th, 6:30 at the East Phillips Park Community Center, Meeting will center on a discussion and comment period for EPIC’s Draft NRP Phase II Plan, Solutions to Crime Issues, Fall and Winter Programming for kids and adults. Also the

            Phase I view is now on this Website in the next leaf of the accordion on this page.

• EPIC Membership Meeting:  Thursday, October 13th, 6:30 – 8:30 at the East Phillips Park Community Center. This will end a 45-day comment period for the NRP Phase II Plan in which it can be further tweaked to reflect neighborhood concerns. Voting on the Plan at that time will allow the neighborhood to move with work for the future.

·          “Bridging Phillips” Progressive Festival Report:  This was am awesome party. Different EPIC members joied the party at different times. Each piece was lovely according to reports. Thanks to

·         Phillips “Clean Sweep” Saturday, October 8th. Get ready to help and get your old junk out of the basement and in the Alley for Pick Up!

·         Meeting with McKnight, Report-need, they gave us $10,000 grant and it would be good to have more people at meetings to speak about ongoing activities.

·         “Our Power” Report: About 30 home visits and presentation to families about energy efficiency have been  completed with positive responses,

10:40    NRP Funds: Look at copy of the OnLIne Survey,  Plan Explanation and Plan Summary.

            Critique??

·         Focus Groups …Somali …Nepalese, Spanish,  African American

                        Native American, Need more help.

·         Time Line

--need people to read and send in comments to Carol on  the EPIC NRP Phase II Action Plan:

Explanation and Process- Discussion

--NRP outline hand out reviewed, comments were made that it could use a key for explanation of goals.

Current form of outline was based on other neighborhood NRP outlines.

--Concerns were expressed that theSummary of changes in funding for EPIC NRP Phase II action plan is receiving criticism from city officials, Some officials don’t want the loss of funding to be so visible. Others think putting down the whole initial allocation will make it more likely that we will receive the whole thing.

Suggestion was made that the outline only use number with the full amount of money previously allocated rather than the new lower amount as a result of changes to NRP funding.

Suggestion was made that EPIC request to work with other NRP people downtown.

--Concerns were expressed that documents should be presented in as simple of format as possible.

--Suggested that we present the funding numbers as a table instead of outline.

11:00    Housing Consultant Proposal from Doug Wise, Additional programs, Housing Task Force

            MOTION: LL/MG, (passes) EPIC accepts the proposal to work with Doug Wise on the housing loans.

            Carol alerted us that there may be additional fees associated with loan officers that will be built into the       contract with CEE.

                       

11:20   Employment Readiness Classes, Margaret Castaway- CP thought this person or someone like this could bring this skill set to our neighbors . It was  discussed  and issues of creating such a program were brought forward for consideration. Who would be the hiring entity?  Who would monitor it? It was agreed to return to this after we have our Phase II funds in hand.

11:30    Tae Kwan Do Classes for teens: This is another program we want to have occur. Needs research. Discussion arrived at same conclusions.

11:40    Foundry Report – Multiple other residents and organizations have also expressed concerns that their properties are shaking as a result of Smith Foundry.  Cedar condos on 28^th and Cedar as well as Metro Hope has expressed concern. Smith Foundry has done another vibration study and believes they have a solution which will be implemented by October 1rst. 

11:50  Crime Situation – Where are we at? Claim is that crime is down….No one believes this. Meeting attendees feel this needs a special meeting…

           

11: 30    Adjournment