General Membership Meeting Minutes 02-09

February 9th, 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

East Phillips Park Cultural & Community Center, 2307 17^th Ave. S.

EPIC Mailing Address: 2536 18^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55404

EPIC web address: eastphillips-epic.com

Attendees:

Board: Carol Pass, Linda Leonard, Steve Struthers, Mary Gonsior, Chiffon Williams

Visitors: Doug Wise, Shirley Heyer, Michelle Beaulieu

Members: Mohamed Cali, Brad Pass, Margaret Kirkpatrick, Kim Hayden, Hannah Lieder, Stephanie Allen, Troy Benjegerdes

6:45    Introductions:

         Greetings and Introduction   s

         Approval of Agenda approved [Linda and Chiffon with the motion]

Minutes from EPIC 1/12/2012 7/14 /2011 General Membership Meeting

   Correction: Motion under Bituminous Roadways: add Smith Foundry to the motion.     (BP, CP passed)

                        Brad and Chiffon moved to accept the minutes with the addition of spelling out AT as artificial turf in the motion made at the meeting. PaApproval of the Agenda

6:40    Announcements:

·      First Annual Community Connections Conference: Saturday, Feb. 11th, St. Mary’s University Event             Center, (Old Zurah building) 2540 Park Ave. S.  8 am – 5 pm. The Link is:

 http://www.minneapolismn.gov/ncr/CommunityConnectionsConference

·      Next EPIC Meeting:  March 8th, 6:30 pm – 8:45 pm

·      Annual Meeting will be in April. A candidate must have attended at least one regular EPIC General             Membership meeting beforehand and fill out an application to run. There will be a planning meeting.              See Carol Pass for details and if you want to be a part of the planning process.

·       “Bridging Phillips” August 13th, Saturday, A Celebration of our Connections on our one Connecting Street, 24th St.  There is an effort to save the pedestrian bridge.

·      I 35 improvements with I94 hearing about 2^8th and 2^9th street and that impacts the fact that the pedestrian bridge has to go…August.1^7th 5-7 pm at the Shrine building on  2^6th Street

·      Soccer Sign Up for Fall Park League.

·      Final Review of NRP Phase II Plan at Next Monthly EPIC Meeting

Please ask people to email the city council about more family housing units in any developments. Families are having to leave Minneapolis to find housing because of foreclosures

6:50            Reading of the City Core Principles

7:2000             Midtown Greenway, Update on the Street Car Lines and other issues.

The Greenway Coalition believes that the best of three options for commuter traffic along the greenway is a streetcar (rapid bus or LRT are the other options). Michelle Beaulieu provided a handout with information about an upcoming study of the Midtown Corridor for transit improvements. For more information visit www.midtowngreenway.org/railtransit or contact Michelle at michelle@midtowngreenway.org.

MOTION: EPIC supports a Midtown Greenway Streetcar….etc. see handout, with Linda’s modifications. (LL, KH passed)

7:35            Update from Minneapolis Swims, Hannah Lieder: The Phillips POOL.

Hannah attended the legislative bonding meeting. Jeff Hayden and Karen Clark issued a press release which was released today. The Minneapolis Swims project has been published in four journals so far. The Governor has said he will add an addendum on the bonding bill supporting the Phillips Pool. Heidi at Gary’s office is working on a request for $300,000 to get some seed money for fundraising for a large operating endowment.

7:45            Introducing Doug Wise, new Housing Coordinator, & Rehab Lottery.

EPIC has set aside money to be contracted for housing rehabs, and Doug has been selected to set up this program. We will be looking for ways to increase the funds that are available, by looking for ways that we can use EPIC funds to leverage additional funding for this program. We have $100,000 in the fund to start.

Decisions such as matching funds, interest vs. no-interest, how to return funds to the pot when a house is sold later, etc. are to be determined. The last time EPIC operated a similar lottery in Phase I of NRP, there were about 48 homes that received funding. Planning meeting for the housing program is Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 here at the park. Contact Douglas_Wise@msn.com.

8:00            Update on 2600 Alliance Housing Project …Next steps.

CP took photos of the neighborhood, the kids boarding buses and brought these photos to the committee deciding on the variance for this property. Unfortunately, Gary Schiff is supporting this project. EPIC is willing to work with the Alliance Housing planners to find a better location for this building – not in the middle of a residential street filled with immigrant families. CP did not want to jeopardize another project on the agenda; in fact, EPIC received almost $600,000 to do affordable family housing on the Greenway. Since then, CP spoke with Peter McLaughlin and explained the situation. Peter offered to help EPIC with the Met Council. EPIC needs to start working on locating a more appropriate location.

8:10            Update on the DayCare at 2830 Cedar Ave.

EPIC connected with the permit holder for the daycare project and found that she is still working hard to complete the project. She has good connections, and EPIC will invite her and her funder(s) to attend our March meeting. According to the Latino Development group that is helping her, the reason they have stopped is because they are waiting for her loan to be approved. CP distributed the plan approval, conditional use, and plans for parking – these are things that the daycare provided to show that they are moving forward.

8:25     Contract for Running Wolf Fitness Center : Ratify motion passed last  month.

MOTION: to assist Running Wolf in their healthy living work for at least 50 East Phillips residents with $5000. EPIC collaborates with Recruiting/Marketing. (CW/CP) Passed

8:35            Bituminous Roadways’ future plans.

CP spoke with Kent Peterson and discussed the idea of it being time for Bituminous Roadways to think about moving out of its current site, and think about finding a new space.

8:40            Update on the Xcel Energy High Voltage Power Lines & Great Streets Grant, Shirley Heyer.

Xcel Energy: The chair of the public utilities commission ruled that the world health information must remain in the document; she also lead the committee to vote in favor of putting the lines underground. There is still a question of who will pay for putting the lines underground. There will be a separate hearing for this.

Troy noted that the City of Minneapolis could pass a regulation to create a utility, and take over Xcel’s assets. It may be that we could create our own “Phillips” municipal utilities commission.

8:50  Great Streets Grant: This program provides up to $50,000 in designated areas of the city for improvements. Shirley has written a grant for 25^th and Bloomington, for branding designs and merchandising the area. The final step is to unify this area as a welcoming, safe, business community. EPIC will coordinate the grant and partner with various neighborhood nonprofits, businesses, schools, etc. 

8:55            Update on the East Phillips Park and the PCC, Brad Pass

Work on the playing fields has been postponed due to the natural gas pipeline going down 18^th avenue s and Centerpoint Energy has agreed that they will rebuild this in June, and after that, we’ll start on the soccer field and the baseball diamond. 93% full size soccer field (including 2 kid-fields) with artificial turf, soft-ball/baseball kid-sized diamond. Soccer in 2012, and baseball in 2013!

Go over and take a look at Philips Pool & Gym – looks great! Running Wolf is up and running, teen center is phenomenal!

8:45             Adjournment