East
Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center
EPIC web address: http://www.eastphillips-epic.com/index.html
Office: 2536 18th
Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55404
“The world needs
dreamers and the world needs doers,
but most of all
the world needs dreamers who do.”
Present
board members: Mary Gonsior, Carol Pass, Jenny Bjorgo,
Aisha Gomez, Earl Simms, Linda Leonard, Ali Macalin
Not
present board members: Rosie Cruz, Sherdl Kordian
Members: Brad Pass,
10:20
Introduction:
·
Approval of Agenda – (LL, JB) Passed.
·
Approval of Minutes – (LL, JB) Passed,
with correction to Address listed under Crime Concerns, Other Strategies, Don
Greeley, Mike Sullivan; 2916-18 17th Avenue (instead of 2816-18 17th
Avenue.)
10:30 Announcements:
·
EPIC Membership Meeting: Thursday, August
8th, 6:30 pm, the East Phillips Park Center.
·
City Garden Day, EPIC is participating,
next Saturday, August 10th, 11 am to 1 pm after the EPIC Garden meeting at 9 am.
·
Plus it Forward. Affinity Credit Union
has been a sponsor of East Phillips – they are seeking service projects on
Saturday, Sept. 21 for community service. They are willing to do a neighborhood
service project with and for East Phillips. Discuss at the GMM , Linda said
this may not be an option anymore.
·
Rafael Gonzales (Waite House) is putting
on a Phillips Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 17th Noon – 8:00 pm.
10:35 National
Night Out Report so far.
EPIC
distributed an email notice that registered block clubs, or East Phillips
residents can request up to $100 for NNO celebrations. Receipts are required. Some have signed up. If you know groups
are holding events, please contact Carol Pass.
MOTION:
If requests for funding for NNO exceed 10/$1,000, EPIC will seek authorization
for payment of additional funds for NNO at the August GMM. (CP, LL) Passed.
10:40 Soccer and Youth Sports Teams: Ali Micalin’s teams
Ali
is to speak with Travis and the Park board to find out what resources are
available for organizing teams. EPIC has criteria for collaborative funding
agreements. We want to move forward with these collaborations, but potential
partners need to do their part.
10:45 Funding
for EPIC individuals, Groups and Collaborative Organizations (Policies and Procedures
addition):
MOTION: EPIC recommends that
we support Ali Micalin’s soccer program up to $1,000 based on EPIC’s
collaborative funding criteria, and provided that there is no duplication in
the program budget by other agencies, along with a signed memorandum of
understanding with the Park Board. (CP, ES) Passed.
New Board Motion to add to our Funding
Guidelines (This is not a new motion. It has been in EPIC
Bylaws a long time. This motion is
to include it in the EPIC policy
statement regarding collaborative ventures.) : From the Bylaws: All requests for funding over $1,000 must be recommended
by the EPIC Board and ratified by the EPIC membership meeting.
MOTION: Add to Collaborative Funding Policies: All
requests for funding over $1,000
must be recommended by the EPIC Board and ratified by the EPIC
membership at a regular membership meeting. (CP, LL) Passed.
10:50 Blueprint
for Equity Report:
Discussion of the progress on the previous motion.
PREVIOUS MOTION (JULY 2013): (CP, AG) EPIC will join with the other District 7
neighborhoods to respond to the BluePrint for Equity from NCR, and will
question the outlined process and seek to honor the Core Principles of
Community Engagement , in particular items 4 and 5. Our concern is that the
initial design of the process was not done in consultation with the
neighborhoods, and the intake of information, and ultimate goals for this
process are not transparent, were not initiated by the neighborhoods, and
appear to violate the Core Principles of Community Engagement. Passed.
CP brought this up and
it was discussed at the last NCEC policy
board meeting. At the next
regular NCEC meeting, despite many efforts to bring it up, the chair refused to
recognize CP. CP spoke with the chair after the meeting who stated that he
“didn’t know” he did that. Because the next meeting is way down the road, and
because NCEC is meeting separately with each neighborhood, CP will write an
official letter as the representative of the 8 neighborhoods, stating that at
least four neighborhoods have expressed a strong desire to meet together rather
than separately, due to the concerns stated in our motion. CP will poll the
other four neighborhoods to determine exactly how many wish to meet with NCEC
jointly with one another as a group. This would facilitate learning from one
another…not just top down assessment with no sharing.
11:00 Housing
Report-
·
Roofs – Insurance pay outs can benefit
the neighborhood. Tell your friends to contact EPIC for details.
·
Foreclosures : We are seeking responsible
property owners, both home owners and landlords. Remember our home owner loan.
We will have a list of these soon. We would like to find a volunteer who can
run down these properties and help us research these housing opportunities.
There is a lot of competition coming from realtors.
·
Progress on rehab loans: EPIC moved the
income cap from 80% to 100% of HUD medial income guidelines. This should help
move these loans. Maybe we need to have a party for this?
10:55 Crime
concerns: Report
·
Cameras: It seems like police are not very
helpful regarding our plans to purchase and install cameras; need to discuss
with Ventura Village
·
Patrols: Lots of folks have been going
down to Lake St. and around at night and watching what is going on; Encourage
everyone to participate, writing down plate no.’s, etc.
·
Bloom-Lake Bus. Assn: Hasn’t dissolved,
but has combined with Lake St. Council, and there is no defined focus on East
Phillips and the Bloomington/Lake Intersection.;
·
Van in parking lot: CP has called police
over and over; they said they can’t do anything; CP called inspections but no
response yet;
·
Knock & Talk 2916-18th 17th Ave Apparently they
are paid by the government to rent to sex offenders; RC says there is a house
of prostitution on the same block; Need to find out what house.
·
Warrant List: Do people want to receive
these lists?
CP
visited some of the businesses on Lake St. and discussed these issues. Some
things that need to happen:
1.
Go back to Julie and see if we need to
have a Bloom-Lake meeting for businesses.
2.
Go to inspections personally and request
help.
3.
Don Greeley is going to attend the next
GMM.
4.
Write an article for The Alley about the
van: UNWANTED.
5.
Follow up on access to Driver/Vehicle
Services.
6.
Post public safety list on website; post
warrant lists/photos in local businesses; more.
11:00 Adjourn
