December 6th, 2014, Saturday, 10:00 am
East Phillips Park
Cultural and Community Center
EPIC
web address: www.eastphillips-epic.com
Office: 2536 18th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55404
The opposite of poverty
is not wealth, the opposite of poverty is justice.
-Unknown
Board Roster: Jenny Bjorgo, Rosie
Cruz, Mary Gonsior, Jeanne Howard, Linda Leonard, Ali Macalin, Carol Pass,
Cesar Prado, Earl Simms
Present board members: Jenny Bjorgo, Mary
Gonsior, Linda Leonard, Carol Pass, Rosie Cruz, Earl Simms
Absent board members: Jeanne Howard, Ali
Macalin, Cesar Prado,
Members: Brad Pass, Alfonso Cruz
Guests:
10:00 Introduction:
- LL offered to serve as chair.
- By consensus, meeting as a committee of the whole.
- Approval of Agenda: by consensus, agenda is approved.
- Approval of the November 1st EPIC Board Minutes: by consensus, minutes are approved.
Announcements:
· $50,000 to the pool,
press release; published in the Alley. EPIC to issue a press release to other
news venues.
· Budget Hearings on Dec.
10th. Most important issue: there is not enough money for
neighborhoods to run a successful organization ($65,000).
10:15 Self-Evaluation- Discussion
Three months ago the board reviewed board
self-evaluations to consider whether such evaluations could help board members
improve their personal performance. There are many examples available, and
there are a variety of focus’ that can be incorporated (specific vs. general,
and more.) LL presented a document for EPIC’s consideration, which was amended
for use later in the meeting.
QUORUM
ACHIEVED: Ratified previous Motions
10:30 Audit Results:
- Segregation of duties
- Check Reconciliation
- Financial Statements
The
total financial audit cost $3,600, and CP spent four hours meeting with the
auditor. EPIC is part of the contract and should receive a copy of the audit
report. The auditor was very impressed with our recordkeeping and practices,
for such a small organization.
Reviewed and discussed
with the auditor
- Auditor suggested that EPIC show funds spent on specific events on the financial statements so they match the board votes to spend funds.
- Both the CPA, and EPIC’s Treasurer are reconciling the statements every month. LL pointed out that the City also provides a third check on the spending of funds.
- New Binder
- Minutes going back five years (in print) and on web.
- Past tax filings
- Check Register
- Contracts
- Financials
- Bank Statements
- Bylaws & foundational documents
- Policies & Procedures
- Community Garden financials
10:45 Ambassador report
Linda
and Will walked about 2 hours and met many new people. While we handed out EPIC
materials, and met new people, we did NOT bring back contact information from
new people that we met.
10:50 Bituminous Roadways, Smith Foundry, Roof
Depot - Flyering, PowerPoint, Articles,
Strategies:
1) Inventory of polluting industries
2) Put together available information on
emissions from each one
3) Available information on their permits and
when they expire
4) Learn what is needed by different agencies,
City, County, MPCA, MDH, DEED how they can help.
5) What are the attitudes toward moving, (Are
they profitable, do they have alternative locations that would not create injustices
in other communities, is there economic development money available that would
help them move. Do they provide valuable employment to locals,
6) How much political clout do they have?
7) Would an official “Health Impact Analysis be
useful or just get in the way?
Water
Yard:
What type of vehicles,
Diesel trucks are more polluting than gas vehicles. Sometimes the health
impacts of vehicles
going to and from a facility might be greater than the emissions of the
facility itself. .
How much coming and
going?
Number of employees and
where do they live?
What do neighbors in
present location say about their activities?
Consider other locations
Actions:
Petitions
organize a big group.
Write letters to elected
officials, meet with owners.
Reviewed
the PowerPoint and made some edits, as needed. Advertised the meeting on
Thursday evening in the Alley, and distributed flyers throughout the
neighborhood.
Talking
points:
- LL pointed out that EPIC is located at the intersection of Minneapolis’ highly touted light rail system, Greenway, Downtown, and more…why would the city allow such a large intersection off pollution right in the gateway of the city.
- Slogan…Welcome to Murky Minneapolis.
- CP commented that the city claims to be all about “equity”…and then they allow this.
11:10 Lissa Jones Report
Read aloud?
Evaluate- Questions?
CP
noted that the City cancelled both of the previous meetings, on the day of the
meeting. We felt this was unprofessional and disrespectful to EPIC board
members who had made arrangements twice to attend these meetings. EPIC sent
them a letter saying so. To date, we have not received a response. The city is
expecting a level of professionalism which they themselves are not willing to
meet.
MG
requested that EPIC receive the auditor’s report before meeting with Lissa Jones
and the City, and that the City assures EPIC that the report submitted from
Lissa on Friday, Dec. 5th, is the FINAL version of the report from
Lissa Jones.
Some
talking points:
- Of 19 Interviewee’s; how many actually had significant interaction with EPIC?
- No statistics regarding interviewee’s are included in the report.
- Exposure to EPIC is unknown.
- There is no data in the report.
- No objective data in the report.
- There are no conclusions included in the report.
- Lissa Jones did not attend a single EPIC meeting. She may have viewed the June 12 meeting which is the meeting where all of this controversy with the city started.
Conditions
to be met (June 27th letter) (the “reason” for the meeting.)
1.
Adopt and Enforce a Code of Ethics; this was already part of EPIC’ Policies and
Procedures. Have Robert verify that NRP already approved this document. Request
approval of this document by NCR.
2. Provide sufficient time for NCR staff to
regularly report to the community. EPIC immediately complied with this
condition, provided time for NCR staff to report. Request verification from NCR
that this condition has already been met.
3.
Be subject to an audit. EPIC immediately complied with this condition, and
completed the audit in November, 2014.
MG:
This report makes no claim to address the issue and complaints that were
reported to NCR in June 2014. EPIC has never received copies of these
complaints, and therefore, EPIC has no basis for adopting or agreeing with the
conclusions drawn by NCR or the consultant Lissa Jones. EPIC believes that NCR
staff have financial, political and/or
personal reasons for filing complaints against EPIC. NCR Staff, and CM Cano
have not done anything to increase EPIC’s effective outreach to the community
since July 2014, and in fact, caused damage to the cohesiveness of EPIC’s board
by placing blame on EPIC’s board without due process, examination of the facts,
or investigation of any kind, before issuing a verdict.
MOTION: (CP, RC) Send a fruit
basket and thank you to NAME OF FIRM for reviewing and advising EPIC regarding
Lissa’s report. Approved. Later decided this would/could be seen as currying
favoritism, so decided against.
11:40 Final Community Vote for New Home
Construction- EPIC
Board has been supporting this NPP for a year to return to our empty NRP Phase II housing strategy. We need attendance at
this meeting. This is our last vote for this long awaited project. PRG and GMHC
have been ready to act on this. Note: this is not an aid to buy them as the
language suggests. It is to build them.
11:50 Board Self Evaluation- discussion did not get
off the ground. People had to leave early.
12:20 Adjourn
