April 4th, 2015, 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
“Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing
it.”
–ephemer,
inc
Board Roster: Jenny Bjorgo, Rosie
Cruz, Mary Gonsior, Jean Howard, Linda Leonard, Ali Micalin,
Carol
Pass, Earl Simms
Present board members: Mary Gonsior, Linda
Leonard, Carol Pass, Jenny Bjorgo, Rosie Cruz,
Absent board members: Jean Howard, Ali
Micalin, Earl Simms
Members: Brad Pass, Andrew Fahlstrom, Patty Zanski
10:00 Introduction:
· Approval of April Agenda
· Approval of March 7th
Board Minutes, with corrections to discussion on Bylaws.
MOTION: Meeting as a committee
of the whole.
10:10 Approve EPIC Garden Motions
BP
presented the 2015 budget for the garden, which lists EPIC as providing $450
toward the garden budget. LL served as the ad-hoc EPIC board representative and
approved the budget provided by the garden steering committee.
10:15 Business Report-
1)
We managed to get the Park Board to approve the Swimming pool. This is a great
achievement of the EPIC Board and Mpls. Swims. This will include Plan B
including the warm water teaching pool.
2)
We did not get the $10,000 Headwaters Grant for the environment project.
3)
We are progressing the grievance with Michael Green. Michael has agreed to
extend the timeline, giving EPIC time for responding until EPIC’s May general
membership meeting.
4)
We had two meetings (including presentation on March 28th) with Dean
Dovolis to work on the Land Use Plan for the Roof Depot site.
LL. We need to be proactive and
invite the ethnic communities to the April membership meeting for this
presentation. We need to provide more time for this presentation so that there
can be translation provided.
AF. What exactly are the
deliverables from DD.
MG. The minutes from March indicate
that the current process of community engagement is to identify the
deliverables.
Quorum
has been achieved: 10:50 am.
MOTION: Accept the agenda and
minutes as approved. (LL, RC) Approved.
5)
25th Street blockade. We received correspondence from Aisha G.
saying the city wanted to open 25th St. for various reasons. After
some community feedback, the city no longer wants to re-open this street. EPIC
has allocated up to $1,500 for beautification, however, this will not cover the
cost of a berm. JB attended the 16th Ave block club meeting and
wants to lead an effort to bring together the community to create a proposal.
6)
An update on NCR’s requests regarding four recommendations. The secretary has
drafted a response to the four recommendations, the timeline, and the executive
committee needs to review and finalize. The deadline was missed because the board
didn’t have a meeting before the deadline.
10:20 Housing Projects-
· MOTION for Questions for New
Construction.
CP
distributed plans for the new construction for a single family home at 2424 16th
Ave S by PRG, Inc. There are some questions from PRG that need answers in order
to complete the contracts.
1.
Grant or loan?
2.
Rental or Homeowner
3.
Income limits?
MOTION: EPIC
will add to our motion to set aside $120,000 to build 8 new houses on 8 empty
lots and seek contracts with PRG and GHMC, to include the requirements from
EPIC’s NRP Phase II Plan, Home Construction Strategy, which are; (1) this is a
grant, (2) properties are to be home-ownership. In addition, EPIC will require
an income cap for purchase, of $96,845. (CP, JB, Approved unanimously.)
· Program Guidelines and Scope of Service for
Loan Program
We need the scope of services to include a fee schedule. EPIC
may need to request authorization from the City of Minneapolis to use program
income to fund loan origination fees.
· Greenway Heights building
Community feedback regarding the exterior of the building: It
is ugly and appears to be incomplete; people can’t believe this is the final
exterior; it doesn’t match the neighborhood; it looks like Halloween; the
exterior does not look like the drawings that were approved by the
neighborhood.
Write a letter to Kathy W at PRG, protesting the exterior
treatment. It is not what the neighborhood asked for, wanted, or funded. Ask
who made this decision, and ask PRG to work with EPIC to find resources to
improve/remedy the exterior appearance of the building.
CP will contact traffic control about the parking problems
that have arisen adjacent to the building.
10:45 Petition Vote for Water Yard-
MOTION: EPIC
agrees that this petition prepared by the Longfellow Block group supports the
goals of EPIC and is offered by EPIC members. It also conforms to the
commitments stated in the Motion that came from the EPIC Community Meeting of
March 12th, 2015, therefore the board endorses the petition and will
print as needed. (MG, RC, Approved unanimously.)
10:55 2900 block of 16th Ave. S.
-
Need
speed bumps to slow speeding cars. Determine how this can happen.
-
2927
16th Ave. major prostitution and drug sales. Police response slow or
not at all.
-
Parking
issues
MOTION:
Research funding for Speed bumps, pressure police for focused
patrol, do our own patrol and calling.
11:10 Bike Lane Issue: Congestion at the two blocks
coming off Hwy 55 on 26th and
28th Sts.
It was a consensus that changing the traffic to 'one-way' on 28th St. would compel the asphalt plant and foundry trucks to come through the neighborhood, either down Longfellow or Cedar. This was completely unacceptable.to the Board and neighbors present.
11:28 The Disposition of the Roof Depot site, Removal
of Asphalt Plant and Foundry and Environmental justice Issue (Discussion) What now? There
is a meeting of stakeholders in the neighborhood scheduled right after the EPIC Board meeting. This will involve
a response to this question.
11:40 Annual Meeting-Plan
Recruit Board Members – Board
nomination forms were passed out and discussed. It was announced that the forms are on the website.
MOTION Contract for Shirley Heyer to Coordinate
the Event- $300. passed by consensus.
11:55 Self Evaluation- the
self evaluation forms were not available.
Note: It was announced that Cesar Prado was sent a letter stating that his
prolonged absence without contacting to the board caused him to lose his
position on the EPIC board. Note Cesar Prado has had to leave the board due to
absences
12:00 Adjourn
