02/09/2017, 6:30 – 8:50
Phillips Park Cultural & Community Center, 2307 17th Ave
S.
EPIC web address: eastphillips-epic.com
Office: 2536 18th Avenue S.,
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Phone:
(612) -280-8418
Board
Roster: Jenny Bjorgo, Rosie Cruz, Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Linda
Leonard, Carol Pass.
Board
Members Present: Jenny Bjorgo, Rosie Cruz, Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Linda
Leonard, Carol Pass.
Board
Members Not Present:
Members: Brad Pass, Jolene
Jones, JoseLuis Villasenor, Alfonso Cruz, Paul Pacheco,
Hannah Lieder, Hahma Abdi, Pat Fleetham, Amy Pass, Gabe Pass, April Johnson, Crystal Rance, Steve Sandberg, Craig Seifert, Westin Martin, Sven Glades
Hannah Lieder, Hahma Abdi, Pat Fleetham, Amy Pass, Gabe Pass, April Johnson, Crystal Rance, Steve Sandberg, Craig Seifert, Westin Martin, Sven Glades
Guests: Shirley Heyer,
Peter Mclaughlin, Dean Michalko, Kyle Mianulli, Carrie Aspinwall
6:30 Social Time/ Greetings and Introductions
6:45
Approval of Proposed February 9th Agenda,
MG, LD, Approved
MG, LD, Approved
Approval of General Membership Draft Minutes,
JB, BP, Approved
JB, BP, Approved
7:00 Announcements:
o Next EPIC Board Meeting will be March 4th, 2017, Saturday at the Park 10:00 am to 12:00 noon;
o
Next EPIC
Community meeting will be March 9th, 2017, Thursday at the
Park 6:30 to 8:45 pm.
o
Nominations
for the Board: Members
of East Phillips seeking election to the Board of Directors, whether nominated
by themselves or another, should pick up the eligibility papers, sign them and
turn them in to an EPIC Board member in the next few weeks.
o Hiawatha Campus Open House-Saturday, Feb. 11th, 10:00 am
- 11:30 am, East Phillips Park, Informational meeting about the
Hiawatha Campus Expansion at the site formerly known as the Roof Depot site.
Please join City of Mpls. Staff, CM Cano and Representative Clark to share
ideas; community should be engaged in this project.
o CPED New Housing Guidelines for vacant lots. A whole new way of dealing with
this has been developed, with new funds available, especially for the Phillips
neighborhoods. There will be a meeting on Friday morning 10:30-Noon at the Penn
Ave Urban League will focus on residents.
7:10 County Transportation Department- Dean Michalko, Project Engineer and Kyle Mianulli, communications
· Presentation and Q and A
Peter
McLaughlin
Reviewed the county’s contributions to Phillips
neighborhoods, and continue to invest in this neighborhood. Here to discuss two
bridges over the Midtown Greenway, one on Cedar and one on Portland. These are
both over 100 years old. We would usually stage this more separately, but
having to address large 35W reconstruction in 2018. There is no question that
this will be disruptive, but these bridges need to be replaced.
Dean Michlko
Discussed what the bridges will look like, how you will get
around during construction, what to expect. Six large illustrations were
provided. May 2017 the bridges will close; will reopen in December 2018. There
will be some minor closures of the Midtown Greenway for up to a week per time.
Will try to minimize the disruption, will set up roadway detours (Portland to
Lyndale; Cedar to Hiawatha). Trail detours are also planned (East 28th
Street; 5th Avenue). More details are available on the website. Current
bridge is a 3-span with 30’ spans. The corridor is listed on the National
Register of Historic Bridges. The 3-span look is very important to them. The
current piers are not actually structural requirements for the bridge. In spite
of drawings, plans include 3-span bridges; spans will be a bit wider than
current bridges.
Casey
Advantages by using a single contractor to coordinate the
construction at the same time. Closures will be limited in length. Will have to
do excavation to get the old bridge out; concerns about the effect of
construction on existing properties nearby the two sites. Original bridges were
built 1914-1916 and were low cost investments by the railroad. Improvements
planned include widening the bridge by 12 feet. This will expand the driving
lanes and the pedestrian sidewalks. Aesthetically, will work to make the bridge
blend in with the other bridges in the sightline. Been very busy since July
2016 working with design and will move quickly to select a contractor in March.
·
Q and A
- Transitions: How will you address transition from wider lanes to narrow lanes again? Plans include making smooth transitions on each side of the bridge on Cedar Avenue.
- 29th is a major school bus route: will you set up something for safety for the children? Will be sending out notifications about construction/contractors are working north of 29th and shouldn’t have vehicles or other construction equipment causing a problem. Need to give at least a month’s notice. Some buses come from cities outside Minneapolis to pick up children (Edina, for example.)
- 26th St and 28th St are already super busy and have lots of traffic congestion already.
- In particular, intersection at 18th St and Chicago.
- Advance signage (2 weeks) will be put up notifying folks that the bridge will be closed.
- Consider adding some 4-way stops to protect local traffic/vehicles. Will observe and react to traffic problems, especially safety issues.
- Concerns about large city trucks, safety, how new traffic from City public works site will impact neighborhood during bridge reconstruction. Have been working with the city – meeting monthly – as planning has progressed.
- Neighbors who use public transit and Metro Mobility. What will happen with the buses? Haven’t seen their plans. Metro Transit is aware of the plans, and
- Suggestion: invite traffic to visit EPIC next month.
- Improved lighting; steeper slopes will be lit, and lights will be provided on the trail. Plan to eliminate the flat ledge at the slope/foundation.
- How far down are the footings for the right and left piers? Plan does accommodate possible future streetcars, although not necessarily in the manner originally expected.
County will be sending out regular emails, so send email to greenwaybridges@hennepin.us, or
sign up online at www.hennepin.us/greewaybridges.
8:00 Roof Depot and
Hiawatha Campus
-Update
$40,000 City Grant use of solar in challenged communities.
- EPIC would like pay-as-you go $10,000 contract w/ Professional Consultant Dean Dovolis
- EPIC would like pay-as-you go $10,000 contract w/ Professional Consultant Dean Dovolis
- Planning Group may seek organizer
EPIC has worked to be part of
the decision-making process for developing this site. We want to hire two
people to assist with this very challenging project. We have been battling the
city about the site, yet the city recently obtained a $40,000 City Grant on our
behalf.
The board of EPIC has
recommended that EPIC set aside $10,000 to pay Dean Dovolis to serve as a
consultant on how this site is developed. Dean has been working with CM Cano
and others, working along with EPIC all along.
MOTION (Withdrawn when 1st
vote at November GMM for $15,000 for review was pointed out): EPIC approves in
concept, the retaining of Dean Dovolis as a consultant, subject to presentation of a contractual agreement with the
neighborhood, not to exceed $10,000. PF, JB,
2nd VOTE, for Plan mod and
conformity with Bylaws: See November GMM.
MOTION: EPIC will offer up to $15,000 to DJR Architect to advise and consult
with EPIC on responding to EPIC’s interests and representing the needs and
interests of EPIC with regard to the roof depot design project. BP, LL, Approved.
8:15 EPIC seeks
to lease Office at Welna's building,
2433 Bloomington- We have determined what those structural issues are
and believe this is the closest thing to a real possibility we will find.
EPIC has been looking for an office in East Phillips
for 3 years. There is nothing that is handi-cap accessible. The board wants to
create this office space by raising funds to make this property accessible.
MOTION: EPIC will secure a lease for the downstairs unit of 2433 Bloomington Ave. S. for up to $900/month as a temporary EPIC office until it either finds the funding to make it accessible or finds an alternate location for an EPIC office. Approved.
8:25 Karen Clark Updates
No bonding bill last year or the year before; nothing being spent for two years; reasoning – legislature wants to use these funds to give tax breaks. Hoping for a bonding bill this year (session ends in May).
·
KC
discussed a bill that she would like feedback on. When someone commits a crime
that requires a geographic restriction, breaking the restriction would go back
to being an enforcement tool (parole violation). The City says that this helps
the neighborhood (safer).
·
Other
discussion:
o City laws regarding minimum wage,
sick leave, etc. are being curtailed by bills that would restrict cities from
making these laws.
o A bill to take away the Prairie
Island created fund and others created to advance solar and wind power, and
move it into an “energy” fund.
o The real ID bill. MN has been one
of the few states that have refused to join this program. The feds are moving
toward this as a requirement by 2028. This impacts legislation affecting
issuance of undocumented driver’s licenses.
o MN AG and Washington Judge issued
an order that stopped the Trump ban on immigrants which was successful.
o Create a special fund to assist
homeowners who want to insulate their homes but have asbestos in their walls or
attic.
o Efforts to “wipe out” state environmental
regulations.
o How to protect/help homeowners
with lead-pipe plumbing.
o Seeking funding for four “urban agriculture”
projects, including the Roof Depot site.
8:40 EPIC needs New Board Members
Applications on line at EPIC website: www.eastphillips-epic.com. Turn in
completed application forms to any EPIC board member
8:55 Adjourn
