EPIC Community Meeting Minutes 09-14-17

09-14-2017, 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, Tom Harris, Cassandra Holmes, Linda Leonard, Carol Pass, Linda Vermillion.

Board Members Present: Rosie Cruz, Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Cassandra Holmes, Carol Pass, Linda Vermillion.

Board Members Not Present: Jenny Bjorgo, Tom Harris (E), Linda Leonard (E).

Members:Brad Pass, Halima Abdi, Michael Green, Jolene Jones, Steve Sandberg, Lance LaMont, James Cross,

Guests: Shirley Heyer

6:30     Social Time/ Greetings and Introductions

6:50     Approval of Proposed Agenda: LD, LV, Approved.

Approval of August 10th General Membership Draft Minutes CH, LV, Approved.

NOTE: EPIC WILL ORDER A MICROPHONE AND SOUND SYSTEM

7:00     Announcements:

o    Highway closing: Construction has begun on Hwy 35W and will go on for 2 years. Working from the Tunnel south, the Franklin Ave. and Lake St bridges as well as 26^th and 28^th Street bridges will be impacted. You can sign up for a weekly email update on the construction from City of Minneapolis/Transportation. Detours for 35W include Hwy 100 and Hwy 62, Cedar bridge, Hiawatha, and Minnehaha.

o  Next EPIC Board Meeting, Saturday, October 7th, 10:00 am-noon, EPIC’s future office at 2433 Bloomington Ave. S.

o  Next EPIC Community Meeting, Thursday, October 12th, 6:30 - 8:45, East Phillips Park

o    Phillips Clean Sweep, Saturday, October 14^th starting at 9:00 AM with a free Breakfast at the Welna Hardware parking lot, then Clean the ‘Hood, followed by Free lunch and entertainment at Stewart Park. Planning meeting at 9 am on Wed. Sept. 20 – Maria’s on Franklin Ave.

o    EPIC’s East Phillips Community 17^th Ave. Garden Fall Harvest Party on Saturday, October 21^st starting at 4:30 PM at the Garden. Party continues until the fire goes out.

7:15    Roof Depot Site – Hiawatha Public Works Expansion, The latest on the neighborhood project, the Indoor Urban Farm

·       EPNI Collaborative State Grant

·       Last meetings- Letter to City staff

·       Final Decision on what’s needed for our site.

·       Process now

CP provided a history of EPIC’s concerns regarding the Roof Depot site, and work to reduce pollution in the neighborhood. EPIC’s history of opposition to existing pollution began long before the City revealed its plan to obtain the site for Water Works, contrary to its own adopted principles of community engagement, which require that communities that are impacted by a decision be included in the decision-making process. Handouts of letters to Spencer Cronk/Department of Public Works from EPIC and the newly formed organization, East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) were distributed, along with a 2016 proposal to the MN Dept. of Agriculture for an initiative to develop a portion of the Roof Depot site as an indoor urban farm.

Discussion, Questions and Answers

7:55   Jolene Jones Concerns

Jolene is proposing two projects for funding under EPIC’s budget in the crime and safety category.

1. Proposal to fund $14,000 for Little Earth to address crime problems on Ogema. Little Earth has a budget for $74,000 and were funded for $14,000 more. Would like to have this on the agenda for the board meeting and membership meeting in October.

2. Proposal to fund Natives Against Heroin (NAH) for $5,000 for stipends, training, and materials for patrols.

MOTION (withdrawn): MG, SS

Procedures and Bylaws require that requests for funding go first to the board who will review and help bring forth a MOTION and then to the community for a review vote and any changes necessary with the final vote taking place at the following committee meeting at least 21 days later.

7:50   25^th Street Barrier, Community Meeting Outcomes. What next? Barricade removal and Roundabout

At the last community meeting there was a motion to remove the barrier. The motion passed and the barrier is to be removed in mid-September. The city will place a temporary roundabout at 25th St. and 17^th Avenue, and the community will try to raise funding to install a permanent roundabout in the spring.  There was also a commitment to create a
one-way street on 25th St. going West with parking excluded from the north side of the street and parking permit only on the south side of 25th Street and 16th Ave.

8:10   Financial Report and Admin. Update

Financial reports were distributed for the period Jan. 1-Aug. 4, 2017. The board is exploring hiring an executive director. There was a discussion of various sources of assistance to EPIC in writing a job description. The new office at 2433 Bloomington Ave. was announced as well as its usefulness and enjoyable ambience.

·       Synergos – executive search firm.

·       Robert Half – executive temps.

·       Organizational consultant.

8:25     29^th Street & Bloomington Avenue; Improvement Project progress on the “Woonerf”. 

Midtown Greenway Coalition received funding of $30,000 from Blue Cross/Blue Shield Foundation for the purpose of working on this project. The intersection has been marked out with temporary bump-outs. There is to be a celebratory party on Saturday for the improvements in that block   .  Some neighbors are unhappy as this may create a traffic hazard with school buses and heavy traffic. Also a community picnic table was installed and this is also may cause a problem, since it is not been used yet by community members, but rather by the local drug dealers. .

Call 311 to provide your comments which will be forwarded to Forrest Hardy in Public Works Department.

8:50     Adjournment