March
8th, 2018, 6:30 – 8:50
East 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: Rosie
Cruz, Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Tom Harris, Cassandra Holmes, Linda
Leonard, Carol Pass, Linda Vermillion, Marc Trius
Board Members
Present: Rosie Cruz, Laura Dale,
Mary Gonsior, Tom Harris, Linda
Leonard, Carol Pass,
Board Members
Not Present: Cassandra Holmes (E),
Linda Vermillion, Marc Trius (E)
Members: Brad Pass, George
Kennedy, Carol Hill-Kennedy, Kelly Trius, Lorna Hammond, Andrew Sheard, Susan
Harris, Megan Kuhl-Stennes
Guests: Shirley
Heyer,
6:30 Social Time/ Greetings and Introductions
6:50 WRITE A LETTER
RC
reported an incident where students were playing soccer in the gym when police
showed upon a report of youth wearing masks and having guns. School and police
did not manage the situation well and parents were not informed. EPIC will
research and respond.
6:55 Approval of Proposed Agenda: RC, LD, Approved.
Approval of February
8th General Membership Draft Minutes:
MG, LD, Approved.
7:00 Announcements:
- Annie Young’s Memorial, March 17th, 10 AM, Lower Riverside Park (Annie Young Meadow.)
- Special FREE Class! Monday, March 19, for a free presentation about the promise Permaculture holds for our future, 6:30-8pm, Where: Hosmer Library, 347 E 36th St, Mpls.
- “March for our Lives” Saturday, March 24th 10 AM, Minnesota State Capitol, RSVP to join us http://act.everytown.org/event/march-our-lives-events_attend/8757/?source=taf&aktmid=tm2955346.ophgeZ&t=1&referring_akid=.6718573.mZ-jRJ
- EPIC Board Meeting, April 7th, Saturday, at EPIC Office 2433 Bloomington, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
- EPIC General Membership Meeting, April 12th, Thursday, at East Phillips Park, 6:30 to 8:45 pm.
- EPIC Annual Meeting will be April 28, 2018.
- SummerFest will be June 24, 2018.
- Green Zones is meeting monthly for 8 months. There is a citizen’s board that meets the 4th Tuesday of the month. You can find their sustainability project with CPED. Their meeting calendar is on the City website.
- They are wrapping up their meetings, and the last meeting will be Thursday, March 16 from 6-9 pm, dinner is included. #511 at Jordain Community Space.
7:15 EPIC 2018 Meeting Schedule:
Distributed
EPIC meetings schedule. Please note Garden Meeting on Saturday. Attend the
meeting or contact Brad Pass if you want to get on the list for a garden plot.
TH
reported increased traffic problems due to narrowed streets, including a bus
sideswiping a vehicle, and continuing to drive on. Police have not responded.
RC reported that trucks are parking in the bike lanes, and this is a problem.
Businesses on Lake St. are not shoveling sidewalks and handicap residents are
not able to traverse the sidewalks. KT will work with TH on reporting the bus
incidents. Everyone keep a log of these types of incidents. CP will call CM
Cano about these concerns.
7:40 EPIC Year-End
financials; Future Funding Concerns
Distributed
a copy of an article from the StarTribune regarding state grant funds being
frozen after a financial review found problems with the nonprofit’s
record-keeping practices with the grant. This is to highlight the great
responsibility EPIC has for managing various funds. EPIC has a lot of
challenges, with much of our funding coming on a reimbursement basis. Discussed
financial statements. EPIC reports on a cash basis (as compared to an accrual
basis.)
CP spends
a great deal of time writing reports for various funding opportunities and
often funding is on hold until reporting can be completed. Work on the MN
Legislative funding has required a lot of time and attention but is getting
close to done. CP is working on two more reports, in addition to reporting that
is required for EPIC’s own annual report – which will be distributed at the
annual meeting.
We have
set aside funds for the swim programming for youth, and CP would like to write
a grant proposal for funding even more youth programs. United Way has lost a
lot of funding and many children’s programs are being shut down.
LL
reported that a couple of new houses are going into neighborhood empty lots.
Does the neighborhood want to do first-time homeowner interest-free deferred loans?
Is there an agency we can work with? (EPIC’s program management firm dropped
out of administering the program.) EPIC is not able to manage this type of
program itself. A couple of neighborhoods are still working with CEE, and CP
has contacted PRG to manage the program. There are some funds left, but not
much.
LL
reported that some folks need funds to repair their homes, and our old rehab
funds are no longer administered through an agency. What can EPIC do to find
out about these former funds. EPIC is not able to manage this type of program
itself. A couple of neighborhoods are still working with CEE, and CP has
contacted PRG to manage the program. There are some funds left, but not much.
LL
reported that EPIC needs to get a jump on youth programming funding months
ahead of any children’s programming. Otherwise, Park and other organizations
providing services will not be able to plan summer programming. Does EPIC want
to start a process for providing youth funding.
Suggestion:
a collaborative youth program with EPIC, MPRB, LERA, and potentially other
groups involving “pop-up” youth events/programs.
MOTION: EPIC will set aside $5,000 in
child and youth programming for a collaborative summer youth sports and or
activity programming with staff to be hired and supervised by EPPCCC. LL, LD,
Approved.
·
Does EPIC
have funds for this motion? (Yes, per board.)
·
Have we
received a report on the program last year? Do we know if the programs were
successful? (The basketball program was a great success; both programs that
were run by Julie last summer were well utilized.)
8:35 Pollution Problem: Discussion: The VW award to MN is $47 M.
Meeting with MPCA was cancelled due to
back weather. Rescheduled date TBD.
How can we get some of this
money to help deal with the diesel trucks? What to do about the Pollution from the Foundry and Asphalt Plant (Bituminous
Roadways?) Some Problems -a combined single permit. No real estimate of what is
coming out of the stack, unwillingness to move. Ideas? Anyone want to research
this?
8:40 EPNI - Urban Farm Project: Next Steps:
· Funding
EPNI is busy trying to raise
all the money that will be needed to implement the project, estimated at $10M.
We are trying to get 3 acres, and we are trying to get $3M from MN to actually
“build” this thing. Urban farming is an activity whose time ahs come, but
Public Works is only interested in getting the building done, and as soon as
possible.
Karen Clark and her nonprofit,
WEI, are stepping down from leadership on the EPNI team, as Karen will be
working to get funds for the project from MN legislature. EPNI will replace WEI
on the planning team.
· Business Plans
EPNI organizations are writing sustainable business
plans with assistance; an overall development plan is also being written. Goal
is to prove that the project is real, sustainable, will provide community jobs,
and will do everything we claim – that it will work.
8:47 Next Steps for EPIC:
· Annual
Meeting: April 28, 2018, We will need help with set-up…Volunteer if
possible.
· Board
Elections: If you are interested in
serving, you must attend at least one general membership meeting before the annual
meeting. See CP or the website for application forms. Also, please read board
policies and procedures (on the website.) Noted need to attend one Community meeting past year
8:50 Adjourn
