February 14th, 2019, 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, Abah Mohamed
Board Members Present: Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Cassandra Holmes, Linda Leonard, Carol Pass.
Board Members Not Present: Rosie Cruz, Tom Harris, Linda Vermillion, Abah Mohamed.
Members: Carol Hill-Kennedy, George Kennedy, Sarah Santiago, Brad Pass, Steve
Sandberg, Viviana Ratee, Kamille
Wilson,
Guests:
Shirley Heyer, Ethan Fawley, Chris Kartheiger
6:30 Social Time
6:55 Greetings and Introductions
Me Meeting as a committee of the whole:
Minutes: Approve the minutes from January 10th, 2019:
MG, LD, Approved
Agenda: Approve the agenda with addition, MG, LD, Approved
7:00 Announcements
Next Board meeting March 2nd
Next GMM meeting March 14th
Swimming
lessons are open, and there are scholarships available through EPIC funds.
Training pool opens at 8 am, and you can ask for a
neighborhood rate.
The Annual Meeting: April 27, 9:30 a.m. at East
Phillips Park. We will elect new board members.
Happy Valentine’s Day
7:03 Quorum was achieved
7:10 Traffic
Concerns, Project on Bloomington & 27th
Chris
Kartheiser (Mpls) presented plans and
report regarding the project on Bloomington and 27th. Funding came
out of pedestrian safety fund and addresses intersections that have no signals.
A median with signage to divide Bloomington Ave north of 27th in
combination with a pedestrian crosswalk is expected to give pedestrians a place
to stop in the middle of crossing, if needed, as well as slow down drivers who
will become more aware of pedestrians using the intersection.
Other
intersections discussed:
Cedar
at 28th Street
Hiawatha
Expansion
Bloomington
at 22nd Street
16th
Avenue at 27th Street
24th
Street at 7th Avenue
24th
Street at 10th & Elliot (Somali mall)
Traffic
circle at 17th and 25th Street (asking the city to make
it permanent)
MOTION: EPIC endorses the plan by the city for the
intersection of 27th and Bloomington. LL, LD, Approved.
7:50 The All-Neighborhood Conference report
Cassie attended the event, and attended a couple of
workshops. One was on the Census, which was kind of scary. They can’t guarantee
that non-citizens participating will be protected. Many indigenous people are
also considered “non-citizens”. People who are Native American, who also check
“Hispanic”, will have all their Native American tossed out. The Census is
important because of its impact on funding and representation. She participated
in a conversation with a CM who failed to include her discussion on EPIC and
the Indoor Urban Farm project when reporting back to the large group. The food
was good.
Sarah attended a useful workshop on Watersheds and
raingardens.
8:00 Report on SCOUT training
Cassie took four youth to NY for this training, and
the trip was funded by EPIC and LIRA. Cassie took the youth around the city
(over 27,000 steps in one day.)
RedHook (Brooklyn) combines a Navajo peacemaking
circle with the court system and schools, and came George Kennedy George with a
program that serves about 10,000 people. We would like to have them come and
train us. A visit to Syracuse and a smaller program operated with the same
effect.
The staffing for these peacemaker programs is
federally funded. Additional funding is raised for space and other expenses.
Both programs have few staff, and many volunteers.
8:20 Consolidating and updating EPIC Finances
Discussion
of the current Phase II funding report and how to move funds into categories as
needed. In order to access some of our NRP
Phase II funds, we need to move and/or consolidate funds from old contracts
into new contracts. These old contracts have leftover funds and we want to make
the funds easier to spend. The process takes about 3 months.
MOTION: Move the remaining $25,000
Foreclosure Assistance to new Admin. Contract. MG, SS, Approved.
MOTION: Consolidate $7,000 Elder Programing and $10,000 Adult Programming into a new Youth
Programming Contract. MG, LD, Approved.
8:30 Further update on the Indoor Urban Farm
Meeting with Mark Ruff, head of finance for city of
Minneapolis. Feb. 4, 2019
Re Cano’s staff direction: Words of Staff Directive:
#6 – increase the size of space so EPIC can put some
stuff in there
#7 – pilot project
#8 – demolition of the building
All decisions on these items are made by City people,
and not EPIC members. The City engagement policy requires more than just
allowing citizens to “present” ideas. Mark
Ruff has said that there is “no room for any non-municipal uses.” The
neighborhood has a “maybe” possibility for some “back door” training center
space that would be available “off hours, and weekends.”
Decision by EPNI: We will go back to our original plan
to purchase the site in whole. We have been down this road before. If we are
defeated, this will be our first. We don’t intend to be defeated. We will be
making signs “Stop the Waterworks” – “No More Diesel” – “Stop the Pollution” –
and we will be posting them all around the neighborhood. We have to embarrass
the city into following its own policies.
Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) – we can
petition to have this completed, which is required to obtain an injunction.
East Phillips should consult an attorney to assist with research to do the EAW
for EPIC/EPNI.
MOTION:
Given the city’s unwillingness to
abide by its Community Engagement mandate, and given the statement by Mark Ruff
that there will be “no non-municipal use of the Roof Depot site”, EPIC will
return to its initial position that the water yard be located elsewhere and the
Roof Depot site be sold to further the de-industrialization of East Phillips
and support the East Phillips indoor urban farm project at the Roof Depot site.
LL, CH, approved.
8:40 The Annual Meeting
- Sign up if you want to be on the board, get your application in
- What can you do to help?
- Any creative thought
· We will accept nominations for board vacancies to be filled
at the annual meeting. All nominees wishing to serve must complete an
application and eligibility must be verified before the annual meeting
election.
8:50 Adjourn
