EPIC Board Meeting Minutes
October 2, 2021, 10am – 11am
EPIC web address: eastphillips-epic.com
Email: epic.ssantiago@gmail.com
Office: 2433 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55404
Phone: (608) 513-5107
Board Roster: Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Cassandra Holmes, David Ingold, Shontal Lajeunesse, Steve Sandberg, Earl Simms, Karen Townsend, Nikolas Winter-Simat
Board Members Present: David Ingold, Laura Dale, Nikolas Winter-Simat, Mary Gonsior, Steve Sandberg, Karen Townsend, Cassandra Holmes, Shontal Lajeunesse
Board Members Not Present: Earl Simms
Members:
Guests: Carmen
Means
10:00 Review vision and mission
Welcome guests/intros
Approve agenda, NWS,
LD, Approved
Approve minutes, NWS,
DI, Approved
Reminders:
●
Next
Community Meeting will be: Thursday, October 21 from 6:30 to 7:30 at Cedar Field Park and
online (link to join meeting can be found at eastphillips.org)
o
NOTE:
This is one week later than our normally scheduled community meeting
o
Starting
at 6pm groups organizing around the charter amendments will be tabling
o
6:30
Casey Carl, the city clerk will present information about the three charter
amendments on the ballot
o
NOTE:
We’ll touch base on this later in the agenda since there are concerns from
board members
●
Next
Board Meeting will be: Saturday, November 6 from 10am to 11am TBD and
online (link to join meeting can be found at eastphillips.org)
o
Board
Meetings are open to the public
●
Clean
Sweep is October 9!
Announcement:
1) Nichol Beckstrand, on
behalf of scottie hall, has applied for the following variances for
construction of a detached accessory dwelling unit at 2827 18th Ave S:
●
To increase the maximum combined floor area of
all detached accessory structures.
●
To reduce the minimum interior side yard
requirement.
●
The Zoning Board of Adjustment will meet on Thursday, October 7, 2021, at 4:30 p.m.
During the declared local public health emergency, Minneapolis has transitioned
to an electronic format for its public meetings and hearings, authorized under
Minn. Stat. Section 13D.021, to minimize the risk of exposure to or potential
spread of COVID-19. The public may view the public hearing using the following
options: Watch on Comcast Channel 14 or 799 or live on www.minneapolismn.gov/tv/citycounciltv.
●
In accordance with the Zoning Code, all
property owners within 350 feet of the subject property are notified of this
public hearing. For more information on how to attend this meeting, please
visit: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/index.htm.
●
Planning Department staff will issue a
recommendation to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. After hearing from the
public, the Zoning Board of Adjustment will make a determination based on
required legal findings of fact. Please visit the following website for the
agenda with staff reports (page will be updated by the end of the day Monday
prior to the meeting date). http://lims.minneapolismn.gov/IndependentBodies/IndependentBodiesMeetings
●
If you have questions about the project,
please contact the City staff person listed below. If you would like to submit
comments, you may make them verbally at the meeting or submit them in writing
to:
● Alex Kohlhaas, City Planner– 505 4th Ave S
#320, Minneapolis, MN 55415
● Phone (612) 673-3950 E-mail: Alex.Kohlhaas@minneapolismn.gov
●
Any
members of the general public are welcome to provide written comments before
the hearing or verbal comments during the hearing. Any written comments from
the general public should be emailed to Alex Kohlhass directly from the person
making the comment, sooner rather than later and absolutely no later than the
morning of the hearing.
●
Anyone
who wants to provide verbal comments during the hearing (including yourself and
other members of the project team) will need to register beforehand on the
City’s website here: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/meetings/public-hearing-speaker-sign-up/. This form is to be used by applicants as well as other
members of the public who wish to speak regarding this item so feel free to
share this link.
●
Idea
about dumpster
10:05 Report/Update
from Executive Coordinator
●
Opportunity to work with CANDO on issues
facing our unhoused neighbors - Carmen Means
○
Lives in Midtown Phillips
■
Streets to shelter - focus on Lake Street
corridor
■
Conversations with people on the street,
food provided
●
(Humane and Macedonia Church helps with
food)
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37 surveys on the first Monday of
September
●
Trained 27 people on Narcan last week
■
Working to get navigators
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Different from other services:
○
Harm reduction
■
Connected to Macedonia Church with work
at 26th and Bloomington
■
Idea to get phone booths back
●
Unhoused neighbors
○
October 11 at 6pm outreach at Hi Lake
●
Bylaw amendment discussion
○
Transparency, community involvement are
part of why $1,000 piece is in bylaws and something David wants to still be a
key part of our work
○
David recommends we remove bylaw clause
and replace with new policies and procedure
■
I.e.: All non-administrative expenditures
(including contract allocations) above $1,000 shall require a majority of Board
approval after demonstrating community support and, as applicable, satisfy the
requirements of the granting organization. Demonstrations of community support
should be maintained in Board meeting minutes (and should be added to the
following meeting’s minutes when approval is given outside of a called Board
meeting). Contracts or other expenditures that include multiple
payments/disbursements should be approved according to their total contract
amount.
■
How we draft community involvement -
documenting feedback and community support
●
The more money, the more explicit
○
Throughout October - outreach (phone
calls, office hours etc) - get feedback on certain things
■
Document feedback
■
Make motion in November based on feedback
○
Board member has heard that people do
want to give feedback on funding, never heard a community member
■
Be more conscious of how we speak about
how things were done in the past
●
Keep improving
○
Having integrity of us as board members -
board has responsibility to be fiscally responsible
○
Option to have discretionary fund for
opportunities that come up for large amount of money
○
Making phone calls and talking to people
on the street doesn’t replace community dialog
■
If doing that kind of outreach want to
make sure we are getting higher level of input on larger picture issues
○
Take over issue - having other community
members with different experience share re: board votes
○
Board member concern about getting
feedback from outreach and board member documenting it however the board member
interprets it
○
Community will feel like they are losing
power
■
Important that we are doing the budget
work we are doing
●
Having transparency around money
●
Very important that the budget is easy to
understand
MOTION: Bring the proposal for the removal of
the clause from bylaws that requires two community meeting votes over $1,000
and task the finance and legal department with creating a more thorough policy
and procedure around community involvement in spending, NWS, MG, Approved (7 approve, 1 against, 0 abstain)
○
Find discretionary funding as a
transition
●
Review of Neighborhood
Network Application and Equitable
Engagement Application (Equitable Engagement application was reviewed
by the board prior to the first draft being submitted to the city). Here is
the proposed 2022 budget that is referenced in both applications.
Submission is due October 15, 2021.
○
Note EEF includes 85% of Sarah’s time
going toward Equitable Engagement Plan - i.e. outreach, communications,
community partnerships, engagement (NOT administrative or fundraising)
○
Use
of CPP money
●
Group
of board members met with City of Lakes Community Land Trust and PRG to discuss
the option of purchasing the office building
○
David
reports
11:15
Cassie left the meeting.
11:20
MOTION: The EPIC board approves the
Neighborhood Network Application as is, NWS,
DI, Approve (7,0,0)
MOTION: The EPIC board approves of the
Equitable Engagement Application, NWS,
StS, Approved (7,0,0)
11:23
Report from Departments
● Nikolas - report on
meeting with Angela Conley
11:30 New
business and delegate to proper spaces (work group, department etc.)
● Approve revised budget
for 2021 and new budget for 2022.
MOTION: The EPIC board approves the new 2021
budget, NWS, DI, Approved (6,0,0)
11:35 Shontal left the meeting
11:38
MOTION: The EPIC board approves the new 2022
budget,
DI, StS, Approved (6,0,0)
●
Review
and approve 990 and Attorney General Annual Report
MOTION: The EPIC board approves the 990 and
Attorney General Annual Report, DI, NWS,
Approved, (6,0,0)
●
Does
EPIC want to adopt the roundabout on 25th? TABLED - bring to community meeting
○
Would
require planting, maintenance, cleaning litter
○
More
info here: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/programs-initiatives/clean-city/adopt-a-median/
●
Meetings
through the winter
○
Virtual
vs. In person meetings
■
East Phillips park is
currently accepting building use requests and permit applications
■
If
indoor meetings - review EPIC’s COVID protocol
●
Note
November community meeting we will have the developer that is re-developing the
property at 26th and Bloomington
■
Board
meetings: hybrid. Board members are in favor
■
Community
meetings: try for gym
●
Hybrid
meetings
●
Require
masks
■
Check
in about October’s community meeting - okay to publicize? - yes
11:55 Adjourn
