EPIC Community Meeting Minutes 1-13

 

EPIC Community Meeting Draft Minutes

January 13, 2022, 6:30 – 7:30

East Phillips Park Cultural & Community Center, 2307 17th Ave S.

EPIC web address: eastphillips.org

Email: sarah@eastphillips.org

Office: 2433 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55404

Phone: (612) 354-6802

Board Roster: Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, Cassandra Holmes, David Ingold, Shontal Lajeunesse, Steve Sandberg, Earl Simms, Karen Townsend, Nikolas Winter-Simat

Board Members Present: Nikolas Winter-Simat, Laura Dale, Steve Sandberg

Board Members Not Present: Cassandra Holmes (E), Shontal Lajeunesse (E), Karen Townsend (E), David Ingold (E), Earl Simms, Mary Gonsior

Members: Brad and Carol Pass, Stephen, Devika Ghai, Amanda Yourd

Guests: Kor Pace, Grace Hallberg-Cain, Rhiannon Hellmuth and Lars, Amy Luciano, Joel McReynolds, Spencer, Persis (sp?)

6:30     Welcome

●      Vision and Mission

●      Intros

●      Group Agreements

○      Respect each other; aim for kindness

○      Respect each other's time; aim for brevity

○      Respect the agenda; aim for unity

○      Own your words, actions, and reactions; aim for peace

●      How to become a member

○      Chat Sarah or email sarah@eastphillips.org with your email address and physical address (to verify you live in East Phillips)

○      All members are allowed to vote on EPIC decisions and motions

●      Agenda Approval, NWS, LD, Approved

Minutes Approval, NWS, LD, Approved

●      Announcements

o   Next Board Meeting will be: Saturday, February 5 from10am-11am online (link to join is at eastphillips.org)

▪        Board Meetings are open to the public

o   Next Community Meeting will be: Thursday, February 10 from 6:30-7:30 online (link to join is at eastphillips.org) and tentatively at East Phillips Park (depending on COVID)

▪        The topic will be: Hi Lake opportunity for public space

▪        We will be trying a hybrid model - in person and online. Location is to be determined

o   EPIC has a housing program! 0% interest! Fix up your home or buy a new home in East Phillips – Check your email for the brochure or go to: mncee.org/east-phillips: Programs for East Phillips Residents | Center for Energy and Environment (mncee.org)

o   If you smell a foul odor around Smith foundry or Bituminous Roadways call 311 to report

▪        Write down your incident number

o   Annual Meeting - save the date: March 26 2022

▪        Those up for re-election: Laura Dale, Nikolas Winter-Simat, David Ingold, Karen Townsend

▪        Know a neighbor who might be interested in running for the EPIC board?

●      Direct them to eastphillips.org to learn more and for the nomination form, or have them reach out to Sarah (sarah@eastphillips.org or (612) 354-6802)

▪        Interested in being a part of the planning team for the March 26 Annual Meeting?

●      Chat Sarah that you are interested and provide a way for her to contact you

o   EPIC is beginning a strategic planning process

▪        The community will be involved in the process at various stages, including towards the beginning to generate specific proposals and ideas, as well as  medium and short term goals via community meetings and a google form. As well as towards the end to solicit neighbor feedback on the proposed medium and short-term goals

▪        The bulk of the work will be done by the Vision Committee who will consist of the Vision Department of the board, as well as other interested board members and community members

●      This Committee will roughly consist of 6 hours of meetings between February and June 2022

▪        Interested?

●       Chat Sarah that you are interested and provide a way for her to contact you

o   Are you interested in responding to community emergencies? Join a 12-session training program to gain certified skills in first aid, violence prevention, crisis response, and emergency planning! This opportunity is for people identifying as: Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latine, Pacific Islander, and Arab, and Mixed / Multiracial.

▪        Learn more here.

o   Monthly financial report

▪        Find here

▪        Or on eastphillips.org

 

6:53     Feature Presentation//Community Discussion topic:

●      Southside Harm Reduction Information share on Overdose Prevention Sites by Kor Pace and Gracie Hallberg-Cain

●      Find Info Sheet here

●      Overdose Prevention Sites include:

○      Drug checking, preventative care, infectious disease testing, wound care, referrals to various services (treatment options, housing etc)

●      Overdose deaths are up 30% statewide from 2019 to 2020

○      East Phillips sees one of the highest rates of overdose deaths

○      Native Americans are 7 times as likely to die of an overdose from their white counterparts

○      Hennepin County is currently in an HIV outbreak

■      69% are BIPOC

●      OPS have been found to

○      Reduce ambulance rides, emergency visits

○      Particpants who utilize OPS are more likely to access treatment

○      At Insight in Vancouver there have been 6,440 overdose interventions with zero deaths

○      Helps to destigmatize healthcare because health professionals are onsite and provide care

●      New York has opened two sanctioned overdose prevention sites - the first in the U.S.

●      Southside Harm Reductions Services is working on building a coalition

●      Read more on the resources from the presentation here

●      A more detailed presentation will be held on February 9th at 6pm

 

7:00        Questions for presenter

●      Who is helping to run the Overdose Prevention Site in New York

○      Onpoint NYC is helping to run it

○      Medical professionals support Overdose Prevention Sites

■      Keeping people alive is the first step

○      Many unsanctioned Overdose Prevention Sites in the U.S.

 

7:15        Updates//Report from Action Committee - Overdose Prevention Site Group

●      Overdose Prevention Site Group formed out of the September EPIC community meeting as a continuation of a discussion about safety and drug use in East Phillips

○      The group has been meeting twice a month since September

■      Interested in joining these meetings?

■      Meet the first and third Tuesday of each month at 4:30 - link to join at eastphillips.org

●      Next meeting is Tuesday, January 18 at 4:30

○      The group is interested in being a working group of EPIC

■      And have access to EPIC resources (staff time, printing, interpretation)

■      Would like to invite EPIC to be a partner in this work

■      Also be somewhat independent so not all decisions go through EPIC (not all neighbors are likely to support an OPS and this may lead to difficulties down the road)

●      Discuss how EPIC wants to be involved in the work this group is doing (i.e. volunteers, outreach/doorknocking, potential support with funding?)

○      Community member shared that it makes sense for group to working group of EPIC

■      Give the group a bit more umph

○      Community member excited to see where it goes and likes the working group idea

■      Appreciates that people are working on this, haven’t been able to attend but have been keeping up on it via email/online

 

7:34     Adjourn