EPIC Community Meeting Minutes 8-12

 

                                        EPIC Community Meeting Minutes

                                 August 12, 2021, 6:30-7:30

                                               EPIC web address: eastphillips-epic.com 

Email: epic.ssantiago@gmail.com

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: Cassandra Holmes, Shontal Lajeunesse, Steve Sandberg, Karen Townsend, Nikolas Winter-Simat, David Ingold

Board Members Not Present: Laura Dale (E), Mary Gonsior (U), Earl Simms (U)

Members: Vivi, Kim Hayden, Stephen Gregg, Weston Martin, Tim Springer, Emrys, Carol and Brad Pass, Mair, Rose G, Devika Ghai, Jack, Gracie, Sharne

Guests: Jasna Hadzic-Stanek, Oscar, Kevin Thompson, Joel McReynolds, Isaac

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

• For those joining in person: simply mark that you want to be a member on the sign in sheet

• For those joining virtually: 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, Approved

Minutes Approval, Approved

• Announcements

• Mayoral Candidate forum is next Sunday! 2-4 at Cedar Field Park

• Pickle off and Ward 9 Candidate Forum is Tuesday, September 21

• Pickle off is 12-3. Food will be served

• Ward 9 forum is 3-4:30/5 - more details coming soon!

• Traffic meeting update

• Next Board Meeting will be: Saturday, September 4 at 10am online (link to join is at eastphillips.org)

• Board Meetings are open to the public

• Next Community Meeting will be: Thursday, September 9 at 6:30 at the lot at Cedar and 27th Street and online (link to join is at eastphillips.org)

• September community meeting - proposal to have Mike, the city planner focused on traffic safety along 24th, 26th and 28th Streets and potentially 4 Sisters (more on this at the end of the meeting). At the lot at Cedar and 27th.

• October community meeting - proposal to invite the various organizations organizing around the charter amendments

• 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

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

• Write down your incident number

• Join your neighbors in cleaning up trash on your block for 20 minutes every Saturday at noon - meet at 27th and 17th!

• Next Southside Green Zone Meeting is August 23 at 6pm

• To join the meeting as a member of the public, call 612-276-6670 and enter Conference ID: 635 614 218# 

• Update on East Phillips Indoor Urban Farm Project

• Vote on wednesday at the POGO committee meeting

• Contact city council members

• Update on light emitting sculpture on 18th and the greenway

• Solar power ideally

• Contact Tim with more questions

• MIGIZI is filing for a variance for their addition and remodeling project at 1845 East Lake Street:

• To allow for the addition to be setback from the property line a distance greater than the municipal zoning code allows for Pedestrian Overlay district. 

• The proposed two story addition connects to the existing two story building and includes an elevator bringing accessibility to a floor that is not currently accessible. 

• The project adds building area in a place of surface parking. The proposed project moves the site towards conformity as the design adds windows fronting Lake Street. 

• The proposed site plan adds greenspace fronting the street where fence and asphalt parking currently exist

• The City Planning Commission will meet on Monday, August 16, 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.  The public may submit comments or participate by phone in the meeting by using the following website: www.minneapolismn.gov/government/meetings/public-comment/.

• If you have questions about the project, please contact the City staff person listed below.  If you would like to submit comments, you may submit them via the link above or by emailing:

• Lindsey Silas, Senior City Planner – 505 4th Ave S #320, Minneapolis, MN 55415

Phone (612) 673-2653 

E-mail: Lindsey.Silas@minneapolismn.gov.

6:40 Updates

• Distribute Quarterly Financial Report

• Guest: Jasna Hadzic-Stanek, Transportation Planner, City of Minneapolis 

• Transportation study and an Engagement Plan for permanent changes to 18th Avenue South between 24th and 26th Streets and Ogema Place and Stately Street

• Received grant to do demonstration project with LERA

• Include place making, greening, art

• Will return to EPIC with updates

• Traffic update on 16th, 17th and 18th

• Gathered data, recommendations to change 17th to two way because of bike boulevard

• Volume went down 50-60% 

• Traffic calming i.e. speed bumps

• Invite county and LERA management to meeting to talk about 25th and Cedar

6:50 Feature Presentation//Community Discussion topic: 

• Drug use and lack of affordable housing in East Phillips

• How this is or was addressed along Bloomington Avenue

• How can we come together as a community to address this

• Update on how encampment was addressed at 26th and Cedar

• Community members shared that need a larger scope of the issue, when the encampment was forced to leave, where are they going?

• Involve Mosque and Midtown Phillips in Discussion

7:15 Community Decisions

The second of two community votes on the following:

Southside proposal: pay folx Southside works with to help clean up neighborhood using gift cards, one to two hour blocks for clean up, trash pick up as well. Everyone working together to clean up and breaking down stigma. Re-word to include trash pick up, not just syringes. Southside focuses on meeting people where they are and supporting them in any kind of change they would like. Safety is a huge focus.

MOTION: The EPIC membership and Board of Directors approves $15,000 for the Community Syringe and Trash Clean Up in East Phillips Project through Southside Harm Reduction, NWS, DI, approved

MOTION: The EPIC membership and Board of Directors approves moving $15,000 for the Community Syringe and Trash Clean Up in East Phillips Project through Southside Harm Reduction from CPP funds to the public safety/crime prevention neighborhood priority, NWS, DI, approved

(NOTE: the public safety/crime prevention neighborhood priority reads: “Assure the safety of all adults, youth and children who frequent our parks and public places.”)

MOTION: The EPIC membership and Board of Directors approves of changing EPIC’s housing neighborhood priority wording from: “Build up to eight new houses on 8 empty lots to address the need for affordable workforce housing.” to: “Support securing housing for East Phillips neighbors (homed and unhomed) and the development of affordable homeownership and rental opportunities in the neighborhood.” NWS, KT, Approved

MOTION: The EPIC membership and Board of Directors approves $16,000 for the East Phillips Resident Housing Support Program through South East Homes Somali Recovery, provided that we get a budget for the next community vote, NWS, DI, Approved

MOTION: The EPIC membership and Board of Directors approves moving $16,000 for the East Phillips Resident Housing Support Program through South East Homes Somali Recovery from CPP funds to the housing neighborhood priority, NWS, StS, Approved

MOTION: The EPIC membership and Board of Directors approves changing EPIC’s community connections neighborhood priority wording from: “Utilize a number of tools and events to connect with residents of the East Phillips neighborhood. These include a special Facebook page, a new website, use of the Somali radio station, an annual park festival, special events such as the Little Earth Native American Mother's Day Pow Wow, a neighborhood Clean Sweep, National Night Out and other activities and initiatives.” to: “utilize tools and events to connect with neighbors of the East Phillips neighborhood, as well as secure space for community gatherings. The tools EPIC will utilize to increase community connections include media ads and events and other activities and initiatives.” NWS, KT, Approved

Brief overview of options to use CPP money:

• Current office building at 2433 Bloomington Ave

1. Partner with City of Lakes Community Land Trust OR

2. Purchase building

• Do not want to displace current tenants

• $175,000

• Outdoor community gathering spaces and increase urban agriculture in East Phillips

3. All of the following:

• 27th and Cedar space for community gathering AND

• $40,000-$50,000 for pergola and solar power for outlets

• Partner with NACDI and 4 Sisters on 29th Street project AND

• Indigenous Food Sovereignty

• Contribute $40,0000 for things like seating, shed, etc.

• Pay rent ahead for 1 year

• $10,000

7:30 Adjourn

EPIC Board Meeting Minutes 8-7

                                                     EPIC Board Meeting Minutes

                                                            August 7, 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: Nikolas Winter-Simat, Laura Dale, Mary Gonsior, David Ingold, Steve Sandberg, Karen Townsend, Cassandra Holmes, Shontal Lajeunesse

Board Members Not Present: Earl Simms

Members: Emrys S

Guests: Jack Byers

10:07 Review vision and mission

Welcome guests/intros

Approve agenda, MG, KT, approved

Approve minutes, NWS, StS, approved

Reminders:

• Next Community Meeting will be: Thursday,  August 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 at Cedar Field Park and online (link to join meeting can be found at eastphillips.org)

• The focus will be on a community discussion about issues on Bloomington Ave - invite your neighbors!

• September community meeting - proposal to have Mike, the city planner focused on traffic safety along 24th, 26th and 28th Streets and potentially 4 Sisters (more on this at the end of the meeting). At the lot at Cedar and 27th

• October community meeting - proposal to invite the various organizations organizing around the charter amendments

• Next Board Meeting will be: Saturday, September 4 from 10am to 11am TBD  and online (link to join meeting can be found at eastphillips.org)

• Board Meetings are open to the public

• Update on Indoor Urban Farm Project

• City Council vote postponed until August 18th POGO Committee

• 5 are supportive

• Osman was supportive, but may no longer be

• EPNI organizing press conference with supporters

• Add to community meeting agenda

10:20 Jack Byers from Payne-Phalen Neighborhood

• District plan - small area plan for neighborhoods

• Independent of city and of one another

• Do get funding from city

• Most racial and economic diversity

• Planning staff at city of St Paul is much smaller, so rely on n’hood orgs

• This is where district plans come into play

• Board had been entirely white until a few years ago

• Had 21 board members and many committees

• Committees became more powerful than board

• Neither board nor committees were reflective of neighborhood

• Trimmed down board and committees

• Changed so all business came to board

• Board members were very deliberate about recruiting board members

• Wrote equity action plan

• Set out goal to be ⅔ people of color since that is what neighborhood is

• Going to talk to neighbors, to recruit board members and volunteers

• Started going to stores and talking to people

• Talked about future of neighborhood

• Cohort within board - 60% of board is people of color

• Relaxing about bylaws, thinking about whether it makes sense to continue using Robert’s Rules, meeting like a council meeting with community meetings sitting behind

• Began meeting in circle

• Rethinking simple structures 

• Got a grant so they can provide food

• Children can stay at table with parents or go to area where someone is watching them

• Board development

• A lot of people don’t understand how boards work

• Reminders about meetings include why important to attend

• Develop why their own voice matters in the board

• Giving everyone opportunity to speak before decision is made

• Coming together to provide food for neighbors helped bring board members together

• Prioritized community partners

• Who are those located in neighborhood and those serving neighborhood

• Separated into cultural, resident, service organizations

• Look at organization as ecosystem of a lot of other orgs

• What do you do, what can we do for you?

• Helps them know about us, increases participation in our organization

• Reaching out, relaxing about rules and white decision making ways, staying in touch, keeping people in touch with each other and supporting one another

• Comment that committees in Payne Phalen led to chaos and splintering

• How to decentralize 

• How to have meaningful engagement

• Outreach that has been helpful: being at events in community

• Avoid passive tabling - be in front of table and engage people

• September 25th - Annual Meeting and Harvest Parade and solidarity street gallery

Extend Meeting to 11:30

11:11 Report/Update from Executive Coordinator:

• Probation Update

• Outreach Update

• 1073 Knocks 

• 271 Contacts 

• 198 Completed Surveys 

• 130 Emails 

• 164 Phone Numbers

• Still looking for a somali or oromo speaker to join the team.

• They have completed the whole turf at least twice so far and some parts are on the third stage. Something that they have been encountering is that a good amount of people don't have access to either the internet or to a cellular device

• Somali Museum and Abah

Report from Departments

• Scope and goals of each department

• Vision Department

• A catch for creative ideas for the board and community members, network ideas, project events, cultivating and inspiring engagement, cultivating positive feedback loops, developing strategic vision, mapping with other organizations

• Community and Board Engagement Department

• Scope of the department priorities

• The Community and Board Engagement department works on: personnel, board and community relations; creating opportunities for community to come together at events and connect over shared interests; directing the board on ways to inform and engage the community with events and important issues; build and maintain community partnerships with community based organizations; help to plan board retreats.

• Goals of the department

• The goal of the Community and Board Engagement department is to increase community engagement with the organization and to work to improve the connections amongst board members.

• Legal/Finance department

• Scope of the department priorities

• The Legal/finance department works to: review budgets from the Treasurer and recommend them to the full Board of Directors; bring solutions about legal concerns regarding EPIC projects, initiatives and personnel matters to the full Board of Directors

• Goals of the department

• The goal of the Legal/finance department is to make for more efficient and productive EPIC meetings by having important legal and finance discussions prior to Board or Community Meetings and bringing solutions and recommendations to these meetings.

• Quarterly Financial Report - will share at Community Meeting

• Move funds to cover annual fee for CEE loan programs

• a) We need to add more funds to cover CEE's annual fee, which is $2,500. Sarah proposes we move $5,000 (budgeting for 2 years) from the homebuyer assistance program to cover the immediate need for funds, since I believe the annual fee is due in September.

• b) We only have $3,112 left in the Deferred & Emergency deferred loan program (minimum loan amount is $1,000 and maximum is $10,000. The original amount in this program was $48,871.00). We could move money from CPP to this program or we also have a little over $18,000 in Phase II Program Income in the Deferred Rehab Loan Strategy that we could use for this and it wouldn't require a plan modification.

• c) We have $43,967 left in the home buyer assistance program. This would likely cover 4 more loans, since the maximum loan amount is $10,000. We haven't had much activity with this program (just $10,000), but if we are moving the above funds, I wonder if we add more to this fund as well since we have CPP money.

MOTION: The EPIC Board approves of moving $5,000 from our CEE homebuyer assistance program to cover CEE's annual fee for two years, MG, DI, Approved.

• Does this need 2 community meeting votes? We are only moving money from a CEE program to cover fees for the loan programs.

MOTION: The EPIC Board approves of moving $18,000 from the Phase II Program Income in the Deferred Rehab Loan Strategy to the CEE Deferred and Emergency deferred loan program, MG, NWS, Approved

• This will require 2 community meeting votes.

• Put on legal/finance department agenda

 

• New policies and procedures

• Procurement and Competitive Bidding Policy (auditor strongly encouraged, we agreed to implement) 

• Decide how much to put: "EPIC’s employees, board of directors or volunteers shall neither solicit nor accept gratuities, gifts, consulting fees, trips, favors or anything having a monetary value in excess of $50 dollars ($50.00) from a vendor, potential vendor, or from the family or employees of a vendor, potential vendor or bidder; or from any party to a sub-agreement or ancillary contract. All gifts, favors and meals below $50 shall be disclosed.

• Discussion:

• Change to no gifts, taking out to meals, should go to organization

• Disclosure is important

• Social Media Policy (board discussed needing one in past, also in probation requirements)

• Board Attendance Policy

• Small changes to Operating Policies and Procedures and Board Manual

• Chart of Accounts, watch your email, we will need your approval for this and it will go in policies and procedures

• Page 40: "Two authorized check signers will sign any disbursement over $3,000.00." Changed from $1,000.

• Page 36:

• Change: All expenditures above $1,000 and not already included in the Organizational Budget CPP administrative budget with jurisdiction at the time, shall require a board recommendation, a community review vote at the next community meeting and a final affirmative vote at the following community meeting, which must take place at least 21 days from the prior reviewing meeting.

• Add: All expenditures less than $1,000 and included in the Organizational Budget will be provided to the board in a written proposal outlining the purpose and line item the expense will come from three business days before purchase

MOTION: The board approves the addition of the Social Media Policy and Procurement and Competitive Bidding Policy as well as the changes discussed to the Operating Policies and Procedures and Board Manual DI, NWS, Approved.

11:55 New business:

• In the past EPIC has offered reimbursement for materials for National Night Out - we have $6,500 in family events and outreach, David and Sarah approved a request from a block leader and sent out a message to the email list and on Facebook saying we will reimburse people up to $100 per block party up to $1,000 before the end of October.

• Do we want to expand this through the summer to reimburse block parties? - Affirmative (board vote not needed)

• $100 per block party to be used for block party materials i.e. decorations, plates, cups, kids activities (no food or entertainment)?

• EPIC outreach would need to be a part of the block party - we drop off EPIC flyers

• 49% of survey respondents have shared that block parties are a way they prefer to engage with East Phillips

• MIGIZI is filing for a variance for their addition and remodeling project at 1845 East Lake Street:

• To allow for the addition to be setback from the property line a distance greater than the municipal zoning code allows for Pedestrian Overlay district. 

• The proposed two story addition connects to the existing two story building and includes an elevator bringing accessibility to a floor that is not currently accessible. 

• The project adds building area in a place of surface parking. The proposed project moves the site towards conformity as the design adds windows fronting Lake Street. 

• The proposed site plan adds greenspace fronting the street where fence and asphalt parking currently exist.

• The City Planning Commission will meet on Monday, August 16, 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.   

• If you have questions about the project, please contact the City staff person listed below.  If you would like to submit comments, you may submit them via the link above or by emailing:

• Lindsey Silas, Senior City Planner – 505 4th Ave S #320, Minneapolis, MN 55415

Phone (612) 673-2653 

E-mail: Lindsey.Silas@minneapolismn.gov.

• This announcement has been added to our community meeting agenda

• Any further action?

• Help host Ward 9 Forum?

• NACDI, MNVoice, Powderhorn Park and others who are planning mayoral candidate forum, working to do Ward 9 forum

• September 21

• How do we want to contribute - help planning? Financially? 

• We will contribute financially, wait to see what budget looks like

• Sarah will continue to attend planning meetings

• NACDI/4 Sisters Farm/LERA Farm coordination

• How to coordinate with Cedar/27th land option

• Others want to join?

• Remind board in text

• Connect 17th Ave Garden and Center School Garden in the future

12:15 Adjourn