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MINUTES of the MHNA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Tuesday Nov. 18, 2003
University Lutheran Church of Hope, 601 13th Ave SE

1. Meeting called to order at 7:45 PM by President Kelly Carver. The agenda was approved.
2. The October minutes were approved with the change, suggested by member Ron Wacks, that the MHEA website address is: http://www.mnhomebiz.org/
3. Council Member Paul Zerby talked about more budget problems at the city and for the libraries. The mayor’s current budget “zeroes out” four libraries through 2008, including SE branch. The library has a different plan for funding which he will support. Now is a good time to contact the rest of city council about keeping branch libraries open.
   A meeting to discuss neighborhood lighting is planned for Dec 4 at 7 pm, Van Cleve Park. A rep from Xcel’s community relations staff will be present.
   The Inspections Sweep is progressing well. 260 inspections have been completed by housing inspectors and 45 by firefighters. There are 750 properties in all to be inspected. A few evictions have occurred. There is space in U housing available. Inspections hopes to get to a 5-yr inspections schedule. Several strategies are being currently researched by city council and MSA, such as a “Three Strikes You’re Out” that would de-list owners of properties that have multiple code violations. There are also techniques such as increasing re-inspections fees. State and local safety codes, especially concerning exit/ egress, are being examined. MPIRG recently held a Teach-In for students concerning renters’ rights and MHNA took part with a presentation on off-campus living expectations.
   Council Member Zerby also updated us on SEMI activities. A biotech center, with U of MN cooperation, would use TIFfunds for development.
   The HPC established a committee to draft guidelines for the fraternity/sorority historic district.
4. President Carver reported on MHNA Board actions taken at the board meeting earlier in the evening. Secretary Dave Polaschek is moving out of the neighborhood. The board approved (pending receipt of a contract) hiring Dave for his website services, which he had been providing pro bono while on the board. Board Member Bob Distad agreed to serve out the rest of Dave’s term as secretary if former president Ted Tucker would rejoin the board. Ted agreed to fill a vacancy. The board approved a personnel policy for office staff.
   Zoning & Planning- The board voted to adhere to the Master Plan regarding the CVS Drugstore plans. The latest plans from CVS do not show the building up to the corner of 10th & University, contrary to our Master Plan. Our Z & P Committee recommended other improvements: more landscaping; moving fencing to extend from 35W ramp to University Ave sidewalk; moving bike racks from Tenth to University; moving the fancy paved sidewalk from Tenth to University; and connecting to Second Street via a stairway. A paved path should connect the sidewalk with the parking lot. Street lamps should match Dinkytown and MN DOT frontage must be cleaned and cared for. The building should be brick on all four facades, with street level windows on Tenth and University. The Z & P committee is not opposed to the conditional use permit (permits 24 hr operating) or the zone change (from R5 to C2), although some would prefer mixed use at the site. The variance for extra freestanding signs and extra square footage for signs was opposed because the applicant did not demonstrate a hardship required to justify the variance. The building is still a company standard design. The MHNA Board accepted the Z & P report.
5. U of MN Community Relations’ Jan Morlock talked about Homecoming – it was pretty quiet. Reps from the U attended a conference on “Avoiding Celebratory Riots” at Ohio State. The Neighborhood Clean-Up done Sunday after Homecoming collected 60 bags of trash.
   The regents are taking up the on campus stadium issue again, drafting guiding principles such as: making sure the academic mission of the U is advanced; that financing will not detract from U priorities. A feasibility study will be finished in December. That study will look at the physical plant, potential other users, size, cost. It is expected to be open air, east of Marriucci Arena. There is a lot of student and alumni interest in bringing the stadium back to campus. For stadium updates, check the website at http://www.umn.edu/stadium/.
   Jan also talked about the MGK site, just north of the Bierman area. This is an old industrial site that the U would like to acquire and turn into a sports park complex. A judge has approved the U’s petition for eminent domain. The U is doing more testing there, as it was previously used to manufacture and store pesticides.
6. MHNA Member Laurice Jameison reported on activities of the SE Council of Learning. This organization was formed two years ago and is now incorporated. It endeavors to make connections with the parents of children having difficulty learning in SE schools. The idea is to motivate the entire family to create a “culture of learning”. It has been tried on a very small basis at Pratt School and now they are trying a larger test at Tuttle School. Tuttle was chosen because it seemed to have a greater need. Other initiatives from SECOL include a “SE Reads” program, involving all three SE neighborhoods, and the HIPPY program where home visitors work with parents to ensure they are reading with even the youngest children. February is reading month, so Laurice reminded us to be watching for more SECOL news then. The group has also recently received some foundations support and hired a staff person.
7. Ted Tucker returned with news of the Schafer Richardson Task Force. Tonight the HPC is considering the developer’s request to demolish the white concrete grain elevators on the A-Mill site. MHNA supported this action in relation to their project.
8. NRP – Elissa Cottle is changing her name to Elissa Cortell. She has created a newsletter insert for the SE Angle, featuring events and contacts for the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. She introduced Gena Gerard, whose program we hope to have here. It is called Restorative Justice and Night Court, and it is intended to address nuisance crimes. It is a neighborhood alternative sentencing program, currently operating in downtown and just south of downtown Minneapolis. The nuisance crimes addressed are things like public urination, public drinking, excessive noise, etc. They are mostly misdemeanors. Once people are ticketed for these crimes, there is often no accountability. They don’t always respond to the tickets. In the Restorative Justice model, the offender sits down with neighborhood stakeholders and listens to the impact the crime has made, then makes amends. This can mean community service, letters of apology, donations, etc.
   To begin the process, we make an application to have the system expand into our neighborhood. Our application is in progress, supported by NRP funds. We will include crime statistics, ages of offenders, relations we have now with community justice, possible partners. In other neighborhoods, churches have been used as meeting places and for community service opportunities. Facilitators from the community will be trained to convene the sessions. A staff person monitors any agreement reached and reports results to the community. Offenders are not forced to participate, but many choose to do so as part of their probation. An example Ms. Gerard gave was a graffiti tagger that ended up working with the Sentence to Serve program removing graffiti. The program application deadline is Dec 31, so we should know our status in January.
9. Kelly informed members that we got an email from Andrea Heinrichs of Delta Delta Delta sorority, saying their national organization was planning to close this chapter at the end of May. The sorority is located kiddy corner from the Gopher Motel. Tri Delta has been at the U since 1894. Ms Heinrichs asked the MHNA board for a letter of support. The reasons for closing the house are unclear, but the board agreed to write a letter of general support.

Meeting adjourned at 9:10 PM Melissa C. Bean, Staff

NEWS of the MHNA BOARD

Announcing Two new board members! Jo Radzwill, who has lived here since 1985 in the Eden Square Townhomes, served on their board, and is very interested in the new development at the western edge of the neighborhood; and Charles Carlson, who has resided in Florence Court since 2002, is a senior in geography at the U, studying for a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning, and wishes to contribute and learn more. Jo would be filling a vacated (elected) seat and Charles would be filling one of the appointed student seats on the board.

The board voted to accept these two members and also to officially approve of last month’s appointment of Ted Tucker to a vacant (elected ) seat. Motion passed unanimously.