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MINUTES of the MHNA General Membership Meeting

June 29, 2006 – First Congregational Church 500 8^th Ave SE, Mpls, MN

1. Meeting called to order at 7:40 PM by President Brian Biele.
2. A motion to accept the agenda (Briscoe) was passed.
3. A motion to approve the May minutes (D Carlson) was passed.
4. Board actions from tonight’s board meeting were announced (Note – full committee minutes are now available on our website.)The Executive Committee recommended and the board accepted Casey Briscoe as the appointed student rep from GAPSA on the board for a 1-year term. The committee also agreed to keep Melissa Bean and Chris Wilson as the SAAG reps for MHNA. The board also voted to send out another fund raising letter.Land Use Committee: Archive: 700-708 Central Avenue sent a revised zoning summary for which they are seeking neighborhood approval. Revisions include a conditional use permit for five stories at the 700 building and nine stories at the 708 building (one story above the present height). These additional stories would be set back so as to minimize their impact from street level. Also included were a variance increasing the floor area ratio from 3.34 to 3.43 and a variance for side yard set back of 3 feet on the side backing up to the homes on Second Avenue SE. All other items in the zoning summary have already been passed by the land use committee at the April 11 meeting. Action: The land use committee recommends the MHNA Board submit a letter of support indicating its approval of the zoning summary submitted May 4, 2006 by Archive Lofts . Board passed the motion.

   The committee recommended and the board approved of writing letters to CM Hofstede about two James Eischens properties: Illegal Porch and Fire at 513 Eighth Avenue SE; Illegal T-Mobile Antenna on Andrew House.

   Proposed City Lodging Ordinance Changes. These changes have been recommended by Regulatory Services to transfer the management of these facilities to be consolidated with Housing Inspection Services. In the past different portions of the regulations have been managed by different agencies (Business Licensing, Housing Inspection Services, Environmental Services and a Fire Inspector). Consolidating the administration and inspection activities ensures a more effective and more controlled environment for these facilities and eliminates the need for multiple inspectors. Housing Inspections has reclassified a current FTE with the position title of Board & Lodging Inspector who will be trained and certified in four disciplines (food code, health codes, fire codes and housing maintenance code). There is a public hearing on June 21, 1:30 p.m. before the Minneapolis Public Safety and Regulatory Services Committee in City Council Chambers. Committee Chair Jo Radzwill attended a meeting with members of MGAP (MN Greek Alumni Partnership) to clarify the ordinance changes. That group agreed with most of the language, but wished to extend the deadline for late fees (license) to 30 days (not 15) and to keep the license renewal date as November, not change to October. The board passed a motion in support of the ordinance changes with the above amendments (Radzwill).

   Safety & Livability Committee: There were no formal actions. Crime stats were passed out. Chair Tom Lincoln reported that there was a dramatic drop in robbery and assaults this month – perhaps a result of Safe City program. The committee’s focus is to advocate for additional police officers, campaign to get people to call 311 or 911 as appropriate, and to work on problem properties. They are also working on some ways to re-market the neighborhood. Right now 729 8^th Ave SE is in the process of rental revocation. The owner has appealed. The committee is gathering community impact statements from affected people for the hearing July 11. Contact Tom Lincoln. The Citizen Patrols have gone out twice. They aim to create a visible presence and report strange behavior. Last week Mayor Rybak joined some committee members and others for a neighborhood tour. The tour, led by Ted Tucker and Tom Lincoln, pointed out some positive outcomes and some negative properties we are dealing with.

   NRP: The board voted to modify the language on NRP Plan’s Crime & Safety strategy A2. To support crime prevention activities as recommended by the Marcy-Holmes Safety and Livability Committee, including special neighborhood meetings and citizen patrol costs such as patrol identification t-shirts. Budget for crime prevention activities: $2,700.

   The board voted to send letter from MHNA Board to the Mpls. Parks & Recreation Board requesting that a new decorative fence around Holmes Park pool be added to the Park Board’s capital improvements plan the next possible time this plan may be updated. Marcy-Holmes NRP could contribute a small portion – $2,200 – to the estimated total cost (Park Board estimated $30,000 for removal of old fence and replacement), as allocated in the NRP Phase II Plan, Economic and Public Strategy 6.

   The third motion was to approve use of $8,000 for murals for graffiti prevention, to be painted on six exterior walls in Dinkytown, selected based on graffiti problems and visibility. Mural designs would be approved by a Dinkytown-neighborhood committee prior to painting. Designs would reflect themes from the 1960s, considered the “heyday” of Dinkytown, per the recommendation of the DBA.

   The fourth motion recommended by the NRP Committee was to approve use of $10,000 for matching grants to provide graffiti etching-prevention window film for Marcy-Holmes businesses.

   There was no Student Affairs Committee report.

5. Annual elections for four officers and six board members were held. No nominations came forward from the floor so a slate of candidates who had volunteered was presented by Executive Director Melissa Bean and passed (Distad motion). New board members present were introduced. Those elected tonight:
   • President – Brian Biele
   • Vice President – Deb Girard
   • Secretary – Steve Swanson
   • Treasurer – Bo Sherman
   • Directors: Gordon Kepner, Jo Radzwill, Sonny Schneiderhan, Doug Carlson, Leonard Paredes, Thomas Lincoln.
6. President Biele spoke about the past year’s activities. Board members stepping down were thanked for their service: Brad Bellows, Joe Stokes and Steve Zwicky, as well as student reps Laikun Tang and Joe Sortland.We have been cut in the amount of funding we receive from the city, making our Fund Raising campaign more important than ever. We cooperated with many others to get things done: The Third Ward Summit & follow up Task Forces; SE Library Task Force; Third Tuesday Breakfast meetings with other neighborhoods, U of MN, police and city officials; A-Mill Task Force; Stadium Area Advisory Group; Marcy Arts Partnership; SE Minneapolis Council on Learning; Restorative Justice Community Action community conferences; SE Party Task Force; East Side Bicycle Task Force.We held our annual Earth Day River Clean up in April. We welcomed 137 new trees to the neighborhood with a billboard /community awareness campaign. The lights went on along 15^th Ave SE in December after much effort from our association and Student Affairs committee.

   We continue to have success in our committee structure and encourage people to join a committee. Some highlights of the year:

   Executive Committee – acted on liquor license requests from O’Brien’s Decoy Pub & Smokehouse, Legends Café and Mangia; created a presentation for the Third Ward Summit; worked with city to strengthen the Noise Ordinance;

   Safety & Livability Committee was re-invigorated this year, thanks to Tom Lincoln, chair. While the committee continues to address inspections, noise, trash and graffiti, this year a new emphasis on public safety resulted in a neighborhood-wide Safe Summer ’06 meeting; block club organizing; a newly formed walking patrol; efforts to attract good tenants like University graduate students, faculty and staff. We sent in a Community Impact Statement in an aggressive panhandler case; heard numerous apologies from Restorative Justice participants;

   Garden Committee held their annual potluck and plant swap; added 5 new boulevard gardens; added 3 new bump out gardens on 5^th St SE (making a total of 14); added bulbs, perennials and annuals to existing bump-out gardens and found adopters for all gardens; for the sixth year continues to maintain the community flower garden at 8^th St SE & 10^th Ave SE.

   Land Use Committee acted upon many proposals in the neighborhood this year: A-Mill project, Archive Condos, Flour Sack Flats; 625 East Hennepin Max Marketing, Library Bar & Grill, 800 16^th Ave SE; 421 6^th St SE; Xcel Hennepin Island Park; Mississippi River Critical area Plan. They convened the developer Roundtables that informed the supplements to the Master Plan.

   NRP Committee funded improvements to institutions, residences and businesses; hired a new student liaison; continued work on our Master Plan to guide development here.

   President Biele added that we look forward to new businesses and residents coming to the neighborhood. We’re helping to bring new and old residents together with the R & R Social Club beginning July 27 at Keegan’s Pub.

7. MHNA Volunteer Recognition – Tonight several outstanding volunteers who have helped our neighborhood were recognized and given certificates of appreciation:
   • Thomas Lincoln, longtime officer and now Chair of Safety & Livability Committee
   • Joe Stokes, longtime officer and dedicated peacemaker, involved with SE Party Task Force, MHNA Board and NRP for many years
   • Cindy Johnson, Master Gardener guru of the neighborhood, designer of our gardens and garden programs for many years
   • Louise Huebner, currently serving on our NRP Committee where she always makes good comments, and has also been the proud caretaker of a litter container for three years.
   • Jo Radzwill, Land Use Committee chair, fast learner and devoted neighborhood protector
   • Arvonne Fraser, Land Use Committee, faithful meeting attendee, garden potluck host and always good for a quote in the Star Tribune.
   • Skott Johnson, Autographics, who serves on our NRP Committee and is the “good idea man” in Dinkytown
   • Kathleen Reilly, SE Library Task Force chair and MHNA registrar assistant

   This year we also recognize the fine work from an emerging segment of volunteers, University students:

   • Amanda Dlouhy and Sara Spiess for their involvement with our NRP Committee
   • Tessa and Paul Barsic for volunteering to care for a bump-out garden this summer
   • Sergey Trubetskoy for his work on the Joan Leigh memorial kiosk project and his mural on the 13^th Ave side of Autographics, in Dinkytown.
8. Dan Pfeiffer, Xcel Energy, presented information on a new park coming to our riverfront, as part of their re-licensing permit. The park will be on Hennepin Island, now closed to the public. The railings, historic elements and construction materials will match those of the Stone Arch Bridge.There will be interpretive signs about the history of St Anthony Falls. The U of MN lab will remain on site and benches will be added. The park will be accessible to walkers, bikers and open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk, closed from Dec 1 – March 15. There will be an elevated horseshoe overlook above St Anthony Falls. The small yellow house on the island will be removed. Native plants will be landscaped. Construction will include excavation, a new steel bridge and the building of two experimental channels used to study erosion effects in a National Science Foundation program. A conditional use permit and a certificate of appropriateness from Heritage Preservation Commission will be required, as will as US Corps of Engineers and MN DNR permits. Construction is expected to start in August and the park (still unnamed) should open in late spring 2007.Mr. Pfeiffer invited MHNA members to attend the grand opening of the new park then.
9. Lisa Blee, instructor of an undergraduate course at U of MN, is teaching a fall class that involves the neighborhood. Student groups will be collaborating with community members to do oral histories that may become part of a traveling exhibit at the Weisman in February. They will be looking at changes here over time, possibly exploring student life, Bob Dylan, signage. graffiti, etc. Anyone willing to be interviewed should contact Lisa Blee at: lisablee@gmail.com
10. Elissa Cottle, NRP coordinator, updated everyone about that committee’s work this year. They are looking at ways to attract U of MN faculty as residents. They are looking for more funding to make improvements to the river gorge trails at Father Henenepin Bluffs Park. The committee funded a re-development study for the Soap Factory, supported SE Seniors and SEMCOL, hired a student liaison and paid for police overtime and lighting on 15^th Ave SE. Thirty litter containers have been adopted and eight more are waiting to be adopted. There is one seat open on this committee for a student. Interested students can contact Elissa at: mhnrp@pro-ns.net. NRP Chair Ardes Johnsons was also thanked for her work this year.
11. Ardes Johnson updated the group about SEMCOL, SE Mpls. Council on Learning. Each of the SE neighborhoods has four reps on the committee. The organization was started by Don Fraser to promote reading and reading to children. More than 250 books have been given away to children in our area, especially important as the MPL bookmobile is no longer available here. According to Ardes, (Don) Fraser always said Early Childhood Education was the key to culture and society and now finally the world is catching on and supporting the concept. She reminded all that an easy way to help is to designate a school to receive funding every time your Target card is used. Amounts given are posted at Quarry Target – $18,000 so far for Marcy Open School. SEMCOL volunteers are needed – contact Ardes or the MHNA office.
12. There will not be a General Membership Meeting in July. The August meeting will be held HERE at First Congregational Church. We hope to be back at Hope Church in Sept.
13. Meeting adjourned 9:05 pm

Melissa Bean, MHNA Executive Director