EPIC Board Meeting - September 2005

PRESENT
Mary Gonsior (MG), Hannah Lieder (HL), Linda Leonard (LL), Carol Pass (CP), Rosie Cruz (11:10 am.)

Directors not Present: Cynthia Aquirre

Meeting was called to order at 10:17 by CP. Agenda was distributed. MG was designated as recording secretary.

QUORUM
Andy and Albin have resigned; Quorum was established (4 of 6 directors present.)

Crime Concerns
Discussion of widespread prostitution and dealing along 25th Street and Cedar Park.

AGENDA
The agenda was approved with the addition of property announcements.

MINUTES
The minutes from the July 2, 2005 EBM were approved with the following correction:
Pg. 3, Garden Policy: Response to Corrie Zoll’s email, “AD and CA could find no active gardeners (2005) who…”

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Operation Clean Sweep
This is a clean up the neighborhood day where the city sends out trucks and picks up garbage. It is a very large event planned for October and EPIC’s responsibility will be to organize the community. Food will be offered at several locations. Residents will be able to put out large items to be picked up. A flyer will be available after the date is established next week.

Union Jobs at Sears Hotel
There will be about 80 jobs available. These will be entry level union jobs with training provided. Jobs will be clerical, housekeeping, and maintenance. Jobs are for adults.

Youth Concerns
Discussed concerns about youth employment, health, safety and education. HL will look into creating a resource containing job information for youth. CP will invite Maura Braun to EPIC meeting to share about how they put the resources together for the community center for Harrison Neighborhood.

BUSINESS
East Phillips Commons Project
29th and Bloomington, just south of the new apartment building. Lake Street businesses are very concerned about the lack of parking during the construction period. If the land is sold, the neighborhood has no say in whether the parking lot would be permanent. There is a series of owners who own pieces, and the City owns a big chunk of the property. CP will meet with owners who want to put in a large parking lot to provide parking for the businesses on Lake Street and report back.

Motion (LL, MG)
Motion for EPIC to support the temporary leasing for construction of a temporary parking lot secured with gates, camera and lights, but that the City retain public ownership of property for the East Phillips Commons Project. Motion passed.

Lights on Bloomington Avenue
PRG has some money to put pedestrian lighting on the two condominium units planned at 24th and Bloomington Avenue. Could we ask Welna’s to do the same? EPIC may have some money for additional pedestrian lighting elsewhere on Bloomington Avenue.

LL and RB drove around the neighborhood and collected a list of two dozen lighting concerns. You can go online at HYPERLINK "http://www.xcel.com" www.xcel.com to report these lights out. LL reported 15 lights out or intermittent lights out. There should be a response within two weeks. RB took note of three particularly dark areas (he has funding to remediate these problem areas.) There is almost no lighting in the alley on Cedar between E. 26th Street and Ogema. This is a stretch of about two blocks.

Xcel Energy reported that it costs about $6-8 per month to install your own security lighting. Neighbors could get together to put additional lighting in streets and alleys. EPIC should report this to the City Council and Public Works.

Parking on 24th Street
CP is calling Dean Zimmerman’s office to try to get the No Parking signs removed on 24th Street.

Budget for 501(c)(3) Application
The CDBG budget was approved with the following corrections:
Item number 3 – deleted “Child care expenses.”
Item number 5 – deleted the entire item.
Remove Andy and Albin from list of directors.
Change the amount for Annual meeting, entertainment, hall rental from $1000 to $750.
Change the amount for Additional admin. expenses…from $500 to $750.

General Liability Insurance
CP reported that she had determined that the $1,000 is for general liability insurance. This is required since we are holding public meetings. Payment is approved.

Reimbursements
LL submitted receipts for reimbursement of expenses for the annual meeting last March. Payment to LL in the amount of $268.07 was approved.



Financial Policies
MG and CP prepared proposed financial policies to be submitted in conjunction with our 501(c)(3) application. The proposed financial policy is a blending of the existing EPIC financial policies and samples that were provided by Robert Thompson from NRP. In addition, “procedures” were deleted from the policy – so that the policy includes general statements describing “what” EPIC does with money. These policies should be general enough so that they do not require frequent changes. In addition, the policies need to be approved by the general membership.

Specific procedures stating “how” EPIC manages money, including step by step descriptions of performing financial tasks will be adopted by the board and are included in the 501(C)(3) application.

CP, HL and MG will meet again on Tuesday evening at HL’s house to review and finalize the policy for presentation to the September GMM.

Discussion of Board Business
HL expressed disappointment that the board doesn’t seem to have enough time to address issues that are of great concern to her, including youth employment, crime, etc. CP noted that if we can put together a budget, learn to operate by Roberts Rules of Order, and create financial responsibility, the neighborhood will be able to begin working on these more important issues. Unless this administrative work is done, the organization will stall out completely.

Additional Board Meeting
MG proposed an additional board meeting 3-5 days after the GMM for board directors to review the “to do list” and schedule whatever meetings, projects need to be completed.

New Board Directors
Discussed potential candidates for board directors.
Mark Welna
Rose Pluvois
Stephanie Allen
Daco Abdi
Aden Awil
Latisce Williams
Amy Pass
Jenny Gonsior

Agenda for GMM
Submit agenda items to the chair.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:52 pm.

Respectfully submitted by Mary Gonsior, Secretary

CDBG = Community Development Block Grant
EBM = EPIC Board Meeting
EPC 17th Ave. Garden Committee = East Phillips 17th Avenue Community Garden Steering Committee
EPIC = East Phillips Improvement Coalition
GMM = General Membership Meeting
GI = Green Institute
NRP = Neighborhood Revitalization Program
SWMCB = Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board
EPIC BOARD MEETING
September 3, 2005
2435 Bloomington Ave. S.