EPIC General Membership Meeting - May 2005

Holy Rosary Church, 6:40-9:15 pm

Quorum: Carol Pass, Andy Engebretson, Hanna Lieder,
Albin Dittli, Rosie Cruz, Linda Leonard, Earl Simms

Attendance: The above-named directors and Brad Pass,
Lynn Mayo, Aden Awil, Jane Thompson, Darlene Flugge,
Alfonso Cruz, Margaret Kirkpatrick, Rachel Dittli, Lea
Berg, Ryan Brueske, Stephanie Allen, Dan Ward (Metro
Hope), Amy Brock (Corcoran Neighborhood Ass’n)

6:40 Carol Pass, president, convened the meeting and
asked people to introduce themselves.
.
Corrections to the Agenda:
1. Give 15 minutes to Jane Thompson in the reports
section.
2. Give Dan Ward from, Metro Hope Ministries, time in
the reports section.
3. Lynn wanted a correction to page 2 of the last GMM
minutes regarding her concerns about Allina’s
administrative salary/benefit provisions.

Motion 1: Albin to approve the agenda; second Jane.
Motion carried.

Carol read the EPIC statement of Purpose

Announcements:
1. Third Grand opening at the new building, Plaza
Verde on Lake St. .
2. There is a grant writing class in Saint Paul and
some board members are planning to go to it.
3. Membership communication can be facilitated on a
website Ryan has created:
groups.yahoo.com/eastphilips.
4. National Night Out requires requests for planning
events. The city will not be sending out information
to everyone. Block club leaders have to ask for it.
Lynn would like the information for this out on the
website.

Reports:
1. Neighborhood Funding conference at Harrison
Community Center on May 4th. Carol went. There are
efforts being made to diminish the funding to
neighborhoods. Carol made the point that EPIC needs to
join with other neighborhoods to continue to reinforce
the need and preference for local neighborhood
funding.
2. The Hispanic Baseball team received a $3150 grant
from Weed and Seed. Carol wrote the grant proposal.
3. NRP home tour, Carol went and was encouraged to see
people with a wide range of incomes doing great
restorations of ordinary housing.
4. Ryan is interested in receiving funding for a
research project for a model implementation of
security lighting.
5. Motion 2: Jane asked for approval to have Margaret
replace her as the Greenway Coalition Board
representative to EPIC. Margaret asked if anyone else
would be interested in the position, but no one
volunteered. Ryan seconded Jane’s Motion. Motion
carried. Compliments were given to Jane for a job
well done. Margaret does not want to be on the agenda
automatically, but will ask to be included on it.
6. Jane report that the Chicago bridge construction
keeps the greenway from opening early this spring.
7. Brad gave a brief description of the suspension
bridge design that is to be built across Hiawatha.
8. Brad announced that a public works committee, CLIC,
wants to put an asphalt heating plant on the corner of
26th and Hiawatha. The neighborhood needs to be aware
of this so that the people who have to live near it
can have a say in whether or not it should be built.
9. Ryan will include information about the
construction proposal on the website as well as other
current information.

Metro Hope Ministries (MHP)-Dan Ward:
MHP is a faith-based ministry for men on 28th and
Cedar. MHP is interested in starting a long-term
recovery ministry for women and children and they
would like EPIC to write a letter to NERC (the
neighborhood organization where the new women’s
ministry will be established) saying that they have
been good neighbors in East Philips. They are not
looking for affirmation of the new program, just a
letter saying they have been good neighbors. Several
people in the meeting gave positive feedback on MHP
based on their interaction with them.

Motion 3:
Jane made the motion to have this letter written for
Metro Hope Ministries; Seconded by Linda. Motion
carried.

Projects and Possibilities:
Robert Thompson, NRP neighborhood specialist, was
invited but could not attend.

EPIC Survey Report:
Albin described the purpose of the neighborhood survey
as being a means to find out more about the interests
of the community. The survey results will guide the
strategic plan for EPIC’s remaining NRP phase 1
funding of $200,000.00. EPIC will then be able to
write a budget that dedicates money toward the things
the survey shows the people of the community want to
see improved. Everyone will have some input regarding
the way the budget is written, The survey will be in
Engflish, Spanish and Somali, and board members will
individually go house to house to carry out the
survey. It will also form the basis for EPIC’a phase
one evaluation and phase 2 NRP plan.

Corcoran Neighborhood Executive Director:
Amy Brock gave an overview of the survey that was done
in their neighborhood. The survey was similar to the
EPIC survey and they found it very useful when
planning their year-long goals and budgeting. The
survey was also useful information for donors. Some
ideas she offered from their experience were:
1. Select 3 households on each block randomly to give
the survey to.
2. Make sure the survey distributors have had some
training so they are all consistent in how they
conduct the survey.
3. Put a time limit on when the results should be in.
4. Have the person who answered the door or an adult
living in the building fill out the survey.
5. Go in the evenings and on weekends when people are
home.
Amy also discussed methods for how to start looking
for and obtaining funding. Corcoran found that donors
were most interested in programming and sustainable
projects.




Treasurer’s Report:
1. Cynthia was not in attendance, but Carol said that
Cynthia was still looking through the things she
received from Margaret.
2. Action Item: A review should be done at each GMM
of EPIC’s expenses and income from the previous month.
3. Action Item: EPIC’s reimbursement financial
policies should be documented and presented at the
next GMM.
4. Reimbursement from EPIC rules:
a) The original receipt needs to be turned in to the
board before 30 days after the purchase
b) Pres, Vice Pres, and Treasurer need to sign on any
amount over $100.

Community Garden:
1. Cynthia will be the EPIC board representative to
the garden committee.
2. EPIC needs to figure out how to pay insurance and
property taxes for the garden.
3. Action Item: The EPIC board needs to figure out
what fees it should be paying for the garden and put
it in writing.
4. Lynn said that there are currently 21 adults on the
17th Ave. garden and 4 on the 16th Ave garden.
5. Carol asked for garden minutes in general,
especially those showing when it was decided that the
garden would have membership fees.

Status of EPIC:
1. Carol explained that EPIC still does not have its
501©(3) status. She is working with Charlie Ravine, a
lawyer from Management Assistance Project for
Nonprofits, to reclaim the 501©(3) status. This would
not allow us to use NRP money, but it would allow us
to write grants.

Darleen said she would like to see coffee and a drug
patrol again on Bloomington in the mornings.

Motion 4:
Linda made a motion to adjourn, second by Albin.
Meeting adjourned at 9:15pm.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Andy Engebretson