Category Archives: Fix It Loan

November 18, 2014 Minutes

Armatage Neighborhood Association Meeting

Meeting was called to order at 6:30 by Board President, Denis Houle.

ANA board members in attendance: Denis Houle, Nikki Lindberg, Tom Alagna, Kelly Falsani, Bri Keeney, Sarah Broich, Steve Johnson, Betsen Philip

Others in attendance: Tina Erazmus, ANA staff member; Nikki Friederich, Park Director; Dan Walsh

Park Update by Nikki Friederich, Park Director

  • The new winter/spring program brochure is available online. Link will be on ANA website. Registration opens December 8th at 6 pm.
  • Basketball registration is open.
  • Romp and Play event had 44 people the first day, which was a big success! This event will continue through the winter.
  • Park is starting to think about/plan for skating rink. Goal is to be open by winter break. Schedule is posted on website and at the building.
  • Anyone interested can sign up for email alerts on Minneapolis Parks website for park related info.
  • Armatage Park opens at noon on school release days.
  • Upcoming events: Friday, January 23rd 6-8 pm will be a “fire & ice” event at the park; January 17th is the kite festival at Lake Harriet

Councilmember Update

(Councilmember Palmisano emailed updates because she was unable to attend this month)

  • People are getting ticketed for parking within 5 feet of driveways (city is being strict about this).
  • City is working on better snow removal and focusing on corner clearings.
  • Budget meetings are happening now along with public hearings regarding the budget. Any concerns should be communicated as soon as possible to the councilmember’s office.
  • Construction will be starting on 54th between Penn and Lyndale. Meeting scheduled to get resident input: Dec 2nd 6:30-8:30 at City Church.
  • Upton bikeway- roundabout has been removed. Traffic study has been conducted and a solution will be determined in the spring.

Report from board president Denis Houle, who also serves on the NCEC

NCEC is sending a statement regarding the mayor’s proposed budget, expressing disagreement with her philosophy on TIF funding. NCEC is proposing more strict deadlines vs. taking the money away from neighborhoods.

Board had a discussion about sending a statement from the neighborhood. Tina will rally supporters from networks and possibly submit a statement from several neighborhoods. Tina will draft statement and email out to board for approval.

Housing Loan Update

Committee has been meeting and is aiming for a spring launch of the home loan program.

A handout was provided to the board with specifics on suggested loan program details that were determined by the committee

Board engaged in discussion about these details:

  • Suggested reducing the loan time frame for emergency loans to five years.
  • Needs clarification that people could only participate in one program or the other at any given time
  • Needs a strict “cap” for the emergency loan amounts (suggested 8,000 as a cap)
  • Suggested that Home Improvement loans must be paid back within 7 years
  • Question was raised: Is there a way for us to opt out of the partnership if board chooses?   Answer: Yes, and any outstanding Armatage loans would continue getting paid back to Armatage.
  • Suggestion for each neighborhood to recommit annually.

CPP Budget

  • Small group committee met to determine details of CPP budget.  Committee looked at previous budgets along with neighborhood priorities. (Handout showed detailed budget numbers as determined by committee)
  • Approx. $11,000 will roll over annually for neighborhood priorities.
  • Betsen made a motion to approve the budget with Tom’s amendment to change the final year staff salary to 9600. Motion seconded by Tom. Motion passed unanimously.

Treasurer Update

Lance couldn’t make it to meeting but sent an update: We put in for an advance through CPP for staff salary payments. Suggestion for going forward- every quarter we should take our advance instead of end of year.

Coordinator Update

  • We received a $50 donation on Give to the Max Day! Donor will receive a handwritten thank you.
  • Nikki and Tina are working on a safety newsletter. Safety event will happen in place of January meeting. Newsletter will go out late November or early December.
  • A Park tab is now on the ANA website for easier access to park updates and information.
  • It was an exciting year! Coordinator hopes to be more proactive in the next year.

Coordinator review

  • Board met without coordinator present and then reported back to ANA Coordinator with feedback

Next ANA meeting will be December 16th at 6:30 pm

New Business

Board discussed helping to promote “Fire and Ice” park event that will happen in January. No motions were made regarding this.

Meeting adjourned at 8:04 pm.

October 21, 2014 Minutes

Armatage Neighborhood Assocation Meeting

Meeting was called to order at 6:30 by Board President, Denis Houle.

Board Members in attendance: Bri Keeney, Jeff Forss, Nikki Lindberg, Denis Houle, Steve Johnson, Kelly Falsani, Betsen Philip, Lance Custer, Keith Swanson, Sarah Broich

Others in attendance: Tina Erazmus, ANA staff member; Nikki Friederich, Park Director; City Councilmember Linea Palmisano, Dan Walsh, Dave Denamur

Park Update by Nikki Friederich, Park Director

  • The park staff is getting ready for Halloween: they are having haunted house again, hayride, bonfire, s’mores, hot cocoa, and popcorn. The event will be held from 6-8 pm on Halloween.
  • Winter sports registration is open; Basketball registration starts Nov. 11th.
  • New event: Friday night movie night- once/month- $10 includes dinner and movie at the park.
  • 10:30-12 on Fridays: “Romp and Play”- open playtime indoors at park for younger childen. (Windom park offers this 2 other weekdays).
  • Health Food policy pamphlets are available if people are interested in learning about the healthy food options at the park. Park is looking for vendor to supply “healthy vending machines.” They are taking application for this.
  • The new trash cans in the park will be out all winter.
  • A resident mentioned that the toddler play set in the playground not in good condition- wood is rotten. Park coordinator said she will look into this.
  • Park director thanked board for the Halloween support.

Update from Denis Houle, as representative from NCEC (he serves on this committee)

Denis talked about the One Minneapolis Fund: background- the goal of this fund is to get people more involved in the city and/or to address a need not being addressed. This fund is 2 years old, and city is now writing guidelines for 3rd year.   The neighborhoods had been worried about money being taken away, but it hasn’t been an issue because it came from 2 different funding sources.

Possible concern: the current budget proposal from the mayor does take money away from neighborhoods. There was an article in the Star Tribune on Oct. 12. Denis will send board more info so we can contact mayor and councilmember about this. NCEC is planning to send mayor letter saying money coming from TIF funding is not supported. The budget vote will be sometime in December.

Housing Loan Program Update

Housing loan program: there is a meeting scheduled with representatives from Armatage, Fulton, Kenny, and Lynnhurst on Wednesday 10/29 at 7:00 to discuss the housing loan program with GMHC Housing Loan administrator. Armatage reps will leave meeting with a list of decisions to make and bring back to board.

Councilmember Update

  • There has been tremendous success with compost program in other areas. Pamphlets are available on organics program.
    • One sort recycling- wrapping up first year. Increased from 17 to 25 percent recycling participation.
    • Number of pounds per dwelling unit highest in SW, except Armatage is recycling the least. Could neighborhood do something to increase participation? Is more education needed on what can go in bins?
  • Airplane noise update: councilmember’s most recent newsletter was dedicated to the issue of airplane noise- has lots of great information and updates. To summarize the latest: congress told FAA that they can implement RNAV if impact per flight is the same or less. Cities are pushing back saying it is still a significant impact.
  • Crime in the neighborhood: there have been lots of calls about increased crime in the neighborhood. Despite the increased calls to city council, there have been decreased calls both resident initiated and officer initiated, so those numbers show crime being down. Social media like the Nextdoor site has increased communication/awareness of crime, which has possibly led to a misconception that there is an actual increase in crime. Councilmember reminded us that Nextdoor is not regularly monitored by council office- they need a call regarding major issues.
  • Councilmember has spent a lot of time in budget meetings, and in committee meetings.
    • The audit committee is “starting out the right way.”
  • Police dept. works closely with bordering cities (Edina and Richfield). Councilmember would like police dept. to better communicate the closure of cases.
  • Residents asked about construction updates:
    • 54th between Penn and Lyndale is getting redone in 2016.
    • Councilmember is working to better coordinate county, city, and met council projects.
    • One resident has noticed improved speed of traffic, “less drag racing.” Another resident has concern about unsafe bump outs.
    • It was mentioned that school buses can’t take right turn onto 56th: unsafe for kids at school patrol, or pedestrians crossing street.
    • Response from councilmember: a traffic study is being conducted and concerns are being relayed to designers. A response from them is expected in a couple weeks.
    • Another resident expressed being fine with road and experiencing no issues.
    • Crosswalk button issue on 56th. Can the light be reprogrammed? Leading pedestrian light is effective- can it be changed to that? Councilmember is looking into this.
  • Resident wanted update from councilmember on roundabout on Upton.  Update: results of traffic study are not in yet. Councilmember’s office has received calls that it has been well received but is waiting on concrete data. Results will be out in the next few weeks.

Coordinator Update

  • There are 23 new residents in the neighborhood from July-Sept.- they will receive welcome packets.
  • We will be adding park tab and safety tab to ANA website. There is a link on the website regarding parking restrictions- city is cracking down on these.
  • CPP budget- would like to form a committee to go over 3 year budget. Tina will send an email to the board asking for people to sit on this committee (probably one 45 minute meeting).
  • Composting has been open 2 weeks- new people are using the program. Need another volunteer to help. Once signed up and trained, people will have access to code to unlock bin.

Treasurer Update

Only change was coordinator salary- requesting advance from CPP to cover this in upcoming months.

Safety Update

  • Crime in the neighborhood has been pretty quiet- some bike thefts.
  • There was a rape reported in the neighborhood; the victim knew the attacker.
  • A resident reported he recently called 911 regarding a crying woman on his doorstep.
  • Update on stabbing from the summer: one is a juvenile (no information released), the adult is being held downtown, trial is not yet scheduled, the sentencing will take impact statements into account. There is another call for resident impact statements- due mid-November.

    There was a motion for Tina to draft a neighborhood impact statement from the board and email out for board approval. Motion seconded and carried.

  • Two paper newsletters to go out to all residents regarding safety topics and neighborhood updates. January meeting could be safety seminar event. Nikki will help design these newsletters.
  • Questions from resident to be addressed possibly at safety seminar: What to do when you notice someone’s garage door open on accident? How to notify that neighbor (if you don’t know them well)?
  • Update from resident regarding an experience with new construction: resident called 311 when work was happening on a Sunday; cops came and they stopped the work and moved the machinery. Call 311- it works.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:04 pm.

Following the meeting, a board vote occurred via email due to a deadline that fell between board meetings.

ANA coordinator sent this information regarding the neighborhood façade grants:

Background: In 2012, Jennifer secured the Great Streets Facade Grant for Armatage businesses to help with facade improvements.  This is a matching grant program.  Since 2012 we have awarded 2 grants of $5000 to Penn Mobil – now Minnico and Bellweather.

  • The original grant amount was  $25,000.00.
  • 15% of the grant is for administration ( $3,750.00 )
  • with the two grants of $5,000.00
  • we have $11,250 available for contract.

Here are our two options:

  1. Close out the current loan.  We would have until March to get the rest of the funds out and then whatever is left over will be returned to the city and we would not be able to reapply for this loan again until 2016.
  1. Work to get the balance of the loan out to business so we can reapply for the Facade Grant.  75% of the original loan must be in an approved contract beforeFeb. 28. I do have some leads on a few businesses that might be interested.

A motion was made to pursue option 1, was seconded, and carried with 7 ayes, 1 nay, and 2 abstentions.

September 16, 2014 Minutes

Armatage Neighborhood Association Meeting

Meeting was called to order at 6:30 by Board President, Denis Houle.

ANA board members in attendance: Kelly Falsani, Denis Houle, Lance Custer, Sarah Broich, Tom Alagna, Jeff Forss, Nikki Lindberg, Betsen Phillip, Keith Swanson

Others in attendance: Tina Erazmus, ANA staff member; Nikki Friederich, Park Director; Ken Dahler, Staff member from Ward 13 office

Park Update by Nikki Friederich, Park Director

  • Fall sports are in full swing. Lights in Armatage Park are kept on until 9:00 pm. Fall program registration still underway.
  • It was a great partnership between the board and park for the summer festival. A health inspector arrived during the event and the inspection passed without any issues.
  • Park Director made a request for support from the ANA for the upcoming Halloween event at the park. She asked if ANA can pay for half of the horse and wagon hayride ($350). There was a short discussion in support of contributing to event. A motion was made to contribute $350 to pay for half of the hayride.   The motion was seconded and passed.
  • A question was asked about whether or not the park would be affected by funding cuts. Park Director informed the board she is not aware of any cuts affecting the park at this time.
  • There was another question about crime in the park. Park director reported activity seems to be very minor and nothing very out of the ordinary. She also reported that teens are encouraged to come to utilize building from 6-9 (later hours), which has helped with congestion during busy times.

Councilmember Update by Ken Dahler, Ward 13 Staff

Ward 13 staff reported on 3 main things.

  1. The city passed a series of small changes in zoning laws to help with new construction; there was collaborative effort to come up with policies; they are effective October 1st
  1. Councilmember Palmisano is the chair of audit committee. The former director had resigned so there was no staff support for awhile. They now have some top candidates for a new director, and that person will hire 2 other staffers. The audit committee will have a fresh start with nearly all new members.
  1. Mayor Hodges presented her budget and the detailed version came out a couple weeks ago. There is a 2.4% property tax increase proposed. Curbside collection for composting is exciting. Encourage feedback from boards, residents. Body camera pilot program approved. Officers volunteered to participate in pilot. 3 precincts will participate.

A question was asked about the planned park near Vikings stadium- Ward 13 staff said information about this is still unclear.

It was expressed to Ward 13 staff that there might be an organized discussion on the zoning laws at the next city council meeting as citizens are possibly organizing to express displeasure about this.

A board member expressed being unhappy about process that led to the current roundabout on Upton. At the meetings regarding traffic on Upton this option was never presented to citizens and citizens were in favor of other options. The process points to the city not listening to what citizens are saying.

Ward 13 staff member explained that the reason this decision was made was because the largest voice from citizens was saying they wanted “traffic calming.” Public works suggested the roundabout option because stop signs are often not effective at traffic calming. The city will conduct a traffic study while the roundabout is being tried. Most feedback is negative so far but might be skewed. A 4 way stop could still be an option if neighbors continue to provide negative feedback. There is concern about it being too narrow but it was emergency vehicle tested and passed.

Neighbors are invited to look at the conversation about this on the website, Nextdoor.

A couple other concerns were raised:

At Penn and 56th, kids have to push button to get the walk sign and aren’t always realizing it. Would like to change this stoplight to have an automatic walk sign.

With the narrower street on Penn, school buses are having a hard time and hitting the curb.

Good news- the portion of Penn Ave under construction will be open again on Thursday this week!

Neighborhood gateway structure is being constructed for entrance into neighborhood.

There was a question raised about “mother-in-law apartments.” Ward 13 staff member reported it is in the beginning stages and there have been 4 public meetings about it. It is a project of Councilmember Bender. There will be talks around regulations. Currently these are not allowed and there are no rules around it now.

Coordinator Update, by Tina Erazmus, ANA Coordinator

Armatage has been chosen as an organic drop off site. To get started, volunteers will be onsite to monitor the drop offs. Then people will receive a code to access the drop off site anytime. This is the first step in citywide composting. It starts the first weekend in October and drop off times will be Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings 9-12.

CEE discussion- Home Loan Program

  • We have $256,000 for the Home Loan Program for the neighborhood
  • CEE has a November 1st deadline for us to decide if want to continue with them. They charge 5000.
  • GHMC charges 450 per loan
  • Tina presented the option of partnering with other neighborhoods to market together and administer the program
  • The interest on these loans comes back to neighborhood
  • The board needs to decide between 3 options of administering this program.
  1. Stay with CEE which costs 5000
  2. GHMC which costs 450 per loan
  3. Partner with other neighborhoods, combine funds, but interest on the amount from ANA still comes back to the neighborhood.

    There was a discussion about pros and cons of each option with an emphasis on the importance of getting this money available to neighbors as soon as possible.

    A motion was made to pursue option of partnering with other neighborhoods with the stipulation that each neighborhood has first access to their loans, and an option to pull out of partnership on an annual basis. The motion was seconded and carried.
    Tina will email the board if other neighborhoods are not interested in partnering.

CPP discussion

As a board, we need to allocate CPP funds of 30,000/year

Board discussed options of allocating money and came up with the following budget:

  • Staff Expenses 16,500
  • Professional Services 200
  • Occupancy 100
  • Communications/Outreach 6000
  • Supplies and Material 1500
  • Meetings/Community Building events 5500
  • Development 200
  • Total for Contract = 30,000

A motion was made to approve proposed budget. Motion seconded and carried.

NPP Discussion

Ideas were discussed on how to use NPP funds.

Ideas suggested were having a printed newsletter on safety 2 times a year, hosting a block leader training, and hosting a home safety seminar.

A motion was made to allocate $4,000 to 2 safety newsletters and a safety event, including prizes and all marketing.

Summer Festival Recap

Ideas for next year:

  • Wrist bands for kids, better signage, new t-shirts, tickets $1 each, move food truck away from ticket table
  • More food trucks
  • Band was great- feedback was band was too loud
  • Maybe have an iPod with a playlist
  • Magician on stage

Marketplace- went well; would like to do outreach to get more people next year.

Silent auction- would like to grow this next year; need help from board members to follow up on donations

Treasurer Report

We reviewed the expenses and revenues from the festival. Net profit was $1702.08.

There was a motion to approve; the motion was seconded and carried.

A question was asked about whether or not we got reimbursed the $5,000 for the façade grant. Coordinator reported that yes, we did.

New Business

There was no new business.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm.

May 20, 2014 Minutes – Annual Meeting

Armatage Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting

After an allotted social time, the meeting was called to order at 6:46 by Board President, Betsen Philip

ANA board members in attendance: Tom Alagna, Sarah Broich, Lance Custer, Kelly Falsani, Jeff Forss, Denis Houle, Steve Johnson, Bri Keeney, Nikki Lindberg, Betsen Philip, and Keith Swanson.

Others in attendance: Tina Erazmus, ANA staff member; Speakers and over a dozen residents.

Welcome

Betsen updated everyone on the annual meeting shift to May, recent ANA events (personal safety workshop, meeting on crime, Twitter and Facebook activity, involvement with Fair Skies, having the Chief of Police at a meeting, etc.)

MN Honey Company – Kelley Flanders

Kelley and his wife own the MN Honey Company store at 50th & Xerxes. They support over 30 different local beekeepers (ranging from age 10-80). With the recent significant loss of hives, many businesses have struggled or closed, so they are glad to be supporting this new, growing industry. The bee hive collapses are a worldwide problem, but Minnesota is proving to be a leader in finding solutions (both through hobbyists and professionals, as well as significant research through the University). Our region represents a significant percentage of honey production. The bee loss issues is complicated, and educating ourselves as consumers is a great start in helping the bee population return.

City Council Update by Linea Palmisano

Minneapolis was just announced today as the host for the 2018 Super Bowl. The LRT station at Target Field just opened last weekend, and trains to Union Depot in St. Paul will begin June 14. Pedestrian safety continues to be of concern (especially in the Calhoun neighborhood), and they are looking at solutions/improvements for Xerxes Ave. The city has begun looking into become self-insured, which could provide huge city-wide cost savings. Regarding composting and recycling, juice and other aseptic box packaging is now recyclable. Another $1M was just appropriated for road repairs (report issues through 3-1-1). Although the City Council is looking as banning Styrofoam, her feeling is that most business are already phasing it out, and that it wouldn’t be enforceable, and would rather see the city look at ways to encourage wider composting programs. Some concerns were raised over parking on Penn (especially with local construction and during rush hour) and questions were asked about any possible parking concerns near Lola. No specific concerns have been brought to her attention, but know that traffic enforcement would help in both areas (again, you can call 3-1-1 with specific concerns).

Minnehaha Creek Survey Results – Fulton Neighborhood Association President, Jim Tincher

Jim provided a very brief history of this project and the gathering of input (feedback doors, neighborhood festivals, surveys, etc.). The Park Board has set aside $6-7M for path development along the Creek. The neighborhoods requested they hold off any development until after some other projects are completed, and after this feedback could be gathered, so the path development won’t take place until 2018-19. Overall, the feedback was to keep paths as natural as possible (not cement) and to increase access to the Creek. Neighborhood involvement is done for now, and the Park Board with be creating the final recommendations for development. These plans will then be made available for public response some time in 2016.

Bee Speaker & Flower Recommendations – Rene Lynch

Rene agreed that the issue of bee hive loss is complicated, but wanted to show us ways we could support our native pollinators, particularly two species of bees: Blue Orchard Mason and Leaf Cutter bees. These pollinators, unlike honeybees, are non-aggressive, since they are not protecting a queen. They are solitary dwellers, and life in holes in trees. You can provide a bee house, which has tubes to encourage a bee habitat in your own yard. Blue Orchard Mason bees hibernate over the winter in cocoons. When they emerge one Blue Orchard Mason bee can pollinate at the level it would take 600 honeybees. However, they can’t fly very far (and are often being harvested in one part of the country and shared with other areas during pollination seasons). Blue Orchard Mason bees are active in the spring, while Leaf Cutter bees are fall pollinators. Leaf Cutter bees also will live in the tube, but instead of a cocoon, the use a piece of a leaf to create a hibernation capsule. You can order bees online to help establish a population. There are also many native plants that encourage and help these pollinators: hollyhock, globe thistle, garden phlox, echinacea, ligularia, hyssop, lobelia, dumosus, joe pye weed and golden rod, for example.

Board Elections

Ballots distributed. Slate of candidates approved:

New Business

  • The Home Loan Program is in the development stage. We should have the details about these low interest home improvement loans soon.
  • Armatage Summer Festival  is Monday, August 11. Watch for more details in the coming months and consider volunteering a 1/2 hr of your time!

Meeting adjourned at 7:52 p.m.

October 23, 2015 eNews

October Meeting Summary

Jennifer Waisenen, our Crime Prevention Specialist for the 5th Precinct, presented our quarterly safety update. We continue to pretty fortunate with the low levels of crime in our area, including a 50% drop in burglaries this summer over last. Garage thefts had a notable decline. She credits people with listening to requests to keep garage doors closed and locked when the homeowner isn’t present.

Ken Dalher, aide to Council member Palmisano, shared updates from City Hall. They were pleased with a recent vote to earmark dollars to support public art. They were also happy that the airport commission (MAC) agreed to delay finalizing their long-range plan. This will better allow them to consider some changes that are happening in Minneapolis and could impact these plans. Fall street sweeping has begun (see below for details). The Working Families Agenda has taken a lot of everyone’s time this past month. Fortunately the mayor and city council have heard the concerns from a variety of businesses and are slowing down the adoption of any new regulations.

Park Director, Nikki Friederich, announced that the Halloween party at Armatage park will run from 4:00-700 on Saturday, Oct. 31. Although there won’t be a haunted house this year, there will still be lots of fun activities (see below)! Winter sports begin soon, including volleyball and basketball. Volunteer coaches are always needed. Kenny and Armatage rec sports will soon have an option to register online. Online registration will open Nov. 4. Watch for more details.

During the general meeting, possible new ventures/subcommittees were presented, including:

  • An environmental focus (raingardens, lawn care, green spaces, recycling, etc.)
  • An arts program (for a possible public art project in our neighborhood)
  • Historic preservation (capturing the 25 years of ANA history and changes in the neighborhood)

We would need interested residents to help get any of these programs going, but all were appealing to the board.

The Fit It Home Improvement Loan program has been pretty successful. As the way the funds are handled shifts this month, we discussed how to continue to promote the program, including making residents aware of the Emergency Loan option.

The board voted to send a letter of support for Kwan’s application for a beer and wine license. The public hearing was on the 21st but final approval won’t be known until November.

The board was updated regarding safety concerns at the 55th and Xerxes crosswalk. There is a school bus stop there, and cars have not been stopping for parents and students crossing at this marked crosswalk. The city and county have been contact, but options are limited. Currently the best suggestions are to either relocate the bus stop or have students wait on their side of the street until the bus is present.

Finally, the 2016 meeting and event schedule was approved.

  • Meetings: Jan 19, Feb 16, Mar 15, Apr 19, May 17 (Annual Meeting), June 21, July 19, Sept 20, Oct 18, Nov 15, Dec 13 (tentative)
  • Events: Aug 8 (Summer Festival)

 


Street Sweeping Underway

Streets should be marked for no parking at least 24 hours in advance of the street sweepers coming through. You can see when they are sweeping in your area online.


Saturday, Oct. 24
Noon at the Lake Harriet Band Shell

Oct. 24 is National “No Fly Day” with many events being held around the U.S. including right here in Minneapolis.

Special guest speaker, State Representative Frank Hornstein, and other officials will talk about important issues, initiatives and impacts of our metro area aviation noise problems.

Many neighbors attended meeting and wrote to elected officials to voice concerns about airport expansion, more flights and bigger planes. Your efforts, along with those of our city and state officials, paid off. The MAC decided to delay publication of their long-term plan until the FAA completes an evaluation of runway use at MSP. We are being heard!

Armatage Halloween Party

Saturday, October 31
4:00-7:00

FREE for all ages! Park activities will include:

  • Horse-drawn wagon ride
  • Moonwalk
  • Firepit and s’mores
  • Storytelling
  • Trick or treat trail

Nextdoor Trick or Treat Map

If you are on Nextdoor, you can add your house to the trick or treat map!


How to Keep your Deliveries Safe

With the convenience of online shopping comes the risk of package theft. Try to schedule deliveries for times when you are at home or find an alternative way to avoid leaving packages on your front step for extended periods of time. UPS, for example, has an online service which lets you indicate where to leave packages (including at a neighbor’s house). Talk to your neighbors and see who might be around during the day to receive a package, or arrange to have packages sent to work or a friend’s office.

Do you have a home that could be on the tour?

The tour will be April 30-May 1, but the deadline  for consideration is January 15.

The tour started 29 years ago and maintains mission encouraging people to stay in the city. Real homeowners open their doors offering examples of how to renovate and expand existing housing stock. It’s a great way to meet contractors and architects, encouraging more quality projects. In recent years, we’ve strengthened a preservation/history focus.

If interested, contact:
Margo Ashmore, Coordinator
Minneapolis & Saint Paul Home Tour
www.MSPHomeTour.com
612-788-9003 (office)

September 18, 2015 eNews

September Meeting Highlights

  • City Council Update: Linea Palmisano was present to give some updates, including:
  • Safety Committee Update: Block leader recruitment continues. Only 16 blocks in Armatage don’t have a block leader at this point (watch for a listing of open blocks in the October Safety News).
  • Community Engagement Committee Update: Engagement ideas were gathered, including: the ANA hosting a social hour; supporting a winter festival; more activities (perhaps in partnership with the park) for kids and adults, specifically older adults; etc. More to come!
  • Summer Festival Committee Update: Overall the event was deemed a success. Thanks to Mother Nature for her support, as well as a big shout out to all our volunteers, sponsors and board members for helping make it all happen. Feedback has been collected through the Survey Monkey and direct comments, and will be reviewed as plans for 2016 get underway.
  • Other Business:
    • We welcomed three new members to the ANA board! That brings our board membership to 10 (out of a maximum 11). We continue to encourage involvement, if not on the board, on one of the above mentioned committees!
    • The ANA is considering a micro grant program. This type of program has been done in other neighborhoods such as East Harriet and Fulton, supporting such activities bully prevention workshops, Earth and Arbor Day celebrations, hosting a household hazardous waste drop-off site, etc. More to come.
    • The board received notice that Kwan’s Chinese (at 54th and Penn) has begun the application process for a beer and wine license. The new owner has “received wonderful welcoming support from our customers.” They are also considering adding outdoor seating in the near future.
    • Information about solar garden programs was shared. At this point the board would like to learn more about the pros and cons of these programs, to see if this is something we think would be a good fit for our community.

Experience Southwest

The Nicollet-East Harriet Business Association (NEHBA) would like to introduce you to our new name. Taking a cue from our expanded service area and our popular “Experience Southwest” brand, the organization is excited to announce its new name: the Southwest Business Association (SWBA). (Also you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter!)

FixIt Fund

This home improvement loan co-op brings together resources from partnering neighborhoods to offer low-interest home improvement loans to our residents. The initial phase restricted fund access with monies put into the “pot” by each neighborhood being only available to their neighborhood residents. Armatage was the largest contributor to this program, but currently has the lowest participation rate. Soon our funds with be co-mingled, and people from all four neighborhoods will access to the merged dollars from all four neighborhood associations.

Openings on City Boards

Applications are now being accepted for a number of open boards and commissions positions that the City Council and Mayor will appoint this fall. Board and commission members in the City of Minneapolis provide valuable insights, help shape key policy decisions and provide community-based input into administration of services. The City is seeking applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences to strengthen the work of the City.

There are open positions on the following City boards and commissions:

Applications will be reviewed beginning October 23, 2015. However, the positions are open until filled. Visit the City’s website for a list of appointment opportunities, position descriptions and to apply:
www.minneapolismn.gov/boards/openings/index.htm.

August 11, 2015 eNews

What a lovely evening for a festival!

Thanks to our donors and volunteers who help make this event possible. And thank you to the over 2,000 residents that joined us at the park for an evening of music, games, food and fun!

Check out some event photos on Facebook (and please add yours)! Already looking forward to August 8, 2016!

Event Feedback

We did a lot of new things this year and we want to hear what you think. Please take a few moments to respond to our event survey or feel free to email our coordinator with your thoughts.

 

The Fix It Fund – Armatage Home Improvement Loan Program

Low-interest home improvement loans are available to area residents. Learn details about both programs and get application materials online through our loan administrator GHMC.

 

Organics in Armatage

Many area residents who opted in to the program will be getting (or already have) their organics collections bins! To learn more about organics and how you can get started in organics recycling, visit the City organics website.

 

Do It Green! Guidebooks

Available at the park or you can pick one up at any ANA meeting. Learn more online!

 

Notice of Public Hearing

Monday, August 17 at 4:30pm in Room 317, City Hall (350 S. 5th St)
City Planning Commission will hear the recommendation by the Planning Department regarding restaurants servng alcohol  (Title 20 of the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 536)

 

Notification of an Application for a Zoning Variance

5324 Oliver Ave. S.
Owner: Magnate Investments, LLC

The Board of Adjustment generally meets every other Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall, Room 317.

The property owner at 5324 Oliver Ave. S, is proposing to demolish the existing structure and build a new Single Family Residence. The existing structure was built in 1923 and is approximately 750 sf with a basement and single story living space. The house is situated at the rear alley property line and a new single family home is proposed to be built on the lot. The proposed new house will be approximately 2900 sf, a full two stories with unfinished basement.

The applicant is seeking a variance to reduce the 44’-0” front yard by 10’-0”. This variance would allow for a detached garage with entry from the lane thus allowing for a landscaped backyard. The variance setback would locate the front of the house 34’-0” from the front property line. All other aspects of the house design are within the Zoning guidelines of the R1 district.

 

Xerxes Construction

There will be construction on Xerxes in Edina through the Sidewalk Participation Program between 56th and 60th. This is an initiative coming out of Edina, but we wanted to let you know as it will be across the street.

Volunteer Coaches Needed

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB) Fall Youth Sports programs begin in August and we are seeking volunteer football, soccer, and volleyball coaches at recreation centers in Minneapolis.

  • Athletes range from 6 to 18 years old
  • MPRB’s fall sports programs end in November/December
  • Teams practice 1-2 times per week
  • Games are scheduled 1-2 nights a week and/or Saturdays
  • All new coaches will be provided with orientation by the MPRB

Can’t coach this Fall? We’ll need coaches for Basketball, Hockey, Wrestling, and Gymnastics this Winter, too.

Contact Nicole at 612-499-9258 or email recvolunteers@minneapolisparks.org for more information about coaching and other volunteer opportunities.

 

Register now for Pain.Pill.Problem

What: Join stakeholders across our state to define the problem with prescription painkillers and determine how to adress it.
Registration: The event is free. Space is limited and registration is required. Lunch is provided to those who register. To register, visit www.PainPillProblem.com
Where: University of MN, TCF Stadium, DQ Club Room (420 Southeast 23rd Ave., Minneapolis, MN)
When: Tuesday, Aug. 25, 8:30am-5pm
Who: We encourage anyone interested in this topic to attend including the faith community, health care professionals, law enforcement, community leaders, educators, and parents.
More: Credit will be available for pharmacists, physicians, dentists, nurses and LADC’s. POST credits have been applied for, details to follow on the registration site.
Featured speakers: Governor Mark Dayton, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Congressman Tom Emmer, and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek are among the speakers.

What makes your neighborhood special?

Please take this opportunity to be part of a research study about the character of your neighborhood. This study is being conducted by Madelyn Sundberg from the University of Minnesota for her Master of Science in Architecture: Heritage Conservation and Preservation thesis.

This anonymous online survey will take you approximately 15 minutes to complete. As an incentive, you will be given the option to enter your email address at the end of the survey for a chance to win an iPad Air. To participate, click the link below or copy the url into your browser.
https://umn.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_40ldE75vDG1KSIR