July 20 Meeting Agenda
All are welcome to join next week’s OUTDOOR meeting at Armatage Park! Please bring a chair if possible and plan to distance. In case of rain, our meeting will shift to Zoom. Register for the back-up Zoom link at bit.ly/ANAmtgs
- Armatage Equitable Engagement Fund and Plan Modification – Aryca Myers and Bob Cooper, City of Minneapolis
- Safety Update – Jennifer Waisanen, Crime Prevention Specialist
- Bookkeeping Candidate: Claire King – Judy Vecere, Treasurer
- Equitable Engagement Plan Edits (Due Sept 1)
- Coordinator Report:
- Armatage Playground Celebration
- Fall Programs and Newsletter Content:
- Volunteers to Draft Fundraising Ask
- Committee Action Needed:
- Community Engagement: Funds for Aug 14 Event
- Safety, Equity & Outreach: Funds for Sep 25 Event
- Green Team
- New Business
Summer Food Truck Night
Get ready for another Armatage neighborhood Food Truck Night! Five fabulous food trucks will be in the Armatage parking lot to take distanced orders. Enjoy live music from local band Unicorn! Swing by the ANA table for art activities, free kids books generously donated by Jump! and an All Are Welcome Lawn Sign. Bring your blanket or chairs and find a spot in the park to picnic.
More info including COVID-19 safety info is at armatage.org/summer-food-truck-night/
Household Hazardous Waste Events
Hennepin County is collecting household hazardous waste for residents to safely and properly dispose of unwanted household and lawn and garden products including paints, chemicals, fluorescent bulbs, batteries and fuels. Residents must wear masks and remain in their vehicles.
Upcoming events in Minneapolis:
- 9:00am – 4:00pm on July 30-31: Anthony Middle School, 5757 Irving Ave. S.
- 9:00am – 4:00pm on August 13-14: South High School, 3131 19th Ave. S.
Visit Hennepin County’s household hazardous waste collection event webpage to learn what items you can bring to the event, review safety guidelines, and see all 2021 events.
New Solid Waste & Recycling Disposal Guide
There’s a NEW Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling Disposal Guide in town! The City of Minneapolis has an easy-to-use, searchable website to get all your recycling and disposal “where does this go?” questions answered quickly and easily. Check it out at www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/garbage-recycling-cleanup/disposal-guide/
Last Chance to Comment on Parks for All
Have you commented on the Parks for All Comprehensive Plan yet? This week is your last chance before comment period ends this Sunday, July 18, 2021.
Your input is welcome whether you have been deeply involved in the planning process over the past two years or if you are hearing about this for the first time. There are numerous ways to learn about the plan and send feedback using the links below. Following the public comment period, the draft plan will be revised based on public input and presented to MPRB Commissioners for review and approval.
Share the Parks for All draft plan with your friends, family, neighbors or other networks using minneapolisparks.org/parksforalldraft or bit.ly/MPRBCompPlan.
Free the Deeds
Free the Deeds, an artist-driven initiative, is launching a city-wide project this month to build awareness of the history of racial covenants in housing in Minneapolis and to encourage action to repair the harm done by these covenants. Homeowners whose houses have a racial covenant will be encouraged to display a lawn sign in their yards that says “This house had a racial covenant” on one side and “Building equity, one deed at a time” on the other. Free the Deeds has been working with Armatage Reparations & Equity Action to launch this project.
All Minneapolis residents will have the chance to donate to down payment assistance for households who purchase homes through the African American Community Land Trust (AACLT), which focuses on significantly decreasing the historic racial disparities in the homeownership rate while increasing access to perpetually affordable homeownership in Minneapolis. Check out freethedeeds.org to learn more about what racial covenants were, how to find out if your home had one, and how to participate with this city-wide project.
National Night Out is August 3
National Night is just around the corner! This year’s block events will likely look a little different due to COVID-19, but there are lots of ways to safely gather with your neighbors. Think about a BYO picnic dinner instead of a potluck, discuss safety guidelines (especially for neighbors who are not yet eligible to get vaccinated like children under 12), and offer activities that allow you to distance.
Apply here for your City of Minneapolis street closure permit by July 20. If your street isn’t eligible for closure, you can also host a neighborhood gathering in neighbors’ yards. Not sure if your block has a block leader? Contact our Crime Prevention Specialist, Jennifer Waisanen, at jennifer.waisanen@minneapolismn.gov and consider volunteering as a block leader. Learn more about block clubs at bit.ly/blockclubs
Block Leader Contact Info
We’re putting out another call for block leader contact information and need your help! If you are an Armatage block leader and haven’t already done so, please send your name, address, email address, phone, and the block(s) that you represent to us at anacoordinator@armatage.org
Currently, city block leader info can’t be shared or accessed by neighborhood organizations so we’re working to build our own list. Thanks to the MANY of you who have already sent in your info! Interested in learning more about block and apartment clubs and how they work? Visit bit.ly/blockclubs
Free Business Advertising in Armatage Welcome Bags
Are you an Armatage neighborhood business that would like to advertise for FREE? Consider providing content for our new neighbor Welcome Bags!
The reusable bags contain useful information on our neighborhood, community involvement, area businesses and local government. Your contribution can include menus, brochures on your business, gift cards, coupons, branded trinkets, or even just business cards! It’s totally free contribute items for the Welcome Bags and you can also consider a tax deductible cash contribution to our non-profit organization to help support the cost of producing the bags. Email us at anacoordinator@armatage.org to contribute!
Thank you from the Armatage Community Engagement Committee. Learn more about the Welcome Bag program at armatage.org/programs/welcome-bags/ Pic of our ANA VP Kevin outside Café Cerés.
All Are Welcome Here Lawn Signs
Get your All Are Welcome Here lawn sign and proudly display to spread the message that ALL are Welcome in Armatage. The ANA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit so your donation is tax deductible and eligible for employer matching contributions.
Signs + stakes are $20 each and your donation goes toward supporting the ANA’s work in our community. Order online at armatage.org/allarewelcomehere/ and, if you’re in the neighborhood, we’ll deliver your sign to your front yard. You can also find us at an upcoming in-person sale date at Armatage Park (weather permitting) – neighbors are encouraged to join meetings:
- Tuesday, July 20 from 6:00-8:00pm at our Monthly Meeting
- Saturday, Aug 14 from 4:00-6:00pm at the Summer Food Truck Night
Windom Alternative Turf Garden Tour: July 17
Our friends at the Windom Community Council will host a tour of turf alternative gardens in Windom on Saturday, July 17 from 9:00am-12:00pm! Come view tour front yards and chat with experts including Master Gardeners, a native plant expert from Wild Ones, staff from Metro Blooms, and a Naturalist.
The garden tour is self-guided. Social distancing is encouraged. The final location list is available at https://www.windommpls.org/2021-windom-turf-alternative-gardentour
Home Energy Squad & 0% Loan Programs
The Home Energy Squad helps homeowners increase energy savings and comfort throughout the year. During a two hour visit, a crew of two energy experts will visit your home to conduct an assessment to reveal opportunities for energy savings and the installation of energy saving products such as LED bulbs, door weather-stripping, water savers and a programmable thermostat, at no extra cost. There is also the option of a no-cost virtual consultation.
To increase energy savings this summer, for a limited time Xcel Energy is offering FREE smart thermostats for customers that have central air and sign up for the AC Rewards program. To help with financing energy efficiency upgrades Minneapolis residents can also take advantage of a 0% loan program. Recently the loan term increased to 10 years and the maximum increased to $20,000. To schedule an appointment with the Home Energy Squad, call 651-328-6220 or visit mncee.org/hes
Take the Hennepin County Natural Resources Survey
We all play a role in protecting our natural resources, and Hennepin County needs to hear from you as they update the Natural Resources Strategic Plan. The updated plan will seek to better align with new county initiatives, shifting demographics, and changing landscapes. This is the first opportunity to incorporate the county’s climate and racial equity priorities into the foundation of the plan, and they will be seeking input from the community throughout the year-long plan development process to ensure your values and priorities are reflected.
Take the survey
Take Hennepin County’s survey here by August 1, 2021, to help shape priorities and let them know how you would like to be engaged in the update of the plan.