June 16, 2020 Minutes

Meeting Minutes – ANA Annual Meeting

Date: June 16, 2020

Format: Virtual meeting held via Zoom, 40+ Armatage neighbors in attendance

Called to Order: 7:03pm

Presided by: Joel Federer (President)

Note taker: Patty Grabski

Board members present:  Joel Federer, Patty Grabski, Tyler Mulcahey, Donte Mearan, Adriana D, Adam Miller, Brett Anderson, Michael Kootsikas, Judy Vecere

Board members absent: Ryan Antkowiak

Others present: Lauren Anderson (Coordinator), Rachel Ireland-Henry (Accountant), Linea Palmisano, David Rubedor, Jamie Long, Marion Greene

Upcoming event: Zoom convo with Linea Palmisano re neighborhood safety and policing on June 25

2020 Census – David Rubedor, Director of Neighborhood & Community Relations

  • Every 10 years – constitutional requirement
  • Many current challenges to accurate representation and distribution of resources
  • MN risks losing a congressional seat = $2.6M potential loss
  • Extension due to COVID and civil unrest – new deadline is October 31+
  • Good news! – ARMATAGE is at 86% self-response rate to date– above 2010 final rate

Marion Greene, County Commissioner

  • Money from fed govt for COVID response to Hennepin C
    • $25M for small bus support – 2k bus asking from 36 cities
    • Funds for nonprofits
    • $15M in rental
    • $2.5M in employment assistance
    • Homelessness – expand shelters to make them COVID safe; expand to hotels, spread by 50%
      • 24 hr services for daytime safety
      • Vulnerable ppl housing support – age, illness – 625 hotel units supporting for QT
      • Working on permanent housing, affordable housing project – increased funding
      • Adult shelter connect line
    • Youth focused resources
      • Distance learning – kids without wifi or computer – $1.5M
      • $1-3M for summer youth activities – creating city programs
    • Concern for elections – $3.5M to ensure elections go smoothly
      • Apply for an absentee ballot for primary – auto gen for federal election – this will help with social distancing, some locations will be closed, there will be pressure on polling locations
  • Lobbying at the legislature for reform re George Floyd
    • Looking at jail terms??
    • Look to the court system to evaluate outcomes
    • Respond to destruction on lake st etc; property ownership, work on gentrification
  • Weekly newsletter available – tells how money is spent etc, updates on city activities

Jamie Long, State Representative

  • Introduced bill: Commitment to police reform, change the way we prosecute police-involved shootings; independent prosecutors, handled by attorney general
  • Working on bill for Civilian review process – hamstrung by state laws
  • Residency requirements – 90% of our PO do not live in the city of Mpls – maybe set reqs, up to the city; PO arbitration for reinstatement process
  • 20 bills submitted to propose transformative change
  • Senate bills passed have been quite modest
  • COVID – called leg into special session; stay safe phase – 10 indoors, 25 outdoors, reduced capacity for retail and gyms
    • Extended unemployment
    • Pandemic unemployment for self-emp and independent contractors
    • Grants for childcare providers and food shelves
    • Energy assistance
    • Workers comp for COVID medical
  • Elections – pushing for vote by mail
  • Bus Rapid Transit including the E Line along France Ave is in this round of the bonding bill but no agreement yet
  • $15 million for Solar Rewards Program
  • How can citizens help to push changes forward – most impactful to reach out to those who represent you.
  • Rep Long’s office got 6,000 messages over the past several weeks after George Floyd and the unrest, which is by far more than he’s received on any other issue since taking office. He has proposed a $350 million package to help rebuild, which unfortunately won’t scratch the surface. The state is also pursuing emergency funding for emergency food shelves.

Linea Palmisano, City Council Member

  • COVID Series of cost containment measures – $61M of additional savings to city budget to keep balanced
    • Need to cut $165M
    • Budget amendment in July – strategic cuts
    • 24% cut to some services – will feel like
  • Stance on defund the police – transparency, accountability, etc
    • ‘year of community involvement’?
  • What can we do
    • Block org and neighbor involvement and coop was increased – working at the block club level
    • Participate in public hearings
    • Q on ballot – charter amendment of city charter re requiring a police dept and details
      • Hearings by august 21 in order to be on ballot in November
    • Need methods to receive feedback and input
  • 2040 plan
    • How to undo impacts of redlining – need greater integration in our city  – need more kinds of public housing and different levels of income, need senior housing, etc
      • Need all orgs to create impact, not just zoning
      • Need to recover Lake St to maintain racially diverse businesses etc

Mini Grants Update

  • Goal is to fund projects that support, strengthen Armatage
  • https://armatage.org/mini-grants 
  • 2019 projects
    • Community art mural
    • Neighborhood thermal camera
  • 2020 projects
    • Equity committee at Armatage Montessori
    • Outdoor Curriculum with Armatage Montessori PTA

Neighborhood Art Journal 

Neighborhoods 2020

  • Focused on creating equity across the city and redirect funds
  • Neighborhood base funding to drop from $30k to $10k
  • ANA requesting council to consider $15
  • Significant changes to services able to provide to the neighborhood
  • Residents please review the draft funding plan and comment to the city by July 15
  • Draft letter available on ANA website – to send to city council
  • https://armatage.org/n2020E

Election Results

  • 119 total votes!
  • Samantha Bild
  • Sean Burke
  • Adriana Dobryzcka
  • Sharla McIntosh-Ziegler
  • Kevin Ross

Door Prize Drawing

  • Chris – Colita
  • Josh – Unwind Within

Please join us for a neighborhood conversation with Linea Palmisano on Thursday June 25