ANA Meeting Minutes

11/15/22 / 6:30 PM / Armatage Park Community Center

BOARD ATTENDEES

Eli Johnson, Ethan Komoroski, Nikki Lindberg, Sharla McIntosh-Ziegler, Kevin Ross, Charlie Wolfe

NOT IN ATTENDANCE: Vikisha Goberdhan, Judy Vecere

OTHER ATTENDEES

Lauren Anderson (Armatage Coordinator), Dillon Clements (Rec Center Director), Debbie Goettel (Hennepin County Commissioner, District 5),  Graham Faulkner (Goettel’s Communications Director),  Lara Bergman, Ben Smith, Rachel Ireland-Henry (bookkeeper)

THE MEETING

Updated financials were sent via email and are posted online.

6:30 Welcome and Introductions (Kevin Ross)

6:35 Comments from Community

  • Update from Lara on the pedestrian crossing at 57th & Penn. The application has been submitted. They got lots of support (school, neighbors, park users). They are unsure as to when they will hear about their project, but expect it won’t be until the new year.
    • Commissioner Goettel mentioned some options if we don’t get selected by the city for this crossing. There are some funding options from the county to help slow traffic, including tree planting, public art installations, and wayfinding signage. We could look into relocating the park sign closer to this intersection and have an electrical information sign installed (grant funding available for this sort of project). Safe routes to schools funding should be coming back, and might be a resource. There are also funds for bike & walking trails that could be considered. Plus, she is presenting a new proposal around safe routes to transit. This crossing is co-located with a bus stop, and could be another potential avenue.

6:45 Armatage Park Update (Park Director Dillon Clements)

  • The MPRB has many opportunities available for various advisory appointment positions (https://www.minneapolisparks.org/volunteer-and-give/advisory_board_commission_appointments/) including the tree and bicycle advisory committees, the racial equity committee and Homegrown Food council. Apply online.
  • No update on when the ice rink will begin construction, but the boards have been delivered.
  • KPAC to help support funding new batting cage netting
  • 31 basketball teams (across all age levels) 25 last year
  • Fire & Ice Friday, January 27 in partnership with the ANA and Armatage PTA
  • It was asked about who is responsible for the sidewalks around and in the park. The City is responsible for the perimeter, the park for any within, but the park will clear snow from all.

6:50 Hennepin County Update (County Commissioner Debbie Goettel)

  • Goettel (pronounced “Go Tell”) has been commissioner for Richfield/Bloomington area, but picked up some precincts in Minneapolis in the redistricting, so is Armatage’s new county commissioner.
  • She gave an overview of her experience and involvement in various committees and projects (learn more https://www.hennepin.us/your-government/leadership/5th-district). Professionally was an environmental engineer, so has always brought an environmental impact lens to her civic engagement.
  • Her party affiliation is Democrat, and she is on the national board for Democratic county officials, and a member of the Minnesota national committee.
  • To help outline some of the projects the county has been working on, she walked through the $250 million in pandemic relief dollars and the various projects, including:
    • Education (helped deploy technology with community partners for schools and senior centers, providing hotspots, etc)
    • Employment (online training programs)
    • Health (providing rides to appointments to avoid public transit, Covid shots, Covid tests, PPE, vaccine incentives)
    • Housing (developed faster intake processes, helped shelters renovate and pay for staffing so could function 24/7, provide legal services to address evictions and created a program where a landlord could apply on behalf of the renter)
    • Income (participating in a guaranteed basic income pilot program)
    • Justice (with partners in the community to help with violence prevention)
    • Transportation (broadband and digital inclusion, infrastructure improvements to address coverage and connectivity, new hotspot/plug-and-play option coming, Telemed and new  kiosks to connect people to the help they need)
    • Other (HVAC system improvements, voter participation/Ipads, expansion of early voting locations)
  • It was asked what funding opportunities there might be from the county to support the neighborhood. Many mentioned during the pedestrian crosswalk discussion above, but there may be youth sports grants and capital project funding to support park needs, environmental related projects, arts projects, and recycling. She also suggested we look at Met Council grants.

Minneapolis School Board Update (Representative Ira Jourdain)

  • Has to reschedule due to a school board meeting postponement

7:20 Welcome Bag Program

  • Current process (Ethan, Eli, Kevin): assembling welcome bags with coupons, trinkets, recycling info, info about the ANA, etc.; Ethan has been storing materials at his home; it has become very difficult to find people at home for delivery. Currently have a backlog of about 86 new homeowners; Judy has helped out, and was delivering bags and got us down to 47. Average about 12/month, with spring and summer peaks. We get a list of the new homeowners from Eli through his work as a realtor. Joyce has also agreed to help out.
    • Would like to move the items to the ANA office
    • Looking for new ways to help manage this program
  • After much discussion and sharing of ideas, it was decided that we’d pilot a postcard program, mailed directly to the new resident and invite them to express interest in receiving a bag (and selecting a day/time). It is hoped that this helps save time for our volunteers and still accomplishes what we hope this program does, to welcome new people and help them become aware of the ANA. Lauren will work with Nikki to create a postcard. We are working on office improvements, and should be able to move the supplies to our space in the community center.

7:35 2023 Budget

  • We did a quick walk through of the proposed 2023 budget. With the approval of the below contracts, a motion was made to approve the budget. Seconded. Approved.

7:50 Staff Contracts (closed portion of meeting)

  • Motion to accept Rachel’s bookkeeping contract. Seconded. Approved
  • Motion to increase Lauren’s hourly rate. Seconded. Approved.

8:10 Approval of Minutes

  • Motion to approve the October minutes statement. Seconded. Approved.

8:15 New Business

  • December meeting. Switch to the 13th due to  several conflicts, cancel meeting and instead have a social event at Book Club.

Meeting adjourned at 8:32

UPCOMING MEETINGS/EVENTS

  • Dec 1 – Community Engagement Committee (6:00-7:00pm, Book Club)
  • Dec 8 – Green Team Meeting (7:00-8:30pm, TBD)
  • Dec 9–18 – Holiday Light Tour (each night 5:00–8:00pm)
  • Dec 15 – Monthly Meeting changed to social gathering  (6:30-8:30pm, Book Club)

 

Armatage Neighborhood Association