Note: The April issue of The Bridge lists the April 22 annual “No Pie Charts, Just Pies” meeting as the “next meeting” of LCC. In fact, the board will meet as usual before that, on April 16.

Bookkeeper

After reviewing expenses for LCC’s bookkeeper, board member Stacy Behm asked if she remembered correctly that the board had considered doing its bookkeeping in-house. Board member Marcea Mariani told Behm that LCC had tabled that discussion until after the April 22 board elections to see if there would be anyone on the board qualified to handle the bookkeeping.

LCC Executive Director Melanie Majors had told that board at a previous meeting a question on an audit can impact the organization’s ability to receive grant funding for the following year.

LCC wants transparency on Howe School reuse

Board members John Jensen and Lisa Boyd presented a letter to the Minneapolis School Board drafted by LCC’s Neighborhood Development Committee (NDC) about the re-use of the Howe School property. The letter disagreed with the assertion that the neighborhood opposes a charter school moving into the Howe School and underlining its expectation of more transparency and co-operation from the school board on the Howe project. The letter states LCC’s expectation that the school board will allow the community time to review any proposals from developers before voting on them. Board member Ela Rausch suggested that the letter specify the length of time needed for review.

The board approved sending the letter to the school board and accepted Rausch’s amendment.
Jensen and Boyd shared the history behind the letter with the board.

LCC organized a meeting Feb. 25 with the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) so that community members could see presentations on re-use options for the Howe School property. Around 100 people attended the meeting. Jensen and Boyd estimated that most of them left frustrated and uninformed. “Minneapolis Public Schools represented the meeting as a time to show Howe re-use options. None were shown,” said Jensen.
Boyd reported that MPS Chief Operating Officer Steve Liss, who chaired the meeting, said that there were two proposals for senior housing and one for single-family homes. “There was some indication that some of the senior housing would be affordable, but no proof of that was offered,” said Boyd. Board member Grace Bartels asked if Liss mentioned how many single-family homes would be built. “There was no definite information given,” replied Jensen. “Nothing was said that would have given anyone any useful information,” he added.

Boyd reported that Liss sited a school board decision not to allow charter schools to assume closed Minneapolis school buildings. Boyd and Jensen both expressed dismay that Liss was unable to produce evidence of this decision.

Boyd mentioned that the original broker for the Howe property had recused itself because one of its subsidiaries had submitted one of the three proposals. The Minneapolis department of Community Planning and Economic Development is now acting as broker.

Xcel substation resolution

The board unanimously adopted a new version of the Environment and Transportation (E&T) Committee’s resolution regarding Xcel Energy’s Hiawatha Project and location of a substation at Hiawatha Avenue. The board had declined to support a similar resolution at its Feb. 19 meeting because it felt the resolution needed to offer an alternative that LCC would support.

The resolution:
1) opposes a substation just south of the Midtown Greenway on the east side of Hiawatha at 28th Street;
2) recommends that Xcel delay its routing permit application and provide more information about the current and future electricity needs that the Hiawatha Project would address;
3) provide an analysis of alternative methods to supply needed electricity; and,
4) in the event that high voltage lines are necessary, bury them under East 28th Street.

Board member Don Hammen outlined the E&T committee’s rational behind the resolution. The land that Xcel intends to use for the Hiawatha substation has been identified for use as public green space by the Seward and Longfellow neighborhoods. The high voltage lines that Xcel proposes stringing along the Midtown Greenway are out of character with the neighborhood, create pollution, diminish property values, and hamper further development. Hammen stressed that LCC needed to demand a more thoughtful approach to providing power. He referenced the power line protests in Minneapolis in the 1970’s as paving the way for today’s activism.

NRP proposals

DeWayne Townsend reviewed two proposed NRP projects. E&T member Eric Hart is planning to apply for $4,000 to pay for staff at the Midtown Greenway Coalition to protect and expand the green space along the greenway. E&T is interested in developing a bike rack plan for the neighborhood with NRP funds.

Community Benefits Agreement may need updating

Lisa Boyd told the board that developer Dale Joel may need to make changes to the community benefits agreement (CBA) governing the Purina Site at 38th Street and Hiawatha Avenue. Joel explained at a March 4 meeting with the CBA Implementation Committee that the economic downturn has impacted what he can do with the site.

Joel is planning to apply for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding from the federal government to help him bridge a funding gap left by the lack of investors. Joel also plans to drop three-bedroom units from the plan, which he argues won’t sell in this market. In addition, Joel would reduce the amount of retail/commercial space in the development from 40,000 square feet to 10,000 because HUD funding will only cover that much.

Boyd reported that the NDC plans to follow up with the CBA Implementation Committee on Joel’s proposed changes before taking any other action.

Latinos en Acion

DeWayne Townsend reported that Ms. Tobar-Alatriz from Latinos en Acion met with the Community Connections Committee (CCC) to talk about the program’s work. Latinos en Acion is running three major initiatives.
Its Outreach with Latina Women and Children program sponsors a monthly meeting in Powderhorn Park that allows Latina women a chance to network with one another. Tobar-alatriz hopes to hold similar meetings at Longfellow Park in the future.

The organization is also working with the University of Minnesota on an arts education and awareness initiative. The Allied Action Circle allows non-Latinos an opportunity to learn more about the Latino community.

Midtown Market needs a permanent home

Townsend reported that there is concern that Minneapolis Public Schools plans to sell its property at 2225 E. Lake St. The site is home to the Midtown Farmers Market. The Corcoran Neighborhood Organization asked LCC to be an “endorsing organization”. LCC agreed.

Candidate forums review

Board members agreed that its bi-partisan candidate forum was largely successful. They expressed disappointment with the performance of the League of Women Voters representatives that they hired to keep time and facilitate the meeting. “The timekeeper didn’t bring a stop watch. She had to use my cell phone. She didn’t bring time cards. We had to make them. I kept having to ask her to cut people off because we’re on a schedule,” said Ela Rausch.

John Jensen reported that he’d explained the format for the meeting to the League facilitator. The facilitator then tried several times to change the format during the meeting.

LCC paid $135 to the League and decided that they will not use them in the future.

LCC supports National Park Service control of Coldwater

The board supported the River Gorge Committee’s letter to the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Superintendent Labovitz. The letter stated LCC’s support for National Park Service management and ownership of the Coldwater site located at Fort Snelling.

The land used to be federal property, occupied by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines. LCC felt that Park Service ownership would open the land to the greatest public access.

Board members noted that several Native American tribes were interested in reasserting their ownership of the land. “Fort Snelling was a concentration camp where hundreds [of Native Americans] died from starvation,” said Scott Cramer. “We took so much land from them,” said Grace Bartels. “It seems like we could give some of it back.”

Annual meeting

LCC will hold its annual “No Pie Charts, Only Pies” meeting April 22 at Minnehaha Academy, 3100 W. River Parkway, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Next meeting: Thursday, April 16, 6:30 p.m.
Location: Check www.longfellow.org or call 612-722-4529 for meeting location.
Contact: 722-4529, www.longfellow.org
The LCC board meets the third Thursday of every month.

last revised: April 2, 2009

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