Coyle Center’s expansion plans on display

An unveiling of the new building design and expansion plans for the Center will be held on Thursday, April 23, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the center’s Community Room. Coyle Center Director Jennifer Blevins said that funding for the improvement comes through Cedar-Riverside Neighborhood Revitalization Program (CRNRP).

West Bank Community Fund monies located

Cedar-Riverside resident David Markle addressed the board, explaining that some years back a “developer’s fee” was paid from Riverside Plaza parking lot to the WBCC. The money, Markle said, was given to the Minneapolis Foundation, and his quest to track down its disposition had been completed. “It was a lot of work to get the information out,” he said. Markle read aloud a letter from the foundation’s vice-president, which referenced a link under construction on the foundation’s website regarding the community fund.

“We are in the process of setting up a web page to explain the purpose of the fund, the grant guidelines, and presenting a history of the distribution made from the funds,” read Markle. He added that the website should be up soon.

Markle told The Bridge that he was “around when (the funds) were set up” and that he had hoped then that the money would become a scholarship fund. This did not come about, he said, but at least the money has been accounted for.

President’s report

WBCC Board President Ben Marcy reported that $2,000 in Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) funds from the City of Minneapolis had been received and was “in the bank.”

Marcy led a discussion about the potential to combine office space and a website with CRNRP, to allow collaboration “communicating with people in the neighborhood.”

Board member Doris Wickstrom said she wanted to see a report outlining what such a collaboration of shared office space would entail, adding that it “was (her) understanding” such a report would be presented to the board. “There is no plan on where the office is going to be located or what services are going to be available to us,” Wickstrom said.

Board member Jim Ruiz asked that the board be provided written proposals from both the CRNRP and the West Bank Community Development Corporation (CDC) and that the “case needs to be made why” the CRNRP deal would be better for WBCC. “The board needs the pros and cons in front of it,” said Ruiz, adding that it was hard to know what was going on “without a resolution in front of me.”

Financial chair Abia Abdi said that, with the shift in legal responsibility now, there is collaboration between CRNRP and WBCC, there was a need to “work as a team,” pointing out that the security of checks was an issue. Abdi added that WBCC gets “a lot” from being at the Coyle Center. “We have more benefit” than we give, said Abdi.

A debate ensued regarding whether or not there had been effective communication by WBCC with the CDC and CRNRP regarding their proposals to provide office space. The matter was ultimately tabled and will return as old business on next month’s agenda.

LRT Development Committee dissolved

The board passed a resolution dissolving the committee. Marcy will prepare a report to the McKnight Foundation regarding the committee’s status.

Neighborhood Relations Committee

Discussion was held regarding whether or not to end WBCC’s relationship with the committee, which is now part of CRNRP. Abdi said the committee was “important” to her and she did not see a need to end the relationship.

Board member Tim Marass said that there was no need to stop WBCC involvement in the committee, but as it is clearly not a committee of WBCC, acknowledgement can be made that it is a committee of CRNRP. The board passed a resolution ending their formal association with the committee.

Work plan committee and task force chairs elected

The following board members will serve as chair for the following work plan committees: Russom Solomon, Safety Committee; Doris Wickstrom, Land Use Committee; Andy Lee, Riverside Park Neighborhood Task Force Committee; Zev Radziwill, Bluff Street Park Task Force.

Council Member Cam Gordon’s report

Gordon announced several meetings taking place concerning Council Member Paul Ostrow’s proposals to amend the city charter. The proposals include the elimination of the Park Board and the creation of a new City Administrator.

The four meetings, organized by the Charter Commission, will be held at the following times and places: Thurs. April 23 at the Minnesota Transitions School in the board room, 2872 S. 26th Ave; Tues, April 28 at the North Regional Library, 1315 N. Lowry Ave.; Thurs, April 30 at Northeast Library, 2200 Central Ave. NE; and Thurs, May 7 at Joan of Arc Church, lower level, 4500 S. Clinton Ave. All meetings will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Go to www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/charter-commission for more information.

Gordon said it was his position to hold off on the decision and called for the formation of a “blue ribbon task force” to examine the proposed charter changes.

Solomon expressed concern about a city council resolution that passed which would allow Trader Joe’s to get a liquor license for its store at 2309 Lyndale Ave, saying that the establishment had now become “a liquor store” and was violating its own laws. Gordon agreed, saying that there was “not a level playing field” and that Trader Joe’s needs to “play by the same rules” as other local businesses.

Gordon also pitched the Homebuyer’s Incentive Program, which can help homebuyers with a $10,000 forgivable loan to help with home purchase costs.

Peace Circles update

Abdullahi Mohammed reported that the program was “going very smoothly.” Wickstrom said that the second part of the women’s workshop was completed. She distributed a flyer outlining the workshop schedule. The graduation is scheduled for June 2 at 11 a.m.

University District Partnership Alliance (UDPA) update

Wickstrom told the board that a house in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood would be featured in the Minneapolis Home Tour.

Land Use Committee (LUC) update

Wickstrom distributed committee meeting minutes, which recorded the committee’s recommended approval of the sale of a portion of city property to Midwest Mountaineering. The business has been renting the property for 10 years and would buy the property at its fair market value of $10,300.

Wickstrom also gave the board a heads-up regarding the potential for a trailer to be placed at 412 Cedar, on land owned by Fine Associates. The trailer would house a church. The plan was “on the horizon,” Wickstrom said, and that the LUC would meet about it when plans were finalized.

The next LUC meeting is scheduled for May 13 at the Oren Gateway Center. Topics will include a Dania Partners presentation on the Dania site and a presentation by Cedar-Humphrey Action for Neighborhood Collaborative Engagement (CHANCE) on neighborhood collaborations research.

Safety Committee update

Solomon told the board that the weekly safety walks had resumed on Tues. April 14 and that there was a “big presence.” He said that such a presence, as well as the presence of police outside the Coyle Center “deters crime.”

Solomon also expressed frustration regarding his role in the joint CRNRP/WBCC safety committee and said he wants to be included in meetings when the executive committee meets with CRNRP “when safety is the issue.”

“Everybody has the same objective,” Solomon said.”When people come to committee meetings, they come because they care.”

Riverside Park Neighborhood Task Force Work Plan update

Board member Andy Lee distributed minutes from the task force’s April 15th meeting, which outlined four goals, including the removal of invasive species from the park, such as buckthorn. Lee reported that some “vigilante buckthorn trimming” had been identified at Riverside Park. Other goals include repairing historic park infrastructure such as the Works Project Administration-era stairs, establishing the visual and physical link between the upper and lower portions of the park, and making the park safer and more accessible.

Data gathering is a priority, Lee said, and a Humphrey Center Capstone project is underway to identify park stakeholders and fundraising opportunities.

Park Committee formation explored

Board secretary Sophia Ginis explained that funding mechanisms for all parks come from “the same pot,” and she suggested that quarterly meetings might be held to ensure a “unified plan” for Cedar-Riverside park. Wickstrom said she would like input from a Currie Park source before such a committee was formed.

Next meeting: Wednesday, May 20, 6–8 p.m.
Brian Coyle Community Center, 420—15th Ave. S, Minneapolis
Contact:
West Bank Community Coalition
420—15th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55454
612-876-9351
www.wbcc.org

last revised: April 20, 2009

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