Dec

20

NRP Meeting Minutes 12/20/04

Filed Under meeting notes, nrp 

December 20, 2004
MINUTES

Present: Sean Wherley, Arthur Knowles, Melinda Ludwiczak, Niki Valens, Sam Zordich, Lisa Rudy
Absent: Barb Chung, Wayne Anderson, Natalie Lenz, Rolf Johnson,
Also Present: Sarah Linnes-Robinson, KFNA Executive Director

Knowles moved to accept November’s minutes.  All agreed.

Wherley and Linnes-Robinson updated the group on site issues at 23 W. 38th Street.  The firm cost for increased support to build the duplex came in just over $66,000.  Dolata, (following conversations with Wherley, Linnes-Robinson, and Motzenbecker) expressed preliminary support to MPHA and CPED of $10,000 of NRP funding toward the project.  CPED, based upon this, approved to cover the remaining costs.   The Steering Committee discussed the strategy related to this project, and Knowles moved that the committee approve the commitment of $10,000 toward the project.  Zordich seconded.  All other voted Aye, with no abstentions.

Wherley then provided the committee with an update on the Theisen site.  The billboards seem to be the item holding up the closing of the deal.  Lander will be providing an update to the Redevelopment Committee at their meeting later in the week.  If any one is interested they are welcome to attend.  Upon questioning, Linnes-Robinson reiterated that no money has been requested or committed to this project yet.  She stated that if the deal closes, she would expect that the neighborhood needs to see what Lander’s proposal looks like before a determination can be made about if, or how, NRP funding can be used in the project to further any of the neighborhood’s goals.  Besides being used to increase affordability of units, she also thought money could be partnered to increase access to services, business façade improvements, greening, or improvements of a targeted property of the Kingfield Redevelopment Zone.

Linnes-Robinson has not yet received the results from the Kingfield tree inventory from the Park and Rec Department.  When she does she will share it with the committee, who at that time can determine if partnering NRP dollars onto a boulevard tree planting program will be beneficial.

The remaining $10,000 from the strategy for both 19 and 23 West 38th Street was then discussed.  It was decided that this money should be moved and contracted as quickly as possible to get KFNA closer to the threshold necessary for entering into Phase II planning.  Rudy moved that the $10,000 be moved to Community Initiated Grants and split equally between Crime and Safety (which currently has a $0 balance) and Neighborhood Clean-ups, which only have a few thousand in it.  Valens seconded.  All approved the motion.

NRP funds, spent and contracted to date, were reviewed.  Two large pots of money remain uncontracted.  One is the allocation for pedestrian street lighting.  If the Nicollet lighting petition is approved, $224,000 of this will be contract to that project and $94,000 will remain and can be moved.  Linnes-Robinson stated that she has expressed to the lighting rep in the city that KFNA would really like to know by April, at the latest, if the petition is going to be approved by the council.  Linnes-Robinson recommended that the committee assume, at this time, that the lighting project will be approved and that they plan on moving the remaining $94,000 to the Admin Strategy in April.

The other remaining uncontracted pot of funds is the Redevelopment dollars.  This approximately $226,000 has been talked about as a possibility for partnering in somehow on numerous sites including 3601 Nicollet and 3800 Nicollet.  As of yet, none of these projects are far enough along to even ask for funding, much less for the neighborhood to decide how the projects fit, or could fit better, with the neighborhood goals for development.  Linnes-Robinson suggested that these funds be moved out of redevelopment and into administration, where they can be contracted immediately.  Then Phase II dollars can be plugged back into the Redevelopment Strategy effectively spending part of the neighborhood required 70% housing allocation for that purpose.  This could probably all be done in a timely enough manner that even if development of 3800 Nicollet progresses rapidly, the Phase II money could be in place by winter 2005 (i.e. in plenty of time).

These two moves will result in $320,000 being put into admin.  Although it is doubtful that they would be contracted at one time, KFNA could immediately contract at least $100,000 of the funds, thus getting us closer to the 95% criteria.  Additionally, this amount is very close to the amount needed to run the neighborhood association for the next 5 years at its current level.  Five years is the recommendation by downtown NRP for how long a neighborhood should plan to be in existence to implement Phase II.  The committee agreed that this plan made sense.  Linnes-Robinson cautioned them, however, that these two moves would be just over 10% of the entire NRP plan, which was the limit Peg Mountin had told them they could move.  Linnes-Robinson said she would present this new plan to Mountin and work with her and Bob Miller to make sure he understands the rationale for moving the funds and will approve them, before going to the community with the plan.

The draft questionnaire to solicit community input on the spending of Phase II dollars was reviewed.  Wherley took notes and agreed to rewrite the second section, which primarily talked about options of spending housing dollars.  The first section will be deleted based upon the plan decided upon above, which is to move as much possible of subcontracted dollars into administration.

The committee then verbally reviewed the pieces that they would be presenting to the neighborhood for approval in April.  The Committee will be asking for: A) a Plan Mod, to move 10%, or even more if possible, NRP Phase I funds.  This also needs to be in the March newsletter;  B) the committee to review (and approve??) Phase I Highlights and the Participation Agreement for entering into Phase II; and C) a waiver from the 95% spent ruling and the 85% contracted ruling of Phase I so the neighborhood can begin Phase II planning.

Art bus shelters ideas were briefly discussed.  Linnes-Robinson admitted that she had not gotten to further research this idea yet.  The group discussed the various types of bus stops for a while, then realized that each type may have its own set of issues and regulations.  Linnes-Robinson suggested that for the January meeting she will bring an inventory of the shelters, advertising benches, regular benches, and plain stops in the neighborhood.  That way the committee could know the number of sites they are talking about, and devise a strategy to attack one type of stop, or all, depending on the ease of working with the owner/determining the contract.  The committee agreed this seemed like a logical next step.

Next meeting – Monday, January 24 (note date change).  February and March meetings will be held on the regular third Monday, the 21st in both cases.  The KFNA Annual Meeting on the 18th will replace the April NRP meeting.

Minutes prepared by Sarah Linnes-Robinson, KFNA Executive Director, 1/4/05.

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