February 2005
MINUTES
Present: Sean Wherley, Arthur Knowles, Melinda Ludwiczak, Niki Valens, Sam Zordich
Absent: Barb Chung, Wayne Anderson, Rolf Johnson, Natalie Lenz Lisa Rudy,
Also Present: Sarah Linnes-Robinson, KFNA Executive Director and Joanna S. Hallstrom, NRP Project Organizer, and Ralph Seivert MPLS Park Board
Knowles moved to accept the January meeting minutes. All agreed.
Nicollet Lighting Petition
Linnes-Robinson reported that the lighting petition is in progress through the affected council folk’s. She is still hoping for a decision by the full council by the Kingfield annual meeting so the project can be announced to the community.
Elm Watch and Tree Planting Strategies
The committee talked at length with Ralph Seivert, MPLS Park Board Director of Forestry, about the future of elms in Minneapolis and the possibilities for replacing trees along boulevards in Kingfield. He had prepared an inventory of spaces (200), a map of their locations, and brought a commitment of Park Board planting for 2005 (38). After reviewing all the information the committee decided the following strategies for increasing the urban forest in Kingfield in ’05 and ‘06: A) KFNA will continue the Elm Watch Program working with Top Notch and the Park Board to identify sick elms that are good candidates for an Alamo injection and continue to test this approach on boulevard trees as the opportunity arises. About $4000 is remaining in the commitment that the Steering committee made to the project in an earlier year. B) KFNA will match the Park Board dollars for replanting this year resulting in a total of 78 new trees on the boulevards in the approximate 200 holes. KFNA is also submitting grants to try and fill the remaining spaces this year and next, while also encouraging residents to call in for citizen requests for trees for 2006. The Steering committee will commit $4000 to tree planting this year. C) The Park Board is looking into the possibility of King Park being the 2006 Arbor Day site, where possibly we can do a demonstration “grove” of disease tolerant elms including the few American varieties that are available. D) KFNA will honor the grants it committed to last year to treat well boulevard elms, but will not fund the treatments for any new projects involving boulevard elm injections this year. Together with the above KFNA will increase the ways and amounts of information/education it is providing to neighbors on both DED and tree planting benefits and care. This will be done via the email list, newsletter, and Farmer’s Market, and hopefully through the 2006 Arbor Day event.
Bus Shelter Strategy
The committee reviewed the map that Hallstrom had prepared which showed all the bus stops, shelters, and their ownership and replacement schedule. Additionally, Hallstrom had acquired plans from west Calhoun Neighborhood of the shelters they are in the process of building. Although these ranged in price from about $25,000 to $40,000 the committee still felt that KFNA should continue to investigate the idea of Arts Bus shelters at key locations. Much of the cost of the West Calhoun structures seemed related to new infrastructure and landscaping, which would not necessarily come into play ion Kingfield. The committee asked Hallstrom to follow up with Aaron Isaacs when he returns from vacation and verify the “rider” numbers for shelters in Kingfield so we can know if the structures are going to be replaced or retired.
Redevelopment Housing Guideline Drafts
Linnes-Robinson presented the draft guidelines for the new program and the rationale behind their creation (i.e. NRP DT is limiting the amount the Kingfield can move into administration but suggested targeting administration dollars to housing work). This new program will allow staff to bill to a separate contract for all time and materials spent on the Theisen site and future work that is done in the neighborhood to encourage and secure affordable housing and site redevelopment. None of the committee members had questions or comments on the draft. It will next go to the KFNA Redevelopment Committee.
NRP Planning Phase II
The committee reviewed the Plan Mods for the April annual/community meeting and approved the language and moving of funds. This is the only document that will need approval by the community at the annual meeting. Linnes-Robinson stated that a waiver to enter into Phase II would not be required at this time…rather we are working to get to the necessary contracted amount this summer and will have the community approve a Participation agreement to enter into Phase II this fall at a community meeting/NRP Phase II Kick-Off. The highlights of Phase I (currently in a hard-to-read excel spreadsheet format) will be presented in fall also. The surveying that was to occur this summer and was intended as an analysis of Phase I and a steering tool for Phase II will instead be released this fall so it can coincide with the highlight information, which people will use to evaluate the effectiveness of those programs.
Social Service Grant to Morris Miller Youth Center Final Report
Linnes-Robinson passed out copies of the Youth Center’s final report. While their program narrative was respectable, their budget numbers did not match their stated final numbers. Additionally, Linnes-Robinson expressed disappointment that the program had not checked in during g the course of the project, and had even changed contact people without informing the neighborhood. Rather then approving payment for the final grant, Linnes-Robinson asked if she could arrange an exit interview with Jim Cook of Sabathani to discuss these issues, especially since the committee is interested in possibly supporting other projects that are run through Sabathani. The committee agreed that this seemed the proper approach and will revisit the project report next month.
Park Board Financial Tracking of Multi-Purpose Room Project
Linnes-Robinson presented the final costs per item on the MLK Multi-purpose room, information KFNA had received this month although the project was completed in 2002. She also reviewed the history of this project, since it was initiated and completed long before many members were involved, and reminded them of past actions concerning this project and strategy. Although the committee acknowledged that the Park Board appears to have incurred legitimate expenses on this project and also appears to have overspent it’s commitment of $50,000 by over $10,000, the committee would like the neighborhood to not make up the difference in cost (approx. $11,500) because the Park Board had told KFNA the final cost was lower and the neighborhood had made other plans for the funds and they hadv already been approved for a Plan Modification by the community and NRP Policy Board before the final bill came in. Linnes-Robinson will write up a history of this issue and present it to the KFNA Board for a decision.
Next Meeting
The annual meeting will be discussed at the March 21 meeting.
Minutes prepared by Linnes-Robinson, KFNA Executive Director, 3/2/05.