ECCO Board Meeting Minutes for August 2, 2012

ECCO Board Meeting Minutes for August 2, 2012 at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church

Minutes recorded and submitted by Harry Savage and Monica Smith and approved by the ECCO Board by electronic vote prior to publication.

Board Members Present: Sarah Sponheim, President; Blake Harper and Linda Todd, Co-VPs; Glen Christianson, Treasurer; Harry Savage, Secretary; Brad Durham; Judy Shields; and Heather Wulfsberg.

Board Member Absent: Anja Curiskis, Kate Davenport, and Jim Smith

Guests: Crime Prevention Specialist Chelsea Adams & Sgt. Rena Dudgeon from MPD; and Nancy Ward, Chair of Tree Task Force

ECCO Board President Sarah Sponheim called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm.

Crime Prevention

Crime Prevention Specialist Chelsea Adams and Sgt. Rena Dudgeon of the Minneapolis Police attended the meeting to report on recent crime.

• Property crime is 97% of all crime in East Calhoun (3% is violent crime).
• Year-to-date in ECCO: 19 burglaries (13 of which were garage), 68% were unforced entry.
• Be proactive: call 911 on suspicious activity; use deadbolt lock on garage service doors; and record serial numbers of personal property (particularly bikes).
• Burglary Prevention and 911 Presentation: Wed, August 22, 6 pm at Temple Israel, 2324 Emerson Ave S.
• Two officers are on duty in Uptown on Friday and Saturday evenings to help with crowd control and livability issues.
• The Uptown Association is planning a Safety and Services Summit on October 11.

Presidents Report

• Heather Wulfsberg will send additional information to Board members regarding a donation in the name of Jack Jablonski. The decision will be made by electronic vote.
• Monica Smith’s new contract will be reviewed at the September Board meeting.
• Planning is underway for the ECCO Annual Meeting on October 4^th. The agenda will include board member elections, Tree Task Force report, President’s report and voting on Neighborhood Priority Plan.

Monica Smith, Staff Report

• ECCO’s application for the 2012-13 Community Participation Program has been approved.
• The ECCO Board unanimously approved employment, accessibility and grievance policies.
• CPP expenses for the program ending June 2012 were reviewed. Unspent funds ($2,900) will carry over to the new program and be used for Neighborhood Priority Plan.
• We are still waiting for pricing from the City for art-wrapped utility boxes. The deadline for the Call for Artists is August 31^st.
• The new representative for our district to the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission is Henry Jimenez. His contact info is: jimenezh11@gmail.com or 702-808-7844.
• Home improvement loan and grant funds are still available for ECCO residents. See www.eastcalhoun.org for more information.

Committee Reports

Tree Task Force

• The Task Force has been researching chemical treatment options for the Emerald Ash Borer and feels that the benefits of treating trees as an interim measure outweigh the concerns about the chemical. Some Board members expressed concerns about the chemicals.
• Multi-faceted approach for Ash Trees: chemically treat healthy trees, remove unhealthy trees, and gradually replace trees over time.
• The Task Force would like to organize with other neighborhoods to ask the Park Board to take action to combat the Emerald Ash Borer.
• The Board approved the request for the Task Force to make an informational presentation to the community at the Oct 4^th Annual Meeting. An outline of the presentation will be reviewed by the ECCO Board prior to the meeting.
• The Tree Task Force requested a letter from the Board in support of their outreach effort to other neighborhoods. The Board, however, does not feel sufficiently informed to submit such a letter at this time.

Neighborhood Priority Plan (NPP) The Community Participation Program includes funding to be used for one or more Neighborhood Priority Plans (NPP).

The committee met on August 1^st and generated a list of potential projects for NPP. Ideas include: rain gardens, 36^th St bike lane, 31^st St boulevard enhancements, Loon Lake Trolley Path enhancements, and pavement painting for traffic calming.

The neighborhood will vote on options at the Annual Meeting. A postcard asking residents to rank the project ideas will be mailed in September.

The next meeting is August 29, 10:30 a.m. at the Dunn Bros on Hennepin & 34^th.  

Livability Committee

• The City has all of the paperwork for the request to separate the joined properties at 3401 Irving and 1523 W 34^th St. A public hearing will be held within the next month. Notices will be sent to nearby neighbors and the ECCO Board. The Board will submit a letter of support to the Planning Commission.
• The properties at Lake and James (1711 W. Lake St and 3000, 3004 and 3008 James Ave S.) are on the market for potential development. The site could be a challenge for a large development because of the zoning requirements (height and setback restrictions, etc.). Nick Walton, Reuter Walton Construction (potential developer of the site) was invited to tonight’s meeting but did not attend.
• The committee will door-knock residents near Amore Victoria for feedback about the rooftop restaurant.
• The City is considering adding a bike lane to 36^th St from Chicago Ave to Lake Calhoun.

Social Committee

The Labor Day celebration is Monday, September 3.  Volunteers are needed. Contact Monica Smith at nrp@eastcalhoun.org to help.

The UNN and Green Teams will report at the September meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 pm.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the ECCO Board will be Thursday, September 6, 7:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church.