A Residents Association?

What is it?

By Bill Stark

The Downtown Minneapolis Residents Association (DMRA) is a nonprofit organization. Residents use it to address issues that concern them. This means that DMRA plays many roles.

First, DMRA provides a forum where residents can voice their opinions and concerns. Residents voice their opinions and concerns by attending community meetings, serving on committees, writing for The DOWNTOWNER or running for a position on the Board of Directors. Residents can also be heard by simply contacting a DMRA Board member or a DMRA staff person.

Second, DMRA organizes residents so that they can effectively act on their interests and concerns. It organizes residents by conducting community meetings and forming committees. The community meetings and committees formulate strategies that are implemented into a plan of action to address issues that affect downtown residents.

Third, through the Board of Directors, DMRA formulates a general direction that the Minneapolis downtown area should move in order to facilitate residents' interests and concerns. The DMRA Board of Directors is comprised entirely of downtown residents like yourself.

Fourth, community leaders, politicians, agencies, and other organizations often need to receive feedback about plans and ideas they have for the downtown area. These people and organizations can find out the opinions and thoughts of the community by contacting DMRA. DMRA maintains a pulse on resident opinion by conducting community meetings, surveys, direct contact, and publications. These are the primary roles DMRA plays. They are not exhaustive. It performs other functions and plays other roles in the downtown community.

If you have any questions or would like to get involved, feel free to contact DMRA at 220-3836 for more information.

DMRA People

Board of Directors:

Paul Barber, Chair
Mike Olson, Vice-Chair
Andy J. Hauer, Treasurer
George Rosenquist, Secretary
Dolores Cotten
Donald Hicks
John LaVine
Eunice Roo
Bob B. Saginaw

Executive Director:

Bill Stark

The DOWNTOWNER is published by the Downtown Minneapolis Residents Association, Inc.

Editors:
Paul Barber
Andy J. Hauer
Bill Stark

Design:
Bill Stark

Downtown Minneapolis Residents Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 581492
Minneapolis, MN 55458-1492
612-220-3836
[Back] THE DOWNTOWNER -- Spring 1996 -- DMRA [Forward]