DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION, Inc.

NRP Steering Committee Meeting

Minutes

Thursday, May 23, 1996--7:00 to 9:05 p.m.

La Salle Apartments--36 S. 9th Street

Party Room

Called to Order: 7:00 p.m. by Bill Stark

Introductions:

Reports:

1. Chair's Report (open position)--None

2. Secretary's Report (open position)

a. Roll Call:

i. Members Present: Roger Thomte Jr. (RT), Karen Wilson (KW), Monroe Bell (MB), Janice McKinnie (JM), Angelo Percich (AP), Craig Seifert (CS), Patricia Mullen (PM), Patricia A. Connelly (PAC), Arthur Centor (AC), Frank Brust (FB), Sandra Meyer (SM), Bob B. Saginaw (BBS), George Rosenquist (GR), Wallace O. Amundsen (WA), Robert C. Burlison (RB).

ii. Excused:

iii. Absent: Greg Pratt (GP)

iv. Staff: Bill P. Stark (BPS)-DMRA,

Alecia Cox-Jenkins (ACJ)-NRP/CARE.

v. Guests: Eunice Roo (ER)

b. Minutes from the April Board Meeting:

GR MOVED to approve the April 1996 minutes.

PM SECONDED the motion.

The motion CARRIED unanimously.

3. NRP Main Office Report ACJ--None

4. NRP Staff/Executive Director's Report BPS

a. NRP Update

BPS mailed survey information to Steering Committee members.

b. One-on-one meetings

BPS informed the group that he has been conducting one-on-one meetings with each Steering Committee member. The one-on-one meetings will be completed before the next Steering Committee meeting. The primary purpose of the one-on-one meetings has been to discuss the survey, the NRP process and other questions about NRP and the downtown neighborhood.

Old/Continuing Business: None

New Business:

1. Survey Information ACJ

ACJ stated that she had been discussing the unique aspects of the downtown neighborhood with other NRP staff. She stated that the Steering Committee might want to use existing information to define community, augment data and get to information.

BBS reiterated the fact that fresh feedback from downtown residents is important to the Steering Committee, rather than, merely relying on organizations that have not necessarily emphasized the neighborhood aspect of downtown.

FB stated that residents often spend 24 hours a day in downtown and need to have substantial input into the NRP process. He also agreed that the Steering Committee should utilize other information, such as, the 2010 plan.

JM MOVED to create a written survey to collect information from residents, workers, and property owners.

FB SECONDED the motion.

The motion CARRIED unanimously.

2. Survey--Categories/Major Issues BPS

BPS distributed copies of a composite "survey." This composite "survey" is a result of the one-on-one meetings and other information gathered from neighborhoods that have already used a survey.

BPS explain that the Steering Committee must decide which categories it feels are important to the downtown neighborhood. The Steering Committee might also want to include some sub-categories under the major categories if these sub-categories can make helpful distinctions for selecting issues that a task force or community meeting might want to address.

He emphasized that the Steering Committee should not include every possible sub-category because:

1) The Steering Committee primarily needs to determine the major categories, then task forces or community meetings will explore the major categories in depth to determine the sub-categories/issues, and

2) including too many sub-categories/issues would make the survey very long and reduce the possibility that people would complete it.

JM MOVED to make the Skyway concerns a separate and major category.

SM SECONDED the motion.

The motion CARRIED unanimously.

GR MOVED to combine the crime category and the safety category into one major category.

KW SECONDED the motion.

JM OPPOSED the motion.

The motion CARRIED.

FB suggested that the Steering Committee members complete the survey, after the Steering Committee has selected the categories to be included in the survey and the questions have been formulated.

RT MOVED to include 5 categories under crime/safety: Lighting, maintenance, police presence, youth-related issues (graffiti, skateboarding), streetpeople issues.

KW SECONDED the motion.

GR, JM and BBS OPPOSED the motion.

The motion CARRIED.

BBS MOVED to established a sub-committee in order to recommend a survey to the entire Steering Committee and that the recommended survey be no longer than 4 pages.

GR SECONDED the motion.

KW proposed a friendly amendment that each Steering Committee member submit the composite "survey" to BPS in order to provide guidance to the sub-committee.

The motion CARRIED unanimously.

BPS asked for volunteers for the survey sub-committee.

GR, FB, BBS, RT, and PC agreed to join the sub-committee to formulate a proposed survey.

3. June Steering Committee Meeting Date

The June Steering Committee meeting will be held on Monday, June 24, 1996 at 7:00 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the same location, which is La Salle Apartments--36 South Ninth Street in the Party Room.

3. Election of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Secretary:

BPS urged that Steering Committee members consider running for the position of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, or Secretary. The election for these positions will occur at the June Steering Committee meeting.

Announcements:

KW and PM agreed to bring refreshments for the next Steering Committee meeting.

RB MOVED for adjournment.

FB SECONDED the motion.

The motion CARRIED unanimously.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:05 p.m.

Submitted by Bill Stark

DMRA, Executive Director