Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association

Annual Meeting
 Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Mill City Museum

704 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota

I.          Call to Order and Welcome

Board Member Tom Hoch called the annual meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.  Other board members who attended were Andrew Hauer; Kim Motes, Chair; Scott Parkin, Secretary; and Carletta Sweet, Vice Chair. 

Tom welcomed the audience and thanked John Crippen, Director of the Mill City Museum (an historic site managed by the Minnesota Historical Society), for donating their facility for this event.  John briefly described the Museum’s programs and events, and reminded everyone that if they had not taken the opportunity to view the 6:00 p.m. showing of a new film by local humorist Kevin Kling entitled “Minneapolis in 19 Minutes Flat,” they could do so at the adjournment of the meeting.  For more information about the Mill City Museum visit its website at www.millcitymuseum.org.   

II.        Meet Your Elected Officials

Tom invited local elected officials to give a brief statement about their work that impacts the Downtown neighborhoods.  The audience heard from Minneapolis Ward 7 City Council Member Lisa Goodman, Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, and State Representative Margaret Kelliher.

III.       Elections to DMNA Board of Directors

Representatives from the Minneapolis League of Women Voters moderated the election process.  There were four 2-year term open seats and eight candidates, two of whom were incumbents:  DMNA Board Chair Kim Motes and DMNA Vice Chair Carletta Sweet.  The LWV gave each candidate the opportunity to make a few comments about themselves and their interest in serving on the board.  The LWV collected and counted the ballots during the remainder of the meeting.

IV.       Downtown Crime and Safety Update

Community members heard from MPD representatives of the First Precinct, including Inspector Janee Harteau, Lieutenant Michael Kjos, Lieutenant Kathy Waite, Crime Prevention Specialist Luther Krueger, and First Precinct Community Attorney Lois Conroy.  They reported that crime is down and arrests are up in the SafeZone area of Downtown Minneapolis.  Police are working hard to reduce nuisance, or livability crimes such as aggressive panhandling, loitering and public urination.  For crime maps and statistics go to www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-statistics/codefor/. 

V.        Downtown Development Update

DMNA Land Use Committee Chair Andy Hauer introduced CPED Director Lee Sheehy, Charleen Zimmer from Access Minneapolis, and Dan Kenney, Executive Director of the Minnesota Ballpark Authority.  Each of these speakers discussed current and future land use and transportation projects that will impact the Downtown community over the next 20 years. 

VI.       State of the Neighborhood Address

Board Chair Kim Motes gave the “State of the Neighborhood Address.”  She discussed projects the DMNA has been working on over the past year and mentioned a number of initiatives planned for 2007.  She indicated that the DMNA is looking for volunteers to serve on the Land Use and Crime and Safety Committees.  Kim also noted that the DMNA is working on updating its website which hopefully will be unveiled in early 2007. 

Kim acknowledged the work of the DMNA board members over the past year, and thanked the DMNA Neighborhood Coordinator, the audience in attendance, and the Mill City Museum for hosting the event.

VII.     Announcement of New Board of Directors

Kim announced the new DMNA Board of Directors:  Denise Holt, George Rosenquist, and incumbents Kim Motes and Carletta Sweet.

For more information about DMNA, please contact its Neighborhood Coordinator Christie Rock by phone at 612-659-1279 or via email at [email protected].   

VIII.    Adjournment

There being no further business, the annual meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

Signed this ________ day of ________________________, 2006.

_______________________________                      _______________________________
Chair                                                                           Secretary