Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association
Minutes from Board of Directors Meeting on Tuesday, December 11, 2006
Hennepin Center for the Arts
528 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 310, Minneapolis, Minnesota
I. Call to Order and Introductions
Board Chair Kim Motes called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Other board members in attendance included Andy Hauer; Tom Hoch; Denise Holt; Cynthia Newsom, Treasurer; Scott Parkin, Secretary; George Rosenquist; and Carletta Sweet, Vice Chair.
Guests in attendance included Michelle Bruch, Downtown Journal; Bethanie Grunig, Kamper Brands; Mike Nelson; Patty Persons; Cory Preus, Kamper Software.
Staff member Christie Rock also attended the meeting.
II. Consideration of the Agenda
Board Chair Motes asked if there were any additions or changes to the agenda. Being none, the agenda was approved as presented.
III. Elections to the DMNA Executive Committee
Board Chair Kim Motes started the elections process. She called for nominations for the position of board chair. Tom Hoch made a motion to nominate Carletta Sweet to the position of board chair. George Rosenquist seconded the motion. Chair Motes asked if there were any other nominations. Sweet was elected unanimously to fill the position of DMNA Board Chair.
Kim Motes passed the elections process to newly elected Board Chair Carletta Sweet. Chair Sweet called for nominations for the position of board vice chair. Kim Motes made a motion to nominate Tom Hoch to the position of vice chair. Carletta Sweet seconded the motion. Chair Sweet asked if there were any other nominations. Hoch was elected unanimously to fill the position of DMNA Vice Chair.
Chair Sweet called for the nominations for the position of board secretary. Scott Parkin made a motion to nominate himself to the position of board secretary. Tom Hoch seconded the motion. Chair Sweet asked if there were any other nominations. Parkin was elected unanimously to fill the position of DMNA Secretary.
Chair Sweet called for nominations for the position of board treasurer. Kim Motes made a motion to nominate Cynthia Newsom to the position of board treasurer. Andy Hauer seconded the motion. Chair Sweet asked if there were any other nominations. Newsom was elected unanimously to fill the position of DMNA Treasurer.
IV. Consideration of October 10, 2006
Board Meeting Minutes and
November 14, 2006 Annual Meeting Minutes
V. Consideration of November and December 2006 Financial Statements
Staff person Christie Rock distributed and explained the F2006 Budget vs. Actual as of November and December 2006, the Payee Report 11/1/2006 through 12/31/2006, and the Income/Expense 11/1/2006 through 12/31/2006 documents.
Andy Hauer made a motion to receive and file the November and December 2006 Financial Statements. Tom Hoch seconded the motion. Chair Sweet called for any discussion. The motion passed.
Staff person Christie Rock presented the final report for the $40,000 grant the DMNA received from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) in 2004 to do a greening project on one of the Star Tribune’s parking lots.
The DMNA worked with Karen Swenson and Groundworks Minneapolis to apply for the funds. Groundworks Minneapolis was also coordinating the project. Despite the efforts of Ms. Swenson and DMNA board members and staff person Christie Rock, the project was unable to get off the ground.
MWMO has extended the deadline for the DMNA to expend the funds twice. At this point, it seems unlikely the project will be implemented. The DMNA received an $8,000 advance for the project, of which $4,888 must be repaid to MWMO, less administrative expenses incurred by DMNA and Groundworks Minneapolis.
Tom Hoch made a motion to approve the final report for the MWMO 2004 grant award. Andy Hauer seconded the motion. Chair Sweet called for discussion. The motion passed.
VII. Land Use Committee Report
LUC Chair Andy Hauer reported on the following projects covered at its meeting held on November 8, 2006:
Parcel D. Developer George Sherman gave the Land Use Committee an update on the project proposed on Parcel D. The Land Use Committee recommends approval of the project change from residential to office and retail use “in concept form” at this time. Mr. Sherman plans to come back to the committee in approximately 6 months with a final project.
Andy Hauer made a motion to approve the Parcel D development in concept only. Chair Carletta Sweet seconded the motion. LUC Chair Hauer called for discussion. The motion passed.
Westin Hotel (88 South Sixth Street). Because of existing flag poles and a desire to have signage level with window lines, the Westin is seeking a CUP/Signage Variance 6 feet higher than code. The Land Use Committee recommends approval.
Andy Hauer made a motion to approve the Westin’s CUP/Signage Variance. Tom Hoch seconded the motion. LUC Chair Hauer called for discussion. The motion passed.
Fahrenheit Night Club. The nightclub is seeking a Class A liquor license. The business is moving from 322 First Avenue North to 400 First Avenue North. There will be no adult entertainment but staff will dance with customers for approximately 1 minute. The Land Use Committee recommends approval.
Andy Hauer made a motion to approve Fahrenheit’s liquor license request. George Rosenquist seconded the motion. LUC Chair Hauer called for discussion. The motion passed.
Great City Design Team. The LUC was interested in submitting a letter of interest to the Mayor’s Great City Design Team for property located at the Mississippi River between the Federal Reserve Bank and the Main U.S. Post Office. The property is owed by the U.S. Post Office. After discussions between Christie Rock, Ann Calvert, Beth Elliott and Andy Hauer, a decision was made not to proceed with a letter of interest for this property at this time.
Crown Hydro Power Plant. This was a discussion item to ascertain type of information needed to prepare for future LUC meetings.
The Wave. Andy Hauer made a motion to support the LUC’s recommendation to reject the Wave project as presented.
As background, Hauer advised that since there were so many issues related to the Environmental Assessment Worksheet, Omni Investment put a halt to its planning process to form an advisory team (comprised of relevant governmental reviewing agency members) to address the EAW issues. The Omni advisory team conducted three “Wave design review consultation” workshops, the third of which Hauer and Sweet were invited to attend on November 8, 2006. At the conclusion of the final consultation workshop, Omni requested Hauer to organize a separate neighborhood advisory group to obtain additional feedback and imposed two stipulations: a “no build” discussion and no discussion of the land sale agreement with the Park Board. The neighborhood advisory group will present its recommendation directly to the DMNA board regarding the Wave project.
Chair Motes selected ten board members and neighborhood residents to DMNA’s advisory group which met for the first time on Wednesday, December 6, 2006. Five neighborhood people attended along with five people from Omni Investment. The group met for 2-1/2 hours. Chair Motes subsequently selected five additional members to the advisory group to include a broader representation from the neighborhood. The next meeting of the advisory group is scheduled for Thursday, January 4, 2007 at 4:30 p.m.
Hauer reminded the board that this project still has a long development process ahead, i.e., responding to the EAW before Planning and Zoning, then before the Heritage Preservation Commission followed by the Planning Commission, and back to Planning and Zoning again for the variances it may require. And if the project has not passed through the City Council by March 17, 2007, the purchase agreement between Omni and the Park Board becomes void. In that event, Omni would have to go back to the Park Board to seek an extension.
After a lengthy discussion, the motion died for a lack of a second and to allow the advisory group to do its work.
VIII. Crime and Safety Committee Report
Crime and Safety Committee Chair Tom Hoch advised that one of the elements the board is focusing on is cleanliness because what he gleaned from the Code of Conduct survey is that a clean downtown equals a safe downtown. Hoch met with Susan Young, who refers to herself as the trash lady of the city, about coordinating a year-long litter prevention campaign because it takes that long to change the culture. Hoch advised that there’s a national organizational that has some great programs DMNA could tape into. Hoch also suggested that there is a good possibility that the DMNA could work with a marketing firm that is supporting the SafeZone Collaborative. There are no meeting dates scheduled for the Crime and Safety Committee at this time.
IX. Old Business / New Business / Other Business
Website redesign. Scott Parkin gave an update on this project. He introduced Bethanie Grunk and Cory Preus from Kamper Brands and Kamper Software respectively. Grunk and Preus reviewed the project proposal and budget that Parkin had distributed to the board earlier in the month. They highlighted many ideas that could make the website stand out, and provide more clear information about who the DMNA is and what its work is about. After their presentation, Parkin stated that he would continue to look into the project, looking at examples of good neighborhood organization websites, and other possible marketing/advertising firms that could do the work for a lesser cost, or pro-bono.
NRP Implementation Committee. Staff person Christie Rock requested that the DMNA board schedule a meeting of the NRP Implementation Committee in January to discuss a request for NRP dollars. The DMNA board set the meeting for 5:30 p.m., on Tuesday, January 9, 2007, prior to the next board meeting.
X. Adjournment
Being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Signed this ________ day of ________________________, 2007.
_______________________________
_______________________________
Chair
Secretary