With a quorum present, Mark Moller called the meeting to order at
After introductions, Mark announced the following:
¶ CCNP’s annual meeting on Tuesday,
January 21st,
¶ Downtown Council’s annual meeting with Mayor
R.T. Rybak, on Tuesday, January 28th,
Christie then distributed DMNA’s 2003 board calendar and schedule of visits by the City Councilmembers representing downtown.
Barb announced that she was contacted by a representative of the group that
will be bringing to
Lisa announced the following:
¶ The first 2003 Lunch with Lisa on Wednesday, January 22nd with Dr. Evan Mauer, President and CEO of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and 7th Ward resident, who will discuss the Eternal Egypt exhibition, the MIA expansion, and his vision of the future of art in Minneapolis. Since invitations were mailed, board members where encouraged to sign up if they did not receive it.
¶ Completion of her 2002 newsletter that will be going out within the next week or two. Board members were encouraged to notify her office if they do not receive the newsletter since it includes a survey regarding city resources and the allocation of those resources.
¶ The Downtown Council’s speech
before the IGR Committee that day about its top priorities for the City, i.e.,
downtown nuisance crimes and livability issues. The Downtown Council is taking
these issues seriously because DMNA,
¶ Her advocacy for the rejection by the City
of the RFP issued by McCaffery for the Stimson Building project since the proposal
did not list who the commercial tenant would be, the proposed use for the second
level is at best speculative, and the discrepancies related to the costs involved
(i.e., the $3 million spent for the relocation of previous tenants as well as
the rehabilitation costs over and above the $3 million purchase price) that
the City may not be able to fully recoup.
Lisa also mentioned that McCaffery will be announcing at the end of the week
six new tenants (i.e., an interesting mix of retail, entertainment, nightclub
and service establishments) for Block E.
Based on the City and State’s current financial crisis, and as a result of the meeting Mayor R.T. Rybak and Council President Paul Ostrow held with neighborhood leaders on Saturday, January 11th, as well as a subsequent meeting of neighborhood leaders and residents held on Monday, January 13th, Mark submitted a motion in support of the NRP. In response to said motion, Lisa distributed and explained her chart listing funding sources for community development activities.
Lisa advised that the only key decision the City Council will make in its meeting on Friday is whether to continue the HRA levy (an excess levy above and beyond those levied for property taxes which was enacted for the first time last year) that raised $4 million for 2003, of which $2 million was dedicated to affordable housing and $2 million to economic development and job creation as recommended by the McKinsey study adopted last year. Since the City has a $55 million budget deficit over the next 5 years, approximately $12 million will need to be cut annually for each of the 5 years from the $260 million general fund budget. Furthermore, since the general fund budget only pays for police, fire and public works, there is no way these services could be held harmless if the legislature is correct in requiring a $45 million cut to local government aid. Therefore the current proposal reduces the HRA levy by $2 million in 2004, and eliminates it altogether in 2005 and recommends moving the $4 million to either the general fund side of the ledger or to the community development side of the ledger. The outcome of Friday’s meeting will set in motion on how to distribute the approximately $33 million.
Lisa also explained that bonds were issued to pay for NRP for Phase 1 and any neighborhood that hasn’t spent its money can still do so since those funds are available. However, Phase 2 was paid for through tax increment funds generated for the downtown district. Since the legislature made changes to the tax increment law, only two-thirds of the tax increment funds are available and those are being entirely eaten up to pay off the bonds for Phase 1. Lisa also stated that they’re desperately looking for ways to continue the functions of NRP. The City is willing to put up money out of its general fund or levy or community development to fund NRP and the thanks they’re getting is that it’s not enough. The bottom line is that the vast majority of Lisa’s constituents believe community development is important and should have a citywide approach. The CPED structure proposed by McKinsey would encourage neighborhood involvement and create a whole department of former NRP, MCDA and planning department staff who would function like a community council.
After further explanation from Lisa regarding the financial realities of the City, the motion in support of the NRP was opposed 6 to 1 with Mark abstaining.
Debbie Evans from the Linden Hills neighborhood spoke about her support for the continuation of NRP and distributed a neighborhood resolution as background and postcards addressed to Mayor R.T. Rybak and City Councilmembers for board members to fill in if they so desired.
The consideration of minutes from November and December 2002 was postponed
to the next regularly scheduled meeting on
June submitted the Budget vs. Actual as of December 2002, and the Wells Fargo
check register from
Barb distributed for the benefit of the new board members the NRP Primer, the 1990-2000 Progress Report, and the 2000 Progress Report.
Andy explained that the LUC met on Tuesday, January 7th and supported the updated
concept as presented for the proposed
Christie then distributed the response she received from Daniel McCaffery regarding
his
After nominations were submitted and votes counted, the following were elected as board officers for 1-year terms:
Carletta Sweet, Secretary
June then requested approval to submit the requisite Wells Fargo’s banking account authorization forms. Andy moved and Carletta seconded to approve. The motion was carried unanimously.
The board discussed Mark’s email dated January 13th regarding DMNA Committee
Structure in 2003. As a result, it was agreed to retain the Land Use Committee,
Andy to serve as its chair, and to meet for the time being on the first Tuesday
of the month at
With respect to priorities for 2003, Tom suggested conducting one-on-one conversations with each board member to ascertain their perspective and interests.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at
Signed this ________ day of ________________________, 2003.
_______________________________ _______________________________
Chair
Secretary