Called to Order: 7:00 p.m. by GR
Reports:
a. Roll Call:
i. Present: George Rosenquist (GR), Paul Barber (PB), Andy Hauer
(AH), Dolores Cotten (DC), Donald Hicks (DH), Mike Olson (MO).
ii. Absent: Marsha McKinnie Davis (MKD)
iii. Guests: Peter Millington, Lake Area News; Luther Krueger,
SAFE; Linda Roberts (LR), DMRA community organizer; Sally Westby
(SW), DMRA office partner; Alicia Cox (AC), NRP.
b. Minutes from the April 18, 1995 Board of Directors meeting were approved.
a. Skateboarding
LR reported on successful meeting held with downtown residents
concerned about reckless skateboarders. Meeting participants decided
to express their concerns in writing to Council Member Pat Scott.
A brief discussion of skateboarding issues ensued. DC noted that
noise from skateboards is a articular problem for residents of
Rivergate. Luther Krueger, SAFE, mentioned problems at the Federal
Reserve Bank Building and the Greenway near Loring Park. A barricade
has been erected at the Federal Reserve to keep skateboarders
away. Krueger suggested more serious attention be given to establishing
a skateboard facility for young people somewhere in the metro
area. Liability issues seem to be the major reason one has not
been established so far.
b. NRP Participation AgreementThe official NRP response to the
neighborhood s draft NRP proposal has been received and will be
discussed after tonight s board meeting. The revised NRP agreement
will likely be signed by NRP officials as soon as it is received.
NRP would like to make public announcements of DMRA's participation
in June or July.
4. SAFE Report (Luther Krueger)
Luther passed out his business cards and took part in the discussion re skateboarding outlined above.
Old Business:
1. Office Partners
Sally Westby (SW) and Marsha Wagner are DMRA s new office partners. (Wagner was present before the meeting to meet board members.) The office partners will mail minutes to DMRA board members a week prior to board meetings. Materials to be mailed with the minutes should be sent to the office partners two weeks in advance of the board meeting. Paul Barber will be their Board contact person.
2. Membership and Resident Information Books
DMRA Books have been distributed to a large number of the buildings in downtown (see attached report). Distribution in all, or nearly all, buildings is anticipated. DMRA application forms have been returned by 33 people. SW will send copies to LR so the latter can call new members and/or send them a letter of welcome.
3. CIP Grant from the MCDA
DMRA's CIP grant is all but officially approved. The award is for $8,800 and will be put in a separate account upon which DMRA can begin to draw immediately. The grant will enable DMRA to hire staff to work with the neighborhood to determine the impact of the adult entertainment industry on downtown residents and ways of mitigating negative impacts. PB asked which Board member would be spearheading the grant follow-up? AH suggested the issue be a topic for next month s board meeting. GR suggested that both LR and SW report at the next meeting on ways they might assist DMRA with community organizing, a survey about adult entertainment impacts, and related issues.
4. DMRA on the Internet
PB found out about the Twin Cities Free Net. The Free Net provides
help to nonprofit organizations that wish to access the internet.
While DMRA made an initial overture to the Minneapolis Television
Network (MTN), a timely response was not received from them so
a decision was made to utilize the Free Net. DMRA will be able
to put items such as minutes, bylaws and agendas on line as well
as material from the Booklet.
NewBusiness:
l. Downtown Block Party - Friday, July 14
GR lead a discussion of DMRA participation as a vendor in the
Aquatennial Block Party on July 14. Schwans has been contacted
regarding product that DMRA could sell. While Schwans will not
donate product, it will sell items at cost (about $.25 per
item). Ice cream sandwiches, drum sticks and fruit bars were suggested
by Schwans as good items to sell.If DMRA participates in the Block
Party, it will be able to rent a booth at the Downtown Council
member rate of $125. The Downtown Council also takes 15% of gross
receipts. (Nonmembers pay $175 per booth and 25% of gross receipts).
If DMRA participates, its exposure is basically the product samples
and the cost of the booth (the biggest up front cost). DMRA will
also need a health certificate from the city (approximately $59)
and might also wish to do some advertising. The total up front
cost for involvement would likely be $250 - 300. The organization
will need to provide its own staffing the night of the event.
Given the costs outlined above, if items were sold for $2.00,
the profit to DM would be approximately $.95 per item. Assuming
500 items sold, DMRA could net $400 - $500.There was a brief discussion
of what DMRA should sell. While ice cream related products are
relatively inexpensive, their sale is highly dependent on weather.
If the weather is warm, sales could be brisk. Unused product from
Schwans can be returned as long as the boxes in which it is contained
are unopened. Schwans will provide a refrigeration truck, at no
extra cost, the night of the event.There was general agreement
that even if DMRA did not net a large sum of money, it should
participate in the event. MO suggested that participation would
give DMRA the visibility it needs; GR suggested that it would
indicate DMRA's willingness to raise private funds to support
its operations.It was MOVED and SECONDED that DMRA commit funds
for a booth for the Block Party. Motion CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.GR
reminded the group that the above motion does not lock
the organization into working with Schwans. However, a decision
will need to be made soon regarding what product to sell since
the event is in July. GR, MO and AS agreed to meet and
divide up tasks related to block party. GR was empowered to sign
the contract for the booth with the Downtown Council.
2. Incorporation and 501c3 Status
AH spoke to the advantages of one corporate structure serving
both the NRP and DMRA. If there are two separate corporate structures,
two separate audits must be done. He felt it was best not to spend
money on separate audits if one corporate structure (and audit
) could serve. PB reminded the group that the Board had already
voted to set up a structure for NRP that was totally separate
from DMRA. The NRP group has already incorporated. (DMRA is one
of the few groups that formed a separate corporation expressly
for NRP.)Discussion followed of the advantages and disadvantages
of incorporation and ways to save audit expenses. DMRA and NRP
cannot be incorporated separately within one larger organization.
The NRP group cannot be changed into DMRA without DMRA accepting
the latter's bylaws as its own. If this were done, DMRA would
have to accept business owners as members, something which the
board has not been willing to do. AH suggested that DMRA s incorporation
was important, even if the separate audits must be done, since
incorporation protects individual board members from lawsuits
related to the group's activities. For example, if someone got
sick from food sold by DMRA at the Aquatennial Block Party, individual
group members could not be sued personally if DMRA were incorporated.
Although few, if any, neighborhood groups have been sued, most
of them are incorporated. The cost of incorporation is about $250.
AH then led a discussion of the advantages to DMRA of receiving
501c3 status, the major advantage being eligibility for certain
grants. DH suggested the group consider 501c4 status as it might
allow more flexibility. Groups with 501c3 status are restricted
from some types of lobbying activities (i.e. hiring lobbyists)
but they can be their own advocates. It was MOVED and SECONDED
that DMRA incorporate and apply for 501c3 status. Motion CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
3. General MeetingAccording to the bylaws, DMRA should hold four
general meetings each year. One has already occurred and another
will be held with the annual meeting. It was the consensus of
those present that a general meeting should be held between June
and September and that an "attraction" was needed to
ensure good attendance. After some discussion, it was decided
that the meeting should have a Downtown Public Safety
focus and be held in July. The following items are tentatively
on the agenda:
a. Discussion with the new police chief, Robert Olson;
b. DMRA's X-rated task force (interested parties might be asked
to sign up that night);
c. Status of new Hennepin County Jail project;
d. Possible NRP kick-off.
The following people agreed to help GR put the meeting together:
DH, DC, AH and LR.
4. Rezoning of Portion of the Conservatory Site
AH reported that an attorney for the new buyers of the Conservatory
on the Nicollet Mall has requested DMRA's support in its bid to
rezone a portion of the site from B4S-2 to B4-2. Most of the parcel
is B4-2 and rezoning the B4S-2 parcel(s) reduces the overall parking
requirement. GR indicated that information to date suggests that
the zoning change is technical in nature and not of major importance.
It was MOVED and SECONDED that DMRA support the new owner's request
for consideration of the zoning change. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
5. Miscellaneous
AH reminded those present of the annual meeting of CCHT at St. Olaf's Church on Tuesday, May 23.
Adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Paul Barber, Secretary