Draft Agenda

SNG Board meeting

Feb 22, 2017

Matthews Park

7PM Introductions and guests

In Attendance: Diann Anders, Marne Zafar,Marilyn Matheny, Shell Collins, Tariku Belay, Elina Kolstad, Hannah Epstein, Abdiasis Hirsi, Alexis Troschinetz , Ashley Freitag. Dan Handeen.
Staff: Doug Wise, Liza Davitch

Guests: Lauren Kramer, City Council Member Cam Gordon, Rick Musser

Excused: Peter Fleck, Bob Friddle

  • Introduced Lauren Kramer, who is interested in joining the board. Diann explained there are 11-16 people on board at a time. Discussion to approve Lauren as a board member at end of tonight’s meeting.

7:10Pass Minutes from JanuaryMeeting

  • Diann moved. Marilyn seconded. Motion to accept minutes passed

7:15Public Discussion Issuesand Guests

  • Abdi Warsame 6th Ward Report.Abdi could not attend. Sent a PDF for review. Nothing to discuss.
  • Cam Gordon’s 2nd Ward. Cam not present at time. Nothing discussed.

7:30Discussion Issues & Exec Report

  • Staffing report. Introduction of new staff, Liza & Faisal.
  • Conflict of Interest Forms. All completed. Shell, Abdiasis. (Tariku’s missing).

7:40Finance Report

  • Diann: Budget comparison under CPP are actuals. Earned $19,000 in January with only $9000 expenses. Accrual based accounting more difficult. The $19,000 is 3 months of invoices. CPP & NRP money is always going to be expenses from previous months. It’s ok, not out of balance. In a month we will put dashboard indicators into report. Closed out last 3 years of CPP project. Getting $10,000 advance on new contract. No need to pass motion.

7:50Action Items: from CDC

Motion: The Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG) supports the installation of crosswalks at 24th and Franklin Avenues and requests that Hennepin County bring back to the neighborhood proposed plans for review. SNG also requests that Hennepin County look at possible more immediate improvements to increase safety, such as a temporary sign in the middle of the street and painted crosswalk lines.Sheldon Mains moved and Ken Webb seconded. Motion passed. Robin Garwood abstained.

  • Diann: My understanding from CDC minutes- not getting money until 2020 but it’s approved. Doug explained: No funding prior to 2020, but might be able to get flashing lights and painted crosswalks. Diann moved. Marne seconded. Motion passed.

Motion: The Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG) supports the extension of the hours for the Sharbel Petroleum Co. (Tesoro Station), located at 25th and Riverside Avenues,until 12:00 a.m. (Midnight) seven days a week.Brian Miller moved and Ken Webb seconded. Motion passed. Robin Garwood abstained.

  • Marilyn: Have they done a neighborhood assessment? Doug: The late shifts at hospital wanted extended hours to get gas. Marilyn: Why are we acting on it if it’s not in Seward? Doug explained: As a courtesy and the committee felt that they wanted to support this. Shell moved. Alexis seconded. Motion approved.

Motion: The Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG) supports the installation of the sign on Seward Tower West and requests that the city allow an exception to the Signage Code for neighborhood branding.Winston Cavert moved and Ken Webb seconded. Motion passed. Robin Garwood, Scott Vreeland and Caitlin Boley abstained.

  • Concerns to Address: Is it environmentally friendly? Are solar panels possible? Light pollution, the intensity/brightness of the light? Can you adjust the dimness? Are LED lights possible? Have residents been consulted? Dianne moves to TABLE. Marnie seconded. Passed.

8:05History Committee

  • Marilyn & Rickpresent “Seward History Stories Two April Talks at Matthews Center”. Marilyn: An article is going into Spring Profile. Looking for suggestion how it can go into flyers.Marne: I would make Facebook posts. However, you can’t legally sell anything in a FB post now. Post should say,”For more information, contact.” Marilyn and Rick will do a Facebook post. Dan: Is the profile online so we can just link to that page?Marne: It has crashed the system before. We have to ask Peter. We can put it on e-democracy.Alexis will post the event on Nextdoor. Doug suggests posting the flyer on bulletin boards at businesses.

8:15 Community Building Committee: “We are Seward” Campaign

  • Diann: Sara Wagner proposed the campaign and will generate a sign and logo. She will come to the Community Development meeting next month. She will have vignettes on social media and paper and ink.

8:25 Staff reports

SNG Housing Coordinator:

  • Doug’s Staff report. 1. Would like to get Community Building board members to participate in community development. 2. Reallocation of funds approved in December. We are still waiting for the amendment from the city.

Community Coordinator:

ALEXIS: How do board members fulfill commitment to committee involvement? Finance fundraising has only one person. Shell offers to help. Alexis offers to help Shell. Sheldon is willing to be the e co-chair of CDC. His contingency was that he applied for a city commission. If he is selected it would be a conflict of interest. Dan would be willing to do one, CDC. Alexis will try to go to CBC meetings.

  • Diann moved to transfer the fiscal responsibility for the NRP Phase 2 funds for environmental education, environmental stewardship, and energy efficiency, be transferred to the SNG board of directors. Marne seconds. Motion passed.
  • Alexis moved that the board spend about $300 to buy litter grabbers for Earth Day cleanup from the environmental stewardship money. Shell seconded. Motion Passed

8:45 Cam Gordon Arrives. Cam handed out Longfellow & City Wide Resident Survey and Report to the Seward Neighborhood Group. Discussion of Reports.

8:55 Dianne moved to elect Lauren Kramer as a Board Member for the SNG. Marne seconded. Motion passed.

Lauren Bio:

I'm a Seward resident and lifelong Minnesotan. I'm 25 years old, and I have a master's degree in Women's and Gender Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. I did my undergraduate degree in American Studies with an Environmental Studies minor at St. Olaf College. I currently work for a Native American nonprofit organization in St. Paul that assists Tribal governments in strengthening their sovereignty. Before completing my master's degree, I worked as a grant writer for Anishinaabe activist Winona LaDuke on the White Earth Reservation. In my free time, I enjoy organic gardening, hiking, reading/listening to the news, and exercising at Los Campeones gym in Seward.

9:00 Adjourn and clean up