Tangletown Neighborhood

Tangletown Neighborhood Association

Special Board Meeting

Minutes

Friday, December 4, 2009

7:00 P.M.

Simply Jane Studio

Board members present: Steve Bieringer, Bruce Bruemmer (secretary), Sarah Cortwright, Mary Davidson (treasurer), Tjody de Vaal (editor), Jane Elias, Dick Fiala, Ryan Fisher (president), Mary Jane Mitchell (vice-president), Tony Proell, Tom Stiechen, Lynell Voigt

1. Ryan called the meeting to order at 7:50 pm.

2. There was one agenda item scheduled during the Board Holiday Party: to consider the Business Façade Improvement Program Business Guidelines that were distributed during the November TNA meeting. Ryan reviewed the proposal. Bruce moved its adoption. Mary Davidson seconded. The motion passed.

3. Three announcements. The Tangletown Garage sale is scheduled for May 7/8, 2010. Ryan is looking for someone to coordinate the 4^th of July event. Ryan will not be in town that day. Finally, the TNA January meeting will meet at Simply Jane Studios (4801 Nicollet Ave. S.) because of a conflict at Fuller Park.

4. Ryan moved the meeting adjournment. Mary seconded. The Board adjourned at 8:00 pm.

Tangletown Neighborhood Association

Regular Board Meeting

Minutes

Monday, November 16, 2009

7:00 P.M.

Fuller Park

Board members present: Steve Bieringer, Bruce Bruemmer (secretary), Mary Davidson (treasurer), Tjody de Vaal (editor), Ryan Fisher (president), Lynell Voigt, Jane Elias, Mary Jane Michell (vice-president), Dick Fiala, Tony Proell.

Others present: Carole Anderson.

1. Ryan called the meeting to order at 8:04 pm.

2. The agenda was accepted and approved.

3. The October meeting minutes had been posted on the Web for the members’ review.

4. Jane and Ryan explained the business façade improvement program and distributed draft guidelines. Ryan outlined the proposal; it would set aside $10,000 of funding that would be opened on a first-come first-serve basis. TNA will grant up to a 3^rd of the amount up to $1000. Tom Balcom would administer the program. Ryan asked that we consider the document when we get together in December.

5. Although Tom Balcom was not present, Ryan gave a brief update of the NRP Phase 2 projects.

6. The Board took up the issue of member Jerry Doyle’s status. Ryan spoke with him and it did not appear that he would be active on the Board. Ryan moved to proceed with the notification of dismissal as provided in the TNA bylaws. Mary Davidson second. The motion passed without dissent.

7. Given the vacancies on the Board, the discussion turned to an addition to the bylaws to allow for alternates and Board elections/nominations. A number of ideas were presented for alternates and board of directors. Bruce noted that the bylaws already permitted the Board to fill vacancies created before the annual meeting. He would will look at the bylaws of other associations to see if any improvements to our bylaws needed to be made. Mary moved to appoint Tjody de Vaal to the Board. Lynell seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

8. Mary presented a treasurer’s update and progress in getting TNA’s books in order. TNA made about $500 on the home tour. She requested the reconciliation of all outstanding bills. Mary also reinstated our liability insurance, which had lapsed. She suggested that it might be time to formally audit our books and Board discussed possibilities.

9. Fuller Park update. Carole is waiting for an estimate for improvements, and Ryan urged that he receive a quote by December. She described upcoming holiday events, and suggested that TNA might want to fund Red Cross’ babysitting training program.

10. Announcements. The TNA Board will meet informally on December 4 for a holiday celebration. The board discussed possible improvements: trees for Stevens Ave., preservation of trees, safety, and incentives for outdoor sensor lights.

11. Ryan moved the meeting adjournment. Mary seconded. The Board adjourned at 8:22pm.

Tangletown Neighborhood Association

Minutes

Regular Board Meeting,

Monday, October 19, 2009

7:00 P.M.

Fuller Park

Attending: Steve Bieringer, Bruce Bruemmer (secretary), Chris Burns, Sarah Cortwright, Mary Davidson (treasurer), Woody Dixon, Dick Fiala,Ryan Fisher (president), Jane Elias, Mary Jane Michell (vice-president), Tony Proell, Tom Steichen, Lynell Voigt

1. Ryan called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm.

2. The agenda was approved.

3. The September meeting minutes were moved and seconded.

4. Kyle Rucker from Project 8 explained the origin of the group and its mission. The group seeks to to ensure that all youth in need are able to thrive and be resilient, and he was looking for community involvement. Email at connect@projectlegos.org.

5. The Association received an update on the Lyndale Avenue Bridge from Jacob Bronder, Hennepin Co. senior project manager for project. The bridge was originally planned to receive bids by end of the year, but the  historical review period has extended the project.  Construction is now planned for 2011. He explained the outreach process and has had 3 public advisory committee meetings to date. They are looking for input and have been visiting neighborhood associations in October. There will be a public open house (no dates yet). The project web site is posted at http://www.hennepin.us (search on Lyndale Ave. bridge). Tom Angus (HNTB Corporation) spoke about the historical studies and desirable design traits. The Cultural Resources Unit of Mn/DOT and SHPO (State Historical Preservation Office) had different perspectives on the project. They decided that the land form is significant although the span itself is not. The project team was looking at issues relating to traffic, but he was not hopeful that traffic could be routed through the construction.

6. Amy Lavender, Minneapolis Police Dept., gave an update on recent small business crime involving10 local businesses.  They suspected a single perpetrator who was staying on the south side of the city, but not staying in one area (which is unusual).The suspect targets businesses with one employee behind the counter, usually female, usually without a security camera and he usually operates in the afternoon. She admitted that police coverage was low, so they were in reactive rather than proactive mode. The group discussed remedies [N.B. - A suspect was apprehended within a week after this meeting].

7. Sarah gave a recap of the Home Tour.  The last 45 minutes were affected by bad weather, but we had double the visitors (about 125) from last year . There was a communication problem with one house relating to some last minute plans.  Seven people offered to host a home next year. She thanked all of the volunteers.  The offer of free cleaning turned out to be expensive, so most home owners received flowers. We need more sandwich board advertising next year, and the group reaffirmed that there should be no free admission except for volunteers.

8. Tom Balcom gave an update and strategy for NRP Phase 2. The Washburn Tower watering was discussed. This should be in place by next spring. A railing estimate was sought; they wanted to ensure that it fits with the fencing at the top of the hill and does not require too much maintenance.  He met with Carol Anderson about Fuller park improvements.  She reported on some upgrades to the park, including the kitchen.  Carpenters already had begun.  The Park didn’t like the pool shade idea; they wanted to improve the building. She sought an assessment of tree needs, and Ralph Sievert (Dir. of Forestry) came out and made suggestions.  Tom said our next issue is how to implement the business exterior improvement. Mary Jane and Steve B. will help with the subcommittee. Ryan urged that we connect up with East Harriet Business Association.

9. Mary D. gave a treasurer’s update and noted progress in getting the TNA books in order.

10. Carol Anderson reported on Fuller Park. They received computer lab chairs.  She reviewed the Halloween party plans

11. Short announcements were made. The candidates running for local office did not appear.

12. Moved and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:40pm.

Minutes
Tangletown Neighborhood Association
Regular Board Meeting, Monday, September 21, 2009
7:00 P.M.
Fuller Park

Present: Steve Bieringer, Bruce Bruemmer (secretary), Chris Burns, Mary Davidson (treasurer), Ryan Fisher (president), Lynell Voigt, Jane Elias, Mary Jane Michell (vice-president), Tony Proell, Tom Steichen, Woody Dixon.
Others: Carole Anderson,Tom Bolcom (NRP Rep.), Tjody de Vaal (editor), Amy Lavender, Meredith Johnson, Matt Perry

1. Ryan called the meeting to order at 7:04 pm.
2. The agenda was approved.
3. The August meeting minutes were approved as amended.
4. Meredith Johnson gave an update of the home tour. There was one additional home added to the group. The board discussed whether to offer home cleaning or flowers (because of the cost). Ryan asked for approval to spend up to $450 toward the home tour. Seconded. Motion passed.
5. Ryan reported making efforts to contact Mark Haugen about board attendance as outlined in the bylaws. Ryan move the Mark Haugen be removed from the Board. Seconded. Motion passed.
6. Amy Lavender reported on the neighborhood policing plan. She is looking for greater participation by residents and business owners. The narcotics unit was disbanded; some narcotics agents will be assigned to the precinct. The group discussed the crime workshop. It will be held October 12 and has a capacity of 30. There will be an emailing out to block leaders.
7. Tom Bolcom reported on the NRP Phase 2 update and strategy. He suggested that the board be mindful about making sure the funds are spent. There are pressures to eliminated NRP (replaced by “Community Engagement&rdquo. The group discussed current projects, including $14,000 is for Fuller Park; works for the Water Tower (watering system and hand rail); money for crime prevention workshops; event communications and staffing, business exterior improvement, and the Lyndale Ave. project.
Nicollet East Harriet Business Association’s Matt Perry (who was attending) discussed aspects of the Business Association. Much of what they are able to offer is volunteer efforts for the paperwork, which is fairly labor intensive.
Ryan asked if people were interested in joining subcommittees to sort some of this out for TNA.
-Parks (Mary D. and Lynell)
-Water Tower (Tom S.)
-Business Exterior Improvement (Jane, Steve, and Tom B.)
-Crime and Safety – (Tjody)
-Lyndale: Possibility of moving these funds (about $12,500) into Business Exterior project (Mary Jane)
-Historic and Natural Preservation (Bruce)
8. Mary gave the treasurer’s update. She has 3 boxes of material going back to Phase 1, and she is making progress.
9. Carol Anderson gave an update on Fuller Park activities. They had a wonderful summer. Daycare and ice cream social went well. Two Halloween parties are planned for October: preschool and evening (6-8) for the whole community. She asked for suggestions about computer labs.
10. Tjody raised the issue about businesses not getting the newsletter. The board also asked for newsletters to be distributed in the library and some businesses.
11. Meg Fourney introduced herself as a candidate for the Park and Recreation Board.
12. The meeting was adjourned at 8:42.

Tangletown Neighborhood Association

Regular Board Meeting, Monday, August 17, 2009

7:00 P.M.

Fuller Park

Present: Steve Bieringer, Bruce Bruemmer (secretary), Chris Burns, Sarah Cortright, Mary Davidson (treasurer),Woody Dixon, Dick Fiala, Ryan Fisher (president), Mary Jane Mitchell (vice president), Tony Proell, Tom Steichen, Lynell Voight.

1. The meeting was called to order by Fisher at 7:02.

2. The agenda was approved.

3. The July meeting minutes were approved.

4. Christopher Dixon, assistant city attorney at the 5th Precinct of Minneapolis introduced himself and explained the Minneapolis Community Attorney Program. He urged the association to feel free to contact him on livability issues.

5. Fisher noted the continued absence of Mark Haugen from the Board. Mary Davidson moved and the motion seconded and passed to notify him of his pending removal as provided in the bylaws.

6. Fisher presented an update on the NRP housing programs update from CEE. All monies have been assigned to housing projects consisting of 11 revolving loans.

7. Fisher updated the NRP Phase 2 update, specifically the water tower irrigation plan. There is $10,000 available to the project, and he expected to hear back by early September. The board will take up other issues at next meeting.

8. Cortright discussed the home tour and assignments. Only two houses are confirmed, and we need more to hold the home tour (scheduled on September 22). She was checking some prospects, but the board will need to pull the plug on the tour this year if we cannot increase the number of homes. The board discussed other inducements to participation in the tour, as well as holding the tour every other year.

9. Tjody deVaal, the TNA Editor, updated the board progress on the newsletter. She hoped to get the newsletter to the printer by Thursday. She described the content currently available. Fisher reported that he is getting information for the Web site.

10. Fisher reported on the July 4th event. Gross receipts amounted to about $2,900, a portion of which we would like to devote to the park. Carole Anderson discussed various options.

11. Davidson reported on getting the TNA books in order revisited. She reported over $6000 in the bank. The 4th of July event produced about $1200 in profits, and the garage sale did well ($360 profits). She expects to get the rest of the information from Jerry to fulfill accounting back to NRP I project.

12. The board discussed the need for TNA to open a debit card account. Bruemmer suggested that we inquire about limiting the amount per transaction. Fisher moved that we apply for a debit card. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

13. Sarah Larson reported on Creekside Commons, the new apartment building adjacent to Mayflower Church. They expect the construction will begin around October 1. There will be some work done on the water main under 54th Street, likely in September. This work is not expected to significantly disrupt traffic or water service. The water main work should take approximately one week. The construction of the building, once it starts will last approximately 10 months. On Sunday, September 20, Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation and Mayflower Church invites all neighborhood residents to a ceremony that will take place from 12:30-2:00, with remarks at 1:00, on the project site.

14. Carole Anderson reported on Fuller Park. The playground is getting repaired. There was a great turnout for a recent neighborhood event (Music in the park). Fall registration is now open..

15. Fisher adjourned the meeting at 8:03 and a picture was taken of the board for the newsletter.

Bruce Bruemmer, secretary

Tangletown Neighborhood Association
Regular Board Meeting
Monday, July 20, 2009
Fuller Park

Board members present: Steve Bieringer, Bruce Bruemmer (secretary), Mary Davidson (treasurer), Woody Dixon, Dick Fiala, Ryan Fisher (president), Norman Foster, Mary Jane Mitchell (vice president), Lynnel Voigt.

1. President Ryan Fisher called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm.
2. A motion was made to approve the agenda and approved.
3. The June meeting minutes were approved.
4. Amy Lavender, Minneapolis Police Crime Prevention Specialist, reported on public safety and National Night Out (August 4). There was no gang related graffiti found in the neighborhood, just tagging. People should call or send pictures of suspect graffiti to Amy. As far as crime for the month goes, June was an excellent month.
5. July 4th event review. Financials were not available because the past treasurer was absent. The board estimated attendance at the event was 10-15% above normal; the event was a great success. Lynnel sent acknowledgments to all of the donors of prizes. There were generally enough prizes, although more probably could have been obtained if the board had begun soliciting donations earlier.
6. Ryan reported on the Tangletown home tour in Sarah’s absence. The event still needs some houses for the tour. There was discussion about the interest by realtors in including homes for sale in the tour. The board decided against this for the present. The tour typically includes 5 houses. The event needs 4 volunteers per house (so about 30 people). This year the tour will take place on September 20th or 27th (Sunday); Ryan will confirm the date.
7. NRP Housing program update. Ryan reported on CEE and updates on the loan program. Tom Balcom, the NRP representative, reported on water tower watering, Fuller Park initiative money, shade for the pool, and other projects. Ryan commented that we need to get monies expended before the end of the year. Discussion over some of these projects ensued, especially the watering. An NRP meeting will be held to examine these options.
8. Discussion turned to the TNA editor role and approval of funds to begin new site. Norman Foster said that the newsletter should be out for 13th of September (ahead of the home tour), so we need to have newsletter laid out within a week of August 17. Ryan and Tjody deVaal, the incoming editor, discussed the newsletter and web site with, as well as potential content (4th of July, NRP plan, home tour, Scott Benson’s update, fund raising, calendar thing). Mary Davidson moved to recognize Norman Foster for all of his good work for Tangletown as editor for the past five years. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved. Ryan moved that we use remaining funds to establish a reconfigured web site. The motion was seconded and approved.
9. Mary Davidson (Treasurer) gave an update on the transition of the treasurer’s duties. She reported that Ryan and she are now signatories on the account. She will meet with the former treasurer and report at the next board meeting.
10. Carol Anderson reported that all is fine at Fuller Park. They are getting ready for fall. Registration starts August 10.
11. John Erwin spoke; he was on the Minneapolis Park Board from 2002 to 2005. He is running for city wide Park Board commissioner.
12. Tom Balcom announced that the Tangletown Historic Tour will take place August 2, starting at Washburn Library.
13. Ryan moved adjournment and the board adjourned at 8:35 pm.