Agenda
1. Presentation by Hennepin County on Lyndale Avenue reconstruction
2. TNA Board meeting
• Income summary
• Update–Garage sale
• Update–Web site
• Update–Staff support/NRP
• Update–Annual Meeting
1. Presentation by Hennepin County on Lyndale Avenue reconstruction
Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman (gail.dorfman@co.hennepin.mn.us) and city and county staff talked about the Lyndale Ave reconstruction project from Lake Street to 58th St. They are talking to all 10 neighborhoods along Lyndale Avenue.
There was a big effort 10 years ago that resulted in a document called “Lyndale Avenue: A Vision.” A mill and overlay was done at that time but the reconstruction was not scheduled. The project is now back on the County’s CIP (Capital Improvement Program) and more examination is being done of 50th/Lyndale and what to do there.
The project is now scheduled for 2007/2008 and will be coordinated with other projects going on in the area, such as Mn/DOT’s reconstruction of the Crosstown.
County staff noted that Lyndale will stay open during the project, except for the piece when the Minnehaha Creek Bridge is rebuilt. This will take place in 2008 and the bridge will be closed for 8-9 months or so. At the present time, the plan for 50th and Lyndale is the add about 2 feet to each side of the road to better allow for left turning movements. Otherwise, the reconstruction of Lyndale will keep to the existing roadway widths.
The project cost is $15.4M. Hennepin County will fund about 80%, since this is a county road. The City and federal funds will pay for the remainder. For streetscaping and lighting, Hennepin County pays 50% and the City the remainder. The City funds its part through a number of ways, including assessments on the affected property owners along Lyndale. The Public Hearings on these assessments will likely take place in Fall 2006, as the project is scheduled for 2007.
ACTIONS:
The county and city are looking to each neighborhood to
– provide representatives for the task force studying Lyndale
– input on streetscaping (affected property taxpayers have to support assessments by 60%). On busy streets, such as Nicollet and Lyndale, residential assessments are 80% of typical rates.
The layout will soon be available on the internet. For now, you can look at http://www.lakestreet.info for some ideas of what the web site will include.
Contact person is Guy Nowlan (guy.nowlan@co.hennepin.mn.us) at 763 745 7655, of Hennepin County Public Works.
2. TNA Board Meeting
Chair Roger Hegeman updated the meeting on recent events. A news story in the Southwest Journal (see below or at SWJ indicated that Phase 2 activities might be discussed at this Board Meeting. Roger spoke with City of Minneapolis NRP staff, who asked that discussion of how NRP Phase 2 will proceed should wait until after the May Annual Meeting of TNA, when a new Board will be elected. [This is the first plug in these minutes for the ANNUAL MEETING ON MAY 16th AT FULLER PARK.]
Tangletown’s web site is now operational at http://www.tangletown.org where minutes of meetings are available, as well as links to local issues and even a chance to buy your own Tangletown logos on shirts and other goods.
Financial report
Georgia Stephens noted that all profit and loss statements are now up to date and she distributed copies as of April 2005. She will be resigning as Treasurer on May 15, so there may be a short period of time before the new Treasurer takes office (new Board will be elected at May meeting but makes appointments of officers at the following meeting).
Garage sale
Sarah Kalweit updated on plans for the Garage Sale on May 6 and 7th. So far about 69 people have signed up for the sale. Ads will be placed in the Star Tribune and Southwest Journal. New signs are being purchased to advertise the sale on the four corners of the neighborhood. You can email for further info to garagesale@TANGLETOWN.ORG. [ed’s note: More info on the Garage sale will be available on the TNA web site at http://www.tangletown.org ]
Fourth of July
Plans are underway for the July 4th event at Fuller Park. There will be a parade, food, a slide for kids and face painting. Please help us plan for this great community event.
Contact Catalina Chadbourn or Karen Larson for more information or to volunteer to help. Email them at july4th@TANGLETOWN.ORG
NRP and staff support
Roger Heneman noted that the TNA Board/NRP Steering committee process for hiring a staff support person will pause until after the May 16th Annual Tangletown Neighborhood Association Board Meeting. [Second plug.]
Council Member Scott Benson
Happened to be in audience. A lot to report on.
On 35W project, the city did not give municipal consent to Mn/DOT. An appeals process was used and the city position was upheld for the great part. BRT (bus rapid transit) is now incorporated into the design, using the 5th lane. HOVs will be allowed in this lane, as well as the possibility of HOT (high occupany tolls) lanes, as 394 is just now trying. There will be a new 35W bridge over Minnehaha Creek, as opposed to an upgrade. There will be a BRT station located under the 46th Street bridge.
In other news, the City is suing the MAC over noise mitigation plan.
Meeting adjourned at 8.15pm
Next meeting is Tangletown Neighborhood Association ANNUAL Meeting
May 16th–Fuller Park, 7pm.
From the Southwest Journal, April 18, 2005
Tangletown NRP activity suspended
By Anne Geske
Ed Wunsch, who chairs the Neighborhood Revitalization Program Steering Committee in Tangletown, expected to meet with Tangletown Neighborhood Association board members at Fuller Park on April 4. When they didn’t show, Wunsch fired off an e-mail to the board reiterating concerns about access to TNA’s financial records – adding that he was “officially suspending our group, until such time that I receive a written directive from the Board as to what, if anything, you would like us to do.”
Like many neighborhoods, Tangletown has a Steering Committee to evaluate requests for Neighborhood Revitalization Program funding. TNA – which stretches between I-35W and Lyndale Avenue, and 46th and 54th streets – spent $1.1 million in NRP Phase I and has not yet begun allocating $337,000 available for Phase II.
In the short term, the NRP dustup probably won’t have an immediate effect on the neighborhood because it is between phases.
TNA board president Roger Hegeman said NRP Phase II activities will be discussed at the Monday, April 18 board meeting, and the steering committee’s role may change. TNA’s board turns over in May, when the annual election is held.
Wunsch said he doesn’t suspect the TNA board of financial wrongdoing; his issue is its compliance with its own rules. Hegeman counters that the board is “well in compliance” with its bylaws, but agrees that an up-to-date financial accounting should be available in writing to neighborhood residents at every board meeting.
“It’s a valid request from anyone,” Hegeman said. “At any board meeting, any resident should be able to amble over and take a look at the books.”
The board passed a motion to do just that in February. However, their accountant has only recently returned from being out of the country for several months, so financial documents were not provided at the March 21 board meeting.
It’s not the first time differences have arisen between TNA’s board and Wunsch, says longtime volunteer and board member Lynell Voigt. The board, she said, “has had issues with Ed in the past, and they were resolved, for the time being.”
When reached for comment, other Tangletown volunteers have been reluctant to focus on differences, and Voigt sums up the consensus: “We’re volunteers, we’d like to maximize the time we have toward positive and productive issues.”
NRP officials were not available for comment before this story went to press.