OCTOBER 10 ANNUAL MEETING DATE APPROVED
The board voted to hold the annual meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Van Cleve Park. A half-hour social period will start at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will start at 7 p.m. The agenda includes elections for the board of directors and a community vote on allocating program income to keep the SECIA office operating through 2008.

IMPORTANT SEPT. 18 GRAND ROUNDS MEETING ANNOUNCED
Board member Connie Sullivan urged residents to attend the Tuesday Sept. 18 Park and Recreation Board open house about routes proposed for the Grand Rounds parkway “missing link” in Southeast and Northeast Minneapolis. SECIA’s website states, “Updates on possible routes through the neighborhood will be announced.” The open house will be held at Northeast Recreation Center, 1615 Pierce St. NE, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with a presentation between 7 and 7:30 p.m. (The location will not be Van Cleve Park, as stated in last month’s Reporter’s Notebook.)

Information about the project is available at www.minneapolisparks.org.

$120,000 MCKNIGHT GRANT RECEIVED
Applause and cheers greeted the announcement that SECIA received a two-year $120,000 McKnight grant. Board President Wendy Menken said SECIA would have to match the award. The funding will stabilize SECIA operations through the end of 2008, she said.

STUDENT HOME LOAN IDEA RAISED
Board member, and university student association representative, Jeremiah Peterson suggested establishing a student home loan program that would provide a way for university students to get involved in, and respect the neighborhood. Following discussion, board president Wendy Menken said Peterson should contact housing committee chair Katie Fournier.

Peterson, who is a Como homeowner, said he thought of the idea while visiting Australia this year. “It seemed crazy to be thinking about such a program while I was driving around the Outback!” he said.

BOARD BY-LAW CHANGES APPROVED
The board approved several changes in the By-Laws pertaining to board membership. The changes relate to the number of members, terms of members, a voting seat for the past president, role of a non-voting ex-officio staff member, the number in a quorum, and wording about absences from meetings.

The changes were intended to prevent a major single-year turn-over of membership, as in a hostile takeover, and to help retain continuity of knowledge in the board’s membership.

APARTMENT BUILDING PROPOSAL, SECURITY, REVIEWED
Plans for a three-story, six-apartment building proposed to replace a house in poor condition at 823 15th Ave. were presented by Craig Jansen, owner of Elwood Properties. Each apartment would contain three bedrooms, Jansen said.

Responding to board questions, Jansen said security measures at the building would include web cam cameras. Jansen said cameras at the company’s properties nearby have been “very helpful.” He said camera views are on-line at elmwoodproperties.com.

APPOINTMENTS MADE TO NEW ALLIANCE, COMMITTEE
The board voted to appoint board members Wendy Menken and Marilyn Burns as SECIA representatives to a new neighborhood-city-university Alliance. It is being created by the university’s Stadium Area Advisory Group (SAAG). Creation of the Alliance is one of the recommendations made by the university neighborhood impact report, “Moving Forward Together” sent to the legislature early this year. It assessed conditions in neighborhoods adjacent to the university campus, focusing on housing conditions and homeownership.

Board member Joan Menken, a member of the SAAG committee, said she’s concerned that the time being taken to create the Alliance is time lost while the Alliance is directed by the legislature to conduct one or two pilot projects and submit a report by 2009. The SAAG committee decided there would be 15 members in the Alliance and that each of the five neighborhoods represented would carry two votes. Menken said she was concerned that the total of 15 representative organizations would overwhelm neighborhood representation. But, adopting two votes per neighborhood meant, “Something positive came out of it,” she said.

2nd Ward Council Member Cam Gordon said the Alliance is important, and announced that the SE Como Ownership Taskforce will be rolled into the work of the Alliance.

Menken said she would be a member of SAAG’s university stadium mitigation fund committee. Interest earned by a $1.5 million endowment provided by the legislature will be available for projects to address issues related to the construction and operation of the TCF Bank on-campus Gopher football stadium. The committee will process applications for funding mitigation projects.

NEIGHBORHOOD STUDENT WELCOME BROCHURE PUBLISHED
2nd Ward Council Member Cam Gordon announced publication of a new Welcome to the Neighborhood brochure for distribution to university students in the SE Como neighborhood. “If it is a success, we’ll do it again,” Gordon said. It is co-sponsored by 1st Ward Council Member Paul Ostrow.

The brochure includes information about the Como neighborhood, safety, resources, how to party respectfully, housing information, and transportation. The brochure is on-line at:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/ward2/como.asp. Click on: University of Minnesota students – Welcome to the neighborhood!

POTENTIAL LACK OF NRP II FUNDING SEEN AS THREAT
Board member Connie Sullivan asked Council Member Cam Gordon to keep SECIA informed about the prospect that the city might not use the “legacy fund” to support the second phase of the Neighborhood Redevelopment Program (NRP). Sullivan said if SECIA cannot access NRP II funds, it might not be able to match the recent $120,000 McKnight grant it received. If so, “Good bye SECIA,” she said.

$11,400 IN “MISSING” STREET FUNDING SOUGHT
The board voted in favor of writing a letter asking the city to find $11,400 in funds apparently missing for city street calming installations and amenities. Board member Connie Sullivan said board minutes in 2004 indicated the city committed that amount for the streets in N. Como, north of E. Hennepin Avenue. The installations included signs and the amenities included trees. The amount was in connection with a project to pave the streets.

Earlier, Sullivan said it appears the streets in North Como haven’t been paved since World War II. Sullivan said Council Member Paul Ostrow told her in 2004 that he would place the paving the streets in the city schedule.

At the SECIA board meeting, Council Member Cam Gordon said he talked with Council Member Ostrow about the street problem. Gordon said the streets north of E. Hennepin are one of four or five areas in the city that were left out of paving. Board member Jeremiah Peterson, who owns a house there, noted there is a house located on Winter Street. Board member Sullivan said a woman in her 90s lives there.

REPRESENTATIVE APPOINTED TO NRP POLICY BOARD
The board voted to appoint Wendy Menken as the SECIA representative to the NRP Policy Board.

LIVABILITY, HOUSING GUIDELINES ADOPTED
The board approved guidelines proposed by the Livability and Housing Committee. They will be used by SECIA representatives in their work on neighborhood development/redevelopment committees and task forces.

Goals include stabilization of the neighborhood by maintaining home ownership, incentives to attract new homeowners, neighborhood-oriented planning, and planning that is sensitive to the traditional character of the neighborhood, based on the 1987 40-acre study of the neighborhood.

The guidelines also include a focus on affordable owner-occupied or rental housing for people employed near the neighborhood, and promotion of responsible property ownership and residency in Como.

PROGRAM INCOME ALLOCATION NOTED
Board president Wendy Menken noted the recommendation to allocate $100,000 toward matching the $120,000 McKnight grant. Menken said the funds would support SECIA into 2009.

U WORK-STUDY POSITION APPROVED FOR OFFICE
Wendy Menken reported that SECIA’s request to hire a university student for the office was approved. The university will pay three-quarters of the salary and SECIA will pay one-quarter. Menken said the arrangement, which is new for SECIA, would be a learning experience for both SECIA and the university.

COMO COOKOUT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Wendy Menken said volunteers are still needed for the 5th annual Como Cookout to be held Saturday, Sept. 15, 4 to 7 p.m., at Van Cleve Park. To volunteer, call James De Sota, neighborhood coordinator, at 612-676-1731.

SEND COMMENTS ABOUT E. HENNEPIN 35W OFF/ON RAMPS
Wendy Menken said the Minnesota Department of Transportation wants to decide quickly on plans for temporary I-35W on and off ramps at East Hennepin Avenue. Menken said some people attending a MNDOT meeting earlier in the evening expressed concerns about the traffic and speed using the off ramp. Menken said MNDOT wants to make a decision within a week. Comments can be sent to MNDOT and Council Members Diane Hofstede and Cam Gordon, she said.

THREE-UNIT RESIDENTIAL UNIT ADDITION PROPOSED
Zoning Committee Chair Joan Menken reported that a three-unit residential addition is proposed at 2215 Como Ave. SE.

TRANSPORTATION PLAN, STREETCAR FEASIBILITY MEETING SET
2nd Ward Council Member Cam Gordon said in an announcement there will be a public meeting to discuss the city’s draft 10-year transportation plan and streetcar feasibility study, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Van Cleave Recreation Center.

NEXT MEETING: Annual Meeting, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, Van Cleve Park building. A half-hour social period will start at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will start at 7 p.m.

REGULAR MEETINGS: 1st Tuesday of the month, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Van Cleve Park, 901 15th Ave. SE.

CONTACT: Office, 837 SE 15th Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55414, phone 612-676-1731, James De Sota, neighborhood coordinator, secomo@secomo.org, website: www.secomo.org/site/center.html.

last revised: September 6, 2007

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