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Home My WebLink About1993 06-23 EBNHACMMINUTES OF 1 HE PROCEEDINGS OF 1 EARLE BROWN NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA JUNE 23, 1993 COUNCIL CHAMBERS BROOKLYN CENTER CITY HALL CALL TO ORDER The Earle Brown Neighborhood Housing Advisory Committee was called to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Committee members present at the meeting were Jody Brandvold, Dolores Hastings, Robert Torres, Everett Lindh, June Scofield, Doug Rossi, Robert Jechorek, Johanna Mills, Joyce Lindquist, Betty Engdahl and Nancy Carlson. Also present was Community Development Specialist Tom Bublitz. Committee member Pamela Frantum was absent from the meeting. Councilmember Barb Kanigher was also absent from the meeting due to illness. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MAY 27, 1993 There was a motion by Committee Member Brandvold and seconded by Committee Member Lindh to approve the minutes of the May 27, 1993 meeting, as submitted. The motion passed. ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON FOR COMMITTEE The Community Development Specialist explained that at the last committee meeting three candidates were initially nominated and Nancy Carlson, one of the three candidates, withdrew her nomination due to other obligations. The subsequent vote for the remaining two candidates resulted in a tie vote which brings the election back to the committee this evening. Commissioner Bob Torres stated that for personal reasons he is withdrawing his nomination for chair of the committee. Committee Member Scofield inquired as to whether or not another person should be nominated. The Community Development Specialist pointed out that the nomination of a second person for the chair is at the pleasure and call of the committee. No additional nominations were made, and upon a voice vote being taken, Committee Member Jody Brandvold was elected as chair of the Earle Brown Neighborhood Housing Advisory 6 -23 -93 Committee. Committee Member Brandvold thanked the committee for electing her chair and explained it was her understanding the main responsibility of the chairperson is to run the meetings and that she would do the best job she can as chairperson of the committee. REVIEW OF MAILER FOR LANDSCAPE DESIGN PROGRAM The Community Development Specialist distributed a draft of a letter to be sent to persons in single- family homes in the Earle Brown neighborhood regarding the landscape demonstration program. He pointed out the draft had been prepared by the City's Communications Coordinator and was presented this evening as a draft for discussion by committee members. Committee Member Jechorek stated he would like to delete the references to "drawing" of applications for the landscape program. He pointed out that he did not think it would be best to conduct this as a drawing with winners and losers but rather to have some sort of selection process. Committee members agreed with Committee Member Jechorek's comments, and after additional discussion, suggested that the Hennepin Technical College teacher and students involved in the project should also be involved in selecting the sites. The rationale for their involvement would be to find the sites most appropriate for the students to develop projects. Chairperson Brandvold inquired as to how many projects the landscape students would be doing. The Community Development Specialist explained that it would be a maximum of 15 projects. The committee also discussed the expectations on the part of the landscape students for actual completion of their landscape designs. The Community Development Specialist pointed out that the students do not do installation of the plantings and that would be the responsibility of the homeowner. He also pointed out that staff is working to provide some kind of mechanism to obtain a reduced cost for homeowners interested in installing the plant materials recommended in the designs. In response to committee member questions, the Community Development Specialist pointed out that students will be receiving credit for this program as part of their regular class work so that the actual installation of the material is not a requirement for their class credit. He added that he would discuss this issue with the instructor to get a determination as to what the expectations are of the students and school for the actual installation of the plant materials recommended in the designs. He also pointed out he would have a final draft of the letter for committee members at their next meeting. UPDATE ON 1993 PAINT -A -THON PROGRAM The Community Development Specialist noted that he was in the process of recruiting volunteers from the City staff who will be working with the committee on the 1993 Paint -A -Thon house. He also noted the three homes that are possibilities in the southeast neighborhood for the committee are located at 5427 Dupont, 5401 Morgan and 5438 Knox. He noted he had driven by each of the three houses and it appeared that the 5401 Morgan needed the most work in terms of painting. 6 -23 -93 -2- He explained that he would be attending a team leader meeting at which time the houses would be assigned to various teams and that he would report back to the committee at the next meeting regarding the status of the home assignments. REPORT ON AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS MINNEAPOLIS SUBURBS COMMITTEE The Community Development Specialist explained that the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Minneapolis Suburbs Committee has chosen to focus this year on what they consider to be one of the most current and important issues affecting the suburbs, which is the migration of residents from the first ring suburbs to the outer rings and the negative effect it has on the neighborhoods and housing stock. He explained there are several components to the AIA program which included conducting forums on issues such as the history of suburban development and migration, economics of rehabilitation and neighborhood revitalization and the future of the first ring suburbs. The final component of the AIA program is to develop a competition that would develop a pilot project for enhancing the housing stock in the first ring suburbs. The competition, which could possibly be nationwide, would include architects, bankers and builders with the goal of remodeling an entire block of single family homes within one of the area's first ring suburbs. He pointed out the cost of the competition is in the area of $100,000 with the cost of the pilot project being an additional cost over and above the $100,000. He pointed out that one of the goals of the program is to increase the value of housing in the first ring suburbs and maintain interest for home buyers in first ring suburban housing. The Community Development Specialist explained he would keep the committee informed of the progress of this project as it develops over the summer and fall. OTHER BUSINESS: ST. LOUIS PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION PROGRAM As an information item, the Community Development Specialist informed the committee members of St. Louis Park's efforts at organizing the neighborhoods in that city. He explained St. Louis Park established a task force called the Neighborhood Revitalization Commission whose duty was to organize the thirty -one identified neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis Park. Their approach to organizing the neighborhoods was to do a "how to" manual which explained to interested persons in the neighborhoods how to prepare newsletters, conduct meetings, etc. He explained that many of the City's neighborhoods had begun to organize under the auspices of the task force and that this might be something the Earle Brown Committee would like to look at in the future. He explained he could arrange for someone from the City of St. Louis Park to meet with the committee to review the efforts of the neighborhood organization in St. Louis Park and held this out as a future committee agenda item. CODE ENFORCEMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES Chairperson Brandvold stated she would like to address issues relative to the southeast neighborhood and, in particular, one issue involving Bellevue Park. She pointed out she had received an inquiry as to why the playground equipment had disappeared from Bellevue Park. 6 -23 -93 -3- Commissioner Torres noted playground equipment had been removed from Orchard Lane Park. As an additional item, Chairperson Brandvold pointed out the problem with individuals dumping trash in the area of River Ridge Park. She pointed out that she believed the issues involving maintenance of neighborhood parks is an appropriate issue for the committee to consider and to attempt to solve. The Community Development Specialist explained he would follow up on these items and report back to the committee. Additional discussion ensued among committee members regarding complaints over code enforcement, including shrubbery overgrown on the sidewalk in the area of 59th and Aldrich, semi trucks parked in the neighborhood of 60th and Bryant and 59th and Aldrich, and homes in need of paint in the 60th and 61st block of Dupont Avenue North, just before the 694 bridge. The Community Development Specialist explained he would follow up on these items and report back to the committee. He also pointed out that the committee had previously had a number of speakers to address the issue of code enforcement in the City, including the City Prosecutor, who prosecutes code enforcement violations. He explained that with the number of new members it may be advisable to again invite a selected group of speakers to review the City's code enforcement efforts. Committee members also requested the Community Development Specialist to provide them with a list of individuals to call for code enforcement complaints. NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE The committee discussed whether or not to continue meeting over the summer and agreed that they should continue to meet throughout the summer. The next meeting was set for the fourth Thursday in July, July 22, 1993, at 7:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT The Earle Brown Neighborhood Housing Advisory Committee meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Tom Bublitz Recording Secretary 6 -23 -93 -4-