Statement for NCEC regarding Neighborhoods Programming, Proposed Changes to Consolidated TIF, 2015 NCR Budget
J. L. Strand
The Council has charged the NCEC with establishing community engagement policies, increasing participation and broadening representation, and partnering with NCR to study issues, courses of action, policies and programs regarding community participation policies and integrating the voice of residents into the City’s decision-making processes. The NCEC is prepared to partner with NCR to facilitate a robust, inclusive citywide engagement process to develop program recommendations for the Council consistent with its charge for investment of excess TIF funds back into the neighborhoods and community to help achieve the City’s overarching goals and strategic objectives. Together, neighborhoods, residents, community groups, and the entire city enterprise can address these dilemmas. Let’s do this together!
Message from Chair Israel,
"NCEC Commissioners,
HISTORY:
October NCEC Meeting: A resolution from the October NCEC meeting resulted in the scheduling of a special meeting on November 12th at the NCR office to discuss the mayor's 2015 proposed budget which included expanding the use of Tax Increment Finance district funds.
November NCEC Special meeting: There was a quorum present at the November 12th special meeting. I chaired the meeting and three of the four NCEC officers were present as well as Director Rubedor and Howard Blin, NCR staff.
Commissioner Houle presented a draft statement to be considered for approval to be sent to Mpls City Council. A discussion followed which was captured in part on dry erase board as well as Commissioner Clark and myself. Howard Blin took notes as staff support.
Per Commissioner Strand the following is a summary:
The motion was to have the NCEC Executive Committee and additional members who volunteered (Commissioners Clark and Zaffrann volunteered), develop a consensus statement regarding the 2015 NCR budget, funding for neighborhood programming, and proposed expanded uses of the Consolidated TIF funding for presentation to NCEC members, working from Commissioner Houle’s draft statement and the recorded comments presented by commissioners present at the special meeting, and subject to simple majority approval by the NCEC members using electronic mail means.
The intention was for an adopted consensus statement be made available for presentation to the Health, Environment & Community Engagement Committee on November 17 and to the Ways and Means/Budget Committee as part of the 2015 Budget process.
The motion was adopted without any objections or abstentions
ACTION/REQUEST:
1. The executive committee, Commissioners Clark and Zaffron submit the letter below for your review and approval by 6pm, Sunday, November 16, 2014.
2. Please submit any comments vial NCEC Google Group at this link: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/neighborhood-and-community-engagement-commission
The proposed draft that you are voting on is as follows:
As residents and representatives from every part of Minneapolis, we share the Mayor's goals for our city: to improve how well our city runs, to help our city grow, and above all to foster a more equitable city for all of our residents to create One Minneapolis. We share these goals because our neighborhoods are where we will succeed or fail in achieving them; our neighborhoods are where we all live, work, and play every day.
We support Mayor Hodges' proposed increase in funding to the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department, to the Community Participation Program, and to the One Minneapolis Fund. These are the city's most direct investments in equitable engagement throughout our city, and the proposed increases in these areas will allow us to continue this work in every neighborhood and in every community.
However, we are concerned about the change in policy represented in this budget proposal regarding the use of funds that have, until now, been dedicated to neighborhood purposes (with the sole exception of the Target Center). For 25 years, the city and state have agreed that funds generated by the downtown development districts should fund neighborhood revitalization projects and purposes. The Neighborhood Revitalization Program has been a national model, and the city and our neighborhood organizations must work together to continue its successes through our new Community Participation Program and the One Minneapolis Fund. Allocating these funds to other purposes represents a significant change in policy: one that we believe deserves a more robust, inclusive public process. Until that occurs, the NCEC believes that funds generated by the Consolidated TIF district should continue funding only the Target Center, neighborhood programs, and the NCR administration.
We know that there is much more progress to be made towards a more equitable and inclusive city that welcomes every resident, including at the neighborhood level. The Community Participation Program is still quite new, and we agree that we must work to increase the effectiveness of, and accountability for, neighborhood funds. Minneapolis must build on the past successes of neighborhood organizations to address today's problems, including -- especially -- racial equity.
The Council has charged the NCEC with establishing community engagement policies, increasing participation and broadening representation, and partnering with NCR to study issues, courses of action, policies and programs regarding community participation policies and integrating the voice of residents into the City’s decision-making processes. The NCEC is prepared to partner with NCR to facilitate a robust, inclusive citywide engagement process to develop program recommendations for the Council consistent with its charge for investment of excess TIF funds back into the neighborhoods and community to help achieve the City’s overarching goals and strategic objectives.
Together, neighborhoods, residents, community groups, and the entire city enterprise can address these dilemmas. Let’s do this together!
-----------END
PLEASE FORWARD YOUR VOTE VIA EMAIL TO COMMISSIONER STRAND so we do not have to plow through NCEC Google Group dialogue to tally votes.
Respectfully,
Ishmael Israel
NCEC Chair"
J. L. Strand
On Sunday, November 16, 2014 8:35:15 AM UTC-6, J. L. Strand wrote:
Chair Israel,
NCEC members have voted one the proposed NCEC Statement. The votes received and recorded by the Secretary as of 6:00pm CST today are shown below. With 15 of 16 seats filled with 1 vacancy, the required simple majority to adopt is 8 votes. The Statement has been adopted on a vote of 11 Ayes, -0- Nayes, -0- Abstentions, 4 Not voting.
Tally of Votes
Jeffrey Strand, District 1—Aye
Denis Houle, District 2 — Aye
Kirk Roggensack, District 3 —Aye
Doron Clark, District 4 — Aye
Kenya McKnight, District 5 — Aye
Debra Behrens, District 6 — Not voting
Carol Pass, District 7 — Aye
Francisco Segovia, District 8 — Not voting
Ishmael Israel, Chair, Mayor — Aye
Matthew Dobratz, Mayor — Aye
Eric Gustafson, City Council — Aye
Andres Hortillosa, City Council (Resigned effective November 1, 2014)
Brittany Lewis, City Council — Not voting
Tessa Wetjen, City Council — Aye
David Zaffrann, City Council —Not voting
Maleta Kimmons, Park Board — Aye
Respectfully,
Jeffrey Strand
NCEC Secretary
District 1
Kenya McKnight Ahad
Thanks commissioner Strand,
What process do you recommend forward?
Commissioner McKnight
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Francisco Segovia
Sent from my iPhone
Jeff Strand
Kenya McKnight Ahad
Great and thanks for laying it all out commissioner Strand!
It would be nice to have any of us present for those who can make it out. I'll see what I can do, we're talking about tomorrow (Monday). Again thanks
- Commissioner McKnight
DENIS...@comcast.net
To: "Kenya McKnight Ahad" <kenyam...@gmail.com>, "Ishmael Israel" <mr.ishma...@gmail.com>
Cc: neighborhood-and-communi...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2014 10:00:58 PM
Subject: Re: [NCEC] Statement for NCEC regarding Neighborhoods Programming, Proposed Changes to Consolidated TIF, 2015 NCR Budget
J. L. Strand
Urging Neighborhood Organizations in NCEC District 1 to follow the Health, Environment and Community Engagement Committee proceedings, meeting November 17th at 1:30pm. Please be sure your individual and collective voices are being heard by the Mayor and City Council Members. The NCEC has developed a Statement on issues to present to the City Council committees.
Separate opportunities to comment on proposed 2015 City Budget through Ways and Means/ Budget Committee, especially proposed expanded uses of Consolidated TIF funding for non-neighborhoods funding, on November 18th 6:05pm (or online) and December 10th 6:05pm.
--Jeffrey Strand
NCEC District 1 Representative
From the HECE November 17th Agenda:
"Consent
Neighborhood & Community Relations Department
2. Uncontracted Neighborhood Funds:
Receive and file report on uncontracted neighborhood funds.
Staff Report: Uncontracted Fund Balance RCA; Uncontracted Fund Balance ATTACH
Referred by City Council 11/14/2014
3. Grocery Stores Ordinance Amendment:...
Neighborhood & Community Relations Department
4. History of Neighborhood Programs:
Receive and file report on the history of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program, the Community Participation Program, and the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department.
A public comment period will take place following the presentation and committee discussion.
Staff Report: History of Neighborhood Programs RCA"
On Sunday, November 16, 2014 8:35:15 AM UTC-6, J. L. Strand wrote:
Francisco Segovia
Hello fellow Commissioners
I committed to attend today’s HECE committee meeting however due to work related duties that required my presence I won’t be able to attend. Thank you all for your hard work and commitment to building “One Minneapolis”
Commissioner Segovia
From: neighborhood-and-communi...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neighborhood-and-communi...@googlegroups.com]
On Behalf Of Kenya McKnight Ahad
Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2014 10:13 PM
To: neighborhood-and-communi...@googlegroups.com
Cc: Ishmael Israel
Subject: Re: [NCEC] Statement for NCEC regarding Neighborhoods Programming, Proposed Changes to Consolidated TIF, 2015 NCR Budget
Great and thanks for laying it all out commissioner Strand!
Kenya McKnight Ahad
Jeff Strand
ConsentNeighborhood & Community Relations Department2. Uncontracted Neighborhood Funds:Receive and file report on uncontracted neighborhood funds.Staff Report: Uncontracted Fund Balance RCA; Uncontracted Fund Balance ATTACH
Action Taken: Received and filed. Staff directed to engage neighborhood associations and the NCEC in developing policy and procedural recommendations for the Council which would establish guidelines for allowable balances of unspent NRP fund allocations and require any neighborhood association not meeting those guidelines to develop a plan with specific timelines on how they will use those funds, as well as developing reporting and monitoring procedures for the deployment of these resources. Staff are to present a draft policy recommendation to Council no later than May 31, 2015.
Referred by City Council 11/14/20143. Grocery Stores Ordinance Amendment:
Setting a public hearing for December 8, 2014, to consider the subject matter of an ordinance amending Title 10, Chapter 203, of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances relating to Food Code: Grocery Stores, amending provisions related to requirements.Action Taken: Public hearing set for December 8, 2014.Discussion
Neighborhood & Community Relations Department4. History of Neighborhood Programs:Receive and file report on the history of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program, the Community Participation Program, and the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department.A public comment period will take place following the presentation and committee discussion.
Action Taken: Received and filed. Neighborhood & Community Relations staff directed to work with the Neighborhood & Community Engagement Commission developing recommendations for future expenditures of the consolidated TIF fund for neighborhood revitalization purposes.
