November E-news

November 2021 E-News

Fall Leaves & Autumn Breeze!

EPNI November Calendar

Monday, November 1st - Special Board of Directors Meeting
6-7:30pm • via Zoom
The President of EPNI has called a Special Meeting of the Board on Monday, November 1st at 6pm to discuss the 2022 organizational budget. Guests are welcome to attend and observe. Please contact [email protected] for the Zoom link.

Friday, November 5th - Housing Help Pop-up
3-7pm • Twin Cities Urban League (2100 Plymouth Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411)
Need help with your RentHelpMN application? Seeking legal support to protect against eviction or lease termination? This event is for you. See below for a list of documents to bring.

Monday, November 8th - Membership Meeting - Revised Bylaws Vote
5-7pm • Elliot Park Rec Center (1000 E 14th St)
Voting will be allowed during the specified time only.

Due to changes in City of Minneapolis funding for neighborhood organizations, EPNI is required to revise the bylaws to reflect new requirements. Stop by the Rec Center to check out the proposed bylaws and make your voice heard!

Monday, November 15th - Board of Directors Meeting
6-8pm • Via Zoom
The EPNI Board of Directors meetings monthly, on the 3rd Monday of the month, at 6pm. Guests are welcome to attend and observe. Please contact [email protected] for the meeting link.

Do you have a suggestion or question for a board member? Email [email protected] and someone will get back to you soon!

Thursday, November 18th - Building, Land Use, and Housing (BLUH) Meeting
6-7pm • Via Zoom
Every month, EPNI convenes the community at the Building, Land Use, and Housing (BLUH) meeting. This month's agenda is still in the works, but we’re excited to hear from the NAACP housing committee and Habitat for Humanity. A final agenda will be posted on week prior to the meeting.

Membership Meeting - Revised Bylaws Vote on November 8th

Purpose of the meeting: Membership vote on revised EPNI Bylaws.

Due to changes in City of Minneapolis funding for neighborhood organizations, Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc. (EPNI), a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is required to revise the bylaws to reflect new requirements. The proposed bylaws were primarily drafted by Birken Law, a law firm specializing in non-profit law, and edited by EPNI staff and board. This update also makes sure the neighborhood is current with all state and federal nonprofit regulations and nonprofit sector best practices. The current bylaws, proposed bylaws, and executive summary of changes can be found at www.elliotpark.org/bylaws. Printed materials can be requested by contacting the EPNI office.

How to Vote: EPNI will be accepting votes in-person on Monday, November 8th between the hours of 5-7pm at the Elliot Park Recreation Center (1000 E 14th St). Voting will be allowed during the specified time only.

Eligible Voters: Any individual who is at least 18 years of age and who lives, works, or owns property within the Elliot Park neighborhood.

Questions? Contact EPNI at 612-335-5846 or [email protected].

Notice of a Special Meeting of the Membership

This information is important. If you need help understanding the information, call 612-335-5846. If you need these documents in a language other than English, tell the representative and we will arrange for an interpreter and/or document translation.

Ogeysiiska kulan gaar ah ee xubinnimada

Macluumaadkani waa muhiim. Haddii aad u baahan tahay caawimo fahamka macluumaadka, wac 612-335-5846. Haddii aad u baahan tahay dukumiintiyadan oo ku qoran luqad aan Ingiriis ahayn, u sheeg wakiilka waxaanan diyaarin doonaa turjumaan iyo/ama dukumintiga turjumidda.

We Heart Chicago Avenue!

We had a blast spending time on a crisp fall day with neighbors on Chicago Avenue. The donuts, pumpkins, mittens, and prizes were a big hit! It filled our hearts with joy to see the kids running around, neighbors dancing to music, and the excitement of winning a great prize. Thanks to all those who came out!

This event made possible with support from the City of Minneapolis Office of Violence Prevention, Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc., and Aeon.

Elliot Park Recreation Center Programming

Join us every Wednesday for a Walk in The Park!
Enjoy some fresh air and good company as we slowly stroll through Elliot Park, followed with refreshments. We will meet every Wednesday (weather permitting) at 3:30pm on the patio on the Eastside of the Rec Center at Elliot Park.

Video Game Club
Join in on the fun, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6-8:30pm at the Elliot Park Rec Center. If you have questions please call 612-370-4772 or email [email protected].

Elliot Park Homework Help
FREE tutoring and support for distance learning and online assignments for all students grades K-12. Help is available Monday - Thursday from from 4:30pm - 8pm at the Elliot Park Rec Center. If you have questions please call 612-370-4772 or email [email protected].

Missed Our October BLUH Meeting?

At the October Building, Land Use, and Housing (BLUH) meeting, Kaela McConnon Diarra of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights explained how to file a housing discrimination complaint with her department. Take a look at MDCR’s website here or file a discrimination complaint here.

Want to learn more? Check out the meeting recording.

Shop the Mobile Market!

The Twin Cities Mobile Market is back on Wednesday, November 3rd from 10:30-11:30 am. You can find the bus at Chicago and 15th Street. All are welcome to stop by and shop. The market has beautiful and affordable produce, meat, dairy, bread, and more.

To learn more about the Mobile Market, please visit thefoodgroupmn.org/twin-cities-mobile-market.

Rethinking I-94

EPNI recently joined 25 other organizations and community groups to submit a letter to the Minnesota Department of Transportation that calls on them to prioritize local communities and address the freeway’s harms in the Rethinking I-94 project.

Interstate 94 through Saint Paul and Minneapolis was completed in 1968. Fifty-three years later, the freeway has deteriorated and must be repaired, replaced, or removed.

The freeway has a history of harm: it was intentionally built through the Rondo neighborhood, former home to 80% of Saint Paul’s Black community. I-94 demolished scores of homes and businesses, destroying generational wealth in Rondo and every community along its path. I-94 continues to harm surrounding communities via air and noise pollution, severed neighborhoods, poor multi-modal transportation options, and an opportunity cost from land lost to the highway that could be repurposed to serve community needs. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) pledged to do better when in 2016 it began planning for the future of the corridor, naming the project “Rethinking I-94.”

Five years later, the Rethinking I-94 project is now at an important decision point. MnDOT is currently preparing the project’s Purpose and Need Documents as part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. The draft documents can be viewed here. These documents determine the “needs” that the project seeks to address and identify metrics or “evaluation criteria” that staff will use to evaluate and select projects.

Why we submitted the letter

Unfortunately the current project documents are critically flawed. Instead of truly “rethinking I-94” and improving outcomes for freeway adjacent communities, the documents create a framework that would prioritize the status quo and dismiss the highway’s significant harms.

The documents focus on moving more car and truck traffic and ignore the air pollution, noise and carbon emissions that it creates. They prioritize fixing pavement conditions instead of fixing the mental and physical barrier that I-94 creates through neighborhoods. The documents ignore the urgent need to improve transportation options for the nearly 25% people in the corridor who do not have access to a car.

Join us in advocating for a better future for the highway area and read the letter at ourstreetsmpls.org/rethinking_i94.

Minneapolis Renter Support Fund

Are you a Minneapolis renter or renter-household who spends more than one-third of your income on housing costs? Apply for a chance to receive $900 in no-strings-attached funding. Funds are distributed through a lottery system, so not every applicant will be selected.

The application is open the 15-20th of each month, opening and closing at noon. It takes about 10 minutes to apply and 25 applicants are selected randomly each month. You can also add yourself to this email list to receive reminders and updates about the fund. This program is administered by Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association and the Minneapolis Renters’ Coalition. Apply this month from Nov 15th-20th!

Behind on rent? Apply for Emergency Rental Assistance today through RentHelpMN.org. To prevent eviction for non-payment of rent, you must have a pending Rent Help application. Please contact Ellie Benson, EPNI’s Tenant Organizer, if you need help with the application. You can reach her at [email protected] or 612-335-5846.

MPHA to Open Family Housing Waitlist

The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) will accept online applications for its Two, Three, Four and Five-Bedroom Family Housing Waitlist beginning 8am Friday, November 5th through 12pm (noon) Monday, November 9th.

To apply for the waiting list, visit MPHA’s website at portal.mphaonline.org. Applicants may complete the application from any computer or cell phone with internet access during the noted time period. MPHA will have a limited number of kiosks and staff to provide assistance at 1001 Washington Ave North during business hours.

Applicants in need of assistance with the application or applicants who need a reasonable accommodation, free language assistance, or who require the information in an alternative format are encouraged to submit a request in advance of the waiting list opening via email at [email protected] or phone at 612-342-1390/612-342-1491. Any requests for special accommodation must be received by no later than 12pm (noon) on November 9th. The application can be translated using a built-in Google Translate feature and interpreters will be available for language assistance in other languages as necessary.

To qualify for the Family Housing Waiting list, applicants must meet eligibility criteria. Eligible applicants will be placed on the waiting list based on a random drawing per bedroom size. The lottery will take place mid-November. For more details on the application and selection process, please visit MPHA’s website.

Redistricting Update

Every 10 years, the City changes the boundaries of election districts. These new districts have equal representation and reflect the most recent census data. The Charter Commission and the appointed Redistricting Advisory Group work together to set the boundaries of the 13 council wards and six park districts.

There is planned community input throughout the process. Currently, you can draw and submit maps and share ideas in writing to help us with the redistricting process. Learn more about how to submit your ideas on redistricting.

Promote the Draw Your Own Map and written statements.

Organics Recycling Drop-Off Site Coming Soon

Hennepin County recently awarded $47,200 to three cities to open a total of seven new organics recycling drop-off sites. The drop-off sites funded by these grants will increase access to organics recycling for all residents, especially those living in multifamily properties without access to city service and those in cities that don’t offer service. Drop offs also help raise awareness about the benefits of organics recycling and build interest in additional programs.

About 30% of our trash is food scraps and other organic material, making organics recycling our biggest opportunity to reduce our trash, make progress toward our zero waste goals, and take action on climate change.

The following organics recycling drop-off sites will open in fall 2021 or early 2022:

5 sites in Minneapolis at the following parks: Holmes, Elliot, Towerside, Stewart, and North Commons
1 site in Crystal at the Aquatic Center
1 site in Minnetrista at City Hall

Existing organics recycling drop-off options:

There are currently 28 organics drop-off sites in Hennepin County, including at the county’s drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park and in several other cities. Learn more about Organics Drop-Off Sites.